Episode One: Demon's Black Scream

Summary: If Sam was the one MALE Empowered Child so wanted by Azazel to lead his army, then who was supposed to be the general's queen?
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Note: Story was inspired by 'Our Solemn Hour' by Within Temptation. Sam is supposed to be all powerful, right? Then what about his female counterpart? Just how powerful would she have to be?
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Sam was curled up in the fetal position on the floor, writhing in pain, kicking or lashing out every once in a while. It looked like he was being tortured, but to him it felt so much worse.

"Sammie!" Dean tried calling to his brother, not having got an answer before.
Sam's head snapped back, his eyes boring into his brother.

"Stop...her..." He groaned, "stop...Niki..."
Dean's brows furrowed in confusion, his father had the look that he didn't know anything that was going on, neither did Bobby, Helen, or Jo. But Missouri...her eyes widened.

"Mis...Miss...Missouri...stop...Niki..."
"Why, child?" She asked, hoping that he'd shed a little light on the subject that she felt a little unwilling to reveal.
Sam arched up off the floor.

"Can't...can't hold her...for much...longer..."
"What do we have to stop!?" Jo yelled.
Sam turned his head to the other side to look at her.

"She's..."
"Gone evil?" John through out, almost hoping that's what was happening.
Sam's eyes flashed, making everyone take a step back from him, then a low growling sound was heard from deep in his throat.

"Don't talk about her like that!!" Sam yelled, the room shaking with the force of it.
Jo got down on the floor next to Sam, ignoring the yelling protest of her mother and the others. She cupped Sam's face in her hands and forced him to look at her.

"Tell me, Sam," She said softly, "what do we do?"
Almost blood red tears ran down Sam's cheeks, Jo wiping them away with her thumbs.

"She's going..."
"Where, Sam?"
"After Azazel and the others..." He whispered to her.
Jo's hands went slack, softly letting go of Sam's head. When she stood, Helen saw the blank look over her daughter's face, watching as she moved mechanically to the cache that Helen kept hidden.

"Jo..." She said carefully.
"I have to..."
"What's going on, Jo?" Bobby asked.
Jo turned to Bobby, tears running down her cheeks. She let Bobby put a hand over hers on the shot gun in her hand.

"Jo..."
"He loves her, Bobby..."
Bobby chuckled, "I got that, already, when I saw them together. What did he tell you?"
"That she's going to take on Azazel and the other Empowered on her own..."
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/Sanctus Espiritus! redeem us from our solemn hour/
The Impala and several other vehicles pulled to a stop along the dirt road, the breaks letting out a loud, almost horrible, screech as they were hit. Dean and Jo jumped out of the front of the Impala, Jo opening the trunk while Dean helped his father get Sam out of the car.

"Is she here?" Dean asked his brother.
Sam could barely move, his entire body clenched, dead weight.

"Yes..." He croaked, his throat felt like it was on fire.

/Sanctus Espiritus! insanity is all around us/
She could feel him there, Sam...Niki Lark looked over the field, knowing what she had to do, what she had to stop. He didn't choose her for Sam for nothing and Niki knew that if Azazel was ever to be stopped, she had to use all that she was given against him.

"I can feel you, Sammie..." She whispered to herself.
Missouri's head whipped to the side, in Niki's direction, like she heard what the girl had said.

"She knows we are here..."

/Sanctus Espiritus!/
"I'm sorry, Sammie..." A lone blood tear ran down Niki's cheek.
Missouri could feel Niki's sadness, "Oh no, child..."
John put his hand on the woman's shoulder. Just what was happening? Missouri tried to reach out to her, but she felt Niki push her back at every turn.

"I'm sorry, Sammie..."

/Sanctus Espiritus!/
"We have to help her, John," Missouri whispered.
John Winchester looked at Missouri like she just grew three heads. Sam had made it explicitly clear to stop her, but if it was Mary that was doing this, John would say the same thing.

"I know," He said softly, "I know."
Dean held his brother up, Jo on Sam's other side. This girl had to be all powerful if it took Sam every bit of his own power just to waylay her. Sam felt tired, like it was draining the life out of him holding on to Niki, which it was, actually, but he wasn't about to tell anybody that.

/Sanctus Espiritus!/
Azazel turned, feeling one of 'his' Empowered children nearby. Though that would be slightly ironic, almost, since he had around him, a small army of Empowered children. But this one...this one felt different, much different than the others. And one just like it was approaching it. Azazel smiled to himself.

"Samuel and Nikiline," He whispered, "I've been waiting for you."

/In my darkest hours
I could not foresee/
Sam saw her standing there, watching for something. Her blood red hair was in a wild mass of curls, a winding wreath of ivy rested on her head. He knew she was barefoot, she almost always was. What she was wearing on her body, probably, could or could not be considered an actual dress. It was more like...cloud-like diaphanous white cloth wrapped around her body in strips. One that went around her neck, twisted just above her chest, going down to cover her breasts before wrapping in a criss-cross pattern around her ribcage, to end at her hips, the rest of that cloth hanging at her sides. The 'skirt' was like one of those gypsy scarf skirts, but at the same time...it wasn't. She had one strip wrapping around her hips, connecting with several others to make an almost loin-cloth like piece of clothing. Two separate strips, one on either side of her hips, wrapped like snakes around her thighs, winding down her legs to stop at her ankles. A sort of wind began to pick up around her and she turned to them.

"You shouldn't have come," She said softly.

/That the tide could turn so fast to this degree/
"Niki..." Sam croaked.
Niki hung her head, Sam's powers letting go of her. Her hair hung over her shoulders and down her back like a wave of fiery blood.

"I have to, Sammie..."
"No!"

/Can't believe my eyes/
Niki lifted her head and the sight caused the three people in front of her to gasp. Her eyes were completely white, no sign that there was ever a pupil or iris. The magical wind picked up her hair, making it and the free flowing cloth 'float' around her.

"I have to stop him, Sammie..."
"Why, Nik, why?"
A blood tear ran down her cheek to fall upon her bare foot.

"I won't let him have you, Sammie..."

/How can you be so blind?/
"Niki!"
But his calling her name did not stop her. She still turned around and walked toward Azazel and the dozens of Empowered that were encamped in the field. Sam struggled against Dean and Jo, but they didn't let him go. After a long moment of struggling, the three collapsed to their knees.

"Niki..." Sam said weakly.

/Is the heart of stone, no empathy inside?/
Azazel turned to see Niki approaching, stopping outside the encampment. Several of the other Empowered stood to go after her, but Azazel stopped them with a mere raise of his hand.

"I'll take care of her," He told them.

/Time keeps on slipping away and we haven't learned
So in the end now what have we gained?/
John took Jo's place, tossing the Colt to Dean. Helen and Bobby helped everyone, even the Hunters that Bobby and John called in, strap down to their feet with weapons. John hefted Sam to his feet, knowing that his son was still weak.

"We won't let that bastard get her, Sammie," He promised.
Azazel smiled at Niki.

"Now what could you possibly want with me, child?" He called to her, "to beg me to leave Samuel alone?" his tone almost mocking, "I think not!"
He threw a burst of power at Niki, the girl stopping it with a mere outstretched hand. She turned her palm to face the ground and the burst hit the ground, dirt and grass exploding from around it.

/Sanctus Espiritus, redeem us from our solemn hour/
Sam and the others got there just in time to see the ground explode.

"NIKI!!!" Sam screamed, pulling away from his father, stumbling over to her.
Azazel smiled wolfishly.

"Now I have you both," He grinned, summoning a ball of energy that seemed to grow by the moment.
Sam put his hand in Niki's, looking the white eyed girl in the eye, his own eyes pure black. John saw a sort of understanding pass between the two of them, then looked to the Hunters.

"We cover Niki and Sam," He told them.

/Sanctus Espiritus, insanity is all around us/
Sam didn't have to look to feel the Hunters forming behind, and around, he and Niki. Niki squeezed his hand, both of them looking at Azazel unblinking. Azazel had the good grace to be shocked that his two most powerful had such a backing. Dozens of Hunters, one for each Empowered, that not counting Dean, John, Missouri, Jo, Helen, and Bobby.

/Sanctus Espiritus, is this what we deserve?/
The Hunters spread out around them, dressed to the nines, weapons at ready.

"Car-al-na hehta an man le tira mennai le, faroth. Le ista..."
"is to..."
"marta.," They called to the Hunters. (Do not be put aside by what you see before you, Hunters. You know what is to happen.)
John chuckled in recognition of the couple of languages, besides two words of english, that was used. Missouri had told them that Niki was a Lord of the Rings fan, but...

/Can we break free from chains of never-ending agony?/
Niki and Sam raised their free hands, palms facing the sky. The magical wind picked up around them, the Hunters closest to them fighting to stay on their feet, not wanting to get knocked over by the wind.

"Lu..."
"to..."
"fir, rauko!" They screamed. (Time to die, demon!)
Niki and Sam turned their free hands to Azazel, the blast of magical wind knocking the demon across the encampment.

/Are they themselves to blame
The misery, the pain?/
John noticed that as the Empowered children under Azazel's control rushed them, the Hunter's, though reluctantly, picked them off, the people dropping like flies.

"We're doing it, Sammie!" John called to his younger son over the roaring sound of the wind that they kept on Azazel.
John picked off one that almost made it to Niki and Sam, noticing in the mean time how Azazel struggled against the whirlwind around him. Missouri stood behind Sam and Niki, one hand on the back of either Empowered 'child', a look of concentration on her face. Helen, Bobby, and Jo kept their backs to Missouri, Sam and Niki, picking off whoever dared get close to them.

/Didn't we let go?
Allowed it, let it grow/
"Noro Lim!" Niki screamed to the Hunters as she, Missouri, and Sam stepped forward.
John and Dean walked forward, one on either side, picking off the ones who tried to make a break for the two. The other Hunters made a path for Niki and Sam, one that would lead them straight to Azazel. Niki and Sam didn't seem to flinch when several of the Hunters cried out in pain, but they heard it.

"Call them back!" Sam called to his father, not turning his gaze from Azazel, who was getting to his feet.

/If we can't restrain
The beast which dwells inside
It will find it`s way somehow, somewhere in time/
Azazel spit blood from his mouth, glaring at his General and General's Queen.

"Stupid children," He hissed, his voice no longer human sounding.
Niki laughed, the sound bringing a chill to anyone's spine. One more step forward made by the duo and a ring of fire formed a fighting ring around them and Azazel, Niki's power pushing Missouri, Dean and John back when she felt the fire spark.

/Will we remember all of the suffering
`Cause if we fail it will be in vain/
"I will kill you, you know that?" Azazel taunted them.
Sam squeezed Niki's hand, their free hands laying free at their sides, waiting. Niki squeezed Sam's hand back. They knew that they would die here, but if they brought down Azazel at the same time, then it would all be worth it.

/Sanctus Espiritus, redeem us from our solemn hour/
Then they let go of each other. Sam raised both of his hands, balls of energy, sparking a quicksilver blue and white, as Niki looked like she was being jerked into the air by wires, her arms outstretched, the wind and elements roaring around her. Azazel took a step toward Sam, thinking that since Niki was not next to him, then he'd, at least, get a decent shot in. But he didn't. He was thrown back by a burst of the elements, Niki now floating above, but behind, Sam.

"No more, Demon!" They spoke together, their voices wove together by their combined powers.

/Sanctus Espiritus, insanity is all around us/
"You are mine!" Azazel screamed at them, Sam's energy balls being swept up by Niki's elemental energy, swirling around him like they were waiting for a command to attack him.
"I am what you made me," They spoke, moving as one entity, Niki no longer in the air.
They stopped only feet from the yellow eyed demon, Sam walking up behind Niki, wrapping his arms around her waist. Niki placed her hands over Sam's, their unblinking gaze still turned on Azazel.

"But I am yours no longer!"

/Sanctus Espiritus, is this what we deserve?/
John's eyes widened, looking over at Missouri, the two of them suddenly running in the opposite direction.

"Run!" They yelled, "run for it!"
Dean grabbed Jo, running as fast as he could, Jo matching his every step. The dozens upon dozens of Hunters ran like mice from fire when they realized what Niki and Sam were going to do.

/Can we break free from chains of never-ending agony?/
A furious swirling of power and energy began to close in on the three in the fiery circle, signaling impending death for at least someone in the circle. Niki turned in Sam's arms, their eyes back to normal. Her tearful leaf green gaze look into Sam's crystal blue.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, "I love you, Sammie," she laid her head on his chest, over her heart, "nothing will tell me different."
Sam laid his head on hers, the wreath gone in the flurry of winds, letting out a shaky breath. He closed his eyes and tightened his hold on her.

"I love you, Niki..."

/Sanctus Espiritus!
Sanctus Espiritus!/
The Hunters making a mad dash to hide behind their vehicles, Dean surprising not caring about the Impala, worried more about his brother. Everything seem to come with the sound of a calm, pulsing heart beat.

*beat*
Bobby ducked behind his truck, shotgun held to his chest, a few of the others diving underneath it.

*beat*
Helen dived behind the impala with Jo and Dean, John sitting with them half a heart beat later.

/Sanctus Espiritus, redeem us from our solemn hour
Sanctus Espiritus, insanity is all around us
Sanctus Espiritus, is this what we deserve?
Can we break free from chains of never-ending agony? (ending agony!)/
*beat*
A deafening sound was heard as the field encampment exploded. The force knocking everyone to their knees.

"Sammie!!!!" Dean screamed, his cries unheard over the roar of the explosion.

/Sanctus Espiritus, redeem us from our solemn hour (solemn hour!)
Sanctus Espiritus, insanity is all around us (all around us!)
Sanctus Espiritus, is this what we deserve?
Can we break free from chains of never-ending agony?/
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(to be continued in next episode)