After Dean finished explaining how they had found him and what happened to his blade, Henry sat quietly for a moment.
The whole story sounded insane.
Getting blasted halfway across the country was one thing. Waking up and learning he'd landed on a beach, been picked up by criminals, and eventually sold to some rich collector somehow made it worse.
What bothered him most was discovering that a room full of wealthy strangers had apparently spent days staring at him while he was unconscious.
That thought alone made him uncomfortable.
Good thing he hadn't woken up during any of it.
"Dean, can I borrow your phone?" Henry asked. "I should call Madison."
Dean immediately understood why.
As far as Madison knew, Henry had been dead for nearly two weeks.
Without saying anything, Dean tossed the phone across the table.
Henry caught it and dialed.
The call connected on the second ring.
"Guess who this is."
Silence.
Then Madison exploded.
"You unbelievable asshole! You reckless, brain-dead idiot! Do you have any idea what you've put everyone through?"
Henry pulled the phone slightly away from his ear.
"You disappearing moron! You selfish jackass! You absolute idiot!"
He waited for a chance to speak.
It never came.
"You know what? Don't talk. I'm not finished."
The insults kept coming until Madison finally stopped to breathe.
When she spoke again, the anger had softened.
"You're really alive?"
"Yeah."
The line went quiet.
"You idiot."
"Probably."
"You scared the hell out of me."
Henry lowered his gaze.
"I know."
A few seconds passed.
"When are you coming back?"
Henry glanced toward Dean, Sam, and Bobby.
"Soon. Is Bela with you?"
He hadn't forgotten the promise he made regarding her contract. More than a month had passed since then, leaving Bela with only a few months before Hell came to collect.
The problem was that everything had changed.
Originally, the plan had been simple: capture Lilith and force her to hand over Bela's contract.
Now the first seal had already broken.
If events continued down the same path, the Apocalypse would move forward exactly as planned. Worse, Lilith wasn't just another demon anymore. She was tied directly to the seals keeping Lucifer imprisoned.
Henry rubbed his chin.
Maybe Crowley would be easier.
The system listed his race as:
[Race: Hybrid (Half Human - Half Angel)]
If that information was accurate, dying wouldn't send him to Hell.
"Yeah, she's here," Madison replied.
Henry nodded.
"Good. Tell her I'll handle her business and be back soon."
***
Night had fallen over the crossroads.
Henry stood beside the deserted road with his hands in his pockets, occasionally checking his watch. The invitation he had sent Crowley wasn't subtle.
He had grabbed a crossroads demon, threatened to hunt down every crossroads demon he could find, and informed it that Crowley had exactly one chance to show up.
A few minutes later, Crowley appeared.
The King of Crossroads Demons adjusted his suit before looking Henry over.
"Hmmm. I thought you died. For the last ten days demons have been celebrating. Some of them were positively delighted. It seems those celebrations were rather premature."
Henry shrugged.
"Well, I'm hard to kill. As for demons, you lot definitely aren't doing it."
"Right then," Crowley said.
"Why exactly have you dragged me out here? If this is about the woman's contract, forget it. We already had this conversation. Kill Lilith, get the contract. Simple arrangement. Stop calling me every time you dislike the answer."
Henry shook his head.
"The terms have changed."
Crowley frowned.
"The terms have what?"
Before he could say anything else, Henry's eyes began to glow.
White light appeared within them.
The crossroads brightened.
Lightning flashed across the night sky.
Crowley's smile vanished.
Another flash illuminated the road.
Behind Henry, wings made entirely of white light unfolded.
They weren't physical wings. They were vast projections stretching far beyond the width of a human body, their glow washing across the road and surrounding fields.
For the first time since arriving, Crowley looked genuinely unsettled.
"Bloody hell."
The words escaped before he could stop them.
His mind immediately raced through everything he knew.
The last time he had seen Henry, the man had been human.
This wasn't human.
Crowley remembered old records from Hell. Ancient accounts written by demons who had survived encounters with Heaven's soldiers. Most demons dismissed those stories as exaggerations.
Standing here now, Crowley wasn't so sure.
"What in the bloody name of Hell happened to you?"
A faint smile appeared on Henry's face.
"Something interesting."
The light behind him continued to illuminate the empty crossroads while Crowley studied him carefully.
"You know, Crowley, our arrangement doesn't really work anymore. Back then, I needed your help, and you knew it. That's why you stuffed the deal full of conditions and loopholes."
Crowley folded his arms.
"We had an agreement."
"We did," Henry replied. "You help me with Bela's contract after Lilith is dealt with. Nice and convenient for you. The problem is that things have changed."
Crowley's eyes narrowed.
"How so?"
Henry looked at him calmly.
"Because now I can kill you."
The words hung in the air.
Crowley laughed.
"You're certainly feeling confident."
"No," Henry said. "Confidence is thinking I might win. I'm telling you what will happen."
The smile slowly disappeared from Crowley's face.
"You think you can threaten me?"
"I think you're smart enough to recognize reality when it's standing in front of you."
Crowley held his gaze for several seconds.
Then he casually raised a hand.
"Right. Well, this has been entertaining, but—"
He snapped his fingers, expecting to disappear, but nothing happened. Crowley blinked in confusion and immediately tried again. The second snap produced the exact same result. Nothing.
The amusement vanished from his expression.
Before he could react further, Henry was suddenly standing directly in front of him.
Crowley's eyes widened.
A hand closed around his wrist.
The reaction was immediate.
Smoke rose from the point of contact.
Crowley hissed and jerked backward as the skin on his arm began to blacken and burn.
"What the bloody hell—"
Henry tightened his grip.
The burning spread further up Crowley's arm.
"Didn't I make myself clear?" Henry asked.
His eyes glowed with white light.
"I'm not giving you a choice."
Crowley tried to pull free, but the grip didn't move.
"Give me Bela's contract," Henry said, his voice calm. "Or I'll burn you alive and take it from whoever replaces you."
*****
🔥 For Advanced Chapters Join My Patreon 🔥
👉 patreon.com/DeathNote4455
🚀 Get early access to 24 Advanced chapters.