Snuff
A/N: so here is another piece I’ve been working on for a while. It’s Supernatural based and is a companion piece to one I wrote....years ago. It’s obviously AU and takes place during the 9-ish season. It’s an OC piece about an Angel named Nel. I hope you like it, I think I’m going to write more when I can.
Warnings: Graphic violence. torture. Season 9 spoilers. cursing.
Nel and her boys couldn't stop laughing at the unknowing joke Castiel had made. "Cas, dude, you can't just tell a lady her dress makes her look fat," Dean sighed, laughing into his beer. "But she asked me if she looked fat, to tell her otherwise would be a lie. I should not lie to someone, especially when they ask me for the truth."
Nel cackled at that. Her brother had a lot to learn about humans and women.
"It…its like this Cas, women, and men, sometimes they like to be flattered." Sam was struggling with his explanation. He never thought he'd have to explain a white lie to anyone, especially an angel.
"But that flattery would have been a lie…" "Yes, its a white lie," "A white lie?" "yeah, it's a lie you tell so you don't hurt someone's feelings, something you do to make someone else happy." Cas looked thoughtful for a moment, "But then all lies could be considered white lies, and all white lies could be bad.'
Sam sighed loudly as Dean and Nel laughed even harder. "Look, Castiel, she knew she looked fat, you knew she looked fat, she knew you knew she looked fat, but she wanted to be lied to. Human's sometimes want to be lied to. Simple as that." "Well, humans are confusing, sister.'
"That they are." Nel looked at Dean and smiled lovingly before taking another sip of her beer, it was times like this she was glad she had her family, as crazy as it was. No matter what happened, she had her boys and her brother. As long as they were together, they could face the world.
"WAKE UP!" Nel shot up, jarred from her sleep. "Time to start another round of questioning. Hopefully this time, you will give me the answers I want. Otherwise, I may just slip up…" Metatron. Nel remembered where she was, locked away in a cell in Hell. No one knew she was there, not Crowley, not Castiel, not Gadreel, not her Boys, not even Lucifer. No, no one knew she was there because they all thought she was dead.
They thought she died long ago, in the war in Heaven, but here she was, locked away, subjected to torture and questioning. Day in and day out, or was it night in and night out? She didn't know. She didn't know how long she had been in Hell, she didn't know how long she had been on the floor, trying to heal herself. But she had to hold on, God trusted her with information that no one else should ever know. He trusted her. She could not fail him.
Besides, she'd been tortured before, by Lucifer, by demons, hell even by humans when she was still one. Yes, she had endured much worse. She could endure much more.
Metatron opened up her cell door all the way, knowing she wouldn't run. She couldn't, not with the iron collar covered in enochian charms. He grabbed by her hair and dragged her out, all while talking about her daily torture as if they were talking about the weather.
"Oh, what should we do today, rip out your nails? How about waterboarding? You like that one!" "How about the one where you realize I'm never going to tell you anything and just let me go?" She hissed out, clawing at his hand in her hair. "Now, now, you know that's never going to happen, besides you love our little pow-wows. I know, I saw it in your head. Reminds you of when you were human. What did you call it? Penance?"
He turned down a few more hallways, still dragging her behind him. Nel had learned not to be dead weight, to try and slow him down. The few times she had, he just tortured her more. "Love, love," She choked, "is just a camouflage for what resembles rage…" Metatron laughed at that, "Oh sister, that is clever!" He waggled his finger back at her, "But remember, I control you. I control everything. I can make the very air around you feel like a cage." He said, his eyes growing dark. But, before she could retort, they had reached the torture room, and he immediately flung her to a rack.
"You know what to do, sister. Get on, and get strapped down. If you're good, I'll tell you a little secret!" Nel eyed him from the floor, but slowly got on the rack. "Good girl," he eyed her, making sure she buckled herself in as tightly as she could. "I have a surprise for you! I have guests! They will hopefully take part in your torture! I'm sure you already know one of them!" Metatron waved his hand in the air, and two figures shimmered in, completely unaware of what was happening.
"What in the bloody hell!?" a gravely British voice yelled out, perturbed to taken away from where ever he was. "Cr...Crowley?"
Crowley's eyes shot to the table and he stared at Nel, mouth opening and closing like a fish. "You bring me out of the cage for a torture session, really Metatron? This is beneath you." Lucifer rolled his shoulders, completely unaware of what was happening. "Brother.…" Lucifer looked around the room and spotted Nel, bloody and broken, trying to reach out to him. "Sister?" He tried to take a step forward, but was stopped short. Suddenly he realized her couldn't move. Neither of them could. Crowley looked up at the ceiling, and sure enough, there was a devil trap etched on it.
"Bollocks, well this is unfortunate."
"Clever Metty, very clever. Devil trap above, Angel trap below. It's like you planned this." "I can't take all the credit, I did learn some of my techniques from you both" he smiled and shrugged, waving his hand to Nel. "Why am I even here? This seems to be a family problem, not that I mind watching, I do enjoy a good torture that boarders on incestual." Crowley knew why he was there. Nel was the only angel he could barely call friend. Hell, if they were both still human, he probably could have loved her. Probably. But he didn’t need to let Metatron know that. So he shrugged in his suit and looked around,
"I like what you did with the place, Cozy." Crowley snickered.
"Crowley, Lucifer, can I call you that? Or would you prefer CO….Kings of Hell?"
Metatron laughed at his little dig at the two men. He was the one calling the shots and he wanted them to know that. "Look, like I said, why am I even here? Angel business, is…angel business. I have my own little…tiff…I need attend too. Moose and Squirrel will be wondering where I've been off too. Don't want to upset the children."
If he could get out of there, he could let the boys know where Nel was…with the right price of course, maybe he could get Dean to let him have that obnoxious car he so vehemently drives…
"Now Crowley, don't you want to know why I brought you here? I'm sure you do!"
Uncharacteristically, Lucifer has remained stoic, since realizing he was in an angel trap, keeping eye contact with Nel. How was she still alive? The last time he saw her…
'oh no..'
"You want us to torture her." Lucifer stated, never breaking eye contact. Nel's eyes went big as she pulled against her restraints,
"Metatron, no. Please don't do this. Please."
"BINGO! Our favorite fallen son gets a prize! You get the first torture session! If you want it of course.." Metatron moved to Nel's head was and picked it up, forcing her to look at Crowley and Lucifer. He squeezed her cheeks together, making her lips pucker. "And I know just how much you love torturing her. Hellfire on her wings," He dropped her head with a loud thud, "Now that! That was a classic"
Metatron moved back to them, wagging his finger the whole time, "But you, my dear Crowley, you….like her, could even say you love her! But you want to know a secret?? She doesn't love you! She can't!" He laughed at that, he laughed and laughed and laughed.
"I looked into her head and saw her truths. I saw every little nook and cranny in there. And let me tell you, she killed a LOT of humans in her day. She was vicious. Honestly, I'm just as surprised as she is that she isn't a demon." Nel turned her head in shame, her conquests during her time as a human brought her nothing but nightmares and self-loathing. No, her past life as Elizabeth was best left at that, the past. "Does your little errand boy, Gadreel, know you have her locked away? Hmmm? Does he know you're torturing helpless angels?"
Crowley bit back, his posture just barely stiffening.
"Metatron, I'm going to kill you. Mark my words." Lucifer growled. "Why the sudden protectiveness for her? You were oh so ready to kill her when you wanted your true vessel…"
Lucifer gave her a pained look. He never wanted to torture her. He never wanted to hurt any of his siblings. Just their Father. A Father she so blindly followed as a human. But now? Now she was just his little sister, another in the long line he failed to protect. "Careful Lucifer, you're feeling! Very human of you." Metatron sat down in a chair that wasn’t there before, lounging back with his arms crossed and his feet up.
"Now look, here's the thing. Aranel, our favorite baby sister, has some valuable information regarding our Father locked away in her little head. But! For the life of her, she won't tell me what it is, or where it is. And trust me," He laughs, "I have looked just about everywhere. So, I'm going to give you two options. Either you do as I saw and do what you both do best,"
He lifted his hands and shook them around his face, making light of the situation,
"Oooor, you both stand there helpless as I take that big cleaver and hack off her wings." His voice dropped an octave and he became deadly serious. "It's up to you. Either you do it, or I do."
"Now, let’s take a step back for just a moment. We're all business men here, rulers of our own realms, I'm sure…" Crowley began
"Fine. We'll do it." Lucifer cut him off, turning his eyes to steel and his heart to stone.
"Oh very good, brother! I knew you wouldn't pass up the opportunity to finish what you started those 5 years ago." Metatron got up and walked towards them again.
"But, on one condition," Lucifer stopped him.
"I don't think you're in the position to be making demands, you little Devil, you." "You will leave us to our work. I don't like to have an audience, makes me…gun-shy." he joked, shrugging at Metatron.
"Oh-ho ho, I see, you want me to flit away so you two can save your skins and leave? No, no I don't think so." "Don't you trust me brother? Do I look like someone who really wants to help our Father? Especially his little pet?"
"No, you look like someone who would just kill her to make the Winchester's angry. And I can't have that, I need the information she has so irritatingly squirreled away in her head!"
Crowley was getting fidgety. He had do get out. He had to move. He had to tell Dean where Nel was. He had to…'Christ these traps are annoying,' he thought.
"Look, I'm the King of Hell as well as the King of Deals. So I'll make you one. You let us go, or more specifically me, and I won't sick all the hellhounds in the world after your scent." He had to stall, had to wait, had to get out. If he could just get out…
"Wait, I know what you're doing! You're stalling! You're stalling so I get bored and leave you to rescue our poor little sister!" Metatron stood up, cracked his back, and sauntered over to the gurney covered in different instruments and tools. Lucifer swallowed hard, it was just like those 5 years ago when he hurt her. When he did this to her. When he did this to his little sister. "See, here's the thing. I'm the Scribe of God. I'm not just some chump who was born, oh 10 centuries ago. Isn't that right Nel?" He fiddled with a few knives as he jabbed at her age. Nel was such a young Angel. A fact that made her a lot of enemies in her siblings. "So I know a bullshitter when I hear one."
Nel was tired, she was so tired. She just wanted peace. But, mostly what she wanted at this moment was for them to stop bickering. "Fuck you three are long winded," she wheezed. Nel's breathing turned into a hacking cough which subsided after a few moments. "Metatron, I'll never tell you anything," she inhaled weakly, "So just kill me and get it over with."
Metatron stormed over to the gurney and slapped Nel across the face with such force, she could feel her teeth loosen.
"YOU DON'T GET TO TALK!" He grabbed her face and pulled it towards his, "You don't get to talk, you don't get to do anything other than scream!" From nowhere, Metatron revealed a syringe filled a red goo. "You remember this, Lucifer?! Remember when you took such joy in this!?" Metatron shoved the syringe into Nel's neck and stuck the plunger. "Scream for him Aranel! Scream for you brother! Scream for your piece of shit demon lackey! Scream for those Winchesters! Scream for our Father who has abandoned you!"
Nel bit her lip and whimpered out, her body convulsing. But, she wouldn't scream. Tears stained her filthy cheeks and blood oozed from her swollen lips, but still she wouldn't scream. "Metatron Stop!" Lucifer demanded. "OH!? You want me to stop?! Why!? Why should I stop?! You did this once before! I'm just perfecting it! Isn't that right, SISTER?!" Metatron yanked the syringe from her neck and whipped around to the table. He grabbed the cleaver. "I'm just finishing what you started! She's not one of us! How could she be?! She was just a human those stupid, selfish, Arch Angels decided to turn! Why should I care about her!? You never did! You didn't care about any of us! Or them!"
He stalked towards the two men, head low, shoulders slumped, eyes wild. He pointed the knife at them. "All I wanted was for our Father to love me. Just like you. I wanted to be the favorite. You were, and you threw it away. Now they are!" He pointed it back towards Nel, still facing Lucifer and Crowley.
"All I want is to be equal. All I want is to save everyone the pain of knowing no matter what you do, you will never be anything to our Father."
"You're absolutely mad." Crowley muttered in a bitter awe. "You think what you're doing is to save humanity. Christ you're stupid." "Metatron, stop this." "No, Satan. You don't get to tell me what to do. You had your chance. You could have done this yourself, But you made me do this! You!" Metatron turned back to Nel and slowly made his way over. "Such pretty things, her wings. Not snow white, like yours, brother, "he drew that last word out, "but still, they have their unique qualities. Like a sunset, wouldn't you say? The oranges, and red, and pinks, mixed together…so beautiful." He picked on up gingerly, smoothing out the ruffled feathers. "Probably her most beautiful quality. You know, you two were made for each other. The Morning Star and the girl with Sunset wings." Nel started breathing erratically, taking deep quick breaths. Her eyes widened and her head swiveled between Lucifer and Crowley and Metatron. "Please, please no! Please!" She whimpered "Brother?" She locked eyes with Lucifer, noting the sorrow his face.
Metatron raised his hand, the cleaver catching the glint of the light. "NO!" "NO!" The sound was deafening. Nel screamed and screamed and screamed. She cried out, whimpered, convulsed. But nothing could over power the sound of bone and flesh cracking. Blood and feathers littered the floor at Metatron's feet. He kept hacking away, pulling and yanking at the wing, twisting it as the tendons and sinews cracked and broke.
"There one down," Metatron chuckled, throwing the once beautiful creation at Crowley and Lucifer's feet. Nel heaved, slack jawed, sobbing in pain.
Metatron shook out his arms and leaned down to Nel's ear. "Now, Sister…Where is our Father?!"
Suddenly the ground began to quake. Dust from the ceiling and walls made clouds in the air. There was a deep rumble, like nothing ever heard before. Crowley's head whipped around, trying to figure out where it was coming from. "Be prepared to grab her and get out of here. Once these traps break, I'll be flung back into the cage." His eyes landed on Lucifer. He stood there, eyes burning red. He just stared at his sister. "I'm so sorry, Aranel. My sweet sister." "Wh..what's going on?! What's happening!" Metatron looked around, confused at the commotion. "I would run if I were you." Crowley smirked, "Ever heard of 'The Devil at your back'?"
Metatron blinked out, running away before the seals broke. First the ceiling broke, releasing Crowley from the Devil's trap. He rushed to Nel's side. "Hello dove. Let's get you out of this." Nel couldn't hear him, she was too far gone in the pain. He pulled the straps from her arms and legs, and gently lifted her from the gurney. Her head slumped to his chest as he held her tight. "Br...brother.." she muttered. Crowley turned to Lucifer. "It's okay, turtledove. You'll see me again. And we can do our whole song and dance once more."
He smiled weakly at her. Nel tried to reach out for him. "Get her out of here."
The floor shattered, breaking the Angel's trap. Lucifer gave her a sad smile before being flung back into the cage.
Crowley blinked out of Hell and into a clearing, somewhere. "I've got you." He shuffled towards some sort of door, shifting her in his arms. "You're going to owe me a new suit, love."
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There was sharp banging coming from the bunker door. "The hell is that?" Dean said, head snapping up from the book he was reading. Sam looked at him confused. The banging continued.
Both brothers grabbed their guns and moved silently to the bunker door. Dean stood behind his brother, gun raised, as Sam counted out with his fingers down from three. "Oh would you two just open the damned door?!"
Sam looked at his brother confused, "Crowley?" he called out.
"Yes it's me Moose! Now open the god damned door!" Sam made a face at his brother and holstered his gun. Dean did the same, straightening up.
Sam opened the door while making a snarky comment, "What, can't do it for you…" He was caught off guard by the bloody and limp body in Crowley's arms. "Move!" Crowley pushed his way into the bunker and down the stairs. Both brothers were stunned. That couldn't have been who they thought it was. Dean snapped out of it first, running towards Crowley, who had started to make his way to the barracks.
"It can't be."
Crowley kicked open a door to an empty room and made his way to the bed. He placed her down gently, minding the mangled nub that was once her wing.
Dean ran to the other side of the bed and fell to his knees. "Nel?" He gently moved some hair from her face and caressed her cheek. "I thought.…" He couldn't bring himself to say it. His eyes became glassy as Sam fell next to him. "We all did, Squirrel. We all did."
"Who…how?" Sam held his guardian angel's hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the caked blood. "Metatron."
"What?" Crowley looked at Nel's broken figure, "Angel's lie to keep control"
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Lucifer dropped his head to the bars of his cage, breathing deeply.
He was back inside. He was stuck and he was never getting out. "That was quite…human of you, brother." Michael smirked from his side of the cage. Lucifer turned around and punched him right in the nose. Michael dropped and cowered back to the corner he had been sitting. Lucifer turned back around and placed his head back on the bars. He thought for a moment, then gently put his hands in his pocket and pulled out a colored feather. It was orange and red and pink, like a Sunset. It was one of Nel's feathers from her destroyed wing. He rolled his back and opened his impressive wing span. It was magnificent. He ruffled them slightly, blinding white glinting with the movement. Lucifer Morningstar had the most beautiful wings of all God's angels. Gently, in the curve on his left wing, he placed the colored feather. Now the only imperfection to his perfect wing. The feather hung there, like it was a part of him. Fuck Metatron, Fuck Crowley, Fuck the Winchesters, and Fuck God. His only hope was to one day right the wrongs he had caused that witty, snarky, stupid sister of his.
He folded his wings back and continued to stare out into the void. 'If I can change, I hope I never know.'
