Chapter 4
Sam tugged absently at the tight collar of his white dress shirt. It was too constricting and made him feel nervous. Dean tossed him a FWOA badge and shrugged.
"Guess we can't go in guns ablaze, calling ourselves cryptozoologists." Sam muttered.
"No way, somebody's probably already done that anyway." Dean answered. He wasn't to thrilled with the return of the tie either.
"Look, Dean..."
"No Sammy, you look. I'm trying, I am. But I did what you told me to do. I traded in the only life I've ever known, for a slice of the American Dream. I turned my world upside down, knowing all the while that at any moment some demon might track me down. Suddenly you're back from the dead - Lisa's panicking and asking me to leave." Dean shoved his hands in his pockets, taking a deep breath. "I'm not blaming you, Sam, but my entire world has been flipped twice. It's going to take a little time. I get that you're concerned, I am too. But I've always got your back, no matter what's going on. So, stop pushing me toward the cliff."
Sam was taken aback, Dean had never been this long winded in his life. But things had changed. He had changed. They both had.
The brothers traipsed to the Hospital's admissions desk, flashing their badges. "I'm Officer Angus Rudd, this is my partner Phil Young. We're with the Federal Wildlife Association." Dean said, smiling at the pretty receptionist. This was the schtick, when they were lucky, Dean would turn on the charm, and they could get away with almost anything. "We're looking for a David Knight, he was mauled by a wild animal?"
The receptionist smiled and batted her eyelashes, "Yes, yes. Umm Mister Knight is in the Critical Care Unit. I'm afraid we can't let you see while he is in the ICU. But his brother Mike is right behind you." She nodded to a haggard looking man dressed in a flannel jacket and blue jeans.
Dean nodded at his brother who moved forward, wearing his sympathetic face. Dean was good at getting things out of normal people, Sam was skilled with the hurt. "Mister Knight?" The man looked up and sighed.
"Look I told the cops everything. They don't believe me, why should you suits?"
"We're with the Federal Wildlife Association. We're more likely to believe you than the usual cops. I know you're having a hard time right now - but we'd really like to ask you some questions." Sam pulled a fabricated business card, and handed it to the man. "When you can, please give us a call. We'd really like to nab this thing before it hurts someone else."
Mike nodded, and looked down the hall. Effectively dismissing the Winchesters.
Dean and Sam, walked out of the hospital. "Well that was a bust." Dean grunted with a nod, striding toward the Impala. "So what do we do now?"
"Now we go to where Dave was found. Search for sulphur, EMP, whatever we can find." Sam replied. There was nothing in any of his research that said they should expect such signs. But they has to start somewhere. Tracks, prey trails.
"Well then, let's go look for invisible monsters." Dean crowed, his tone laced with sarcasm. Revving the Impala's engine, the brothers sped off for The town of Middle, in the state of Nowhere.
A phone rang somewhere in the car. "Glove box." Instructed Dean. Sam dug through the impressive collection of cell phones before spotting a silver Sumsang, which he immediately recognized as Dean's. The caller ID box had no number, it didn't even indicate that it was blocked.
Sam shrugged and answered. "Hello?"
The line flickered with static "Sam?" The voice was familiar, but Sam couldn't place it. "It's me."
"Cas?" Dean's hand shot out for the phone. "Hold on, Dean wants to talk to you." Sam handed the phone to his brother.
"To what do we owe the pleasure, oh great feathered one?"
"I don't have time for jokes, Dean. Something has happened - hearing Sam has confirmed it. Dean, the Horsemen's rings only opened Lucifer's cage. They didn't lock it. Adam has shown up in Missouri, sans Michael, however neither of my brothers have shown themselves."
"And you're calling me because?"
"I am calling you because we have had correspondence with a demon. A demon who has told us that they're not done yet. This battle must commence on earth's ground. You and Sam are still coveted."
Somehow Dean wasn't surprised. Leave it to an archangel and his fallen brother to make it impossible to stop the apocalypse. "Well ain't that nice. Our very own demonic greeting card. Tell your crispy new friend there's no way in hell, heaven, or earth that we let ourselves get killed for their rivalry."
"Dean - you don't understand. They have collateral. They have Bobby." Dean slammed on the breaks and yelled a string of profanities.
"Son of a bitch! What the hell do you mean they have Bobby?" Sam inhaled audibly, his face paling.
"That's why he didn't come home when I was waiting for him." He breathed.
"Lucifer and Michael are certain you will come to them in order to rescue Bobby." Castiel answered.
"Son of a bitch!" Dean growled again. "They have Bobby, they have the Colt too."
"Dean, please listen. Your pendant..."
"I junked it. You were there."
"No, it was saved. It is a Holy Relic and cannot be junked. I know why it didn't work. An angel cannot use it. Only a human can. You and Sam must find God."
"Is this some "come to Jesus and all his infinite love" schtick? Because I ain't buying." Dean hissed. "If Bobby is in trouble, that's my priority."
"Bobby will not be harmed, so long as Lucifer and Michael are his captors, they will continue to quarrel with one another until you arrive, or they're put in their place. God is on Earth. He is in a human vessel - I have spoken with Joshua. He says God remains in the United States. He does not know where. You have to find him."
"Only one problem Castiel, I don't have the necklace anymore." Dean said. This was not the average job, he wasn't sure he wanted it.
"There is much I have to tell you, tell me where you are and I will bring it to you. The Knokian Scripture on your ribs still prevents me from tracking you."
"We're Loreto, Baja California. On the main road to nowhere." There was a slight wind and the phone line when dead. Within two seconds Dean's old necklace was hanging in front of his face. Both brothers spun around to see Castiel sitting in the backseat. His usual trench coat and suit wrinkled. His tie was loose.
"Good to see you boys again." He answered, his tone expressionless, as normal.
"You got your wings back?" Sam asked. Dean had forgotten to tell him about Cas' promotion.
"Bigger and better even Sammy. Our little angel is all grown up. Archangel now, isn't it Cas?"
"Yes, God must have been pleased with my actions."
"And yet he hasn't put his boys in timeout, and we're still on the hit list for breaking the Apocalyptic Chess Pieces" Dean said, lightly shaking his head. "Fantastic. So what do you boys say we go finish this ending of the world business."
"Dean?" Sam balked incredulously.
"No way, Sammy. I can stick to hunting. That's our life, it has been since we were kids. But nobody even asked us if we wanted to be Angel Armor All! Screw Destiny, you did your part. And I'll be damned if I let you do it again!"
"That is why you have to find God." Castiel said, a ring of authority in his tone. "God can put a stop to this nonsense, once and for all" He held the necklace out and waited.
"We should do it, Dean." Sam spoke first. "Clearly it will be one way or the other. If we find him he'll put an end to the rivalry."
"So what, we forsake out Hunter's duty, to find a God, who told us plainly that he was done? He didn't care anymore? I hate to break it to you Sam, but that sounds like an Almighty who doesn't want to be found. Are we going to follow his gambling trail? The Judeo-Christian God isn't supposed to have any vices."
"Skee-Ball." Cas murmured.
"Say what?"
"God has a weakness for Skee-Ball."
"Great do you suppose he's also using Alanis Morissette as his Vessel? Are Jay, and Silent Bob going to help now? Whose gonna call Kevin Smith and tell him he's the new Chuck?" Scoffed Dean.
"I do not understand." Cas replied, his face puzzeled.
"Kevin Smith made a movie in 1999 called Dogma. God came to earth to play Skee-ball, her Vessel was beaten up by some demons, the vessel was comatose and God couldn't get out. At the end of the Film the true face of God was the singer Alanis Morissett." Sam explained.
"Sounds interesting." Castiel said with a nod. "However, no demon would be able to survive being in the presence of God, their very essence would burn into nothingness."
"And we'll walk away scott free I presume." Dean queried.
"There is no reason why you should not." Castiel looked out the window and frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"Hunting."
"So I figured, what exactly are you hunting."
"A Chupacabra." Sam answered.
"There is no reason for you to hunt that. You should start looking for God now."
"Listen up Cas, I'm not going to neglect one hunt for another. People have died, a man is mostly dead in the local hospital because of this thing." Dean said, his knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel in anger.
"Fine, you will finish this hunt and then find God." He handed the pendant to Sam, who took it and stared at it for a moment.
"How do use this thing?" He asked, he turned to look at Cas, but the backseat was empty.
"Looks like the wings make the dick." Dean said, restarting the Imapala.