"Maybe just clarify next time if it involves getting the crap kicked outta me."
"Maybe next time I'll just tell Crowley to fuck himself."
"Just how pissed is Sam gonna be when we get back?"
"On a scale of one to ten?" Dean peers over my shoulder through a small set of binoculars we picked up at a drug store "I reckon he's sitting 'bout an even hundred."
Groaning, I sink further into the Impala's leather. Clutching my brain, I wonder "Be honest with me. Was I right or wrong summoning Crowley?"
Dropping the binoculars, Dean's expression softens at the frown deeply cutting into my face. Reaching over he takes my chin in his hand and wipes his thumb over the crease. As if he can wipe the essence of it away. "Sam will build a bridge and get over it" Dean assures me no louder than a calm murmur "Let him simmer for a minute. He'll cool off."
Heavily I sigh, glancing back towards Nivus Pharmacutical's building. Hopefully by the time we're through here and back at the abandoned house perched just outside of town Sam's cooled his jets. Time is ticking by. It's only a matter of time until things come to a head and it's got us all on edge.
"Human shields" Crowley's voice has me jump out of my skin. Spinning around to glare at him in the backseat, Crowley nods towards the building "The demons are up top. Twelfth floor."
"All right, then" Dean sets down the binoculars on his dash "We'll have to find a way in through the back."
"Long as nobody is in the back" I raise my brow over my shoulder at Dean, shrugging "Then what's the point? Might as well have broken down the front door."
"You both make everything so complicated" Crowley sighs heavily "I at least expected an effort from you Alexander. Colour me disappointed."
Turning around to give him an earful I'm suddenly glaring at an empty backseat. Groaning, I huff "Where's he disappeared now?"
"Ah crap." Noticing Dean's attention staring past me I follow it. My jaw dropping at the sight of Crowley behind the security guard maning the front desk. Wiggling his knife at us through the glass, I rush for the door handle as he slits the man's throat. Dean cursing behind me "Oh, crap! Crap! Crap!"
Running up to the building I shove my way through the open front door. My jaw dropping again at the sight of the dead second security guard. I suppose this is what happen's when you work with a demon; it gets messy.
"What the hell Crowley?" Dean snaps behind me as we march further into the reception "You killed them?"
"We're on a tight schedule." Brushing past us, Crowley snaps his fingers "Come on. Now you're squeamish? Please."
Stepping around the body, I ask Dean "You want to change your answer yet?"
"A little."
We follow Crowley towards the buildings elevator. As soon as the doors open I opt to follow Dean inside only for a hand to jutt out. Tugging me out. "Not you" Crowley drops his hand, motioning towards Dean "Just him."
Dean and I do a double take before I laugh "Yeah. Okay." Taking one more step with my boot, I'm tugged three steps back. Narrowing my gaze at Crowley, I clench my fists "What're you playin at?"
"You wanted my help getting to him?" Crowley tucks his hands in his pockets, glancing between Dean and I "Then you play your role. Dean, your's is to go up there and say what I told you to. Eleanor, your's is to stay down here with me and remain in pristine condition for what may or may not come later."
Every bone in me doesn't like how unnatural it feels to let Dean go into the firing line. Yet I'm also acutely aware this is Crowley's arena. We need his help and if he's telling us to jump then it's best we leap.
Glancing away from Crowley, I see Dean watching me with a similar expression of unease. We don't do anything without back-up and we certainly do walk into anything alone. Shifting stance, Dean checks "You good down here?"
Sliding my gaze from Dean, I meet Crowley's with a murderous glare "Anything happens to Dean up there I'll tear you out of that meatsuit and shred your dusted cloud."
Not at all affected, Crowley mocks "Is that a promise or a threat?"
"It's a deadset fact."
"El. I've got this." Returning my steeled gaze to Dean, he reaches for the elevator button. Lightly tapping the twelth floor. The doors sliding from their hold, Dean offers me a small assured smile that I know doesn't reach his eyes "Love you."
Unsheathing my iron dagger, I echo "Love you too."
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Sitting on the steps, I mindlessly twirl my dagger. Crowley's using Dean as bait to draw this demon out of his office on the twelfth floor. Hearing him explain that little fact to me after Dean's half way up... I could take Crowley out now and be completely comfortable letting the world burn.
"I need you for later Alexander. Can we please cease with the silent seething?"
Fisting my dagger, I lean forwards to point the sharp end at him "You better not screw me over Crowley."
His shoes clicking over the stone polished tiles, Crowely leans against the wall beside the stairs "Killing your Winchester boy toy isn't in my best interest. Why would I jeprodize my only life line?" Touching the tip of my dagger, Crowley gently adjusts its trajectory away from him. My wrist twirling the dagger I raise my brow at the crow bar Crowley seem's to have pulled out of mist. Grinning like a cat, he tucks himelf behind the plant beside the elevator "Show time!"
The elevator opening with a ding, I rise to my feet. Jaw slackening when Dean stumbles from the elevator the exact image of beaten bloody. His lips split, blood gushing from a hit to the head and a couple red area's on his face I know will only blacken. Clutching his ribs, Dean limps carefully from the elevator. Searching the reception before his attention lands on me. Stood on the step wide eyed and staring at him.
Tightening my grasp on my dagger, i prep to through the blade at the man appearing behind Dean. Alas, Crowley leaps from the decorative bushes and caves the crowbar over his head so viciously I'm shocked at how collected he is when he stops. The man collapsed completely unconcious and bloodied "Evening, Uncle."
Sheathing my blade, I glance around searching for demonic back up "What the hell was that Crowely?"
Dropping to his knees, Crowley works to shove a hexed sack over his head. Marked up with demonic runes I'll certinly be committing to memory. "That was perfect."
"Perfect?" Dean grunts, clutching his gushing head "He didn't want the rings. He wanted me!"
Back to his feet, Crowley chirps "Imagine the surprise on your face."
Blankly, Dean glares back "What?"
"Your ignorance and misinformation-I mean, completely authentic." Stilling not understanding why we're glaring at him, Crowley defensivly squaks "You can't fake that. What? I-it went like clockwork!"
Motioning to himself, battered and bruised, Dean curses "Not for me you son of a bitch!"
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"Geez El!"
"Sorry" I apologise running my finger over a deeper cut in his head. Finishing with the alcoholic make shift clean up of his body I gently dab the gash in his head. "Don't think you're concussed" I murmur from the passanger seat, keeping myself steady as Dean hightails it back to the abandoned house just of the highway. Dean flinching as I push too hard from the dip in the road, I mention "You're gonna feel this in the morning."
"I'm feelin it now." His white knuckles the wheel when I apply a small gash tape. His glare softening at the apologetic glance I send his way. "I know you're copin alot of heat for callin Crowley in a backup-"
"Aye!"
Completely ignoring him in our backseat, Dean's gaze flicks between me and the open road "We needed to get ahead and none of us came up with another way. Granted you shook it up like an eight ball but we don't have the right to get shitty on how you went 'bout it. You're the only one who came up with another plan."
Clipping shut the small medical bag, I nod "Thanks."
"Just maybe clarify next time if it involves getting the crap kicked outta me."
Giggle quietly falling from my lips, I drag my fingers through Dean's disheveled hair. His eyes closing for the smallest of seconds before refocusing on the road. "Maybe next time I'll just tell Crowley to fuck himself."
Leaning into the fingers I soothingly twirl through his hair, Dean hums "I'd be cool with it." Suddenly, Dean's throwing erratic glances over his shoulder "Hey hot stuff! Watch the upholstery!"
Snapping my beck around, I raise my brow at Crowley jutting his knife towards Dean "Up yours, mate. This bit of carving will tie our friend here down. No zapping off, no smoking out- Locked in the meat suit...An important piece of our bargaining strategy if I can just get my knife deep enough-" Digging back into the demon's chest I watch Crowley drive the knife deeper. Struggling to carve the chest up I cringe at the blood seeping down into the leather seat. I wasn't aware that Crowley would be carving him up like a Sunday turkey on Thanksgiving. Huffing, Crowley curses "Can't cut nothing with this pig stick!"
A frustrated groan falls from Dean's lips "God dammit! El-"
Unsheathing my dagger, I'm already climbing into the back "Got it. Just drive." Straddling the demon, I flip my silver dagger gazing over the sigil "How deep have I gotta go?"
"Need to hit the bone love" Crowley motions deeply into the cuts he's already made "Deeper it is, the trickier it is to escape."
Shrugging I grasp the hilt and begin to carve. I've seen this sigil before working jobs. Crowley is correct. It's helpful when searching for information. Demon's tend to smoke out when their situation gets sticky. Marking the meat suit keeps them contained. Turns their current home into a cage. Binding links work on restraints but I'm not sure it's going to make much of a difference here. So I dig the blade into this guys chest. Deep enough it glides over bone.
"Now, up here, we don't want I-50. Take 93 north."
Raising my brow, I pause as Dean asks "What're you talking about?"
Side eyeing Crowley, he sighs defeatedly "Look, we can't take this guy back to your brother."
Disappointedly, I groan "Why the hell not Crowley!"
"They got history all right?!"
"BRACE!" Immediately I hold the front seat as the Impala screeches to a halt. Swerving right off the silent highway. Crowley sliding down his seat barely catching the front seat before his head smacks the barrier. Turning in his seat, Dean levels Crowley with a threatening glare "You want to go anywhere you start talking. What history?"
Crowley remaining stubbornly silent, I raise the bloodied silver dagger "Don't make me stab you again Crowley."
Grinding his teeth at my threat, Crowley explains bluntly "Sophomore year we noticed Sam getting soft. Didn't bode well for our cause. Sent this demon topside to... nudge him back on track."
My heart hammers in my chest, "You don't mean-"
Crowley stills the words off my lips "-This little sucker possessed his bestie, introduced him to a pretty blonde thing and... well you both know the rest."
Jess.
"Dean" I shift to catch his murderous glare "Maybe we should take the 93?" Shaking his head Dean glares out the passenger window. Silently seething at the information dumped on him. We both know if we take this guy back Sam's gonna lose his shit. His best mate got him introduced to the girl he was set up to love and doomed to get killed... I'd be livid. Lights flashing through the Impala from a passing vehicle, I'm acutely aware if how psychologically insane thus situation would look to anyone looking in. "Dean" my gentle voice brings him from his simmering trance "Your call."
Rolling his lip, Dean shakes his head "We can handle Sam, El. We're taking the I-50."
"Negotiating a high-level defection is very delicate business-"
"We're takin the I-50!"
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"You know what?" Dean asks, arms folded over his chest he stares down at the bound demon tied to his chair.
Hands on my hips, I carefully analyse the restraints I've warded "What?"
"If Sam weren't pissed off before... this'll definitely do it."
"Dean" Sliding my glowering to him, I quietly warn "I'm so not in the mood."
Meeting my gaze with a lazy smirk, Dean raises his thumb and finger "Just a bit?"
"No."
"Alright."
Pursing my lips, I mutter "Maybe Tuesday."
His smirk broadens into a smile "You got it."
The sound of heavy boots sends our neck craning around. Sam storming into the room. Stumbling short at the sight of the demon I step silently to the side as Dean approaches Sam calmly "Sam."
Sam seems to already know there's some reason he shouldn't be in this room, "What's going on, Dean?"
"I need you to stay on mission, okay?" Dean catches Sam's eye-line "Focused."
This only seems to fill Sam with more uncertainly"I don't understand. What's all this about?"
Hand on his chest, Dean anchors Sam n place "I'm doing this 'cause I trust you."
"Trust me to what?" Suddenly Sam's frantic gaze snaps to me for answers making me want to duck "El what's going on?"
There's nothing we can say that's gonna ease the blow. No amount of coddling or calming words is going to prevent the storm that's going to be unleashed within this house. Reaching for the hood i tear it away. Watching Sam's face contort confused and frantic at the sight of his college friend. Tossing aside the bag, I calmly voice "Believe you're already acquainted?"
Like he's seen a ghost, Sam inches closer "Brady?"
With a sinister grin, Brady shakes his head "Brady hasn't been Brady in years. Not since, oh..middle of our sophomore year?"
"What?"
"That's right. You had a Devil on your shoulder even back then." Silently, I watch Sam like a hawk. Even as Dean drops his hands off Sam and takes a step back to give his brother room to breath. Behind that shocked exterior I can see Sam rolling the information around. All the moments the shared together trying to pin down exactly which were Brady and which was this fella. "All right, now" Brady goaded Sam "Let it all sink in."
Then it snaps.
"You son of a bitch...You son of a bitch!" Tearing through the room Dean meets him in two steps holding Sam back. Still, Sam scrambles to get at Brady even when I shift in front of him to cut eye contact "You introduced me to Jess!"
"Ding, ding! I think he's got it!"
"Damn it, Sam!" Dean shoves against his brother to force distance between the pair.
"I'm gonna kill you!" Sam's threat echoes through the empty house "I'm gonna kill you!"
Dean puts more muscle into it. Throwing his body weight into Sam to get him out of the room. Eyeing Brady over my shoulder, I look him up and down. Leaving him to laugh obnoxiously in his seat alone.
Stepping out of the room, I shut the doors and see Sam still trying to get through Dean "Get out of my way!"
"No."
"Get out of my way, Dean!"
"There is only one way to win and it ain't by killing that thing in there!"
"Well...sounds like you got him nice and fluffed." Slowly, I turn my eye on Crowley. Stood there with a shit eating grin at the sight of Sam boiling with fury. "Thanks so much."
Rolling my eyes, I mutter in the doorway "Shut up."
"Listen to me" Dean get's into Sam's space, addressing him calmly to not escalate to Sam's fury "We need Pestilence to get at the Devil, and we need Brady to get to Pestilence."
"Why? Because Crowley said so? Because we trust him now? Like I trusted Ruby? Or like I trusted Brady back at school?" Catching sight of me over Dean's shoulder, Sam snaps with a jab of his hand "You're a hypocrite Eleanor. A hypocrite!"
"Hey!" Dean breaks Sam's attention glued on me "Not even the same situation Sam. Don't even start."
Rolling my lip over my teeth, Crowley mutters in my ear "You want to stay and hear this abuse... or do you want to ruffle some Demon feathers?"
The decision wasn't particularly difficult to decide.