Title: To Kill a Unicorn
Author: valeskathesilverwolf
Characters: Dean, Sam, Castiel, Bobby, Balthazar
Genre: Mystery/Drama, gen
Summary: It's essentially just a horse with a long horn right? Nothing much to worry about...I'm almost one-hundred percent positive…almost.
Dean's day could not have become any better than this. The brothers pulled into the Shady Oak Motel around 2 a.m. They had just returned from taking out an entire vampire nest in southern Oregon, and they were beat. Sam said he would get a room, as Dean heaved himself out of his baby and took in the sights. Just a couple of other cars pulled into the parking lot, which Dean considered a win. The more privacy the better. He'd get a couple of hours sleep and go looking for some breakfast in the morning while Sam slept. His now re-souled little brother seemed to be needing the catch-up on the year and a half he didn't sleep at all. Of course he didn't really remember it, and Dean wasn't going to bring it up.
Sam had been doing better over the weeks. Despite the momentary lapse when hell broke through, but he hadn't recovered from that. All Dean really had to worry about now was going to places that Robo-Sam had been. If something strong broke through- he doubt Sam could take another blow like that.
"Okay room 24, believe it or not I got us king-sized beds." Sam approached Dean, with a tired grin on his face. Dean clapped him on the shoulder and they opened their new home away from home. It was actually pretty clean, considering all the places they had slept over the years. There was a bathroom, a couple of chairs, a couch, and...oh holy shit!
"They've got a plasma!" Dean exclaimed, excitedly. Sam just gave him a look that clearly said they weren't going to be here long enough to be enjoying the pleasures of TV.
"There's also supposed to be a fridge around here." Sam said, dropping his bags on the left-most bed and headed to the bathroom.
"That reminds me, we're almost out of hunter's helper. I'll have to pick some more up tomorrow." Dean said, throwing his bag down, throwing out the hex bags, and landed on the bed. "Oh yeah, Imma get me a good sleep tonight."
"Try to keep it in your pants will you." Sam shouted from the bathroom. Dean knew the bastard was grinning to himself in the mirror.
"At least I can. Bitch."
"Jerk." Dean chuckled and closed his eyes letting the darkness take him inside.
It wasn't the sunlight that woke Dean up in the early, , Dean would have preferred that it would be sunlight outside. No, It was the sound of flapping, of which Dean immediately recognized belonged to an angel. There was only one angel Dean knew that would wake him up at the crack of dawn. "Cas?"
"Hello Dean."
Dean glanced at the clock and groaned. "Cas, you do realize it's six right? Six in the morning. We only got four hours of sleep, come on man!"
Sam stirred on the other bed. He blinked his eyes several times and his brows wrinkled in confusion. "Cas?"
"I apologize for it being so early, but this couldn't wait." Explained Cas.
Dean sat up and turned on the lamp beside the bed, rubbing his face. He looked at Cas in the light and frowned. The angel looked a hell of a lot more rumpled than they had left him a few weeks ago. The trench coat was all out of whack and the damn tie was even more crooked. "You look like crap, man."
"It's been a very...trying week." Cas stated, sitting back into one of the chairs, which was a cause of worry for Dean, because Cas never sat down.
"I can tell dude. What have you been doing up there, riding bulls?"
"It's what I've come to talk to you about." He paused for a moment and looked as if he was struggling to say something. "I need your help."
Oh, It was this again...
"I thought we already did this song and dance a couple of months ago, Cas? It was when you first fluttered your ass down here." Dean snapped, not really in the mood to deal with angels and their civil wars.
"I remember Dean, but unfortunately I actually have to acquire your help more than just that." Cas snapped out, irritated by Dean.
Sam sat up and stretched, trying to find a good place to interrupt in the argument. "What's the problem Cas? Is it the war?"
"It's always the goddamned war! It's all he talks about nowadays." Dean yelled, making Sam flinch.
"It's not about the war actually." Cas said, quietly. Both Sam and Dean's heads snapped over to look at the angel.
"Then what the hell is it?" Dean asked, watching as Cas gave a sigh.
"Something besides angels is...killing angels."
"Wait, what?" Sam jumped off the bed. "I thought only an angel could kill another angel."
"I killed Zachariah, and I'm not an angel." Dean pointed out.
"But you killed him with an angel sword. These angels that have been murdered haven't been assaulted with a sword. We no idea what killed them." Cas admitted.
"How many have been killed?" Sam asked Cas, watching as a dark look passed over his face.
"Seven so far. Three of Raphael's soldiers and four of mine. The attacks have been at complete random and have been at completely different places."
"Seven angels murdered. Sounds familiar doesn't it. You're not going to ask me to torture someone are you?" Dean asked.
Cas flinched and looked like he had been slapped. He really didn't need a reminder of that."No of course not. I told you that I would have given anything for you not to have done that, Dean." Cas pleaded with Dean.
"All right it was just a joke, don't get your feathers so rumpled. Do you have any idea what could be doing this?"
"Is it another weapon?" Sam asked.
"I've discussed the problem with Balthazar and he assured me he hasn't sold anymore weapons. He says he has them all." Said Cas.
"And you believed him?" Asked Dean. "He was the one the stole the weapons in the first place. What makes you think it's beneath him to go around killing a few angels?"
Cas stood up, an anger burning in his eyes. "Balthazar may be a lot of things, but he isn't a murderer! Even so he wouldn't have killed Soph...I trust him. Is that enough for you?" The angel challenged.
Dean stood back and nodded. He might have been in a dickish mood, buyt he wasn't trying upset Cas. "You said you needed our help, so what do you want us to do?"
"I need you and Sam to try and figure out what is killing the angels."
"You want us to find that out? By ourselves? There is no way Cas."
"Dean please-"
Dean sighed and shook his head. "I want to help you out Cas, but we've got so much on our plate right now. We've been workings our asses off non-stop. We can't deal with any more right now. Besides you're the big boss in heaven now, just get one of your soldiers to do it."
"They need to focus on fighting. I'll find time to take care of it myself." Cas said disappointedly, turning to fly away.
"Hey- wait a minute!" Dean protested. "You're going to go after this thing by yourself?"
Cas titled his head in confusion. "Yes, Dean, we just discussed this."
"But whatever this is, it's killing angels. You're an angel, so won't it come after you?" Asked Dean. He was starting to worry that Cas was going to go off and get himself into trouble.
"It is a very likely possibility, but it must be stopped." Cas stated firmly, locking eyes with Dean. "I must return."
Dean stopped Cas from flying off with a hand on his shoulder. The angel turned to look at his charge. "Just be careful, Cas."
"I will." He disappeared from sight and with it came Dean's worry. He was starting wish that he had agreed to help, but it was just the fact that him and Sam were running on empty lately. The last thing they needed to deal with was some angels that could give a rat's ass if they were alive or not.
"I'm going to try and go back to sleep." Sam said, yawning. He looked at his brother staring into space and sighed. "Dean, Cas can take care of himself. Get some sleep for a change."
"You're right…I'm just worried that the son of a bitch is going to do something stupid. Dean admitted. He had a habit of doing that lately.
"If you're that worried about him, then let's call him back and take the case. I'm fine with it, and if he needs our help-"
"We've got too much to deal with already. Cas is a big boy, he can handle it." Dean said, falling back into bed. Sam did the same and in no time was in the land of dreams. Dean, however, was still wide awake; thinking about a certain angel.
The creature was near, Castiel knew that much. He could sense it nearby. With his sword drawn he carefully began scouting the area. It was a moist, dark forest somewhere in the northern United States. The air was uncomfortably cold, and Castiel could feel the night air prickle on his skin, making the hair on the back of his neck rise up. Almost as if it was warning of the danger nearby.
Crack!
He just barely heard it. If he had been human his ears wouldn't have been able to pick up the sound. Something was moving around him. He reached out with his senses, but found them to be…blocked.
The creature rushed at him out of the darkness. He had no time to move, even with his angelic powers. Pain seared throughout his abdomen. He cried out in pain, pain he wasn't use to feeling. He knew if he didn't so something fast he would be, what Dean would say, fucked.
Dean!
That was it. He homed in on his charge's location and took flight. His body slid of the horn with a sickening wet sound. He left behind only his blood staining the pure white creature.