Ketch didn't want to do this. But he had his orders. They hadn't been friends for quite some time now, they'd grown apart many years ago. But once, before too much damage had been done by the organisation they both served, they were close. Still, the code demanded he did as he was told. So he stood back and waited for the inevitable.
"Two days ago, according to your own report, you let a prince of hell escape. And the mother of Lucifer's child. And one of my best men was murdered by an American hunter, whom you allowed to live. These hunters are out of control. The brothers of Winchester in particular. Which Lady Bevell has exhaustively documented."
Ketch had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. Hess doted on Lady Toni Bevell, believing every word she ever told her. Ignoring of course that Toni, more often than not, was serving her own agenda. She loved to paint everyone else as the villain of her story, he knew that better than most.
"Ma'am if you would just listen-" Mick tried to say.
"To what? More excuses? No, I don't think I will. Hunters are dogs, Mr. Davies. You give them an order and they obey. So tell me. Do they? Do they obey you? No, of course not. So this Eileen Leahy will be found and killed in accordance with the code. As for the Winchesters, like any rebellious hunters they will be investigated. And if found guilty, executed."
Listening to this, Ketch couldn't help but wonder what might happen if he were to disobey. He was the one that was usually sent in to deal with situations like rogue operatives. If he were to become one himself, would there be a member in good standing that would be strong enough to kill him? Unlikely.
"If? If they're found guilty? Aren't hunters always found guilty?"
"Be careful Mr. Davies." Hess warned, as though she hadn't already planned exactly what was to happen next.
"No. My entire life with the Men of Letters I never once broke a rule. And yes, at first I was shocked at how Sam and Dean operate. But what Lady Bevell doesn't mention is the lives they've saved. Monsters destroyed. And outcomes made better not because of the code, but because of Sam and Dean Winchester's sense of what's right."
Ketch wondered to himself; if even Mick, who had always been so loyal to the Men of Letters, was questioning them now- could he be right? Was what they were doing wrong?
"And that is the crux of the matter. The code is not a suggestion, it's an absolute. The code is what separates us from the monsters. It is the order by which we all live."
"No. The code is what makes a young boy kill his best friend. When I was a child, I had nothing. I owed you everything. And I obeyed." Hess nodded to Ketch, it was time. "But I'm a man now Dr. Hess. And I can see the choices. And I choose to do the right thing."
Ketch raised his gun and fired. Hess' lifeless corpse fell to the ground. For the first time since he was a child, Ketch felt like he was his own person again. At Kendricks, they saw his talent for weaponry and they used it for their own purposes. They brainwashed him and tortured him until he did as he was told without question. Now that Hess was dead, that programming was broken and everything went into sensory overload.
"What did you just do?!" Mick asked, still staring at the corpse of the woman who 'raised' them.
"She wanted me to kill you. I chose to kill the old hag instead. I suppose that makes me a rebellious hunter now, and you a dead man walking. They are going to be after both our heads when they find out about this."
Ketch had killed so many people by now he barely even remembered most of them. But with this one kill, his whole life was going to change. He had just declared war on the Men of Letters, turning him from predator to prey. That was a thought that made him deeply uncomfortable.
He knew of course that none of them could possibly kill him when they were one on one. The problem was that they had strength in numbers. He only had one ally, and that was Mick, who he had barely seen fight let alone kill since their days at Kendricks.
"We need to leave this place. Now." Ketch demanded leaving the room as quickly as he was able, and Mick followed closely behind. In the time between the room and the car, Ketch became visibly distressed. He looked as though he was in pain and was shaking. Mick had never seen him like this and it was worrying him. Mick helped Ketch into the passenger side of the Bentley and he drove them out of there. It didn't take long before the silence was deafening.
"I have to know. Why did you do it? Kill her and not me?" Mick demanded.
"Does it matter?"
"Of course it matters."
Ketch sighed. He wasn't sure how to answer him. "You want the truth? Fine. I don't know. I suppose it's because I agree with you, we should be able to make our own choices. But we could never do that as long as she was alive." He wasn't sure if he should keep going. But Mick wanted to know. "We were friends once. I didn't want to kill you. I know so much has happened since then you will likely want nothing to do with me, but I didn't want to be the one to kill you."
Mick sat in silence for a moment, processing what he had just heard. "Ketch, you just saved my life. You are my friend."
They drove for a couple of hours in silence after that, just trying to come to terms with the magnitude of what they'd just done.
Mick pulled the car over outside a petrol station, but the car had almost a full tank.
"We don't need petrol, Mick. We have to keep moving, what are you doing?"
"Give me your phone" Mick demanded, ignoring Ketch's comment. Ketch handed his phone over and Mick quickly erased any information on there, and then did the same with his own before putting them both in the glove compartment. After telling Ketch to leave them there, he went inside the petrol station.
There was only one other customer in the place, and Mick approached the guy. "Excuse me mate, is that your car outside?" He asked, pointing to the Ford Pinto parked next to theirs.
The guy nodded. "Fancy a trade? The Bentley just isn't my kinda car."
The guy looked at him like he was crazy. "What's the catch?"
"No catch. Just an offer." The guy agreed, shook Mick's hand and traded the keys.
Mick went back outside to get Ketch and as he was helping him walk to the Pinto Ketch spoke up. "I'll ask you again, what are you doing?"
"This is our car now" Mick replied, gesturing to the pinto.
"No. Have you lost your mind? Trading the Bentley for this? That was my bloody car Mick!"
"You know we have to do this. If we keep the car, they will track us. It's not like we could've taken it back to London with us anyway. If we survive this you can get a new one. But for now we don't have any other options. So get in."
Ketch knew he was right, and they didn't have a choice, but he still didn't like it. They got in the car and drove for another couple of hours in relative silence, but every now and then Ketch would mutter something about how uncomfortable the drive was compared to the smooth ride of the Bentley.
By the time they arrived, Ketch was completely drained of colour and he felt as if his head was going to explode. He was trying to hide just how bad it was from Mick, but he knew there was something seriously wrong.
Ketch looked out the window and rolled his eyes at Mick's hopeless optimism. "The Bunker? Really? They won't help us, they hate us in case you'd forgotten."
"We are out of options. There's something going on with you. Natural illness doesn't progress this fast, and we are probably being hunted as we speak. There's no time to find a safe house. We need help now."
Mick had to practically drag Ketch to the door and started banging and shouting to let them in. When nobody answered, he assumed there must be nobody inside and let himself in with his key.
Once they reached the bottom of the steps, Ketch collapsed. Mick immediately dropped to the floor to check that he was alright. He was breathing, so that was good. But Mick's relief was short lived as Ketch started seizing on the ground.
Mick panicked and started searching for something, anything, that would help reverse whatever this was. He must have been making a lot of noise because the next thing he knew, Sam and Dean ran into the room with their guns, clearly having just woken up.
"Mick? What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night." Sam said.
"I'll answer your questions later, but for now just please help me." He looked over to Ketch for a second before carrying on searching. The seizure had stopped but he was still unconscious.
"Sammy, check outside" Dean ordered, and Sam sprinted up the steps and out the door, making sure they weren't followed.
"You," Dean said glaring and pointing at Mick "start talking."
"I think he might be dying. I have to try and save him. He was fine until-" Mick paused unsure of how to explain to them what happened, even though he barely understood it himself. He didn't know why this was happening to Ketch.
"Until what?"
"He killed our boss to save me. They wanted me dead, and he killed her so I could live. I can't let him die now, not like this. I owe him more than that."
Sam came back and shook his head. There was nobody outside. They were safe, for now.
"We should get him to bed." Sam said glancing between his brother, Mick and the still unconscious Ketch.
"We can't keep him here!" Dean practically shouted, earning a signature bitch face from his brother.
"We can't send him away either. In his condition he won't last five minutes out there, particularly not with the Men of Letters wanting him dead."
"He never used to be the man you know." Mick explained, trying to placate Dean. "What he did today shows he's capable of change and becoming himself again. Please don't judge him by his previous actions."
Dean could tell there was no way he'd be allowed to win this. In truth he knew as well as Sam did that however much he hated the guy, he'd never be able to live with himself if he kicked Ketch out now. "Fine, put him in Cass' room. Not like he's ever around anyway."
It took all three of them and a lot of maneuvering to get Ketch to the bed. Sam and Dean left to get some food and a drink for Mick, only Sam had actually offered but Dean felt uncomfortable with Mick's talk about getting Ketch out of his clothes to make him more comfortable. By the time the Winchesters returned, Mick was sat on the desk chair next to Ketch's bed. Ketch had a damp cloth on his forehead to help with the fever that must have developed and Mick was fast asleep in the uncomfortable wooden chair. Sam took the glass of water from his brother and placed it and the sandwich they had made on the desk before heading back to the library. Dean, at a bit of a loss, followed him.
"What are we doing here Sam? Since when did we harbour the Brits?"
"They need our help Dean, besides if what Mick said is true then Ketch might not be the same person anymore. We should at least give him a chance."
"What like you gave a chance to Ruby?" Dean snapped.
"No, like you gave a chance to Benny and Castiel and Crowley. I'm not saying he's definitely going to change. I'm just saying that he deserves the same chances we'd give anyone else and he might just surprise you."
"We'll see, but I'm not holding my breath." Sam just rolled his eyes and went in search of a book that might hold some clues as to what was wrong with Ketch.
Dean sighed and headed to bed whilst Sam continued working until he fell asleep at the table, where he stayed until he was woken by a knock on the door. Sam grabbed his gun from the table and headed to the door. Of all the people that could have been at the door, Toni was the last person he expected.
"Good morning Sam. I'm looking for Mick and Ketch, I know they would have come here."
"What?" Sam was slightly lost for a moment, having just been so rudely awakened. The momentary confusion was enough for Toni to force her way past, just as Mick entered the war room.
"Toni…" Mick wasn't really sure what to say. He was sure he was about to be shot and then this whole ordeal would have been for nothing. Ketch would be suffering for him to survive another few hours at the most. It wouldn't have made a difference.
"Where's Ketch?" Toni asked, looking around almost desperately. "He's got to be really suffering at the moment."
Mick blinked at her in confusion so Sam asked, "How do you know that?"
"I'll explain later but I can help and if you don't let me then he will die and you won't be able to stop it." Sam and Mick shared a glance. They both knew that they had to at least let her try. Neither doubted that what she said was true, Ketch would die if she didn't help.
Sam showed her to the room and left to get some breakfast, leaving Mick to wait outside. They weren't sure how much they could trust Toni so wanted to be safe.
It was almost too much for Toni to bare. Standing in a room with the man she once loved as he was dying would be too much for anyone. It didn't matter that she could save him, it didn't even matter that she'd come in the first place. It was all her fault and she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to forgive herself.
It was almost 9 years previously when Toni had been called to Hess' office. She knocked on the door and waited to be allowed entry. "Come in Lady Bevell." She heard from inside the room. "Do you understand why you have been called here?" Toni shook her head. Nobody had explained why she had been called to the office. Her training dictated that when told to jump, she didn't even ask how high. She just did, no questions asked. "You're here because of your relationship with Mr Ketch."
"I see." Toni started wracking her brain, trying to work out if they could have broken any rules or if they could be in some kind of trouble.
"As you know, such relationships are acceptable as long as no children are born without prior written consent from the elders." Toni nodded, still unsure as to how it related to herself and Ketch. "It has come to our attention that you are now with child. As a result, you have a choice to make." Toni kept her face completely blank but inside she was reeling. They'd been so careful, but she was pregnant. She'd broken a rule and although it was unintentional. she would have to be punished. "You must choose between Ketch or your unborn child. We've been looking for someone to undergo a new procedure in order to join our new team of assassins. If you choose to keep the child then Ketch will undergo this procedure and your child will live. If, however you choose Mr Ketch then your pregnancy will be terminated."
Toni could feel Hess' eyes on her. Waiting for whatever decision she may make. "The baby." Was out of her mouth before she'd even really finished weighing up the Pros and Cons of the situation.
Doctor Hess nodded, before calling out. "Come in please, Mr Ketch." Toni spun round and there, in the doorway, was her boyfriend. She could see from the hurt and betrayal in his eyes that he'd heard everything, but was doing his best to keep a complete Poker face in front of their former headmistress.
"You're aware of the decision Lady Bevell has made, do you disagree with this decision?" Just asking the question was cruel and they all knew it. If he had chosen to disagree, they would have both been killed.
"I'm so sorry." Toni heard her own voice cracking as she reached out her hand for his. Her heart broke as he pulled his hand away, she could see the tears beginning to form in his eyes but there was nothing she could do. If she could have gone back on her decision in that moment then she would.
"Lady Bevell, would you please do the honours." She looked over at the woman sat at the desk and saw that she was holding out a syringe. Toni took it from her hand and turned back to her boyfriend… ex-boyfriend now she supposed.
"I'm sorry." She whispered again.
"Just do it." He told her, refusing to look her in the eye.
She hadn't known at the time what the decision was that she'd made, or the cost of that choice. That injection had been the first of many to turn her once caring boyfriend into what she deemed the "psychopath". Whilst she never really stopped loving him, she always loved the man he used to be. She tried and tried, did countless amounts of research but there was nothing she could do to reverse what she had done. Her only hope was that he could break the control from the inside. Now he'd done that, and it was slowly killing him. She could save him, she was sure, but he'd still never quite be who he used to be, and it was all her fault. The thing that made her feel worse though was the fact that if given the choice, she'd make the same decision again. She'd choose Archie every time.
"How's he doing?" Mick asked from the doorway. "What caused this? You never said."
"Yes. I know." Without even looking at him, she knew the expectant look on Mick's face. "I take it you know about the tendency of the Men of Letters to brainwash their hunters." She turned just in time to see him nod. "There are many different types of brainwashing that can be used but one, perhaps the cruellest, doesn't tend to last. At most it lasts for about 20 years depending on the strength of the person. The shortest amount of time I've seen is almost 9 years."
"And how is this relevant to Ketch?"
"Because when it fails, when the recipient of the treatment disobeys a direct order, it kills them. Ketch received that treatment almost 9 years ago."
Mick paused for a moment, trying to process the information he was just given. "So you're saying that Ketch is dying because he didn't kill me and killed Hess instead." The colour seemed to drain from his face in an instant and he looked like he might be sick as he looked at the man unconscious on the bed. "Did he know?"
"That saving you would kill him? Yes, I believe so. As part of the process they're always informed of what will happen if they ever disobey an order. It's the fear of death that keeps them under control, even after the treatment begins to wear off." She didn't even realise she'd moved closer to the bed until she found herself running a hand through Ketch's hair.
"He always was idiotically loyal." Toni jumped at the sound of Mick's voice from the other side of the bed.
"Yes he was, but it was always part of his charm."
"Why would someone choose to do that to another human being?" Toni flinched at the disgust in Mick's tone.
"Because I had no other choice." She knew the confused look Mick would be giving her so she went on to explain. "I was given a choice. I could either save him, or save my son. I didn't know what I was being asked until it was too late."
She flinched as she felt Mick gently place a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright." He reassured her gently. "You'll be able to save him and he'll meet Archie and understand why you made the choice you did."
"You and I both know that if there's one thing Arthur Ketch never wanted, it was to be a father."
"That's true, but when has anyone ever managed to say no to Archie?" Toni let out a weak laugh at that. Mick was right of course. She didn't know anyone who didn't love Archie from the moment they met him. But the thought still terrified her. Not to mention this whole discussion was dependant on her ability to save Ketch at all when in reality he had, at best, a one in three chance of surviving the next 24 hours.
Rather than addressing what Mick had just said, she went to her handbag to pull out a list. "Could you go and get me the ingredients we need?" She asked, passing the piece of paper over to Mick. She went back into her bag and, as a result, didn't see Mick leave as she pulled out everything else she would need. Everything, including a syringe.
Toni prepared enough of the solution to fill fourteen syringes and after administering the first dose explained to Mick how to go about the treatment. Ketch would need one dose a day at 07:39 precisely, for a week followed by a week of a dose at 19:39, to have even the slightest chance of survival.
"What are you going to do now?" Mick asked as she packed her equipment ready to go.
"As far as the Men of Letters are concerned, I'm still loyal and after I get back I'll tell them that you're both dead. They won't be bothering you again."
"Thank you Toni, really." Toni looked slightly uncomfortable with the thanks. Whether that was a result of residual guilt or just not being used to receiving thanks, Mick couldn't be sure. She didn't even respond just turned and left, passing a barely awake Dean Winchester on the way out.
Mick hadn't slept much and was exhausted. He went to the room he used last time he spent the night and fell asleep almost straight away. It was only about an hour later he was woken up by screaming.
He was straight out of bed and running towards the sound, following it to Ketch's room. He was still sleeping, clearly having a nightmare, so Mick shook him to wake him up. Ketch woke up with a start, disorientated and confused.
"You're alright mate, it was just a dream."
"Mick? Sorry did I wake you?"
"Yeah, but it's not your fault. Do you want to tell me about it?" He offered. Ketch just shook his head. "Alright mate. Do you want anything?"
"Tea, please." Mick went and made them each a cup of tea and brought them back to Ketch's room. The two of them drank their tea and talked about happier times. "Do you want to try and get some more sleep?" Mick asked.
"No, I don't want to sleep. But I think you should. You look awful."
Mick laughed. "Alright." He got himself comfortable in the chair and closed his eyes.
"What are you doing?" Ketch asked.
"What does it look like? I'm going to sleep."
"There's beds Mick, you don't have to sleep in a chair."
"I know there are, but I'm not leaving you right now."
Ketch just rolled his eyes and smiled. Mick was still tired so it didn't take long for him to fall asleep again, and Ketch fell asleep shortly afterwards despite his attempts to stay awake.
After discussing with each other what to do next, Sam and Dean decided they needed to talk to Mick about his long term plans. He wasn't in his room so they searched for him. When they found him curled up on an uncomfortable chair in Ketch's room Sam wasn't sure if they should wake him.
Dean decided to wake him though because they needed to talk. They got Mick to follow them into the library away from the still sleeping Ketch.
"We let you sleep here, so now you're going to tell us what the hell's going on." Dean demanded.
"Okay. Ketch nearly died after he killed our boss instead of me. A long time ago, he was brainwashed and programmed by the Men of Letters so he would do whatever they asked him without question. Him breaking that and going against a direct order meant that he'd die. But Toni helped save him. It'll be tough but he'll recover." Mick explained.
"So, what's your plan now?" Sam asked.
"Help him recover and then, eventually, get rid of the Men of Letters if we can."
"We will help with the Men of Letters and let you stay here if you help with the Nephilim." Sam offered.
"We will help with Lucifer and the Nephilim" Mick agreed.
"Lucifer? He's in the cage" Dean responded.
"You don't know? He's free because of Crowley." He told them.
"Son of a bitch" Dean said.
"Thanks to the Men of Letters, we know a lot of stuff that can be useful to you."
Sam and Dean started bickering about what to do with Crowley, so Mick decided he should leave the room and he made some food, taking it into Ketch's room and waking him. The two of them ate together and Mick told him what he had discussed with the Winchesters. He asked if Ketch wanted to speak to them himself but Ketch refused. The two of them were talking when Sam came to check on them.
"Are you alright? Do you need anything?"
Ketch went quiet the second Sam walked in and wouldn't even look at him.
"Some books to pass the time would be nice" Mick said. Sam left the room and came back a minute later with a stack of books from the library. The two of them read in comfortable silence until nightfall, only stopping for food and drink and the occasional bathroom break.
That night, Mick once again slept in the chair in Ketch's room and was woken again by his nightmares. He woke Ketch and it took a minute for his breathing to get back to normal.
"You want to talk this time?" Mick asked.
"When I was being controlled, it was like I was drowning. The real me was trapped and I couldn't get out. I was dreaming that I was drowning again, but not in water. In the blood of the people they made me kill."