A/N: 9 pages. 4063 words.

The whole fic itself is (as of 5/22/18) is 32 pages. The next chapter is gonna be longer than this one is.

And I realized I forgot to do this last chapter, so here it is.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Supernatural, Okami, or any of the characters mentioned in this fic. I only own Aline Peverell, her backstory, and the fic itself. Supernatural and it's characters are owned by the CW & Eric Kripke. Okami and it's characters are owned by Capcom & Platinum Games/Clover Studio. I just play in the fandom sandbox.

CONTAINED IN THIS CHAPTER: 9x11 "First Born" spoilers, SPN season 9 angst

Aline and Dean were sitting at a table in the bar. It had been three weeks since they left Sam behind at that dock.

And three days since they saw Ryoshima Coast.

Tsumugari, which had shrunk to the size of the demon blade, was in Aline's jacket (it worked just as well as the demon blade. Multiple demon hunts proved it). The Devout Beads were around her waist like a belt. Both Snarling Beast and Infinity Judge rested in that watch she found Divine Retribution in. The Life Beads, however, were around her neck like a necklace.

Aline was just doodling random brush techniques on the counter with her finger (no harm as long as she doesn't use the brush), her other hand holding a glass of Shirley Temple. Dean was sitting beside her with a beer.

"You could tell me, you know," Dean stated.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Aline lied. She knew exactly what he was talking about, but she didn't wanna explain what it was.

"That's a load of crap and you know it. I just wanna know what that...thing...is. Because, when Sam and I told you we didn't know what's gonna happen, you looked at it. I just wanna see it."

She turned to look at him. "Why? So you could show it to Sam? It's not your problem, so forget about it."

"It is my problem, okay? It's just..." Dean trailed off, running his hand through his hair. "I'm not good at explaining this."

"No shit, Sherlock."

Dean looked around and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I'm just worried about you, okay?"

Aline gave him a small smile. "Don't worry 'bout me, Dean. I'll be fine after we find Gadreel."

The older Winchester looked like he was about to open his mouth to say something but a pretty waitress hustled by. He smiled sexily after her (Aline could tell it was forced, but she didn't point that out. However, Dean firmly gripping her leg told her that their conversation was not over, just put on hold).

That was when Crowley showed up.

"So... is that boudoir smile for me?" he asked.

Both hunters startled and drew their weapons, the demon blade for Dean and Tsumugari for Aline.

"At least buy me a drink first."

"I said the next time we see you—" Dean started.

"Dead. Yes, rings a bell, but let's not dwell on the past, shall we? This bar is a bust. That waitress is trouble with a capital VD, and your prey, Gadreel, has left the building. So, it's time to move on to more pressing matters, like destroying Abaddon."

"Good luck with that," Aline said with a scoff (The name of the red haired demon almost made Aline growl, but she held it back with a scoff). "The Knights of Hell aren't exactly the dying kind."

"But there is something that can kill a knight. The weapon that the archangels used to execute them—The First Blade."

"Never heard of it. Can we kill you know?"

"I've been chasing that blade for decades. The closest I got to it was when one of my droogs—Smitty—got wind of a protégé demon of Abaddon's who claimed knowledge of the blade. Sadly, before Smitty could nab the guy, a hunter by the name of John Winchester nabbed the protégé. I'm here to see if there's anything in the John Winchester memorial library that might lead us to the first blade—to killing Abaddon."

It was as if he knew how Aline wanted to react to hearing Abaddon's name, but she and Dean shared a look before looking back at Crowley.

"You want to hunt?" Dean asked. "With us?"

"I do love a good buddy comedy."

Both Dean and Aline rolled their eyes, and Dean reluctantly took his dad's journal out of his jacket and laid it on the table. While he rummaged through the pages, Crowley looked over at Aline, eyes moving up and down her body before focusing on her forearm where the mark rested. He moved to put his finger on it. Aline growled and Power Slashed Crowley's finger, her ears lowering in anger. However, he moved his finger away, smirking.

He knew.

(Dean was watching this exchange out of the corner of his eye as he searched through the journal. He saw Aline's eyes flash red the moment Crowley touched her forearm, those shadowy tails appearing behind her not too long after.)

"Oh, yeah," Dean said, catching both Aline's and Crowley's attention. "Here it is. Yeah, he picked up a protégé who had bones with Abaddon, but that's about all it says in here."

Crowley tapped the pages. "What do those numbers in the margins mean?"

Aline ripped his hand away. "None of your business," she growled, ears still tilted.

"What? You guys gonna play hard to get? We have time for a montage?" He was acting like his and Aline's little exchange never happened, but there was a look in his eye that told her that he knew.

"It's a code—one of my dad's storage lockers," Dean interrupted. "He may have put something about the case there." Under the table, he held onto her other hand, rubbing her hand with his thumb.

The soothing action calmed her down, but she still glared harshly at the king of Hell.

"And what does the 'T' next to the numbers mean?"

"Not a clue."

Crowley stood up. "Fine. Let's go find daddy's man cave, then, shall we?"

"And how do we know this isn't a trap?" Aline asked as she and Dean stood up, her earlier anger ebbed somewhat.

"You...don't. That's what makes it fun." Crowley shot them a wily grin and headed out the door. Aline and Dean slowly followed.

A demon, a hunter, and a demigod walk into a storage locker.

It sounded like the beginning of an extremely bad joke, but that was the only thing Aline could think of as she, Dean, and Crowley walked into John Winchester's storage locker. Crowley, of course, had a hood over his head. Aline had been the one to put it on after they left the bar, the action feeling somewhat therapeutic.

Dean had taken her here a grand total of four times, including now.

Once they were fully inside, Dean removed the hood.

"Is all this really necessary?" Crowley griped. "I mean, I've been inside your brother and best friend. We're practically family."

Both Dean's and Aline's eyes flashed with rage, and Aline grabbed Crowley, swinging him into a shelf. In the same motion, she pulled out Tsumugari and held it to his throat. Dean stood behind her.

"Listen to me," Dean growled. "We are the furthest thing from family. You got that, dickbag?"

"Oh, yeah."

Dean tapped her shoulder and she let Crowley go. "Now," Aline said, "you wanna hunt? Let's hunt."

Dean opened a small gate and walked through, Aline following behind. She heard Crowley following behind her but he stopped and said, "I'll be right here."

Aline rolled her eyes and helped Dean rummage through case folders.

"So, what do you call this décor, anyway? Rustic obsessive? Paranoid deco?"

Once again, Aline rolled her eyes before finding the file they were looking for. "Here we go," she said, pulling it out and began to read. "Looks like your dad was working with another hunter when he nabbed Abaddon's pet." She held up a picture of a woman for both men to see.

"I guess the 'T' didn't stand for terrible father," Crowley stated as Dean took the photo out of Aline's hand and flipped it over. "It stood for—"

"Tara. Doesn't ring a bell," Dean said.

Aline continued reading the file. "All right, looks like they interrogated the demon. Then they exorcised him. But not before he mentioned the First Blade."

"I love it when I'm right," Crowley said smugly, making Aline want to desperately smack him in the face.

"Yeah, well, the rest of the file's empty, genius."

"What? Didn't they teach note-taking at Hungers Hogwarts?"

That statement earned a double death-glare.

"Let's go see if Tara's still kicking," Dean said.

Apparently, Tara was, in fact, still kicking. If the sign on the pawn shop was anything to go by.

Then again, Aline and Dean had gone to a few different places named after people only to find out that said-person died months to years ago.

Once Dean opened the door, Aline saw a fit woman in her fifties leaning on the counter reading a comic book, and she looked up at the trio.

"Tara?" Dean asked.

"That's what the sign says," the woman, Tara, answered as she closed the comic. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah. Hope so. John Winchester ring any bells? I'm his son."

"You Sam and Dean?" She looked between Dean and Aline, making Aline chuckle.

"I ain't Sam. Though he does need a haircut," Aline said. "But he's Dean."

Suddenly, Tara winced and grabbed her right knee as her eyes moved to Dean. "Well, didn't you grow up pretty. Still in the family business?"

"Yeah, born and raised. Listen, a bunch of years back, you worked a job with my dad. Well, me, my friend, and my, uh, associate h—"

Without a word of warning, Tara raised a shotgun and aimed it at Dean, Aline, and Crowley. "Ever since '92, I get a painful little tickle in what's left of my knee whenever a demon is around. So, which of you is it?"

"Hunters," Crowley said. "So trusting. I'll go grab a latte while you get this sorted." He snapped his fingers to disappear, but nothing happened.

"Devil's trap under the knock-off Persian, jackass," Tara said with a glare.

Aline moved the rug with her hightop to reveal a red Devil's trap.

"Tara listen," Dean continued, "my friend," he pointed at Aline, "and my, uh, associate—"

"Friends—besties, actually," Crowley interrupted, making Aline glare at him.

"Not helping," she growled.

"Not caring," Tara said.

"Look, I'm the King of Hell. He's a Winchester. She's a child of Amaterasu and a hunter. There's a rea—"

Tara's gun moved to Aline. "Amaterasu, huh? I've run into a few of your siblings. I almost didn't realize you were one."

"What do you mean? I am a child of Amaterasu." She could tell the woman that she was going through her mom's story right now, but she had a feeling that it was a rite of passage of some kind. Probably a secret one only a select few could know about (those select few being the ones who portrayed the different people in her mom's life).

"Prove it then." She reached for something Aline couldn't see, which just so happened to be a dead tree. "Make this tree bloom."

Aline looked at the tree and drew a bloom circle on it. The tree immediately burst into blossoms, and she crossed her arms over her chest with a smug smirk.

Apparently believing her, Tara then splashed the holy water in Dean's face (probably thinking that he was possessed since both he and Aline were working with Crowley). Dean, however, looked very annoyed.

"See? I'm good. Both Aline and I are good. Okay? Yes, you're right. He is a jackass, but he's helping us on this."

"Helping you with what?"

"You and John found a demon who knew something about the First Blade," Aline pointed out, her smirk immediately disappearing. "We need to find that blade."

"Well, hell. Dean, you are as handsome as John. And as dumb, too, if you're looking for that old relic."

"We're hunting a Knight of Hell."

"Why? They're all dead."

"One came back," Dean stated. "Abaddon."

Tara laid a file on the counter. "The demon said the archangels used a weapon that could kill the Knights of Hell. We'd never heard of anything like the Knights of Hell or a First Blade. Your dad thought he was lying, trying to save himself. We took him out, and we had a lovely weekend together. Then we went our separate ways. But I could never let the blade go. Something like that could really give a hunter an edge, you know? Like all of Amaterasu's weapons."

Aline nodded. Apparently, Tara had done her homework on Aline's mother if she knew about the reflectors, rosaries, and glaives. She probably didn't know the names and the best ways to use them, but at least she knew they existed.

"I looked all over the world—destroyed my knee and my life. And all I found?" The older woman turned around, unlocked the safe on the wall, and took out a tray full of spell ingredients. "A location spell for the blade that I could never finish. Couldn't find one ingredient—essence of Kraken."

"Kraken?" Crowley asked, causing Tara, Dean, and Aline to look his way. "I got a warehouse full of Kraken essence in Belize. Break the trap, I can be there and back before you say, 'presto'."

"Presto." Tara's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"I can help. Dean? Aline?"

"He wants Abaddon as dead as much as I do," Aline said.

"As we do," Dean corrected.

"If your daddy could see you now, Dean. Same goes for your mother, Aline," Tara pointed out as she walked around the counter and pushed back the rug with her foot. She took out her shotgun and shot the Devil's Trap, breaking the outer ring before Crowley disappeared. "You know, even if that blade is real, it ain't worth being bosom buddies with the King of Hell."

"Abaddon? Way worse," Dean told her. "We'll deal with Crowley after. Trust me."

"You sound just like your dad...when he said he'd call me. And you," she added, looking at Aline. "We both know you know this is a bad idea."

Aline didn't even look at her. "Yeah, I get it. Children of the sun shouldn't work with demons. It's just...this is just my way of trying to make up for something."

"Your mom might be disappointed in you."

What's to say she isn't already? Aline almost said, but she didn't.

Dean and Aline shared a look as if Dean could tell what she almost said. Crowley reappeared, holding a small jar in his hand.

"Shall we?" he asked.

Turned out, the spell led them to Missouri, northeast of Springfield.

It also turned out to be the home of the father of murder himself, Cain.

Cain, as in Cain and Abel.

It was surprising that the man who committed the first murder was now a beekeeper, but Aline didn't judge.

Dean, Aline, and Crowley were sitting inside Cain's house on a couch. Both hunters were looking around assessing their options, and Crowley was staring at the floor looking like he was about to panic.

"Why don't you just zap out of here?" Aline asked.

"I'd never leave my domestic partners in crime," Crowley replied.

"Yeah, like your heart grew three sizes," Dean said with a snort. "You can't zap out of here, can you?"

"Cain's doing something to me."

"Well, it's not your day for getaways, is it?" Aline snarked. "All right, so, tell us about this Cain."

"Well, after Cain killed Abel, he became a demon."

As if that day couldn't be more surprising.

"What do you mean 'became a demon'?" Dean asked.

"I mean he became the deadliest demon to walk the face of the earth. Killed thousands. The best at being the worst. And then he just...Disappeared. Everyone thought he was dead or, at least, hoped he was."

Cain entered with a tea tray, and Crowley cowered, making Aline smirk at Dean.

"Do any of you keep bees?" Cain inquired (the first sentence he spoke since the trio entered his house. Besides, of course, telling Crowley that he wasn't going anywhere). "It's very relaxing. They're such noble creatures. And the honey? Well, I keep it right on the comb." He set the tray down on the coffee table and handed Crowley a cup. Crowley took it, but his hands were shaking in fright and so the teacup rattled suspiciously. "There you are." Cain handed both Dean & Aline cups of tea as well. "They're dying, you know. Without bees, mankind will cease to exist. So, what are the King of Hell, a Winchester, and a child of Amaterasu doing at my house?"

"You know who we are?" Aline asked.

"I'm retired. I'm not dead. What I don't know is why you're looking for me—more importantly, how you found me."

"Ah, that's, uh, a funny story really," Crowley replied nervously. "Bit of a misunderstanding. We really should—"

Cain motioned with his hand, and Crowley was rendered speechless. "Shh."

The former crossroads king stammered and tried to make a sound. Both Dean's and Aline's jaws dropped in amazement.

"Oh, you gotta teach us how to do that," Dean stated.

"Why are you here, Dean, Aline?"

Aline took a minute to compose herself (because that was so frickin' cool!) before answering with, "We're looking for the weapon the archangels used to kill the Knights of Hell. The First Blade. We need to kill a Knight of Hell—Abaddon." She subtly noticed Cain absentmindedly moved a ring on his left ring-finger. "Look, I get it. We get it. You're retired. We're not here to get between you and the demonic AARP, but it's bad out there, and we, Dean and I, are just looking to even the odds."

"One last time—how did you find me?"

"We didn't." Dean this time. "The location spell was for the blade. One-time deal."

"Anyone else know you're here?"

"No," Dean and Aline said simultaneously.

However, Cain stood from the chair. "Well, it's been a pleasure having company, but once a century is enough for me. You can let yourselves out."

Both hunters followed after him.

"Hey, listen, pal," Dean stated. "We're not leaving here without the Blade."

"You have quite a reputation, Dean. Same with you, Aline. I see the part about the two of you being brave rings true."

"Well, what can I say? The two of us are all-in kinds of people."

"Besides," Aline added, "Abaddon is the last Knight of Hell, and if you're out of the game, what the hell do you care if she dies?"

"If your friend here could talk, he would tell you that I trained the Knights of Hell. I built that entire demonic order with my own hands—Abaddon included."

Dean and Aline turned indignantly on Crowley.

"Well, that's information we could have used five minutes ago!" Aline said with a glower.

Crowley gasped in explanation, still unable to talk.

"Well, here's something your friend doesn't know, that no one knows, in fact—outside of Abaddon. Your mother doesn't even know, Aline. It wasn't the archangels that slaughtered the knights. It was me."

The two hunters shared a look before looking back to Cain.

"Why did you turn on your own?"

"Once again, I admire your bravery. But if you'll excuse me, I have errands to run in town." He turned his back to leave. "Goodbye, Dean Winchester, Aline Peverell...Never return."

And Crowley, Dean, and Aline exited the house.

"Well," Crowley said, now able to talk again, "that was lovely. Can we leave the country now?"

Aline whirled on him. "But you said the First Blade was our only shot at killing Abaddon. This is the closest you've been to it. We're not leaving."

"Will you listen to reason for once, you dumb wolf?"

Aline growled and went to do something to hurt Crowley (something, anything. Just to get the anger out), but Dean held her back.

"Hey. He said he was going into town," Dean pointed out. "Awesome. We wait till he's gone, come back, bust in, take what's ours. Got it?"

Suffice to say, the plan didn't work because (surprise surprise) the Blade was gone. It actually led them to the source of the Blade's power: Cain.

That was when Dean and Aline found out about (and saw) the mark Cain received from Lucifer himself. The mark and the blade worked together. Without the mark, the blade itself was useless.

Another thing was a demon (apparently working for Abaddon) had been tailing the three of them since the bar, and he brought a whole bunch of other demons with him to Cain's house.

Of course, Aline and Dean made quick work of a few of them.

As a result, Cain gave Dean the mark.

However, the one thing that Cain said caught Aline's attention and made her blood run cold.

"The mark comes with a great burden. Some would call it a great cost."

Yet, Dean took it without a moment's hesitation. After making Dean promise to use the Blade on Cain when he called him, Cain grasped Dean and Crowley's shoulders (Aline grabbed Dean's hand) and flashed them outside of the house. The other demons that were left rushed into the house and a red-hot light lit up the windows from inside.

("They're all trapped in there," Crowley stated.

"With him," Dean added.)

Now, the two hunters and the demon were sitting in the parked Impala. As usual, Dean was sitting in the driver's seat. Aline was in the passenger's seat, and Crowley was in the back.

"He was right, you know," Crowley pointed out. "You are worthy."

"Oh, great. Now you're gonna get all touchy-feely, too?" Dean asked.

"Your problem, mate, is that nobody hates you more than you do. Believe me, I've tried." He looked over at Aline. "Same with you, but I know you have...something else."

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Aline asked, "So, how do we find this Blade?"

Crowley got out of the car. "You two can't search the bottom of the ocean, but I can. So, I'll find it and bring it to its new owner."

Before he could zap away, Dean and Aline got out as well.

"I saw you, Crowley. Back at Cain's," Dean pointed out. "You dusted that undercard demon, and then you just sat back and watched the main event. You knew. You knew about the mark. You knew about Abaddon and Cain. You knew all of it. And you played us. Why?"

"He would never have given me the Blade. Who can say no to you? I needed you to play along."

"You knew we were being followed," Aline growled, "and you didn't say a damn thing."

"Well, Cain would want to see his prizefighter up close. You plus demons equals fight night."

Aline shoved him against Baby, Tsumagari pressing against his throat. "Tara died. Thanks to you."

"Omelets. Broken eggs. Et cetera."

Dean put his hand on Aline's shoulder, and she let him go. However, the moment she did, Dean angrily punched Crowley.

"After I kill Abaddon...you're next!" he growled out.

"You don't mean that. The three of us're having too much fun."

The two hunters started to walk away, but Crowley called after them.

"Listen up. Even with the Blade, we're gonna need all the help we can get against Abaddon."

At the same time, they turned around, annoyed looks on their faces.

"Go find the Blade." It was like they were one person at that point, strangely enough, but Crowley rolled his eyes.

"It's always something with you three, isn't it?" Then he disappeared.

Dean hissed in pain and pulled up his right sleeve, where the raised f-shaped mark rested. Aline immediately grabbed him, her teeth gritted in pain. It felt like her own mark was burning her skin, and, once she knew he was alright, pulled up her right sleeve.

"I guess that makes us twins, huh?" Dean asked, making her look up. His eyes were locked on her mark.

"Yeah," she whispered. "It does."

FUN FACT: I almost thought about giving Aline the MOC, but she already has enough on her plate to deal with.

So, yeah. Crowley knows about Aline's mark. He also knows something else that neither she nor Dean knows, but the two of them are gonna find that out eventually. Maybe the next chapter? Maybe a bunch of chapters from now? Who knows? (of course, I know.)

Next time on "Sun Set": "Holy cow, this sister's stacked!"