Well, everyone this is the final Whumptober story! Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed these, I had so much fun writing them and I'm so glad to hear you guys enjoyed them ^_^

For the final one, I did a longer one shot, and also it's another Season 14 speculative. I thought this made a good end to the Whumptober series.

31. Showdown

It was a stupid plan. Jack knew this well enough. He still felt bad about leaving without Mary and Bobby, but too many people he cared about were already in danger. He couldn't risk having anyone else to watch over. Not now. He had to defeat Michael by himself.

Jack held the archangel blade in his hand as he stood outside of the abandoned warehouse Michael had said to meet in. Some of his grace had recharged, and he knew it wasn't enough to defeat Michael, but…he would have to be.

Jack took a shuddering breath, remembering everything Castiel, Sam and Dean had taught him. What he had learned from Mary and Bobby. His family had trained him well, and they believed in him. He couldn't let them down. Not again.

He steeled himself, and pushed through the door.

XXX

They never should have walked right in there. Dean couldn't help but beat himself up for his stupidity. He had been so eager to take down Michael that he had rushed in without a decent plan and taken Sam and Cas with him. Now all three of them were at Michael's mercy—what little he had of it.

The archangel—wearing a new meatsuit—tsked at them as he strode in front of the wall he had pinned them too.

"You know, with everything Lucifer said about you three, how he warned me, you really are pathetic," Michael scoffed. "I mean, look at you." He strode to Sam first, gripped his chin and slammed his head back against the wall hard. "The boy with the demon blood running through his veins." He shoved Sam roughly against the wall again in dismissal and turned to Cas next, a sneer of disgust on his face. "The fallen angel—pathetic even compared to the paltry remains of your kin." He waved his hand and Cas grimaced, being pressed even harder against the wall. "I'll put you out of your misery soon enough, along with the rest of your brothers and sisters."

He then turned to Dean and the elder Winchester glared at him, trying to hide the terror that was coursing through him. "And you. My sword," Michael smirked and suddenly grabbed Dean roughly by the front of the coat and hauled him away from the wall. "You know, it made me laugh that you even thought I would keep that deal with you," Michael told him. "And then when you couldn't even fight back? Well, let's just say I expected more from the famous Dean Winchester."

He threw Dean to the ground and he hit hard on his back, seeing stars as his head cracked against the floor. He could hear Sam and Cas struggling, but knew how strong Michael was.

The archangel was on top of him, foot stamped firmly into his chest, bearing down on Dean so that his ribs creaked and he couldn't breathe. "What are you going to do now, Dean? Try to take me out? If you promised to cooperate, I could offer you position as my vessel again."

"Never," Dean grunted, trying to wriggle away from Michael, but the archangel stamped hard on his chest and Dean felt a rib crack as all the air was punched from him.

"Then I guess you'll just have to sit around and have a front row seat for when I take over this pathetic world." He took his foot away and yanked Dean up before throwing him against a wall and whipping a knife from his belt which he slammed into Dean's shoulder, pinning him with a scream of pure agony to the wall.

"Dean!" Sam and Cas shouted, still struggling, and Michael slowly turned to them, waving his hand. They collapsed on the ground and through his haze of pain, Dean watched as Michael kicked Sam in the face as he tried to scramble to his feet.

"Ah-ah," Michael said warningly, stomping on Sam's hand and grinding his heel in. Sam groaned in pain, groveling. "Stay. You're gonna want to watch the show."

Cas was getting to his hands and knees and Dean wanted to warn him not to, but it was too late. Michael lashed out and grabbed the angel around the throat, squeezing so hard, Cas croaked, his eyes bulging. Michael raised him off the ground as Cas dug his nails into Michael's hand, trying to force him to let go.

"Really, Castiel, your pathetic resistance is getting so old," Michael grunted before he dropped the angel to the ground. Cas choked and gasped in a sharp breath, gripping his throat. Michael took his boot from Sam's hand and Dean's younger brother pulled it toward his body gingerly as he reached his other hand out to grip Cas' shoulder.

"Hm," Michael studied the scene with his head cocked to one side. "We're just missing a little blood."

He clenched his fist and Sam and Cas suddenly doubled over, retching up blood as they clutched at their stomachs, groaning in agony.

"Let them go, you son of a bitch!" Dean snarled, trying to keep his legs from giving out so as not to put any more pressure on the knife impaling him. "It's me you really want."

"Is it?" Michael cocked an eyebrow, amused. "Because until you allow me use of my vessel, Dean, you are worth nothing." He clenched his hand again and Sam and Cas cried out, writhing as they only coughed up more blood.

"So, what's it going to be, Dean?" Michael asked, pulling out another knife and twirling it over his fingers.

The door to the warehouse suddenly slammed open and Dean looked up to see a thin figure standing in the entryway. His heart rose to his throat and his shallow breaths caught abruptly.

Jack.

Michael smiled and turned, opening his arms wide. "Welcome to the party, kid."

XXX

Jack took the scene in at a glance, Michael standing in the center of the room, his arms wide in a mocking welcome, but what really caught Jack's attention were his friends. Sam and Cas lay on the ground, doubled over in pain, blood spattered around them, and Dean was pinned against the far wall, a dagger driven through his shoulder. Anger boiled inside of Jack at the sight of his friends, his family, in pain. He stepped forward, holding the archangel blade firmly in his grasp.

"Stop hurting them," he commanded. "Let them go."

Michael raised an eyebrow. "Let them go? Are you sure?"

Before Jack could say anything else, Michael turned and ripped the dagger from Dean's shoulder. The elder Winchester screamed in agony and collapsed to the ground. Michael kicked him in the side, which caused Dean to let out a sharp breathless yelp and curl into himself.

"Stop! That's not what I meant!" Jack yelled, striding forward.

"My apologies," Michael said. "Perhaps I need to remind you who is making the terms here. And it certainly isn't some jumped up nephillim with no powers to speak of." He clenched his hand into a fist and Sam and Cas cried out and retched up blood.

Jack, breathing heavily, spun back around to Michael. "I'm not powerless. I've gotten some of my powers back."

Michael chuckled. "Oh is that so? Well, go ahead then, son, give me your best shot." He spread his arms and braced himself.

Jack raised a hand, channeling all his fears and anger at what Michael was doing to his family and focused it into his grace. He closed his eyes and pushed. His head ached from the strain, but he could feel his powers working, flowing out of him, and focusing toward Michael.

He opened his eyes as they flashed gold, and saw the wave of his powers flow toward the archangel.

The blast ruffled Michael's hair and clothes but did nothing else. Jack pulled back and felt a heavy weight on his whole body. He sagged, collapsing to one knee with an inhalation of breath, defeat washing over him.

"Jack," Sam gasped softly, his voice worried.

Michael chuckled derisively. "Is that all you've got, boy?" He strode forward and grabbed Jack by the front of his shirt hauling him up. "I'll teach you what power is." He shoved Jack backwards and then shot out a hand, slamming it into Jack's chest. The nephillim felt the archangel's powers force him backwards where he slammed into a wall before he crumpled onto the ground. The archangel blade clattered out of his hand and rolled away. He tried to scramble up and reach for it, but Michael was already on top of him. The archangel kicked him in the ribs, and then slammed a fist into his face. Jack collapsed, but tried to scramble up. Unfortunately, Michael wasn't having that and he simply picked Jack up by the back of his coat like a ragdoll and flung him across the room to skid to a halt near Dean who was coming to and moaning. The elder Winchester reached out and gripped Jack's arm.

"You okay kid?" he whispered.

Jack swallowed hard and managed a jerky nod as he began to pull himself to his hands and feet.

"Pathetic," Michael muttered as he straightened his sleeves and strode over to Cas and Sam and bent down to grab the angel by the hair, hauling him onto his knees.

"Don't!" Sam cried, but Michael kicked him in the head, sending him back to the floor, stunned.

"You look like you can use a little fire, Jack," Michael said and pulled out a blade. He wrenched Cas' head back and put the steel to his exposed throat. "So I'm going to kill your surrogate father while you watch. You may thank me for this after all."

"No!" Jack cried, already surging to his feet and reaching into his coat pocket, before leaping at Michael just as he started cutting into Castiel's throat. Jack slammed his brass-covered knuckles into Michael's face.

The archangel staggered back, releasing Cas and swung back around to Jack, touching his bleeding lip with shock.

"What…?" he breathed as Jack squared his jaw and held up the brass knuckles that Mary had given him.

"Enochian brass knuckles," he said. "Work on angels."

"You little…" Michael surged forward but was tackled to the ground as Cas surged to his feet.

"Jack, run!" the angel cried getting a couple hits in before Michael gained the upper hand, throwing a punishing blow to Castiel's face before he slammed his knee into the angel's ribs, shoving him to the ground were Cas landed heavily.

Michael spun back around, smoothing his hair down, his face furious now. "I've had enough of this. You're going to die, you little pissant! All of you are going to die!"

Jack held his ground, and managed to land several more blows to Michael as he came at him, one particularly satisfying one to his ribs, before the archangel simply grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground. His other hand came up and latched around Jack's right hand, twisting until something cracked and Jack let out a breathless yelp. The brass knuckles clattered to the ground, and he dangled there, Michael's hand like a vice around his throat.

"Take a good look, Jack, this is the last you'll see of your pathetic family," Michael snarled.

Jack saw movement out of the corner of his eye and suddenly Dean was slamming a blade into Michael's back. The archangel screamed and dropped Jack. It wasn't the archangel blade, but it had been enough.

Cas had somehow gotten the brass knuckles and slammed a punishing blow into Michael's face, causing him to fall to one knee. Sam was on his feet now too, and the three of them had grabbed hold of Michael, holding him down.

"Jack, the blade!" Cas cried and Jack looked to his right, seeing the blade only feet from him.

He lunged for it, scrambling to his feet, and flew toward Michael who the others were struggling to hold.

"No one hurts my family," Jack snarled, brandishing the blade. "And you'll never hurt anyone else again." He stabbed the blade down into Michael's heart and the archangel's eyes and mouth flew open in shock before he started to glow. They all jumped back as fire and grace exploded from his eyes and mouth along with an agonized scream of anger. Jack ducked his head and was just barely aware that three figures were huddling around him in a protective circle.

And then it was over. The screaming stopped, the light died away and the air was now permeated with the burned ashes of feathers, floating around them. Jack lifted his head and glanced at the body lying on the ground a few yards away, eyes burned out, and wing prints spread on the ground around it.

He let out a shuddering breath, as he heard the exhales from the three men surrounding him.

"Jack, you did it," Sam whispered.

"No," Jack said softly, looking at all three of them in turn. "We did."

Tears streamed down his face then and Cas took him in his arms. Soon all four of them were leaning against each other, all of them injured, but yet unwilling to move at that moment. Their relief was palpable as arms wrapped around shoulders, linking the small group together.

The door swung open and hurried footsteps rushed inside.

"Boys!" Mary called and Jack looked up to see her and Bobby rushing in with weapons ready before they came to a halt, staring in shock at Michael's dead body.

"He's dead?" Mary breathed.

"Yeah, sorry you missed the party," Dean grunted, pulling away from the group slightly and pressing a hand to his injured shoulder.

"I'll be damned," Bobby murmured in awe as he went over and kicked the body before he turned to stare at the four. "So it's finally over."

"Yeah, it's finally over," Sam said.

"You really did it, Jack," Mary said softly, a fond, proud expression on her face. "I knew you could."

Jack gave her a wavering smile. "We all did. I could never have done it without all of you."

Cas squeezed his shoulder. "That was all you, Jack, you didn't even need your powers."

"No," Jack agreed his smile deepening. "I had my family. That's worth more than anything else."

"Damn straight," Dean said and ruffled his hair.

"But you boys are all beat to hell," Bobby said gruffly. "What do you say we get you home?"

Jack nodded and they limped out of the warehouse, bloody, injured, but feeling good with the knowledge that they had finally won the fight to save the world yet again.

Jack glanced around at his family. He didn't know what was in store for them next, but he knew that whatever it was, they could handle it, especially if they worked together.

Right now though, he was looking forward to a nice long rest.

Thank you again for reading! Don't forget that I'm going to start posting the sequel to "Worth Fighting For" on Friday, so If you haven't read that one yet, now is the time to get caught up. Get ready for some Megstiel feels ^_^