3 : The Hardy Boys Close In
"We're going to need to stop for gas," Dean announced as the gauge flashed angrily, "There should be one just up the road here."
"We already stopped once though!" Castiel chimed in worriedly from the back seat.
"Yeah, well sometimes a single tank isn't enough." Dean explained.
A gaudy wooden tourist sign whizzed by, unnoticed in the darkness, "Welcome to Oregon" it read.
"Dean," Sam cautioned as they pulled into the station.
"What is it?" Dean asked, glancing around the unusually busy lot as he parked in front of the pump.
"Demons."
"You sure? How do you know?"
"I can feel it. Check the couple to the left," Sam said, pointing to a pair of young girls loitering by the vending machines, "And those three under the streetlamp…"
"Well there's way too many pedestrians to go in guns-blazing," Dean observed, "We'll have to deal with the bastards around back."
Sam nodded and unhooked his combat knife, concealing it in his pocket as he ducked out of the car along with Dean.
Dean lingered a moment longer to pay the gas-attendant.
"Cas, stay in the car," he ordered before clicking the lock.
The pair approached the main building together, surveying the scene meticulously as they went. They passed close to the men squatting beneath the streetlamp before angling around the mini-store to the back. Out of his peripheral Sam watched the demons exchange a look and rise intimidatingly to follow. Once out of sight behind the wall, the pair turned quickly and drew their weapons.
Dean caught the first one by surprise, sinking his blade into the demon's chest as he rounded the corner. He let out a gargling noise before collapsing to the ground, a black cloud exploding from his mouth. The other two snarled angrily and charged forward.
Sam took on the larger man, blocking his attacks in rapid succession before landing a punch to his head. The demon staggered, tripping backward over the one Dean had just brought down. Sam kicked his legs from underneath him, sending him to the ground before going in for a final slash across his midriff.
A small crowd of demons rounded the building just then, following the noise of the commotion.
"Damn, where'd they all come from?" Dean grunted as the remaining demon swung a heavy right arm at him and he was forced to duck.
Taking advantage of the opening, Dean placed a stab in the man's gut. The demon doubled over, blood spurting from the wound before the black cloud blossomed out of the corpse.
Cas appeared beside him, blade in hand,
"Damn it, Cas! I told you to stay put."
The number of demons circling menacingly around them had grown to a small horde. The three combatants drew closer together, anticipating the rush attack. The demon prowling nearest to Sam was equipped with a small axe and Dean prepared himself to intercept the blow before it ever reached him. But glancing over his opposite shoulder, Cas wasn't exactly in a good position either and the current numbers put them at five to one odds.
Dipshit. Why couldn't he have stayed in the car like I told him to?
Before Dean could act however, a small female demon lunged at his leg. He parried her easily, avoiding the blow and grabbing her arm instead, hurling her past him. A well placed elbow to the back of her head finished the job and left her immobile on the ground.
Meanwhile, the axe-wielding demon had set upon Sam, slashing wildly through the air as he advanced.
"Sam!" Dean yelled.
Cas reappeared behind the demon and slit his throat, causing the body to crumple. The rest of the horde all seemed to hesitate then, exchanging fearful glances before scurrying away in all directions.
"What the hell?"
Dean and Sam watched, baffled, as the horde dispersed.
"They're not running from us." Castiel stated curtly.
"What?" Sam furrowed his brow, "What are they running fr-"
Sam was cut short by a deafening booming noise that reverberated through the air. Out of nowhere the ground started to shake, causing the building behind them to shift and rattle. They watched, gripping each other for balance as the earth trembled below their feet, while the whole foundation of the mini-store seemed to quake back and forth precariously.
Several minutes passed in which the three could do nothing but watch in complete helplessness and the world around them convulsed and sputtered. Eventually the chaos died down and the only noise left was the distant blaring of car alarms and the wailing of sirens. Castiel slid to the ground, hands grabbing his head tightly.
"What the hell was that?"
"Cas! You okay?"
Castiel groaned and allowed Sam to help him to his feet, "Yes, I'm fine. But can you feel that?"
"Feel what?"
"The power emanating…" he trailed off, "It must have been the source of the quake."
"Shit. You mean this thing we're chasing caused this?" Dean looked around the dark lot to inspect the damage.
"On the plus side though, we know exactly where to go from here. All we need to do is track the power to it's source."
"Do you think there will be more quakes?" Sam asked as the group headed back around to the front.
"There no way to tell. I can feel the power fluctuating though. My guess is she's highly unstable right now."
"She?"
"Yes. The aura is most definitely female."
The three emerged into the front lot, where the gas pumps were illuminated under fluorescent lights, still intact. Sam and Cas stood frozen as they took in the scene before them.
"NO!" Dean wailed hysterically, sprinting toward his car, which had been partially buried in cement chunks from the collapsed station cover.
"Fucking hell I just- I just finished… Jesus Christ… I'll kill… goddamn it… my car!"
Sam and Cas finally regained movement, though they kept fearfully silent as they rushed to help Dean uncover his Impala from the rubble.