Author's Note: Angry chick music for this chapter.
Playlist for the Chapter: 'Burn Your Fun' by Holly GoLightly and the Brokeoffs, 'Daughters of Darkness' by Halestorm, 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' by Pat Benatar
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Lisa Goes to War
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Lisa knew that something was wrong, even before she was fully awake. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and chills raced up and down her spine. There was something in her bedroom, something not human. She rolled over, snagging one of her kukri knives off of her bedside table, and was about to throw it when she realized the thing in her room was just Castiel. Lisa dropped the kukri blade onto her bedspread and fell back, groaning, hands scrubbing at her face. Her heart was hammering in her chest like a wounded bird. It sucked going from zero to sixty in no time flat, and she ached to find a way to burn off that sick adrenaline. Punching something sounded nice.
"What the hell?" she demanded, dropping her hands and finally looking at him. "It is six in the morning, and you standing there staring at me in my bedroom is CREEPY."
Castiel blinked. "Dean says that too. Also that I invade personal space."
"I'm not surprised."
Lisa rolled out of bed and began looking for her pants. She felt weird talking to an Angel of the Lord in nothing but her panties and an old boyfriend's ratty grease stained Led Zeppelin t-shirt. She had a lot of old classic rock band t-shirts shoved in her closet that she had absolutely no idea where they'd come from, but Lisa used them for pajamas. For some reason they made her feel safe. She shimmied into her jeans, grunting when she had a hard time sliding them over the curve of her ass. All the shitty diner food was starting to get to her, even if she had to fight for her life every other evening.
"What's up?" Lisa asked, heading downstairs. "Want some breakfast?"
Castiel shook his head, but he slid into a chair at her bar. As Lisa pushed the 'brew' button on her coffee machine, and began cracking eggs into a frying pan, she took a sneaky glance at the angel sitting in her kitchen. He looked like hell. His knuckles were bruised and battered, and there was blood on his dirty trench coat. Shadows lurked in his fathomless eyes giving him a macabre vibe that made her skin crawl. There was a necklace around his neck, which was something new for him. Castiel always looked drab, as though human adornment was an afterthought. The necklace was odd looking, a mishmash of charms and stones. She recognized a little red marble Buddha hanging from a tarnished Chinese coin, but the rest of the charms were unfamiliar to her. How odd. She often forgot that Castiel wasn't a person, wasn't human, but she remembered now.
"Wanna talk about it?" Lisa asked casually, slicing up a tomato. She dumped the little tomato chunks into the pan with some olive oil and it began to sizzle and spit madly.
"What are you making?" Castiel asked instead, dodging her question with all the social eloquence of a bulldozer. "Dean never puts tomato on his eggs."
"You talk about him a lot," Lisa observed, shoving the tomatoes around in the pan with a spatula. If he was going to play the 'dodge questions game,' she could too. "Are you guys a thing?"
He cocked his head at her, clearly trying to figure out what she meant by 'thing.' Lisa had noticed Castiel didn't really understand human nuances and slang, and so she usually tried to be as clear and concise as possible when she spoke to him. Apparently she'd just slipped up.
"Together. Romantically," Lisa explained. She opened a cupboard over the sink, revealing bread Sarah had made yesterday. Cutting off a slice, she got out one of their mismatched plates and spread her lazy person sundried tomatoes on the bread.
When all she got was silence, Lisa glanced at Castiel, who was watching what she was doing intently. She smiled slightly. The angel claimed he didn't need food, didn't need little things that humans required, but she could tell he liked them- was fascinated by them. He was like Arthur Weasley, but with wings. On an afterthought, she added two eggs to the pan instead of one.
"We're family," Castiel said, after a while. That seemed to be his go to explanation for a lot of the insane things the Winchesters had him do.
"Ah." She wasn't entirely sure what that meant. Where the Winchesters were concerned, family seemed like a loaded bomb.
Lisa dished up breakfast, laying the neatly fried eggs on the tomato smeared toast. She got Castiel a mug of coffee and set his plate before him, and then scooted onto a stool across from him. Taking a massive bite of her toast she closed her eyes and enjoyed her breakfast. He'd talk when he was ready. People usually did. Easy silence had cracked Ben faster than nagging ever did. Castiel didn't say anything, much to her surprise. Instead, he devoured his toast and eggs and coffee with a careful meditation of a man determined to remember something about his life, something mundane, before he left all familiarity behind. Her eyes narrowed at him. Something had happened. Something bad.
Castiel reached into his coat. Lisa caught a brief glimpse of a heavy bloodstained stone tablet tucked inside his shirt before his coat closed again. The angel laid his bundle on the counter: a worn and bloody black leather jacket wrapped around several somethings that 'clinked.'
At his nod, Lisa tugged the jacket to her and unwrapped it. Inside lay a dirty bloodstained purple tie-dye blouse that smelled like sulphur, a heavy crumbling ceramic jug, a small tarnished golden amulet on a broken leather cord, and two shining silver blades the length of Lisa's forearm. The blades were unlike anything Lisa had ever seen before. They were smooth, without any visible construction lines, and impossibly cold to the touch. He'd given her weapons before, but clothes and jewelry? That was a little odd.
"You stole some chick's shirt?"
He had the sense at least look a little embarrassed. "She- she had a tank top on underneath."
"Whatever. Why are you giving me this?"
Castiel's gaze was nothing short of a thousand yard stare. A Hunter that had found Prey. "I have found the demon who took Ben," he said, voice low and scratchy. Lisa immediately forgot about the new weird looking glowing weapons on her kitchen counter and the dead chick's dirty blouse.
"Legion," Castiel continued. "Very old, very powerful. He wants to overthrow the current King of Hell and return Hell to its former old world glory."
"Hell had glory?" Lisa asked incredulously. It was hard to picture a place of infinite suffering as glorious.
"I suppose, to older demons it did. Lucifer and his pantheon of followers: Azazel, Abaddon, Moloch, Gog, Beelzebub, Lilith, Mephistopheles, and Legion."
A cold shudder ran through her. They were names Lisa had heard as a kid in Sunday School, but never thought she would ever have to confront them, or that they were even real.
"Do I have to go through all of them, or just Legion?" Lisa asked, trying to go for bravado, though her voice came out small and scared instead.
"No," Castiel said. One of his hands idly stroked the necklace hanging around his throat. "Azazel and Lilith are dead. Abaddon is occupied with the Winchesters, and the others have not been heard from in centuries, though there have been whispers of Moloch's return in a town in New York. Ben, and your daughter Abigail, are rare vessels. Demons are highly mistrustful of each other, and Legion will not want to let anyone steal his prize from him.
"He's not going to go down easy, is he?" Lisa asked. She sipped her coffee, wishing she could just poke the problem with her sword, but nothing was ever that simple.
"No," Castiel said, voice hollow and sad. "Legion is one of Lucifer's generals, the demon elite. Azazel and Lilith were eliminated, but at great cost, and I can no longer help you. I'm sorry, Lisa. I have brought you as many tools as I can. The blades are angelic weapons used to dispatch demons and angels alike, and the jar contains holy oil which can be used to see demons' true forms along with Hellhounds. You will need to use the oil to set fire to some surface, a glass or the like, and once the surface cools, the denizens of Hell will be visible to you."
"What about this?" Lisa asked, reaching for the amulet. Upon closer inspection it was a tiny, smiling little golden face with large ears and horns. What a weird looking pendant, but it seemed so familiar. Somehow she'd seen it before. She was drawn to it, unable to keep herself from taking it. Her hand closed around the cool metal and immediately agony flared right behind her eyes. The headache was instantaneous and worse than any she'd had so far when she tried to remember her past. It was so bad her vision went dark. The amulet was cutting into her palm, but she couldn't let go- wouldn't let go. Her hand had locked around the amulet like she'd grabbed an electric fence. Dimly she registered falling off of her stool like a sack of potatoes and Castiel's surprised cry, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She had to remember, NEEDED to remember.
Images flashed in her brain, piercing the pain filled darkness and then disappearing as quickly as they'd arrived: a man throwing a baseball to Ben, that man loading wet laundry into the dryer, giving her a piggyback ride from Ben's baseball practice because she'd had too much rum and coke, sobbing on the bathroom floor surrounded by empty whiskey bottles at three in the morning. That same man on her front porch, slightly younger, telling her that he was about to do something awful and that he probably wouldn't come back. Lisa remembered him earlier, too. He'd been in her life before. He'd saved Ben from- she searched her new memories- a Changling.
And earlier, too. He was much younger; she was much younger. That amulet sparkled around his neck. It wasn't tarnished and dirty like it was now. It was 1999 and they were at a concert, Black Sabbath and Pantera, she'd just met him- god his eyes, those pretty green eyes, freckles on his nose, and that wicked smile that promised nothing but sin. They'd drank, and moshed, and laughed, and drank, and soon after the music was over she was taking his hand, taking him home. What followed had been AWESOME. He'd been like an octopus: everywhere at once. How the hell had she forgotten a night like that? That had easily been the best night of her life. That night had produced Ben. She could remember everything, everything now but his face. When she tried to focus on it, recognition slid away from her like a lost dream.
When Lisa came to she was on the cold kitchen floor. Sarah and Kate and Castiel were all bent over her, wearing matching scared and concerned expressions. Castiel had her head in his hands and Lisa felt her headache begin to fade, along with that weird tingle that always accompanied his healing. Her face felt wet and sticky. She put up a hand, touching her cheek, and discovered that she'd bled not just from her nose this time, but from her eyes and her ears. Gross. No wonder they looked scared.
She'd worry about the blood later. Lisa put her hand over Castiel's, gripping it firmly. Ignoring her blood on his hands, which was now staining them both like rust flakes, she forced him to look at her. "Tell me," she said desperately. "Tell me how to save my son. Tell me where my daughter is."
"Your daughter lives in Pennsylvania," he said, the words coming reluctantly. "Legion will need to be summoned and killed. You will have to kill him, because if you do not he will come for you."
"How do I kill him without hurting Ben?"
"It will be a gamble," Castiel said softly. "Ben will not come out of this unscathed. Your son may never be whole again. We are often not…kind, to our vessels."
Lisa nodded, a clammy chill settling over her skin. She was going to have to find a good place to confront Legion. There was no way she was going to do it at the church and risk losing her holy ground with the demon's hellfire miasmic taint. Slowly she climbed to her feet with Kate and Sarah on either side of her, gripping her elbows and helping her up.
"You can't tell us why you're leaving," Lisa said, correctly reading the angel's skittering sideways look. Ben had that guilty look sometimes when he was going to stay out too late with his friends, and didn't want to tell her because he knew she didn't like it.
Castiel shook his head, looking sad. "No. It would endanger you more than I already have by coming here. I will not be able to come when you call anymore."
"Okay." Lisa grabbed a wet rag that was draped over the kitchen faucet and began to wipe off her bloodstained face. "I want directions to my daughter, then."
"They're in your pocket."
With surprise, she glanced down at the pocket of her jeans, shoving a hand in and touching a scrap of paper. When she looked up Castiel was watching her with a miserable expression.
"There's more, isn't there?" Lisa said flatly.
Castiel nodded. "I want you…to do me a favor," he said quietly. Kate snarled and even Lisa felt like growling. The word 'favor' carried a deadly weight that promised pain and sacrifice should she choose to accept. It sounded like a price she could hardly afford to pay. Then she mentally smacked herself.
He was getting Ben back. If it meant the safety of her children, she'd pay whatever price their lives might cost. Family was all that mattered.
"Okay," Lisa said simply. With that one word, it felt like she'd signed away her soul.
"What I require is-" Castiel stopped and cocked his head, listening intently to something that the rest of them could not hear. His face flashed white and terrified. "Naomi," he breathed. "She found me, faster than I anticipated. Goodbye Lisa."
He was gone. This time the customary feeling of downy feathers on her skin was different somehow, harsher, like the sharp strike of fletches on an arrow. Castiel was running fast with no care for the people he left behind. Hopefully he led whatever chased him away from the church.
Lisa looked at the carnage of the kitchen. There was blood everywhere and she'd managed to knock her plate of eggs off the counter, and they'd spattered all over the stone floor. Ugh, what a mess. At least her coffee was untouched. Sarah and Kate were still watching her, their silent faces a unified "WTF?" So Lisa snagged her coffee and wandered into the living room where she busied herself with building a fire in the grate. The sudden smell of strong coffee in the room, along with the smell of wood smoke, signified that Sarah had followed and brought the coffeepot with her. Lisa straightened, dusting off her hands. Sarah had indeed brought the coffee pot, along with two extra mugs, the sugar bowl, and a carton of milk. She was crouched by the coffee table, adding milk and sugar to the mugs. Kate had curled onto one of the couches, gripping one of the mismatched throw pillows like it was an anchor.
Settling onto a couch, Lisa curled herself around her coffee mug, trying to find the words she needed. The fire burned and popped merrily in the grate, along with the subtler sounds of Kate and Sarah. They were home sounds, safe sounds.
Lisa took a deep breath, and suddenly the whole story seemed to spill from her: The black hole in her head where parts of her life should be, glimmering flashes of recovered memory shining in the dark of her mind like stars. The demon coming for her and her son, because somehow her son was special. The discovery of her daughter. The man she couldn't remember. She even came clean about being made Garth's second in command- why they'd been so busy, because Garth wasn't returning Hunter calls and so the Hunter network had been largely relying on her for direction.
Silence followed for a moment's time, Sarah and Kate both processing the new revelations. Sarah said nothing, merely sipped her coffee. Kate chewed her bottom lip.
"Well," Kate said slowly, finally breaking the relative quiet. "That makes a lot of sense."
"That's it?" Lisa was a little taken aback. She'd expected them to have a bit more of reaction, some outrage, perhaps, that she'd drug them into a war they didn't understand without telling them.
Kate laughed a little, shrugging. "I always wondered what would make a tofu chugging soccer mom pick up a sword and turn into a ghost busting biker bitch. Now I know."
"I just-" Lisa hesitated, still trying to process all the information Castiel had given her. "There's so much I have to do," she said finally. Helplessly.
"What's the plan?" Sarah asked, setting down her coffee mug and lacing her fingers together. Her expression was serious, and Lisa realized with a jolt it was the same look Sarah wore when she sited down a gun barrel.
"The plan?" Lisa said, slowly.
Sarah snorted. "Of course. You didn't think we'd let you go on this suicidal crusade alone, did you? You have friends! Hell, we're practically family now. You don't have to do this alone. No one should have to do something like this alone."
Kate nodded and Lisa felt her eyes burn with the sting of tears. "Thank you," she said softly. "That- that means a lot. For what it's worth, I'm sorry I got you guys into this. You should leave; it's not safe. This is more than ghosts or monsters. I'm up against freaking demons. This is Old Testament stuff, old world Christian monsters that are gunning for me and mine specifically. You shouldn't be anywhere near me. "
"Bah," Sarah said, waving a hand. "I got myself into this because it was the right thing to do, and Kate didn't really have a choice anyway."
"Furry and crabby once a month, either way you look at it," Kate grinned. "And it's not something Mirena can fix."
"Okay." Lisa took a deep breath, cycling through her options. "Then here's the plan: first I call Garth and let him know what's up. I haven't heard from him in a while and it is high time we checked in. Then I need to have a look at the loot Flutters McGee brought us before he took off. I think we can melt down one of the Angel Blades into bullets, but I'd like to be sure before we destroy one. We'll take it to a contact, see if we can find out why it does what it does. If we can build our own holy swords of stabbing it will be a huge advantage. Then-"
"Then?" Sarah prompted gently.
"I want to see my daughter," Lisa replied. She was embarrassed at how small her voice was.
Sarah's voice was still gentle. "That's going to be tough, you realize that right? Your kid has no idea who you are. It's been, what, four years?"
"Five." Lisa could only stare at her hands. She knew what Sarah was trying to say, she just didn't have to like it.
"So a five year old little girl who knows nothing about you, or the monsters you deal with on a regular basis. Then it is a serious possibility that she doesn't even have a clue she's adopted. And- and you don't exactly look approachable. I mean, I don't want to be a bitch but-" Sarah gestured helplessly.
Lisa knew what she meant, and wasn't offended, but she still felt a despair that went bone deep. If present day Lisa stood side by side with her past self, maybe passed her on the street or made eye contact in a grocery store, past Lisa would not have recognized her. It wasn't just the scars and the tattoos and the hair, it was her entire manner. It would be just like that scene from V for Vendetta: Evey, standing in line in the open, and a woman she'd known for years had stared at her face and not known her. It was not fair for Lisa to come barging into her daughter's life, trying to make a place for herself there. She'd lost that right a long time ago, but it didn't mean that she couldn't see her, make sure she was safe.
"I want to see my daughter," Lisa repeated, more strength in her tone this time. "I need to at least make sure she's protected. Safe."
Sarah nodded. "Okay. You call Garth and I'll get our gear together. We'll leave as soon as possible, Pennsylvania isn't too far away."
"I'll call O'Bannon," Kate put in. "Let him know to keep an eye on the fort."
"Thanks," Lisa said gratefully.
The other two women moved off in different directions, Sarah to the armory and Kate upstairs to her room to find her cell phone. Lisa remained on the couch, her own phone in hand. Garth was on speed dial, and within seconds the line was ringing. And ringing. And ringing. It went to voicemail, finally, and Lisa frowned as the call timed out and her phone went dark. How long had it been since she'd actually talked to Garth face to face? She hadn't seen him in months, then he'd stopped calling, and finally stopped texting. They were both incredibly busy, sure. Garth was running point for the Winchesters more and more, while she'd had her hands full taking up his slack and coordinating Hunts for the regular Hunters all across the US. There'd been a Rugaru in the New York sewer system, a nest of vampires running a casino in Los Angeles, and a witch who fancied herself the subject of the next shitty Blair Witch Project knock off in Maine. Lisa didn't mind running things, but if she was going to take a personal case and go off the grid to hunt down her missing kid, Garth needed to know.
Lisa called again and left a voice mail. Oh well, at least he was checking his messages, or she would have clogged his inbox a long time ago. That done, Lisa tromped up to her room, carrying the loot Castiel had brought her. All of it must have a meaning or a purpose, or he wouldn't have brought it to her. Lisa shoved the bloodstained blouse into the back of her closet. She'd worry about that later. The Angle Blades she laid out on her bed, along with the amulet and the jar of oil. Sarah would get one of the Blades, Lisa the other. Kate probably wouldn't want one. She preferred not to use weapons of any sort, only her claws and teeth. The oil would have to be rationed carefully. Castiel probably wouldn't be bringing them refills. They were going to have to find something to put it on, something durable that wouldn't break. Glasses was her first choice, but they could easily be knocked off in a fight. A mask of some sort would be her best bet. Too many monsters seemed to go for the eyes anyway. A mask would protect her face.
That problem solved, Lisa's attention went back to the small golden charm. It was battered and dented, but the little golden face winked at her in the dim light. A token from her shambled past, it made her feel safe. Without hesitation she picked it back up. No headaches, no flashes of memory assaulted her, and she slowly lifted it over her head. The golden face became a comfortable weight between her breasts, hanging just below the rest of her jewelry. Lisa had taken to collecting little charms and baubles that worked against the things that went bump in the night. The golden face joined a medieval rosary blessed by Father O'Bannon, an Egyptian ankh from the end of the 19th dynasty, and a tiny wooden Tibetan lotus.
Then she grabbed her phone. She texted one word, Legion.
For we r many. All ur pigs r belong 2 us. Dean's reply was quick, and she grinned. Even though they only texted, she liked talking to him. He made her laugh.
Lisa sobered. Its gunning 4 me. Got n e advice?
Watch ur ass. Hit hard n fast. U want help?
Lisa hesitated. She wanted to say yes. Wanted to buy him a beer, wanted him at her back for some inexplicable reason. But Castiel had told her to stay away from Dean Winchester, and she trusted the angel.
Ill let u kno.
Dean's reply was quick. U bettr. Id be pissed if u stopped txting cus of a dumb mistake
Aww. Doncha worry princess, Ill b back 2 texting u at 2AM soon enuff.
Promises promises. He teased. Bettr keep em,' or I will com find u.
Ill hold u 2 it
She closed her phone. She had a mission to plan and an army of two to back her. There could be no mistakes.
.x.
Abby knew she wasn't supposed to talk to strangers. It was one of mom's biggest rules. The most important rule actually, right under "no sugar before dinner." Abby knew she wasn't supposed to talk to strangers, and the lady talking to her looked as scary as anybody she'd ever met. With her black leather coat that smelled like a lot like wind, and a little like rotten eggs. Her face was scary too. Scars ran from her hairline, across her cheek, down to her chin. Her eyes were nice though. Gentle, kind, and a little sad. Those eyes were why Abby had not run. The lady was squatting in front of her on the sidewalk in front of her house. Krista, the baby sitter, was too busy snap chatting her boyfriend. She wouldn't see the lady.
"How are you?" the lady asked. She smiled, and even her smile was sad.
"Can't talk to strangers," Abby mumbled, swinging her arms a little. She really should run. If the lady asked her if she wanted candy, then she would run. Strangers always offered candy. That's how you knew they were bad.
"That's right, you shouldn't," the lady agreed, nodding. "Have you met any other strangers?"
It was a weird question, but then grownups were weird anyway. They didn't understand anything. Abby decided not to tell the lady about the Watchers, the people with dark eyes who stood at a distance and stared at her. The lady might be a Watcher herself.
"Okay," the lady said, when Abby didn't say anything. The lady looked even sadder. "Well, be safe Abigail, it was nice meeting you."
"Abby," Abby corrected firmly. Abigail made her sound like a stupid grownup.
The lady smiled again. So, so very sad, but happy too. "Okay. Abby. That's a pretty name."
"Why are you sad?" Abby asked. Grownups should not be sad. They knew everything.
The lady sighed, knotting her fingers together. Her hands were rough, with hard calluses on her palms. Her nails were pretty though. They were painted bright purple. "Because I lost my son, and I lost my daughter," the lady said quietly. "I didn't even know she went away. "
"Go find them," Abby said flatly. "That's what moms do." She knew that much after all. Moms were supposed to take care of you.
"What if she doesn't want to be found?" the lady asked, still looking down at her clasped hands. Her voice was small.
Abby threw caution to the wind and touched the lady's scarred cheek with one of her small jam-sticky fingers. "Find her. Or the Watchers might get her."
The lady's gaze sharpened for a moment, and Abby took a step back. "Who are the Watchers?" the lady asked lightly, glancing around as though there might be one nearby.
"They Watch. Their eyes are scary."
"Do you see any now?" The lady was still scanning up and down the quiet Pittsburgh street. Her hand was inside her heavy leather boot.
"No," Abby said softly, afraid now. She'd never been really scared, because mom had told her monsters weren't real, that she was making the Watchers up. When a grownup believed you, things were really bad. "You believe me? I told mom the Watchers were there, and they were going to get me. She didn't believe me."
"Yes," the lady said, her eyes fierce. "I believe you, and I will not let them get you. I promise."
Abby stood stock still for a moment, then she darted forward and threw her tiny arms around the lady's neck, hugging her hard. "Thank you, ma'am."
The lady laughed and hugged her back. "My name is Alice. You can call me Leese. See? I have a nickname too."
"Leese." Abby tested that out, and was impressed. It was a good nickname.
"Here, Abby, I got this for you." The lady held out a fat stuffed penguin. It looked like one of the penguins from the Madagascar movies. Abby liked those penguins. They hit each other a lot and were funny. The penguin was a little heavy, but Abby supposed that was because it was so fat, so she didn't mind. The bigger the stuffed animal, the better. She'd completely forgotten about the 'no strangers' rule now. She and Leese were friends.
Leese lifted a necklace off her neck, and looped it around the penguin's. Abby's eyes got big. It was a pretty necklace, with dark wood and red marble beads, and had a cross hanging at the end. The cross was the prettiest. It had tiny little jewels stuck in its dark gold surface. It was the nicest thing Abby had ever been given. "Thank you," Abby said softly, hugging the penguin close.
"If the Watchers ever come get you, Mr. Penguin will help," Leese said.
"That's a dumb name," Abby said, swinging the penguin a little. "It makes him sound old."
Leese laughed, and wrote a number on a piece of paper. "Then the next time we meet, I want to you have come up with a better name." Leese shoved the paper into the penguin's beak. "If the Watchers come, you call me. No matter what, I will come and save you."
Abby nodded silently, arms locked tight around her penguin. It felt like there was sand in its stuffing, but she didn't think about that too hard. Leese got to her feet, gently brushed Abby's hair back, then began to walk down the block back to the big white motorcycle waiting by the curb. Her boots made heavy clicking noises in the silent street.
"Bye," Abby said softly. She turned and walked back into her house. Krista needed to shut up about her stupid boyfriend. Boys were stupid. It was time for lunch.
.x.
Lisa made it about three blocks away on her bike before she had to pull over. Pulling off her helmet and gloves, she put her face in her hands and just sobbed. Great wracking sobs that made her feel like she'd puke if they went on for too long. Both her kids were someplace she couldn't protect them, take care of them. Ben was god knew where and her daughter-
Lisa let out a very unladylike hiccup and swiped her hand across her eyes. Kate and Sarah were waiting for her. She needed to get her shit together and report back. The city of bridges was certainly unforgivable to bikers who did not pay attention. Downtown Pittsburgh was beautiful, but it did not mess around, and their hotel was located on a particularly awkward side street of downtown. It took Lisa a fair amount of time to leave Abigail's quiet brick and ivy neighborhood and get back to the hotel where Kate and Sarah were waiting.
"Marco," Lisa said, throwing her helmet and keys onto one of the beds.
"Polo," Kate replied, popping out of the bathroom accompanied by a billow of eucalyptus scented steam.
Sarah didn't look up from her perch on one of the beds. Her laptop was open, balanced precariously on her knees, and she was talking quietly, cheeks pink. Upon closer inspection, Lisa noticed that Sarah was actually wearing makeup, and her hair was swept back up into an elegant bun. She still wore her favorite 'Antiques Roadshow' t-shirt, but she looked nicer than normal.
"Is she talking to Ian?" Lisa whispered, shrugging off the new leather jacket she'd gotten from Castiel. It smelled a little like the demon smoke that had taken Ben. Every time she pulled it on, the smell reminded her of her duty: the protection of her family.
Kate began toweling her short blond hair. "Yup. They've been giggling for the better part of an hour."
Sarah glanced up, then did a double take when she saw both Lisa and Kate staring at her wearing matching mischievous expressions. Lisa crossed her eyes at her and mouthed 'twitterpated' and Kate puckered up and batted her long eyelashes. Sarah murmured a hurried goodbye and then closed the lid of her computer. "You guys aren't going to let this go, are you?"
Lisa shook her head. "Nope. Not a chance. We're your friends, it's kind of our job."
"Sarah's got a bo-o-y," Kate sang, laughing, and dodging the pillow that Sarah lobbed at her head.
"Shut up both of you," Sarah grumped. She folded her arms. "So what's the deal? Did you find your daughter?"
The smile dropped off Lisa's face and she nodded, sinking onto the other bed. "I did. She's healthy, happy for the most part."
"What is it?" Sarah asked softly, leaning forward.
Lisa took a deep breath and proceeded to tell them everything that Abby had told her about the Watchers. The story was clipped and to the point, and by the time Lisa finished, both Kate and Sarah looked grim.
"I think it's safe to say Legion knows about Abby," Sarah said finally.
"It would be a mistake to assume otherwise," Lisa agreed, reaching for her sword. The blade rested comfortably across her knees, and she ran her hand across the battered scabbard that sheathed it. The neurotic housewife that lurked somewhere deep inside Lisa had rejoiced at Sarah finding a matching scabbard at an antique shop. "For now we need to do some watching ourselves."
"For a Watcher?" Sarah asked grinning.
"Lotta watching going on," Kate said dryly.
Lisa snorted. "Kate, would you be willing to take a walk through Abby's neighborhood? See if you can catch a scent? We need to know if the Watchers are demons, or something else. I didn't smell sulphur when I was there, but your senses are much better than mine."
"If they are demons, then there's a good chance they belong to Legion. If it was something else, it probably would have taken her already," Sarah added. "Didn't you say Legion harassed Ben before it took him?"
"Yes," Lisa said, low, grip tightening on her sword at the bitter memory. "The impression I got was that it was playing. It couldn't just take him outright. It had to break him first."
"Then," Sarah said slowly, "If I were a betting sort of gal, I would say what happened to you and Ben will happen to Abby and her adoptive mother."
"Over my dead body," Lisa growled.
.x.
Darkness broke from the tree across the street from Abby's house, watching the little girl as she played with a ginormous stuffed penguin in her front yard. The demon bobbed up and down, a formless cloud of smoke that every now and then briefly formed the shape of a woman before dissolving. A meat suit was out of the question. Abnormally perceptive, the girl had noticed earlier recognizance attempts. The demon shuddered. Humans. Nasty fleshbags.
Footsteps, impossibly light, patted softly on the sidewalk. The demon shivered in sudden anxiety. Something was coming, something not human. Legion would not be pleased to learn something else was interested in his prize.
The demon relaxed a bit when a young girl in a dark hoodie, skinny jeans, and dirty chucks rounded the corner. Maybe it was mistaken. She had an elfin face with a short mop of dandelion blond hair. The girl was kicking a pebble down the street. The demon shrank back into the dark, already writing her off. Just another neighborhood hoodlum skipping school. Probably going to smoke a joint in her room, or sneak a beer judging from the weird bulge in the front pocket of her hoodie.
The girl paused a few yards from Abby's house and tilted her pretty head back, eyes closed. The demon held its female form for a full minute in alarm, every sense focused on this new enemy. She was listening, smelling. Werewolf, the demon realized with an inaudible hiss. The girl smelled faintly like forests and wet dog. Moon Madness. The girl's head snapped around and bright yellow eyes looked right at the tree the demon was hiding under. The girl growled. It was too low for anyone but the two supernaturals about to have a high noon standoff in the middle of a suburban street to hear it.
The demon paused, wondering if it should risk taking the girl. Werewolves weren't all tough: they were fast, sure, but they weren't Hunters. Didn't have that vast array of nasty toys that made things difficult. The demon began to emerge from the shadows but then it noticed what she was carrying. What it had initially thought was a bottle wasn't a bottle at all.
It was an Angel Blade.
The demon reared back, terror wracking its darkness like a black flag snapping in the wind. A werewolf's speed combined with an Angel Blade? Maybe a Knight of Hell, or a Demon Lord like its master would have stood a chance, but a mere foot soldier would not. The demon left in a flurry of darkness, leaving her prize to the werewolf scum. Legion would have to be told.
.x.
"They're watching her alright," Kate said, dropping into a chair.
The trio was having lunch at a dingy bar in downtown Pittsburgh. Lisa set down her burger and licked her fingers. "Demons?" she asked.
Kate nodded. "One. It scrammed when I went for the blade you gave me."
"They're not stupid," Sarah mused, dragging a French fry though a small lake of ketchup. "It knew it couldn't take you."
"It knew what I was anyway," Kate said, pulling the untouched basket of food towards her. "It would have definitely picked a fight if I was human." She pulled the hamburger patty out of her bun and began to tear chunks off, munching happily.
"What did it do after it made you?" Lisa asked, leaning back in her chair.
"Left fast," Kate said around a mouthful of hamburger. "It ran."
"Right back to Legion," Lisa realized, color draining from her face. "Legion will go for Abby. It can't wait anymore, now that it knows there's another player. It can't risk someone else taking her. She's too valuable."
Sarah stood, the sound of her chair skidding back loud in the quiet bar. "I'll get the truck," she said, and left at a run.
"Go with her," Lisa told Kate. "I'll follow."
Kate looked uncertain but she followed, the door banging shut behind her. Lisa pulled out her phone and fired off a quick text to Dean. Im taking Legion. 2 nite.
His reply was immediate. B carful, Alice. Get thru this n I owe u a beer.
U got ur self a deal cutie, Lisa texted. Ill b the toothless old granny at the back.
Rawr.
Lisa grinned and shoved her phone in her pocket. That was another reason to make it through this: a beer with a dude that possessed one of the finest asses she'd ever seen. It would suck if she died without ever getting to goose it at least once.
.x.
"Well? Do we have a deal?" The demon couldn't help smoothing its now corporeal hands over its new meat suit. Legion had been most unhappy with its news, and the fact it had run away. The demon shuddered inwardly. Legion's punishments were brutal and without mercy. It had been lucky to escape alive thanks to some quick thinking.
"What's in it for you?" The Amazon stalking in front of her stopped pacing; all traces of the glamor that made her appear human bleeding away.
The demon studied the Amazon with detached distaste. Yellow eyes stood out like infected sores in the red patchy skin that surrounded its eyes. The red gave way to grey, which gave way to a greenish black, rather like wet bark. The Amazon's hair, or what passed for it, was dank and dirty and bound into heavy dreads woven through with bone beads. The demon couldn't tell if the hair belonged to it, or the creeper vines wound in and around the dreads were the actual hair. The Romanesque chiton wrap dress the Amazon wore was stained brown with dirt and blood, and the legionnaire armor was battered and riddled with a history of violence.
"What's in it for me," the demon said, finally remembering that they'd been having a conversation, "is that my Lord gets what he wants, and Lisa Braeden will not be able to ask the Winchesters for help. You want the Winchesters, don't you, and Master wants them out of the way. They slaughtered several of your young, and also one of your leaders, did they not? What was her name? Ah, Miss Penn."
"Filthy human name," the Amazon snarled. "One we must use, as we must wear these false faces. Adelphe was beautiful and strong, and fell valiantly in battle. Her death, and the death of our young, will be avenged."
"Ah, well, needs must, my dear," the demon crooned. She understood the sentiment all too well. The mortal plane did not agree with the true form of Hell's citizens. To maintain shape, one had to wear a suit.
"You have a deal," the Amazon snapped finally, holding out a dark taloned hand.
The demon shook her head, laughing. "Oh no. Sign on the dotted line, if you please," and with that, she held out a sheet of vellum.
The Amazon rolled her eyes but signed. "Who's that?" she asked, jabbing a claw at the contract. "Who's Delilah?"
"Me," the demon said. "This is my contract that I procured with Legion. I hold it. You answer to me."
"Whatever." The Amazon stalked away, yanking up the spear that she'd stuck into the ground. "Just keep up your end of the bargain. Give us the Winchesters."
Delilah watched her go, and smiled. All too easy.
.x.
Leaning against the sun warmed side of the Impala, Dean checked his phone, unable to keep from scrolling through his texts from Alice. Her last one was several hours old and he was starting to get worried. Dean didn't know what to make of her. Lisa occupied a small, quiet, painful spot in his heart, a wound that would never fully go away, but for the first time since he'd left his small makeshift family Dean wondered if it was possible for him to heal. Or at the very least, cover the wound with other things, other worries. Castiel was in the wind. The angel he'd thought of as a brother had beaten him half to death, healed him, and left with the tablet that could fix everything. Castiel was gone, and now Alice was probably going to be gone too. It was a mess. Alice was funny and witty and smart, and a fierce Hunter. Dean had never seen her fight, but he'd heard stories from the other Hunters he and Sam had run into along the way.
He glanced at the occult shop where Sam was stocking up on his herb kit. Primarily the store sold weed, bongs, and incense holders, but it had some other stuff too. Through the store front Dean could see Sam gesturing wildly as he haggled with the tripped out proprietor. He chuckled. Sammy would be a while. He let his thoughts drift back to the newest edition to Garth's rag tag band of misfit Hunters.
Alice had virtually come out of nowhere. Like most Hunters she was a killer with a dark past, driven to wage a personal war against the dark. Also like most Hunters, she seemed to have more balls than brains. Ginger Chevalier liked to tell the Wendigo story: Alice took on two of the creatures with only a sword of some kind, and a serious grudge. It may have been stupid, but Dean had to admit he admired a woman with guts. He was certainly looking forward to buying her that beer. Anyone who got his classic rock jokes was good with him.
He was so fixated on his phone that he didn't see the tall spidery form of an Amazon, wreathed in writhing shadows, slink out of the cover of the trees behind him. He did feel the sharp stabbing pain at the back of his skull.
If they screw with my ride, he thought briefly, I am going to cut a bitch. Then he passed out, feeling hands like steel pinchers grab him as he slumped forward.
.x.
By the time they got to Abby's neighborhood it was dark. The street lamps were lit but they seemed dimmer somehow. Lisa rolled to a stop by Sarah's truck and pulled off her helmet. It was so very quiet. She inhaled deeply but couldn't smell sulphur. Only the typical scents permeated the muggy Pennsylvania night: exhaust, cooling asphalt, and the faint electric hint of an oncoming storm. Sarah hopped out of the truck, pulling her duffle bag with her. Kate followed, eyes glinting like yellow lamps in the darkness. Her nostrils were blown wide as she took in the scents.
"Anything?" Lisa whispered, barely daring to hope. If they'd gotten here first, then they might have a chance to dig in and prepare some sort of ambush.
"I smell sulphur," Kate said, a worried look creasing her brow. "But I can't tell if it's new or old. They've been watching her for a while, so it could be old scents."
"Shit." Lisa pinched her brow, trying to think. "Okay, we have to assume they're here. We need to get Abby and her- her mom out. We'll decide what to do from there."
"Here," Sarah said, handing Lisa a small paper wrapped package about the size of a football. "I put in some calls a few weeks ago, back when you had that episode with Castiel."
Lisa looked at her, blinked, then looked at Kate who shrugged. Carefully, Lisa slit the brown paper and opened the package to reveal a mask. It was something like a mardi gras or a theatre mask. Made of a light metal and coated in pale marble white paint, it was pretty, but the shattered cracks in the paint's surface along with the masks odd half smile gave it an eerie look. Dark lenses were fitted where the eye holes should be. A small card accompanied the mask. Lisa picked it up and read the flowing script:
This seems a pretty weak thanks for all you've done for me and mine, but I did what I could.
You let me know if there's anything else I can do for you. Thanks again.
-Marie
"I called Marie," Sarah explained. "Remember, from that New Orleans job? I wanted to know if she could recommend anything, and she said not to worry about it. I gave her the Father's address and she sent us these. I used some of the oil that Castiel gave us, burned it onto the lenses of some sunglasses, then fitted them into the masks. They're durable and lightweight, and won't come off easily in a fight. They're also metal, so I figured they'd be able to take some damage too."
"Do you have one too?" Lisa asked.
Sarah grinned about pulled out another mask from her duffle. Hers was a robin's egg blue with a black lattice pattern emanating from around the eyes. She fitted it onto her face, tying the straps at the back of her head. Lisa had the sudden impression that she wasn't looking at a person anymore, but a machine. A systematic hunting machine that felt no fear, no misgivings. She fitted on her own mask, then pulled her hood up over her face. A long time ago her hoodie had been white, but now it was an off grey, stained with dirt, grease, and old blood that no amount of washings could get out. Combined with the black leather jacket Castiel had gifted her and her new mask, she felt armored.
Lisa looked at Kate and frowned. "Did you not get one?"
"I don't need it," Kate said, shaking her head. "I have never had a problem seeing monsters, ever since I became a werewolf. And they know me."
"Interesting," Sarah said, fascinated . "Every type of monster?"
"All that I've run into so far."
"If we get out of this," Sarah said, "we are going to do SCIENCE."
"What, poke monsters with sticks and scream can you see me now?"
Lisa's phone rang, a tinny Kim Possible remix. "Leese?" Abby's voice was small and frightened. "I think there's a monster in my house. Mom went to go see, and I think the monster is going to get her!"
A scream echoed though the quiet street then, raw, keening. Cold sweat pricked Lisa's skin, and all she could think of was Abby. She snatched up her sword and ran, boots clicking a rapid staccato on the dark pavement.
.x.
Dean came to, slowly, like he was swimming up through a pool of molasses. The back of his skull throbbed and he began to register a pain in his shoulders as well. His arms were pulled behind him and he was suddenly aware of the heavy stake at his back. He opened his eyes, squinting at the dark clearing lit only by red torch light.
He was on his knees at the base of a brush covered hill, in the center of a small clearing. The charred and blackened post he was tied to was driven straight into a flat, wide piece of rock at the center of the clearing. A soft groan and movement at his back let him know that Sam was tied behind him.
"Sammy?" Dean asked, keeping his voice low. "You in the land of the living?"
Silence. Sam was still out cold, but at least he was alive.
Dean shifted, testing his bonds. Whoever had tied the knots were good. He flexed, trying to loosen the leather straps holding him, resolutely ignoring the way they cut into his wrists.
"You won't get out."
That voice- he paused, trying to remember where he'd heard it before. Bar? Angry ex fling? Maybe?
"You'll pay for what you've done to me, to my daughter," the female voice continued, from somewhere behind him.
"Okay, if you were that chick at the bar last night, I can explain."
"You've forgotten me?!" The voice gained a slightly insane shriek.
"Uh." Dean searched his brain, looking for an answer that wouldn't get him dead. "Miri?"
That had apparently been the answer. There was a roar and a fist crashed into his jaw. For a moment Dean saw stars. He tried again. "Jessieanne?"
"Ring a bell?" his captor snarled, punching him again.
He blinked, shook his head, as his eyes struggled to focus on the dark shape in front of him. When he recognized it, her, his heart sank. "Lydia," he said, surprised, "You and Emma-"
"My name," Lydia shouted, "Is Demeter, and you murdered my daughter!"
Dean decided not to point out that Emma had been about to murder him first, and that Sammy had been the one to actually take her out. It didn't seem like it would help his chances at surviving anyway. Lydia, or Demeter, or whatever the hell she called herself, seemed to be a few straws short of a full stack. He just had to keep her talking, keep her doing anything but kill him and Sammy, while he worked out a way out of this mess.
.x.
Abby's house was a wreck when Lisa came crashing through the broken door. Terror and stress came crashing over her as the memory of the night she lost Ben hit her like a subway train. She felt like maybe she'd gone back in time, forced to relive the loss of her child all over again. The house was dark and stank of Sulphur. Lisa trembled, she was going to-
A hand dropped onto her shoulder. Sarah's voice was warm and soft in her ear. "You're not alone. You got this, we're right behind you."
Kate didn't say anything, but she brushed up against Lisa's other side. Her eyes glowed like yellow lamps in the dark. Lisa squeezed Sarah's hand and bumped Kate's hip with her own. "Thanks guys," she whispered. "I'm sorry I lost it for a second."
"Let's do this," Sarah replied.
Lisa drew her sword and stuck the scabbard through the back of her belt. When this was over, she was going to make a harness of some sort so she didn't lose it. She took a mental stock of their weapons: Kate had her teeth and claws, and a small knife made from the extra angel blade they'd melted down. Sarah was carrying her Beretta that was loaded with iron bullets blessed by Father O'Bannon, a serrated tactical knife made from the melted angel blade, the Mossberg shotgun loaded with salt rounds, and an extra clip for the Beretta loaded with bullets made from the angel blade. The extra clip was a last resort. They didn't want to waste them if they could help it, and Sarah wanted to see if blessed ammo would work against demonkin. Not to mention they probably wouldn't have time to dig the precious angel blade bullets back out of the bodies. Lisa had her Kukri knives in her boots, the Heckler and Koch semiautomatic, and several weighted throwing knives made from the angel blade. Together, they were loaded for metaphorical bear.
"We stick together," Lisa whispered. "No splitting up. Clear the downstairs and then we go up. Do you smell or hear anything Kate?"
Kate shook her head. "Scent's too strong. Can't tell where they are. All's quiet."
Lisa nodded and let the way into the house, Sarah covering her and Kate bringing up the rear and watching their backs. There was blood spattered on the wall of the living room and the metallic charnel copper of it briefly cut through the stink of the sulphur. Lisa had to force herself not to think it might be Abby's. The first floor was clear, and so with her heart in her throat, Lisa let them up the curving wooden stairs.
There were nail marks in the wood and more blood splatters on the wall, but Lisa was more concerned with the nail marks. It looked like something had climbed and skittered up the stairs instead of being drug. Cold sweat stung her spine. This was shaping up more and more to be an exact replica of the night she'd lost Ben. They followed the blood and nail marks to a door covered with Disney stickers that was hanging ajar from two hinges.
Tightening her grip on her sword, Lisa pushed the door open, Kate and Sarah following to flank her.
Abby was crouched on the floor wearing blue sparkly leggings and a Frozen Elsa t-shirt. The little girl looked like she'd been interrupted right in the middle of getting ready for bed. Her hair was mussed and she clutched the penguin Lisa had given her in a death grip. There was a woman standing, looming, at the end of the room, balanced on her bare toes. Her eyes were black as pitch, shiny like miniature black holes set into her tan face. Lisa had never seen a demon, but recognized it instantly for what it was. She'd never come face to face with anything like it before, and she'd seen some creepy shit. The demon radiated an aura of wrongness, a sensation of broken glass between bare toes and rot underneath skin.
Between Abby and the demon lay the body of a woman sprawled broken on the floor. Her neck was bent, head twisted completely around, back broken, and legs snapped. It looked like she'd been crushed like someone stepping on a tin can. Neither the demon nor Abby noticed the new visitors. The demon took a quick step towards the little girl, and Abby swung her stuffed penguin. The penguin's body crashed into the demon's outstretched bare arms, and Lisa was pleased to see that the salt she'd put into the penguin sent the demon shrieking back to the end of the room. The rosary around the penguin's neck left a nice third degree burn mark on the demon's forearm.
"Leese!"
Abby had noticed her. The little girl flew at Lisa, colliding with her legs and sobbing. Lisa dropped to her knees and folded Abby into a tight hug, trusting Kate and Sarah to cover her. She buried her face in Abby's hair, smelling her coconut scented shampoo. Her daughter was safe and whole, that was all that mattered right now, and Lisa would see that she stayed that way.
"It's okay baby," Lisa whispered over and over. "I'm here, I'm here."
"Nope," Sarah said, somewhere over the top of Lisa's head. "Don't even think about it."
A second later there was a crack of gunfire and a high pitched shriek.
"Guess what? These holy bullets of smiting work pretty well," Sarah said casually. "It's not dead though. Unfortunately."
Lisa looked up. The demon was crouched, hands pressing over a smoking bullet wound just above her left knee. Its lips were pulled back in a snarl. Lisa slowly came to her feet, which was hard because Abby still had her legs in a death grip.
"Give me the girl," the demon snarled, "And you walk out of here alive."
Lisa said nothing, merely watched it, though her hand tightened almost imperceptibly on Abby's shoulder. The only noise was a low growl rattling from Kate, Abby's sniffling, and the creaking of the house. The demon crept closer, trying to read Lisa's expression. It wanted the girl badly, Lisa could see it in the way it moved. Greed made it careless.
"Why do you want my kids?" Lisa asked suddenly. "Why now? Yeah, they're valuable, but why the rush?"
The demon stopped short, skittered back, obviously confused. "They're meatsuits," it said soothingly, thinking it found a weakness. "Replaceable. You can have more children."
"But why now," Lisa pushed. "Why does Legion care now? What happened?"
"Give me the girl and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
"Shut up, hellspawn, and talk useful," Sarah said, raising the gun a little, "Or I'll try out some more bullets on you. See this, here, in my pocket? My angel clip. Want to find out if it works the same as an Angel Blade?"
"No need to be rude," the demon snapped, crossing her arms. She smiled. "Let's make this a little less hostile, shall we? Let me introduce myself: my name is Delilah, Legion's consort and first general."
"So be polite. Answers. Why does Legion want my kids now. Why didn't he move sooner?" Lisa asked flatly, drawing Abby close to her side.
Delilah looked at her and put her hands on her hip, smiling wider. She gave no sign that her burns or gunshot wounds still hurt her, but they were still smoking. Lisa hoped that the pain and damage would slow the demon down when she had to make her move. Once she'd gotten all of the information she could it was going to get ugly fast. Delilah appeared to be alone, but that could change. Lisa wasn't sure how much time she had, or how hard it would be to kill it. She hadn't yet asked Dean how long it took a demon to die. It could be instantaneous, or it could take a while. Demons had to be pretty durable, or there would be more Hunter stories about them.
"Legion has had some obstacles...and an opportunity to get rid of those obstacles presented itself," Delilah murmured, running a hand through her thick black hair.
Obstacles. Lisa thought fast. Who would Legion need to get out of the way? Garth and Castiel had both talked about the apocalypse. If the biblical apocalypse failed, then that meant that the Devil was no longer in Georgia. If the Devil was out of the picture then there would be a power vacuum. The only thing standing in the way of that vacuum was-
"The Winchesters!" Lisa realized. "You're talking about the Winchesters. Legion needs them out of the way to rule."
Delilah snarled, pissed that the plan had been figured out so fast.
Lisa was on a roll. "The Winchesters were the ones to take down the Devil. That's why Legion wants special Vessels. He's afraid of them."
"Enough." Delilah raised her hands, any semblance of friendliness the demon had been trying to scrounge up had evaporated. Lisa felt an invisible gnarled hand with nails like knives dig into her guts and twist. Behind her, Sarah cried out and Kate snarled in pain.
It looked like Q&A was over. Ignoring the pain as best she could, Lisa raised her right hand, and to everyone's surprise the demon froze.
"What the-" Delilah jerked against her invisible bonds, hands falling in shock. "How are you holding me?"
Lisa ignored her. "Sarah, could you?-"
"Of course." Sarah ejected the holy iron bullet clip, shoved it into her back pocket, and slapped in the clip with the angel bullets.
"Wait!" Delilah shrieked, a note of true panic coloring her tone. "If you kill me, the Winchesters die. You'll never save your son."
Lisa watched her coldly. "You're bluffing."
"Am I? Some delightful Grecian broads would be happy to prove you wrong. Maybe a nice gift basket of one of the Winchester boys heads, perhaps?"
"Are you threatening me?" Lisa asked, a feral smile stretching her mouth. Delilah wanted to talk, but she kept giving away crucial information. Fear seemed to make people stupid.
Delilah smiled back, full lips breaking into a wide crazed grin. "Save your kid, and the Winchesters die. Then you lose any shot you had at your poor son. Or, leave the girl? You don't really know her anyway. Choices, choices."
"Easy choices," Lisa said, shrugging. "Lucky me. Sarah, shoot her."
"Wait, no- you idiot. I can help you-"
Sarah shot Delilah right in the forehead. The angle bullet burned the demon from the inside out, purging out all of the evil and darkness until only a smoking husk remained. It was quiet, with only the sound of Abby's sobbing. Lisa pulled the girl into her arms, rocking her and murmuring gently. The little girl was murmuring over and over "mommy's dead, mommy's dead," and it broke Lisa's heart.
Lisa pulled her phone out of her pocket and punched in Garth's number. As expected, it went straight to voice mail. "Listen. I don't know what's going on, and right now I don't care. You're not in so much trouble that you can't check your phone, and I need information. Which monster of Greek decent has a problem with Sam and Dean Winchester? Keep up with this cloak and dagger bullshit, whatever. But if you ignore me on this I will drop everything and hunt your ass down, and I swear to God I will beat you to death of that shitty 90's mixed tape of yours." She hung up and shoved her phone back in her pocket.
"That was a little mean," Kate observed. Her teeth had shrunk back to normal, but her eyes were still yellow.
"I'm upset," Lisa replied, unapologetic. "He's been ignoring me for months. I've been practically running his Hunter organization for him and asked for nothing. The Winchesters can help me get Ben back. I can't let whatever's going on with him screw that up."
Lisa's phone buzzed, interrupting whatever Kate was going to say. It was a text from Garth, one word: Amazons.
"Well at least he's okay enough to text," Sarah observed, straightening from where she'd been digging her angel bullet out of Delilah's forehead. She held the slug up, clenched firmly in tweezers stained with bloody debris. "I should be able to melt this down again. We'll see if they can be reused, or whether it's a one time gig."
"We have to move," Kate said suddenly. "I hear sirens."
Lisa nodded. She heaved Abby up onto one hip and the little girl hid her face in Lisa's neck. The kiddo was in shock, just surviving, and Lisa 's heart broke for her. Her safe carefree life was gone. The monsters under the bed were real, and she would never be able to forget that. The only way to be sure that her kid, both her kids, would be safe was to take out Legion. To do that, she needed to obliterate whatever supernatural critter was standing between her and the Winchesters.
She fished out her phone again, scrolling through her contacts.
Sarah looked at Lisa incredulously as they rushed out of the house, racing down the street to their respective rides. "Who are you calling? Can't it wait, we're kind of on the run here."
Lisa grinned at her. "Garth left me in charge of the Hunters. What's the point of having a resource if I can't use it once in a while? The Winchesters are not well liked, but we can't afford to lose them."
"So what are you going to do?" Kate asked, throwing open the door to Sarah's truck and looking worriedly down the street.
"Putting out a hit," Lisa replied. "Wherever they're hiding, we'll find them. I've had enough of being screwed with. With every Hunter in the US looking for them, they won't hide from me for long."
.x.
To be continued...