All Alone with You - 1. Chapter 1

After escaping the various levels of Hell, Michael had informed Adam that they should not leave Hell through the main gateway, since legions of demons and damned souls were headed to the mortal realm that way. They instead sought passage through a minor gateway that led to an old altar near Green Bay, Wisconsin. About ninety-two years ago, a human had made a powerful deal with a group of demons to create an American football team in this region in exchange for a private gateway to and from Hell, sacrificing several hundred townspeople. Their deaths were attributed to the concurring events of the Great Depression, so no one noticed their absence or the oddity of the megaliths. Michael had known of this occurrence, but the angels he tasked with its prevention were as unsuccessful as the hunters. Ironically, the demons were eventually killed off by Sam and Dean Winchester, allowing this secret gateway to be forgotten, except by Michael.

As Michael inhabited Adam, they journeyed throughout the region together. Michael allowed Adam to enjoy the comforts of a human meal, despite his lack of need for such things.

“This is heaven,” Adam purred with each bite of strawberry syrup covered pancake, having finished off two stacks of them, a side of hash browns, and several greasy sausage links

“This is not even close. It’s not like you require sustenance with me inside you,” Michael grumbles, disliking the false sweet sensations Adam’s human taste buds, or admitting the food bore a resemblance to ambrosia.

“What a charmer. You sure know how to sell a guy on your health benefits after invading his body without permission,” Adam jested as he gorged on another bite of pancakes.

“We are not starting that argument again. I understand humans have a modern concept of permission, ’Yes means Yes‘ only to a certain extent. You weren’t happy with what I did in your body, and so forth. I still think it’s a passing fashion like hats and hairpieces. In the past, your ancestors violated each other wantonly, sometimes in my father’s name. They welcomed me inside them as a blessing”, Michael chided. He wondered if the Angel fruitcake on the menu might be more appetizing and hold natural sugars from the actual fruits.

“Seriously, after spending a few thousand years together, you still do not consider humans worthy to be treated with respect. So, why are you letting me enjoy breakfast, or lunch yesterday, if you feel this way. Why not take me over like last time?” Adam retorted, chugging a cup of coffee.

“You’re an imperfect vessel. Your happiness is my happiness.” Michael sternly replied,

“Yeah right.” Adam rolls his eyes.

“Why is it so hard to believe I care about your happiness? All we have in the world right now is each other. My brothers are gone somehow, and your brothers abandoned you. I don’t want to go back to heaven and pretend everything is fine with my younger siblings. You can’t resume a normal human existence as a medical student. I am the only thing keeping your soul and body intact.”

“My soul and body wouldn’t be so messed up if you and Lucifer weren’t torturing me for the first few hundred years. you were the one who…”

Michael stopped Adam from relating the explicit amount of torture he had inflicted on Adam, pained by his past actions after centuries of conversations like this with his human vessel.

“It was regrettable and unfair towards you, I apologized to you for several centuries after that. I also stimulated your mind with a better reality of John Winchester, you biological father, and Kate Milligan, your mother, having a normal life together with you and your half-brothers. I gave you a piece of heaven in the depths of hell as recompense.”

Adam remarked coldly, “I never got to third base with Kristin McGee.”

Adam was referring to his first “personal” heaven. Adam had died more than ten years ago due to demon spawn, who avenged their mother’s destruction at the hands of John Winchester, Adam’s biological father, by killing him and his mother, Kate Milligan. Unbeknownst to Adam, his father was a Hunter, a human being who went around hunting paranormal entities and being that seek to harm human beings. He would not know until his resurrection by Angels loyal to Michael that his half-brothers Dean and Sam Winchester, who were also Hunters, had avenged his murder. All he knew at the time was that he had died at the hand of something evil and had gone to heaven.

Heaven is a personal experience based on the best memories of the human soul on earth. For Adam, his happiest moment was his High School’s Senior year Prom dance, where he had his first kiss with Kristin McGee, a popular girl that he never expected would accept his offer to the school’s dance, nor would kiss him resulting in his lost of virginity later that night. That memory has since become a dark stain for Adam rather than an exultation of triumph for his first short life. Michael did not want to shame the boy further by addressing his dark comment, since he had done so many times in the past.

Michael had revealed the fact centuries ago in the Cage’s time-space continuum that Kristin McGee only kissed and did all of that with him due to a horrible teenage pact with her friend to infatuate boys with dubious sexual orientations. Adam was a soft-spoken, kind, and generous with his emotions, including to many boys who were effeminate or clearly do not conform to heterosexual norms.

Emasculating Adam was an idea which arose from Lucifer. Michael, feeling rejected by his father and depressed with his incarceration, joined in the attack on his human host. Adam initially was, as far as Michael understood human sexuality, more heterosexual in terms of preference, but like all human beings, his sexuality was fluid, especially in adolescence. Although he could be affectionate to members of his own gender in ways exceeding traditional allowances, and yearned for male peer acknowledgement, potentially due to his own distant relationship with his father, who came and went like a stranger in his life with sporadic visits. During the centuries spent inside the Cage prior to Lucifer being freed, Michael and Lucifer would create reality constructs inside the Cage, at first showing him events he was unaware of such as Kristin McGee true intentions behind the kiss and seduction to eliminate his happiest memory. They tore down him physically and mentally to the barest thresholds of what human soul can stand. They exploited Adam’s insecurities and his father’s lack of constancy; perhaps directing Michael and Lucifer’s own internal frustrations with God against Adam. Michael didn’t understand why he felt this desire to torture Adam, nor the joy to see him break each time.

After Lucifer was freed from the Cage’s time-space, Michael tried to continue the torture on his own, but found as time continued, he no longer derived enjoyment from it. He still bore grudges against God’s unfair treatment and had no love for humans, but he started seeing parallels between himself and Adam. Adam was the only companion he had for eons and the only being capable of understanding his own rejection. Michael knew that only through his father, God himself, could Lucifer have been recalled, but his father never came back to save him from hell. He was abandoned just as Adam to his own fate, because he was not worthy.

After a decade in their time-space continuum passed by, Michael stopped torturing Adam. He began trying to rebuild Adam out of lonely reflection. Mending his body would just require him to enter Adam to maintain his molecular cohesion, but Adam’s mind required centuries more of patient exploration and introspection. He created various realities that would offer Adam stability, love, and comfort that neither of them ever had with their own families. Michael wanted to share in these realities, sometimes projecting himself as a friend, a lover, or even a fourth brother in Adam’s reality to share in this creative fiction. Adam was hesitant at first to trust Michael’s reality, knowing his torturer may be playing another cruel trick. Yet, gradually, Adam opened himself to trusting Michael’s well-intentioned realities and learning to be recognized as a human being again. He still is uncertain about Michael’s kindness. At times, Adam is unwilling to accept that his captor and his former torturer, who had so thoroughly destroyed his sense of self and violated his body on a daily basis, could be capable of mercy. Michael didn’t believe he was being kind or merciful as Angels had no souls to express both emotions. He saw initially that Adam served a new purpose, he filled the void of loneliness that incarceration created, like a pet. He hadn’t realized that sharing a human vessel had granted him access to the human soul’s capacity for those emotions, along with something else. Day by day and year by year, what Michael could not recognize as a human trait of kindness and mercy had bloomed into something more between them.

Before Adam could start another tirade about Michael’s treatment, a familiar face entered the diner. There was something different about Bobby Singer from the last time Adam and Michael had met the man. Their encounter occurred years before during Adam’s first resurrection, when Castiel, an rogue Angel in league with Sam and Dean had captured Adam before the boy could become Michael’s human host. Adam had agreed to the offer, believing he was doing something good and wanted to help the Arch-Angel defeat Lucifer. Castiel brought Adam to Adam’s half-brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, who were hiding out at Bobby Singer’s home. Their first encounter was brief with Bobby, but Adam could feel tell Bobby Singer was a surrogate father to Dean and Sam, someone who could be trusted by his half-brothers. Bobby was also a hunter, just like his father and half-brothers.

Now, Bobby appeared far more world weary, harder, and his soul reeked of bitter compromises that Michael had not seen in the man during his encounters. On top of all those peculiar new human traits, Michael felt a distinct energy change in him. It was a strangeness Michael had never encountered before, not even once since the dawn of time. Michael followed Bobby’s motion to a nearby booth,

“We should seek him out and ask for the information we require.”

Adam scowled dropping his fork on the empty plate

“No, you require information from him, he’s likely out hunting a monster or something, I don’t want anything to do with hunters or monsters.”

“He was your father’s best friend, and hunting is your birthright as a legacy.”

Adam was ready to scream at the Arch-Angel in front of him, even though he knew it was merely a projection.

“Have you forgotten all those times you and Lucifer played out scenarios of me being a hunter in the Cage? Even when you stopped being an asshole and tried to bring me back to sanity, I still broke down completely when I was forced to hunt monsters and fear for the lives of my friends and my family. They do a necessary job, but it doesn’t mean I want to be one of them. I’m not like them, my soul is not…strong enough.”

Michael knew that wasn’t true, in order to be his vessel Adam would have had to possess a strong will and the capabilities of a hunter. The thousands of years of depravity, degradation, and deplorable violence had profoundly played a major role in Adam’s shift in behavior. In appearance and physiology, he had not aged or grown weaker. The cosmetic repair done by Michael saw to that, but mentally and spiritually, he had only just begun to accept himself again. Michael would never admit he felt regret, Angels are not meant to have human emotions. Those are things that God had endowed to human beings through their souls. However, being in such proximity to a human for so long, he can’t help feeling this strange emotion. He can’t help feeling his past actions wronged Adam, robbed him of something he should and could have had. It would be like an angel having their wings clipped. Michael and Adam left the diner, having paid their bill and tipping generously. Michael did not want to press Adam any further, but made a mental note to sense for demons nearby.

As they were walking, or more precisely to everyone else Adam alone was walking, the world seemed ill at ease. Michael had the sense that something major had occurred, something involving his own father’s actions. After Lucifer’s release and his abandonment, Michael had long stopped wondering what his father was doing or what schemes he had concocted. His father was creative, being God himself, but his focus on dramatic substance and showmanship had left many holes in the universe after he left Heaven. God set up contradictory roles and beings, such as heaven for worthy humans and hell for the wicked, but the Angels and Demons each were set to conflict rather than orderly rules of engagement. Michael tried to maintain the order of heaven and hell as best he could, out of respect and a misguided urgency to win his father’s favor by these actions. Yet, his abandonment and Lucifer’s liberty had forced him to make harsh realizations about his life and his place in his father’s circle. Lucifer was wild and theatrical, just like their father, whereas Michael was practical and followed their father’s commands without question. Michael’s defense of their father should have been enough to prove his worth, but it did not. Michael’s father, almighty God, preferred the conflict that Lucifer brought to the universe rather than maintain his original order. Michael understood his brother won their father’s favor by creating dramatic anarchy for entertainment.

His abandonment and recognition of his life’s work being for worthless in the face of a God, who only cares for entertainment, shook Michael’s core being. Even now, Michael could feel his father was at it again in another grand theatrical display of power. There was a powerful energy in the world that could come from his father. Michael wanted nothing to do with it, not anymore. Perhaps Adam had a point about legacies and following birthrights.

In a secluded street with few pedestrians and only a single camera, Adam found an ATM.

“Do you mind? I think we’re running low on cash and I’m pretty sure I’ve been declared dead after being gone so long.”

Michael used his powers to create static in the security camera, and forced the machine to do his bidding.

“Do you think two thousand dollars shall be enough? I enjoyed the lodging we procured last night and the mattress was admittedly softer to sleep on than a cloud.”

Adam rolled his eyes and grabbed the money, thrusting the bills into pocket.

“You know that was the honeymoon suite and people were giving me weird looks.”

“They can’t see me and couldn’t presume anything as a result…”

“I think if they thought we were partners it might have been easier to explain rather than a single guy paying in cash for the most expensive room, dressed like we are and with my youthful body. The owner was probably thinking I was doing something scandalous like livestreaming cyber-porn or something. Didn’t you notice him saying the high speed wi-fi was unavailable?” Adam smirked.

“Maybe I should age us up a little to prevent such a mischaracterization,” Michael waved his hand and they now appeared in their mid-thirties.

“There, I doubt anyone will think we are a sex object.”

“Holy shit, what are you?” screamed Bobby Singer’s voice from behind them.

Michael reacted defensively taking over Adam’s body completely to shield it with his angelic aura. Adam quickly pushed Michael’s consciousness down, reminding him the voice was Bobby Singer and he was not an enemy, per se. This could be resolved diplomatically.

“Bobby, we have met before.”

“I don’t recall ever meeting a guy who can do that to an ATM or change his age at will, you must have me mistaken for the other Bobby. So, answer my question before I drop you full of bullets. What are you?”

Adam was confused by the response and the gun pointed at him. Michael saw no other choice but to reveal his identity and took over Adam again.

“I am the Arch-Angel Michael, viceroy of Heaven, and the leader of the heavenly host.”

Bobby shot rapidly at Adam, deadly wounds for most mortals with the first three being to head, and the rest in various parts of the body. Michael healed their wounds, but before he could react with more words, Bobby rammed him through with an Angel blade. He was stabbed, seven, eight, nine…forty-eight times by Bobby Singer before he stopped. Adam was in shock at the unexpected violence and hid away his consciousness out of fear. Michael understood he might. Without Adam’s consciousness, Michael used his full might to grab the angel blade and held Bobby Singer up for a closer inspection. Up close, Michael could now sense this was a different Bobby Singer, slightly altered. He had heard of human experimentation with science of cloning and other such things, but artificial beings created by science or magic would usually leave behind a trace to distinguish their artificial natures. This Bobby Singer did not have a trace or artificial signature. What he had was a certain rhythm or vibe that did not exist with beings anywhere in this universe.

Michael’s eyes glowed. “Answer me this question, who are you? You are not the same Bobby Singer I met a decade ago before my incarceration in the cage with Lucifer.”

Bobby’s eye flashed with understanding.

“Oh, so you are this reality’s Michael. Dean and Sam said you were still in hell going nuts or something.”

Michael released the man from his grip.

“I was unhappy and Adam was cognitively divergent, I believe that is the modern term for mental illness in use now.”

“Unhappy, huh…” Bobby considered, “I never knew an Arch-Angel to be unhappy before, what fucked up your eternal joy ride? Some girl dumped you, some boy? An angel didn’t play their harp the right way to charm your heart?”

Michael felt less at ease with speaking and nudged Adam back into his consciousness.

“I…I think Michael was bummed out, because God let Lucifer free and left him in hell alone. He’s been trying to keep everything orderly and relatively peaceful for a long time after God left, but Lucifer loves to cause trouble and chaos.”

Bobby eyed Adam up and down.

“You’re the half-brother I’ve heard about, right? Sorry to hear what happened to you, the last thing the boys heard was that you were destroyed by Michael and Lucifer in the Cage at the deepest level of Hell. They should have doubted that SOB’s words and went down to hell to prove it, but I guess those things happen. Don’t take it personally, Adam. I think they’re decent people, who just get over their heads.”

Adam nodded.

“So you aren’t the same Bobby Singer who has been around the Winchester brothers for years?”

“No, I come from an alternate universe, where your roommate took over the world and brought about the Apocalypse to get his daddy’s attention. Billions of people died, angels died, and the humans that were left barely survived on scraps, being preyed upon by angels. My universe was destroyed eventually. Turns out God, or Chuck as he preferred to be called, is just a bad writer who abandoned our universe, because it wasn’t entertaining enough. He created this one instead with Sam, Dean, and you in it. He’s been doing it for a while now, looking for his perfect story that can continuously entertain him.” Bobby explained with a dry and matter of fact tone.

Michael resurfaced.

“I would never have…I mean would have stopped…it could never happen with me.”

Bobby stared down the Arch-Angel.

“Pride and arrogance, you honestly think your shit don’t stink as much as anyone else. The Winchester boys, all three of them, stopped you in this universe, but in my universe, they weren’t born, because John Winchester died prematurely without Mary making the deal with a demon.”

Michael grew angrier with each revelation.

“You’re wrong, I don’t believe you.”

Bobby grabbed the angel blade, reloaded and placed his gun in the holster, then began to leave the alley.

“It doesn’t matter now, I guess. Based on what the boys have told us, we’re all probably screwed any ways. Your daddy is some piece of work, did you even consider what it means if you can escape from the cage? It is like the Alcatraz of hell. He’s opened up all the gates of hell and demons are flooding through them. Dean and Sam are trying to fill in the main gateway, but there’s thousands of minor doors opening up everywhere. Ancient demons and monsters are escaping everywhere. We’re just doing what we can right now to stop the onslaught.”

“Why are you fighting if you know the fight is hopeless?” Adam asked in a quiet voice.

“Better to die for something you can do something about than to sit around knowing you’ll die soon. I’ve got word that a weird series of murders have been happening involving a demon that appears out of old photographs and home movies. He seems to be kidnapping children throughout these families after he killed the rest. I got a name from a sheriff, who has gone missing. The monster or demon is called Bughuul.”

Michael took back control accessing his own infinite knowledge base.

“That is not its true name and it is not a demon or monster, but a pagan God. I banished him to hell eons ago in my father’s name. You are unprepared to deal with the likes of him.”

Bobby’s eyebrow lifted.

“Thanks for the line, I’ll ask Eileen and the other smart folk to research for me. I think we humans can protect our own against a pagan god, the boys have done it a few times.” Bobby turned and walked swiftly away.

,

“He will die on this mission alone for certain. I barely was able to defeat him and I was in my full angelic form. This being feeds on the souls’ worshippers and if he has had enough time to gather enough worshippers, he’ll be a formidable threat.”

“Are you asking for my permission to risk my current life as bad as it is, in order to hunt this pagan deity?”

“Yes, I am asking for your permission, since this is “our” life now and I do not want to do anything without your permission. If possible, I’ll try to disengage us if it gets too dangerous, but if we are too committed, we will have no choice but to proceed and risk ourselves,” Michael replied

“You have nothing to risk, I am the human here. If I cease to exist, then you are free to be your normal holier than thou self again. You won’t have feelings or regrets to worry about.” Adam laughed.

“What if I told you I wouldn’t want to live without you in my life? What if I told you, I would rather go on a suicide mission if you were taken from me and destroy whoever or whatever had done it? I don’t seek praise or redemption for such an act, nor even acknowledgement, even if no one knows I did it for the right reasons. Life without you in it isn’t worth living, I’d be lost,” Michael bore his full emotional weight on Adam, making the human feel warm and at peace for the first time in a long time for the briefest of moments.

“I guess you have sold me on being a hero.”

[This is an experimental fanfiction story; I might continue it or I might end it right here depending on reader’s opinions and reactions. I’ll leave the journey’s continuation to the readers…]