The key in Henry's box opens a door to what we decided to call a bunker. The supernatural mother lode. Knowledge of everything from over thousands of years. The safest place on earth, warded from just about everything.
It has a lot of home like qualities. Bedrooms. Tables. A library. A large kitchen like out of a restaurant. A shower room, I noticed, as Dean came walking out with wet hair dressed in a robe.
"I'll be in the library," Murdock gawked, taking off. He'll forget to eat so I'll have to make him some lunch later.
Juliet tried to get Adena and Serafina to take this as a game of exploration. I told them all to be careful and they were gone.
Clifton wanted nothing to do with playing or exploring. He stuck to Murdock like glue so at least I know where he is.
"Can we move here?" Murdock asked a little later when I brought him and my son some lunch. I sat at the table and Clifton crawled into my lap, eager to eat away his sadness. The death of Henry was still hitting him hard.
"No dear, we can't move here," I sighed. "But we can stay here for a little while."
A little while turned into two weeks. Lucky had to join us in the bunker so it didn't seem like we were neglecting him. It is also during these two weeks that Sam finally had the nerve to directly speak to me.
"Lynn, can we talk?" He asked when he caught me in the kitchen.
"No," I answered, gathering ingredients for dinner for everyone. Good thing I went shopping three days ago to get this place stocked up.
"Please?" Sam begged, tilting his head innocently.
"Fine, but if you disrupt my cooking I'm blasting you out of here," I warned.
"Fair enough," Sam said. "I just wanted to apologize."
"For?" I said cautiously, turning one of the stoves on.
"For abandoning you and all the kids after we found the Nephilim Dick Roman kidnapped," Sam clarified. "I was scared because Dean was gone and I just wanted to get away and have a normal life."
"We're Winchesters, there is no such thing as a normal life," I whispered.
"I know that now," Sam agreed. "And I'm apologizing for running away, and I'm apologizing for letting Martin stab you in front of Clifton. All I've done is let you two down and I'm done doing that. You're my sister and he's my nephew, no matter how crazy that is to me. I'm going to be here for both of you now, and I won't let anything change that."
I take in his words. "Apology accepted," I sighed. "Good luck convincing Cliffy though."
"I'll do my best," Sam said, and walked away.
"You can come out now," I alerted Dean. "You're a creeper. Did you set him up for that?"
"No," Dean admitted. "We did talk about it a while ago but I wasn't sure if he was going to talk to you about it."
"Well we're good now," I informed. "Now get out of here so I can finish cooking."
After I fed everyone, Sam found a case. Something to do with Rabbis and a Jewish man and World War II. All I did was wish them luck. Before they left however, Sam caught on to another possible case.
"There's some kind of magic power going on in New York City."
That was all Murdock needed to hear. He asked if we could go, so I looked at all the children for an answer.
Juliet sighed. "I'll go to my mom's," she said, and zapped herself out of the bunker.
Adena and Serafina looked sad. "See Ma..." They decided.
"Now I feel bad," Murdock admitted.
Last but not least, Clifton goes to our Aunt Amy's. Before Murdock and I fly to New York City after, I make a pit stop to Brooklyn. "Visiting Colby's grave?" Murdock assumed.
"No," I swallowed nervously. I can't go to Colby's grave too often, it usually ends with me breaking down and crying for a long time over a different life I could have had if some things had been different in the past.
"Wait..." Murdock narrowed his grey eyes and started rubbing his chin. "You're going to see Drew, aren't you?" He realized.
"Well you're coming too, you know," I pointed out. "Maybe he can help us with the magic crap going on there."
"I've never seen him use his powers," Murdock expressed.
"True...maybe he'll have a reason to use them if something's going on." I decided.
Dick Roman and the Leviathans kidnapped a bunch of Nephilim, Juliet included, with plans to commit genocide on them for unknown, most likely biblical reasons. When they were rescued, I met a few of the Nephilim. One of them was Drew Copperfield, a crippled teenager with a lot of pent up anger. He reminds me of Jamie but Drew isn't as sneery or violent.
I zap us to the outside of Drew's apartment building and we go in casually. I hope his mother's home, I like her almost as much as Annalise, Jamie's mother. Murdock and I take the elevator up to the right floor and we walk down the hallway and bang on the door.
Unfortunately (just kidding) Drew answers. He widens his blue eyes a little, obviously not expecting us. "Hey Drew!" I greeted happily.
"What's up?" Murdock chimed after me.
"Hey guys," Drew replied. "Let me guess, you're here for the mad man wizard wannabe in New York City?"
"Wha-" Murdock gasped.
"Yes!" I interrupted. "We were wondering if you could tell us anything about that, and if you wanted to come with us to stop it."
"What she said," Murdock squeaked.
Drew loosened up and carefully stepped back. "Sure, I guess. Come in."
Murdock and I walk in like normal. Drew shuts the door with his cane. When I met him last year, I was very curious on why a teenaged boy needed a cane, but it wasn't until months ago that I actually found out. A demon threw a holy fire molotov at him, and when he said this, an old memory of Castiel throwing one at Michael flooded me.
"So what do you know about the, quote, mad man wizard wannabe?" I questioned.
"Exactly that. He was spouting that he was some kind of magic person and no one was going to stop him." Drew answered.
"Did he say he was a magic person, or did he say something else?" Murdock wondered, rubbing his chin again.
"Do I have to get specific?" Drew asked, cocking an eyebrow, which I noticed are perfectly shaped ones. He's so good- I mean...you know...
I shrugged. "We need all the details we can get, Drew."
Drew Copperfield sighed. "He called himself a warlock, which to me means magic person, because that's what you are, Murdock."
Murdock and I share a glance. "What if he's from the Cult of Merlin?" I suggested. "Are they still looking for you?"
"Most likely," Murdock answered uneasily. "If we can find him, maybe we can ask him about the Cult."
"Assuming he's even who you think he is," Drew input. "How dangerous is he?"
"If he is a warlock then it depends," Murdock replies. "There are different levels of warlocks."
"What level are you?" Drew asked, no doubt just for the hell of it.
"The highest level," Murdock stated proudly, his grey eyes brightening.
"Then you should have no problem if you have to fight him." Drew inquired.
"Or we, you might mean," I corrected. "I won't let him fight alone. And that's also why we're here."
"I don't fight," Drew spoke. "I mean, I did help Kevin and Megan kill some Shadows, but-"
"But nothing, Drew," I interrupted. "I know it wasn't your choice but you're a Nephilim. That half angel inside of you came from a full angel whose job was to be a soldier of God and do what is right."
Drew scowled. "Why should I have to listen to you?"
"Because it's the right thing to do." I answered.
Now he sighed. "Fair enough."
"Good, now that that's resolved, care to tell me what the hell a Shadow is?" I asked.
"I was there with them on that case," Murdock said a little too happily. "It was in Chicago, and we met this demon that Megan knew and..."
The three of us stroll through New York City. Murdock was looking in one of his spell books for a locator spell, specifically for someone nearby with the same abilities as him.
Drew looked like he could handle himself pretty well with his cane. "Where are we going?" I asked him directly.
"Just trust me," Drew answered as we just passed a jewelry store that looked very familiar. "This place was robbed over a year ago," Drew continued. "Only one thing was stolen though, some kind of small necklace. My mom was there trying to sell some of her old jewelry when it happened."
"Your mom was there?" I gasped.
"Yeah, why are you saying that as if-"
I laughed nervously. "That was me, Megan, and someone else with us." I remembered, now slipping into the memory.
We stopped about a block away from the jewelry store. "So how are we—what the hell?" Holy balls! Colby thinks he's badass because he's carrying an automatic shotgun in the middle of NYC.
Um...bad idea.
Colby snapped his fingers and the most ridiculous disguise I'd ever seen appeared. I think I'm dealing with obnoxious children! He had on a Boston Red Sox cap, and cheap 3D glasses.
Megan shook her head. "Fail." she said. I had to agree.
"Let's do this," Colby brushed past us, so Megan and I placed on our sunglasses and followed.
"Don't go so fast. I can't exactly run." I muttered.
"I won't leave you," Megan reassured, slowing down to stay with me.
"Thank you," I told her sincerely. Granddad...we looked so ridiculous...
We found the store, and casually walked in...Colby then letting off a few rounds into the ceiling. "Nobody bloody move!" he roared in a British accent.
"Everybody move, he lied. On the floor!" I ordered. When everyone nearly dropped, Colby walked around, checking everybody. "Oi, you guys," I pointed at some of the employees. "I'm looking for a pendant, that says Nephilim, and a Latin phrase. Where is it?"
"Found it!" Megan announced. Colby approached the glass case and smashed it in with the butt of the gun, and Megan took the pendant. "Ouch!" she yelped, then dropping the pendant to the floor. "It burned me!" she said, slightly shocked.
Maybe it had some power after all. Colby picked it up by the leather string holding the pendant, then shoved it in his pocket. "That'll be all," he said in his regular voice.
Now we're at the entrance to a small bookstore blocks away from the jewelry store. Drew goes in first, and takes a deep breath as if he's expecting something to happen. When it comes to the shit I do, that's usually the case.
There's a guy standing by a bookshelf. He's Asian, with spiky black hair and dark brown eyes. He darts his eyes at us, and a grim smile spreads across his face. I don't like this.
"I brought them, Mendax," Drew announced, stepping away from us. "Don't hurt them. They're my friends."
Murdock dropped his spell book. "Mendax?" he repeated. "I know that name."
"It took you long enough," Mendax spat at Drew. "And I'm surprised, Murdock. Not everyone knows me, but we all know you. We've been looking for you."
Murdock gasped. "You're from the Cult of Merlin! You have a reputation for deceiving!" he recognized.
"My name means Liar in Latin," Mendax informed with a grin. "I was raised on that."
"He has a reputation for deceiving?" I growled. "Drew claims that statement today! You called us your friends? You sold us out, asshole!"
"I didn't have a choice!" Drew cried. "I'm being controlled!"
"A spell?" Murdock hinted.
"Even better," Mendax smirked, pulling out an object from the bookshelf. A dark gold colored object and right away I knew what it was. It was cut in half. It was a man, knelt down on one knee, arms, or arm, folded over his chest. His back had one wing on it. It's half of the Nephilim artifact that is able to mind control any Nephilim nearby. The other half of the object was found by Colby and I in an underground lake in the Amazon.
"Shit," I muttered.
"What is that?" Murdock asked.
"It's an artifact that can control Nephilim, like Drew." I answered.
"Precisely," Mendax confirmed. "We knew he was here and we knew he was acquainted with you two. All I had to do was get your attention, and all Drew had to do was get you here."
"I'm going to kill you," Murdock threatened.
"Please, I heard you're just like your parents. Weak. I heard they begged for mercy when the demons killed them." Mendax insulted. That was it. That set Murdock off in a way I'd never seen. He lunged himself at Mendax in a tackle, causing him to drop the artifact. If I can destroy it, Drew won't be controlled anymore.
I leaped forward to grab it but it caused a burning sensation when I touched it so I dropped it. Just like the pendant from the jewelry store. Nephilim objects must have anti-angel properties.
Mendax shoved Murdock away long enough to yell, "Drew, kill her!" and went after Murdock.
I turned my body to Drew, who looked horribly afraid. "Don't do this, Drew!" I begged.
"I don't have a choice," he reminded. I watched his eyes start glowing a bright blue as he abruptly ignored his limping leg and came at me. We grabbed each other and were basically trying to push each other back.
"You're only half angel, Drew," I groaned. "I'm stronger than you!"
"I don't think you'll hurt me," he admitted. "But don't think the same about me!" he angel-punched me and I went back, smashing into the wall and denting it pretty bad. Mendax threw Murdock into the bookshelf, making it collapse. I made myself get up, and I blasted Drew to the ground. I jumped on top of him and did my best to look apologetic as he cried out from his burnt leg hurting.
I grab him by the shirt and pick him up and I headbutt him pretty good. His nose starts bleeding. I hear Murdock and Mendax start reciting spells against each other, and the whole place starts shaking...and there was a giant explosion to finish it off.
Blurriness and buzzing overwhelmed me for a while until I regained complete consciousness, and I heard sirens close by. Fire trucks. "Lynn," I heard Drew call my name. "Get up. Unless you were bullshitting me about being stronger."
"Shut up," I slurred. "What happened?" I sit up in a pile of burnt rubble. The bookstore exploded minutes ago and I'm just now waking up?
"Murdock did some kind of powerful spell but it wore him out," Drew answered. "I think it destroyed the artifact too, I don't have any desire to kill you anymore."
"Well...good," I sighed.
"I'm sorry for tricking you guys," Drew apologized.
"It's not your fault," I reassured. "Speaking of, where's Mendax?"
"Dead," Murdock answered from nearby. "That bastard broke my glasses!" he looked at me with an empty face. I couldn't help but grin at him before I looked back at Drew, whose eyes weren't glowing anymore. They were their normal shade of blue.
"My cane got...broke, too," he admitted. "It was wood and the fire incinerated it."
"Good!" I yelled. "Both of you needed an upgrade anyway!" I exclaimed. "When the firemen aren't looking I'll fly us out of here."
"I DID NOT NEED AN UPGRADE!" Murdock roared. "YOU MADE ME CHOP MY LOVELY LOCKS OFF LAST YEAR AND NOW I NEED NEW GLASSES! I LOVED MY GLASSES!"
"And if you love me, you'll say goodbye and get a new pair," I advised. Murdock pouted and I laughed. "I win."
Drew just shook his head. "Does stuff like this always happen when you hang out with people?"
"Pretty much," I answered. "You should come visit us more often, instead of us visiting you."
That makes Drew Copperfield smile only a little bit. "Maybe I will. Can we get out of here now?"
"Yeah," I stand up. Murdock helps Drew up since his cane got burnt down to nothing. I check to make sure no one's looking, and I fly us back to Drew's apartment.
His mother was there. Wish us luck explaining what happened.
Disclaimer: The Shadow creatures belong to Simple Paradox, and so does Drew, and so does Murdock and so does Megan, and yeah, you get the point :)