"Oh, yeah, this is really fucking interesting." Dean said excitedly, "Now, why don't you strap on those angel wings of yours and send me back to my original time? We have to stop this."
Castiel in 2014 shook his head, with a hint of bitterness in his tone. "I wish I could, uh, tie my wings, but I'm sorry, I can't."
Dean frowned and looked at him doubtfully. "What, are you drunk on drugs? Where are your wings?"
"Well, generally speaking, yes." Castiel smiled slightly, admitted frankly, and then pointed to his back, "As for the wings? They are gone. Disappeared."
"What's wrong with you?" Dean's voice deepened, "How did you become like this? You were not like this before. You were a warrior, an angel. In order to protect mankind, you once made an enemy of the entire Heaven."
The smile on Castiel's face slowly disappeared. He walked to the window, opened the curtains to reveal a gap, and looked at the gray sky outside, his eyes filled with endless exhaustion and despair. The sunlight shone on his face through the gap, illuminating the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and the vicissitudes of life under his eyes.
"Life." After a long time, he said softly, his voice hoarse like the friction of rusty iron pieces, "Dean, it is life that has turned me into what I am now."
At this moment, the roar of a car engine came from outside, from far to near.
Castiel and Dean in 2014 looked at each other and then walked out of the hut together.
At the entrance of the camp, several off-road vehicles stained with mud and blood drove in and parked in the open space next to them. The door opened, and 2014 Dean jumped out of the car. He was wearing a black leather jacket, with a weathered face, a serious face, and his eyes were like a sheathed knife. He held two bottles of beer in his hand, and threw one to a soldier named Yager next to him.
Yager is a tall and strong black man, always with a naive smile on his face. He took the beer, touched it with 2014 Dean, then opened the bottle cap and drank heavily.
Other soldiers also got out of the car one after another. Their faces were tired and some of them were injured.
Suddenly, without warning, Dean in 2014 pulled out the pistol from his waist and pointed it at Yager's head.
"Hey. Hey! Be careful!" 2009 Dean shouted, trying to rush over to stop him.
But it's too late.
"Bang!"
A crisp gunshot broke the tranquility of the camp.
The smile on Yager's face froze instantly. He looked at Dean in 2014 in disbelief, his eyes widened, and then he fell straight to the ground, blood flowing out of his head and dyeing the ground under his feet red.
The entire camp instantly became quiet. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the two identical Deans in horror, not daring to take a breath.
Dean in 2014 put down the gun, blew out the smoke from the gun with an expressionless face, and cursed, "Damn it."
He turned around and said to the trembling soldiers around him, his tone calm but with unquestionable majesty. "I don't want to lie to you. He and I - our current situation is indeed very chaotic. But trust me, when you need to know something, you will know it. Before that, we all still have work to do. Clean this place up."
The soldiers nodded, lowered their heads quickly, and began to clean up the bodies and blood stains on the ground. No one said a word.
Dean in 2014 grabbed the arm of Dean in 2009, dragged him into the nearby headquarters office, and then closed the door with a bang.
He turned around, his face full of anger. "What happened just now? Why did you yell? You almost ruined everything!"
"I ruined everything?" 2009 Dean also looked at him angrily, his voice trembling with excitement, "What happened just now? You just killed a person in cold blood! He was your subordinate and your friend! You were drinking together just now!"
"We are in an open quarantine area." Dean in 2014 walked to the table, poured himself a glass of whiskey, and drank it in one gulp. "When I went out to search for supplies, I was ambushed by several Croatoans."
Dean looked at him doubtfully, waiting for his explanation.
"Croatoans. Crotoan infected person." Dean in 2014 put down his wine glass and said in a cold tone, "One of them scratched Yager."
"How do you know?" Dean asked, "Why are you so sure that he is infected? Maybe it's just an ordinary scratch! Don't you think you should at least give him a chance? At least tell him the truth and let him choose for himself?"
"What chance?" 2014 Dean turned around sharply and looked at him, his eyes full of ridicule and sadness, "Let him turn into a monster and then kill half of our people before we can stop him? No, look. This is not your time. It is mine. You don't make the decision. I do. So, when I say stay inside, stay inside."
Dean looked at his cold eyes and felt uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to say something, but finally sighed and softened his tone, "Okay, man. I'm sorry. Listen, I just--"
"We captured a demon." Dean from 2014 interrupted, "He is downstairs in the basement. Cas is interrogating him."
"Interrogation?" Dean frowned.
The door was pushed open, and Castiel from 2014 walked in. He held a bloody dagger in his hand.
"Our fearless leader, I'm afraid, is too good at getting the truth." Castiel said with a smile, scraping the blood on his nails with a dagger.
"Torture?" Dean's voice rose, "Oh, so we started using torture again. This is really stylish."
Castiel in 2014 laughed, and the laughter was full of bitterness. Dean in 2014 looked at him with no wave in his eyes, as if everything was natural.
"What's wrong?" Castiel shrugged, "I liked you in the past. At least you had a bottom line back then."
"Lucifer is here. Now." Dean in 2014 said suddenly, with a serious tone, "We pried out the information from that devil's mouth. He is in Jackson County Psychiatric Hospital. I know the specific block and building."
"Oh, great - right in the middle of the hot zone." Castiel whistled, with a hint of ridicule in his tone, "Croatoans are everywhere. There are hundreds at least. And there are at least dozens of high-level demons guarding it."
"Yes." 2014 Dean nodded, "You mean my plan is reckless?"
"You mean we, uh, just walked up the driveway, past all the demons and Croatoans, and then shot the demon?" Castiel raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
"Okay, if you don't like 'reckless', I can use 'careless', maybe." Castiel said, "Or 'suicide attack'."
"Are you coming?" Dean in 2014 looked at him with firm eyes.
Castiel in 2014 sighed and shook his head helplessly, "Of course. Who told me to owe you. But why take him?" He pointed to Dean in 2009, "I mean, he is you five years ago. If something happens to him, you will disappear, right?"
"He's coming." The tone of Dean in 2014 left no room for doubt.
"Okay. Well. I'll tell the boys to prepare their weapons and vehicles." Castiel said, turning around and walking towards the door.
"We'll load up our weapons and head out before midnight." 2014 Dean shouted behind him.
"Okay." Castiel waved and walked out, just in time to bump into Lisa who was passing by. The two looked at each other, and Castiel winked at Lisa
Then they left together.
There are only two Dean left in the room.
The air seemed to have frozen, so quiet that one could hear each other's breathing.
"Why did you take me there?" Dean in 2009 was the first to break the silence.
Dean in 2014 had his back to him, standing by the window, looking at the gray sky outside. His shoulders were shaking slightly, and after a long time, he slowly turned around.
Dean saw that his eyes were red. This tough guy who had been struggling in the apocalypse for five years and killed people without blinking an eye, his eyes were filled with tears at this moment.
"Okay. You're here because I want you to see something." His voice trembled with a hint of pleading, "I want you to see our brother."
Dean's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition came to his mind. "Sam? I thought he was dead. I thought he died together in Detroit and Lucifer."
Dean in 2014 could no longer hold back. Tears rolled down his face like broken beads. He covered his face with his hands, his shoulders shook violently, and he let out a suppressed sob.
"Sam did not die in Detroit." After a long time, he raised his head, his voice was hoarse, "He said 'I agree'."
Dean's mind went blank. He stood there blankly, as if he had been struck by thunder.
"'Agree'?" His voice was hoarse and almost inaudible.
There was a long silence. The air was as heavy as lead.
"Wait. You mean--" Dean's voice was trembling, and he couldn't believe his ears.
"That's right." Dean in 2014 looked at him, his eyes filled with endless pain and regret, "That big 'I agree'. Yes, the devil. Lucifer wore his skin to attend the dance."
"Why did he do that?" Dean shouted excitedly, "How could he be so stupid?"
"I want to know too." Dean in 2014 smiled bitterly, his smile full of self-deprecation and sadness, "I've been thinking about it for five years, but I still can't figure it out. But now we have no choice. He's in there, and he can't get out. We have to kill him, Dean. You need to see all this--all this damn thing, how bad the situation is--so that you can make different choices."
"What do you mean?"
"Zachariah said he would send you back, right? Back to 2009?"
Dean nodded. "Yes."
Dean from 2014 suddenly rushed over, grabbed his shoulders, and shook him vigorously. His eyes were pleading, almost pleading. "Then, when you get home - you say 'I agree'. Do you hear that? Say 'I agree' to Michael."
Dean jerked away from his hand and took a step back. "That's crazy! If I let him in, Michael will start their battle with the devil. That battle will burn the earth. Billions of people will die! I can't do that!"
"Look around you, man!" 2014 Dean pointed out the window, his voice hoarse, "Half the Earth is better than no Earth at all, that's what we're facing now! If I could do it over again, I would say 'I agree' without hesitation. Even if there is only a glimmer of hope that I can prevent this, I would try."
"Then why don't you?" Dean shouted, "You can also say 'yes' now! Michael is still looking for you!"
The eyes of Dean in 2014 instantly dimmed and were filled with despair. He lowered his hands feebly, took a step back, and leaned against the wall.
"They just - left - gave up!" His voice was full of despair, "Heaven closed the door and the angels were gone. It's too late for me, but for you - you still have a chance. You can stop this."
"Oh, no. There must be another way. There must be!" Dean shook his head, refusing to believe it, "We can always find other ways! Aren't we always like this before?"
"Yeah, I think so too." Dean in 2014 smiled bitterly, "I was very conceited at the time. I never really thought I would lose. But I was wrong. Dean. I was wrong. I beg you. Say 'I agree'."
There was a pause.
Dean in 2014 looked into Dean's eyes, which were full of sadness and understanding. "Oh, but you can't. Because neither can I. Because that's what we are, aren't we? Stubborn, stupid, and we won't give up until we reach the Yellow River."
The night faded and dawn arrived. But the sky was still gray and there was no trace of sunlight.
At the gate of the camp, more than a dozen off-road vehicles and armored vehicles were lined up neatly, their engines making a low roar. The soldiers were carrying weapons and ammunition to the vehicles in an orderly manner, with solemn expressions on everyone's faces. They knew that this mission was absolutely a life-or-death mission.
Chuck walked up to Dean and patted him on the shoulder. He held a backpack in his hand and handed it to Dean: "Take it. There are some cans and water in it, as well as a first aid kit."
Dean took the backpack and nodded vigorously. "Thank you, Chuck."
"So, are you really from 2009?" Chuck lowered his voice and asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid so."
Chuck looked around like a thief, then leaned into Dean's ear and said very seriously, "A free suggestion for you? If you can still go back, you start hoarding toilet paper. Do you understand what I mean? Hoard. Hoard it like gold. Because it is gold. In the end of the world, toilet paper is worth more than gold. You believe me."
Dean looked at his serious expression with mixed feelings in his heart. He nodded. "Thank you, Chuck. I will remember it."
"Haha, you will thank me." Chuck smiled, showing his yellow teeth, "Remember my words."
"See you later."
"Okay. Good luck to you."
Dean got into the co-pilot of one of the off-road vehicles, driven by a 2014 Castiel. The convoy slowly drove out of the camp and headed in the direction of Jackson County Psychiatric Hospital.
The off-road vehicle bumped along the bumpy road, and outside the window was a lifeless ruin. The once prosperous city had turned into rubble, and the collapsed buildings were like huge tombstones, standing under the gray sky. Occasionally, a few rotting corpses could be seen on the roadside, as well as wandering Croatoans. When they saw the convoy, they let out hoarse howls and chased after them, but they were soon left far behind.
There was always silence in the car. Castiel in 2014 took out a pill bottle from his pocket, poured out a few white pills, threw them into his mouth, and swallowed them dry.
"Let me see." Dean said.
Castiel handed him the medicine bottle. Dean took the medicine bottle and looked at the label on it, which said "amphetamine".
"Amphetamines?" Dean frowned, "Do you rely on this to survive?"
"This is the perfect antidote to absinthe." Castiel smiled, with a hint of self-deprecation in his tone, "It keeps me awake. Otherwise I might not wake up all day long."
Dean hesitated for a moment, then asked the question he had always wanted to ask, "Well. Don't get me wrong, Cas. I, uh, I'm glad you're not so rigid anymore, but - what's going on - the drugs, orgy parties and love guru stuff? You weren't like this before."
Castiel in 2014 suddenly laughed, his laughter was full of bitterness and despair, and he almost burst into tears.
"Did I say something wrong?" Dean looked at him doubtfully.
Castiel's smile slowly disappeared. He looked at the road ahead, his eyes became increasingly hollow, and his tone became heavy. "Dean, I am no longer an angel."
Dean looked at him in surprise. "What?"
"Yes, I have become a mortal." Castiel said calmly, as if talking about someone else's affairs, "When the angels collectively evacuated the earth, my magic power--phew!--disappeared. It was like being unplugged. Now. Now, you know, I'm already human. Dean, I'm almost useless. Last year, I fell down the stairs, broke my foot, and lay there for two months. I couldn't even defeat a normal infected person. I even needed someone to protect me."
Dean felt uncomfortable in his heart. He stretched out his hand and patted Castiel on the shoulder. "So, you are a human being. Well, welcome to the club. We are all equally useless."
Castiel from 2014 gave a wry smile, "Thanks. It's just that I used to belong to a much better club. Now there's nothing I can do about it. I'm so unlucky and hopeless. I mean, why not bury myself in women and depravity? It's the end of the world, baby. That's what depravity is about. Why not bang the gong a few times before the lights go out? You don't like it but that's my style now."
The convoy drove for about three hours and finally arrived outside Jackson County Psychiatric Hospital.
The mental hospital is located in a desolate forest. It is a huge, dilapidated red brick building. The windows are all boarded up, making it look eerie. The surrounding area is filled with the strong smell of blood and the smell of demonic sulfur, which makes people shudder. The air is so eerily quiet that not even the chirping of birds can be heard.
2014 Dean got out of the car and pointed to a window on the second floor. "That's the window on the second floor. Let's go in from there. The defense there is the weakest."
Lisa frowned and said in a worried tone, "Are you sure? This seems too easy. I'm afraid it's a trap."
"They never expected that we would come." Dean in 2014 affirmed, "Believe me. Now, check the weapons. We will leave in five minutes."
The soldiers began to check their weapons, loading bullets and unsheathing daggers. There was a tense atmosphere in the air.
Dean pulled 2014 Dean's arm and pulled him aside, away from the others.
"Hey, uh, another me." Dean lowered his voice, "Can I talk to you for a while?"
"What?" 2014 Dean said impatiently.
"I know you." Dean looked into his eyes, "You are lying to these people and you are lying to me. I know your lying expression. I have seen it countless times in the mirror. Now, tell me what you are hiding from us."
"I don't know what you are talking about." Dean in 2014 looked away and said in a stiff tone.
"Oh, really?" Dean sneered, "Well, it seems I'm not the only one on your team who has doubts, so, uh, maybe I should tell them my doubts. Tell them you're going to put them in the meat grinder."
"Okay, hey, hey, hey, hey." 2014 Dean quickly grabbed him and said, "Wait a minute. Don't be impulsive."
"What?"
Dean in 2014 looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then lowered his voice and said word by word, "This is indeed a trap."
"Trap." Dean repeated, his heart sinking.
"Exactly." Dean from 2014 nodded, "Lucifer knows we are coming. He is waiting for us inside. He wants to catch us all."
"Then we can't go in from the front." Dean said, "We have to think of other ways. Go around to the back."
"Oh, we won't go in." Dean in 2014 shook his head with cold eyes, "They go in. They are bait. You and me, we go in from the back. While Lucifer is attracted by them, we give him a shot. Use Colt gun."
Dean looked into his eyes in disbelief, full of disappointment and anger. "You mean you are really going to send your friends into the meat grinder? Same for Cas? Same for Lisa? You want to use their death to distract Lucifer?!"
Dean in 2014 looked away, not daring to look into Dean's eyes. His voice was low, with a hint of pain and helplessness. "You're right. You won't. This is actually one of the main reasons why we got into this mess. Your heart is too soft, and you always value other people's lives more than anything else. But what's the result? I They lost everything. Bobby is dead, Haorui is gone, Sam has become the skin of Lucifer, and the world has become Hell. If you can kill Lucifer and save the remaining people by sacrificing a few people, then it is worth it!"