SuperWhoLock
Chapter 10 - Murphy was Right
"You're kidding me. That's it?" Dean asked incredulously, nodding to the blue Police Box parked innocently under a tree next to a park bench.
"It's…" Sam started to say something but Crowley cut him off.
"Less than you expected? Well, that's the same thought I had about you two, first time we met." Crowley said nonchalantly. "Only difference is this box fulfills expectations and more given the time. So stow your criticism until you've seen what it can do."
The Winchesters exchanged unconvinced glances.
"So what's the plan?" Dean asked the demon.
"Plan? Do we need one? This is one of the good guys we're talking about. If you're on the same side, you're all decidedly civil." Crowley said waving a hand airily. "You want a plan? Go and knock on his door and say, 'Hello, I'm sorry for pissing you off somehow. Let's be friends so we don't all die later on.'"
"I'm not so sure…" Sam started, eyeing the TARDIS warily. "He did put a bomb in our car instead of talking to us…" but the Crowley suddenly held up a hand stopping him. The demon suddenly looked very tense.
"What is it?" Dean asked quickly, catching on to the fact that something was wrong.
"Demons." Crowley said quietly, tilting his head slightly as if he could sense them better that way.
"What? How many?" Sam asked, looking around, slightly alarmed.
"Too many." Crowley said, looking angry and nervous at the same time. "They probably tracked me here. They've been following me since…" the demon trailed off frowning. "They're closing in fast. Damn… Okay listen, new plan: I'll try to draw them off. You get the alien."
"But-" Sam started.
"No time to argue Moose. JUST DO IT." Crowley said heatedly, before vanishing from the spot.
The Winchesters watched the spot where he vanished for a second, before turning to each other.
"New plan?" Sam asked his brother with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah. New plan is I'm getting my car back." Dean said with a serious look in his eye as he took off for the box.
"That's almost as bad as Crowley's." Sam muttered.
The Winchesters approached the blue box warily. Neither could see any cameras or surveillance equipment, but then again… aliens…
Though Dean had been back in time on several occasions, he had never gone back in time in the UK. Neither of the Winchesters had even seen a police box before, and they both stopped, intrigued by the sign.
POLICE TELEPHONE
FREE
FOR USE OF
PUBLIC
ADVICE & ASSISTANCE
OBTAINABLE IMMEDIATELY
OFFICER & CARS
RESPOND TO ALL CALLS
PULL TO OPEN
"Well… it does say 'free for use of public'…" Dean nodded to the sign, looking at Sam. The younger Winchester rolled his eyes.
"Let's just get in out as quickly as possible. We are so out of our league here it's not even funny."
"Alright, alright. Don't rush me." Dean said testily. Producing a slim leather sleeve case, he proceeded to examine the lock on the ancient and new blue wooden door. The elder Winchester then selected two tools from his case and began to pick the lock. After a moment there was a small click. Satisfied, Dean pulled out his lock pick and pulled the door. It didn't budge.
"Maybe you locked it instead of unlocking it?" Sam suggested.
"Don't be stupid Sammy." Dean said with a scowl. Turning back to the door he stared at it for a second thinking. Then, on impulse, he reached forward and pushed the door. It swung inward.
"Wow. Misleading sign." Sam noted. Dean gave him a look that mostly translated to, "Please shut up." Then he turned and headed inside, Sam following close behind.
It was of course, like nothing they had ever seen before.
"Oh my god." Sam whispered, not able to help himself. For a moment both Winchesters simply stared at their surroundings, taking it in. The curved room, the platform, the computer. Everything was surreal. Strange yet beautiful.
"It's… really space age…" was all Dean could manage. Sam vaguely nodded, before something caught his eye.
"Dean!" Sam whispered urgently, nodding at the console. Upon following his direction, Dean saw what he was pointing out.
There, sitting in some sort of chair with his feet up, was a face the two Winchesters had learned to recognize. The alien. The Doctor. His jacket was off, hanging folded over a nearby railing. He wore a striped shirt and suspenders, a bowtie and brown leather dress shoes. On his nose perched a pair of old reading glasses. The guy looked rather normal and rather peculiar all at once; it was hard to believe he was the centuries old lord of time Crowley described him to be. At the moment however, the more concerning thing to the Winchesters was the familiar book in his hands.
"Is that…?" Sam asked silently. Dean nodded, feeling something burn inside him as he identified his Dad's journal.
"Forget the journal for now. Let's find baby." Dean whispered to his brother. Sam hesitated, but eventually nodded in agreement.
Keeping their eyes on the curious alien, the Winchester's moved around underneath the platform to an arched doorway. Slipping through, they soon found themselves in a network of passageways and rooms that could only be described as a labyrinth. Going from room to room was equally disorienting as it was fascinating. Among those that they stumbled into, there was a library, a swimming pool, a bowling alley, an aquarium, a closet, and even a room dedicated entirely to the making of Swiss cheese.
"It's a good thing we didn't split up, or we might never have seen each other again." Sam muttered to Dean as he closed the door to kitchen.
"How does he even find his way to anything? I'm actually 256% sure the bowling alley was back down the hallway, across from the library!" Dean said, gesturing to the bowling alley through the door he had just opened.
"Hey Dean come see this." Sam called, ignoring Dean's comment. Grumbling, Dean shut the door to the bowling alley and followed the sound of Sam's voice. As he rounded the corner through the door, he found his brother in a new room with nothing in it except a multitude of framed pictures hanging on the four walls. Each picture held a person, or sometimes the Doctor with a person, or group of people.
"Who are they?" Sam asked no one in particular.
"Friends maybe?" Dean guessed. Looking closer, the seasoned hunter saw that each frame also had a small metal name plate. This particular picture, a middle-aged woman with a younger boy, was labeled Sarah Jane and Luke Smith.
"Hey look at this." Sam called his brother over yet again. The younger Winchester pointed out to Dean a particular picture with a smiling red-head. The label read Amy Pond.
"Huh. Amy Pond. That's a weird coincidence." Dean said. He studied the woman in the picture. It definitely wasn't the Amy he and Sam had tangled with.
"This one's familiar." Sam said, gesturing to another picture. It was the same picture Crowley had shown them before, of him, the Doctor, and two others, one of which Dean now recognized as 'Amy Pond'. This picture read Canton Delaware & the Ponds.
"Well I guess that means Crowley was telling the truth. At least partially." Dean said looking at the picture.
"I wonder… why did he risk his neck helping these people?" Sam thought out loud. He'd never seen Crowley's features in a smile as genuine as in the picture. It made him shiver.
"Who knows? Maybe he figured it was in his best interest to save the world. You know how Crowley operates. He's only got two settings: Survival and Profit." Dean said shrugging. "Come on, we still need to find the car." Sam looked at the picture for a second longer before following his brother.
After stumbling through a few more rooms, the Winchesters finally came to a promising door with a sign labeling it: "The Garage". As Dean enthusiastically pushed through the door, he was rewarded with a sight that lifted his spirits through the roof. The Impala, without a scratch, sat gleaming in the center of this wider room.
"Ahhh, there she is. Baby looks as good as new!" Dean leapt over the railing and strode over to his car to run a hand along the hood.
"How are we supposed to get it out of here?" Sam asked critically, looking around.
"That part of the plan was mainly covered by the word 'Improvisation'." Dean said, glancing at his brother before turning back to his precious vehicle. Sam rolled his eyes and moved around the edge of the car to reach a panel of various controls. He examined it, looking for a solution to their problem. There was a promising red button labeled, "Open Garage". Sam pressed it experimentally, but quickly an error light flashed. "No Space Selected". Confused, Sam looked at the panel and found a selection of switches. Glancing back at the Impala, he saw it was sitting in Parking Space #3. He flipped Switch 3 and pressed the red button again.
Instantly with a buzzer the lights darkened and a red scan began to sweep across Parking Space #3. Dean barely jumped back in time, avoiding the red light. As soon as the beam of light finished its journey across the car's surface, the ship shuddered, and the walls began to rotate vertically all around them, as if the ground was the only thing solid in a rotating chamber.
"Get in the car!" Sam shouted to a very confused Dean. Without too much argument Dean, did so and hurriedly turned the key. As the car started, the sound system also turned itself on, picking up where it had left off. Stevie Ray Vaughan. Very loud. Sam jumped into the shotgun seat as the walls stopped rotating. In front of them was now a familiar set of double doors – the very first pair they had come through when entering the phone box; but they were now on their sides – horizontal. As the ship shuddered again, the doors opened with a snap to reveal the outside world.
"Drive!" Sam yelled to Dean, who, though wide eyed, complied. With a squeal of tires, they were soon through the doors onto a field of grass.
"Where the hell are we?!" Dean asked Sam incredulously. Sam had no answer for him. When they had boarded the blue box they had been in Central Park. Now they seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.
Glancing in the rear view mirror rewarded Dean with a lurching feeling in his gut. The TARDIS, which apparently had been entirely lain on its side, was now rising off the ground and righting itself. It began to turn in an exceptionally ominous fashion, before hurtling after them.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Dean yelled in disbelief, trying to glance at the rear view mirror and drive at the same time. Sam looked equally dumbfounded.
"DAMNIT CROWLEY YOU DIDN'T SAY IT COULD FLY!" Dean shouted in frustration.
"Uh… you may want to step on it Dean, he's gaining!" Sam said worriedly, turned around in his seat to keep eyes on their pursuer.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Dean shouted back. With a sudden impulse, Dean turned the steering wheel hard, and the car turned violently, wheels trying to grasp dirt unsuccessfully. The maneuver worked somewhat successfully though, as the TARDIS shot past them on the Left. Shifting gears, Dean took off again, heading directly towards an old wooden fence that lined the field. Beyond the fence was a road and thick woods on the other side of it.
"I hate to say it, but the box turns better than your car." Sam told Dean, watching as the TARDIS got back on track remarkably quickly.
"Yeah well it's a freakin' SPACE SHIP! What do you expect?! Brace yourself!" Dean said irritably. Both Winchesters steadied themselves as if it was a regular thing and the Impala smashed through the wooden fence and turned, tires screeching on the road.
The TARDIS was much closer now, and still gaining. Even over the music, the Winchesters could hear the whirlwind turning sound it made.
"He's on your tail!" Sam cried urgently to Dean.
"What do you want ME to do about it?!" Dean yelled back. As he glanced back, he nearly had a heart attack. The blue box had not only closed the distance, but it was pulling up beside them.
WHAM
With a horrible crunching sound, the blue box rammed into the side of the Impala, before pulling away again.
"Is he trying to run us off the freakin' road?!" Dean asked incredulously glancing sideways.
WHAM
The box struck the car again, despite Dean's attempts to swerve out of the way.
"DAMNIT I JUST PUT A NEW COAT OF PAINT ON HER!" Dean yelled out the now broken window.
"Dean look out he's coming again!" Sam pointed out. Indeed the blue box was swerving in again. On impulse Dean slammed on the brakes. The TARDIS shot past them into the heavy woods. The Winchesters could hear it snapping trees as it went. Dean put the car in gear again and the Impala shot forward.
As they put distance between and the spot where the TARDIS vanished, they could no longer hear its telltale whirring sound or trees snapping. Sam finally shut off the music so they could listen. There was nothing except the steady growl of the engine.
"Did we lose him?" Dean asked hopefully. As if on cue, the TARDIS burst out of the trees in front of them, and Dean swerved violently, swearing. He barely managed to stay on the road.
"He's turning again. We have maybe a two hundred foot lead now, but he's bound to catch up again." Sam informed Dean.
"Dammit. What now?! Cas we could really use your help here!" Dean shouted desperately.
"He's closing fast." Sam said nervously.
"CAS!" Dean yelled. For a moment there was nothing. Then-
"My god, I swear. I leave you boys alone for five minutes…"
"CROWLEY!" Both Winchesters yelled at the demon. He held up his hands in defense and disappeared.
"He's behind us now!" Sam said to Dean. Dean glanced out the rear view mirror and saw the demon had re-appeared on the road directly behind them.
"DOCTOR!" Crowley yelled, standing defiantly in the middle of the road. Just like that, the flying blue box stopped on a dime, feet from where the demon stood.
Torn between the desire to put distance between them and the alien, and the desire to hear what was being said, Dean finally let the latter win and he slammed on the brakes again, swinging the car around in a 180 to face the hovering box.
"DOCTOR I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!" Crowley yelled again to the unresponsive hovering box. There was a moment of silence in which the only sound that could be heard was the idling engine of the Impala. Then the door of the blue box was wrenched open from the inside.
"Canton?!" The Doctor asked squinting, genuinely confused.
"Long time no see Doctor." Crowley said, nodding a greeting.
"How are you…? How did you… Where did you come from?!" The Doctor tried to phrase his questions but Crowley stopped him.
"It's a long story. I'm afraid I wasn't entirely honest with you during our first meeting." Crowley said in his un-genuinely apologetic fashion.
"Come again?" The Doctor asked stepping out of his ship and approaching Crowley, eyes narrowed.
"Well, you knew me as an undercover member of the Secret Service, right? Well, let's just say I was actually undercover as an undercover member of the Secret Service."
"I don't follow…" The Doctor said, coming up close to Crowley, eyes still narrowed suspiciously. Crowley rolled his eyes, deciding it was time to abandon subtlety.
"I'm a demon. Always have been." He said flat-out.
The Doctor's eyes shot wide open in a shock so obvious that even the Winchesters could see it on his face fifty yards away. Silence reigned for a painful moment.
"No. That's not possible. I would have picked it up." The Doctor said, stepping backwards.
"Well you didn't." Crowley said tersely. "But that's not the reason I'm here. We don't have much time, and there are far FAR more important things to worry about starting with-"
But what the demon intended to say was never heard, for at that exact moment something huge, black, and cube-shaped smashed down like a sprung trap on both the Doctor and Crowley.
Shocked, the Winchesters sat there for a second, not quite believing their eyes. Then they scrambled to get out of their car.
It was a huge black stone cube, made out of who knows what. The sides had a strange patterned circular formation of grooves carved into it. As they approached it, the last of an eerie green light seemed to be fading from the pattern.
"Well. That was remarkably easy." A wry voice sounded. The Winchesters whirled around to find the source.
The sight they were greeted with veritably drained every good feeling from their souls.
"I do hope it caught the alien securely like it's supposed to." Lucifer said, eyeing the cube as he strolled forward. As he reached the massive stone formation, he ran a hand along it and bent down to what appeared to be a growing puddle of blood running out from under the giant box.
With a dainty finger, the devil swabbed a finger in the blood and stuck it in his mouth.
"Hm. It would appear it did crush our dear friend Crowley. How unfortunate. I guess I'll have to hunt him down later. Slime like him always escape somehow." Lucifer shot a knowing glance at the Winchesters, both of whom hadn't moved.
"It's good to see you again Sam. We really missed you after you left the cage…" He said to Sam with a sadistically warm smile. "Though I heard you had your own personalized me to hang around anyway… really touching actually. I didn't think you would miss me that much too. We must have something special."
"Go to Hell." Sam said stiffly, almost as if he was in pain.
"Already been there actually. You'd be surprised how quickly everyone abandoned Crowley's bandwagon when I returned. Still popped a few heads though. Just to, you know, get back in the feel of things."
"So what? Is the apocalypse officially back on now? Why are you wasting your time here?" Dean asked directly, done with the polite conversation.
"Why yes. Yes it is Dean. I have to say I'm surprised to see you in such good shape… the way I last left you… but then you have always had unusual good luck…" Satan said smiling pleasantly at Dean. Dean shivered subconsciously.
"But I'm afraid that good luck, or at least your feathered portion of it, is about to be cut short. You see, when we were released Michael and I set up a sort of arrangement. We are brothers after all… we can compromise. The apocalypse is going to be back on schedule very shortly, but first we have to make sure it CAN happen." Lucifer informed the Winchesters, while producing a bottle filled with a red substance.
"First on my particular to-do list was dealing with this guy. Apparently he has a tendency to stop the world from ending… the charming fellow who released us was kind enough to warn us about him, AND supply the special box for his capture." He gestured to the giant stone cube.
"As for this," the devil lifted the mixture for the Winchesters to see, "Well I have to confess, ever since I got back I've been a little bit OBSSESSED with hearing what you two had been up too… an Angel civil war! Really? I bet that was FUN. But to stay on topic, I happened to hear from fairly reliable sources about Balthazar's neat little trick to send you two away… and well I was just SOLD! A dimension with no magic that you can't escape from without outside help. Could there be a better place to send all your problems?" Satan asked the two brothers smiling. He then turned and began to draw the familiar symbol on the side of the cube.
Silence reigned for a minute as the devil continued to finger paint with blood on the side of the giant black rock box.
"You know… if I were you… I'd take this time to get a head start." Lucifer mentioned mildly. "Killing you is next on my to-do list."
The Winchesters needed no further encouragement. In seconds they were in their car and disappearing down the road. Lucifer watched them go with a smile.
"This is really just turning out to be a great day." He said to no one in particular. And with another smile, he turned and rammed his palm into the symbol on the giant black cube, activating the spell.
In a flash the cube was gone, leaving the devil standing alone on a deserted country road. Well, not quite alone. Fishing in his pocket he produced a cellphone. He pressed a number and held it to his ear.
"It's the devil. Your friend is no longer in the picture." Lucifer said into the phone. He waited for a moment, and then spoke again.
"To be honest, he didn't put up much at all… but I suppose we had the 'element of surprise' and all." He paused again.
"Yes quite. Oh and one more thing: I do believe I managed to get something to repay you for your services. A rather unique gift."
The devil turned around to where the TARDIS was hovering, a few feet away.
"I'm sure you'll like it."