Author's Note: This story is canon up until Season 5 "Swan Song". This story plot popped in my head, so...here it is. This story is going to be built around character development. I promise, Karis is not all-powerful, she has no idea what she is doing, and she will struggle with trying to remain her own person while also struggling with her new identity.
Chapter One
In One Instant
I'm not sure where my story really starts. I can't be sure if what I remember was ever truly real; a veil of falsehood blanketing my vision, keeping me in the dark. I can tell you that my once normal, average life, took a turn for the worst with the arrival of the Winchester Brothers.
Or maybe it was for the best. I can never truly decide.
The golden-amber eyes of Karis O'Connor brighten, flecks of green becoming more apparent with her growing humor as her laughter rings through the noise of the bar known as Arcadia. Working as a bartender may not be the lifestyle most people find proper, but Karis loves what she does for a living. Watching as two of her regulars, Brayden and Archer, bicker over who has a bigger ego, Karis shakes her head in amusement. For the majority of her life, from her high school years and until now, Brayden and Archer were her 'two peas in a pod'. They didn't hesitate on meeting her gaze, her eyes so unique and different that many people flinched upon looking at them. They never questioned her odd quirks, her ease when it came to fighting, or fending for herself, or how easy she takes to helping people in a moment of strife. No. They accepted everything about her: from her petite stature to her sweetened taste buds and the creepy ability to call people on their bullshit.
"Seriously, Karis, you have to tell us: who's sexier?" Karis rolls her eyes as Brayden grins, leaning over the bar slightly as his chocolate brown eyes brighten significantly with innuendoes barely concealed, "It's me, isn't it? I keep trying to tell Archer he doesn't stand a chance, but man, he just won't give up."
"Oi, you piss off," Archer retorts, jabbing his friend in the shoulder, "You're nothing more than an arrogant, self-obsessed bastard, and you know it."
Honestly, Karis has always believed both of her friends to be on the more handsome side. Brayden, the classic 'tall, dark and handsome', easily seduces his way up any skirt he can. Archer, fair-haired and bright-eyed with a natural exuberence, often charms his way through laughter and grace. Not that she's ever seen them as anything more than friends. The two had been the only thing keeping her going over the last ten years, and without them, she knew she would've given into the temptation of letting go of life in general.
Seeing their drinks close to empty, Karis easily refills Brayden's glass of scotch before mixing Archer's Rum and Coke. Sliding them across the bar, she tucks a strand of fiery-red hair behind her ear, giving her friends a cheeky smile. Noticing two men take a pair of seats at the end of the bar, Karis grants her favorite duo a wink before sauntering off. She is not familiar with the new arrivals, it would be hard to forget a pair of handsome men like them. One appears to be taller, chin-length soft brown hair and warm hazel eyes. The second of the pair appears to be more stocky in his stature, but that could be from the three layers of shirts and leather jacket, dark-blonde hair and piercing green eyes defining a different type of handsome.
"What can I get you guys?" she greets warmly, the smile stretched across her face genuine.
Karis's favorite part of her job is meeting people. Coming from a woman that spent most of her life cast out of society for her natural abnormalities, she knows it is strange, but it is true nonetheless. While the majority of humanity is cruel and indifferent to the hurts of others, Karis always managed to see the good in those lost in the world.
"Two beers and two shots of whiskey," the shortest of the two states.
Despite the slightly forced grin on the man's face, Karis nods and stalks off toward the cooler. Extracting two beer bottles, she expertly cracks them open by hooking the caps along the bottom of the bar and pulling against it. Setting the beers in front of the men, she steadily pours their shot glasses and slides them over.
"Anything else I can get you guys?"
The tallest nods, reaching into the front pocket of his jacket and extracting a badge, Karis's eyes widening in surprise at the idea of two agents entering her bar, "We were hoping to ask some questions about suspicious deaths of two people in town."
"I'm not sure I can be much help...uh..." Karis pauses, unsure of what to call them.
"I'm Sam, this is Dean," the tallest offers.
Nodding, Karis flashes him an honest smile, "Not quite sure why two dead guys leads you here."
"Do you recognize the names Andrew Thompson and Oliver Marcum?"
Karis's smile fades, eyes darkening briefly at the names Dean gives, nodding her head slowly, "Yes. They aren't exactly the most pleasant to be around. They've always caused more trouble than they're worth," Karis blinks, her mouth parting slightly, "Oh. It...isn't proper to speak ill of the dead, but I can't say I will miss them."
"Did you know them personally?" Sam questions.
Shifting slightly, she glances back at Brayden and Archer, waving off their concerned tension, "Somewhat, I suppose. I attended school with them. They were...your usual jock-strapping assholes who found it their life mission to make people miserable," Karis turns her gaze back to the two men before her, "About a month ago, they vandalized my bar."
"You were a constant target, I take?" Dean asks, his own gaze turning away from her two friends.
"Unfortunately," Karis blinks again, a small realization snapping in her mind, "Y-you guys don't think I had something to do with this, do you? I may not have cared for the two, but...I wouldn't wish death on a person."
"We're just asking questions, ma'am," Sam says in a manner as though he is trying to calm her down.
Karis nods once again, "Right. Look, all I can tell you is that Thompson and Marcum vandalized my bar, are complete assholes and the last time I saw them, they were thrown out of my bar for being overly-inebriated pigs." Seeing both men share a glance, Karis offers them a shrug, "May I got tend to my other patrons?"
After their silent nods, Karis walks away from the two men, heading back over to the concerned pair, "Refills?"
"Sure. Just as long as you explain what that was about?"
Seeing Archer nod in agreement to Brayden's question, Karis inwardly sighs. It looked like it was going to be a long night.
"Good morning, Karis," Bethany, the forty-year-old waitress of Karis's favorite diner, greets the fiery-haired woman with a warm, bright smile. "Where are the two handsome devils of yours?"
Karis giggles lightly, a smirk tugging at her lips, "Sleeping off their hangovers."
Bethany laughs in response, "Of course they are. Your usual, I take it?"
"Yes, please."
Bethany walks off, leaving the golden-eyed woman to her thoughts. Deep in the confines of her mind, Karis doesn't notice the two agents from last night enter the diner. Nor does she notice when the tallest of the two nudges the other, motioning to her lone figure sitting at the table before they approach her.
"Hey," Karis snaps out of her thoughts, emerald-flecked honey eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the two agents from last night, "Do you mind if we join you? We wanted to ask a few follow up questions."
"Oh," she blinks, flashing them both a smile, "Sure."
As they slide into the booth seat across from her, Karis catches sight of Bethany approaching with her ice coffee, "Here you go, Karis." Karis feels the child-like glee at the whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles and the caramel drizzle topping her ice coffee, her index finger swiping at the fluffy cream, "Oh. I don't recognize you two."
Tugging her finger from her mouth, Karis lets out a small moan at the sweetened flavors dancing along her taste buds, "This is Sam and Dean. They're just passing through town and came into Arcadia last night." She flashes Bethany a grin, "Just so you know, I might need another of these by the time my food shows up."
Bethany nods before taking their orders, Karis sipping the iced coffee through the straw, rich caramel mixing with coffee and she giggles inwardly when she realizes Bethany gave her an extra few shots of caramel flavoring. After Bethany brings them both their black coffees, Sam addings sugars and creams, Karis brings her gaze back to the men.
"Alright. Ask away."
Sam is the first to speak, "Has there ever been any suspicious deaths before Marcum and Thompson?"
"Suspicious, as in the weird or unexplained?" Seeing both men nod, Karis ponders over the question before nodding slowly, "Well, there were the Karma Killings that started a couple years ago."
"Karma Killings?" Dean quips curiously, leaning toward her to show his interest.
"Yeah. Most of them happened at the high school. The first one happened during my Sophomore year. This kid, Nicolas Brant, was what you would consider to be a stereotypical nerd: scrawny, small, glasses and very intelligent. One day, he didn't show up for classes and no one really thought it was strange, even though Nicolas was known to have a perfect attendence record. Half-way through the school day, Elizabeth Morgan opened her locker and he tumbled out, dead at her feet," Both of the men don't seem too bothered by her words, so she continues, "Rumor has it, that Nicolas died from his heart giving out after a panic attack, the kid was claustrophobic. A few days later, Elizabeth was found after she hung herself, apparently unable to handle seeing some dead kid fall out of her locker. A week later, Paul Macintosh was found dead in his athletic locker, a neck-tie wrapped tight around his throat."
"So...Macintosh killed them?" Sam surmizes. "Were there any other deaths like that?"
Karis nods slowly, swallowing another mouthful of her iced coffee, "Cynthia Marks was a girl that fought leukemia most of her life. The treatments left her without any hair, so she wore a wig. Maria Santiago was a real bitch. In front of everyone, she yanked Cynthia's wig off and told her that she should just kill herself to end her ugly, miserable life," Karis watches as Dean's eyes darken and Sam winces sympathetically, "Cynthia didn't do anything, but she did go into a spiraling depression. A few days later, Maria was found, viciously descalped, apparently having died from the traumatic experience."
"So...these people died in the same manner of their crimes?" Karis nods in response to Dean's question, "And authorities never closed the cases?"
"No evidence was found that could convict anyone at the school. There were more deaths like them and students began calling them the Karma Killings. Suddenly, the bullying stopped, people too scared to do much, and...eventually the Karma Killings just stopped."
"Maybe not," Dean states, causing Karis's eyes to squint in confusion, "Thompson and Marcum were found dead, apparently forced to ingest a dangerously large amount of spray paint."
A sickening twist in the pit of her stomach causes Karis to drop her gaze, her body shuddering and eyes squeezing shut at the reminder, Sam's gentle voice breaking through her flood of memories, "They didn't just vandalize your bar, did they?"
"If it wasn't for Brayden and Archer, I would have died," Karis admits, a sickening, phantom taste filling her senses, causing her to swallow back the bile in her throat.
"Here you three go," Bethany's voice breaks through the sudden silence.
Karis blinks back her memories at the sight of triple-stacked chocolate pancakes placed down in front of her. Seeing the large amount of whipped cream, powdered sugar and chocolate shavings topping the pancakes, Karis is unable to stop the grin from her forming on her lips. She doesn't see the slight widening of the eyes of her companions as she thanks Bethany, her hand bathing the pancakes in maple syrup. Cutting off a section, Karis lets out a long, drawn out moan as the highly-confectionate food hits her taste buds, the phantom flavor fading behind sugar, chocolate, cream and syrup.
"That's...a lot of sugar," Dean points out.
Seeing the slightly sickened look on their faces, she giggles, swallowing the food, "Brayden and Archer often said they feel themselves getting cavities just watching me eat."
"Does the name Gabriel mean anything to you?" Dean suddenly asks, the tallest of the two shooting him a pointed look that goes ignored.
Karis tilts her head, thinking over the question before cocking an eyebrow, "The only person I've ever known to be named Gabriel is out of that book of biblical nonsense people put so much faith in."
"You're an Athiest?" Sam questions, almost as if he is surprised.
"I prefer Agnostic. Faith in a higher power of some kind, sure. Devoting my time and energy into a religion based off of words of Man? No thanks," Karis comments lightly, popping another mouthful of sticky-sweet pancakes. "So...do you guys think the Karma Killings and the deaths of Thompson and Marcum are connected?"
"Possibly. We will need to follow some of the leads you've given us," Sam responds and Karis smiles in a sheepish manner.
Not accustomed to people being nice to her, Karis's unique gaze drops to her almost-finished plate, "Uh, no problem. If you guys have anymore questions, you can look me up."
Flashing both of them a timid grin, Karis stands from the booth, slapping down two twenties, "Breakfast is on me, boys. Good luck on your case."
Giving Bethany a gentle wave, Karis slips out of the diner, her hands immediately digging into the pockets of her jacket. Fishing out a cigarette, the fiery-haired woman instantly lights the end of the cigarette before starting her way down the streets. She never sees the darkened figure reach out from the alley until cold fingers wrap around her wrist, yanking her into the shadowed alley. Grunting as her back is slammed against a wall, her cigarette dropping from her lips, she glances up into dark brown eyes of the intimidating man before her.
"What the hell, man?" she belts out, groaning as the man's grip tightens.
"I didn't think you'd slip up so easily, brother."
Opening her mouth to tell him to shove his thoughts up his ass, her world goes dark as firm knuckles connects with the side of her head.
"How are you alive?"
"When a man and a woman decide to give into their temptations-" Her response is cut off as a fist connects with her unprotected torso, the burning pain of bones breaking and possible internal bleeding causing her to groan.
"Still as petulant as ever, aren't you brother?"
"For the last time, I lack the necessary plumbing to be considered someone's brother, you dick," Karis snarks, her honey-gold eyes lit up with pain and defiance.
Feeling the fist connect with the side of her head, shadows beginning to toy with the edges of her vision, Karis spits out the blood accumilating in her mouth, "I've had enough of your games, Gabriel. If you won't come out, I'll just force you out."
Opening her mouth, her witty response is cut off as a hoarse cry escapes her, the man's hand plunging into her chest. The insane burning seems to flow through her entire body, her nerves shuddering as those cruel fingers brushes against something so...intangible, yet so real. A noise of curiosity sounds from the man, her cries growing louder when his fingers curls around the burning warmth in her chest.
"Ah...there you are."
"Raphael!"
The new voice rings through her head, her blurry gaze managing to see the two agents standing in the doorway with a third man. Her cry for help is cut off by a choked gasp as this man before her, Raphael, clenches his hand tighter around the warmth in her.
"Don't!"
An inadubile shattering sound seems to go off in her head as the hand squeezes tighter, the warmth within her breaking, as if made of glass. Everything around her darkens, even as her head tosses back, eyes wide open and a piercing scream ringing clear through the night.
"Well, Hello there, sweet child of my blessed grace," the cheeky voice causes her eyes to open.
The room is gone, replaced by the familiar sight of Arcadia, though empty and quite. The man standing behind the bar grins and she watches as a glass of whiskey is pushed in front of her.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Gabriel, Karis. Unfortunately for you, I am the droid they're looking for," the response is humored, yet saddened.
"Why me? What's going on?"
"Why my dear, you are what is referred to as the successor to my grace," Her head tilts curiously, "You were a child born of anger, hatred and fear," Golden eyes dim, memories of her mother telling her the truth of her father, "I watched for sometime, but when that man pushed your mother down the stairs, I decided to deal a sense of justice. You were not supposed to live, but your mother begged and prayed for your life and thus, I bestowed upon you a touch of my grace."
"Why?"
"You know why," Gabriel states, "Remember those all-too-realistic dreams."
"You're dead," Karis points out, remembering the horrid dream of coming face to face with the Fallen One.
"My power is your's."
"How do I use them?"
"Why do you think I'm here?" Karis looks up into the bright blue eyes, "I'm here to help you come into your right. Now...I'm afraid you need to go for now. Tell the Winchester boys I say hi."
Gentle fingers press against her forehead and a flash of light burns bright, forcing her eyes to close.
Opening her eyes, Karis immediately snaps upright from her prone position. Seeing the two men from earlier, her body tenses, limbs shaking.
Ah...aren't they a sight for sore eyes. Although...they seem to be missing someone.
Karis blinks, her finger massaging her temples gently, "You wouldn't happen to be the Winchester boys the voice in my head is demanding I say 'hi' to, are you?"
Once again, Karis realizes as the two men tense, that it is looking to be a long day.
That was the beginning of where my life turned on point. Seeing both men nod, I knew that the man from my dreams was exactly who he said he was. I wanted to deny it. I wanted to turn away and ignore it.
Apparently, Fate had different plans for me.
That's it for chapter one! Leave reviews and let me know what you think.
