"Why did we agree to this Dean?" Sam said, pulling his brother aside as everyone else shuffled into another room to most likely talk about them. "We don't even know who these people are, if their telling the truth…that whole story Lydecker told is a little far-fetched, don't you think?"
"Yea, I did think it was a little off. I honestly didn't think dad would pull something like that…but what else do we have to go on?" Dean replied with a heavy sigh. All this information they were being fed was giving him a migraine. He rubbed his head to try and shake it off. "I still say we do it"
Sam cocked an eyebrow. In his opinion they should just continue this search without this Lydecker guys help. There were just so many things that could go wrong with a job like this, besides the obvious. They didn't know anything about this artifact they were meant to recover. It could be so powerful and dangerous that they might pray for death at the end. Dean had to understand that there was more at stake then just finding dad. Dean tended to block the consequences from his brain and jump into a job head first.
"Don't give me that look Sam" Dean said, reading Sams mind. "I'm doing this. I'm finding Dad…with or without you"
"What," Sam sniffed "and get killed? I don't think so…I'm coming too. I'm just telling you maybe we should have thought it through a bit more"
Dean stared at Sam for a moment as if trying to figure him out on some level. But it didn't take long for him to be back to his cocky self again "it's a good thing you're coming too. If not, I may have had to kill that Alec dude"
"Or at least try before he bashed your head in with something" Sam said with a laugh "he is, after all, a genetically empowered version of you"
Dean shot Sam a sarcastic grin before a huge arm fell over his shoulders. "Is the other Alec ok?" Joshua, the dog-man, asked in a hushed, gentile voice. He had been watching Dean like a hawk since he walked in the door, but this was the first time he actually did something besides growl at him.
"I'm not Alec" Dean replied just as gentile. Last thing he needed was to piss of a 7 foot tall genetically enhanced dog-man. He held out his hand to Joshua "Call me Dean, big guy"
Joshua grinned widely, happily took Dean's hand, and shook frantically "Joshua, I'm Joshua!" Joshua then turned to Sam and, mimicking Dean, held out his hand "Call me Joshua"
Sam had to laugh. This guy was a big teddy bear…with large teeth…but a teddy bear none-the-less. He took Joshuas hand "Sam" he said.
"Joshua understands about you two" Joshua said after releasing Sams hand.
"You do?" Dean asked "how is that?"
"I was looking…still am looking for my father" Joshuas face had grown sullen and sad.
"I'm sorry" Dean said softly "why can't you get that Lydecker guy to help you like he is helping us?"
Joshua shook his head "no, he would not help me anyway…"
Sam saw that the situation had grown depressing. Joshua looked as if he would cry any second. He decided to change the subject. "Hey, why don't we go see what's up in the other room…I'm sure they are just dying to include us in everything" he said, not hiding the sarcasm in his voice.
"Yea, I bet" Dean replied, just as sarcastically.
-----
"How long have you known about him!" Alec said angrily "I mean…I have a clone that I never knew about that isn't even Manticore!"
"Actually, you're his clone…he is approximately 5 years older then you" Lydecker corrected
"That's not the point!" Alec shot back
"Alec, seriously, how would he have been able to tell you anyway" Logan cut in "he wasn't even your CO and you were in Manticore up to a year ago"
"Well, someone could have told me" Alec said, resigning himself to sulking with his arms folded across his chest.
"Would that be between brainwashing and drills or torture and lunch?" Max chided and Alec just continued to sulk.
"Hey," Dean said from the doorway, Sam and Joshua in toe "can we be included in the conversation…or would you like to talk about us some more?"
"Yea! What other Alec said!" Joshua jumped in
Dean turned to him "Its Dean dude"
"Oh, right…What Dean said!" he corrected.
"Yes, do join us" Lydecker said, sending one last fruitless look at Alec who was still moping but at least unfolded his arms. "I haven't briefed anyone yet"
He waited for Dean, Sam and Joshua to take seats before continuing "a few years ago, before Manticore was even a glimmer of the imagination, I came across a book. There was really nothing special about it: simple, leather bound, full of pages. The one odd thing was that it was written in a language that no one had seen for 5000 years. You can imagine the adventure I had trying to translate it. Eventually I did manage to translate the writing and what I saw was amazing; detailed instructions and rituals for creating the perfect human being. Whites snake cult came across a similar book, but they only got bits and pieces, basically, the cliffs notes version. So, along with Sandamen and his people, I helped establish Manticore using the information contained in this book"
"Are you saying Manticore was founded on some bologna ritualistic book?" Alec shot "that sounds a little off, Deck"
"Well, you didn't think Manticore was all bells and whistles and DNA splicing, did you?"
Alec looked like he wanted to say something else, but opted to hold his tongue.
"What does this have to do with us?" Dean asked, rather confused "aside from the rituals, there isn't anything supernatural about it. It sounds like you just need someone to go in and get it"
"That's where you are wrong," Lydecker replied "aside, from the fact it is a book, it is also cursed. It is said to be possessed with the souls of those who have tried and failed to follow the instructions to the hilt. They protect it, they make sure nothing happens to the book, and they are an integral part of making the rituals work. When you find the book, I want you and your brother to exorcise it, make sure the cult cannot use it to their advantage. Get rid of the fire, and you have no smoke…catch my drift"
Dean nodded and looked at Sam who still had an air of uncertainty about him. "An exorcism? On an object? Dean, that's going to be difficult"
"Yea, it is. But I'm sure there is something in dads journal about it" Dean said "objects can hold spiritual attachment. I'm sure dad had to come across one at some point"
"Yea, but were talking multiple spirits, not just one. Not only that, but they are most likely pissed off to boot. I think, if we are going to do this right, we need to find a stronger exorcism ritual, maybe talk to a priest or preferably a bishop"
Dean nodded in agreement and turned back to Lydecker "will you allow us some time to do research?"
"I will give you 24 hours" Lydecker answered "the longer we wait, the more time white and his cult have to put the pieces together"
Alec raised his hand as if in a classroom "hey, I have a question…you said this would be bad for our kind. How? If it's just a way to perfect the human being, then how can it be dangerous to us?"
"In order to perfect one species, you must wipe out the competition. It contains instructions for a curse on a specific group of people, or rather, genocide on the spiritual level. Though, I have no idea if it works, do you really want to take the chance given whites hatred of your kind?"
Alec remained quiet.
"Where and when do we go?" Max asked. She had been listening intently to Lydeckers story and getting her take on it. He was right; it really wasn't worth taking a chance.
"Give Dean and Sam time to find a working exorcism, so you have 24 hours. As for the location, I cannot help you there. The cult is notoriously secretive. Even with my best contacts working on it, I have had little luck tracking them down."
"Maybe I can help you with that." Logan jumped in "I can get Eyes Onlys people on it"
"That would be great, Logan. In the mean time, Alec and I will do some recon, see what info we can dig up" Max said.
"Wonderful" Dean said "Sam, we should start looking"
Dean and Sam stood up and headed for the door before they was called back by Lydecker. "Meet back here in 24 hours"
Dean and Sam nodded and headed out the door to the dark and rain-slicked Seattle streets. Something told them that this was going to be a hell of a lot more difficult then they had anticipated.
