Chapter 7

The rain was pouring hard. Visibility was low and it felt like the tires were going to skid out no matter what. Jensen though managed to keep the car on the road. So, this is what it is like to really drive the car on the road, he thought to himself as he reflected on how he was the one that ended up with the keys.

He figured that it was force of habit for Angela. It seemed that in this world, her Dean drove the Impala and it was like an unspoken rule that he would have the keys. It startled him how easily he slipped into the role she assigned him. The same went for Jared. In the short time they knew her, they had slipped into the roles they played on their television show easily and fully. It was a good thing they did since what was happening to them required that they not be squeamish about it.

He could admit that it felt natural to be behind the wheel. The car wasn't the prop cars that they used. She was fully functional, and she rode like the wind. Too bad that they were in a situation that he couldn't see it for himself, in dry weather. He had to do the best he could.

"Never thought that we'd be driving a car that really works."

Jensen looked at Jared and noted that he looked relaxed and not tense like they were prepared to do a scene. Then again lately the scenes they had done for the show had been tense. They really hadn't been talking to each other and thinking about it, he couldn't even remember why. He replied, "She's a beauty."

Jared chuckled, "That is a very Dean response."

"Yeah."

They drove on in silence for a few moments. It was a little awkward since they hadn't really talked to each other in so long that it was difficult to find something to say. Jensen kept his eyes on the road since the rain was not making visibility very good and he wasn't overly familiar with the road. He had to keep in mind the instructions that Angela had given them.

"I… don't like that she asked us to leave."

Jensen looked at Jared, "Asked? Ordered is more like it, but… I didn't like it either man. Something just didn't sit right with it."

"Same here. Just a bad feeling that this is going to go sideways and all." Jared peered through the windshield and looked out the window.

"And yet I get why she had us leave. It's not like we know what the heck we're doing."

"We know enough."

"And it barely scratches the surface. We've never hunted ghosts or whatever. Hell, I've yet to meet a half vampire and half human like her."

Jensen had a point. It didn't mean that Jared liked it. Ever since they met, he sensed that she was the missing part in the show. The sad thing was that she didn't exist in their world, not as a person or even as a possibility. Yet it felt right that they were thrown together.

"Thing is, I'm not even sure this whole thing is going to work. I mean… can you fool an angel?"

Jared shrugged his shoulders. He didn't have a clue, "Don't know yet Angie seemed to know what she was doing."

"Calling her Angie now?" Jensen couldn't help but grin.

"Feels right."

"Yeah." Jensen focused on the road. "I don't know though about holding onto the Michael sword. I mean that seems the most obvious giving it to us and telling us to leave."

"She seems to know what she's doing."

"Yeah but…" Jensen made a slight face. It did seem odd that they were given the one thing that they were after and were told to head down this road and that someone would meet them. It also sounded like something out of one of the episodes of their show. Heck, he was half expecting an angel to drop in.

"It does seem like it doesn't make sense and yet… I think there may be something going on that we don't know, and she does," Jared said. He couldn't explain it, but it felt like he knew what to expect from Angela. "Maybe faith or trust?"

"At this point, I'm willing to follow her lead, even if it may be into hell. She has been the only one so far that has tried to keep us sane," Jensen replied. "Still reeling that the monsters are real here." He looked through the windshield like he was looking for someone. "We're supposed to be coming upon where we're supposed to meet this friend of hers."

"I'm just wondering if it is an angel or something," Jared replied, voicing the thoughts that Jensen had. "Somehow, it wouldn't surprise me. It's kind of like our characters."

"Right. Making friends with the monsters," Jensen nodded. He looked around and when he looked back, he shouted, "Sonofabitch!" He braked hard.

Jared saw it and said, "Shit!" He braced himself for impact.

The Impala came to a halt mere inches from where Kesset had landed. He was standing there, staring at them. He was looking at them like he was there to attack them. He didn't move but stood there, waiting.

Jensen was breathing, trying to stave off the heart attack that he was certain he was getting. "Tell me you saw that," he demanded.

"Yeah," Jared breathed. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. All I have is the gun that Angie gave me. You?"

"Same."

Both looked out the windshield at the figure. They could make out the wings; they saw actual wings and it was kind of freaky. They had seen wings on angels in the sense of what the show did, using a silhouette or shadow of them. This was not that and they didn't know if he was friend or foe. It was finally Jensen that said, "Okay, just have it ready."

He was interrupted when the figure started walking towards him. He followed him and was surprised when the wings seemed to disappear. He held his gun and pointed it at the window. He didn't want to shoot and shatter the glass, but he wasn't sure what to do.

It was taken out of his hands when the newcomer tapped on the glass and said, "If you shoot out that window, I am sure the princess and Dean will be upset."

They looked at each other and then at the newcomer. Jensen asked, "And you are?"

Kesset looked at the pair. They looked exactly like Sam and Dean. "I am Kesset, son of Setna, former Captain of the Guard of the Royal Family."

The silence that followed was so awkward. Jensen and Jared looked at Kesset, not sure if they were to shoot him or just try to get out of there. It didn't help that Kesset was staring at them with a pointed look like he was examining them. The look was intimidating since it was clear to them that Kesset was able enough to kick their asses into the next dimension or back to their world, whichever came first. It was Kesset who said, "The princess asked me to keep you out of trouble."

"Princess?" Jensen looked at Kesset finally able to speak.

"Yes. The one who is looking after you." Kesset peered at them through the window.

They stared at him for a time until Jared said, "Wait. I remember you. You were the one that was with Angie when we arrived." He pointed at Kesset unnecessarily.

"I see that you remembered one who looks like Sam. You are perceptive like he is," Kesset replied. He stood there in the rain, not minding but it was annoying since the rain was heavy. He went to the rear door and opened it and got in. "Keep driving."

Jensen had turned to stare at Kesset making himself at home his jaw dropped before he said, "Uh…"

"Keep driving."

Jared elbowed Jensen. There was no choice but to keep driving. Jensen put the car in gear and drove. Kesset sat in the back peering ahead. He gave directions that Jensen followed, deciding that it was better to just do it. Kesset wasn't hurting them though it could be a ruse. Jared had recognized him though. That was a plus.

They drove in silence and were rewarded with the rain lightening up a bit. Kesset kept looking through the back window and out the sides. It was distracting at first, but Jensen and Jared managed to ignore it for a time. At one point, Jensen couldn't stand it anymore and asked, "Why are you doing that?"

Kesset was surprised it took that long for one of them to say something. He knew they weren't of this world, and it was expected that they had questions. He looked forward and said, "My duty."

"Duty?"

"I am a member of the Royal Guard of the Egyptian pantheon. I primarily serve the warrior royalty of the Nile."

"Okaaaay."

Kesset blinked at that as he said, "You shouldn't be so doubtful since you have seen things that are improbable where you are from."

Jensen nodded at that, "You're right on that. Just… you do sound like you're crazy when you talk like that."

"I am aware of that."

That was effective in making it go quiet again. Kesset resumed what he was doing when he said, "Take the next exit."

Jensen followed directions and made the exit. He waited until Kesset gave him further directions. It looked like he was taking them out to somewhere that was nowhere near the house he and Jared ended up in. It brough to mind those horror movies where the unsuspecting victim was taken out to the middle of nowhere and they met an untimely end. He couldn't help it, "So you planning on doing something to us?"

Kesset was surveying the area as they traveled. "I'm doing what I was ordered to do."

"And?" Jared turned to look at Kesset.

Kesset looked at Jared. "I will do as ordered."

It was clear that Kesset was no going to elaborate on where they were going. Kesset wasn't one to elaborate unless he was asked to and even then, it was restricted depending on who it concerned. They didn't know that he operated on orders, and it would never occur to him to explain what they were. Jensen and Jared accepted it and followed his directions, feeling that this was more than what they bargained for.

They eventually arrived at a motel that seemed very isolated. It was located away from the highway and there wasn't much else nearby. Maybe a café which was now closed. Kesset peered out the window and looked around before saying, "This is it. Come on."

The Avian was out first and heading towards one of the rooms. Jared paused and said, "Wait."

Kesset turned to look straight on at Jared. "Yes?"

"Check in?" Jared pointed at the office to the motel that was pretty much dark.

Kesset looked at it and then at the pair of humans that looked like the people he respected but were not. He then turned and continued to the room that he was told to go to. He pulled a room key out of his pocket and opened the door. He gestured at them. "Get inside."


The rain had stopped pouring but the night was still damp. You could feel it in the air and warm breaths came out as puffs of smoke. Angela took a couple of breaths as she finished tying up the asshole that made life even more difficult. She tightened the knots hard enough to make the guy grunt before she patronizingly patted his cheek.

The fight was nothing like she hadn't done before. She fought, beat up the guy and now it was time for interrogation and one that didn't involve threats to her person or those that mattered to her. She walked over and picked up an old wooden crate and sat it on its end and sat down. She looked at her prisoner, "Okay. So we know how this works."

The prisoner chuckled, wincing slightly from the bruises, "Oh I would love to see how Chalikar interrogates after all the stories I've heard."

Angela studied him as she adjusted her wrist. The gauntlet that went with the chakram to make Chalikar was visible. There was no use in hiding it anymore since she joined the halves together. "Chalikar doesn't interrogate," she said as she adjusted her wrist cuffs. "You should know this if you truly studied it."

"You have me there. Chalikar is nothing but a weapon. Power to bring men to heel."

Angela looked at her prisoner. Her brow was raised. It wasn't the first time that someone had referred to Chalikar that way. It was true Chalikar was a weapon of immense power, and it did have the ability to make men cower when it was used. There were plenty of stories of that. It was what lured the treasure hunters. The other part of that was Chalikar was an instrument of justice. It only bound itself to one who's heart lay in the pursuit of justice and equality. To this day it still baffled her how it chose her.

The people were getting restless, and violence was ready to erupt. She didn't know what to do about it except that she would not be able to stop this volcano from erupting. The shitstorm coming had her walking around the village, marveling that people were going about their daily lives when they knew it was going to change soon. She had seen it before.

Walking through the village, she happened to come across one of the elders. He was sitting outside his hut, and he was staring at her. It was not the first time he stared at her like that. He did the same when she first came into the village sporting an injury and bringing back one of their young men after saving him from trouble with the colonizers. This time the staring was unnerving her since it seemed more intense than before.

Angela thought about that day. That was the day the old man called her into his home. He asked her if she was truly trying to find a way for them to peacefully oust the British. When she said yes, he brought out the case that held Chalikar. He told her that a test of the heart was needed. He slapped the gauntlet on her wrist and that was when judgment began. In the end, it decided she was worthy, and she proved it by being able to tame the blade.

Then the mutiny of 1857 came and… she preferred to try to forget it, but it wasn't something she could forget. It only made certain to her that a power like that shouldn't be unleashed. She separated the gauntlet and the blade, and it had been that way since then. She even separated herself from the blade when she gave it to Hakim. Until he gave it back to her. Now the blade and the gauntlet were reunited. One could say that it was fate.

Angela looked at her prisoner and said, "Men bow before the wisdom it holds."

"And what is that? Your wisdom?"

"What it decides to give."

"That is no answer."

Angela shrugged, "Maybe not, but what I know is that you risked a lot to try to get to me even though it was supposed to be a simple handoff." She leaned in close, "Why?"

"Why do you think?"

It was tempting to lash out with a punch or two. It worked sometimes but she had been in the game long enough to know that physical torture didn't always work when it came to the strong willed. Mental torture worked to a degree but then you were left with a drooling mess if you overdid it. She had to play this smart. She leaned in, "I know that there is something valuable about what I was asked to retrieve."

"And you are not telling the truth. You know exactly what you were sent to get and for whom." The prisoner smiled, "And you know who is after them."

"And it's nothing new to me," she replied.

The prisoner laughed at that. "Really? And you don't find it a problem that our mutual acquaintance sent the two people that matter to you the most somewhere in an attempt to throw off the one that is chasing him?"

Angela gave a slow smile that was almost feral as her eyes glittered. She replied, "Make them go one way while you go the other."

The prisoner stared at her with wide eyes. "No. You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't what?" Angela looked at her prisoner. "This is a war. War requires sacrifice when planning for the long road."

"You're telling me that you sent them to a place knowing there was no magic all to let your angel friends hide weapons of heaven from the archangel that wants to restart the Apocalypse?" The prisoner stared at her. "I don't believe it. Not with what I heard about you."

Angela stood up. "What is so hard to believe? Those stories about my ruthlessness? All completely true. Enhanced by time spent in hell. It kind of makes things clear for you."

The prisoner looked at her. He had been told quite a bit and he had read the stories. This was different and it disconcerted him. Before him was someone that was coldhearted about the people that made up their side in a battle. It was like when he was approached by that archangel, yet it felt different. Different in that the coldness was… like what some people described as evil. Yet, the woman before him had lauds sung of valor and honor. How could that be? He had to know so he asked, "So, you have no problem that the archangel sent one of their own after your friends to that world?"

Angela was well aware that she had caused confusion in her prisoner. It was the dirty little secret that was her success in her longtime battle with the supernatural. Maybe it was war. Disconnecting and disassociating with herself created that dark half, the one she was afraid of until she voiced it out that they were one and the same. The only reason she was always in control of it was because she never let it loose; she never let it have any fun despite what that half taunted her about.

Her control gave her that edge to make the tough decisions when it came to the battles that decided about the fate of those whose lives were on the line. It made her appear cold and sometimes there was no logic to it until after the battle. That was who her prisoner was seeing.

The prisoner stared at her, noting how impassive she seemed; like she didn't care. He shook his head, "No. You wouldn't let them go without a plan in mind."

Angela merely stared at the prisoner. She let the silence do the talking for her. She found that silence was one of her most potent weapons in her arsenal. Sam and Dean could attest to that when she deployed it when they did something that was in the realm of stupid or did something like mess up her kitchen.

The prisoner looked up at her. His eyes widened as he came to the realization, "You would sacrifice them."

"They know the risks and they went in."

The prisoner shook his head at her. "They must really trust you to do this for you."

Angela gave a slight smile. She straightened up and paced in front of her prisoner. She studied him more as she paced. By now Kesset would have gotten the two substitutes to the motel. She knew what Rafael had in mind and he had sent one of his lackeys after Sam and Dean. It was enough to have her worry, but she trusted the boys to keep their heads.

The prisoner felt like it was getting awkward with her not responding. He wasn't going anywhere with the way he was tied up, and more than likely the archangel would kill him for what was happening now. He had to ask, "So what now."

"Maybe just leave you here."

"I think you should just kill him."

Angela couldn't help but smile. She didn't turn in the direction of the voice until she said, "I figured you would make an appearance… Rafael."

Rafael looked at Angela. "I'll take that weapon you came for from this meat sack." He held his hand out.

Angela took in the woman vessel. It was most amusing rather than awkward. After all she had seen Castiel in different vessels over the decades. She held up a blade and asked, "Oh this?" She then muttered a phrase and the blade shimmered to reveal Absolution. "I don't have it." She watched as Rafael started to make a move and added, "They don't have it either."

Rafael paused and looked at Angela. "Where is it? Where is the weapon?"

Angela stood there with Absolution in her hand. Her chakram was hanging from her belt. She looked ready to do battle, but she was willing to carry out a conversation. She looked at the archangel and replied, "And is there a reason why you think I should give a weapon backed with the power of heaven to you?"

"Do you want to see Sam and Dean alive?"

It was a low blow, but Angela had to hand it to the archangel. She knew his reputation about striking hard. While this could be seemingly mild, it went for the heart. Yet, there was a difference. She looked at the archangel. "And you wouldn't be threatening me like this if you already had them."

The archangel looked at her. "Give me the weapon."

Angela stared at the angel. "I don't have it."

"And I know you wouldn't have given it to those two you are babysitting." The archangel studied Angela. She looked impassive but the manner she was doing that has the archangel frown in suspicion. "Or would you?"

"That's the beauty of being called the great tactician," Angela said. "No one is truly sure what I have done when it is all put on the line." She had shrugged her shoulders as she said it. She knew she was sounding like she didn't care. The truth was, she did, but she couldn't afford to reveal her cards. This was like a game of poker to the death. In other places, it was called the grand game of intrigue. It often had people confused about her when they thought they knew her.

The archangel shook his vessel's head, "No. You wouldn't be this callous."

"Then you don't know me at all. And don't you dicks like to say you do?" Angela gave a grin at the archangel, knowing she hit a nerve. "Well you don't. Not even the Winchesters. You'd be surprised how many times I've pulled the wool over their eyes."

"Then it is true. You don't care about anyone."

"Oh I care. I care enough to make sure you don't get your hands on what you want. And I will do anything and use any method."

"Then this will be most enjoyable."