Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 belongs to MGM Studios, Gekko Film Corp, Renaissance Pictures and various creators and producers as do all of the characters who appear here or are mentioned; they are not mine. Supernatural is the creation of Erik Kripke and the CW Television Network. Note: The story picks up shortly after where Burning Daylight left off.
"Wild Boys" by karrenia
"There will be no more spectral manifestations, I trust?, General Landry said; and judging by the expression on his face he intended that to be more of an order than an inquiry.
All the same Dean Winchester and his implicit nature and ingrained habit of defying any authority, especially when it came in the form of either law enforcement or in this case, the military; his first instinct was always to blurt out something sarcastic and the complete opposite of what the man obviously wanted to hear. Dean had just opened his mouth to say as much, but whether it was the implied warning note in the older man's voice, or the fact that he sensed the tension in the gathered crowd around the conference table, Dean replied,
"I don't think so."
"I thought I disliked Kinsey before," Colonel Jack O'Neill said, "But after what happened out at that abandoned farmstead, his 'dislike factor' just shot up by at least ten, maybe twenty points."
Colonel O'Neill, I was not aware you were keeping score," Teal'C remarked as one of his dark eyebrows shot up several inches.
Don't encourage him, Teal'C," Doctor Daniel Jackson mildly remarked, leafing through the pages of a blue-encased report that he had prepared with Samantha Carter's assistance that morning when they had returned with the Winchester brothers.
Daniel was still uncertain in his own mind if what they had all seen and heard at the farm was either simply a case of possession from an alien parasite; just as the Gou ald did to those they took as hosts; or weather perhaps this was something outside of their own experience. The idea that ghosts existed as disembodied electro-magnetic bursts of energy was one thing; even as this particular thought crossed his mind it occurred to him that he was still trying to fit all the pieces together; still attempting to find a logical and scientific explanation for everything.
In the back of his mind he thought, 'we might have been better off with the ghosts, and what did they call that thing masquerading as Kinsey; Oh, a yellow-eyed demon or there was that German word, what was it? Oh yes a doppelganger;' Demons, ghosts, whatever.'
Sam Winchester cleared his throat. "I'm not really certain, uh, Sir, if we witnessed events in the same way. Who is this Senator Kinsey?"
General Landry saw Colonel O'Neill sucking in a deep breath in preparation for launching into one of his tirades and in an attempt to forestall it and cut him off at the pass, answered.
"Senator Kinsey is someone with a great deal of pull and connections to the United States government who has been trying for a number of years to cut off funding to our program."
"Or, shut us down all together," Jack added, more subdued.
"What I don't get is why he would go to such extraordinary lengths to get our attention; and discredit our operation. I mean, really, masquerading as some kind of demon?" Dr. Jackson added.
"Normally he just waltzes in here and says its a waste of time and resources and demands we be shut down."
"I would be inclined to agree," General Landry replied.
"I took the liberty of gathering up the uh, remains prior to our departure Sir," Carter added.
"And I took them over to Dr. Frasier and Dr. Lam to be analyzed. Doctor Jackson and I have complied a report; you should each have a copy in front of you."
Carter waited for everyone to reach forward and flip open the blue plastic report covers before she continued with what she had to say. In the back of her mind she could not help thinking that it would sound strange, and even a bit incoherent; and as both a scientist and a career military officer even she would not have believed coming from someone else. However the evidence of her own eyes, and the data that she gathered from both the Winchester brothers, grudging on Dean s part and more tentative on Sam s part; could not be denied.
"As you can see, whether the NID or rogue elements within their organization knew about the kidnapping is immaterial,: Carter said reaching up to brush a loose strand of hair away from her eyes,
"What I suggest is that we send a team to Washington D.C to inquire into Senator Kinsey's whereabouts."
"I could make a call to D.C, right now," Landry replied.
"It would be quicker that way," agreed O'Neill.
"Ordinarily, I would agree with you Sir," Carter replied, "however, I think either that whatever we encountered was merely someone or, as I am beginning to suspect, more like some thing, was impersonating the senator the fact remains that I am concerned that it might have compromised more than just our need to keep our operations on a need to know basis."
"Do you think that whatever that thing, was," O Neill replied with a heavy sigh, and then added: "Why don t we have a better terminology to use for whatever we re up against that thing, for cryin' out loud?"
He turned to pin Dean Winchester with his best level gaze and demanded. "You re supposed to be the experts, what would you call it?"
"A doppelganger," Dean replied, not at all intimidated by the dagger glare in the older man s eyes.
While he could appreciate that Colonel Jack O Neill was both angry and frustrated by what had happened, he felt that events had gone beyond the point where he and his younger brother could do much about events moving forward.
In fact, the best thing to do was convince General Landry, if he was indeed the person calling the shots around here to release them and they could then get back to doing what they did best; namely, hunt down and dispatch ghosts, ghouls, and assorted things that went bump in the night.
Even as that particular thought crossed his mind Dean could not help feeling all of a sudden a bit angry; angry that the yellow-eyed demon that had since even before he and his younger brother Sam had been born had been manipulating their lives and the lives of his family like a cat playing with a ball of twine; had suddenly taken up to meddling in the doings of some obscure and obviously top-secret Air Force operation.
"What exactly does that mean?" Carter asked.
"I recognize the root language of the words are German, I suspect, and while direct translations are never completely exact, I suspect the word would mean, double goer, or something to that effect," Daniel said with a speculative look in his eyes;
"He's right about that," Sam Winchester said.
"Yes, well, now we have identified the particular kind of demon, did you say?" General Landry demanded, "Exactly what do we do about it?"
"Track it down and destroy it," Sam Winchester replied.
"Why do I get the feeling that this is going to be easier said than done?" Daniel replied as he shook his head.
"You are wise to trust your instincts young Jedi-San." Dean gibed with an unmistakable sneer; fortunately for him Daniel Jackson, musing on root words and demonic possession had been completely obvious to it.
****
Senator Kinsey had always prided himself on being a practical man; who never trusted anything that he could not see, hear, touch, taste and smell with all five of his given senses; and when it came to politics, leaned towards the conservative side
and acted accordingly.
And all of the above served him well, even when he became involved with the Star Gate Program; as exciting as it all was, at the core, sometimes he thought it was all too much, not to mention too expensive.
His thinking on that matter had not changed an iota, until he came face to face with a yellow-eyed creature who informed him in no uncertain terms what would happen to him, and/or his family, should he inform anyone of his plans to take on his appearance and identity in order to implement a plan that would not only help with its own plans but in some as yet unspecified manner hurt his own cordial enemy, Colonel Jack O Neill and company.
Kinsey shook his head in order to clear of the inevitable cobwebs, and leaned forward with his elbows resting on the smooth polished surface of his desk and closed his eyes.
"What can I do? It s gone too far to stop it now; as If I could even know where to begin to stop it."
***
I've always wanted to visit D.C, Sam Winchester remarked as the group disembarked from the military-issue chopper.
"Well, now you re getting your chance, Daniel remarked.
"Sir, we' have been cleared with ground control already and there is a shuttle waiting for us at the east terminal," Carter said.
"Then's let's not keep them waiting," O'Neill replied.
They eventually joined up with other groups passing into and out of the airport terminal.
Everyone in the party had been issued civilian clothing prior to their departure from Colorado Springs and just like on the chopper flight that had brought them both to the Cheyenne mountain base and now for the duration of the plane flight here; Dean had moaned and groaned; Dean hated flying and always would.
"Why does Teal'C have to cover up that sigil on his forehead? "Sam asked.
"Yeah, man," Dean interrupted, "While it is kinda cool; does it mean anything?"
"It is prudent to take precautionary measures," Teal'C answered
"And to answer your second inquiry, it does have a meaning," Daniel replied.
"Precautionary measures, against what? And you never really answered Sam's question," Dean insisted not at all reluctant to play the part of rebel and resident punk.
In response to both Dean Winchester's demand and bellerigent attitude Teal'C offered one of his patented and enigmatic smiles and arched one of his sooty black eyebrows. "Let us proceed."
O Neill gestured to the way forward with his thumb and indicated that they were to get moving. What he said.
**
The eyes of the security staff were dead, but the movements of their bodies, their stiff-limbed gaits, and the rapid-fire from their weapons were very real, very accurate, and very deadly.
Samantha Carter paused a moment to gaze into the eyes of the nearest opponent and flinched away involuntarily. If, and to all appearances they had been, subverted by Kinsey s doppelganger, would it be better to put them out of their misery;
;a coup de grace, or disarm them and sort it out later?
She was viscerally aware that the uncaring, stony look in these men s eyes was uncannily similar to the expression in those who had been taken over and subverted by the Gou ald and probably as horrific. However, she only had mere minutes to contemplate the similarity, for weapons fire forced her and her companions to scramble to another more defensible position.
Meanwhile Sam and Dean were also comparing notes, as Dean leaned over and whispered to Sam,
"You know, now might be a good time to do that tele-kinetic thing you do. You know, while no one s paying that much attention to us."
Sam nodded, and scrunching up his eyes he focused his concentration on the weapons in the guard s hands, the air around him seemed to twist and bend out of its natural alignment as an instant later the weapons flew from their stony grips and away like broken shards of glass.
The loss of their weapons seemed to slow them down only momentarily, and the recoil of the effort forced Sam Winchester to lose his balance and stumble back into the strong arms of Teal C.
"What did you do?" The big man asked.
"Just something I do, that I thought would even the odds a little bit in our favor," replied Sam Winchester;
"They are still coming."
"Yeah, that s because I figure whoever, or more to the point, whatever possessed them is tapping to their natural instinct to keep going no matter what! Son of a bitch! Dean shouted.
"Watch it, bro," Sam Winchester muttered.
"So, how do we stop them?" Griped Colonel Jack O Neill.
"An exorcism circle?" Dean muttered more to his brother than actually answering O'Neill s question.
"Did you bring the gear?"
"Never leave home without it." Sam said; while their erstwhile companions stood around in various states of questioning, frustration, and anger, the two Winchesters began to pull out white chalk, a funny smelling powder that glistened with silvery brightness in the brittle winter sunlight; and spread it around in a circle, all the while muttering in Latin.
As it was only Doctor Daniel Jackson who grasped the meaning; and uttering a small gasp, encouraged his team to stand well back.
"Daniel?" Jack murmured.
"I think I understand what they re doing, and at this point it s best not to interrupt," replied Daniel.
The air temperature, not that warm to begin with, had dropped noticeably, and then when the chanting in Latin stopped, it seemed to Daniel, as if a ring of almost visible air and fire surrounded the possessed security guards.
Then they began to scream and squirm a black mist swallowed them up and blocked them from the sight of the shocked and engrossed viewers.
The Winchester brothers backed away, and a moment later from the blow of an invisible fist from the inside of the inky cloud of air and fire were tossed unceremoniously flat on their rear ends.
It would have been comical, but a least two dozen men's lives were at stake, and perhaps in manner that Daniel Jackson could not fully understand, their souls as well. No one was laughing now.
The inky cloud of air and fire at last dissipated, and there was a sudden whooshing noise and a thud; the security guards sat up and stared startled to find themselves in an alley on a brittle winter sunlight in the nation s capital, sitting on the ground with the business ends of military issue hardware pointed directly at them.
Training and experience took over, and they addressed Colonel Jack O'Neill as the senior ranking officer present. "Where are we Sir? What happened?"
"For cryin' out loud; I m damned if I know."
"Colonel?" Sam whispered.
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Under the circumstances, I'd be careful of statements like that if I were you," Sam replied.
O'Neill, at this point, could not tell if the younger Winchester was in all serious or if he was taking a cue from his older brother and pulling a fast one on him. Whatever the case, Jack O'Neill was just glad it was over.
"Let's get to the mop-up; and the sooner the better to my mind."
***
Conclusion:
"I had believed that recruiting you both would be a good idea, Carter began, and then trailed off uncertainly.
"After everything that's happened, do you still believe that Ma'am?" Sam Winchester asked.
"Well, you've made your share of waves and there's no mistaking that Colonel O'Neill is not at all fond of you right now."
"Is it that obvious Carter?" O'Neill griped. "What I don t understand is how remarkably similar demonic possession is to uh, another situation we deal with."
"You guys have been dancing around this subject of, what did you call it? gul, ghoul possession?" Dean interrupted with a growl;
"Look I understand why you don t want just anyone stumbling on the fact that the whole the United States government have known about the existence of little gray men for at least what, twenty, thirty years now?"
Dean sighed and stepped forward to where Sam, Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill stood gazing down at the smoking pile of charred black ash and strode over to them.
"But, honestly, what kind of damage control to do you honestly thinks needs to be done with us?"
"You've made your position on the matter perfectly clear, Mr. Winchester," O'Neill yelled.
"There are demons and then there are demons, and this gul thing you re all so careful not to mention around us, just what kind of alien mojo are you are involved in?" Dean demanded folding his arms over his chest.
"That's classified," Carter replied.
"Figures,"Dean snapped.
"I believe this is where we should part ways", Teal C replied.
"If, and I can't believe I'm saying this; and I have seen more than my share of weird things in my time, O'Neill snapped.
"I don't doubt that you have, Sir," Dean replied.
"Don't smart-mouth me, pal, "Jack snapped back.
"As I was saying, I've seen my share of weird things, and I still am not entirely certain about this whole demonic possession thing. I saw it and I still don t believe it. Anyways, you have, uh...."
"Exorcised it," Daniel Jackson helpfully supplied.
"Okay, right, what he said. And it won t be coming back and taking over the bodies and minds of anyone else? It had better not," O'Neill said determinedly.
"I believe not, Sir," Sam Winchester replied.
"I feel so much better now," O'Neill sighed and reached up to finger-comb through his hair, wishing he somewhere else from here.
"Whatever the case, Sir," Carter added. "We need to keep what happened here on the down low."
"Colonel O'Neill."
"Senator Kinsey."
"I don't pretend to understand what just occurred here, but I concur with Major Carter. The less the amount of people who are privy to these events the better."
The Senator somehow managed to appear both contrite and haughty at the same time, leaving Jack O'Neill to wonder if the man practiced before a mirror.
If so it would be a remarkably useful trait for an elected official to adopt no matter how much it would grate on the more sensible nerves of a military man such as himself.
***
"Damn it! Don t lecture me on the need for secrecy!" O'Neill fumed, and took of his cap and strike his leg with it, and then after a bit stuck back on his head and ran ground the tip of his right boot into the ground.
"Kinsey, I don t like you, I have never liked you, and I've made no bones about that, but I suggest you do your best to get as far away from here as possible. Because if I never see you again; it will be too soon."
Colonel O'Neill! You are way out line!" Kinsey retorted drawing himself up, and even as he did it his lean height made Dean Winchester think of nothing so much as a praying mantis.
For his part Sam Winchester did not really care what they did or did not do to each other, whatever part they had to play in these events were over as far he was concerned; and if the military types wanted them to sign and abide by some type of non-disclosure promise; he would very happily sign and wish them goodbye and good luck.; after all, it was high time he and Dean were back on the road.
Just because they had been busy with these folks did not mean that the only other remaining living Winchester family member had been ignored by the powers that were out there. He cleared his throat and said aloud.
"Dean, I agree with Major Carter, let s just sign some waiver, they can slap us on the wrist, and we ll be outta here within the hour."
"And how will we do that, when my car is back in Minnesota?"
"Uh, I hadn't thought about that," Sam began and trailed off uncertainly.
Dad's still back there and he wouldn't let anything happen to your car. We can call him and then we're outta here," Sam said.
"Suits me just fine," O'Neill replied.
Kinsey nodded. I am leaving now, and I will notify the President of....."
"Of what?" Carter asked.
"Of your outright insubordination O Neill. As for something impersonating me; that will remain between you and your team; do I make myself perfectly clear?"
"Oh sure, not a problem, wouldn't want anything to damage your sterling reputation now would we?" O'Neill replied.
Kinsey looked a bit taken aback by that but after a moment of staring at O'Neill he nodded and gruffly replied. "Good, at least we understand one another."
He marched down out of the crowded alley and into the street; withdrawing his cell phone from his coat pocket he phoning for his driver to come pick him up.
"Prissy little man, how do people like him become United States senators anyway?" Dean asked.
I don't want to know, Dean, Sam Winchester replied.
"I'm just glad it s over. And he's right about one thing. The less people know about this the better. We re ready to sign that non-disclosure or whatever you want us to do Sir."
"I guess I can't argue with that, " O'Neill replied.
"And I guess we should profit by his example and get the hell outta Dodge." Dean added. "I think I saw a pub a couple of blocks from here. What say we stop in for a quick one? I don t know about the rest of you, but I could use a drink."
"Let's go then, "Carter replied with a tired but determined smile.
"Might as well get this over with huh boys?"
Dean attempted to link his arm through Major Carter's more for the what effect it might have, and while she was military she was also a very attractive woman and plastered on his patented 'trust me' Dean Winchester's grins on his face.
At the mouth of the alley and facing the street entrance, the sun could just be spotted inching up over the tree line and liming the white marble buildings and monuments of the capital city in a rosy half-light.
"I couldn't t agree more," Dean replied.
Sam just sighed and shook his head.