Chapter 13 No Wine Untasted
Dean and Hope walked into the library to find Kevin hunched over a book. Cas was in the stacks, probably looking for some book on the syntax of some ungodly complex dead language.
"I need a spell. ASAP." Dean said urgently.
Kevin sighed. "Everyone always needs a spell, and it's always ASAP."
"Listen. An angel can't be expelled by another human. Okay, only by the host right?" Hope began. "But, what if there was a way to power down the angel, so that it wasn't in charge for a few seconds?"
"What?" Kevin asked.
Hope looked at Dean, uncertain about how much to say. "For instance, if--if hypothetically, I wanted to speak with the vessel but not have the squatter listen in." Dean explained.
"Why?"
"Why? Kevin, we've got tons of possessed humans out there. You with me? And when the angels kill each other off, the humans are taking it in the teeth!" Dean exploded.
"So what if we wanted to clue the human in," Hope continued, "so that he--" she glanced at Dean, "or she--could spit the angel out? That would be a good thing, right?"
"Uh...yeah?" Kevin replied hesitantly.
Dean clapped him on the back. "Okay. So hit the tablet. Let's go." he headed for the door, Hope following.
"Now?" Kevin asked.
Dean didn't even turn around, tossing over his shoulder, "Yesterday, Cinderella." With that he was gone. Hope paused briefly to give Kevin an apologetic look then took off to catch up to Dean.
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Gadreel and Metatron stood beneath a large overpass. Gadreel looked down at Metatron. "I've been thinking this over, Metatron. I will join you as second in command." he said, his voice stiff and formal.
Metatron grinned. "Bravo, Gadreel! This move will erase the mark that has hounded you through the centuries. Heaven will be restored, as will your reputation as one of its greatest heroes."
Gadreel nodded. "I thank you for this opportunity."
"There's just one more thing." Metatron said, squinting up at Gadreel.
"Yes?"
"I need to be sure of your fidelity."
"You have it." Gadreel insisted.
Metatron shook his head. "No, I mean really sure. We have enemies who pose an imminent threat to our effort. They must be neutralized."
"Slain?"
Metatron pursed his lips. "In a word."
"That...that is not who I am." Gadreel said uncertainly.
Metatron pulled a yellow card out of his jacket pocket. "Yeah." he said sarcastically. "Here's the first name on your to-do list." Gadreel took the paper, read it, and sighed. "Decide."
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Hope, Dean, and Kevin stood in the storeroom, the shelves shoved away from the walls, sigils painted everywhere.
"All right, so this masterpiece we just painted--it's gonna work, right?" Dean asked.
Kevin nodded. "The sigils are supposed to briefly hobble the possessing angel. If the info's correct."
"Wait, what?" Hope asked.
"I only had time to get a little from the tablet." Kevin explained. "The rest came from an old Men of Letters book. As soon as your blood touches the ignition sigil, the spell kicks in." the prophet paused, looking between Hope and Dean. "Guys, what's going on?"
Hope pursed her lips and looked away from Kevin. Dean would have to take this one; she was almost as bad at lying as Cas.
"I told you." Dean evaded.
Kevin shook his head. "You told me theoretically. Guys, we just painted sigils in the storeroom. What the hell?"
Dean sighed. "You're going to have to trust me--us--okay? Trust that I told you everything that I can for now. Can you do that?"
"I always trust you." Kevin said. "And I always end up screwed."
Pain flashed briefly in Dean's eyes, but he buried it quickly. "Oh, come on. Always? Not always."
Hope frowned; she had not missed the look in Dean's dark green eyes.
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"Hey, where you been?' Dean asked as he walked into the room where Sam was shelving beers.
"Hey." Sam replied. "Beer run." he gestured to the cartons in his hands.
"Long beer run." Sam chuckled at Dean's comment. "Can we talk?"
"Yeah. Uh...sure." Sam replied, confused. Dean led him into the storeroom where Hope waited. "This sounds serious." Dean shut the door behind him and pulled out a knife, sliding it across his palm. He slapped his bleeding hand against the back of the door and a bright light emitted from it. Sam turned around, startled. "What's going on? What are you doing?" he asked.
"I got to tell you some stuff fast." Dean said. "It's gonna piss you off."
"Okay."
Dean sighed. "Those trials really messed you up." he began.
"Yes, I know that, Dea--"
"No, you don't." Dean interrupted. "I mean messed you up like almost dead. No more birthdays, dust to dust." he took a deep breath. "Well, that messed me up, so I made a move, okay, a tough move about you without talking it over because you were in a coma."
"Wait, what? When?" Sam asked.
"You were in the hospital, okay, and they said you were gonna die." Dean explained.
Sam looked wary. "What did you do?"
Dean paused, trying to find the words to explain. "I let an angel in."
"In what?"
"In you." Dean rushed to explain. "He said he could heal you and he is."
"He's still in me? Wait." Sam laughed, disbelieving. "That's impossible, Dean. That couldn't happen. I never invited him in."
Dean frowned, not wanting to admit this next part. "I tricked you into saying yes. It seemed like the only way."
Sam sighed angrily. "So...Again. You thought I couldn't handle something, so you took over!"
"Sam..." Hope interceded, hating the anger in his voice. Sam didn't look at her, just continued to stare frozen daggers at his brother. She could tell how it hurt Dean to have Sam look at him like that, could see the older hunter throw his walls up.
"No, I did what I had to do!" Dean yelled. "You would've never agreed to it, and you would've died."
"Well, maybe I would've liked the choice at least." Sam shot back.
Dean opened his mouth to say something but Hope interrupted him. "Dean." she warned, glancing at the clock. He nodded and turned back to Sam.
"We can do this--later." he said. "Right now we got bigger problems."
"Bigger?" Sam asked.
Dean looked hesitant, so Hope stepped up. "The angel lied."
Sam looked confused. "Lied?"
Dean spoke now. "He--he's not who he said he was. He said his name was Ezekiel. Cool guy, according to Cas, but he's not Ezekiel."
"Who is he?"
Dean glanced at Hope. "We don't know." she confessed. "Apparently, Ezekiel is dead."
"Whoever this guy is can end you in a heartbeat if he wants to, so you have got to dump him." Dean added. "Are you hearing what I'm saying? I think you're well enough now, but you got to expel him." Sam was staring off into space, not looking at Dean. "Sam? Sam--" Sam walked past Dean, apparently not paying attention. "Hey!" Dean called.
Sam turned around and threw a punch at Dean, knocking his brother to the ground.
"Hey!" Hope yelled, rushing forward. 'Sam' placed two fingers on her forehead and she collapsed, unconscious. He turned and stalked off, furious.
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Kevin looked up as 'Sam' walked into the room. "Hey, Sam." The tall man stopped briefly then continued walking. "Hey, do you notice anything a little bit off about Dean lately?" Kevin asked. "Between you and me, I'm a little bit worried about him."
"Don't worry about Dean. Dean will be fine." 'Sam,' now obviously not himself, said softly. He looked at Kevin for a moment then reached out and put his hand on the prophet's forehead.
Dean and Hope rounded the corner just as Kevin screamed, white light flooding from his eyes.
"No!" They shouted together, running forward in sync. "No! No! No! Kevin?!" Kevin's body fell to the floor. The angel in Sam's body extended a hand, throwing Hope and Dean into the wall and trapping them there.
"Sam?" Dean asked.
"There is no more Sam." The angel stated apologetically. Dean's eyes flashed with pain and he gave an involuntary cry. "But, I played him convincingly, I thought." he continued.
"How did you...?" Hope asked.
"I heard you talk with Kevin Tran tonight."
"...You told me theoretically. Guys, we just painted sigils in the storeroom. What the hell?"
"You're just gonna have to trust me--us--okay, and trust that I told you everything I can for now. Can you do that?"
The angel--Not-Ezekiel--picked up a bag and placed the tablets inside. "Alter a sigil...even the slightest...Alter the spell." He held up his hand, showing dust on his fingers. "Sorry about Kevin, but ultimately...it's for the best." he placed the yellow card from Metatron on Kevin's chest, then began to walk out, turning to look at Dean and Hope once more with a look of pity.
As Not-Ezekiel walked out the door, Dean and Hope were released. Hope vanished instantly, a look of fierce determination in her eyes.
Dean sank to his knees, his gaze fixed on Kevin's body. The prophet's eyes were burned out. "Kevin?" Dean called softly. "Kevin?" A tear slipped from his eyes just as Hope reappeared behind him, her hair disheveled, a line of blood trailing down her temple.
"Dean," she began apologetically, "I'm sorry." She knelt down and placed a hand on his back. "I'm so, so sorry."
He didn't respond.