Chapter Text
Red sparks fill Charlie's head
The sound of an earthquake brewing. Bleeding colour becoming lost in the bloom of the sky like tears. Their bitter sadness casting darkness in the light that once festered there. Giving the world its last ounce of life like the taste of death to the tongue.
His senses becoming lost in the dark, trying to crawl its way out like a wounded animal from a car wreckage. Lost and afraid. His heart nearly breaking out of his chest like a crying child from the womb, mourning the loss of its dead mother. Lost to the air. Whispers in the dark. Life being reborn and then shattering the next minute.
Worlds coming together, spiralling like the flow of the sun and the moon. The piercing glow of heaven watching over its every move. Keeping everything in balance.
An impala navigating through the far reaches of the cosmos, inspiring change wherever it went like a messiah. The smile of a devil forever staining his lips. Dean Winchester. The righteous man. Taking the fate that was once set in stone and crushing it at his bare feet.
We're making it up as we go A voice says in his head, its timber recognisable but hard to make out amid the haze of darkness swarming his vision like a hive of bees. Stinging his very soul until it bled a black crimson.
Memories he didn't recognise. Shared by the multiversal trespassers, further seeded in their hearts. Fighters with the gift of god, souls with the reinvigorating spirit to carry on.
But something dark was pulling them under, consuming them in a sputter of dark mass. Breaking down their souls until the very last atom. Screaming piercing his ears, burning at his skin like an inflamed pain crawling up his spine. Their souls were marked for death and someone was eating them alive. Something cosmic. Someone ancient as time itself. A parasite consuming the multiverse like a virus hellbent on spreading.
Charlie finds himself in a dark abyss, his feet almost submerged in an inky black substance, gurgling like a swamp of forgotten dreams. Reflections of worlds once festering of life now reduced to a pile of ash. Wasting away in the crawling pit of the underworld. He feels like a fish washed up on shore, drowning in the black. The will to breathe lost like a memory fading from his mind.
He was cursed to walk these endless plains.
With no one, his father and mother lost forever.
With only the darkness to keep him company.
His entire body succumbing to the pool of emptiness in front of him, his strength choked out of him like he was dying of an incurable sickness. The world was going to end and Charlie was going to be the last person left to walk on its rotten corpse.
Then the ground began to rise, almost dragging him under.
A shadowy form begins to emerge from the black abyss, his gigantic limbs rising from the depths like a spider crawling out of a web. The shadow has no face, one cast in emptiness as the goo consumes its body, undulating and poisoning whatever it touched. Charlie stood there, frozen as a scared lamb as The Shadow approached him, craning its neck to get a glimpse at the young cambion.
"Charlie Winchester...Your powers are a tool of destruction...use it and you will no longer stand in your father's shadow..." The Empty taunted, its voice too haunting to be heard from a cosmic entity. "Why live in a universe decided by chaos and order when you can have emptiness?" The word comes out scorching out of his tongue, like an untamed flame, dangerous and all-consuming. Charlie could feel the power pulse inside his veins, begging for their sweet release. Demons inside his head screaming and desiring control. Making his hate and anger spiral into war.
His father left him.
He punished him and told him to go and now the universe would crumble because of him.
This was poison and The Empty was making it wash down his throat.
You step out of this tent and you never come back!
His own words echo back at him, a chainsaw drilling through the bark of a tree. His father walked out on him because of his petty anger. He saw no worth in him being his son. He was just a burden he needed to protect and in Charlie's anger, he casted him out knowing far well he was protecting him from these horrors. These visions rattling him in his sleep, the hiss of a demon sizzling through his blood, desiring to be fed. The world was going to die and it was all his fault, for being so pathetic to trust in his own powers.
He was a freak and The Empty was punishing him for it.
He turns his back away from The Empty, the constant oscillating of its tentacles, the tone of mischief and horror in the entity's tone as it manipulated him with dark truths. The image of dead angels slumbering soundly, plagued by the apparitions of their sins. Trapped endlessly in a bad dream. Demons trapped in the darkness, clawing their way out of their cages. The impending prison of eternal sleep keeping them locked away like a door without a key. Inaccessible and no way of getting out to freedom. To any comfort or idea of peace because that was no such thing for angels and demons. All they would do is become loud and tear each other apart in their rage and malice. Fickle beasts trained to be soldiers and killers all their lives until they are finally put to rest in their graves. The Empty's playground. A shadow of what the universe would become if its undoing draws near.
He was trying to run when the image of demon eyes stunned him out of his haste. They were scorching red, burning with a fierce temper, screaming and howling for Charlie to set him free like a mental patient on the verge of breaking down. Charlie falls to the ground, crashing into the wet substance below him as his rasping lungs begged for air. Fear the only feeling present in his mind, working the cogs of his mind like some elaborate experiment. Never stopping until his purpose was no more.
He turns and hears the sound of a creature chewing, feasting upon a rotten carcass as the rest of The Empty went quiet like a shop closing its doors. Charlie turns around, his entire body shaking with each hurried movement. He took sight upon the monster before him, caught in an endless frenzy as he fed upon its victim like its own breakfast brunch. It has the resemblance of a human but they are hunched over, skin rotting and wormy, sharp claws tearing into decaying flesh like the precision of a experianced surgeon. It eats and eats, body convulsing and twisting to the sound of each bite as Charlie watches afraid, the power brewing inside him, ready to be unleashed if his fear reached its tolling apex.
Before Charlie could make a run for it, the creature turns around, revealing itself to be a rugaru as it snarls with rotten teeth. Its skin is pale and wormy like the black decaying heart of an insect. Its eyes jet black with the cavernous need for hunger. Blood dripping down its mouth like a spilled chalice, leaking crimson into its black prison. Its hair is matted wildly to its face, clothes torn by its painful transformation. The body of its victim laying dead, its chest open bare spilling its cauldron of blood. Lifeless pupils.
The rotten stench of death filled Charlie's nostrils, pure horror cast on his features.
The rugaru prowls towards him, teeth bared for its impending feast. Charlie stands there helpless, screaming. Begging for his parents to save him.
Then his eyes open, whisked back to reality as Charlie can feel the nausea build in his throat, his chest wheezing for breath like a sickly man. The night casts itself onto the tent like a cold blanket, a reflection of the poisonous world outside.
Horrors were coming to his world and Charlie was the only one that could stop them...
---
Castiel was making his way through camp, trying to ponder his next move. It had been a week since Dean and Sam set off on their hunting escapades and that tightening pull in his heart told him to follow the boys, to keep them safe from the rippling darkness around them but he had work to do. He had to figure out another way of opening a portal to be free from this universe, to a promise of freedom and safety instead of the looming feeling of death. Castiel couldn't sacrifice Dean's soul to open this portal, not after everything he's been through. The soul of the righteous man is the brightest Castiel has ever seen and if it were to be lost, then the whole universe would fade to grey. He couldn't let Dean be lost to the cruel tide of fate, pulling in anyone to its crushing demise. Castiel sacrificed his very life for love, he couldn't let Dean step into the line of fire because a fallen angel says so. Castiel's heart feels cold in his lungs, empty without Dean's light to truly make it spark alight.
Castiel knew why Dean left. He wanted to help this alternative Sam to find his way again. He wanted to show him that there was good in his soul despite the demon blood that flowed carmine in his veins. He was raised by Crowley and turned into a bloodthirsty warrior but he ran away from all that to start a family and a thriving community of hunters. Castiel feels proud of this Sam, for everything he has achieved because he chose to make his own destiny. To use free will as his greatest weapon. The Sam he knew was living a happy life raising his own family and it was the most beautiful ending a hunter could ask for. A story of sacrifice and brotherhood giving a befitting bow. Dean died to give Sam that picket fence life because all of his life he had been used as a tool of destruction, a vessel cursed to serve the fallen and the cruel. But instead he repented for his sins and was able to escape the life of hunting. Maybe one day, when Sam's time was ready, he could join Dean in the afterlife and they can find peace when they are done. Just like the song Dean used to play in his impala at the eve of battle, when it was only their souls interwined. A symbol of family and union. Everlasting even in death because death is a foreign subject to the Winchesters.
As they ventured across the vast universe saving people and hunting things, Castiel had been laying low at the resistance's commune, desperately trying to find a way of interacting with the multiversal plain. He had been doing research with Ada, her knowledge in witchcraft ever so inspiring, a women ancient beyond her years. But in the emptiness where her soul used to be, memories of The Empty stirred inside her head like living nightmares. Haunting her of her mistakes, pushing her to turn to the dark side. But she remained quiet and determined, reading through every grimoire she could find. Despite her soulless state, she was selfless when it came to her hunter friends and she would do anything to bring them home. To reverse the damage this spell caused to drag them here. He and Ada may have their quarrels here and there, but they were still willing to work together and comply. Latika was a great help to their mission as she was cultured when it came to books and she would provide them with any text they could find, researching tirelessly to ensure a way of multiversal travel could be found. John, Mary and Carlos had integrated themselves into Sam's hunter resistance very smoothly, accompanying Sam's men on hunts outside camp to bring food on the table for the infants. They would go out and investigate leads wherever Castiel or Ada found any important sources in the books that could lead them to what they're looking for but it always lead to nothing, no matter how hard the young hunters tried, their path was a dead end.
Jack and Bobby were on a quest of their own, seeking out as many fallen angels as possible so they could find a way of getting out of this universe. Jack was God so it gave him a powerful advantage of reuniting the angels under one common goal - of rising against The Empty by any means possible. Bobby accompanied him because he needed a hunter at his side, to protect him from the darkness who desires to swallow him whole despite Jack's insentience that he could protect himself as the holy creator of the universe but Bobby had his ways of looking out for the boy. While Sam was gone, Ruby fufilled the role as leader of the resistance but Castiel could see she was struggling without her loyal husband by her side though she remained strong for her people and for her son Charlie, who remained isolated from the world outside, a child driven to loneliness due to the stigma that his cambion heritage was supposed to be feared. Charlie had people who loved him but he still had a long way to go before he realised it. Castiel hoped that one day, the boy would see the light and hope again. Just like he did. Just like Jack did, his sweet boy that he worries for with every fibre of his being. He knows that The Empty will come back and this time he won't be pulling any punches. Castiel would be the one to stop him.
The sound of hurried footsteps bring Castiel out of his dark thoughts as John, Mary and Carlos make their way into the tent, their exhaustion wearing thin from their last hunting trip. "Hola mis angeles! How are my booksmart friends doing at this long hour?" Carlos declared, a cheerful smile on his face. Castiel let out a tiresome sigh, rubbing a hand against his worn brow. "We're hanging by a thread here." Castiel muttered, the tireless search doing numbers on his resolve. No matter how hard Castiel tried to find a way out, the path led to nowhere. A black hole that would drag everyone inside and spit them back out to where they started. A sick and cruel game. Maybe Duma was right, maybe the price of Dean Winchester's soul was the only way they could escape no matter how hard Castiel tried not to believe it. He couldn't fall into that trap.
"So...we led a hunting trip down in Wisconsin and took down a vampire nest..me and Mary sought out that pagan store you discovered but their magical properties weren't powerful enough to summon a portal out of this dimension..." John explained, a look of disappointment in his eyes. Castiel looked down in shame, expecting nothing less from these meaningless leads. The books offered them no promise and it showed no root to fixing this problem. Castiel knew this younger version of John meant well as he had a family and a life to return to. He wasn't the ruffian of a father Sam and Dean were forced to endure when they grew up but he was compassionate and selfless with the soul of a fighter and a love as bright as a solar eclipse. He and Mary's love had a transcendent life of its own, destined to foster their family into a life of tranquillity, away from hunting. They had to get back to their universe so they can change fate and make it their own. "But the witch lady gave us a voucher for Crossroads Industries' 'pentawatches' whatever those things are..." John admitted as he passed a piece of paper detailing the new innovative technology Crossroads Industries had came up with to Castiel. The angel put it down on the desk littered with books without a second thought.
"Have you heard from Sam and Dean?" Mary asked, concern in her tone.
"Dean has called here and there. He and Sam have went on a few salt and burns across the country...they were able to stop the demons' plans of global conquest...but they will return eventually when we find the only way accessible out of this dimension..." Castiel explained, giving the Monster Club an update on Dean and Sam's whereabouts. Castiel had faith they would return to camp but he knew deep down they wouldn't like the information they found.
"I've read through every book I possibly can but none of them can comprehend the idea of multiversal travel. Did you find anything when you visited the angels?" Latika asked, meaning well even though her observant suspicion was showing. Everyone turned to look at him expecting an answer, even Ada craned her neck towards him despite being so lost in her grimoires to the point of insanity. Castiel could feel their penance cast its heavy weight on his wings like a sad clown under a spotlight, subjected to the horrors and insults of the crowd. Everything he tried to undo, everything he did to become the good and true angel he is today shattering in his hands like glass splintering his skin. Everyone's eyes were on him and it made uncertainty cloud his judgement.
"Me and Jack visited Duma and her garrison of fallen angels...They were confused and angry all because God betrayed his brave children to their deaths. She offered no solution to opening a gate into the multiverse...but she eventually broke her guard and told us that the only way we can open a portal is by sacrificing the living vessel of The Empty...Dean Winchester's soul in exchange for a way back home. I refused...I couldn't sentence Dean to a fate worse than death...not after everything he has overcame..." Castiel admitted, almost swallowed by a overwhelming tide of emotion, guilt and fear eating him up inside like a monster craving for flesh. He believed that somewhere in the darkness, there was a way blooming bright with light but all of it was extinguished and cast to the flames. By the looks of the young hunters, they were in a state of fear at the thought of Dean's very soul being in peril of collapsing. They came all this way because they took a selfless risk in rescuing Dean and they would let his life fall into danger ever again. Their thoughts quickly turning the elusive cogs in their heads as they tried to come up with solutions. Anything that could put an end to this impending feeling of doom.
"What happens to a soul if it goes to heaven...and dies again?" Mary asked.
"They will fade from existence entirely. If their death proves to be gravely catastrophic...then the people they love so dearly will forget all about them. Souls lost to the darkness...with no way of putting themselves back together again." Castiel admitted, a lump growing in his throat. His tear ducts stinging his eyes at the painful thought of losing Dean. The sound of his screams as his soul was transformed into pure energy. It would be like dragging him back to hell all over again. Endless torture. Castiel couldn't subject Dean to a life of misery. He couldn't let the most selfless and compassionate man he knew lose himself to the abyss. The Empty had no right to control him like this, to use his souls as a means of containing its destructive powers. A wavelength capable of engulfing the multiverse to a world's end.
"There has to be a way we can save him right? I mean...there's gotta be a way of killing or bringing harm to The Empty before it can reach Dean. I get if it's an all powerful cosmic entity but if we can destroy the very thing that sent us here...maybe it can send us back!" John explained, trying to offer his solution to this messy situation.
"We tried killing him the last time remember...a shot through the heart didn't exactly knock him dead." Carlos admitted, imitating the sound of a gun co*cking with his hands.
Ada's eyes were buried in the ancient pages of her grimoire, the sound of chatter becoming nothing but a blur in her mind as she searched obsessively, trying to search for a ticket out of here, to fix her dreaded mistakes. Then visions enter her mind, crawling and festering inside of her like a cancer.
Universes collided in brimstone and fire, the Empty strangling the air out of her lungs, feeding on the emptiness inside her where her soul once glowed bright. The blue portal opening in the middle of the freeway as the impala was dragged into it. Plunged straight into the eye of the storm like a wayward boat becoming submerged at sea. Lost without direction or survival. The Empty's screams, its body rising from the ground, the grim smile of its vessel as it took the bullet.
The Empty was at the very centre of the universe, drowned in the endless sea of creation. There he waits, putting his next plan of destruction in motion. Toying with this universe like it was a playground for its own amusem*nt. If that was where the Shadow rested, then Ada could see what it wanted the most. What it wanted to do to the multiverse in the absence of God to keep its balance.
The vision ended and Ada's head rose abruptly from her grimoire, like a corpse possessed as hurried breathes escaped her throat. Castiel and the Monster Club turned away from the conversation at end, their concern turning to the witch. "Is everything alright Ada?" Latika asked, voice raised with worry. She nodded her head, trying to choke out the words like they were sealed shut in her lungs. She eventually confessed. "John is right..." Ada admitted, gripping tight onto the wooden surfaces of her study desk. "We may not have strength to kill him...but I can use my powers to spy on him. That way we can decipher a way to stop him and to save Dean's life. He lurks in the shadows where creation is far from its reach...all I need is a source of power to be connected...my soul."
Everyone turned to Ada in confusion, the thought of their most powerful witch projecting her consciousness into the unpredictable plain known as the multiverse seemed like a very alarming sight but Castiel had faith. Deep down in his heart, he knew he could trust her and this plan. That her magic and her forged connection with the soul she once lost could bring them closer to defeating the Empty. To protecting the multiverse including this one from death and to preserve the life of Dean Winchester's beautiful soul. Ada could feel her power flow through her like the wind gracing the trees. Her soul dwelled within the plant in Millie Winchester's garage, growing like a dandelion seed and reaching its full power. It was calling for her to reunite with it, to heal the wounds left by its agonising extraction. It was the lifeline keeping her connected to her world. A connection to end all. She lost a part of herself to save her friends and now she was going to use it to save them all...
---
The sound of the impala's wheels churn through stone cement as Dean and Sam are driving through the riveting light of daybreak, yearning for their next case. Sam longed to return home, to see the faces of his family again and to tell them how sorry he was for leaving them. After facing down the scorching wrath of his father, Sam wanted to repair the cracks of his family and to make them strong again. As for Dean, he was coming to terms with feelings he had never experianced before, too euphoric for his soul to comprehend. How unafraid of death he truly was. He knew The Empty had a price on his soul, that it was threatening to drag him into the abyss any chance he got. The damage of his interference may leave scars but Dean was determined that he was going to save it all. One step at a time because his soul was growing more accustomed to this universe, even if he felt dead inside. He wanted to love again, he wanted to feel at peace again and most importantly, he wanted to fight for it with every instinct racing in his heart.
"You alright there Sammy? You seem quiet lately?" Dean asked, concern in his tone as he drove mindlessly. Sam shrugged his shoulders, staring out the window as he tried to forget his feelings.
"It's nothing...I'm just missing my family, that's all..." Sam confessed, the memories of Ruby and Charlie stirred a great sadness in his heart.
"Listen man, you stood up to Crowley. You should feel proud of yourself. Turns out your daddy issues ain't that defining anymore...your walls are finally breaking down...you can be happy and cosy with your family." Dean explained. "Believe me...the Sam I knew, he has finally got to settle down with a family of his own. I want you to get that same chance...you know, I just want to have a fulfilling long life..." His words stirred a sense of hope in Sam's heart. Maybe his family did have a chance at a happy ending.
"I felt like I've let them down...but if I return to them, maybe I can protect Charlie the right way...I can be the Dad he truly needs. Instead of running away...cause' its stupid!" Sam admitted.
"Well it takes one to admit they're wrong even if they're right..." Dean smiled at himself, proud of coming up with such a sentiment. Sam nodded his head, a hint of a smile tracing his lips.
The moment is interrupted by the sound of Sam's phone ringing in his pocket. It picks it up to find Ruby on the other line. Dean looked at him with a pressing gaze, urging him to answer as Sam had been running away from this dreaded call for weeks. Worried that he had let his wife down and that nothing could repair what was left broken between them.
"Come on, answer her Sam! You need to stop dancing around her like this. You're married to a demon...chicks like Ruby are very salty about you ignoring their calls...You keep ignoring her, you're gonna regret it and eventually she'll shut you out." Dean pleaded, imploring him to hear her out. He was trying to give him advice like his own personal wingman. He may have his reasons for hating Ruby but Sam had a connection with her and their family was the only thing real in this dark world. He couldn't let Sam throw it all away like this. He was tired of watching Sam avoiding and pushing away the one he loved the most as it was trap he could never walk out of and he wanted to save him from falling in its gaping hole. Sam gives him an exasperated look like a fussy child tired of being scolded by their overbearing parent.
"Really, where did the 'get the girl' speech come from?" Sam gasps sarcastically. "Are you in love with someone?!" Sam groaned as Dean was taken aback by his brother's fiery comeback. "What - no...no!" Dean's face blushes red, brushing him off with his hand like he was swatting away a fly. Yes. Of course he was.
After much needless argument, Sam answered the phone. Dean let out an exhale of relief.
"Ruby...hey!" Sam muttered, his voice shaky with nervousness.
"Really Sam? I haven't heard from you in weeks and the first thing you say is 'hey'! Ruby snaps, full of rage. Sam was lost for words, glad to hear her voice again despite how vexed she sounded. He couldn't blame her if he was being honest. "Thank god I can hear your voice again because I'm panicking here and I..."
"Whoa..whoa..slow down! What's wrong?" Sam asked, soothing his wife's nerves as Dean kept driving, listening to every word with concern.
"I need your help. Charlie's gone missing. He left a note saying there's a rugaru case he needs to care of...we have to find our son before they do Sam! This isn't like him...like I know he keeps to himself but what if he gets hurt!?" Ruby explained, fear in her tone. "He can't go into this hunt alone, not without his parents by his side!" Sam's worst fears come back to haunt him. Charlie was in trouble now. Sam knew that it wouldn't take long until Charlie ventured into a life of hunting. Charlie wanted to use his powers. He has always seen that fire in his son's eyes. He was inspired to become a hunter just like his father. Someone strong enough to defend the weak but a ruguru of all creatures. What business would Charlie have with a ruguru and why would he walk into the line of danger with one of the most bloodthirsty supernatural creatures in the world? Sam had to fufill the promise he made to himself after turning down his father's cruel offer. He had to protect him in the way Charlie always needed, a father who was supportive and brought good to his life instead of bad. Someone who would always fight for him even to his dying breath.
"Hang on Ruby...we'll be right there!" Sam vowed, determined to get back to his family.
"Okay. I'll meet you back at camp!" Ruby replied as she hurriedly hung up the phone.
Sam was about to inform Dean of the situation but he was already aware, having heard every word of the conversation as he swerved the impala back around and hastily drove his way back to camp. This Sam's family was in danger and Dean would risk everything to keep them together, even if he was never apart of their lives in the first place. He was going to help them find Charlie and return him to safety...
---
The impala pulled up at the borders of camp as Ruby was waiting outside the gate, her face worn with anxiety. Tears of relief in her eyes as her husband returned home after weeks of soul searching. Sam looked out the window towards his wife with a sympathetic glance, a pang of guilt a crushing weight in his chest. The car went to a screeching halt as Sam and Dean ran outside to greet Ruby. Dean stood by the car as Sam rushed to her side, pulling her into a tight embrace as Ruby cried into the arms, holding onto her husband for dear life. Dean watched the sight of the intense reunion before him, devastating to see a family in a state of fear. As the disappearance of a child was a parent's worse nightmare.
"I'm so glad you could come back Sam...I didn't know what to do without you..." Ruby admitted, tears welling in her eyes.
"It's okay. I'm here now...I'm not going anywhere..." Sam caressed her face, assuring all her worries away. "Tell us what happened?" Ruby nodded her head slowly as she rummaged into her jacket pocket and took out a crumpled piece of paper, probably left as a note by Charlie and a clue to his whereabouts. Sam opened up the small letter and began to read it.
Mom
I had a vision again. There's something coming. There is a rugaru killing innocent people in Ohio and I have to stop it before more blood is spilled.
I'm sorry for leaving but I will come back once my work is done.
I know Dad would be furious at me for going on my first hunt alone but I hope you understand.
Love Charlie
"He had a vision and he left without requesting any back up first...you know how dangerous rugarus can be!" Ruby explained, anxiety building in her voice as Sam read through the letter. In his sleep, Charlie would have premonitions stirred with his powers which would warn him of the future. Sometimes they led them towards new hunts. To paths yet to be discovered but Sam knew deep down that Charlie was a strong kid and he needed all the help he could get. He showed the letter to Dean who read through it with an expression of penance and worry.
"So the kid ditched you in favour of going on a solo hunt?" Dean asked.
"Yes...we've never allowed him to go on a hunt. But he's putting his life on the line, we've got to stop him before he does anything reckless." Ruby explained.
"Don't worry Ruby...we'll find him together." Sam vowed. "He isn't gonna be alone in this...he needs his family to fight by his side...he needs us..." Sam holds onto Ruby's hands tightly, rubbing circles into her skin as her nerves grew. For a demon, she felt so much because Sam helped her grow a heart. To see that the orders of hell she had been serving was just a lie and a soul rested within the storm of taint that was once clouding her judgement. Ruby found love, they found a real connection in a world full of horror and death. Sam wouldn't have the strong family they had without her and it took their strength to rebuild it again. They were going to find Charlie together, no matter what ruthless obstacles get in their way because their family was more powerful than any great evil who desires to conquer over the weak. Even the technical power of Crossroads Industries, an empire that strived to hunt him down like a wild beast unable to be controlled could not stop them.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Dean muttered. "Let's investigate Ohio and get your boy back..." Without any hesistation, Sam and Ruby got inside the impala, their goals set on finding their son. As the couple prepared themselves for the journey ahead, Dean looked back at camp, longing flooding into his heart like a tsunami. Castiel and his parents were in there and he was going to take off without paying them a visit. His heart still had words it needed to spit out. If only he could lift this heavy weight off his chest that was keeping him silent, then he could break down his walls and finally tell Castiel his true feelings. But Dean only prayed that the angel could feel his presence. That he could read the blurred lines between them, like a invisible wall that was keeping them apart. All part of The Empty's dark twisted plan of turning their love into a rotting carcass.
With the urge to stay taking him over like a paralysing thought, Dean settled into the passenger seat and drove. Suppressing emotions of regret inside him like he was trapping a raging bull in its fiery cage. The only important thing on his mind right now was helping Sam and Ruby reunite with their kid. To repair the broken bonds of their family...
---
Wooster, Ohio
The sirens of police cars wailed in the distance as a murder had occurred at the fringes of town. The sight of a dead body covered by white cloth, blood soaking through the sheets of their ghostly form as crowds gathered in a mass of suspicion and worry. Charlie lurked at the edge of the alleyway, hood over his head as he watched the crime scene unfold before his eyes. The rugaru from his dreams had struck here and the very soul it tore apart was laying right here as a decaying corpse of torn flesh. The smell of meat and blood filling the air like a poisonous gas. He may have been too late prevent this tragedy but he was going to find out how to put the creature down the right way. Just like his parents would do.
He made his way past the crowd, heart in his throat as he came closer to the yellow fence forbidding him from crossing even further. His mind racing with dreaded thoughts, The Empty festering something dark inside of him, the demon basking in his blood growing stronger. He could feel the hairs on the back of neck grow. Something dark and malicious was in this town and it was in Charlie's nature to stop it. Even if every instinct told him to leave it all behind and return home where it's safe, he had to take this chance. He spotted a sheriff suspecting the body, doing his best to pick up traces of clues left behind.
"Excuse me officer!" Charlie asked, pleading for the officer's attention. The man turned to face him, alarmed by the kid imposing questions in front of him.
"You need to turn back kid...this is none of your goddamn business!" the sheriff ordered, pointing towards the grizzly crime scene before him. Charlie let out a worn sigh, hoping that the stubborn officer would listen or at least take him seriously.
"What happened here?" Charlie asked, his instincts to find the truth taking him over. "This man was found ripped apart in the streets here...the flesh was torn apart off his bones...his organs were eaten straight out of his body like some chicken roast dinner. From the damage, it looks like he was dragging all over town. Wooster is known for many things and its wild beasts ain't one of them...there ain't no way a bear is capable of this...Russell Huston was a good man...his family are gonna be devastated..." The sheriff explained, watching with gloom in his eyes as the body was taken away into examination by the coroners. If Russell Huston was the victim of this rugaru attack, then he could find the monster behind this and stop it because he won't be able to get The Empty out of his head if he didn't.
"Did Russell Huston have any enemies who put this kill on him? Any cold spots at the crime scenes or signs of any suspicious activity?" Charlie asked, his intrusion taking over as he knew these were the type of questions hunters would always ask. To get to the bottom of these bloody supernatural killings. The sheriff looked at him like he had been hit in the head with an anvil. Completely deranged.
"I don't have time for this crap kid...move along! I'm sure your parents won't want ya sticking your nose into the wrong place!" the sheriff ordered as Charlie walked away, sighing under his breath. The officer didn't take him seriously because he was a teenager and he was asking too much questions. Of course that would lead to trouble, it wasn't like he was old enough to join law enforcement or anything. His powers was the only strength he had and if anyone saw his abilities, he would locked up to become a lab experiment or worse, demons could force him to fulfil his duties as prince of hell which his parents fought so hard for him to avoid.
As he turned away, visions began to enter his head. He saw Russell Huston on some kind of mayoral campaign, addressing the citizens of Wooster in his own podium. His family was by his side, his wife and his teenage daughter standing dutifully by his side, supporting their patriach's honourable achievements. He was smiling for the camera, cutting down the red banner as the mayor's office was opened. Then he saw a dark grimy place, Huston entering inside as he gambled his money away. Russell was shaking the hand of a shadowy interloper, his smile visible in the luminescent light.
The sound of creatures roaring and tearing down the walls around them. The sound of a cage rattling. Drunken men cheering at the thrill of competiton. Russell was walking home when the ruguru emerged from the shadows and tore him apart. His screams. The creatures tearing into his flesh. Blood spilling onto its walls like a morbid decoration.
Charlie was taken back to the reality as the breath became dry in his lungs, like a starved man begging for taste to fill his lips. Whatever Russell Huston had been bargaining in, he had put a price on his head and it got him killed. Something corrupt and wretched was going on in this town and he had to get to the bottom of it before rugarus would feast on more undeserving civilians.
He had to find Russell's wife and daughter as they were the clues he needed to find this monster...
---
Charlie arrived at the doorsteps of the Huston family manor as he rung the doorbell, hoping either his wife or daughter could give him the information he needs. He had never really bordened his horizons and went on a hunt before but he has recieved enough education from other hunters to know that this job comes with its perks. It was dirty and it was messy and you had to cover more ground before you could finally hunt down the monster you're looking for. Have conversations with the witnesses, learn as much about the victim as they can so they can use it as leverage against the monster. A rugaru was a deadly creature and the best way of finding it was to trace its footsteps before he could tear the monster to shreds.
The door opened with a loud swing as Russell's wife was at the door, dressed in a black attire. Tears stained her face as the grief of her husband's loss weighed heavily on her.
"Hello!" The women yelled as she looked on to find a teenage boy waiting at her gate. "Get off my property kid! I want nothing to do with ya!" His wife snapped. Charlie tried to soothe her nerves in the best way he possibly can.
"I'm sorry for intruding on such a bad time...but I'm Charlie, I'm a rookie reporter from the Columbus Dispatch. I'm here to discuss your husband's death." Charlie explained, trying to stick to the best cover to get the information he needs.
His wife shakily nods, her anger reduced to a state of relief. "Uh...yeah. Come in."
Charlie sat himself down in the Huston family's living space as his wife recounted everything she knew, gazing down at her shaking hands like she was too ashamed to speak in front of reporters. All of this was happening too fast for her to comprehend and Charlie felt bad for her that she had to cope without her husband.
"I'm sorry for your loss Mrs Huston...Can you tell me anything about your husband?" Charlie asked, his voice at a low register as Mrs Huston sat there like she was being interrogated for a crime she didn't commit, tense and confused.
"He was running for mayoral candidate this year. Russell came from a rich family and it only stood to reason that he would use those benefits to help the community...but our relationship wasn't always easy..." Mrs Huston admitted, a deep pain in her eyes. Charlie's guard softened.
"What happened?" Charlie asked, concern in his tone.
"He cheated on me with a real estates developer..." Mrs Huston confessed. "I was always kept away from his public affairs but he only saw me as someone who could give him a family. I have a beautiful daughter who will become invested in politics one day...and now she has to live in a vacant hole without her father!" Mrs Huston buried her face into her hands, bursting into tears as Charlie gave her a handkerchief to wipe her sadness away. With her husband gone, Charlie felt sorry for Mrs Huston. She and her husband were not able to make nice prior to his death and it created an even emptier hole in their family. Russell ran for mayor in this town and must of gotten himself involved in sleezy yet dangerous activities. The town didn't have another candiate to take part in the election and her daughter was probably lost in her own grief. Charlie can feel the pang of guilt grow intensely inside him like a wildfire consuming. Maybe if he had stopped this monster's bloody killing of Russell Huston beforehand, then Mrs Huston wouldn't have to be left with the broken pieces. She wanted to do the best for her daughter no matter the cost but it was hard to juggle the riches her husband had left behind.
"Did Russell have any enemies in this town...anyone who would want to get him killed?" Charlie asked, his voice sympathetic and gentle when it came to reaching for answers. Mrs Huston held onto the handkerchief tightly, blowing her nose as her emotions kept spilling through.
"Not that I know of...Russell had his disloyal ways around me, but he was always giving towards the community. He raised money to build new schools and workplaces...he gave all his money to charity...he spoke at press conferences and visted local wind turbine gardens. He was all about keeping renewable energy flowing across the world. The kinds of funds Crossroads Industries won't even pay..." Mrs Huston explained. "He had a way of influencing others to like him. He's a respectable celebrity in our town believe me...but there were seedy reporters who were against his campaign scheme...called it too patrotic. But they were too up their ass to make threats on Russell...considering how esteemed he is in the state..." Charlie looked on at the pictures on the wall. There was a family potrait of Mr and Mrs Huston with their daughter as they smiled proudly for the camera. There was other photos included Russell on his campaign trail, a photo of him shaking hands with wind industry workers and giving large sums of donations to small charities. But one photo in particular caught his eye. There was a photo of Russell posing with an lady dressed in a black dress as the mayoral candiate had his arms around her. Maybe this was the real estates developer he cheated on her with.
"Mrs Huston...do you suspect that your husband was killed by a creature of some sorts?" Charlie asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. Mrs Huston's eyes turned wide, seemingly offended.
"Excuse me?" Mrs Huston questioned.
"At the crime scene, the police found his body maimed to death...the flesh was torn straight off his bones and all of his organs were ripped out. I don't think a human was responsible for this..." Charlie explained, recounting the horrors of Russell's mangled corpse as Mrs Huston listened on, disturbed.
"What did you say your age was again?" Mrs Huston asked, fear rising in her voice. "Old enough to be taking this case..." Charlie admitted, trying to get Mrs Huston to trust in him. She scoffed.
"The way you describe my husband's death is nothing short of the workings of a psychopath...If a wild animal killed my husband, then surely the folks of this town would be aware of it!" Mrs Huston admitted, trying to keep her shaky hands steady.
"If that's the case then...did any of Russell's dealings put a price on his head? I mean...did someone let this creature out to kill him?" Charlie asked, posing the demanding questions now. Mrs Huston was growing more distressed by the minute, the thought of her husband getting into unspeakable dangers too overwhelming for her to handle.
"Get out! I don't want to see some punk reporter using my husband's death for profit...I don't want to see your face again!" Mrs Huston yelled, anger and fear consuming her as Charlie began to make his way out, understanding that he went too far in pursuing the truth. He could see that Mrs Huston was very protective of her husband and even the idea of suggesting something supernatural killed him would throw her over the edge. His nightmare is still a haunting apparation in his mind, replaying like a movie at a drive in. The ruguru tearing Russell apart, his blood staining its claws, its roar a petrifying ring in Charlie's ear. A man lost to the temptations of craving human flesh and a bestial*ty that consumed its very soul. Russell was dead but he could see the pain in his glass eyes, how life was taken from him so suddenly and how he had no fight to spare. This world was cruel to the humans especially because hell had left its gates open and monsters were using this mortal plain as their hunting ground. Charlie was going to hunt the monster down and kill it before it ever dares to do more unforgivable things.
Before Charlie could walk out the door with small collection of information he had, a voice called to him from upstairs. "Are you the reporter?" A girl asked as she made her way down below to greet Charlie. This must of been Russell's daughter that he had seen in photographs. Her brown wavy hair came down past her shoulders as she wore a very placid blue hoodie and jeans. She seemed almost timid and tense around Charlie as she had that look in her eye that told him she was intrigued, like she needed something out of him.
"Um..yes I am. My name's Charlie..." Charlie explained as she shook her hand.
"I'm Caitlan. I'm Russell's daughter...I'm sorry about my mom, she's been really erratic since we heard the news this morning..." Caitlan admitted as she followed in the gesture, proceeding to fold her arms. "I'm sorry for your loss Caitlan...I can't imagine what losing your father must feel like..." Charlie noted his concern for Caitlan's wellbeing as the passing of her dad must have left bleeding emotional scars. "Thank you..." Caitlan muttered as she scratched an itch on her neck, like she's too nervous to spill any secrets. "I can hear that my mum hasn't been really helpful to you...but I found something on my father's computer that could lead you straight to his killer." Caitlan whispered it into Charlie's ear quiet enough so her mother can't hear. Charlie listens in intrigue.
"Can you show me what you found?" Charlie asked.
"No problem" Caitlan explained as she began to lead Charlie upstairs. She stuck him inside her father's study longue as large potraits of Russell were on the walls, the candiate smiling proudly as ballots and flyers hung pinned to the walls. It was decorated like the president's office with a large oak desk in its centre, a IMAX Demon laptop illuminated the dark room in blue as Caitlan locked the door behind her so her mother wasn't privy to their investigations.
Caitlan sat on the large cerise chair at his desk as she turned the laptop around so Charlie could see the details on the screen.
"This is my father's emails. He's had many nefarious contacts message him about business transactions" Caitlan explained as she scrolled through her father's wary emails, trying to find the clues she needed to decode her father's killer. Charlie read them with intrigue and puzzlement.
"How were you able to get into your father's emails?" Charlie looked at the screen with confusion.
"I was able to hack into his account..." Caitlan explained as Charlie stared at her with a blunt cautious expression. "I've got an A+ in computing class."
"Good for you..." Charlie muttered, a hint of sarcasm in his words. Caitlan just ignored it and continued to read through the messages. Charlie could see that there was many on red alert including a suspicious one that caught his eye.
"My father must have been dealing in money or some kind of gambling addiction because he was in a conversation with this strange contact called BITESFRRLIVE. I thought it sounded quite sketchy...maybe my father had fallen under some kind of scam and was forced to owe some bankrupt charity money....but it looks like it was some of sort of betting contest...take a look..." Caitlan passed the computer over to Charlie as it was his turn to read through the messages. What he found was anything but surprising.
To/BITESFRRLIVE
Hey sweetheart Just asking when my next prize will be due.
I'm confident this bet's gonna pay off and my champ will continue reigning.
Love you,
Russell Huston
---
To/you
It's always great to hear your voice dearest
Your prize will be due tonight. You bet on your pet and it won in a fair fight. I'll transfer $100 dollars to your bank. Come by for our lucky poker game and I'll give you a little surprise as a service for your support.
Meet me at this location - Bites for Life nightclub - Wooster, Ohio
Kindest Regards,
BITESFRRLIVE
These emails told Charlie everything he needed to know about Russell's ulterior motives. Everything he saw in his visions was as percieved in his mind - Russell was a poker fanatic obsessed with betting and it wasn't on your average football game. Russell was engaging in dirty and corrupt business dealings and if his interaction with this mysterious interloper was anything to go by, this must be a femme fatale he must of been having an affair with, the girl he was getting too cozy with in the foot downstairs. And seriously, what kind of name was BITESFRRLIVE? It sounded like someone's corny suggestion for a gamer's username or a hooker. Charlie was letting his mind get too carried away with this, he was still hanging by a thread. How did a bloodthirsty and feral rugaru have to do with this? This whole situation still puzzled Charlie and he had to get to the bottom of this elaborate mystery. His first step was seeking out this ominous 'Bite for Life' club as it could offer more promising answers to what he's looking for.
But it also makes him feel like he's falling under the sixth sense. He knew something terrifying and capricious was waiting for him in the doors of this nightclub and he needed to be ready because he just knows a monster will be waiting around the corner, eager to consume his flesh than play nice. He turned to Caitlan, seeking her guidance.
"Do you have a piece of paper I can write this address on?" Charlie asked as Caitlan nodded her head, scurrying to find a notepad.
"Uh..yeah sure..." She sorted through her father's drawers and took out a small notepad as Charlie ripped out the first blank page he could find and started noting down perplexing address from the email as he knew it was enough evidence he needed to solve this hunt. This nightclub could offer him the answers he had been searching for.
"Thanks!" Charlie stammered.
"I hope that helps..." Caitlan muttered uneasily as Charlie began to leave the office, on his way to pursue this address. But Caitlan grabbed onto his hand and stopped him from making a move.
"Can I come? It would be useful if you had a hacker girl like me to slip into places others can't..." Caitlan asked, almost pleading. She wanted to accompany Charlie on his investigation at the club and it could put her in the line of danger. This may have been Charlie's first hunt but he has learned from his parents that pulling normal people into the world of the supernatural could be costly and fatal. Caitlan seemed like a trustworthy girl but she was grieving and it was best if he handled this on our own. To spare her feelings from being clouded with vengence. He wouldn't want her to get wrapped up in her father's messes in case the truth is too hurtful to swallow.
"I'm sorry...but this profession, it's too dangerous...I can't pull you into this with everything you're going through..You might not like what's out there..." Charlie admitted, trying to protect Caitlan from what was out there even though he hated being this way. His father had told him this countless times to ensure he would stray from the path of hunting so for Charlie to tell Caitlan that she can't come with him was nothing but a punch to the stomach. She looked at him with beseeching eyes, tears beginning to well inside them like an overflowing fountain.
"Please...let me help!!" Caitlan begged. "I'm struggling without my father...I was always in my life, supporting me...funding my scholarships...and without him, I feel like I can't breathe! So please...let me accompany you in this investigation and I can help you bring my father's killer to justice! Please!" Caitlan was sobbing, pleading with Charlie to listen to her and take her along on this investigation. Charlie felt pity for Caitlan's distraught as she was a bereaved daughter searching for answers. She needed this so she could move forward with her grief. Charlie would feel guilty if he had to leave her in this crying mess. Caitlan was right. She was useful and she needed these answers more than he did.
"You can come..." Charlie eventually agreed, sympathy reflecting in his eyes. Caitlan took deep, relived breathes, wiping the tears from her eyes as she could get the justice she needs for her father's tragic murder. A esteemed member of the community and his teenage daughter, searching relentlessly for answers. "But as long as you stay by my side at all times...I don't want to get you in trouble..." Caitlan shook her head.
"It's okay...I can handle this. My father deserves justice for the brutal death he suffered. We have to make his murderer pay! For me...and my mom's sake..." Caitlan muttered.
"Then let's not waste time...come on!" Charlie uttered as the two teenagers sneaked out of the office, discreetly making their way to the night club where terrors unpredictable were awaiting them...
---
The impala drove hastily through the long roads, the huge tires of the car howling violently against the vast highway. Grasslands were seen for miles as they casted a bright, flourishing light into the dark expanse of Baby. Dean held tightly onto the steering wheel his knuckles went white as Dean, Sam and Ruby had arrived in the state of Ohio, searching aimlessly for the missing Charlie. Inside of the car was silent as fear and worry lingered in the air. Sam was looking for leads on his phone, anything about rugarus that could lead Charlie here as Ruby sat in the backseat, her arms folded in disconcertment. Sam sensed her intense anxiety as he moved his left hand away from the task at hand and gripped onto his wife's hand tightly, his calloused hands massaging her tense fingertips as her worries were soothed away, her strength and determination to return her son home coming back to her in fragments.
Dean watched the care Sam and Ruby had for each other through the rear view mirror. He knew what it was like to lose a child, the pain of having to find them and the hopeless agonizing feeling you get when there is no trace of them coming back. He has had this brush of death many times with the Sam of this universe. Sam was his responsibility and he had to watch him die and lose himself again and again because his blind devotion and love for his brother was the most sacred and powerful thing of all and it was his saving grace and also a poisonous thorn at his side. Dean didn't just have to be a brother to Sam, he had to be a mother and a father. It was an exhausting merry-go-round that buried his emotions under its tire tracks at every moment of the day and yet he still made sure Sam felt safe and secure and nurtured and well fed. Dean wouldn't feel so alive and kicking inside this dead shell of a soul without Sam's beating heart influencing him wherever he went, giving him the strength to carry on even when troubled times looked dark. Sam was there for Dean through all the craziness of their lives and it only stood for reason that he would help this Sam out of his dark place. He gave his life to ensure the Sam he knew could live the normal life he always deserved and now he was going to give him this one, no matter how different he was, his happiness back.
He didn't know Charlie that well but from what he's heard and seen, he seems like a smart and strong kid raised by the most badass mom and dad in the world. A demon and the hunter. The kid has a level of unimaginable power that could reshape the world into his own image if he could but he wasn't at his great potential yet. He's seen cambions like this before, mainly his encounter with Jesse, the anti-Christ who chose to ride shotgun into the sunset instead of following Chuck's machinations and accepting his fate. Dean couldn't say he blamed the kid but times were uncertain and goddammit near terrifying. In this lifestyle, a child is always bound to experience feelings of rebellion and a want for something more. A desire to escape. He watched it all unfold as Sam disregarded his father's ways and ran off to Stanford. Dean wished he could of had that freedom his brother had so willingly chose but he was too loyal to his father to ever stand out or step away from his shadow. He tried so hard to be like him that he lost sight of what Sammy truly wanted. Charlie felt out of place the same way he did and it caused him to run away. Now it was Sam's chance to make right with his son and hopefully give him the safety and protection he so desperately needs.
"Is there a reason your kid left? I'm sure Charlie boy would have reasons..." Dean asked, trying to get Sam and Ruby's insights on why he ran away.
"He has powers because of his cambion heritage and it gives him apparitions, warnings of what will come in the future. And to go to Ohio to hunt for a rugaru of all things...none of it adds up to me." Sam explained as he looked through articles about reported rugaru sightings. Ruby turned around and looked at him.
"Well..if you hadn't ran away with a brother you've never met and tried to fix things with Charlie then he wouldn't have so recklessly left!" Ruby admitted, not ashamed in admitting her disappointment in her husband and how she felt he failed Charlie. He sighed and then turned to look at her, offended.
"Excuse me! Ruby...you know I had my reasons for keeping him away from hunting. I'm trying my best to be a better father for him okay! That's what I set out to do today...to find him before any demon...before the king of hell tries to capture him!" Sam fired back, trying to get her to understand his reasoning for leaving everything at camp behind to join Dean on a road trip across America and how he is going to fix everything that he left unopen and failed with Charlie. It would take her a long time to understand but he's trying his best to repair what was left broken in his family like pieces of shattered glass.
"You can't admit it, can't you?!" Ruby argued.
"Admit what?" Sam demanded.
"That you're scared...That you're denying Charlie from what he really needs to do. You're so scared that he'll end up like a monster like you were that you lash out and push him away because you don't wanna end up like your father...You are a good man Sam, I believe that, and I know you'll do anything to give Charlie the happinness he deserves...but you're too scared of losing him that you push me and Charlie away. We are your family Sam. You need to stop running away from us and try to make right with what's right in front of you...I know you Sam. Stop seeing yourself as a rageful warrior and more as the supportive father Charlie needs!!" Ruby explained, words kept caged in her chest spilling out in all their rage and intensity as she was stating the extact truth that Sam had been running away from. His family was right in front of him and he was going to give up that perfect image because he hates himself so much. Ruby's love for Sam is a connection forged with power and she couldn't bear to watch him struggle like this. Sam sat there in the passenger seat, lost for words as his greatest insecurities were shoved into face like a fist to his skull, waking him up from the dark place he has been trapped him and bringing back into the bright and clear light, not longer blinding him from the truth. Sam felt like he could punch a wall but he reaffirmed himself.
"She's right you know...believe me I know a kid that wants to get out of this life when I see one...He wants to hunt...he wants to use his superman gifts to save people and you keep him at a fine line from it...You need to be a father that gives him what he wants instead of taking out your own issues on him...Charlie ain't deserving of that!" Dean explained, talking from experiance as he found himself taking Ruby's side. The most unlikely thing he expected to do in this universe considered how much he hated her guts when he was alive.
"You're kidding me right?! You're taking Ruby's side in this...I thought you were my brother Dean!!?" Sam stammered, trying so hard to deny the truth when it was right there in front of him. Deep down, he knew Ruby and Dean were right and he was too closed off to admit it.
"Hey...at least I get to tag team with this bitch for once! We weren't exactly on good terms in my univ..." Dean remarked with blunt honesty as an offended Ruby interrupted him.
"I'm sorry...but how dare you?!!" Ruby exclaimed, pointing fingers at Dean like it was some sort of feral cat fight. Sam looked at Dean with a disapproving gaze.
"That's my wife Dean...what the hell's gotten into you!?" Sam asked as Dean shrugged his shoulders.
"Okay, pump the hate brakes Samantha...I didn't mean it like that..." Dean proclaimed as he tried to plead his case. It would be very complicated and disastrous if he recounted what went down between the Sam and Ruby he knew in his universe so there was bound to be misunderstandings.
"It really sounded like you did Dean!!" Sam snapped back, losing his patience.
"Oh there goes my hero defending me...really convenient move jackass!" Ruby groaned as Sam and Ruby were reduced to a married couple caught in a heated session of bickering. Dean couldn't take this anymore. He had to end this or he was going to drive his baby off a f*cking cliff.
"SHUT UP!!!!" Dean yelled as the car was reduced to a stunned, numb silence. Sam and Ruby both looked at him like deer caught in the blinding gaze of a headlight, scared of what Dean was going to do next. "I am tired of hearing you scream at each other and drag your problems into this car again and again! You're gonna shut up and listen to what I'm about to say...ya hear me!!? We have arrived in Ohio and we are here for a reason...we are gonna find your kid and you are gonna fix your sh*t!!! Sam, you're gonna get your ass on that computer and you're gonna look for leads...and you're gonna make right with Charlie and give that son of yours the right to do what he goddamn pleases!!! And you Ruby, you're gonna shove your anger at your husband aside and you're gonna help him fix your own mess...You're gonna stop acting like children and....you're gonna learn to deal with this...AS A FAMILY!!!! So you cut your crap and you focus on what's more important!!!!!!" Dean yelled through gritted teeth, getting out all the anger and frustration he needs for Sam and Ruby to hear. To blow off a little steam so they can get their heads out of their asses and actually work together to find their son. It's no hard, is it?
The car becomes cloaked in silence, the awkwardness reaching to the scale of a family road trip gone wrong as Sam went back to researching mindlessly on his laptop and Ruby just sat there, staring out into the fields like there's nothing better to do. Everyone goes back to work like nothing happened, the silence as loud as a knife cutting through skin. Dean's just glad he can drive in peace and quiet for once.
"Uh guys...I think I found something!" Sam muttered as Ruby turned to face Sam, taking a observant look at what he's found on the web. Dean continues driving, listening intently. "Mayoral candiate Russell Huston was found torn apart and maimed to death in Wooster, Ohio. Nearly all of his internal organs had been ripped out and his skin was entirely pealed off from his bones...some say a wild animal killed him...that sound like a rugaru attack to you?!" Dean and Ruby both nodded their heads.
"It sure does alright..." Dean uttered.
"Yup..." Ruby agreed.
"Then let's go and investigate...for Charlie..." Sam proclaimed, determined that he was going to make right for his son.
The impala began to make its way towards Wooster, Ohio as a case drew near. Charlie Winchester's life was on the line and they were going to bring him home...
---
Dean, Sam and Ruby had arrived at the small town of Wooster, Ohio, the trio finally on the same page after the tension that haunted them like a vengeful ghost for the entire car ride. Dean hoped that Sam and Ruby would get their sh*t together to find their son as Charlie's life is more important than the unresolved resentment they had for each other. Dean knew what it was like to hold grudges and he didn't want one bleeding of so much hate and malice, to drive this family apart especially when this Sam did everything to keep them together. Raising a stubborn kid with powers was never easy but Sam and Ruby handled it with resilience and hope even though Sam could be an overbearing parent at times. He trusted this Sam like the air he breathed and the only way to resolve this dangerous mission is to find his kid and bring them home. It was the best he could do after dragging him away from his family home at his lowest point. Dean thought he was doing the right thing for this version of his brother but it was only tearing apart the only normalcy he had. He was a plague, spreading disease with every interference he made. He didn't want to believe that but if he was really the poison The Empty wanted to snuff out, then his undead days were numbered.
Dressed in Fed suits, the unlikely trio arrived at the police station where Russell Huston's flayed corpse had been taken for examination. "Can I help ya officers? We don't usually get the FBI around these parts..." The sheriff asked as he waited by the door leading to the dead body, arms crossed in suspicion.
"FBI, we're here to investigate the death of Russell Huston?" Dean asked as they all showed their fake fed badges to the sheriff, who stood there rigid in front of the coroner's office. He sighed tiredly and slammed the door open.
"Right this way..." the sheriff huffed as Dean, Sam and Ruby made their way inside, paying the stubborn officer no mind. The coroner was examining the body with her tools as Russell's maimed limp body laid there underneath white cloth. "How's the analysis going, Shannon?" the sheriff asked as he began to read through the case file on Russell's unexplained death.
"I've taken a few medical inspection over Russell's body. The skin has been torn apart from the carcass. Some bone is visible and gorged onto....some kind of animal really maimed our mayor here...his teeth are rotting...eyes bloodshot...but the thing that caught my eye the most...was all his organs were literally ripped out...his chest is wide open and there's nothing left...It's just an empty red mass of blood and bone..." Shannon explained as she used her surgery tools to take a look at Russell's festering wounds.
Sam looked at the man's lifeless eyes, still puzzled by all of this. "Sheriff...do you know what kind of animal did this? Did Russell have any enemies in this town that wanted him dead?" Sam asked as the sheriff nodded his head in thought.
"I don't have a clue..Russell was a very beloved celebrity in our community here. Every lumberjack I knew was putting their money where their mouth is and voting on him...I mean there was some who opposed his regime but that was just the looney town drunks...their prissy asses wouldn't hurt a fly never mind raise their hand to a law abiding citizen...but whatever it is that dragged and pulled apart Mr. Huston here...believe me, it ain't your ordinary wild animal...if anything, it looks like the working of a very hungry cannibal..." the sheriff divulged as he had that disturbed look in his eye wherever poor Russell Huston's body caught his eye. Dean left out a dry laugh.
"Hannibal Lecter...That's a smart guess cause' there's all kinds of crazy in these parts and we don't want the undeserving like Huston here to add to the body count...We need to play things safe around here...you know?" Dean muttered, trying to bring humour to this grim situation with a soft half-smile as he winked towards Shannon the coroner, who only had that lovesick gleam in her eye. The kind he'd see in the eyes of any woman he charmed. Sam groaned at this silly gesture. It was finally Ruby who brought their attention back to the case at hand.
"Did you notice anything strange at the crime scene? Any cold spots, taste of sulphur in the air...any reported strange sightings around the time of Russell's death?" Ruby asked as the sheriff looked at her with a state of confusion in his eyes, like he was tired of hearing the same dance playing over and over again in his head.
"I'm sorry...but has everyone had a dose of ghost whisperer in their tea this morning? This must be some kind of interferance cause' I swear a punk ass kid asked me the same thing at the crime scene..." the sheriff explained, huffing under his breath as his untrustworthy conjecture of the agents only grew. Sam stood still, his eyes going wide at the mention of a kid. Realisation dawning on him like a cold chilling breeze to his bones. Did Charlie get a head start investigating this case before they did?
"Do you know who this kid is?" Sam asked, his intuition over his son kicking in. The sheriff shrugged his shoulders.
"I didn't get a good look at the boy...but he had his hood up the whole time...kinda kept to himself..." the sheriff explained as he began to escort the agents out of the coroner's office, leading them on their merry way before they asked more delusional questions. Sam and Ruby traded looks of concern as they left, the thought of their son putting his life on the line too grim to think about. Dean made his gratitude known.
"Thanks sheriff...we find any leads, we'll call ya." Dean muttered as he made his way through the police station, trying to keep a cool head.
"No problem agent...we appreciate your help even though you talk like paranormal investigators..." The sheriff muttered.
"You have no idea..." Dean commented, vaguely alluding to his long life as a hunter. Before they could leave the station however, a woman made her way hastily down the hallway, erratically yelling for the sheriff's attention as a deputy tried to stop her.
"Sheriff!!! Sheriff?!!!" the women screamed, fearful tears running down her eyes as the deputy tried to pull her away.
"Mam...you need to stay calm okay?!" the deputy demanded but the women was paying him no mind.
"I don't care I need to see the sheriff...this is urgent!!" the women screamed, dragging herself away from the wayward deputy's fierce grasp. The sheriff ran towards the women, handling the situation before it escaluated further. Dean, Sam and Ruby stayed by the sheriff's side, showing concern for the panicking citizen.
"Okay enough I'll handle this! What seems to be the problem Mrs Huston?" the sheriff asked, trying to keep Mrs Huston calm as Dean and Sam were able to connect the dots - this must be Russell's tragically widowed wife. Anxious tears fell down Mrs Huston's face as mascera stained her face like ink spilling down a white canvas. In her eyes was trembling fear, someone desperate to find someone they lost.
"I...I..need your help...a..." Mrs Huston's voice was broken with sobs as Ruby held onto her hand, giving her the courage to speak out. "It's okay, you can trust us...what happened?" Ruby asked as her voice was soft and composed, assuring the distraught Mrs Huston that she wasn't alone. Years ago, Ruby was a cold and heartless warrior. She wouldn't have the compassion within her to console any damaged souls but her times with Sam had made a profound impact on her and she has started to care deeply for the world around her, including the ones hurt by the cruelty and opression of her world. Her sympathy and charity with others was one of the many reasons Sam loved her and it was a light to see in times of impending darkness.
"A junior reporter came to my house looking for leads regarding Russell's death and he...he took my daughter...my beloved Caitlan!" Mrs Huston explained as her words came out in shaky sobs as Ruby put a comforting hand on her shoulder, soothing her heartbroken state.
"Did you catch the name of this reporter?" Sam asked desperately, the idea of it being Charlie a dark, paralysing thought in his mind. Mrs Huston was shaking with wretched sobs, trying to find the words. "He said his name was Charlie..." Mrs Huston as Sam and Ruby both looked at each other. Something wasn't right here. Charlie was here investigating a random rugaru case and now he was dragging an innocent girl into the line of danger with him. This situation sounded way too fishy for Sam's liking.
"Did they give you any hint of where they were going?" Dean asked, taking charge amid the shock filling the room like a black storm cloud.
"I broke into my husband's office...and they had hacked into his emails...now I didn't believe Charlie when he said my husband was up to shady dealings...but his conversations with that working girl told me everything I needed to know...he's been meeting them at this nightclub on the outskirts of town called Bites for Life....he is dragging my daughter towards the corruption of this town and it will scar her..." Mrs Huston's voice breaks as she holds onto her mouth, trying to hold back her intense sobs.
"Can you tell us where that is?" Sam asked, determined to find his son and to stop him from doing something he regrets. "It's...I've never been but..." Mrs Huston was interrupted quickly by the sheriff who knew all the answers they needed.
"It's only two blocks away from where Russell's body was found..." The sheriff admitted.
"So you're saying the club's connected to this?" Ruby asked.
"I don't know what to believe agent..." the sheriff muttered, his gruff tone cold.
"Well we gotta find them...these kids will get themselves killed if we don't find them!" Dean ordered as He, Sam and Ruby began to leave in search for this club. Before she left, Ruby left parting words to Mrs Huston. "I promise you Mrs Huston...we will find your daughter..." Ruby vowed as she let go of Mrs Huston's hand, leaving with the boys.
"Thank you agent..." Mrs Huston muttered as she stayed by the sheriff's side, watching as the agents left to return their daughter home safely.
"Your kid's now taking girls on the road with him...what's up with that?!" Dean asked, concern raised in his voice.
"I don't know...but we're gonna find out and we're gonna bring our son home..." Sam muttered, determined as the trio got in their car, their mind set on getting to this nightclub before they do. They had to find Charlie before the darkness desires to get to him first...
---
Ada began to gather magical ingredients around a covent circle as Castiel and the Monster Club waited ominously, watching as Ada prepared the spell like a calculating professor, skilled with the arts. For this spell to work, her body and mind had to be connected so she could project her consciousness into the multiverse so she could find her way back to her soul. It wasn't easy for a witch with this scale of power but the very roots of her plants were keeping her calm and focused, it didn't matter how empty she felt, the greenery was the one thing that kept her tethered to this alternative reality. The hunters stood around the circle, their concern for her only growing as she erratically scattered herbs and hex bags across the magic circle, resembling the image of an occult pentagram. Their eyes bored into the back of her head, hoping that all would go well with this plan and it wasn't just some scatter-brained suicide mission. Castiel had faith in Ada as deep within the weaving fabric of the multiverse was hope that her friends could go back home and that Dean could somehow be saved from his cruel fate.
"What are you all standing around for? I can take care of this myself?" Ada muttered bluntly, trying to remain confident in herself that this would work but a part of her feared the uncertain. Like The Empty would come out of its dark curtains at any minutes and swallow her whole, never to be seen again. A cursed empty vessel floating in space without any signifigance or prospect for the world flourishing around her. Maybe she put too much doubt on herself but she knew there was no escape from The Empty. That slimy son of a gun will always find her.
"Ada...are you sure you are ready for this? The multiverse knows no bounds. What if you get stuck in there?" Castiel asked, showing distress about Ada's impending fate. Once she lets her consciousness sour free through the fringes of the universe then will there be a way of ever pulling her out? The multiverse was more vast and unpredictable than navigating the fiery pit of hell. Castiel would be like an owl making its way through a storm. Completely lost without direction. Castiel would do anything to save Ada, even if it would cause a crack in the already unstable multiverse, he had to try.
"Angels like you shouldn't need to worry, Castiel. I can handle myself. I have spent an entire year without a soul...with no emotion inside of me....If we have a chance at stopping the Empty and making our way back home, then I will do what needs to be done..." Ada explained as she began to nestle down inside the circle, the flames of her mythical candles casting mist around her like a goddess. She sat there focused, determined, not letting anyone else's worries or opinions on her bring her down. Before she began to rest, a hand reached out to Ada's shoulder, soothing the remaining worries she still had in her quiet body.
"Be careful Ada...wherever you go, we'll be here..." Latika vowed as she had a innocent smile brimming of hope. It filled Ada with warmth and brought tears to her eyes as this young booksmart was the only one who really saw her for who she was. Soul or without soul, she was still the same person she was. The selfless witch who risks her life for the greater good for her friends and the very world that gives her air.
Her first words to her when they first arrived in this cursed place came back to her, giving her strength back like a phoenix rising from its ashes and possessing her with its wings of light.
But there is still hope. We may not be able to beat The Empty, but we can show him that there is fight still left in us...that there is a brighter home left to return to...
Ada admired Latika's wit and her courage, how she selflessly resolved situations of conflict and bloodshed through relentless optimism and idealism. She was the very reason she sacrifised her soul to the akrida to save her, the very reason why she took her on as her apperentice and taught her knowledge and skills in magic to her in the hopes she would grow into a fearsome witch. They had working tirelessly to restore her soul and yet if she was given a chance to reverse time, she would keep giving up that part of her each time because Latikaa's young soul is the brightest she's ever seen and it can never been extinguished by the darkness. Latika was the one she trusted the most and the one she could count on the most because Latika inspired her to be the best version of herself and Ada is someone who understands and listens to Latika's secrets and vulnerabilities. They were bound by a common thread and that was the empowering bond they had forged. A pacifist and a witch, teacher and pupil, together as one.
"Thank you Latika...when I venture into the multiverse, I will pray for you..." Ada muttered, a moved smile forming on the cracks of her lips as she settled down on a sleeping posistion, surrounded by candlelight and the redolent smell of herbs filling her nostrils. She could feel her magic flow through her, surge through her bones, begging to flourish and grow. Castiel and the Monster Club began to sit around the circle, giving Ada her strength as her consciousness began to journey into a different plain of existence.
Mary turned to Castiel, a downtrodden concern in her eyes. "Will this work?" Mary asked. Castiel nodded.
"I hope so. I am channelling my grace into Ada's life energy so I stay connected with her. I may not be with her...but I will see what she sees, feel what she feels. I am her lifeline back to this universe and I can restore her consciousness to her body if it was ever lost. A consciousness is empty without a soul...once it finds its beating heart, shall it truly be whole and filled with colour again...of feeling...of love..." Castiel explained as his eyes began to shine blue, becoming one with Ada's vast power.
Ada began to mutter a powerful incantation under her breathe as she began to commence with the spell. The Monster Club and Castiel sat there waiting, uncertainty clouding their judgement. Castiel's eyes glowed oceanic blue, Ada's power manifesting as sparks of lightning through his intertwining grace as their powers became one, a connection that held the multiverse together, like a rope tied tightly around a herd of cows. Mary watched Ada slip away into the cosmos, heart in her throat as she didn't know if her witch friend was going to make it out of this one or not. John sensed her intense worry and grabbed onto her hand with a gentle squeeze, assuring her that everything would be okay and that hope would be found. Carlos and Latika both stood there tensely, staying close to the circle as the plants around Ada surged with energy. The candlelight moved with the gust of wind. Plants and herbs glowing of green vibrant light. Sparks of light manifesting from the circle.
Outside the tent, electricity and many sources of light combusted out of life as the hunter's community was left in darkness. A fierce gust blowing through the tents, causing men, women and children to scatter as the weather grew heavier. The sign of a great force present, casting pungent storms across the land. Ada stayed laden in the circle, entering into a long state of slumber as her consciousness left her body and began to make its descent into the drowning pool of the multiverse.
Ada's eyes opened and she found herself in an expanse of velvet black, a vast galaxy illuminated by a divine blue and endless, radiant stars. She could see them wander through the skies, the notion of time and reality non-existant in this universal plain as they moved freely like lifeforms of their own. What was left of the blue current was slowly dissipating and drowning out into a venomous black. Pulling everything that lacked weight inside. A lifeless vaccum of death and misery. The home of The Empty, residing at the end of creation, where a pit of darkness only brewed underneath the hollow blanket of light. She could hear quiet voices chatter, stories beyond one's imagination playing like nostalgic memories in her head as billions of universes and galaxies thrived under one roof, bound by an invisible, unbreakable string. Keeping the fragile multiverse life. What Chuck had once devoured had faded into the darkness and was turned into something beautiful, a place sprawling of history and power. Of fates long foretold, of pasts unsung. Each universe was unique, expanding and becoming worlds of their own, all connected and living in harmony. This was the world God created and it was like staring at a piece of art. Ada was no astrologist but the sight of the multiverse was beautiful to her avery green eyes.
"Ada...Ada...can you hear me?" A eldritch sound boomed through the clouds as Castiel was connected to her consciousness, seeing everything she sees like an omniscient spectre. Ada looked up to the sky, almost like she was praying to an unseen god. "Yes...I can hear you Castiel..." Ada muttered, out of breath as her mind was too dazzled by the utopia festering with light before her. The perfect of heaven in her mind was staring right at her and it was hard for her not to get lost in it. Like a fish swimming bravely through the ocean.
"What do you see?" Castiel asked, his voice still and booming against the everlasting pit of the universe. A place of colour and joy. Out of bounds from the so-called reality people feel trapped in. Countless souls living different lives and reincarnations across the universe, free to live fates of their own choosing as the new and fresh God had commanded. Heaven was rebuilding. Hell was forever. Good and evil existed as both sides on the same coin, defining the multiverse as a spectrum rather than a single identity, flowing freely against the dark blanket of space. It was as the monster at the end of the book had intended. A single thought turning the world into one big story, his pages lost to the sweeping ocean of time.
"I see worlds...millions upon millions of worlds....they are connected by string. The power of creation holds them together. It is a celestial plain of light and dark. It is utterly and breathtakingly beautiful..." The words come out shaky from Ada's mouth as she stunned by the endless beauty before her. A kaleidoscope of colours unlike anything Ada has seen in her entire life. For one moment, it feels like the empty place rotting without her soul was full of life again. Like a flower blooming at spring. If she had a choice to stay here forever, then she would let her consciousness float in here for eternity.
"It was God who created it. Years back, Chuck destroyed what was left...he took everything and everyone who didn't adhere to his story and cast them out...reduced to particles of dust, lost to the fringes of time...but once the Nephilim Jack became God, he restored everything that was left broken by the fallen father's hands and made it into a beautiful universe. Like a garden teeming of life...." Castiel explained, admiring the beauty his son had created with his own eyes, overwhelmingly proud with the wrongs he's made right. "But the multiverse has become threatened once again...The Empty wants to devour it in darkness once again and we cannot let that happean..." Ada could feel buckets of tears fill her eyes. No. she cannot let this multiverse come undone.
"I promise you Castiel...I will not let it go broken..." Ada's words were true and noble, willing to do everything in her power to set things right. "Tell me what I need to do!" Ada looked out into the universe, watching the strings as they flowed with power keeping the multiverse together. "Follow the string and it will lead you to your soul..." Castiel commanded as once the words were said, a white line began to manifest across the empty universe, leading her towards where she needed to go. Her soul, waiting for her like a part of her long lost, calling out to her like a beacon of light. Seeking to become whole once again.
Her eyes glowed blue like the deepest ocean, craving for power of the likes she's never had. All consuming, powerful, fit for a witch. Once her whole being is restored, then she will be free from The Empty's chains, shackled around her wrists like the very black goo that tried to swallow her whole. She could fight this. Her conciousness can reach places that even The Empty in its vessel simply can't. Her magic was more strong and conquering than that sneering cosmic entity.
Ada's consciousness took flight and began to follow the binding string, the stars chasing her every movement in a shower of blinding light. Ada had never seen anything like it, it was like comets falling from the sky and making their way to planet earth, bringing their sparks of life with them. It was a beautiful sight but also a warning for the future. A future where there was no light in the universe, just a gaping dark hole of emptiness. Consuming worlds like a Lovecraftian beast. Obsessed with spreading its malice and anarchy across the world that took everything from it. She could not let it happean, no matter how fast her heart sunk at the thought.
The chatter became louder from each universe, emanating from the flowing string like a colony of ants roamed free inside of it, bringing life to all worlds spinning and glowing across the celestial plain. She kept moving, letting the molecules of the universe guide her like a bird soaring through the skies, looking for a nest to rest its weary head.
Then her life flashed before her eyes.
She was a young girl in a classroom, learning how to make a flower bloom faster with her magic as the elders who taught her their gifts watched in amazement.
Her passionate dalliances with Ali, way before his true nature as a djinn was revealed.
The birth of her son Tony and how he changed her life for the better. He opened up her magic to ways she couldn't even imagine. He helped to repair the cracks of her heart after loss had stripped all its feeling away.
Her hardworking dedication to her shop and how she preserved many magical herbs over the years. Her memories of when she was possessed by that demon, of the bloodshed and hurt she caused.
Her dealings with the witch Rowena MacLeod when she was trying to find a way to defeat the Akrida. How she saw the potential in her when no other witch did. When she discovered the power her magic held in casting out great evil from the world. How in her eyes, she was a worthy and skilled pupil.
You're more powerful than you know. And I have so much to teach you
Her magic was destined to be powerful, literally breaking the barriers of the multiverse in half and opening gates into worlds unknown. It was why dark forces like The Empty were so interested in her because it craved her power for itself. It influenced her every decision and took control of her when she least expected and got her and her friends trapped in this hellhole of a universe. Ada has been trying to reverse her mistakes. She thought it was the bottomless pit where her soul used to be that was wearing on her magic but it was something stronger. Nothing the Powers That Be could comprehend. She had the power to travel the multiverse and to unsheath its secrets, an ability no mere witch can master. It was something not even she knew she was good at. She had heard about this spell before from her old coven but any witch who tried failed to pass the test and was burnt out like Icarus exposed to the sun. She has come a long way since making plants grow in a classroom filled with witches. She was a multiversal traveller, an explorer of worlds and her soul was the only lifeline she had that could pull her away from the darkness.
She followed the string, allowing her hands to roam free through its white particles as she saw other worlds. Thriving mindlessly with different outcomes and histories. Humanity. Love. Death. War. Monsters. A world where talking squirrels roamed the earth. But the only thing that made them the same way was the fact they had Sam and Dean. Two brothers fighting the good fight against angels, demons, vampires, even God himself. No matter the circ*mstances, no matter the differences that set them apart, they were always together. They followed by the rules of their universe, they never strayed from the path of their story but the Dean they knew had. He told them to write their own story, to take power over their own fate even when God decides what they can't or won't deserve. All in place to create a torturous narrative where its heroes are treated like puppets with nothing but pain dragging them under like an achille's heel. Never given peace when they are due. A poisonous thorn at the side of everyone forced to dictate to a made up set of rules. But Dean was the only one who abandoned these ways and created a new path for himself no longer bound by death or fate. Dean's spirit had the power to do whatever it wants and not even The Empty's dark influence could destroy him.
Maybe she and her friends would be the only expectation.
She stayed close to the string, following its very intertwining movement until eventually she was engulfed by light. Ada opened her eyes and found herself back in Millie's garage. The place was closed for the day with the afternoon sun blistering against the still breaker room. Tools were scattered all over the place with a car in need of repair. Bottles of unpoured whiskey sat at the desk canbinets, waiting to be drank by its lonesome owner. Ada remembers the countless nights of when she stayed in this garage, searching through any chronicle or text she could find that would restore her soul, sharing glasses of whiskey with Millie as she told her stories about Henry and John and how the hunting business isn't all it's cracked up to be. She remembered indulging in the company of Carlos and Latika and how she was their source of knowledge on how to kill the next monster of the week. Ada found her moments spent in the Winchester family garage to be a bliss existance, especially when her mind could feel connected to her magic. It stopped her from letting the emptiness wear on her, that she was nothing but a burden without her soul as her friends reminded her that not all hope could be lost. From the very moment John and Mary returned to the garage with Castiel in tow, Ada knew her purpose could finally be fulfilled. That she would find redemption for the soulless husk she's become. For once, she realised just how powerful she was.
"Where are you now?" Castiel asked, his voice a celestial war cry amid the undisturbed peace of the garage.
"I'm in Millie's garage...I'm back in our universe, or at least, my consciousness is..." Ada explained as she scanned the room, trying to sense anything that didn't look right or contained any source of power. Millie wasn't here. Maybe she closed for the night or she can't see her conciousness linger unnoticed in this celestial plain? There was still a lot about multiversal travel Ada still needed to learn but she was taking it one step at a time. Following the string like a curious child, drawn to places beyond wonder and imagination.
"Look for any power source that may contain your soul. The string led you here for a reason...it's a lifeline back to the part of you that you thought was long lost...You said it was healing inside a plant of your own making. Follow your heart and put back into your body..." Castiel explained, sensing the great power that enamating from this small corner of the multiverse. Ada could read its signals for miles, her heart beating to its rtyhm like a drum without its melody.
"What will happen to me once I let it back in?" Ada asked as she walked around the garage, looking up to the sky for answers.
"You will feel whole again and you will have the power to see into The Empty's soul as well...you will see into his mind...what he is planning..." Castiel explained. "I will have a more powerful connection to the multiverse, won't I?" Ada asked. "It will be become stronger through your connection to The Empty. You will be a spy into his domain. Your soul will take you into the beyond where no else treads to go....not even I have enough power to access those dark places..." Ada began to look around, the string never wavering as its colours faded between whites and greens. Her soul venturing into the furthest corners of the universe, pleading for its vessel to return. Inside the leaves of the plant it festered, harvesting life within its very roots. Taking its time to grow into its full potential. Ada could sense its great power and she could feel her mind almost become enraptured with it, like a person's eyes glued mindlessly to a static TV screen. As long as Castiel's guidance was with her, Ada knew where to dread and where to go, her heart her only tool at surviving against the treacherous darkness.
The souls of her friends The Monster Club brought to her joy in her darkest moments, giving her a reason to keep going. She had hope that they could go on to lead their best lives and return home. To write their own fates and to not let a cruel and capricious god decide for them. Freedom was a power they could create on their own and let it guide them into their future because they could do anything their heart tells them to do. Free will is the heavy weapon they all carry and it will be their greatest defense against the darkness that wants to pull them apart. With that in mind, Ada continues down that path, searching aimlessly for her soul she had been long parted with. The empty crater were it used to rest began to spark with light again and Ada was reminded what feeling extacly was. Compassion. Remorse. A sense of justice and duty to everyone who fought at her side. Friends and family like a cosy blanket wrapped around Ada's arms. Home, security, warmth. Never in her cold and darkest days would she felt like she belonged with that crowd and yet her heart never wanted to leave it her. Her soul waiting, singing its astounding lullabies as it welcomed Ada home. To a state of being and blissfulness. To your one ticket chance at freedom. God, Ada couldn't let this pass.
Her eyes were drawn to a small table in the garage as there her soul waits, resting within the blooming roots of a plant. The beautiful spirit of nature keeping it alive in its warm and cordial embrace, like a mother looking after her sick child. Nurturing it back to good will and health. Ada had fireworks in her eyes, casting out the dark and bringing her back to the light. A shimmering glow, the sounds of voices mutiplying and talking to each other like souls trapped in the afterlife, calling on Ada to set them free and give her life again. Her heart was beating, her senses clear, her magic flowing through her like a sky full of stars. She was becoming whole again and all those memories of feeling, of family, of friendship were coming back to her in a storm. Coming out of the plant in gentle, hushed whispers. The leaves of the plants twilted and moved to its own dance, the green of its roots glowing with light at her illuminous presence. A bright shimmer of light came from the plant, calling her name in its sharp ringing echo.
Ada reached towards the plant, her fingers becoming light to the touch of her soul, coming towards it like an entity with a mind of its own. Ada could feel tears well in her eyes, feeling endless gratitude and relief at the return of her soul. It was a magical reunion and Ada never wanted to leave this moment.
She touched the plant, allowing its luscious flora to meld with her skin as the light of her soul emerged from the bright chasm and entered her chest. Ada let out a gasp of pain as her soul returned to her body, climbing inside her empty carcass as it felt like she was swallowing an entire world down her throat. The screams of her memories painful to her throat, all feeling returning to her like a earthquake breaking the very universe apart. Ada could scream, beg for Castiel and her friends to return her back to her body but instead the pain settled and became a flowing stream inside her heart, healing and relaxation returning to her mind.
She looked around, her vision becoming blurry as it tried to adjust to the restored being inside of her. Ada didn't feel empty or broken anymore. Her body felt light without the dark weight dragging her down. She could see light and colour freely again. She was no longer influenced by fear nor hate. Her soul was a constellation that made the bottomless pit of her mind be filled with stars again. For once in her long life, she could actually see again. She was whole again. She could see everything in clear blue skies and vast open fields again. She had her soul back and she was free at last.
"Ada...Ada?...Ada?!!" Castiel called out as his voice anchored her back to reality. Sharp breathes escaping her throat as she felt like life had returned to her empty body again. "Did you find your soul?" Ada tried to regain her voice again, the shock of getting her soul back too much for her vast mind to comprehend.
"Yes...my soul is back..." Ada muttered, a shaky smile forming at the corners of her mouth as her consciousness felt free as a bird, able to soar to its heart's content rather than being dragged down into a drowning pool of black. She could hear the sounds of The Monster Club cheering for Ada as John and Mary let out relived breathes, Carlos and Latika jumping up and down and hugging each other, glad that Ada had found the part of herself she thought was missing. She was whole again and that was the most powerful and in control a witch can get. Castiel smiled, relived that Ada was okay and that she had found her way home.
"Okay...we're going to pull you back out Ada.." Castiel explained as he was about to harness in his grace to bring Ada's restored consciousness back to earth. Ada waited in the basking of the light but no salvation came. She could feel her balance lose its grasp in reality as the darkness consumed her and pulled her away from the light, away from the feelings of home and paradise. Of a intense longing to escape now turned into a fight for survival. Ada screamed into the abyss but no sound came as she found herself endlessly falling. Her strength was fading. Her soul letting out a lasting cry as the emptiness engulfed her in its canopy of darkness, eating her alive.
Ada landed in the pit, black goo consuming her as she gasped for air, like a women being dragged into the depths of the ocean and drowning. Her eyes once mystified by the beauty of the multiverse and her soul now reduced to a broken reflection of fear. "Castiel! Castiel!!! Someone help me!!!!?" Ada screamed as the words burned in her throat, causing her nothing but pain rather than perservation. Her ribs ached with the need to escape, the cage of The Empty keeping her trapped here like an angel with its wings burned out, fallen from grace.
A slimy entity walked towards her, its tentacles forming in the shadows like slithering snakes with mouths bleeding of poison. The Empty let out a ghost of a laugh, finding thrill in seeing one of his sworn enemies being tortured. Taking pride in her pain. Delight at the way the breath escapes her lungs like a burst ballon. Ada was bound to the darkness, caught in a panicked haze as The Empty had caught her scent and found her. She cried out to her soul, begging for it to save her but it stayed quiet, extungished by the darkness draining it of its warm light. The Empty studied Ada like a dead animal wretching in agony, its head twisting and turning despite the black sludge covering its eyes. Its vessel must of have been bathing in this poison as it had made this decaying shell of a man its host.
"Ada Moore...you never seem to stay away do you? Like the vermin you are..." The Empty choked as he reached out his tentacle towards Ada, strangling her in the same sad*stic manner back in the impala, draining her of her spirit and engulfing her in its emptiness. "Witches are such vile creatures...They poison the earth with their girl power...it's horrific I'm telling you. That soul ain't gonna save you darling...in fact it will only consume you...I'm just the guy who is going to watch you bleed!!!" Ada choked for air, all vision and strength living her as her eyes were reduced to a pitch black colour. Consumed by The Empty's influence, rotting inside at the pain he was putting her through. The Empty watched the life leave her eyes, a gleeful smile forming at the stains of his tainted face. An entity finding pleasure in causing others hurt.
Back in the real world, the lights began to flicker endlessly inside the tent as the darkness entered the air like toxic fumes. Castiel and the Monster Club began to take a step back and panicked as Ada's comatose body floated into the air, slowly levivtating before her eyes as her body convulsed and shook in pain. "Ada!!! Ada!! Ada!!!" the young hunters screamed as John, Mary, Carlos and Lata tried to pull her down but they were thrown across the room by a invisible force.
Castiel watched in horror as Ada was pulled into the sky, their connection broken as The Empty had taken her consciousness, causing it great torture and pain. An intense storm began to brew around the camp, destroyed lights flickering barely on and off. He tried to grab onto Ada's head but an intense pain rattled through his body, the grace once thrumming soundly in his heart tearing him to shreds inside. Castiel screamed in agony, tried to maintain his grip onto reality as he had to pull Ada out of there before her soul was gone forever. Before The Empty could cause him suffer even more and drag him back into that bottomless pit.
"Save her Castiel!!! Save her!!!" Mary screamed, pleading desperately as a violent storm entered their tent, keeping them pinned to the walls as she tried to reach out for Castiel. The wind held them back, the sound of intense ringing and shattering lights echoing through the dark camp as many hunters tried to stay clear from the storm, families keeping their scared children close. Castiel's fingers dug into the ground, latching onto the crumbling world around him. His ribs screamed at him, his heart nearly ripped out of his chest as it felt like The Empty was dragging him under, reminding him of the pain it caused him while in his deathly slumber. His eyes flashed between blue and brown, the grip on his angelic power fading as he desperately tried to stay connected to Ada's dying soul.
His eyes went blue. His throat taking a mind of its own.
"Ada!!!!" Castiel screamed as his vision went black...
---
Charlie and Caitlan sat at the back of the dingy bus as it made its way towards the outskirts of town where their fabled destination was waiting for them. Charlie had only been in this town for a day and he could sense the corruption and darkness that residing in these streets, of the sleezy congressmen that held power over this economy. The death and lust that hung in the air like an extinguishable silence, loud yet defying to any who heard it. It was a plague that spread like wildfire. A curse that only he could lift. From the very moment he saw the rugaru tear Russell apart in that dark abyss, he knew he had to come here. It was the destiny to cast the monsters out of this town and bring back safety and secuirty to its citizens. He lived in a world where demons controlled everything and desired his family's heads on a stake. He had heeded his parents' orders to come here as they were the ones who kept him far from hunting because they were scared he would get killed. That his powers would draw the enemies to him but they were the only thing that kept him safe against the darkness. His greatest superpower but also his greatest flaw. He was going to show his dad that he was capable of being a hunter. He would do everything in his power to stop darkness from engulfing these lands, no matter how much he hated this oppressive world, it still had good people and it needed to be saved.
Charlie sat at the edge of the bus, perceptive of his surroundings as he tried to keep a eye on the nightclub they were sent to investigate. Caitlan sat beside him, fidgeting with her hands nervously as she had never took part in such a dangerous escapade. Charlie understood that she was determined to find her father but she was also scared of what she was walking into. If Charlie really had what it takes to expose this evil. Charlie chose to comfort her.
"You okay?" Charlie asked, his voice gentle when talking to Caitlan. She nodded shakily.
"I'm okay...I'm just afraid that's all..." Caitlan admitted as her arms were folded, keeping to herself.
"I know it isn't easy...with your dad being gone...I can't even imagine what that feels like" Charlie muttered, regret coming back to haunt. He was one in his tears and despair who told his father to leave and never come back all because he had too much control over him and it was too overbearing for him to handle. Charlie felt like he had no one to understand who he was or his powers but making his father walk out on him was probably the worst decision he'd ever made. If things were different, then he wouldn't have to feel this pain. He could make right with his father and start again so it pained him to see Caitlan go through this loss, even though their circ*mstances were different.
"I miss him. He showed more support and love for me than my mom did. I wanted to go to university when I grow up and become a lawyer. My father was going to get me into law school...he really believed in my talent and he made me believe in myself...but now that he's gone, I won't have any control over my life because my mom. She wanted me to continue the family business and become a respected politician. I don't want to be control...I just want to be me. I want to help people get justice...I'm not leader material..." Caitlan explained as she came from a life Charlie knew so well. Her parents kept her away from the one thing she was passionate about just like Charlie's parents kept him away from hunting. They were more alike than Charlie realised.
"I know that feeling. My parents kept me away from the family business because it was too dangerous...my dad wants to protect me from what's out there but I want to get out there and help people. I always have...I grew up with people who fought their entire lives and I guess I want to get out there and do the same thing..." Charlie admitted as it felt liberating to have the freedom he wants, to put an end to any horrors that go bump in the night. But he could also feel that pang of guilt in his heart, that told him that he was doing everything wrong. He wasn't going to let them down. He was going to stop this before it gets out of hand and this nightclub was their key to burning all of this to the ground.
"I guess it's nice to rebel once in a while?" Caitlan asked, a bright gleam in her eyes like she had finally found someone who understood her. Charlie nods, a faint smile growing on his lips.
"Yeah. I guess so..." Charlie mutters as the two look at each other, in their eye reassurance and hope. Hope that they could get the lives they wanted and live it to the fullest, no matter what darkness came their way in this forsaken town. Their moment is interrupted by the sound of bus grinding to a halt. They had arrived at their destination as the sign of the nightclub glowed neon about two buildings off the curb. It said Bites For Life in bold purple letters. Casting light against the dreary cold streets. "Here we are!" Charlie proclaimed as the two began to emerge out of their seats, getting off at the right spot as they began to walk towards the nightclub, keeping to themselves on the quiet sidewalk.
"Are you sure about this?" Caitlan asked, hoping for reassurance from Charlie.
"It's okay...just stay close...we'll find out what killed your dad..." Charlie assured, giving her hope that as long as she is with him, she would be safe. The two made their way in sync across the path, on their way towards the lustrous nightclub before them.
They snuck in through the back as they walked into something they didn't expect. The nightclub was busy with gathering partygoers, drunken by the beverages of the night and dancing procatively to the music even though it was into late afternoon hours. The club was filled with punks, rednecks, hookers, town drunks and bikers all hanging out, their hearty laughter echoing over the blaring music which sounded like the rocking anthem of Cult of Personality by Living Colour. The bar was illuminated in blue and pink lightning neon everywhere as a bartender was impressing a group of women by stirring a co*cktail in his hands with the agility of a acrobat. Two bikers were standing at the corner of the room playing pool, others in card games that required slums of their money being stolen. A man and a women intensingly making out by the doorway, blissfully unaware of the crowded rave occuring around them. Strippers were dancing erotically on the top of the stairwell, their legs moving wildly to the pounding music. Charlie and Caitlan tried to make their way through the crazed masses like fishes out of water, trying to hide the fact that they were children even though they looked far older than they looked.
"Well...this wasn't what I was expected..." Charlie admitted, his voice too low to hear amid the loud comradery of the nightclub. Charlie could see why this place called Bites For Life. It was a domain crawling of addiction and sex. Tension lingering in the year like a darkness hid within these walls. This was the corrupt and dirty side of Wooster, Ohio and it told him everything he needed to know about Russell Huston's downfall.
"Me neither...let's just find out what killed my dad..." Caitlan bellowed into his air as they pushed past many clubbers trying to navigate their way through this place. They were investigating the place discreetly, trying not to let the intimidation of the patrons fool them as they tried to get to the bottom of this mystery, to find out who really killed Mr Huston and put him to justice. They were interrupted by a loud women got everything's attention.
"Cage match about to start in 2 mins! Watch the beasts roar!!" The Latina women chanted, waving her hands into the air like a football coach. Charlie and Caitlan both stared at each other in confusion. "Cage match?" they both said as they heeded on the woman's word and went through the neon hallway where the cage matches took place on the other side. What they found none of them would have predicted.
There was a large iron ball in the middle of the room, built like a maximun security jail cell with the spiked bars keeping the fighters locked within. Men and women alike were gathered around the hall, chanting on their favourite competitors to come out as some of them threw money into the air, folks drinking shots of whiskey into under a minute. Their yelling causes the walls to shake like a battle cry, Charlie and Caitlan trying to stay together as they were being swallowed in by the crowd. The same women from before came into the ring, speaking into a microphone.
"Tonight is the night ladies and gentlemen! It is man versus beast!!! The final round of the Rougarou championships!!!!" the women yelled as confetti was shot into the air. Men whistled for her attention, throwing their money into the ring as a way of betting on the fighter. "In this round, we will see The Thirsty Daredevil go up against his sworn arch-nemesis The Raging Bull!!! So let this fight begin alive and kicking!!!" The woman's raucous voice almost making his ears bleed. He couldn't even believe what he was hearing. They were pitting rugarus in cage matches against humans. This was a sad*stic cruelty Charlie had never known before.
"On this side of the ring...coming to claw and rip to shreds his way out..it's The Thirsty Daredevil!!!!" The announcer yelled as a rugaru began to crawl its way onto the stage, its eyes filled with rage and bloodlust, skin pale as a rotten fruit as its carnivorous teeth gleamed in the blue spotlight. The crowd began to engage in a wild display of cheering, applauding for their reigning champion. The rugaru stalked the cage like an animal desperate to tears its way into flesh, a craving hunger burning like a flame in its eyes. It waited restlessly on its pray, waiting for the moment where it could pounce and become fed. "And on the right side of the ring...Fighting his way to the top before never going a minute without showing off his muscles...it's The Raging Bull!!!" A small matador in a red and white mask emerged into the cage, flexing his muscles like he was going to be the next Dwayne Johnson. The crowd booed him, seeing the human as less significant compared to the starving rugaru. The two stared at each other with looks filled with hate and malice as they were ready to plummel each other to the ground. The announcer waved a flag in the air, commanding the fighters on when to start.
"Fighters...on your marks, get set....go!!!!" the announcer declared as the crowd went wild. The rugaru lunged at the matador as the two fighters got into a bloody fight that only one of them would get out alive. Charlie and Caitlan watched in horror as they pitted man against beast, a ferrous fight that would end with either one's blood staining the walls like a grisly new coat of paint. Caitlan backed away from the cage, panicking.
"What the hell are they Charlie?" Caitlan asked, her words coming out in shaky breathes. Charlie held onto her hand. "They are Rugarus...monsters that crave flesh. This is the creature that killed your dad. Now I get why he was putting bets on this club...he was betting on his best fighter...The Thirsty Daredevil. But don't worry...I won't let them hurt you..." Charlie reassured, forced to admit to her that monsters were real as Caitlan stared at him with a stunned expression, too confused to form words. Before they could make another move, Caitlan spotted adverseries coming their way as she gasped in threat, alerting Charlie. "We've got company..." she whispered as two bouncers came towards them, hands twisted into fists as they had caught them red-handed. They were here to escort them out. There was no way in hell Charlie would obey them.
"Hey! You kids aren't supposed to be in here!" One of the bouncers yelled. "I suggest you get out and go cry to mommy and daddy!!" The two men had them surrounding, with nowhere to turn to. Caitlan looked on in fear, holding onto Charlie for dear life as he kept her behind him like he was her shield protecting her.
"Don't worry Caitlan...I'll handle this!" Charlie proclaimed as he gave the guards a pensive stare, his demonic powers flowing like a fierce storm inside of his veins. Caitlan looked at him in confusion.
"What -?" Caitlan demanded for answers but Charlie hushed her quiet. "It's okay...I'm not afraid of them." Charlie admitted as he stood up to the bouncers, a look of anger and determination in his brow. The two bouncers laughed at his pity heroism. "Come on kid, stop being friendly neighbourhood hero and step aside!" Another bouncer yelled. Charlie huffed in anger, the look in his eyes becoming sharp and red as they became engulfed with a crimson light.
He reached his hand out and caused the bouncer mocking him to levitate. He spung him endlessly like a young child playing with a ragdoll before throwing across the room with a slam. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched Charlie's unexpected feat. Charlie used his powers in public to defend someone who was in danger and it could damn near cost him. Caitlan looks at him with shock and confusion, not able to comprehend what she has just saw. The unconcious bouncer is slumped against the wall, the world around him going dizzy as Charlie's powers struck him hard when he least expected it. The other bouncer began to lunge at him, raring to meet the kid's face with his fist but Charlie touched it with one finger and transformed his entire arm into a pack of red balloons as they hit him in the face and propelled him into the air at uncontrollable speeds like a helicopter. The bouncer screamed for mercy but no one came to pull him down or save him.
Charlie watched the mess he'd caused, relived the bouncers were no longer a problem but it only caused him great worry. Exposing his powers to the world would only put him in constant danger from demons serving the king of hell who desired his blood. This was extacly what his father warned him about but he knew there was no going back now. Caitlan looked at Charlie, almost lost for words.
"You okay?" Charlie asked, concerned for Caitlan. She nodded slowly, still in shock at what she just witnessed. She was making conclusions in her mind as her eyes were full of shocked realisation.
"You're not a reporter, aren't you?" Caitlan muttered, lost for words. Charlie scratched an itch nervously on the back of head, being honest with her.
"It's complicated..." Charlie admitted as the sound of balloon hand's screams of horror echoed through the steel walls of the nightclub. If Charlie knew anything as a teenager by now, it was that his life wasn't normal and that it was anything but happy. Charlie's past was complicated and it was right at the epicentre of demon activity and hell's flames. God, did Charlie need to solve this case before anything else got out of hand. But before Charlie could say anything else, he was interrupted by a ominous air of applause. Loud and blasphemous amid a crowd of stunned drunks. Charlie turned around, trying to make out the prepatrator of the noise. A women emerged from the crowd, dressed in a black coat and shades. Her blonde hair slicked back into a tight ponytail as her lips blossomed ruby red amid the strobing blue lights of the club. Her expression was void, lacking no feeling or emotion but a sense of pride at the bold deed Charlie had just committed.
"Bravo Charlie Winchester! Those knuckleheads stood no chance against you..." The woman clapped at Charlie's efforts, like a teacher commorating her pupils for hard work. Charlie studied her with an untrustworthy look, keeping his distance. How the hell did this women knew who he was or his family name for that matter? He pushed back the notion.
"What do you want?" Charlie asked, a bitterness in his tone.
"Follow me. The boss would like to see you and the girl in his office!" the women ordered as she began to escort them away from the cage match and to whoever her 'boss' is. Charlie and Caitlan both traded wary looks at each other as they followed the mystery women up the iron stairs, straight to where the owner of the club's office was. The one behind Russell Huston's killing. The one who has bloodthirsty rugarus chained up like dogs as they brawl with humans, tearing them apart as easily as a sack of meat. A survival of the fittest. The strong pitted against the weak. The office doors opened as the smell of smoke drilled into their nostrils like toxic fumes. A shadowy figure was hidden behind a chair, in a secret conversation with someone over the phone. He held onto a cigar, which cast smoke into the small office, adorned with trophies and cursed objects. At each side of his black desk was two strong bodyguards, keeping him at an arms length from anyone who desired to put a knife at his throat. "Ah yes...any bet you make from henceworth we'll add to your bank account in no time with every wing our Thirsty Daredevil earns...of course it'll be enough to buy that vacation to Florida you've always dreamed of..." The boss talked loudly on the phone, his weazing Boston slang echoing through the room, his lungs giving away from all the smoking he let consume his body. A single cigar hung out of his lips, carrying its fume aloft into the air. The women tapped onto the desk, getting her boss's attention.
"What?!" the mysterious boss hissed.
"The children are here to see you..." the women muttered, her delivery as indelicate as a withering robot. The boss huffed angrily under his breath as he had to put an end to one of his transactional business calls. "I'm sorry toots...but I've got a meeting I need to attend to...if you win, I'll let ya know...Buh-bye now..." the boss put the phone down quickly before the person on the other side responded as he quickly spun around in his chair. To Charlie, he looked like someone who should be a part of Batman's rogues gallery. He wore a slick top hat with aviator glasses covering his eyes with puffs of grey smoke spilling from his chapped lips, his features crooked and wrinkly like a man that had just arisen from the dead. He wore a black wooly coat that looked two inches bigger than he was, the man's body slender and almost gaining a pound of weight. He studied Charlie and Caitlan like they were vermin scattered through scraps looking for food, blowing wafts of smoke into their faces.
"Charlie Winchester...the demon spawn...you were always bound to come into my club one way or another..." The boss admitted, a poisonous smile staining his features. A display of rotten yellow teeth like the jaws of a filthy beast. Charlie stands back in horror. He knows who he is. Who his family is. "Name's Tony Gizzolio. I'm the one who built Bites for Life for the ground up...I've been training rugarus to go Rocky Balboa into the ring since before you were born. So tell me, what brings ya two rugrats here? Finally decided to leave the nest..." Without a second thought, Caitlan took a stapler from Tony's desk and threatened to stab him with it. Charlie tried to hold her back, scared she would put herself in danger.
"You killed my dad didn't you?!! You monster!!!" Caitlan tried to lunge at him but Charlie pulled her back. "Hey...hey..hey!! Caitlan...let me handle this..." Charlie pleaded as heavy, scared breathes lurched from Caitlan's throat, the blistering rage becoming a calm storm in her chest. Caitlan dropped the stapler to the floor and stepped back in fright as Tony watched with amusem*nt. The guards and the women were about to make a move but Tony silently advised them to stand down with a wave of a finger. His depiscible tooth grin on display.
"Play fair children...you're quite a feisty one for a girl who wants revenge for her daddy. You're Russell Huston's kid aren't ya?" Tony hissed, pointing a wrinkly finger at Caitlan as she keep her distance.
"Yeah, and what is it to you? You're the one who...correct me if I get this wrong, put a hit out on Russell because he was making bets and had an affair with one of the patrons in this club....and you sent out one of your prized rugarus and he killed him for you...so I suggest you stop playing the dumb game of being innocent and admit your play on this crime cause' this entire club is a slaughterhouse!" Charlie admitted, pressing on the greedy Tony to reveal his true intentions, that he really played his part in the murder of Caitlan's dad, that he has rugarus, consumers of human flesh, to be killers. Tony laughed wheezlingly, surprised that a kid would figure out his grand scheme.
"This club has been going on for years, dear boy. I am the underdog in rugaru cage fighting. I put my pets out onto the ring because the more human wrestlers they tear apart, the more flesh they get to consume. The more stronger they become. Rugarus are a hazard to keep chained up cause' there always hunger...they can't control the primal bloodlust inside of them so they need something to keep it appetised. It's a fight to the death and rugarus get to feast on their organs when it's over. Our reigning champ The Thirsty Daredevil...his victories have been flawless...none of you chimpanzees have come close to getting an upper hand against my boys. Patrons place bets in for my fighters and we get the money for free. If the little caged animal they're rooting for wins...they get paid the bet they due. If they bitch and moan about my crappy service or do anything to piss them off...I send my rugarus to tear them apart so they ain't in my way anymore. As you can see kiddos, I don't go down with a fight...I get what I want when I want and if those people don't provide for me...well, you never see them again. With funding from Crossroads Industries, we've become the most influencial underground monster fighting ring in the country and we run on the corrupt and ragged riches of the people...we feed them their forbidden desires...they go from small town drunks to multi-millionaires thanks to our spending...So don't you, we're a powerful organisation boy and not even your little magic tricks will kick us out of the game...." Tony explained, remiscing on the club's success in the underground monster fighting and how he is at the epicentre of all the corruption and filth in the small town of Wooster, Ohio. A festering plague in a rather beautiful and thriving community. Charlie stared at Tony with disgust in his eyes. Many people died at the jaws of a rugaru because they disobeyed their trust. The cruelty of a man who would keep his business afloat at any costs and would kill anyone who stood in his way. He studied the room, trying to find clues that could expose this rodent of a man even further.
Suddenly, his eyes were drawn towards the women that took them here on the first place. Her shades may have hidden eyes of stone underneath but recgonisation began to hit Charlie like a wandering crushing thought. A vision flashed in his head and that framed photo came back to his mind. Russell Huston taking a photo with a woman during his campaign trail, their hands around each other as there were clearly a deep connection between them. "This woman....she's the real estates developer Russell Huston cheated on...he got him involved in this business!" Charlie declared, pointing an incrimating finger towards the woman as she stared at him with a blank expression. After a moment of silence, her face twisted into a impish grin like she found this assumpation to be a joke. Like Charlie was far from the truth.
"Oh you poor, sheltered boy...I only recruited him into the business. No passionate affairs came until after he made a working relationship in the club..." the women admitted as Charlie and Caitlan turned towards Caitlan, a shocking realisation hitting them. It wasn't the femme fatale Russell Huston cheated on his wife with. It was Tony and he was getting money out of it.
"You see, Mr. Huston and I formed a business transaction. He was looking for an escape from the heteronormative lifestyle...always trying to please the people with his white knight act...his marriage was going down the deep end...he gave so much of himself to this town that he was looking for something that felt real. Until he met me...he was betting on our prized fighters and he wanted something in return, so I gave him my passionate services..." Tony admitted, smiling fondly like a man sick with love. A passionate, consuming kind of love. Caitlan looked at the man in shock, refusing to believe her father would be involved with a scoundrel like Tony. The reason her parents' marriage fell apart was because her father was gay. Looking back, it made all the more sense to her because he was fighting to give his daughter her best chance at starting law school and now that dream will never happean. "Russell was struggling running for mayor as a closeted hom*osexual and living in a small town...they don't treat people like us too kindly...I'm the only one who saw him for who he truly was and this life....using all his money to bet on rugarus...it was his escape..." Tony remisced fondly on the secret relationship he and Russell once had, something he loved so dearly that he had no choice but to cut it out of his life. To destroy it like a tumour.
"If you loved him so much that why did you kill him?!" Charlie asked, staring at Tony with an aggravated stare, mad that Tony would betray someone he called his lover this way. A cruel and undeserving fate. This wasn't love, this was like throwing someone to the wolves.
"Me and Russell's relationship may have been complicated boy but I loved him dearly...but he hurt me in the worst way imaginable. I wanted him to join me in running the club...he would put in bets for his favourite rugaru and I would meet him with the money at my club where we would spend the night together...but he refused because he wouldn't want to leave his daughter behind....You!" Tony studies Caitlan with a sharp gaze like he blamed her for her father's death. Caitlan gasps in shock, realising her father cared about her most of all and he was doing this for her. "He only wanted that money to send you to a presitgious school away from a boring and mundane life...he didn't give a sh*t about me!!? So I let the Thirsty Daredevil free and he torn him apart."
"How could you....he was my father!!! My future...What I could of had...you took everything from me!! My father was going to give my best chance..and you didn't want him to leave your side! That's not love...that's destroying the only thing in your life that gives you meaning and casting it into the flames. The people who mean a lot to you...they defy you, they do one bad thing and you kill them for it!!! You are a monster and I hope you suffer for what you did!!!!!!" Caitlan screamed, tears falling from her eyes, burning her skin as she was devastated that a man who supposedly loved her father would kill him out of selfishness and cold blood. He robbed her of the life she could of had with her father, of the achievements and joy he could of brought into her life. Snuffed out like darkness consuming light until there is nothing left but a black hole of emptiness. All hope was gone. Charlie held onto her tightly, consoling her as her hysterical sobs echoed through the room.
"You made a mistake coming here boy...the whole of hell wants you to be their prince. It's about time you stop running from who you truly are and embrace it!!!" Tony yelled, antagonising Charlie as he felt his power flow through his veins like a speeding train, destroying everything it touched. "I know just what to do with you two....I'll use you as bait!!!" Before Charlie could make a move, two security guards began to grab him and Caitlan as they grabbed onto their arms with a tight grip, restricting any chance they had of fighting back. Tony got out of his chair, laughing at how helpless they were as he was going to throw them out to the wolves, just like he did with Caitlan's father. A cruel punishment for standing up against the unthinkable.
"Stop!!! I won't let you do this!!!" Charlie yelled, trying to use his powers but his arms were wrought in too much pain that he was left vulnerable to be taken hostage. Tony laughed at his weak state.
"You never should have came here in the first place...kids like you, you burn everything you touch....you're the next candidate to become the next prince of hell so you and the girl will be served as the rugarus' dinner for tonight...cause' believe me boy, I know your parents are gonna come and save the day and when they do...I'm gonna trap them in a cage and you will watch as a rugaru tears Sam and Ruby Winchester apart!!! You will be helpless rotting away in those cages and they will be forced to watch as they gorge on your human flesh...so there is no escape for you boy....you try to fix things but you just leave yourself and everyone else around you more broken!!" Tony yelled as he found joy in seeing the suffering of others, of the inveitable horror he is about to cause. He was going to drag his parents into that ring like caged animals and pit them against rugarus with a thirst for blood all while using Charlie as a ransom note and threatening his life. He never should have left on this case and dragged Caitlan into this. He should have listened to his father and none of this would have happened.
"Don't do this Tony....you're messing with the wrong kind of people!!! My parents will find out about this...and they will not show you mercy!!!" Charlie threatened, trying to pull away but the guards dragged him away like he was a criminal being dragged into a dirty prison cell. Tony just stood there, looking down on Charlie and Caitlan like they were inferior to him.
"Put them in the highest cages you can find...the two looking down the ring. I want the bait to be cooked ready for the feast!" Tony ordered as the guards dragged Charlie and Caitlan out of the office, taking them away to be imprisoned as there was nothing they could do now. Tony's face contorted into a sad*stic smile, his plan set in motion...
---
The impala pulled up across the street from Bites For Life as Dean and Sam observed the murky outskirts of town, trying to figure out why Charlie would be so drawn to this place and why it had anything to do with rugarus in the first place. Ruby sat in the backseat, worry plaguing her mind. Her son could of gotten into all kinds of messes and they were the only ones that could stop him from going too far. The impala thrums quietly at the edge of the seat as Dean drums his knuckles on the steering wheel, his nerves playing with him.
"I don't know man...this whole situation seems fishy. Why would you kid drag a girl to a nightclub to investigate a rugaru case. None of this adds up to me..." Dean admitted as he, Sam and Ruby hastily got out of the car. "And seriously, who names a club Bites for Life. They looking for stripper action or somethin'?" Dean waved his hands into the air, trying to make sense of this complicated situation. Sam sighs, keeping his expression focused.
"I don't know but Charlie's putting himself in danger and he can't do this alone....I left when he needed me the most and now...the thing he needs the most is for his father to fight by his side..." Sam admitted, bowing his head down in shame like regret was eating him up inside. Sam was striving to do better for his son, to ensure Charlie didn't have to take part in this fight alone.
"This is about what Crowley said isn't it? He tried to make you a deal to spare Charlie and you didn't take it...cause' you don't want him to be hunted for the rest of his life. I just want you to know that you're the best your kid's got...in this world, he's gonna need a guy like you to protect him..." Dean admitted, assuring his brother that he is doing everything right even though he messes up because that's what makes him human deep within. Dean's been on this merry go-round with his own father and the Sammy of this universe as they may of made mistakes their whole lives but that hasn't stopped him from doing the best for his family. His father tried his best with them even though he treated them like soldiers. Dean has broken through heaven and hell to get Sam back and Sam has did the very same thing. He even tried to be a good dad to Jack and he passed down many lessons to the godly kid. Dean sacrifised his life to ensure his brother got the life he wanted and he was going to make sure this Sam got to have his happy ending too. He would do anything to keep the family he had safe and Dean would be by his side helping him fix it even if it's a Sam from another universe. He didn't matter, he would always put everything on hold to keep his brother safe and even help him find healing and solitude in a world that is filled with darkness.
"I know...He needs me and I guess facing my father has taught me that I've got to hold onto everything good left in my life...I want to be the father that stands by my son's side no matter what...not one that controls him because I've lived with that my entire life and I didn't want to pass on that curse to him. If it's us against the world, then I will always fight beside my son cause' I won't me going down when the world's ending alone..." Sam admitted as the two walked side by side, sharing their feelings kept inside despite the uncertainty of the situation. Ruby walked up in front of them, shocked at the words she had heard.
"Hold on...you met with Crowley?!!" Ruby asked, her tone indecisive and argumentative.
Sam sighed. "It's complicated...I'll tell you once all of this is done...but right now, we need to be there for Charlie and save him before he goes down the wrong path..." Sam admits as he squeezed tightly on Ruby's hand, calming the storm of nerves currently plaguing her mind. They were about to enter a nightclub festering of corrupt and addiction, where dark secrets about monsters could lie and here they are together in this moment like the rest of this burning world doesn't matter.
"You sure we'll get him back?" Ruby asked, her voice soft despite how determined and whipsmart she tended to be. Sam nodded shakily, looking at his wife like she was the most precious thing in the world. He could ignore the demon within her and just see the glowing angel that resided in her soul.
"We will...No matter what it takes." Sam mutters, assuring Ruby in their darkest hour as their son's life was on the line. Dean watches on, seeing the pure love and care Sam has for his wife as this is the one thing he holds onto. The one thing that keeps him steady in this dark and cruel world. The only thing they had was each other and their son to truly give them a reason for fighting. Sam kisses Ruby on the forehead as Sam walks on, Ruby lingers on for a moment, letting her husband's words sink in as if the world was ending, he would be the one she was most willing to have by her side but they still had a lot of walls to break through before they could be the parents Charlie truly needed.
Without a moment's hesitation, the three of them begin to walk towards the nightclub, secret weapons stashed in their pocket in case any danger comes their way. They crossed the street into the sidewalk where the door to Bites for Life resided, illuminated in blue neon and loud music echoing through the stale walls. Sam took a heavy gulp of air, giving himself all the determination he needs to win this fight. To find this son and to make things right.
But what he finds the moment they walk is nothing short of troublesome. Guards working at the club begin to surround them, looks of vicious recognition painted on their faces, like a wild animal desperate for a snack. The trio took out their weapons as Sam pointed his machete towards the guard, consumed by anger.
"Tell me where my son is?!" Sam asks, not hesitating to grab the guard by the throat and peel the skin off his bones. The guard laughs, animalistic eyes going wide.
"Oh...you must be Sam Winchester! The boss is expecting you..." The guard hisses. Before Sam could make sense of what he is saying, more bouncers emerge from the shadows and begin to drag Sam and Ruby into the club, pulling and prodding at them like a pair of feral dogs on a lead.
"Prepare them for the cage fight!" the guard yelled as Sam and Ruby tried to fight back against the strength of these goons but it wasn't enough to break free. Dean ran after them, trying so desperately to get them out of this mess.
"Sam!!!" Dean yelled, trying to push past the crowd of ruffians dragging his brother and sister in law away.
"Dean!!!" Sam cries. He tries to scream for Dean but his words get muffled amid the booming thunder of the nightclub. Dean charges at the guards, trying to get past their stronghold but their eyes go pale and their fangs jut out of their mouths. The security detail are all rugarus. Hungry for blood, for the suffering of others. Charlie's vision was true. Rugarus were really up to risky business here in Ohio.
One of them grabs onto Dean with its sharp claws and throws him against the wall as Dean's body goes unconscious and limp by the graffiti stained trash can. The rugaru guards laugh at Dean, flipping him off and snarling mocking insults at him as they keep the doors of the club highly locked.
Sam and Ruby were being dragged inside to their certain doom and there was nothing Dean could do about it. They were being taken away into the ring where they were going to be treated like sport in front of a crowd of bloodthirsty patrons, all betting on a underdog rugaru to tear them apart...
---
Sam and Ruby were pulled into the dark fringes of the nightclub, the rugaru guards sparing them no mercy as they took them into the heart of the spiked cage. Sam struggled to get out, he tried to find any weapon stashed in his pocket he had left but they were snatched off him before he could make a move as they had no chance of getting past this invested stronghold. Sam looked to Ruby, defenceless as she tried to break free from the monsters' jaws. The guards opened a jail cell and threw them inside as they slammed it shut and locked it open without any hesistation. "See ya in 25 minutes for the cage fight...hope you demon scum die!!!" One of the rugaru guards teased as they walked along, laughing at their suffering as the darkness was almost hollow and suffocating.
Sam tried to barge down the door but no avail as the iron caused his bones to nearly shatter. Ruby picked herself up, her arms killing her as she tried to regain her strength back. Sam stood at the door, looking out the cell window in search of salvation, for anyone to free them but they were stuck here, rotting away in this cage until their time of freedom would really come - where they would be thrown into the ring and pitted against rugarus like a feral pack of caged animals. Sam pounded his fists against the metal but no escape would come from the pits of his anger. He rested his head against the iron, conflict spurring in his mind. Regret in his chest like an inflamed sickness. He failed Charlie. His son was in danger because of how much he hated himself. He left his family because he cast shame onto their name and it got him burned and sizzled out. Charlie wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't stepped up and been the father he truly wanted him to be.
"This is all my fault..." Sam hissed under his cold breath, taking out his anger and bitterness on himself.
"Don't talk about yourself like that...we never saw this coming!" Ruby admitted, her arms folded to her chest, hurt to see Sam blame himself for this horrible turn out of events. "If I hadn't listened...if Charlie ain't told me to leave and I had just stayed...then none of this would have happeaned. He wouldn't be in this fight alone. What kind of parents are we not allowing our kids to hunt?!" Sam buries his head into his hands, worry and panic entering his lungs.
"Sam...you did everything you could to protect him from what's out there. You and I both know how dark and heinous this world is...but the best way we can give our kid a chance is if he has the necessary tools to protect himself. We made his powers seem like something that could be feared...we should have told him to embrace his demon side as a gift. He wants to be a hunter just like you...you were never going to end up like your father...you are you Sam and that's the best thing Charlie could want..." Ruby admitted, trying to cheer her husband's spirits up. To remind him of the good and true fighter within but he scoffed, pacing through the cell like it was the dark corners of his mind, threatening to bury him alive in his own fear and guilt. She hated when Sam didn't see the worth in himself, because she saw just how beautiful his soul truly was. From the moment their knives clashed, Ruby knew there was a spark inside Sam that not even Crowley or his battalion of demons could tamper. He was Sam Winchester, a noble and courageous hero and she was the best father of her child she could ask for. Sam may have made mistakes with Charlie over the years but it was all in the valour of protecting him. He waved the flag of surrender towards his enemies as he was a symbol of hope to those that felt trapped in an oppressive and dictacted world. He may been raised to rule the fires of hell, but his soul was the purest one she had ever seen. She gave up everything she stood for just to be with the man she loved. No demon was capable of that but she learned she had true emotions when she met him. Having a family with him and fostering this hunter community has been the best part of his million years of existance.
Sam had his back facing Ruby as he drifted further into the darkness, doubt plaguing him like a horrible disease, festering and engulfing everything he was and reducing it to a burning pile on the floor. Ruby couldn't watch Sam lose himself like this. It was worse than torture. "I got the courage I needed to call Crowley the sh*ttest father of the year to his face...I am trying to do better...for you and for Charlie...but if I wasn't rotting in this cell....we would be a family again..." Sam's knuckles are barred, heavy emotion burning inside of him like a furnace.
"Come on Sam, look at me...help me understand and we can fix this together?" Ruby asked, almost pleading. Sam's back was turned, his shoulders tense in a rigid line like a sad puppy abandoned on the street. Sam did his best to stay strong but he wasn't doing it well at keeping it together. Especially when he allowed himself to get caught off guard and be dragged into this rotten prison cell by a gang of rugarus all while Dean lays in a crumbled heap outside, with no way of getting inside to save his brother.
Ruby walks around and caresses Sam's check softly like he is the most gentle and beautiful creature in the world. Sam stands still, the emotions that once built themselves like a fortress around him breaking down as he quietly sobbed in his wife's arms, clinging onto her with his hands like she weighed of nothing. She soothed his cry, his worries, the monsters keeping him up at night. Sam could stay in this touch forever, warm and soft to the touch but he pushes away. He is scared deep down that he is going to get hurt and he needs to be ready for the one chance they step out of this door. He wipes the tears from his eyes.
"We need to get out of here!" Sam muttered, under a breath, a quiet resilience building underneath the pain and regret. He looks up at the dark ceiling, trying to find a way out as Ruby helps him, ensuring her husband wasn't alone in their desperate measures to escape. They were going to get Charlie back and they were going to burn this nightclub to the ground to do it...
---
Dean's eyes flashed open, his head ringing in blistering pain like he had almost drank himself to death. His skull pounded in by the sharp edges of a bottle. The garbage can keeps his aching body steady as he picks himself up, dusting litter and dirt off his jeans as the rugarus had cast him aside like waste. The rotten smell of the city's pollution fill his nostrils, making him feel like he was already dead. A decaying carcass of meat the vermin of this town have invested upon and eaten. Sam and Ruby had been taken hostage by the bouncers of the club and locked inside tight for their own neferious purposes. All of this felt like a trap and Dean had just walked on the detonator to blow everything up.
With the breath rasping in his chest, Dean ran towards the tightly bound door, using all the strength he's got to kick it down but it is sealed shut. Loud music booms from the inside. A hive of activity lurking within its corrupt walls. Dean slams his fist against the steel door in a fiery rage. "Dammit!" Dean hisses as he tries to think of another opinion, to sneak in there and save his brother and his family from a gruesome fate.
He ponders and paces, trying to figure out his next move until his eyes reach the top of the building. The roof isn't that high to climb on top of but he can see a large vent protruding from the building. Bingo Dean thought. There's his one way ticket into the rugaru zone. So he follows his instinct and begins to climb the roof, his bow legs dangling off the edge like a rabbit stuck in a hedge as he slips down onto the steel roof, his entire body shaky with the vibrations of his movements as he had to keep going. Like a secret agent undercover about to revert a drug bust. Expect he was walking into a nightclub crawling of rugarus with some that might want to even fight each other. He was walking into a life or death situation here.
He cautiously approaches the giant vent in front of him, leading into the nightclub. Metal steelwork covering it like handle bars of a jail cell. It was too probably smoothed and sealed shut for Dean to kick it down or remove it. But before all hope is lost, a bright idea comes into his head. He remembers when he was first getting a hang of travelling through the multiverse. Searching aimlessly despite Jack's number uno rule of no interferance for a universe where his family had a shot at a happy ending. He came and went between universes, making small changes here and there to ensure his parents could live a happy and normal one. A tale where it didn't have to end in death. Where Chuck had no play in the direction of where their love story went. He just showed them what it means to create a fate of their own choosing, to find something that felt real. He was a spirit now so vanishing from time to time and maintaining a physical body in universes could be a challenge. He can walk through objects and transverse through plains of existance where no one alive could go so this had to work. He could turn himself into a spirit and just pass through the vent like it weighed nothing.
Dean focused, his hands locked into fists as he closed his eyes, trying to focus on the place he really wanted to go to, the moment he most desired to be. Crawling through vents wasn't extacly perfect for Dean's taste but it was a means to an end. The only way he could get inside and get Sam and his family out of that hellhole. The world became quiet around him, honing on his senses like a celestial being trying to tap into angel radio. His body went quiet and then like magic, his spirit became a projection and he passed through the vent without difficulty. This technique had took a while for Dean to master and he realised that it was the perks of being dead. Your spirit can live on beyond heaven's shining gates and truly make an impact on the living now that he is gone.
Dean found himself trapped inside the vent, the small space condensing his body as he had to crawl his way through its tight space in order to reach his destination. The sound of loud rock music and boisterous crowds blare through the metal as it feels like Dean's ears are ringing with their fericoity. But he kept a clear head, making his way through the vents like it was a military operation.
"Here goes nothing..." Dean groaned to himself as he began to make baby steps through the vent, using his arms to support his slow movements. His rescue mission to save his brother was the only pressing matter wide awake in his mind right now and he had to really commit to it. Whatever it takes...
---
Sam and Ruby sat in silent defeat in their jail cell as their methods of escape had been nothing but futile. They hold onto each other's hands like hope is the only thing worth meaning they can cling to in this dreaded hour. Charlie was in danger because of them and Sam was going to do whatever it takes to save his son from this grisly fate. Images of the rugarus dragging them inside stain his mind, the horrible thought of losing his son forever haunting him. He had to do everything in his power to protect Charlie from the demonic forces of hell and Crowley from making him their prince but maybe it was time Charlie could protect himself. Sam had denied his own son from the life of hunting because he was scared he was lose him forever. Sam's fear was keeping him away from the one thing he was most passionate about about doing and that was carrying on the family business and using it as a tool to hunt monsters and save lives. Charlie had the heart of a courageous hero and he just refused to see it.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when the jail cell door swung open. One of the rugaru guards walked in, its teeth barred into a sad*stic grin as it took everything for Sam not to tear him apart but he restrained himself. Ruby stood up to the guard, a determined flame in her eyes.
"What do you want from us?! Where's my son!!?" Ruby ordered, anger and desperation in her tone. Before Ruby could get the answer she wanted, the rugaru guard slapped her viciously, taking all the words out of her mouth as Sam caught her before her exhausted descent. The rugaru guard laughed aggressively at the woman's pain. "Foolish girl..." he spat as Ruby wiped blood from the corner of her mouth, staring the enemy down with a wild gaze. Sam was on edge and if he could, he would tear this guy apart limb from limb but he had no weapon in his wary hands to defend her.
"You're gonna pay for that!" Sam yelled, rage flaring out of his eyes. The rugaru continued to sneer at him as two others came in, dragging the two helpless souls to their feet. "Oh...you'll pay for it first Sam and Ruby Winchester. The boss needs you at the ring...you better choose wisely on what weapon you wanna cut it with..." the rugaru muttered, hissing like a venomous snake. Without another word, the guards pulled them out of the darkness of their shared jail cell as they were being prepared to be thrown headfirst into a caged battle.
Above the spiked cage, looking onto the horizon of the busy nightclub was two large birdcages as Charlie and Caitlan were confined inside of them, kept separate from each other as the bound chain was the only thing keeping them raised in the skies. Charlie sat there in fear, legs buried into his chests as he felt like a failure for letting his parents down because they warned him to stay out of this life, to not become a hunter but Charlie still did because he wanted to step out of his father's shadow and help people but now it was the Achilles' heel that was going to get his parents killed. He wanted to use his powers for good, to help Caitlan get revenge for her father's brutal demise but now it was one thing that got them trapped like caged animals. Caitlan looked down at the cage below her feet, terrified of heights.
"Oh my god...oh my god...This didn't turn out the way I hoped it would..." Caitlan admitted, her tone shaky with fear as her life was in danger now just how Charlie feared. The spirit of Russell Huston would be kicking him from his grave if he knew of the darkness he pulled her into. He wanted to get out of this corrupt life so he could give his daughter her best chance and now all those dreams had been crushed because a monster had to ruin their lives. Tony couldn't respect his dear lover's wishes, too eviocopally attached to let him go. If they could stop this before anyone else gets hurt, then Charlie will do whatever it takes.
"This is all my fault Caitlan...I never should have dragged you into this. My parents told me not to get involved with hunting because it was too dangerous and I would get myself killed...but it turns out this tainted thing inside me....it keeps dragging the people I care about into danger and there's nothing I can do about it....from the moment I was born, I have let everyone down. My father was right....I really don't have any worth being his son..." Charlie admitted, hating himself at this very moment as he could feel hot tears burn his eyes. He was going to watch a rugaru tear his parents apart because he couldn't leave things damn well alone.
"That's not true. You saved my life back there Charlie...you're more powerful than you ever know. You are a superhero! You saved me and you helped me when I needed someone the most...so thank you for that. You may not want to be what your parents have in mind...but they all want is the best for you and they will fight until the very end to make that dream come true!" Caitlan declared, trying to give Charlie hope even when times are bleak as he was moved to know that he had changed Caitlan's life for the better. That he helped her find justice and truth about her father's death.
"Thank you Caitlan...I-I-I needed to hear that..." Charlie's voice comes out raw with emotion, happy to have one at his side in this fight even if it was an ordinary girl because Charlie got a friend when he needed her the most.
"So what do your parents do for a living? Are you like Eleven?" Caitlan asked, curiosity taking root in her mind. Charlie laughed joyfully, his spirits raised.
"Well...my life is very complicated but my parents hunt monsters and they are the coolest parents in the world. I am what they call a cambion. The union between a human and a demon...that's why I possess this abilities." Charlie explained, laughing at how his life has wildly transpired through the years. Charlie may have felt like an outcast to this world because of his powers but he had parents here who would fight for him and care about him like he was the only brightest soul in the world. The perlious odds of the world may be stacked on their shoulders, but Charlie knew his parents could kill and destroy anything that was in their way. Especially when it comes to family as that is the only thing worth fighting for.
Caitlan listened on in intrigue, smiling proudly. "Assholes like these, they should be afraid of you and your parents but not me...you could never scare me Charlie Winchester..." Charlie smiled at Caitlan, over the moon that he could have someone like her at his side, someone who understood him and his life and who counted on him to protect her and get justice for her father. He could never ask for such a warm and bright companion by his side. The two share fond looks at each, grateful for each other's company as their connection is the only hopeful thing in this place of death and corruption.
Their moment was interrupted by the loud cheers of a rowdy crowd as the cage match was about to start. Charlie and Caitlan desperately clung to the bars of their cages, watching down below as Sam and Ruby were about to be thrown into the ring. Charlie's heart was in his throat. He prayed that his parents would come out of this in one piece. The woman commerator from before was up at the booth, holding the mic as she was about to address the exicted mass. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight is -..." Before she could form words, Tony came out of nowhere and aggressively snatched the mike out of her hand. "What? hey!" She tried to take it back but Tony pushed her away, addressing the patrons of his bar with thearticilty and cadeance. "Don't go just yet cherry and sugar pies...cause' tonight we've got a big fight coming up right now! It seems The Thirsty Daredevil will find his most worthy opponents!!" Tony screamed as the crowd hollered at his words, throwing stashes of cash and empty bottles into the ring.
Sam and Ruby were inside the ring, forced to decide which weapon they would carry as Sam picked up a makeshift mace and Ruby got her hands on a razor sharp machete. They listened to the boss's words, in a growing state of fear.
"You sure we'll get out of this?" Sam asked, trembling with worry. Ruby held onto his hand.
"We will..." Ruby vowed, holding onto her husband for dear life as they had no idea what they were up against. But if this was the only way they were going to get their son back, then they had to play along. "We've got a big one entering the ring tonight as I'm sure many of ya have heard of these cold blooded fugitivies...so let's give them a hell of a good time! So without further ado, please welcome - Sam and Ruby Winchester!!!" The crowd erupts into a rowdy applause as Sam and Ruby are forcibly dragged into the ring, walking side by side as they had nothing to lose. The couple looked around in fear as sad*stic souls cheered them on to their deaths, some yelling threats for their lives.
"Holy sh*t! It's the Winchester family!!" one of the patrons scream.
"I hope you die!!" Another chants as they throw a bottle of whiskey at them but it hits the spiked cage and shatters into glass pieces. The tension is palpable in the air, like everyone wants them dead. Sam and Ruby ignore the threats and stay close, hoping to stay alive throughout this death match long enough to see their son again. Charlie looks down at the display in horror, praying to god that they would get out of that wretched cage with their lives. "What a turn of events I'mma right!!? They are gonna suffer for everything they've done to this country...and I'm sure hell will welcome you in its warm open arms! This is the fight of the century...hell wants this to happean to souls that disregard faith and I'm just gonna drag you down right to it...it's what the devil would want cause' we're about to get a Winchester suprise!!!!" Tony pointed to the other side of the ring where a bloodthirsty rugaru lurked in the darkness.
"On this mouth, coming to claw and tear to shreds anyone that stands in the way of its competition...he's out for blood...it's The Thirsty Daredevil!!!" The rugaru emerged into the ring, sharp fangs exposed under its snarling mouth as its pale skin was covered in blood and air, black veins flowing through its head. It approached them like a predator on a hunt for its prey, using its clawed hands to move slowly as it acted more like an animal than a person. Their humanity lost to the consuming thirst for blood. Sam looked around the ring, stained by the blood of its slain opponents as a torn matador mask laid ripped apart on the floor. This was the arena where rugarus were forced to duke it out with humans and tear them apart like raw meat. Sam and Ruby knew they were the most requested fighters to join this cage fighting sport and they didn't know if they had a chance to escape. But the best they could do was fight until their lungs gave out and until their strength began to wane.
The rugaru locked in Sam and Ruby with an iron gaze, preparing to lunge at any moment as they both stood there getting ready for battle. "Before this battle goes ahead, there are...let's say a few conditions...I know Sam..there are powerful people after you and if you lose...you and your wifey will have to watch as the rugarus tear your kid apart!" Tony exclaims as he presses his finger onto a remote. The small cages Charlie and Caitlan begin to lower down to just above the ring as the sound of chains rattling echoes through the loud nightclub. Sam and Ruby gasp in shock at seeing their son being held hostage like this, especially when the bad guys were using him as a bait to draw out a ferrious beast.
"Dad!!! Mom!!!" Charlie screams as he holds tightly onto the handle bars, heart screaming in his chest as he tried to break free. Sam looked up at his caged son in horror. "Charlie!!!!" Sam yelled as he turned his head swiftly towards Tony, a fuming look in his eyes. "You let him go?!!" Sam threatened, his voice consumed in blind rage. The club owner only laughed at Sam's desperate resolve. "I'll only let your son and his girl go if you slay this beast...if you die, they both die with you!!!" Tony exclaimed. "So...let the battle begin!!!!" The crowd went wild a sthe rugaru set its sights on Sam and Ruby, lunging and clawing its way at them as they defended each other from every attack. Ruby stayed close by her husband's side, trying to come up with a stratedy to quell the savage beast's rage. The only thing Sam cared about was saving his son from a gruesome fate as he would rather die than watch Charlie get thrust into danger again and again. Demons would do this endlessly with his family and he couldn't let more outsiders do them harm, especially a guy who thinks he's a knock off Oswald Cobblepot.
Sam swings his mace and hits the creature in the shoulder, making it experience blistering pain as it screamed like a wounded animal. Consumed in its own agony. Sam looked to Ruby, trying to find hope in the drowning hazel of her eyes. "What do we do?!" Sam asked, panicked breathes rasping from his throat. Ruby held onto his shoulder, supporting her battle weary husband.
"We keep fighting...and if we go down swinging, we'll remind Charlie of who his parents truly are! We remind him that he is loved...." Ruby declared, emotion like a heavy current in her eyes. Sam nodded as the rugaru pounched on them. Sam and Ruby managed to avoid the grisly attack as the crowd yelled at them, pestering them to stop moving so either of them can get hurt. They ignored the anger of the crowd, fighting tirelessly, waiting on the right time to strike the reigning champ where it stood.
Ruby looked to the determined Sam, desperation in her eyes. "What did Crowley want with you?" Ruby asked as Sam was caught off guard by this question. Why would she ask such a thing?
"Why do you want to know this now?" Sam asked, concern in his eyes as he fought with the rugaru, doing everything in his power to hold it back.
"Because Sam...if this is our last moment on earth...we gotta make things right. Charlie needs to know that it's okay he can come home...that he isn't alone in this fight..." Ruby confessed, tears in her eyes as she sliced at the rugaru with her machete, keeping it away from her husband like it was a relentless parasite.
Sam nodded, realising that this was what Ruby needs to hear. So they don't have to let Charlie down thinking they weren't giving him his best chance. "He proposed we work together..." Sam admitted, teeth gritted as they took turns taking hits at the vicious rugaru in its thirsty pursuit of violence.
"Why?!" Ruby yelled, a fierce battle cry to her irritated plea. Sam looked to her, swinging his mace fiercely in his hands.
"He wanted me to help him find Azazel cause' he went missing just after the war finished...and after he killed my family...I refused because I would leave Charlie to fend on his own without me...they would hurt him, hurt you, if I didn't agree...I want to protect him in ways I never could...I want to give him his best chance because I...I took them away from him...I thought I was becoming my father but actually I'm much better than he ever was..." Sam confessed, saying as loud as he can despite the intense battle going on around him so Charlie could hear from his dangling cage, so he knew that he was loved.
Charlie looked down at his father from the cage, his heart slowly repairing itself inside the sea of regret in his chest. He was doing everything he could to protect him. He refused Crowley's offers of world conquest because keeping him safe and giving him the freedom he needs was the only thing that mattered to his father despite the odds cast his way. In the heat of battle, he realised that he wasn't just a burden to his father - he was loved. He gave Sam a reason to fight in this sh*tty burning world because he was his son and family was the greatest company a hunter could have. Remorse for the anger that pulled them apart and that now put them back together.
Consumed by a flurry of emotions, Sam and Ruby stood their ground as they prepared to get an upper hand on the rugaru as it got more distracted. The rugaru turned their way and lunged at them with its jaws gaped wide, hunger taking over its senses with a contagious disease. Sam and Ruby got their backs off the wall and ran towards the creature, weapons in hand as their very lives depended on this moment. They fought back and this time they didn't run...
---
Lost in the shadowy abyss, Ada's days were numbered as The Empty had its tentacles around her neck, relishing in her pain as she screamed for anyone to come and save her. For Castiel to break through into the multiverse and rescue her. Her soul was screaming with agony every moment The Empty's gaze was burning her. Haunting her mind. Projecting its anger onto her. It felt like the realm was burying her alive, her body sinking into the decaying chasm, forever etched in black goo. Her lungs were becoming full and the beating of her heart was becoming still. She was drowning and The Empty will do everything in its power to watch her die.
"There is no escape for you Ada...I've warned you countless times not to use your witchy powers to spy on me and yet you still keeping going at it..." The Empty's voice sounded like metal scraping through skin, painful and loud as Ada couldn't get his taunting words out of her mind. They left a mark with very sllayble, threatening to consume her with every scar. It comes close to her ear whispering. "You will rot in here Ada and your little Scooby Gang back there....they'll be trapped in that universe forever just like I've always envisioned it. They are trapped in the emptiness because of you...you will be their undoing and there is nothing that can save you now..." Ada shivered at those words, every sense in her wailing inside of her to be set free. Her soul shone its brightest light but it didn't have enough magic to keep The Empty at bay. But she knew things the entity couldn't even fathom. She knew what it was planning to do next and she will do everything in her power to prevent it from happeaning.
"You know the half of what there is about me.." Ada admitted, her voice cracking despite the intense pain as she smiled, an action The Empty would see as weakness but she didn't care. "I can see everything...I know what you're cooking up there in that twisted mind of yours, you slimy son of a bitch...and my friends will stop you..." Ada laughed despite the horror and darkness around her, spurting and coughing on black goo. The Empty rolled its head back in laughter, its shadowy face hiding the expression of its vessel underneath like wet paint. Witches he thought. They have their ways of seeing into his mind.
"Oh sweetie...is that so?" The Empty hissed as its left hand began to form into a spiked ball, ready to tear Ada apart mercilessly. This time the witch wasn't afraid. Her soul may have been fighting against this but if she was going to die with a smile on her face, this was the right time to do it. To spare her of this torture. But before the entity could carry out its ruthless execution, a hand grabbed it out of nowhere.
Castiel stood there beside The Empty, his eyes glowing a celestial blue, the reflection of his incandescent wings casting light into the dark void as the angel was fuelled by rage. He faced The Empty like the undead years he slept here didn't mean a damn thing. He could tear the entity apart right here and then if he could but he was here to Ada back.
"Don't touch her!!!" Castiel yelled, his voice rumbling like an earthquake through the emptiness. Ada looked on in relief to see that the angel of the lord was her saviour as The Empty's face formed into a beaming smile. "Castiel..." The Empty thundered, his expression contorted into a twisted smile, a flare of recognisation at seeing his favourite prisoner return to the hollow grounds of his death. Castiel may deny it all he wants but The Empty is the only entity that can see right through the fallen angel. He knows what he wants the most and the horrors that lurk within his angelic godly power.
Castiel emits light from his hands as he uses it to hold The Empty back as it is thrown across the abyss. As the cosmic entity recuperates, Castiel picks up the enervated and holds her in his army as he channels all of the grace festering inside of him to escape. The Empty is on its knees, laughing at Castiel as he makes his noble escape. "There is no escape from this world Castiel. I created it from my very own emptiness...I imagined a world where Sam didn't have Dean. A world where he was raised into the demon world. A world where all angels have perished at the hands of hell. I formed from the cracks of Chuck's decaying dark power. I put Dean here just to see him fall apart...this is the only way I can destroy his soul and what remains of his spirit will become my vessel..." The Empty taunted, his words bleeding of warning. Castiel couldn't believe this but it explained why this universe felt so empty. Why it felt so separated and dark from the other universes Jack had fostered back to life.
"You will not lay a single hand on Dean's head! I will destroy you before you get anywhere near him!!!" Castiel yelled, the light consuming him as he kept Ada's wounded conciousness close. The Empty twisted his head towards Castiel, a wicked smirk forming at the lines of his face.
"You do it...but you'll be making a fatal mistake Castiel. If you ever take a shot at killing me, you will destroy this universe and everyone in it....I die. This universe will die. The Sam I created without Dean...he will die alone!!!" The Empty admitted, hitting Castiel with the dark truths. Dean will have to watch as a Sam that doesn't know his name and the family he has built perish with this universe once The Empty grows to die. Everything it created would come to die. Everything it destroyed would be made right again. Dean's soul for a way back home and now this universe's life for The Empty's undoing. The tolling sacrifises were only becoming bigger and Castiel didn't know what to do. He could not do that Dean or to the universe they are trapped in. He was doing everything he can to help his friends escape this universe but they were playing with fate here.
It was just like what Duma said.
One life is insignificant when the whole universe and trillions of people are at stake of collapse. You cannot let The Empty win.
Castiel could feel nausea rise in his throat at the thought of letting this whole world burn once he lets The Empty suffer. Castiel should have known this all this time. He knew what The Empty was capable of. It destroys and breaks everything it touches and it snuffs out all of the happiness out of a fallen soldier until their souls were ruptured apart. He couldn't let this happean to Dean. He couldn't let this world fall with the enemy. Castiel hoped that there was another way but hope was a fragile, paralysing thought in the angel's mind. If there was no other way, what would he become if it let this universe they're trapped in go to ruin.
Castiel fades into the light, cradling Ada's consciousness in his arms as The Empty watches him leave, consumed with an unholy amount of rage. "Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!" The Empty screamed, The sound causing the nothingness to almost shatter. He let Castiel get away as he was left to make the hard choices.
Ada's eyes open as her levitating body fell to the ground, the monster club catching her in time before she made her descent. Latika hugged Ada tightly, sucking the air out of her lungs as John, Mary and Carlos held her close, making sure nothing else was going to hurt her. "You're okay Ada...you're safe...The Empty hasn't got you anymore..." Latika whispered into her ear as she shared a look with Mary, one of terror and relief. Ada looked up at her fellow young hunters, happy to see that they were okay despite the lengths she pushed herself to take to find her soul, smiling uncontrollably. "I have a soul now...I know what he's planning and we can stop him..." Ada admitted, her voice shaky with shock and pain. Mary and John smiled at each other, hope consuming in their hearts as there was a chance that they could go home and defeat The Empty.
As intense relief of the Monster Club filled the room like a storm cloud, Castiel had his back turned from the monster club, resting his hand on the wooden post of the tent as he was once again left with nothing. Dean and this entire universe will die and it is all his fault. Castiel does something he never does. He cries. He cries at what he is about to do. What he has to give up to ensure the multiverse is at peace. He was right that night when he told Dean that the one thing he truly wants he can't have because he destroys everything he touches.
Castiel sobs in silence, horrified at the sacrifices he would be forced to make. No matter what he did, there was no hope...
---
Sam and Ruby take turns at outrunning and swinging hits at the rugaru as the audience of patrons watched in anticipation. Others screaming for them to die already and let the daredevil take his trophey again. Sam's emotions were all over the place as he and Ruby were confessing their darkest sins for everyone to hear like it is an intense episode of Dr. Phil. It is a win or lose situation and Sam didn't know if his family was going to make it out of this so for Charlie to hear what he really needs to hear was a catharsis Sam never knew he could find. He was letting his emotions out while battling a bloodthirsty rugaru. Not the kind of therapy session you'd hear of today.
"Why did you walk out the door...you could of said no!!!" Ruby yelled as she charged at the rugaru, slamming the beast coldly against the ring.
"I blamed myself for everything going on in Charlie's life...I felt like I had failed you as a husband...I felt like I failed my son...I felt like I failed this entire family because I still had darkness inside of me!! I wasn't fit to lead our hunters faction...I felt like I wasn't enough for anything! And then my brother Dean came back and I thought...maybe I'd have a shot at discovering who I really was above the past dragging me down...." Sam sliced his mace into the rugaru's arms as it severed clean off. The creature wretched back in pain as he slammed Sam and Ruby across the cage. The crowd gasping in response. The blood from the rugaru's disembodied arm leaked onto the steel surfaces as it approached Sam and Ruby, snarling aggressively under its breath.
"You left me to be with the brother you'd never known because why....you needed to find yourself!!? This isn't a buddy road trip movie Sam...your family needs you the most!!!" Ruby exclaimed, gritting her teeth as she tried to get back up.
"When I was on the road with Dean...I had a chance to be good. To right the wrongs I'd made when I lived as Crowley's orphan boy...I can't have Charlie living in a world like this...not when there is demons lurking or rugarus wanting to tear him apart...I want him to have the strength to protect himself. To set him on the right path just like you when you found me!!! I never got to know my brother cause' he died when I was just an infant...this is my chance to feel something again!!!" Sam yelled, praying to god that Dean was making his way here to rescue them as they speak.
"Well this is your chance....we can save our son together!!!! We can be a family again!!" Ruby hissed under her breath as they both got up, chasing the rugaru like it was a game of musical chairs. Tony sat up in his commorator platform, eating popcorn. "Well this is getting interesting..." Tony mused to a rugaru guard as he plucked a bit of salted popcorn into his mouth, watching the trouble in paradise that was unfolding during this fight like it was reality television for him.
With the ruckus outside, Dean was making his way through the vent, pulling and climbing his way through my metal tunnel with all the strength he had. He felt like it could barely breath in this small space and then he realised - he was a spirit! Can this day not get any weirder. "Son of a bitch!!!" Dean moaned as he kept moving, his back killing him like he was carrying the entire world on his shoulders.
The rugaru ran towards Sam, charging with all its speed. He searched through his pockets, trying to find any additional weapon he could use that wasn't a f*cking mace. Ruby kept fighting, trying to outsmart the creature before it could get too close. "It's crazy because when Charlie told you to never come back...I actually believed it. I thought you had abandoned us...but truth is, I never gave you the chance to explain your problems to me...because you kept them sealed away in that bottle cap of yours! I should of been there for you..." Ruby confessed as she swung her machete at the rugaru like a pirate at sea. Sam ran to Ruby's side, desperately trying to help her contain this caged animal.
"I'm sorry for letting you down Ruby...I want to redeem myself for you...I was scared of answering your calls just because I had no words to say...but truth is..." The rugaru was about to lunge at Ruby when Sam interrupted his own sentence to shoot two bullets in its brain. The creature fell limp to the ground as the crowd gasped in shock. "I love you!!!" Sam declared, like a heavy weight being lifted off his chest, soft and light. Exhaustion visible on his face, alert to the danger around him but he still looked at Ruby with eyes of puppy dog adoring love. Ruby looked at him back, a smile forming at the corners of her mouth.
Tony traded looks of suspicion with his rugaru guard. "Where did he get the gun?!" Tony stammered. He looked to the guard for answers but he just shrugged his shoulders in disbelief. His eyes not leaving the spectacle before him.
Dean still kept climbing through the vents, trying to find an opening so he could break through and spare himself from this torture. It was probably worth than anything he'd experianced in hell, albeit more mentally and cripplingly damaging. "Hey Dean how was heaven...Oh not too bad, I got stuck in a vent trying to save another version of you and your demon wife Ruby from a rugaru nightclub...Really Dean...yeah Sam I took loads of crack when I was driving in Baby...aha haha...I hate my life..." Dean murmurred to himself as he was acting how his reunion with the Sam he knew would go in heaven. He tried his best with his Sam impression but it was tacky at best. He was tried to keep himself occupied crawling through these vents as he hated every minute of this. He was questioning if he was really dead or not because he wished he was anywhere but here. The only thing that mattered to him right now was saving Sam and his family and by those means he had to find a way out of this hellhole.
The crowd sat in silence, pondering the outcome of the fight or whether the rugaru was really dead or not. Ruby runs to Sam, cradling him in her arms. "Sam...just so we're clear with this...I love you too and I'm sorry if I wasn't there for you when you needed..." Sam hushes Ruby as he strokes her face gently, assuring her tense nerves.
"No I should have been there...I loved you and I made you feel like you and Charlie were the problem. But it never was...none of it is because...what we have keeps me hanging on with a thread....I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Charlie even if we have to fight to the end to get there..." Sam clasps Ruby's hand into his own as they both look up at Charlie in the cages above them, smiling down at them, glad that they had made up and that they would always have each other. He was glad to have his family together again and it only reminded him of why their bond is so special - because his parents would fight for him no matter the obstacles that were thrown away. They were able to confess their deepest feelings to each while fighting a rugaru in 2 on 1 combat. Not many hunters could do that but their spirit and determination would always keep them alive, no matter the dangerous situation at hand.
As they were lost in the moment between each other, the rugaru began to get up to its feeth, unscathed from the bullet wound as it still had life to kill. Charlie noticed at the corner of his eye, tensing up in fear. "Look out!!!" Charlie yelled as the rugaru grabbed Ruby by the throat with its only remaining army.
"Ruby!" Sam yelled as he watched his wife get dragged away by the rugaru.
"Sam!!!..." Ruby choked for death, held up high as the sad*stic crowd began to holler and cheer again. Tony watched the display with a smile on his face.
"Awww...such melodrama. I think it's about time we kill the vibe..." Tony jokes as Sam charges at the rugaru, mace in hand.
He slashes mid air as the creature bolts away from the attack at swift speeds, Sam's face colliding with the frames of the cage. The crowd laughed at him as Sam spat blood out of his mouth, trying to free his wife like he was trying to prize a defenceless mouse out of a cat's jaws.
Sam looks into his wife's eyes, seeing the pleading and fearful gaze in her eyes as she tried to stab the rugaru with her machete. Before Sam could attack however, Charlie began to stand up in his cage as his powers began to activate once again. He caused the rugaru to let go of his mother like it was a baby dropping its favourite toy as it levivatated into the air, hissing and growling in pain, clawing at the air with its own hands. "Now mom, dad! Kill it while I've got it pinned down!!" Charlie ordered as Sam and Ruby took their maces and machetes and lodged them both into the rugaru's chest, stabbing the rugaru repeatedly in the chest as its body flayed and spat vats of blood from its chest. The life drained from the rugaru as it fell to a crumpled heap on the floor. The crowd gasped in shock, screaming and yelling at this turn of events as it wasn't the outcome they were expecting. The most fiercest rugaru in the monster cage fighting business was dead and it was thanks to Sam and Ruby Winchester.
Charlie used his powers to lower down the cages he and Caitlan were trapped in as the spiked ball ripped open at his own hand. The locks snapped open as Charlie ran to his parents, relief sinking in to his gut.
"Mom...Dad!" Charlie proclaimed as Sam held onto his son for dear life, happy that he was okay. "Charlie...I'm so glad you're okay..." Sam muttered, his hand gripping tight onto Dean's shoulder as he pulled him into a warm hug.
"I'm so sorry Charlie...I never should have left...I thought it was the best for you and I..." Sam admitted but Charlie refused to believe that.
"It's okay dad...it's my fault, I never should have asked you to leave...I wasn't listening to you." Charlie admitted, apologising to his father as well as Sam smiled at him. "I understand...you want to help people. If this is what you wanna do, then do what makes you happy Charlie...I'll be with you every step of the way..." Sam patted his shoulder in a supportive manner, allowing Charlie to hear the words he needs to hear.
"Charlie...you can hunt whenever you want. We'll always be here to teach you and guide you not matter where your heart leads you..." Ruby admitted.
"Thanks Mom...Thanks Dad..." Charlie muttered as the family shared a warm hug. Caitlan looked on, thrilled that Charlie was able to reunite with his family even though the circ*mstances were dire.
"We love you Charlie..." Sam mutters into his son's ear as he can feel his eyes well with tears, relived that they could get their son back after a day of countless searching. They got Charlie back, Sam's hand lingering slightly on his son's shoulder as he can't believe he's even here beside him alive and kicking. He takes time to process his surroundings as he looked to Ruby.
"So whatta say...we get these kids out of here?" Sam asked, seeking Ruby's voice of reason in this intense hour. Ruby caresses Sam's cheek, overjoyed to see her husband full and happy after getting his family back together.
"Yeah...I'm just glad our family is back together again..." Ruby muttered as she kissed Sam gently, taking the air out of her lungs. Sam holds onto his wife tightly, never letting her go. He is glad that his family can be happy and whole again without differences tearing them apart or a rugaru thirsty for blood chasing after them. Moments like this was nice because it felt like what was left broken in the Winchester family had been repaired and restored to its fully glory. Sam had gotten a weight off his chest that he had kept buried underground for so long and that was allowing Charlie to express his dreams and become a hunter. To use his powers for good and not suppressing them away.
As Sam and Ruby were lost to their connection, the vent sprang open as Dean crashed through the ceiling into the ring, his body wrangled in a broken heap. Charlie and Caitlan walked over to the other side of the ring, giving Dean space as he recuperated himself. Dean tried to regain his senses back as the first thing he saw was Sam and Ruby kissing. God, were they too distracted to even noticed he was hurt and in pain on the floor after breaking his back climbing through those vents. He was trying to save their asses but it was clear he was too late as the rugaru in the ring was already dead.
"Guys...a little help here..." Dean spurted, waving his weak hand for help as Charlie and Caitlan rushed to his aid, pulling him up. Sam broke free from the kiss as he came over to make sure Dean was okay.
"Thank god Dean...you arrived at the perfect time..." Sam muttered as Dean dusted himself off, relived to see that Sam had found his family again.
"You have no idea..." Dean replied. "I'm glad your kiddo's safe and sound...you've got a great family here man...don't lose it..." Dean patted Sam in the back as he marvelled at the beautiful wife and son he had raised.
"I won't..." Sam said. Before they could make any moves to leave, Tony interrupted their family moment, screaming into the microphone.
"Okay...this family reunion has warmed my cold little heart long enough!!! My pet is dead because of you and you're just hug it out like it's the end to a chick flick or something!!!" Tony yelled, his throat burning with anger as he pointed an accusing finger at the group. "This is my club and I'm not having you sick-". Dean was the first to actually hit him where it hurts. His gun pointed at him like he was raring for a kill.
"Zip it Penguin!!! You've messed with the wrong family here. You send humans to their death by pitting them against rugarus...you're the only sick one here pal...And as for this family...Sam and Ruby Winchester are the strongest people I know...you could send an seven nation army on them and they've kill every last one of them!!" Dean declared as Sam and Ruby smiled, grateful to have Dean pleading their case. "As for their kid, Charlie boy here...he knows more dark secrets about you than you know yourself. So one false move...and you could find yourself in the gutter old man..." Tony's gaze intensified on Dean, anger bubbling in his chest like an active volcano. He laughed coldly.
"Holy crap...you've got the claws kitty...how about I tear out your heart and give you a new one before you go all soft on me?!" Tony taunted, a smile forming on the cracks of his wrinkled face. Dean looked at him with a heavy gaze, saying nothing. Nervous lump forming in his throat.
"Hey muscles...you might taking care of these jackasses right here!" Tony patted his rugaru guard on the shoulder as their teeth became barred, eyes flashing a monstrous yellow as he and the rest of his cronies were about to have the Winchesters served up in a plate for dinner.
The rugarus were making their way towards the ring when Charlie reached out his hand towards the throng of guards as he stopped them in their tracks. "Stop!!!" Charlie yelled, his voice raised in defiance as the creatures were frozen in place, their heinous gazes staring through his soul like ancient statues. "I read what you're feeling...all of you are trapped here, cursed to follow this capricous man's orders...he's done nothing but use you as his attack dogs. He's turned your kind into slaves for his own amusem*nt. If there's anyone you want to stick your teeth into the most...it's him. You want freedom...then you will kill Tony Gizzolio. He's the one using you for profit!" Charlie, exposing the owner of the club for his wrongdoing as he tried to play coy, a nervous smile forming on his face like a mask. The rugarus broke out of their haze as they began to slowly approach Tony, like a wild pack of animals on a hunt. Their predatory gazes stare into his soul, full of consuming revenge and anger. Hissing from the pits of their throats. The thirst for blood leaking from their tongue. Tony put up his hands in defence. "Come on...don't listen to the kid. He's a pathological liar! All he wants is to destroy the reputation I lead...you give me my riches and fame..you're all I have..." Tony mumbled, trying to defend his life through the open wound of lies bleeding crimson from his mouth. Trying to manipulate the rugarus with their worth to him. Pleading and begging but nothing could save the feared reputation he'd built, now crashing and burning at his feet like a train wreck. The rugarus surround him and then like that, one of them tackles Tony to the ground as one after the other tear him apart. Gourging down on his flesh, licking the blood clean from his bones as his screams filled the air, like the once great evil that lived in Wooster, Ohio had perished for good. All of the rugarus maul on him, laughing at their relived boss's pain. The crowd in a panic as they all run for the fire exit.
With the rugaru underground fighting ring shut down and chaos brewing in the air like an untamed flame, Charlie, Caitlan, Sam, Dean and Ruby began to leave, allowing the rugarus to bask in their bloody victory as Tony was dead, never to betray his patrons to the slaughterhouse again. Dying as a result of his own greediness and spite. For abandoning the one thing he loved and casting it into the fire like it meant nothing.
They don't look back as death hangs like a thick blanket over their heads. The door to the nightclub slams shut as their work here is done...
---
They drove the impala back to the station, night passing over them like a thick fog as Charlie made sure Caitlan got back to her mother safely. She was probably worried sick waiting in the sheriff's office for her daughter to come home after everything she had lost. She would not want to lose her daughter as well as her husband to. Dean, Sam and Ruby watched from the parked car as Charlie bid his farewell to the girl he had forged a close bond with on this hunt as Caitlan was relived to know that her father's killer was dead and gone, never to disturb her town again. Caitlan chose to make right with her mother rather than being overbearing over her as Charlie had taught her that forgiveness was possible. That she has the courage in herself to inspire change for her and those around her. She stood and watched as a nightclub of betrayal and death burned to the ground, her father's memory lost to the ashes.
"Thank you Charlie for everything...I hope I get to see you again..." Caitlan had parted with her words as she kissed Charlie on the check before saying goodbye. Sam and Ruby watch from the windows, smiling ear to ear as Charlie had experianced his first love. Dean watched the joy radiate from the happy couple, a flicker of a smile appearing on his face as he longed to have a family like that. For his soul to finally get the peace and rest it deserves. To be surrounded by the harmonious spirit of family. Maybe one day he could achieve that while his heart isn't feeling too empty.
Caitlan runs into the police station hurriedly as she falls into her mother's embrace. The two hugged each other tightly as Mrs Huston cried tears of relief to see that her baby girl was okay. Charlie watched the reunion transpire from the distance, happy that Caitlan could finally get the catharsis and bravery she needs. That her father's sacrifice reminded her of the beautiful things out there and that she is capable of being true to herself. Charlie gave her the courage to follow her dreams and Caitlan gave him that courage too.
Charlie hopped into the impala as they made their long journey home. Darkness on The Edge of Town by Bruce Springsteen played softly on the radio, leaving the family in silence as they reflected on the wild and crazy day they'd had hunting rugarus. They had left the corruption of Wooster, Ohio and making their way back to camp where many people would be expecting them. Dean drove the impala back home, in a relaxed and happy mood as Sam sat beside him in passenger seat, looking on at his wife and Charlie as they sat in the back, allowing their minds to become enraptured with the music.
Well, everybody's got a secret son
Something that they just can't face
Some folks spend their whole lives trying to keep it
They carry it with them every step they take
Those lyrics spoke a truth Charlie never knew he'd find. His father had been keeping too may secrets from him. He had kept Charlie from hunting all his life and had struggled to read his mind because his emotions would change like night and day. Buried under years of stardust, stripped of its magic and colour. But now that they have forgiven each other, Charlie now has the blessing from both of his parents to follow his dreams and hunt. The cracks that once harboured between this family were now slowly repairing themselves like a rupture in the earth. Sam and Ruby loved him and they always will. They would give everything to keep their son safe and Charlie was grateful to have their support, even if he pushed them away at first. Charlie felt open to love and family again. He could be the person he truly needed to be and used his powers to defend innocent souls from monsters. Charlie could see that Sam found something in this alternative version of his dead brother and that was hope. To fix things and to make things right again with his family. With the demonic forces that desire to hunt him down. His father was no longer as controlling as he used to be, he was open to love and happiness again and after a million years, he held onto hope like it was a wavelength of power on its own.
Charlie turned in his seat, watching Dean as he drove through the long roads, his ears becoming lost to the music as he took his family home with a smile on his face. Then a flood of memories come back to him. Visions of Dean Winchester, the righteous man flash in his mind. Pulled out of hell in God's will to carry out his heavenly mission. To put an end to the apocalyspe or any nightmares that strived to put the world to bed. Sacrifice, pain, selflessness, love, family. All of it burning bright in Dean's soul like he carried all of the world's light in him. Good and true. Caring and compassionate. His hands commanding the impala like his own ship set sail as it went to worlds unbound, casting out the darkness and replacing it with the light. He kept fighting even when death put him to rest as in his eyes, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that the universe could truly be at peace. When Charlie looked to this man, he had faith in him he never knew he possessed. This was the Dean Winchester from his dreams, the man who is destined to bring an end to all emptiness and bring back peace for all. He was the righteous man and he was going to cast away the shadows from this world.
He was going to be the one who saved this universe from undoing.
In the early hours of morning, the impala pulled up outside of camp as Dean, Sam, Ruby and Charlie got out, basking in the familiar air of home. The gates of the resistance camp were open as local hunters were carrying inside installations of new lights and a box of candles as they were cleaning up camp. Some tents torn to shreds or lights shattered in sparks and pieces. Men, women and children were working together to rearrange crumpled tents and makeshift forts and houses. It looked like the place was nearly destroyed in a terrible storm. Concerned at the chaos happening around him, Sam hastily approaches one of the hunters as he carries heavy weights into the borders of camp.
"Hey Ian! What the hell happened here? Did the camp come under attack?!" Sam asked, voice raised with concern.
Ian put the box of light bulbs he was holding down, wiping sweat from his brow. "You could say that...The camp got hit by some abnormal storm...power went out...our tents and belongings were scattered all over the place. Half of us were nearly blown off our feet. I've never seen anything like it. I'm glad you're back Sam, cause' we can use you and your family's help here cause' we're in desperate need of some life..." Ian explained as he guided the Winchester family into camp. Dean's eyebrows were raised in suspicision. Why would a storm hit this hunters' domain at such a strange hour? To cause this amount of damage, it needed to emanate a high level of power. The godly and cosmic kind.
"You know where this is coming from? You think we got a case of bad weather on our hands?" Ruby asked, arms crossed in thought.
"I dunno mam...but this is the worst kind of natural disaster I've seen. Our camp was nearly torn apart...if this ain't a sign of an omen, then I don't know what is..." Ian explained as Sam and Dean witnessed the resistance of hunters hard at work rebuilding the decimated camp around them. Men and women were working together to repair tents and put them back in the ground. Others trying to fix broken parts of the wooden fortress torn asunder by the vicious storm. One of them was climbing a ladder trying to fix the power circuit that had blown up in smoke. It looked like the aftermath of a nuclear bomb explosion. The brewing storm had almost torn apart the camp like a ferrious beast eating its pray alive.
"You guys are glad to be alive all in one piece..." Dean admitted, taking in his surroundings with fear and worriment in his stride.
"You better believe, brother! I thought I was going to be dragged into a tornado..." Ian joked as before they could really process the destruction around them, Charlie began to hone in his powers as with a snap of his fingers, the once shattered bulbs in the streetlight emanating a bright light as colour and power had returned to the camp. The hunters cheered in relief as what they thought was irreparable and would have brought them tireless work had been restored to its former glory.
"Let there be light!" Charlie exclaimed, a smile forming at the cracks of his lips as Ian patted him in the back.
"Thanks Charlie! You guys have got a powerful kid right here...cut out the work for us!!" Ian joked as he sauntered off, helping out other hunters with putting their tents back on the ground and gathering their lost belongings together. Sam patted his son proudly on the back as he didn't what he would do without Charlie or his lovely family right in front of him. As Ruby and Charlie walk off back to their tent, Sam stops to talk to Dean, something fond on his mind.
"I never got the chance to say it to you earlier Dean but...thank you for everything that you've done for me and family..." Sam admitted, grateful to have Dean by his side as he is the closet thing to having a brother that he could ask for. Dean stops in his tracks and smiles, the brightest he's ever felt since crashing and burning in this universe.
"Don't worry about it...you have a beautiful family right here that loves you...if that's not a gift from this earth than I don't know what is..." Dean replied as his sentiment conjured a laugh from Sam as they both watch Ruby and Charlie walk away. "It's the best feeling in the world..." Sam muttered, eyes lit up with joy. It moved Dean's heart to see it.
"But hey..." Dean puts a comforting hand on Dean's shoulder, smiling movingly like it wells him up inside to see this Sam for the first time in his life have direction and happiness. "Remember, I'm your brother and if you need anything, I'll always be there to bring ya back to your feet. Cause' all my life I've been protecting you...and to see you happy...to see any Sam in the universe get a happy ending...I'm blessed because I know I was the one that paved the way for it to happen. You're the very reason I'm holding on... So you go on and make your life into a hell of a show...spend all the time you've got with your family because this is the happiest thing any hunter could ask for...you've got a story here and it's in your hands to tell it..." Dean explained, letting his brother know that he was loved as it took all his strength not to get emotional right but he smiled proudly, reminding this Sam of why he fought and died for his brother. How deeply their love went. A bond that not even God himself could tarnish. Dean felt connected to this other version of Sam and he would do everything in his power to keep him and his family safe. To pave the way for brighter days in a world that was dark and bleak. Where hell ran over heaven. There was moments of great despair but also moments of true happiness and that was spent right here in this universe. Dean's still got a lot to go before he gets to be with his family in heaven but he knows one thing. Sam was the reason he was fighting and he would do it again and again until his life was bright and colourful again. Sam smiled, almost like his words choked his breath away. His heart moved like it had heard the most sweet symphony in the world.
"Thank you...I needed to hear that..." Sam admitted as he gave Dean a soft hug before making his way back home as Dean watched him go, a placid smile crept on his features. The universe may feel like it's ending around him but Dean's heart is the fullest it has ever been. He had watched Sam make amends with his family and become a better man because of it because Dean remembered when they had first met, this Sam was a broken shell of a man letting his dark past define him and trap him in a growing state for fear. But now he could see the light again and make changes to his life because Dean was there to make that possible. This is the good that giving the universe a little nudge can bring. He just hopes that once he gets to finally be at peace in heaven, he can appreciate these moments even more. He can be with his family again and most importantly his heart could learn to love again.
"Hello Dean..." A familiar rumble of a voice spoke as Dean turned around to find Castiel standing behind him, a look of relief and repose in his eyes at the sight of Dean returning home in one piece. To hear the angel's concern over him had Dean's heart all over the place as his cheeks became warm with embarressment. He stood there, nodding his head to Cas' acknowledgement, fumbling with his words like he was spitting breadcrumbs.
"Cas...it's good to see you man. How's the search for The Empty going?!" Dean asked, joyful to see his best friend again. Castiel felt a cold lump grow in his throat, tremours crawling up his spine. He couldn't tell Dean the whole truth. It would be too painful for his soul to even comprehend.
"We've been making slow progress. We haven't found any leads so far...but Ada found a way. She used her magic to spy on the Empty..." Castiel explained as Dean's eyebrows raised in confusion.
"She what?!" Dean stammered.
"She projected her consciousness into the multiverse. By reuniting her mind with her soul, she was able to see into The Empty and what it was planning to do to the entire universe...including this very one we are set foot on right now. It was a close call but I was able to bring her back to earth...with her restored soul intact and she gave us the leverage we needed to destroy The Empty for good..." Castiel explained, choosing his words wisely.
"So this is where this hurricane came from huh? Ada was using her witchcraft to travel the multiverse. You telling me she was able to get inside The Empty's noggin... Does what she saw promise us a one way ticket out of here?" Dean asked, demanding answers out of Castiel with the will he breathed. Castiel stared at Dean with a look of uncertainty, guilt tearing him apart inside like a raging monster, taking pity on his low state. He was making the worst mistake ever. Lying to him about the sacrifices he will need to make in order to escape The Empty. To watch a world he had grown an attachment to burn to cinders because they destroyed The Empty would be too much for his soul to handle. Castiel didn't sacrifice himself for Dean just for him to suffer like this. He deserved love and peace most of all. He deserved to rest in heaven after all the years Chuck had controlled Dean and his brother like puppets. Torturing them for eons until they chose to break free from the narrative. They followed their hearts and chose free will and because of that Castiel chose Dean. Chuck said that Castiel had a crack in his chasiss as he was the only one in the entire universe who rebelled and fell from heaven because of the gift of humanity. Because Dean Winchester's soul burned too bright. He changed him. He showed him that he was capable of love. Consuming, raw feeling. The power of a thought capable of bringing change to the entire universe.
With the world burning down around him, Castiel would rather chose Dean because his soul was worth dying for. If Dean were to die, he would surely perish with him. Dean Winchester was his world and Castiel would fade from existance without him. They may be the loneliest people in the universe. They may be the only ones who broke the connection and loved each other so brightly. Castiel would bleed for Dean, he would rewrite history for Dean, he would give everything so the only good and true thing in his life could keep living. For his soul to become remembered across the universe like a constallation of stars. Because when it all came down to it, Castiel would always reach for Dean. He would always chose him and Dean would do the same.
"No...our ways of finding an escape from the universe have been futile..." Castiel lied, taking in a deep breath like it was trapping his lungs in a rotting cage. Reducing his tethered soul to ash. It hurt Castiel to lie to Dean. To see any semblance of hope on Dean's face made him want to fall asleep in an eternal slumber all over again. He had faith in him and Castiel just tossed it aside to the fire like it meant nothing. Broken glass splintering everything it touched. "The Empty may have hidden itself away in its domain...but it knows we are here and it is concocting its plan for this world as we speak. He has been bringing together an army...the souls of angels and demons are needed to make his shadows stronger. They feed on the essence of their souls because The Empty is where they rest when they die. When angels become full of grace, The Empty will snuff out that light and eat them. When demons gain their tools, The Empty will engulf their smoke in his flames. The Empty wants to control them and make them his pets...just like the many souls that sleep there. Once his army gain enough power, they will tear a hole through the multiverse and they will attack and burn it all down. Destroy every last multiverse and atom until all that is left is emptiness..." Castiel explained, recounting the true nature of The Empty's plan. Dean stood there, listening breathlessly.
Ada was resting in her tent, her legs crossed in a lotus position as she was performing an incantation into the darkest places of her mind. Her soul was venturing off into places she'd never thought she would reach. Her mind overloaded with memories of The Empty, dark and destructive. Taking her into the cosmic entity's mind as it brewed trouble in its wake.
"But there is one person that The Empty wants on his side most of all..." Castiel admitted. "A conqueror. A man thirsty for blood...who would like to spread his chaos and malice to other universes. He has something powerful The Empty needs that could prove useful to its mission...it needs shadows to fight by its side, so the more monster souls they consume, their ghostly abilities become stronger and they will not stop until everyone is dead. Shadows are born when a soul leaves the body and allows the empitness to take over its rotten remains. He needs someone with the power to open the gate...someone who has powerful souls at his charge. Children with demon blood in their veins...those who blindly serve their father..." Castiel explained, his words carrying weight and truth. Dean's eyes went wide with shock. No this couldn't be. From the moment Castiel spoke those words, he knew extacly what they were dealing with. Who they were dealing with. Dean could feel his heart beat heavily against his chest, an impending warning to the danger ahead. He knew exactly what he was dealing with and he was sure to bring back demons from the best.
"You've got to be joking...it's him, isn't it?" Dean asked, his voice going cold with rage. The man who had torn his family apart and had done the same to Sam's was still alive and kicking after his century long exile and he wasn't f*cking around.
Visions enter Ada's mind, transporting her out of her body and into a deserted town abandoned to the fringes of time. Surrounded by miles of forest, old crooked trees stripped of their life and colour. Reduced to skeletal husks of nature that once thrived beautifully. An old bell hung in the town square, casting silence into its empty streets. A haunted place, so haunted that it would draw even the most vengeful spirits away. An old abandoned swing. Children's laughter filling the darkness, echoing disturbingly through its borders. Peaking behind dark corners. Hair matted in dirt. Wearing rags for clothes. Eyes devoid of humanity or happiness. Like souls kept bound to these very grounds, their existence too torturous for them to handle.
A old house sits at the end of the quarry. An elderly man was nestled on the rocking chair, a young girl sitting on his lap as he was reading to her a copy of Animal Farm. As he read through the fable like a parent to their child, he looked at her, smiling to see the joy glister in her eyes the more she got swept up in the story's complexity and nuance. His eyes flickered yellow, his teeth stained a revolting grey like the devil's sick of sin.
"I'm afraid so Dean....he wants to form a pact with the yellow eyed demon. The prince of hell and former fanatical king of hell....Azazel, the father of all special children..." Castiel explained as the wind began to rustle. Leaves scattering onto the ground as a empty void began to open into the rotten wasteland of pasture. It began to manifest into the shadowy treacly form of The Empty as it stalked towards Azazel like a man on the mission. The yellow demon watched from his rocking chair, a ghoulish laugh rasping from his throat.
"Well, well, well...If it ain't my old pal The Empty..." Azazel remarked as he snickered at The Empty's arrival like a clown putting on a show at the circus. The start of a new alliance that was destined to bring no rest for the wicked. It would bring nothing but bad to the entire multiverse.
Dean stands there, lost for words as he puts a hand over his mouth, terrified at the impending danger the multiverse and all who lived in it was about to face. The Empty wanted to become something greater than God. It wanted to be the destroyer of worlds and it needed the vast power of the special children to open its universal gates. The shadows needed to be fed the souls of monsters in order to have the strength needed to tear entire universes apart. To drag it all into the emptiness and purge all life that once dwelled in the spectrum of creation into nothing. What once existed as a beautiful spark of all life would shatter into a million pieces and become lost. How Dean was going to stop the multiverse's undoing, he didn't know but he had faith that he and Castiel would find a way because they will never stop fighting for the greater good.
"Is there a way that we can stop this. Of all people, The Empty's gotta form a truce with the guy that started this whole thing. Fan-fricken-tastic!" Dean slapped his hands against his knees. "Do we even know where Azazel is?! Crowley said that he's been off the map for years." Dean admitted, trying to find hope in bleak times. Castiel nodded.
"I am aware that he has been missing for years...ever since the Heaven-Hell war ended and this Sam's family was killed, he is now making special children with demonic power flowing through their veins into his army. Demon blood he gave to them on the night of their family's deaths. He wants to lead another war...but this time he wants to subject this destruction to every world in the multiverse. The Empty will give him the keys to do that...that's why we need to find him and stop him before he opens the gate to the multiverse and destroys everything Jack had worked so hard to restore. We don't have much time Dean...we are all this universe has left to save it...The power is in our hands to save this world." Castiel explained, praying that he was right. That stopping Azazel from his plan of world domination was the only right thing to do in a world where their only opinions resolve in undoing. Castiel doesn't have the power in his hands to destroy, especially a soul as beautiful as Dean's.
"Look man, I'm sorry I wasn't there...I know you guys are desperately trying to find a way to get home and I..I just hitched on the road with Sammy because he needed me and I know you'll need me..." Dean rambled, apologising to Cas for not being there when he needed him the most. So they could figure out this mess together and how to stop it . Castiel stepped in before guilt could feed on Dean's chest any further.
"It's okay Dean...I know why you did what you did. You wanted to help the lost soul of your brother find his way again and for that I am moved that you still continue to fight for love. You are doing extacly what I wanted you to do. This is who you are Dean and that is the one thing that makes you special. You never stop fighting...even when it kills you." Castiel admitted, describing Dean and his selfness need to protect his brother like it was a piece of art, something near and dear to his heart. Dean looked into Castiel's soul, seeing the pure light that bled so unconditionally of love. A longing and pull towards him. Everytime Dean looks at Castiel's face, he remembers that night in the bunker's dungeon when he thought he lost him forever. When his love confession stayed with him yet poisoned his heart all the same. Dean blamed himself for Castiel's demise because he never got to tell him what he really needed to hear - that he loved him. Castiel was the only person who saw Dean for who he truly was and Dean just let him go. Maybe now was the time he let go of that guilt and he told the angel his true feelings.
"Listen Cas, there's something I..I....need to tell you....I need you to know this but I....It's something I've been wanting to say to your face for quite some time..." Dean could feel himself choking up. He could feel Castiel's gaze stare through him, one of adoration and love praying for the answer he had been seeking for so long. Ever since death kept them apart, they had been desperately trying to crawl their way back to each other. Dean stares at Castiel with his mouth open agape and nothing but silence escaping his throat.
"I would like us to be a team on this one Cas....You and me against the world..."
Dean allowed his hand to linger on Castiel's shoulder, knowing deep down he had made a mistake. He had kept his feelings hidden once again. Every damn time he keeps them sealed shut so no one could get inside. His lips trembled with every outlet of air escaping his lungs as he knew that words failed him. He wasn't ready to love because he was afraid he would lose it all again.
"Thank you Dean..." Castiel muttered, a soft smile forming on his features as Dean nodded along to his words, giving him a parting pat on the back before walking off. Running away from his true desires once again like a wounded animal. Not ready to open his heart to the concept of love. Why was it so hard for Dean to understand that an angel was so deeply and evocipocally in love with him? His one shot at happiness with Castiel was right there and he walked away from it just like everything else he had abandoned in his life.
Castiel watches him go, an aching longing in his heart. He wishes things were different. He wishes he could fix everything before he lost the one real thing he'd ever known. But no matter what kept them apart, no matter what distance, they would always find each other. Castiel clings onto love so desperately, hoping that one day Dean would realise that the thing he had been searching for was right in front of him.
But bigger problems were about to arise and it was only up to them now to save the multiverse from everything dark and grey...
