AN: Sorry the first part was a bit slow, kinda setting the ground work for this crossover to go smoothly. Time for a history lesson! And thanks for the reviews. As always, I do not own either series.
Chapter 2
Gabriel turned from the shelves with several books loaded up into his arms. He dumped them onto a hastily cleared spot on Bobby's desk and blew a cloud of dust off their covers as he handed them out to each hunter present.
"They are called The Swords of the Cross." Gabriel explained. "Alternatively these swords are in the possession of a group of men known as the Knights of the Cross or Sword. Each sword contains a nail from the crucifixion in its hilt. They were made to battle the Blackened Denarius."
Bobby frowned. "Denarius? That's an old Roman coin." He stated.
"Yes." Gabriel confirmed as he looked through his stack. "The Denarians are actually thirty fallen angels bound to the thirty pieces of silver used to buy off Judas." He picked up one tome and opened it, flipping through pages with certainty until he came across one. "After the betrayal and the crucifixion, it was decided that the iron nails, touched by the blood of the Son would be a weapon against Fallen Angels."
He set the open book down and pointed to the illustration. It was a woodcarving of a sword set into a large stone. "This is one of them."
Dean leaned over the book before his lip curled in a smirk. "You're kidding right?" He looked up. "That's freaking Excalibur. That sword doesn't exist, Arthur and Camelot was a crude story about some guy name Uthur."
Sam's brow knitted together and he looked up at his brother with a confused expression. Dean caught it in the corner of his eye and suddenly appeared appalled. "What? I'm not allowed to know Arthurian lore?"
"No…it's just…I had no idea you paid that much attention in history class." Sam announced.
The elder Winchester's moment of glory passed and a glint of cold challenge flashed in his eyes. Gabriel planted his hand firmly against the older brother's chest. "You going to pay attention? I don't have all night."
Dean appeared pacified, but that didn't mean there wasn't some form of retaliation in Sam's foreseeable future. Bobby had by now taken the book though and was looking over the text that went with the woodcarving.
"Amoracchius is the more well know of the three swords." Gabriel continued. "The other two are Fidelacchius and Esperacchius."
"Swords of Love, Faith, and Hope." Sam translated out loud. "Each ones belongs to a Knight?"
The archangel nodded. "The Knights of the Cross are the sword bearers. They are men, sometimes women, who best embody the will of the swords they are destine to carry."
"Mortal men and women?" Dean interjected.
"Yes. Mortal. No angelic assistance or supervision required." Gabriel replied. "As long as you use the sword for its intended purpose and not in an act that defies the nature of the respective blade, these swords are the answer to your useless Colt."
The Winchesters looked up to each other, holding a private conversation without words between them while Bobby continued to look over the tome. He had scrawled a few notes and was now digested his data.
"Where are they?" Bobby asked, setting the book down and crossing his arms over his chest.
Gabriel waited until he had the full attention of the brothers. "Chicago."
It was Dean's turn to be confused along with everyone else. "Chicago?" He repeated. "What the hell…"
"The last known location of two of the swords is Chicago." Gabriel nodded. "I heard through the grape vine that the Knight of Faith died several years ago and the sword has yet to pass to another. The Knight of Love was badly wounded last winter and has since left the sword in the custody of the same man who has Fidelacchius."
"Two swords." Sam said, eyes widen in surprise. "No Knights? It's the end of the world and you have only one sword in play?"
Gabriel shrugged. "Hey, I don't call the shots. Last I knew, the guy holding on to the swords was supposed to find replacements. Not my fault he dropped the ball on that one."
"Who is this guy?" Dean demanded.
Gabriel smiled a little bit and reached back to the stack of books. After a moment he produced one of the many volumes Bobby kept of yellow pages from across different parts of the country. "You're going to love this." He said and opened the book up. He set it down with a firm thunk, letting motes of dust curl out from under it.
He jabbed at the page with a finger. "That's the guy." He announced.
Sam leaned forward, his brows touching in curiosity. His eyes widen a little in surprise and he started to speak, but nothing came out. He couldn't decide whether to be confused or surprised.
"Huh." The youngest Winchester grunted, leaning back now with his hands raised to his hips and his jaw working in thought. Bobby turned the book to himself and started to read.
"Harry Dresden, Wizard, Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties or Other Entertainment."
Dean reached out and snatched the yellow pages out of the older hunter's hands to read it himself. "You have got to be kidding me!" He declared, looking at it for himself. It wasn't long before his expression mirrored Sam's. He looked up over the edge of the book at the archangel smiling smugly at them.
"Told ya you were going to love this." He said.
----
"How the hell does a god damn wizard get away with putting an ad in the yellow pages and we go this long without noticing it?" Dean turned from the work table where he was in the middle of filling canvas bags with fresh goofer dust. "I mean, what was the guy thinking? Does he know that there are people like us who go out of our way to kill guys like him?"
"Maybe he is legit." Sam offered from his seat on the cot, nursing a bottle of beer that was hanging from fingers between his knees. "We don't go into cities very often Dean, and the last time we were in Chicago…we barely got out with our lives."
Dean bit into his lip, thinking before returning to his work. He opened up another bag and started to pour the contents of another bowl into it. The panic room fell into silence, with only the sound of sifting powder and the turning of the overhead fan could be heard.
"Dean—" Sam began.
"I don't want to talk about it." The hunter said automatically.
Sam huffed in reply. He rolled his head back and smacked it against the salt coated iron walls and listened to the sound echo through the room. "What are we going to do about—"
"I don't know."
The hazel eyed hunter cast his brother a look, which did nothing since it was met with the barrier of the other man's broad shoulders and back. Dean finished bagging the dust and was now pulling the little device to pack shells across the table.
"Alright fine. You don't want to talk, you can listen." Sam sat up, careful not to spill the rest of his beer in the process as he planted his feet on the floor. "You haven't slept more than four hours in the last three days. You've shut yourself up down here, and it's plain to see that your back to having nightmares about Hell again…" His lips pulled tighter into frown. "Dean…"
Dean let go of the reloader, his hands now gripping the edges of the workbench until his knuckles started to turn white.
"You…you and Jo…"
"Shut up, Sam." The command was barely a whisper within the walls of the panic room.
Sam looked up at Dean's tight shoulders, hunkered down, and arms taunt with a vice like grip. He swallowed nervously and looked away with a quiet sigh.
They remained there in silence, listening to the sound of the fan turning in the vent overhead. There was a slight snuffing, were Dean managed to pull his hand away from the workbench to wipe at his face. Sam cast him a quick glance, but said nothing about it.
----
It was Friday morning when Harry woke to the sound of his phone ringing in the kitchen and Mouse whining worriedly from the edge of his bed. Harry crawled out from under the warm covers and into the chilly morning, answering the phone with a rough 'Hello'.
"Have you heard yet?" Thomas demanded.
Harry found the grogginess of sleep depart at the sound of his brother's voice. "Heard what?" He asked.
"Something happened. Something very bad happened, Harry."
A sense of panic washed through him. If Thomas was calling in a panic there were a million reasons for Harry himself to be concerned. There were few things that, where Thomas was concerned, ranked under his qualifications of the most horrible event happening on earth.
Harry thought for sure the White Court of Vampires had finally figured out Lara's ruse, or that Justine was dead…or Thomas had been caught killing someone with his Hunger. A million little things went through his head.
"Harry, I just heard a god damn nuclear bomb when off in Missouri somewhere."
Harry blinked in surprise for a moment. "The Korean's are finally invading?"
"No! Not that kind of bomb!" Thomas answered hotly. "I mean something…someone in the supernatural community just wiped a town clean off the map."
"What?" Harry asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Lara got a phone call just a few minutes ago. Everyone in the house is awake. Justine rushed in telling me that one of the family's connections just heard about—"
Harry looked up as a heavy thunder came from his dented steel door. "Hold on Thomas." He said and put the receiver down. The wizard stared at the door before reached out into the living room area and lighting his candles with a spell. As he neared the door, Harry reached down into the popcorn can and lifted a shotgun and his blasting rod out of it.
"Warden Dresden!" A rushed and out of breath English voice called. "Dresden! It's Steed! Open up!"
Harry reached for the door, opening it enough to look out. He wasn't stupid enough to release his wards.
"Steed?" Harry replied, blinking out into the gray morning light. It was barely even dawn yet.
"Warden Dresden," Steed cleared his throat. He reached up to his top hat and pulled it off. "Dresden, have you heard yet?"
Harry frowned at Steed for a moment, noting the look of terror that appeared to be in the man's eyes. "Did something really bad happen in Missouri?" He guessed.
The well-dressed Warden swallowed nervously with a curt nod. "Harry, this might be worse than Archangel."
