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Inside an abandoned church there are people hanging from chains. One man is bound to a chair, bleeding slowly into a goblet. AU Michael approaches the man wearing an apron to protect his suit. The archangel cuts a small slice in the man's throat. Grace pours out and goes into the goblet.
AU Michael takes the goblet and nods.
"A little of this...a little of that. " He adds more grace to the mixture and swirls it in his hand. "...and..." He puts the goblet by the man's lips. The man's opens his mouth and consumes the drink. AU Michael smiles. "Yes. Good boy."
The man starts making a choking sound. He suddenly screams as flames rise inside him. Burning him from the inside. Then there was a spark and the man drops forward his eyes gone.
The archangel frowns at the now deceased man.
"Hmm. Too much that. How disappointing."
He drags the man 's body from the chair and drops it on the floor with the other failed experiments.
AU Michael turns and looks at the people chained up. He smirks and spins his knife .
"Alright, who's next."
In the bunker. Mary and Bobby are going through the weapons while Sam is on the laptop.
"Who goes to Duluth in October. Sure Michael didn't touch down in Orlando?" Bobby says.
"Jo was pretty specific. Duluth." Mary says.
"Yeah, well, angel's ain't exactly known for their veracity." Mary clears her throat and looks over Bobby's shoulder. Bobby turns around and sees Castiel walk in. Bobby shrugs. "No offense."
"None taken. I tend to agree with you." Cas says.
Mary hands a gun to her son .
" Here you go."
Sam takes it and nods.
"Thanks."
Mary looks at the screen.
"Hey, what's that?" She asks .
"So I've been searching through police reports in Duluth. Cops just turned up a pile of corpses that was dumped near some train tracks just north of town and their eyes were burnt out." Sam answers.
"So Michael. We should go now." Cas says.
Sam shakes his head.
"No Cas you can't remember."
Cas sighs.
"Yes. My angelic presence would be sensed by Michael, thereby nullifying your hopes of a sneak attack."
"Yeah, sorry."
"And, you need me to stay here and babysit Nick and Jack."
"It's not babysitting, Cas."
"Only in the sense that they're not infants, but they both have to be supervised. Jack is lost without his grace, Nick is...he's just a mess."
"Well, it's not his fault. Cas, Nick was housing, you know. He deserves a shot at rebuilding his life."
"And yet every time I look at him, all I can see is the supreme agent of evil."
"You talking about my dad again?"
They turn and see Jack has joined them. The hunters give each other awkward looks. Jack waves it off.
"It's okay, I understand. Being around Nick it's hard for me, too."
"Uh, Jack, we're going to need you to sit this mission out. Not a permanent thing." Mary says.
"I know last time, I sucked when it mattered, and I need to improve. So...that's what I'm gonna do." Jack says with a nod trying to not look bothered.
Inside he was still kicking himself for how bad he was at saving the angel who he refers as his father.
Sam stands up and cocks his gun.
"Alright. Okay. Let's move."
Michael glances up at the pink sky.
"Getting close to nightfall." He says.
He hears Eileen's panting from behind. He sensed her exhaustion and hunger. His vessel still demanded food.
The archangel stops and turns around remembering he has to talk to her face to face because she is deaf.
"You should rest."
Eileen reads the archangel's lips. Her eyes drowsy.
"No." She answers. "We got to find my people."
"In a state you are in. Eileen. I want to find my brother but so far we have no leads. It's not safe to be out here at night."
"You think I didn't know that. The night is dangerous but I survived. I been tortured. My people are going through the same suffering I went through. I need to get them back."
"Eileen." Michael looks at her tired eyes. "When was the last time you actually slept?" The huntress lowers her head a yawn escaping her lips. The archangel sighs sadly "I take that you haven't had a good night sleep for a long time." He looks round for anything that can be seen as shelter. There is nothing. He gestures to the trees. "We will have to camp here. Make a fire."
Eileen snorted.
"You know how to start a fire?"
Michael smiles.
"My vessel is a hunter. I'm a fast learner."
The archangel can hear Dean sigh heavily in his head.
Eileen smiles.
"Okay. Help me get the wood."
The two of them gathered wood and piled it on top of each other. Eileen rubbed two of the pieces of wood together. It took a while but they eventually got a spark and threw it on the wood. The spark turns into fire. The flames rise letting out heat.
Eileen sits down near the fire her body shivering from the cold. Michael looks at his own jacket.
"Dean. Do you mind?"
"Go ahead." Dean answers knowing what the archangel meant.
Michael slips off his jacket.
"Here." He puts it on Eileen's back. "It's not much but..."
"Its fine." She wraps the jacket around herself and beams at him. "Thank you."
"Now we just need food."
"Don't bother. You ain't going to get anything out here."
Michael catches a bird fly across the tree.
"Tonight you might be proven wrong."
The archangel aims his blade. The world slows down around him as he focuses on the trees.
"Now you are getting food." Dean says.
"Shh"
Michael throws the blade. The blade goes through the chest of the bird knocking it off the tree.
"Nice shot." Dean says actually sounding impressed.
Michael walks up to the dead bird. He picks the bird up by its leg in one hand and the blade in the other.
"You got it?" Eileen says.
Michael chuckles and starts to shred the feathers off.
"Yes."
He sticks the bird through a stick and places over the fire. He rolls it round making sure every bit is cooked through.
"Angels cooking? Never thought I would see that."
"Now you have."
The archangel looks through the memories of Dean cooking in the outdoor life. He finds one of Dean cooking a lizard. Michael frowns.
"A lizard Dean?"
"There wasnt much to offer... Hey how many times do I have to tell you quit poking around in my head. "
"I'm trying to make sure I don't burn or under cook this bird. If I mess this up, it will not look good on me."
Dean had to admit Michael had a point.
"Fine but look at memories that are needed. You don't need to look at my life story."
"Okay. Okay."
Eileen leans forward.
"I think its done."
Michael looks and nods taking the woman's word.
"Yes it is."
He gives the stick to Eileen letting her eat of that. He takes a little bit of bird just to stop his vessel's hunger. The heat from the bird didn't burn his hands. He was immune to the great heat.
Eileen takes a bite. She swallows.
"Not bad."
She raises her hands feeling curious and sign languages.
It really needs seasoning.
Michael laughs and sign languages back.
At least you can taste it.
"I can't taste nothing." He says out loud.
"Oh so you know sign language."
"I know all the languages including sign."
"Oh. Never seen the angels do it. They would grab my face and force me to look at them directly in their face so I can read their lips."
"That's their way of being intimidating."
Eileen finishes the remaining of her dinner. She clears her throat.
"My other me, was she deaf to?"
"Yes."
Michael did look through the memories where Eileen was seen or mentioned. Despite Dean's protests he needed to know the back story of this woman.
"Did her parents get murdered by a Banshee?" She asks.
The archangel sits down opposite the woman so she can read him. He nods.
"Yes."
"Did she get her revenge?"
"Yes." Dean says.
"Yes." Michael says.
"Oh."
"What about you?"
Eileen shakes her head.
"No. Lost my chance when the angel wars started. For years I hunted Banshees. None of them were the ones that killed my parents. Then the war started and...I had to put my desire for revenge to the side."
"Do you still want to avenge your parents death?"
"I do. I was raised to find and kill the monster that killed my parents. I didn't know my parents but they are still my family." She sighs. "But it's never going to happen."
"I'm sorry."
Eileen smiles a little.
"I am happy my other me got her revenge. At least one of us did."
"Dean and his brother helped her to get her revenge."
"Dean, your vessel."
"Yes."
"Now I understand why my other me was friends with him." She furrows her eyebrows. "Question, why did he say yes to you?"
"Love. He did it for love. He said yes to save his family."
"What happened?" Michael looks down feeling uncomfortable by the topic. Eileen shakes her head. "Sorry I should have not asked. Its none of my business."
Michael looks back up at her.
"No. Its not you. It was...a tough time. For both of us. It is something I would rather not talk about. But I will say my vessel always puts his family first. I do admire that. As being the older sibling you feel it is your duty to protect your loved ones."
Dean started to see that he and Michael had a thing in common when it came to family. They are both the oldest, had the duty to protect their brothers, wanting to impress their fathers and raised to be soldiers.
It made Dean wonder that's why he was born to be the Michael sword because of these similarities and they both been on similar paths.
Apart from the need to kill my brother. Dean thought.
"I am an only child. But I think I do get where you are coming from." Eileen says.
She yawns and rubs her eyes.
"I think its time we put the conversation on hold. We'll continue tomorrow." The archangel stands up. "You get some rest. I'll be on watch. I don't sleep."
The huntress lies down on the jacket Michael gave her.
"I don't sleep long. Four hours is usually enough for me."
Michael studies her face.
"I think you will be sleeping longer than four hours."
He smiles and raises his hands. He sign languages.
Night Eileen.
Eileen smiles and gestures night back. She closes her eyes and drifts off within seconds.
Michael keeps his blade by his side as he sits down but makes sure he gives the woman some space. He leans on the tree and looks up at the stars.
"Did you mean that? About me putting my family first?" Dean asks.
"Yes. I know it took you a lot to say yes to me. You did it for Sam and Jack. You knew what you were getting into it but you didn't care about what happens to you. All you cared about was having your family safe. I admire that. I admire your bravery Dean. I know you don't see it but others do. I am glad Jack had good roles to look up to." He looks over at the sleeping woman. "Eileen. She is a good woman. You did the right thing telling me to save her. I hope she and her people find peace in our world once their Michael has been disposed off."
"Yes."
Michael looks back up at the sky.
I'm coming for you Gabriel. Not long now. We will be a family again. I promise.