Blood sprays across white marble tile, and onto Sam Winchesters faded plaid shirt.
"Restrain him, boys!" Auceps' voice thunders through the abandoned bank building, as demons flock toward the escapee.
Sam bellows defiantly, thrusting a pilfered demon blade into one foe after the next, until they fall back.
They circle him, searching for a weak point with baleful black-eyed glares.
Four move in at once, and Sam is overpowered.
When he comes to, he finds himself back in the vault that had been his prison for nearly a week.
"I want additional restraints; chains at the hands and ankles." Auceps orders the demons that are reinforcing Sam's bonds. He turns, making his way back through the vault door; his second in command skulking closely behind him.
"Scaeuolus," He hisses. "Care to tell me how a fifty year old mortal, weakened from two days starvation, escaped in the first place?"
"He's a Winchester, sir. Age only means more time to hone his abilities." Scaeuolus replies nervously.
"See that it does not happen again." Auceps enters a back office of the bank, and sits behind the desk, folding his hands before him. "You may leave."
Scaeuolus scurries away, and is immediately replaced by two hard-faced demons dressed as security guards.
"Sir," one of them steps forward, addressing Auceps, "We have news."
Auceps nods vaguely toward him, encouraging him to continue. "The Winchesters are coming."
...
Mary leans over the seat of the Impala, sticking her head between Cas and Dean. "Guys, I'm starving."
"Oh, right, humans are into eating." Dean grins, and scans the 'one-mile to exit' sign they are passing. "There's a diner off this exit, you wanna eat there?"
"I'd eat road kill at this point." She laughs.
They pull into the diner lot, and file in; Dean in front of Mary, and Castiel behind, both of them looking around warily.
"We're still two hours away; relax." Mary sniffs, "There won't be any of Auceps men here."
"You see them?" Dean whispers to Castiel, as Mary approaches the counter to her food.
Cas nods solemnly, letting his Angel blade slide down his is sleeve into his waiting palm.
Dean instinctively reaches for his own blade, as a demon across the counter makes the first move, clawing for Mary's raincoat.
She slides out of the jacket, and scrambles back toward Dean. "Keep it." She snaps acerbically.
Dean hooks his hand around the offending demons neck, and dragging him face first into the blades deadly power.
As the demon flickers and dies, everyone else in the diner, customers and service staff alike, stand in unison, their eyes flashing black.
"Bring it." Dean matches the darkness in there eyes quickly, and raises the blood soaked knife.
The demons move in cautiously, none of them anxious to be the first to strike out at this legendary opponent.
Castiel positions himself back to back with Dean, so that Mary is safe between them.
Finally the demons seem to decide to move in all at once, and madness ensues. Bodies light up and burn out, as the smell of burnt flesh fills the diner.
Within seconds, Dean and Cas stand victorious, surrounded by bodies and covered in blood.
Mary stands shakily, and begins picking through the corpses.
"What in God's name are you doing?" Cas grimaces.
"Looking for... this." She pries a demon blade from one of the bloody hands. "I get the feeling I'm gonna need it."
"Hell no." Dean makes a grab at the knife, but Mary moves her hand quickly. "Mary, you are not fighting. One of the only reasons you were allowed to come is because you agreed to let us do the dirty work."
"For self defense, Uncle Dean." Mary winks. "Just in case."
"I- okay." He resigns. "But don't go looking for trouble kid. Let the immortals handle the fighting."
"Naturally." She stuffs the blade in her boot, and snags a bag of chips off the counter, while Dean breaks into the back room.
"Let's get moving." He orders, shoving a wad of black shiny film in his coat pocket as he emerges from the room, and steps over a twisted corpse.
Once they are back on the road, Mary settles in, contentedly munching on her pilfered prize. "Hey, Uncle Dean?" She breaks from her snack, leaning over the front seat.
"Hmm?"
"What was it like, hunting with dad?" She asks dreamily.
"It was shitty." He answers without hesitation. "See, I feel like you've got the wrong idea about hunting. I get it; you've been told all these amazing tails, it's all been romanticized for you, but it's literally shit. Everything about that life is pain, and loss. The way you feel; that gnawing fear in your stomach that you'll never see your dad again? That's what hunting is."
Mary slumps back in her seat; clearly disappointed that Dean's answer was not a miraculous tail of her father's bravery.
Dean catches a glimpse of her morose face in the rearview, and sighs, "Don't get me wrong kid, your dad's a freakin' genius. He's a kick ass hunter, probably the best one in existence, but he hated every minute of it. Saving people, hunting things, it's nota rewarding business. It'll eventually kill you, and everyone you love. The best you can hope for is that you'll get lucky and go before they do. Because, trust me, it hurts a lot worse to lose them, than it does to die."
"Daaaaamn, you're a buzz kill." She scowls, holding up her new blade to inspect the etching along the side.
"The truth is always a huge buzz kill." Dean squints, as the light reflected from the twisting blade hits him in the eyes. "But you need to hear it."
"I guess." She mumbles, closing her eyes, and drifting off to sleep.
...
"Sir?" Scaeuolus pokes his head around the door nervously, and addresses his boss.
Auceps stands to his feet. "You have news of the Winchesters?"
"The scouting team did not return. I sent Aaron to check on them, and he found that they were slaughtered." Scaeoulus explains, closing the door behind him.
"So then, Dean Winchester is with the girl." Auceps nods his understanding.
"And the Angel Castiel." Scaeoulus adds.
"Well then," He straitens his tie, and strides toward the door, "It looks like we have our work cut out for us."
...
The Impala squeals to a stop just inside the town limit of Mooresville, and the three companions climb out, moving in unison toward the woods that line the highway.
Mary's knuckles whiten as she clutches her demon blade with her shaking hand.
"Are you afraid?" Cas inquires softly, as he strides up beside her.
"A little… " She admits, lifting her face so that the fire in her eyes becomes obvious. "But I'm mostly pissed. I want my dad back."
"Let's get him, then." Dean smirks, moving past them quickly, and reaching around a massive tree ahead.
A demon screeches as he pulls her around the tree by her hair, throwing her to the ground roughly, and pinning her down with his knees. "Where is he?!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" The demon hisses.
Dean rolls his eyes dramatically, and slides his blade out of his belt. He twists it with flare, and grins wickedly, "I think you do."
"Winchester!" Her face turns pallid, and she struggles with all her might.
"DAMN STRAIT, BITCH!" He backhands her so powerfully that her head snaps to the side, and the sound of the strike echoes through the woods loudly. "WHERE IS MYBROTHER?!"
Her whimpering breaks into disturbing laughter, "You-hull-hull have to kill me Winchester."
"Oh trust me, I won't," Deans lips curl upward wickedly, "Cas, take Mary toward town. I'll catch up."
The demon's muffled cries of pain make Mary cringe, as Castiel rushes her away. "God, he really can be scary when he wants to." She shivers.
"That's one of the reasons he chose to leave." Castiel nods, picking up the pace. "Your uncle may seem well put together, he can manage his condition with a steady regiment of human blood, so that he is nearly human. Make no mistake, however, he is still a demon. Torture comes as a great pleasure to him, and if he isn't careful, those he loves can suffer for it."
Mary stretches her legs to keep up with her escort, eager to escape the cries of the tortured demon.
Before long Dean appears in front of them; still black eyed, with blood splatter decorating his clothes and face. His shoulders are tensed for attack, and he is practically panting with bloodlust.
Mary tucks her face into Castiel's coat, unable to stomach the sight.
Wrapping a comforting arm about Mary, Cas uses his free hand to toss a handkerchief toward Dean, "Compose yourself."
"Oh, right." Dean realizes, wiping his face and sleeves, then tucking the bloody rag in his pocket.
His eyes return to their original green, while Cas shakes Mary gently to alert her it's okay to look.
"Sorry." She murmurs, "Guess that wasn't very badass of me."
"No, I'm sorry." Dean chuckles, "I forget you're still green."
"Sam?" Cas prods eagerly.
"Right," Dean shakes his head, refocusing, "Auceps has him at a condemned bank building downtown. Shouldn't be hard to find. The kid can stay here and wait for us."
Mary shakes loose of Castiel's grasp, and squares her shoulders. "I know I sort of panicked just now, but I know how to fight. Dad taught me, and I'm not afraid."
"Look, Mary, I believe you." Castiel arranges himself in front of her, looking down with worried eyes.
"But?" She frowns.
"But, your dad could be hurt, and Dean and I need to be one hundred percent focused on saving him. We can't do that if we are worried about you..."
"Oh." Mary's shoulders slump. "That makes sense, I guess."
"Good." Cas pats her on the shoulder, pleased that she isn't fighting him. "Wait here, if you see a demon, hide. Do not engage. We will be back as soon as we possibly can."
"Got it." She nods briskly.
She sits cross-legged in the leaves, watching closely as her chaperones disappear into the forest.
"One... Two... Three..." She counts to sixty, before standing to her feet. "Like I'm letting you have all the fun."She murmurs, pulling her pilfered blade from her boot, and making her way after the men.
She makes it nearly ten steps, when a pallid hand shoots out of the shadow of a nearby bramble, snagging her by her flowing hair.
"You'll pay!" Dean's unwilling informant gurgles, as blood pours from her gaping mouth.
Mary tries to scream, but no sound can make it past the lump in her throat.
The demon drags her backward several steps, before Mary finds footing in the soft underbrush.
As the adrenaline begins to coarse through her veins, she twists slicing out with her demon blade.
The demon's hand drops to the ground, severed clean through. A powerful gush of blood from her radial artery soaks Mary's face, and fills her mouth.
Mary coughs and sputters, spitting the warm liquid out in disgust.
The demon stumbles back in obvious shock, staring at Mary wide-eyed.
"He left you alive." Mary utters in disbelief. "Why?!"
"Killing me would have meant mercy." The demoness cackles, fading into a broken cough. "Dean Winchester does not show mercy, and now I must face my master having betrayed you."
Mary circles, approaching her from behind, and pulling her head back by her matted hair. "Let me show you some kindness, then."
She rips through her attackers throat with her knife, so the demon flickers and dies.
"I'm not afraid of you." Mary stands, wiping the blood from her face, and turning toward the forest. She raises her voice in an obstinate challenge, "I'll do what it takes to find my dad, even if I have to kill every last one of you assholes!"