Chapter 9

Life sucks. There was no better way to put it. Though how much of that actually applied was more academic, especially when you were a ghost and you were possessing someone by force. He hated it but he really had no choice. Not after what he was cursed with and brought upon to the troupe, his family and to her.

He thought he had made it clear that it wasn't to be serious and that he was only interested as being friends. And that was when he was alive. Being dead didn't change that and it didn't change things on the other end. He thought that it would have mellowed out but he was wrong. He was horribly wrong and they were both paying the price.

He didn't think that it would come to this and there was nothing he could do about it. He now was under… obligations to do what he was doing now. So was she. She hadn't taken another but it was only a matter of time before she did and the cycle would start all over again. So far no one had been able to break the curse. And he just possessed the one person that was capable of figuring out how to break it.

Walking back to the theatre he lamented how this was going to go down. He knew it would result in death. There was no way that the heart's true curse could be broken. Even supposed true loves had never been able to break the curse. He was desperate but not that desperate to risk a pair of people's lives to set them free. Besides, as long as he did what he was supposed to, the troupe wouldn't be harmed.

He continued to walk along the streets trying to delay the inevitable of heading back to the theatre. He couldn't stay too long or he would be hunted and it wasn't like he could go far anyway before he was to be found. That was how it worked. And he hated it.

He didn't want to do what he had done at that house but… he couldn't let anyone interfere. He didn't want other people to get hurt because of this. It was sort of a moot point since he was possessing the one that could help them and essentially could kill her. He didn't like it especially since it wouldn't be long before her supposed other half would be noticed.

It was fairly obvious the moment she walked into the party on the arm of the man that clearly had eyes for her. Even though they were behaving fairly casual for the party, it was obvious. He prayed that they wouldn't be noticed but she was. No doubt the other was noticed as well. That was how they were found; at the opening night after party. All of them were found that way and mostly the actors since it kept suspicion away. But now…

You are in big trouble.

He paused and looked around. There was no one there so he wouldn't look the least bit strange if he happened to talk to himself. He was also surprised. No one he had encountered was ever able to get through the wall he put up to keep them unaware of what their bodies were doing. That way when they died, they didn't know what happened to them except that it was dying happy and that meant they wouldn't come back because of a violent death even though it was. It was a loophole of sorts.

I mean it now give me back my body.

Knowing that he couldn't ignore it, he asked, "How can you do that?"

I am not going to waste time with pointless questions. Give me my body back now and maybe I'll go nice on you since you did try to kill my friend.

It dawned on him that she had witnessed the entire thing. That was impossible. No one had the ability to break that. Who was it really that he had been forced to possess? He turned away and hissed, well aware that it appeared that he looked like he was talking to himself, "Calm down. Look, I don't want to do this."

Like hell you don't. Give me back my body… NOW!

He didn't know what happened but the next thing he knew he was knocked out of the driver's seat and he was thrust to the back. It stunned him and he was at a loss for words. If this happened, then…

You still there?

If he had eyes, he would have blinked. She was talking to him? And after everything that happened? It was baffling. Sensing a bit of impatience, he replied, "Yes. Wh—what did you do?"

I wanted my body back so I took it. But I didn't want to expel you and I suspect you couldn't get out even if I forced an exorcism of sorts of a ghost.

"You didn't want to expel me?"

I don't appreciate possession but I am assuming you have a good reason. So talk.

If he had been in his body, he would have probably stared at her with an open mouth. He certain felt like it even though he was still in this one. True, he knew that she was trying to help them and he didn't want to possess her but she had been spotted… Knowing that he didn't have much choice, he began, "I apologize but I didn't want to do it."

I figured that. So you got a name or should I make up one for you?

"Dante." There was no point in lying. He just didn't expect the result that came.

You're kidding right?

"It is my name."

And the next thing you're going to tell me is that you are the one that wrote the best thing to guide you through hell, so called purgatory and, of course, paradise.

The sarcasm was laced with humor and he wanted to laugh at that. That was generally not the response he got when he told people his name. It was actually a welcome change. He replied, "It is my name and… I am not the poet of the Divine Comedy. Rather… it was the result of admiration from my family."

I'll bet. Now are you going to tell me why you possessed me and nearly tried to kill my friend?

That was the hard part. He figured she would help, but would she still be willing to help if he told the entire story? That he was the one that caused all this? Then again, there was no chance if he didn't tell her and she seemed determined to find out what was going on. "It's a curse."

I figured that as much. Keep going.

"It is a curse and it's my fault."

That's the story of my life and yet he still is persistent.

He would have frowned if he could. "Who are you talking about?"

Nothing. Tell me about this curse.

He would have persisted but something told him that it wouldn't be a good idea to do so. Instead, he told her about the curse and how it came to be. He told her about how a friendship became skewed with one thinking that more could come of it but it would never be. He told her about Gemma and how she was trapped in the same predicament. "And if we don't do as the curse she put on us, she will hurt the troupe. We couldn't do that."

The silence that followed was deafening to him. There was nothing more terrifying than that of silence and not being able to do anything. True he was a spirit and able to go wherever he pleased and he had enjoyed a few fun moments but now he was bound. He didn't have that freedom and it was terrifying.

I understand.

"You do?"

Yes.

"How…?"

Because I did what I had to for the safety of the troupe. I stood between them and the hunters that would have shot first and not bothered to answer questions. It left quite a few people on both sides hurt.

He listened to her talk to him. He heard the sorrow and the regret that was in her tone. "Then… you understand why we are doing what we are doing."

You are bound. It is not your fault even if you are fully aware.

"But I am being forced to make you go through the curse and everyone who has… they have died."

I know.

"And it will put your companion at risk. If I noticed the pair of you… then the one who bound me would have as well and would have sent my beloved Gemma after him. I don't want to. I…"

It will have to be so.

"What?"

In order for you and Gemma to be set free, the curse has to be completed. So… it has to follow through. It is only logical and in the end most curses need to be balanced out one way or another whether it is by countercurse or completing it.

"You sound like you're talking about equivalent exchange."

There was a slight pause and he frowned even though he couldn't really. He wondered if there was something he had said that made her change her mind about helping him and his Gemma out. It had been a risk telling her everything but he had to since he was out of options. The quiet was unnerving and he wondered if she knew that.

So you're an Alchemist.

It was said more as a statement rather than a question. It gave him a moment to believe that she knew a few things. True, he had heard stories about her but he dismissed them as stories. Now he was getting a fuller picture. "Yes," he admitted. "But not for a long time. How did you know?"

Let's just say I am familiar with Alchemists and the way they view the world. And… I may have been educated in the basic principles.

He thought back to when he had been briefly overpowered; she had stopped him from doing serious damage. It wasn't enough to take back over but enough to stop. He then remembered what he had seen briefly and he replied, "Your tattoos… the healer circles. You're one of them."

Yes. I am a healer though I still think it is not right considering what I am.

"But… what you did…" He went silent. Was it even possible? He had studied alchemy since he was a boy and had learned to use it in combat since even a scholar can be killed by the things that were out there, even if the Alchemists were neutral beings. It was a lot to process and had him wondering who in the hell he was now cohabiting with. He did know that he was with someone who could save them all.

Okay don't fan girl on me. Listen, I have a plan to help you out but it requires that you trust me. Do you think you can do that?

He had little choice but his chances of being set free were increasing. "I trust you."

Good, since this is going to require trust in you too.

He could agree on that since they were cohabiting until this curse was done in one form or another. He could do this. For the first time, in a long time, he saw the light at the end of the tunnel. He saw hope. "What do you have in mind?"


"So you're saying that someone is controlling your actors?"

Joker shrugged a bit, "Well, since they are ghosts, they are pretty easy to bind and make them do your bidding. But then again you know the end result about that. Right?" He gave a slight smirk towards the Winchesters.

It had been a tense, and frustrating time as Joker explained what he meant by a curse on the troupe. He could consider himself lucky that the Winchesters didn't decide to kill him on principle. And he couldn't help but be his usual self by being annoying with his responses. He did have to hand it to the taller one, Sam, that he kept his cool despite the fact that he could see the anger bubbling underneath. He had heard a few things about both but he was wary of Sam.

He explained to them that the troupe had been cursed for some time, that their ghost actors were bound to someone he really wanted to clout but didn't have the power to do it. He explained that the reason they didn't reach out was because it threatened the others and that they were trying to protect the people they lived with. It wasn't that hard to do once he got started since he could see that they understood that concept. He just hoped that they understood the gravity of the situation and it seemed that they did.

"So this mofo has your ghost pals possessing other actors and killing them?"

"Because of the curse," Joker explained, "Some sort of love curse or something. Dante and Gemma are cursed to possess the supposed lovers to test if it is true. So far, no one has been able to break it."

"Then why haven't you guys hidden out somewhere?"

Sam had been viewing the situation silently. He was fuming that this happened to Angela but he knew that she wouldn't have taken it lightly; she would have been fighting to the end and probably still fight to take control. He knew she did because she didn't hurt Haley. If it had been anyone else, it would have been a lot worse. That much he was sure of and she didn't ditch them but went into hiding to avoid hurting the people she cared about. Now they were at a loss as to what to do about it.

He listened to Joker's explanation and had to admit that he found it to be a strange curse and sounded like something a witch would do. And yet… given the people that made up the troupe, it could have been anyone. So he could see the dilemma that had formed and in response to Dean's query, he said, "They have to make a living. It's their life Dean."

"So what they make a freak show out in front of civilians?"

"Normally it is before a performance and we take care of it," Joker offered in apology. He shrugged his shoulders a bit before shifting on his feet slightly. "The problem is that the length of time in between… it varies."

"It explains why no one picked up a pattern. Other hunters," Sam reasoned.

"Oh the hunters know better than to come near us," Joker countered. When he saw the look on their faces he explained, "Look, we don't hurt people. We just want to live in peace. Our guardian angel saw that and understood that. She was the one that defended us from those hunters that were going to kill us."

"Guardian angel? You mean Angie," Dean clarified. "It was Angie?"

"Different name then but some of the elder members remember and they tell stories and others who got to see her when she came for a performance." Joker paused a bit. Even he got to meet her at some point. "It was because of that most hunters know that if she says something, it is pretty much law. You'd have to be pretty callous not to mention stupid to disobey." He gestured at himself, "I like my pranks but I wouldn't…" He shook his head.

That was a little revelation that was common but different from others. Sam remembered from the story of Murrieta and what she did then; that there were other names people knew her by. It made them appreciate that she was on their side and made him more anxious to find her. Sam looked at Dean and then at Joker, "Okay, so… do you have anything on what we are dealing with?"

"I told you, it's a lover's curse of some sort."

"But any idea why they would pick Gemma and Dante?" It felt strange calling ghosts by name but Dean knew that they needed cooperation and this Joker guy was doing his best but he seemed scared a little even though he was a bit of a smartass.

Joker shrugged, "Because they are ghosts. Maybe jealousy since Dante has a thing for Gemma and no one bats an eye. I mean they are dead." He then paused a bit and then thought about it some more and added thoughtfully, "Though I do remember Dante mentioning that he met Gemma when they were alive so maybe it is a history involving them. I thought it was something to explain the ghost loving thing but… maybe that's it."

That was a start. After all the devil was in the details in anything involving spells and stuff like that. Dean knew that to some extent when he became the sorcerer's apprentice. Angela was forever telling him that the details were important especially when dealing with partially to unknown things. You had to get as much information as possible and in the case of mixing salves and the like, you had to get the measurements right since too much could kill you and too little could render it useless. He could work with this, "Okay so someone doesn't like two ghosts doing whatever and they bind them? Why wouldn't they leave or fight back?"

Sam looked at Joker and then replied, "Because whoever is doing it threatened to hurt the troupe and that is the last thing anyone wanted."

"Yeah. We know what's going on but… Look we wanted to call for help but we didn't and still don't know who it is. I thought it was my douche of a brother."

"Brother?"

Joker sighed not wanting to get into this, "My older brother. He's the kind that believes in just desserts and resented that I didn't follow him." He looked at them and explained, "I'm a trickster and so is he. I like pranking as much as anyone but I don't kill. Coyote might if you threaten the balance of the environment but not me. My brother resented it."

It was like being sucker punched since Sam and Dean had experience with a trickster who wasn't even a trickster but a fricking archangel. And to top it off it was an archangel that their girl knew very well. So the reaction wasn't violent but it wasn't encouraging either as they stared at the young trickster as he looked at them waiting to see if they were going to kill him. Finally it was Sam that said, "So you don't…"

"No," Joker replied shaking his head. "I don't like dead bodies and to be honest the dead don't appreciate a good joke. I do believe in just desserts in that the punishment fits the crime kind of thing but nothing like my brother."

"And you're an actor?"

"Yes."

Dean made a slight face. This was getting better and better. "And does Angie know about you?"

"About as much as knowing that the troupe has witches, warlocks, werewolves, vamps, ghosts and probably a few others… Oh and don't forget a couple of humans mostly the ones with psychic abilities." Joker gave a wry smile since he was starting to find the reaction amusing. He clapped his hands together and continued, "So… enough about me. The thing is to help Gemma and Dante. Like I said it's a lover's curse and probably has to do with Dante and Gemma and their thing." He made a slight gesture as he said it.

"Right," Dean replied as he cleared his throat. That was enough of that. And he thought it was weird enough when they stayed at the Academy. It certainly was an eye opener that there were more like-minded individuals out there that didn't want any trouble at all. "So… is there anyone that knows the scoop behind how Harry met Sally?"

"Maybe Lulu," Joker replied with a shrug. "She is one of the older members. Oh and she picked out Lulu for herself. Sort of a change thing from her pirating days."

"Pirating?"

"Lulu was a pirate in her day. Something about trapesing around the Caribbean or other and nearly got caught. She pleaded her belly as the saying went." Joker made a slight face at that since he was trying to remember.

It was like being caught in one of Angela's storytelling moments in which neither Winchester were certain that she was telling them fact or fiction when she mentioned something that was from the past. Luckily they were used to it and were able to take it in a stride but it did feel a little out of place that there was someone else that had the ability to do that. For the most part it settled Dean's curiosity since he was the one that asked the question and he made a face that was accepting of it. "Okay. And what about your two ghosts?"

"No idea. I can tell you that Dante likes to dabble in things in those old books we keep. They're in another language and filled with weird symbols."

"What kind of symbols?" Sam looked at the young trickster with a firm look. While he heard that it was a curse there was a possibility that the ghost brought it inadvertently upon himself. That was always a possibility and it escalated to what it was now.

Joker got that impression and replied, "Relax, it wasn't a grimoire. The witches in the troupe keep them in lead lined boxes. Most stuff they do is simple stuff. The books I'm talking about, they were Dante's at one point and they're in an old language and mostly diagrams and measurements or something."

That sounded reasonable but the Winchesters certainly had their suspicions. There was the possibility but then again the guy was a ghost and they could do things that didn't require a book of whatever. They were also putting a lot of trust into this guy in front of them and he was a trickster. Granted he wasn't the one who happened to be an archangel but still they were wary. Still they had an answer. Sam looked at his brother and then said, "Alright, say that what you are telling us is the truth… what would we need to do to stop it?"

Joker looked at the younger Winchester and then the elder and then back to the younger. "Like most curses once they begin. They have to be brought to a finish. That much I know."


A/N: So Angie decides to help the alchemist and Joker is a trickster... well we know it wasn't Gabe duh. Stay tuned for more on Message of the Crow.