Dean are teleported onto an airplane by an unknown force (God). Sam loses his demon powers, claiming that the force that transported him and Dean onto the plane cleaned him up. He feels tremendous guilt for starting Armageddon and soon learns his acts have revealed a destiny Dean will be the vessel of the Archangel Michael to fight Lucifer. He is later told by Dean that he doesn't think he can trust Sam anymore due to Sam choosing a demon over his own brother. Over time, Sam realizes that he is too dangerous to be involved in hunting, and he and Dean go their separate ways. During this time, Sam tries to start living a normal life, but is approached by Lucifer in his dreams in the form of Jessica, who tells him that Sam is his true vessel in conjunction with Dean being the true vessel for Michael. Sam decides to start hunting again with Dean as he is tired of demons controlling his life and seeks redemption for starting the Judgment Day; although Dean refuses at first, after he is sent to a nightmarish future in which he sees how awful things got with him and Sam not being together, he decides to join up with Sam once more. On their search to find a way to defeat Lucifer, the brothers attempt to use the Colt and look for God, but it is revealed that the Colt cannot kill Lucifer and God does not care about the Apocalypse. These actions make Dean decide to become Michael's vessel even if the end result is the deaths of millions of people, however, Sam's faith in Dean pulls him back into finding another solution. Upon the death of the Archangel Gabriel, the brothers discover that by using the rings from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, they can reopen and trap Lucifer back into Hell. As Dean and Sam already have War and Famine's rings, they search for Pestilence and Death's location, leading Sam to meet his old college friend Brady: the guy who introduced Sam to Jessica and the demon ordered by Azazel to kill Jessica. Although tempted to kill Brady immediately, Sam realizes that Brady is needed to find Pestilence's location and with the help of the demon Crowley they discover the horseman's location – after which Dean allows Sam to kill Brady. After Castiel captures Pestilence's ring and