Disclaimer: We do not own Supernatural or the Dark-Hunters. We just enjoy making up stories.

Chapter Four

Leaning against his staff, the goth leader of the Dark-Hunters watched as the golden dust that had been a daimon only moments ago drift away with the wind. There was a shifting in the world around him, in its very fabric and he could feel it. The feeling had him on edge. What was worse was that he couldn't see anything. He was blinded to the future for the first time in a very long time.

That should have comforted him, not set him on edge as it did.

Ash shifted and looked around the alley, making sure that nothing was left untouched by his gaze before he started back towards the lighted streets. Something had happened last night. Something that he knew would change the world forever. He knew it had happened somewhere in New Orleans, but he had yet to figure out what it was. Of course, with this much being hidden from him, it could only mean one thing. And that was not something that the Dark-Hunter was willing to dwell on.

Dismissing his staff, the Dark-Hunter stepped out into the light. Ash had to ignore all of the people who noticed him, some stopping to simply stare at him. He knew what he looked like and he knew it wasn't really his looks that drew people. They would have all run in fear if they knew what he really was and what he could do. Instead they stared at him longingly despite the black and red hair that fell around his face and the black clothes that screamed anti-social.

At least they didn't bother him as he started down the street trying to decide what he should do next. He had to check in with the others in town of course. There was too much going on for any of them to be silent for any period of time. At least this wasn't like last time when Styxx had showed up. A shudder ran down the man's spine at the memory. Never would be too soon to see that bastard again, no matter the relationship between them in the past or in the future.

His phone went off in his pocket and Ash considered ignoring it for two seconds before he pulled it out and actually checked the number. "Hit me," he answered quickly wondering what it was that Jean-Luc wanted. At least this one was one of his more practical hunters. He actually chose to try and figure out shit on his own before he ever called Ash. Of course that did have it's downsides as well. He was hoping this wasn't one of those times.

"We might have a problem," the former pirate admitted. "I have a human here who just took out a Daimon with a gun."

"A gun?" Ash paused in the middle of the street, ignoring the shock that it caused as people were forced to move around him.

"Oui," Jean -Luc affirmed. "And the little asshole shot me too. Twice. Now usually I'd just kill him and be done with it but I figured-"

Ash was only half listening to the Dark-Hunter as he moved off the street again and to another alley before he used the open phone line to locate the Dark-Hunter and flashed to the alleyway that the two men were currently occupying.

"You're calling your boss at a time like this?" a human male demanded from his place on the ground. Jean-Luc stood over the male with on booted hoof pressed down on the man's chest while the other held the phone to his ear."

Jean-Luc glared down at the human. "Yes, it-Oh, shit Ash! Can't you warn a man when you're going to do that?" he demanded.

Ash smirked, a hint of fang showing through as he shrugged. "A man has to have his fun," he granted with a shrug. "As you obviously are," he pointed out as he surveyed the Dark-Hunter. He had been shot twice, once in the chest and once in the stomach. Ash could only imagine how badly that hurt. "You should go home and call your Dream-Hunter. Let me deal with this one."

The former pirate hesitated looking both hopeful and uncertain. "You sure boss?" he asked. "I can-"

"Go," Ash ordered. "I can handle one human on my own." Jean-Luc hesitated a moment longer before he nodded reluctantly. Ash watched the former pirate retreat and waited a little while longer before he turned his full attention on the human.

At least, he thought that the man in front of him was a human. Honestly, the leader of the Dark-Hunters wasn't sure. There was something...off about the man. Something that marked him as different as if he didn't quite belong in this world. It was easily enough to have Ash on edge. "So why don't you show me your gun?"

The man snorted, his finger brushing along the trigger as he eyed Ash. "I'll pass thanks."

A smirk curled Ash's lips as he shook his head. "I don't think you understand. The question mark at the end of the sentence was simply me pretending to be polite. You'll show me that gun."

The man tsked as he shook his head. "Sorry, I don't really take orders from anyone, including a douchebag who wears sunglasses in the middle of the night."

Honestly it was like dealing with most of his Dark-Hunters, lots of pride and the inability to remember why threatening someone more powerful than you was a bad idea. But it wasn't as if he could tell the human what he actually was. No, he had to go about this all a different way. "What happened when you shot that Daimon?"

"What?" the human couldn't have sounded more startled if Ash had grown two heads.

Ash crossed his arms and looked down at the man. "What happened when you shot the Daimon?"

"You mean the vampire that I killed?" the man asked.

A smirk tugged as the corner of Ash's lip and he nodded. "Yeah, that thing. As much as I harass them, my boys aren't that easily spooked."

"Maybe you'd like to find out first hand," the man said bringing up the gun and resting it on his shoulder.

The leader of the Dark-Hunters silently weighed his options. He could just walk away and leave the human alone but there was this little feeling like the kind when you forget to turn the light off at home and you just don't know what you forgot. He couldn't just walk away. And for some reason, this human was being obstinate. "I'm really trying to be nice about this," Ash finally said with a sigh.

The human smirked. "Look pal, I don't know you. I don't trust you. By rights, I should be finding a way to kill you right now, not chatting with you."

Ash couldn't help but laugh at that last comment, a very dark, rich sound "Good luck with that," he said half-growling. "Now, why don't you just tell me what happened when you killed the vampire."

There were several seconds of tense silence as the two men surveyed each other before the human finally shrugged and allowed the hand to fall down to his side, the gun simply hanging in his fingers. "It crumbled into black and red dust."

Ash stared at the human for several moments not quite believing what he had just heard. He had never heard of such a thing happening and it made him more than just a little uneasy. Allowing himself to reach into the pull and sway of the world, he used a part of his powers that he rarely admitted to as he tried to find something, anything to explain what was going on. But all he could feel was discord and uncertainty. History was rewriting itself with each moment. The future was uncertain.

And this male was part of the reason why. "Well, so much for leaving you to the squires," Ash muttered darkly. It just really wasn't his night.