Archive of Our Own ^beta

Crowley is a demon after all.

He doesn't get why some people, especially the Winchester's, keep expecting him to pull through, to show some more ounce of good inside of him. He has it, but barely. He's governed by all types of sins, he is the King of Hell. He's the King of Hell with a grudge, and Crowley will do anything to make Lucifer feel the exact same anger, shame, and utter embarrassment that he did.

For what it's worth, Crowley has grown rather fond of the Winchester's, and while everyone thinks he is 'closest' to Dean, he can't entirely write out Sam. For everything, people might think Dean is the wild card in the family, but in all honesty, he is all too predictable. Sam can be too, except he changes. While his motivation, his drive is similar to Dean's, he varies in the things that he will do. He isn't just the brunt force of a hunter or a man of his stature, he is brain. Crowley has a level of respect for Sam in a way that differs from Dean.

That's why it pains him in a way to trick the younger Winchester, it isn't entirely hard to. Just bring up that Rowena has found a spell to track Kelly, and Sam will come where Dean will follow. That's truly the hardest part about all of this though, keeping the two brothers apart. Because Crowley knows Dean, and he'd kill anything that hurts his brother, and Crowley is about to hurt him, very, very badly.

Crowley can pinpoint the exact second that Sam realizes this is a trick as Crowley leads him back into the building, "Crowley I swear to god-"

"You will maim me, kill me, ect. I know Sam." Crowley openly rolls his eyes at the younger Winchester as he keeps his grip tight up until the two guards swoop in and hold Sam's arms down. Not without a fight of course, and Sam lands several good punches in, but with a snap of Crowley's fingers they get their hold on him.

See, Crowley had tons of ways that he was planning on getting back at Lucifer, to punish him twice as hard for what he had done. None of which actually ever involved Sam, but after his little game of trying to escape, Crowley knows that he'll have to up the notches. He always knew though, in the back of his mind that it would come to something severe. You can't exactly easily punish the first to ever rebel.

Pushing through the doors, Crowley glares at Lucifer who is still stuck sitting in the center chained to the metal chair. As soon as the door opens though, Lucifer perks up a grin on his face, "Crowley."

"Slave."

And then Lucifer's eyes search the room and look at the two demons who lead Sam Winchester in. "Sam," he says, voice lowering darkly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Sam's jaw sets as he glances at Lucifer and then back to Crowley, his throat bobbing as he swallows. On his behalf though, Crowley speaks, "Oh, Sam's just come to pop in and say hello to his old bunk buddy."

"Really Crowley? This is your play?" Lucifer asks incredulous as he watches the way Sam shifts on his feet. Nervous, Sam is nervous, and Lucifer knows this. But he knows how uneasy Sam feels in his presence more than half the time, at least ever since Lucifer's gotten to lay his eyes on Sam since Death managed to yank him away from Lucifer for what they thought was once and for all. "Letting Sammy get payback?"

"Payback?" Crowley chuckles and shakes his head. "And what will needles and whips do to you? Nothing. God and Michael's already tried that one. Solitary confinement didn't work either. But what can I say? I am a man of innovation."

"Crowley," Sam mutters as he looks around the room again, his heart plummeting to the pit of his stomach because he doesn't like where this is going at all. His arm twitches and Sam silently winces as the demons grip tightens.

"Do you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk? I mean I thought I was a narcissist but wow. I'll give you that title Crowley." Lucifer's smile falls as he leans forward in his chains. "But that's the only title you'll get."

Tucking his hands in his pocket, Crowley nods as if he was expecting that reaction, because he was. Taking a couple of steps away from Sam, Crowley approaches Lucifer, "You left a meat suit alive Lucifer. Every demon knows you don't do that," leaning forward he sneers. "It's just too... sentimental," the last words comes out as a roar and Lucifer doesn't even flinch at the action.

If anything, Lucifer waits patiently for Crowley to stop. Coldly, he leans forward unafraid to get further into his face, "I don't care."

"You don't?" Crowley raises an eyebrow before he leans back completely. Without any further hesitation he snaps his fingers and can hear the way Sam struggles. Having to give in just a little bit, Crowley turns around to see Sam restrained now, rope tying him in place. Of course, Crowley knows that Sam can slip it, but he knows Sam won't have enough time to.

While Sam's forced into a chair, he continues to struggle and the one guy holding him glances at Crowley, and with one nod of approval he smirks, "God I've been waiting years to do this." In the next second he decks Sam in the face.

Groaning, Sam's head snaps back by the force. With widened eyes, Sam shakes his head and smiles, the blood already smeared across his teeth, his lip split, and Sam spits on the ground. "Really?"

"No one asked you to talk Winchester," was the reply that came before a fist meets his face again causing his neck to strain and unwilling tears to come to his eyes because this time it was aimed at his nose.

While angry, Sam's jaw clenches and he says nothing further and Crowley smirks at having Sam complying to him as well. Maybe Crowley really should have gotten to this sooner. He turns back to look at Lucifer who looks less than impressed, but Crowley knows that this is just the beginning. "No matter how hard you try to fit into the club, it isn't going to happen. You aren't a demon Lucifer. Sure, you may be fallen, but you're still an angel."

"Who fell because I refused to bow to humans and love them, haven't you been doing your homework Crowley?" Lucifer condescends as he watches the demon walk further away from him until he's standing at Sam's side. "While you may have been addicted to human blood and chasing the high of human emotions, I've been given the time to sit here and stew in my hatred so," he shrugs.

"Well," Crowley sighs as he places a hand on Sam's shoulder, feeling the way that the younger Winchester flinches at his touch, and he can't deny the power it gives him to have a Winchester afraid at his hands. Taking his time, Crowley creeps until he is standing directly behind Sam. Glancing down, he can see the way Sam's hands are working at the rope and one tap of his fingers as the rope tightening. "If I know anything from my readings, or personal observation if you will, it's that you don't like to share." He leans in closer to Sam's ear, glancing down at the clenching jaw before looking back up at Lucifer. "You're just too prideful."

Lucifer just purses his lips and gives him a look.

"Exorcizamus te-" before Sam can get any further, Crowley's hand holds tight on his shoulder as one of his demons aim a hit to his stomach causing Sam to double over, but Crowley pulls him right back up again.

"Since you've been gone, Gadreel was inside of Sam. I've been inside of Sam," he lowers his voice, his hand trailing down the Winchester's chest until he's opening the flannel to reveal the newer anti-possession symbol they had to remove last time. Of course, immediately afterwards, Sam had gotten a new one to prevent any further unwanted visitors. "All of us getting to do what you barely could. Quicker, longer. Except well, I didn't need a yes then."

The knife comes down into Crowley's hand and his tugs it across the possession symbol watching as Sam hisses and the blood begins to trickle down his chest as he continues. "And I don't need one now either, because I am the bloody King of Hell."

"Doesn't he just bleed pretty?" Lucifer asks with a sigh as he leans forward head resting on his hand and his tone wistful.

Sam never got around to finishing weaving his hands out of the ropes, because he becomes too busy by his new role of human punching bag. But Sam doesn't crack, he doesn't need to, it's something he's all but too familiar with, and it's easy now for him to dissociate, to break away and not care. Besides, it's easy to remember what he's truly been through when Lucifer is sitting feet away commenting every once and awhile, "You guys should see his heart." or  "This is child's play."

While Sam has great constraint, a force cracking against his arm has him shrieking, his scream taking over the room as he feels the way that his arm dislocates itself. By the time the gun shoots at his leg, Sam's fight begins to leave as he grows limp in his arms. It's only then that they dump him back onto the chair in a heap. Panting, Sam tries to move, but doesn't get very far at all and he lets himself fall back into the chair.

Eyes squinting, Crowley watches Lucifer who remains unfazed by it all. And while undoubtedly hard to crack, Crowley can see the edges beginning to wear thin, his patience is decreasing. It's then that Crowley knows the move he's going to pull. It doesn't matter what creature you are, demon, angel, human, it's an utterly painful procedure to endure. "Your vessel, hm?"

"My true vessel, the one and only."

"And, Sam's just your vessel?" Crowley asks, knowing to himself it's a trick question, and the way Sam grunts and looks up at him tells him the moose has begun to catch on, but what can Crowley say? Sam's always been the smart one.

"Mhm," Lucifer nods enthusiastically.

"So there's no need for him to have a soul, correct? If he's just the vessel, it's the body you need, not what's in the body."

"N-no," Sam goes to say, but a slash of a knife runs down his arm and he grits his teeth. He knows this pain, he knows how it felt for Castiel to try and tear Gadreel's grace from his body. How it felt when Not Castiel's hand pushed passed his ribs, because it really had been Lucifer, as he squeezed. Soul touching hurt, hurt like hell, and Sam didn't want any of them near it.

All amusement drains out of Lucifer's face. Sam's soul was unique, and entirely his. He held onto and kept it away from the pesky little Castiel, it took only Death, one of the top of the top to be able to pry Sam away from Lucifer's cold metaphorical fingers. Because it had been technically his essence, his grace that engulfed Sam. But he remembers it vividly, inflicting pain, but it had been his grace to repair it over and over again. And Lucifer finds that he isn't a fan of Crowley trying to taint what Lucifer has worked so hard on, "Sam Winchester is mine."

"You think you own Sam?" Crowley growls, his hand digging into the very roots of Sam's hair and without mercy he tugs forcing Sam's head up and forward so his only options are to either close his eyes or look at Lucifer. "Do you still think I'm a dog Lucifer?" and when there's no response he continues. "Because every dog needs his bitch."

Sam stops looking into cool blue eyes and the bounds that force the archangel into sitting, and he tries to look at Crowley. The demons advance on him then, and Sam begins to shake as he fights back, yelling, and this time they don't hit him, they let him scream. Sam had always viewed himself as having some sort of dignity, but he lets that fly out the window when they begin to pull down his jeans. The tears openly roll down his face, "Crowley, you don't have to do this. You don't have to."

"Oh Moose, don't take this personally. Think of it as mere business."

Sam sobs.

Once they finally get him naked, Sam closes his eyes as he feels their hands wander around his body and when they tug him up, Sam feels like a wild and dying animal at the way he tries to fight back even as ever bone and muscle in his body aches and tells him to stop. They begin to drag him though, and Sam swallows, he wasn't above begging.

"Lucifer," cold blue eyes snap to meet his. "Lucifer please, please. Don't let them do this to me. I don't-" he's babbling and he nearly falls over when they punch him again in the side, but their grips are steady enough to hold him up. "Luci," Sam pulls out the nick name. "You know I'm yours," Sam gasps feeling like he's running out of air. "I'm yours."

Leaning back into his seat, Lucifer feels the way his back presses against the cold metal. Sam continues to babble on, going between begging Crowley to stop and Lucifer to help, and Lucifer feels the anger continue to bubble up inside of him. Sam should be begging to Lucifer, and Lucifer only. Sam is his. Not a lowlife demon like Crowley, or these other scums. These demons are worse than humans in Lucifer's mind, they're the worst of humanity, human souls twisted in Hell. They are nothing like Lucifer's princes. Besides, Crowley wouldn't even know how to use Sam right, he wouldn't try to help Sam, doesn't even know or begin to understand how to relate to Sam, not like Lucifer can. Crowley wouldn't be able to know when to hold Sam, or when to open up his ribs.

A foot connects at the base of Sam's spine, and this time they don't catch him when he falls, and Sam falls, hard. He has enough since to let his shoulder be the part of his body that connects with the hard concrete floor as to save his head. Black begins to finally dot his vision as he uses his core strength to pull himself up from Lucifer's feet. But Sam isn't given much time to prepare himself or gain any control because hands are gripping and steadying his hips. They mean to take him, right there at Lucifer's feet, and Sam hasn't come this far for this. 

Lucifer glances down, not paying attention to what the demons are doing, his eyes only focusing on Sam in front of him, his Sam. As they jerk his body, Sam's forehead brushes against the jeans on Lucifer's legs and he closes his eyes for a breath second before opening them again. Despite the way that he's crying, there's a fury in his eyes that Lucifer knows all too well. It's in that moment that Lucifer is reminded by just how strong Sam is, how he's the only one who truly knows how to break Sam right.

"Lucifer," Sam's voice is gravely low, but his tone is final. It's not a plead, it's far from it.

There's an overwhelming bright light that begins to overtake the room, emerging from Lucifer. There's the sound of chains breaking, and without waste, Lucifer stands, eyes red, grace glowing, and his wings spread out behind him. All the power of the morning star is behind him, the power of Heaven, Hell, and everything in between.

It begins to swell down after a couple of seconds, and it's eerily calm in the room as the demons, including Crowley, have immediately distanced themselves from Sam, leaving him twitching against the floor.

Yawning, Lucifer makes a show of stretching his arms, cracking both his neck and knuckles, eyes never leaving them. "I don't like sharing."

Lucifer has a great power, he knows that with one snap of his fingers, they would be gone just like that, nothing more than a cloud of dust. But those are boredom kills for Lucifer, annoyance. What's happened here, well... Lucifer's never been one to know mercy or to play very nice with others. Opening his fist, he curls his hands forward watching as the demons begin to scream. Black mist pours out of them, but it doesn't leave, not yet. Lucifer makes sure to make it hurt until the smoke melts into a muddle of black goo of nothingness and the bodies collapse, the hosts dead now with the demons gone.

While Crowley tries to make a break for it or vanish, Lucifer extends his grace to block him. Crowley could try to pull the King of Hell card all he wants, but his power will never compare to Lucifer's, ever. And by the look of fear in Crowley's eyes, he knows it too. Tsking, Lucifer takes one step closer. "You have been a very, very bad dog," he takes another step closer. "Now sit."

He watches as Crowley is forced to his knees on the floor.

Knowing that Crowley is no threat at the moment, Lucifer spins back around to where Sam was left laying on his stomach. Dropping to his knees, Lucifer's hand reaches for Sam's good shoulder, and helps guide the Winchester until his head is resting on Lucifer's lap.

Trying to breathe, Sam remembers this feeling all too well. The icy cold feeling of grace surrounding him. The way the wings create an almost protective layer between them and the world outside. Opening his eyes, Sam looks up to see Lucifer who is staring down at him. He thinks back to how Jael mentioned Lucifer leaving him alive, and even Crowley did, and Sam begins to think that maybe this is the end after all. Traded from Crowley's mercy, back into Lucifer's. Who is nowhere near a stranger when it comes to trying to kill Sam or harming him.

When Lucifer raises a hand, Sam closes his eyes and flinches waiting for that familiar feeling of dying but it never comes. Instead, he feels the wounds begin to close, bones realign. When it's all over, the fingers leave his forehead until they curl underneath his jaw, unmoving. "You aren't going to kill me?"

"No," Lucifer shakes his head. "I'm not."

"Why?" Sam shifts feeling childish as he asks. But really, asking petulant questions is the last worry on his list, because he is still alarmingly naked and half laying in the Devil's lap.

"I like you better alive Sammy."