Bonnie leaned her head back against her seat. Exhaustion came when the shock wore off and the adrenaline rush was over. Her body began to hum with pain. She clenched her fist and gritted her teeth as a surge of nausea hit her. Her breath became labored and she started to sweat.
"You ok Bon? What's going on?" Mercedes asked from the seat beside her. Bonnie turned to her and tried to relax her body.
"I'm fine. Just a little tired." She lied
"Right." Mercedes drawled sarcastically. She rose from her seat and walked to her sister. She leaned in and pressed the back of her hand to Bonnie's forehead. "You are burning up. And forgive me for saying it, but you look like shit."
Bonnie cracked a small pained smile. "You don't look so hot yourself."
Mercedes returned the smile but continued, "Seriously Bonnie, what's going on with you?"
"I just spent the day working on a new charm, and it's taking its toll. I should have paced myself, but I got too caught up in the magic. Give me a few minutes and I'll be right as rain." Bonnie finished with a grunt and grimace.
"Tell mama where it hurts, and I'll sing it all better."
"It hurts all over with a bit of nausea on the side."
Mercedes leaned in close to Bonnie with her mouth near her ear, and she began to hum a soft soothing melody. Each flowing note brought with it a wave of relief. Bonnie felt the pain and tension slowly leave her body, starting with her pounding headache and working its way past her stiff shoulders and knees down to her cramping feet. When the song was finished Mercedes walked back to her chair, and Bonnie felt brand new and relaxed.
"Ooh," she moaned. "You, dear sister are a godsend. How have I survived all this time without you?" She experimentally rolled her shoulders and neck.
"Sirens," Mercedes yawned, "not just great at seduction."
"Have you slept at all?" The refreshed Bonnie inquired.
"I've been up for about 20 or 21 hours. After graduation I went to Santana's party, and then I got dads message before I could go to sleep." Mercedes answered.
"Get some sleep Cedes. We have roughly three hours before we arrive to our destination. I'll go through my books to see what I can find until your cousin calls."
"I don't think so. I should be helping you look through your books." Mercedes argued.
"If you don't get some rest you won't be any help at all when the time comes. So lay it down." Bonnie demanded.
Mercedes shook her head, but reclined in her chair and closed her eyes any way. "Let me sleep for just an hour. Then I want you to wake and brief me on what you find."
"If I find something within the hour I will wake you. If I don't I'm going to let you sleep."
"Not too long though." Mercedes protested.
"Sleep tight." Bonnie answered. A few beats later she heard the deep rhythmic breathing that signaled her sister had fallen asleep.
Bonnie pulled her old grimoire out of her backpack and began to leaf through the pages. She read every page in the book that showcased some creature and its powers. None of the descriptions matched the beings she saw in the video. She grabbed another book, but it yielded the same results. After an hour of searching she was no closer to identifying her enemy than when she first watched the video. With a frustrated huff she pushed away the last book. Careful not to wake her sleeping sister she whispered, "Computer, search all known government databases for the following: Creatures with black eyes, super human healing and strength, and shape shifters."
"Right away." The computer answered, and the screen located in the console in front of her lit up, and a long list of files appeared. "582 files were found matching your criteria."
"Out of the 582 files display only the ones with at least two of the search terms within the text, and highlight the terms."
"50 files now meet the new criteria."
Bonnie tapped the link to open the first file. It was a proposal to create a super soldier. She moved through the next couple of files and found nothing helpful in them either. Just as she was finishing the last file the computer's voice rang out once more.
"30 minutes before you will arrive at the coordinates."
Bonnie lifted her eyes from the screen. "Cedes wake up." Bonnie called out, "Mercedes!" Mercedes came to with a groan and then stretched her body.
"Did you find anything?" came her groggy question.
"Not a thing, but we'll be there in 30 minutes. We should load up and figure out a plan of action." Bonnie grabbed a shoulder and waist holster, and then quickly donned them. She grabbed four guns then slid them into their waiting spaces. Mercedes pushed herself up from her seat and did the same.
" I don't know why we are taking these guns with us. They don't do a thing to stop those monsters." Mercedes mumbled.
"Better safe than sorry." Bonnie explained. "Guns may not stop them, but they can slow them down to give us a few much-needed seconds to regroup." Bonnie pulled out two handfuls of potion from her backpack, and then gave them to Mercedes. "The light green ones make people pass out, the dark green ones leave a person temporally paralyzed, and the red ones cause them to lose all of their sense. They won't be able to see, hear, feel, or smell you. Just throw it down at their feet and the vial will break on them. Make sure that you don't get any on yourself."
"Got you." Mercedes replied as she stuffed some of each potion in her pockets and the rest in the front of her backpack. She then moved over to a large metal cabinet, which was welded to the floor on the left side of the jet. She took several items from it and walked over to her sister. She lifted a small orange gun.
"A flare if we get separated and need to find each other." She handed it to Bonnie. Then she raised up a small device as Bonnie slid the flare into her backpack. "A microphone and earpiece, so we can communicate out there. To cover more ground we will need to separate, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier is larger than three and a half football fields. Also it lets us talk to the computer if we need to." She handed Bonnie the ear piece and slid one into her own ear. She held up the last item in her hand and said, "A flashlight. Not really any need to explain this one." Both girls dropped a flashlight into their bags.
"We don't have much to go on, but we still need a plan." Bonnie informed her sister.
"I say we fly over the last known points. See if the base is there. If it isn't, we do a perimeter sweep until we find it. We will land a quarter of a mile away so we won't be ambushed as we get out of the jet. We run up and take out as many of those things as possible, and then as soon as it is safe find dad and any of the survivors. Then we go back to the jet and get the people to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s warehouse. After that our search and rescue mission will be complete."
"Good plan, but that sounds easier said than done. More than likely the airship crashed. In the video you could see that the electrical system was malfunctioning. So be ready for that. I really wish we had more to go on." Bonnie huffed in frustration
"No worries Bon. We'll be fine, and dad will be safe."
"Approaching destination. Shall I land?" The computer's voice rang out. Mercedes slid back into her chair and took hold of the conn.
"No. Switch over to manual." She ordered.
"Switching to manual."
Bonnie slid into the seat next to Mercedes. She was starting to get anxious. She wiped her sweating palms on her pants, and stared out of the window. Her eyes were searching for any sign of SHIELD's helicarrier. "Look!" Bonnie exclaimed and pointed." On the left in the middle of that wooded area, do you see that?" There in the distance was a pillar of smoke rising up into the brightening sky. Below it was a faint orange glow. The two sisters shared a worried look.
The closer they got the bigger and thicker the smoke became. It wasn't just one giant pillar but several of varying sizes joining together as they rose. Both young women held their breaths in anticipation as they flew over the smoke. Below it laid broken pieces of twisted metal, shattered glass, and fallen trees. In the midst of all the destruction and debris sat S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters broken in half. Flames danced along the busted windows and the jagged split.
"I guess you were right." Mercedes commented as she flew the jet past the burning rubble, and lowered it down a quarter-mile away in a small clearing.
"I didn't want to be." Bonnie answered.
The two solemn sisters stood up from their seats and put on their respective backpacks. "Got everything?" Bonnie asked. Mercedes nodded her reply.
"Computer, open the loading door." Mercedes demanded. The door lifted and the walkway descended.
"Ready?" Bonnie questioned. Again Mercedes nodded. "Ok. Remember to use our code names."
"I'll remember, Nature's Servant. Let's go." They walked out of the jet, and both girls were on high alert. They made their way as quickly and as quietly possible. As they came to the outskirts of the crash Bonnie pointed to Mercedes, the right, herself and then to the left, signaling the directions that they should take.
Mercedes slipped the Beretta 9mm out of the holster on her hip, and ran right while keeping the gun pointed to the ground. She silently cursed the rising sun for taking away the night's dark cover, forcing her to go from tree to tree not to be discovered. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she fought to control her breathing. Her eyes darted around for danger, but she didn't see anything moving except the flames. She climbed over a fallen tree, and got her first up close view of the crash. Pieces of the ship lay scattered throughout the woods. She took several cautious steps forward, but there was nothing but debris. As she continued she tapped her earpiece. "Nature's Servant, I have arrived on the far right side of the crash and there is no sign of the enemy. What is happening on your end?"
Her earpiece crackled to life with Bonnie's voice. "Nothing. It's all very quiet."
"Too quiet? Like 'this is a trap in waiting' quiet?"
"No," Bonnie shook her head even though Mercedes couldn't see her, "more like 'it is over and all that is left is death' quiet." No sooner had the words left her mouth did Bonnie stumble across a charred body. The skin was melted and the features so badly distorted that the person would be impossible to identify. Her stomach tightened. Bonnie heard Mercedes gasp in horror. She just discovered her first body too. Her eyes roved out through the trees. Bodies were strewn all over the place. Many lay in twisted positions, some were on the ground, some stuck in trees, and many were on fire. None of them moved. A few steps in front of her Bonnie spotted a bald brown-skinned body, and her heart stopped. 'Daddy!' she thought to herself as she raced over to it. She dropped to her knees and turned the man over. It wasn't Nick Fury. She let out a small sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. Bonnie stood up and clenched her fist. She was no longer nervous or anxious. Now it was anger that fueled her heart. Her life was filled with so much violence and needless death. All of this senseless destruction and disregard for life filled her with hatred. She started down at the poor man at her feet. Sure he wasn't her father, but he might have been someone's father. He might have meant the world to someone. She looked at the bodies around her. They all were special to someone, and now they were dead. That thought enraged her. This was no longer a search and rescue mission. Oh no. It was the self-made promise of revenge for all of these people that propelled her to continue walking.
On the other end of the crash Mercedes was trying not to throw up. The closer she got to the aircraft the more bodies she discovered. The smoke and the smell of burning flesh were thick in the air, and it choked her. She wanted to look away. She wanted to turn back, but she couldn't. One of the bodies lying on the ground could be her father, and he was depending on her to find and save all of the people still alive. As she walked she would continuously call out for her father and survivors. Every time she saw a body that looked like it could be him she would stop and examine it. After the first three bodies she stopped looking at the faces. She would rather close her eyes and reach her hand inside of their pockets or inside of their shirts to search for some form of ID than to look at their eyes. Yes, it would be easier and cleaner to look at the faces to see if there were two eyes. But she would rather touch either the hot burnt skin or the cold dead flesh than look into their eyes. It was their lifeless staring eyes that would haunt her dreams. A few of them were wide and frozen in horror or surprise, but most were just blankly staring at nothing.
The man who sent her over the edge had none of those. After checking his pockets and the inside of his shirt she still couldn't find an ID. Left with no choice her eyes slowly made their way past the gaping hole in his chest up to his face. Part of it was burned and scarred, but both of his eyes were there. The dark green eyes, that reminded her instantly of Sam's, gazed up at her not in frozen anger or fear, but in acceptance. He saw his friends and coworkers dying beside him and knew there was nothing he could do to stop his own death. So he simply accepted it and made peace with the knowledge. She couldn't help it and began to weep. She did the only thing she could think of that would make her feel better. She prayed. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil," Mercedes began with a sob, "for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever" She prayed for the souls of all the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that died there.
"Siren, are you ok?" Bonnie asked her through the earpiece.
"Yes." Came her soft reply. "It just seems that all of my training has left me ill-prepared for this."
"I know. The first time you see a dead body outside of a funeral is the hardest. After a while you get used to it. Trust me, I've seen enough of them living in Mystic Falls." Bonnie reassured her sister.
"It's their eyes, Servant. Their eyes are so glossy and blank. There is nothing in them. I don't want to get used to this."
Bonnie wanted to reach out and give Mercedes the comfort she so desperately needed, but she couldn't and they had a job to do. "I know how you feel. You want to breakdown and just go to sleep for a while and you can, but not until we are home and done with this job. It seems like the creatures aren't here so calling the computer to bring the jet and scan for life won't give away our position. Meet me at the ship and we'll see if there are any clues still inside."
The girls walked from their sides of the crash until they saw S.H.I.E.L.D.'s large headquarters. The helicarrier lied among several broken trees, and there was a huge runway of fallen trees that were crushed as the ship slid over and on them in its flaming crash. "I'm at the helicarrier." Mercedes announced.
"Me too. Send up your flare and I'll come find you. Then we can explore the ship." Bonnie instructed.
"Ok." Mercedes agreed. She placed her pack on the ground and grabbed the flare within. She aimed it upwards and watched the light streak up to the sky. Then she waited. Faintly she heard Bonnie calling for Siren, and she walked towards her voice. The voice was getting louder and louder until she turned around the corner of the airship and saw Bonnie faced away from her.
"Peek-a-boo I see you." Announced Mercedes as she put the gun back in its holster. Bonnie swung around to face her, and she ran over to her. Bonnie pulled Mercedes into a tight embrace.
"Can you go on?" Bonnie asked her.
"Yeah." Mercedes told her as they pulled apart. "You take the left and I'll take the right." She instructed as she nodded to the two halves of the aircraft.
"No. I think we should go in together. You don't need to be alone right now. Plus this thing is falling apart, and it's too big to be able to reach each other in time if something falls on us."
"Ok." Mercedes conceded. "Did you send for computer to check for survivors?"
"Yes, it should be arriving and doing that any minute now."
The two sisters carefully made their way into the right side of the ship. Inside was complete darkness. Mercedes lowered her backpack and dug out her flash light. Bonnie followed her lead and retrieved her own. Soon the dark hall was filled with light, and the women proceeded to search and call out for any living persons. Both of them mindful not to step on any of the exposed electrical wires.
"What exactly are we looking for?"
Bonnie shrugged then answered. "I'm not sure. I've been looking at the doors hoping to find one that has Nick Fury on it. Maybe in his office there is more information about those creatures."
"You know I've been thinking. Why is it just you and me? Why didn't dad send me after Marcus as well? He has the most field experience. I mean he is the one in charge of his platoon in boot camp."
"Again, I don't know. Perhaps he's already on a mission."
"Another thing, I've been trying to figure out about our creatures. I've heard about a monster somewhere that sounds a lot like the guys we are hunting for. I just don't remember what they were or who told me about them, and it's driving me crazy." Mercedes confessed.
"Keep thinking about it. If we don't find anything soon that may be all we have to go on." They continued to walk in silence, searching for anything that might help them. Not long into their search they came across the exact door that Bonnie was hoping to find. Mercedes turned the knob, but the door wouldn't budge. She pushed harder and it still wouldn't move.
"I think something is blocking the door."
"Here let me try." Bonnie instructed as she lightly pushed Mercedes to the side. She rammed against the door and grunted out a spell. The door flew open with a large bang, and Bonnie fell into the room with her flashlight flying out of her hand. She placed her hands out to catch herself, but her right hand slid and was cut by a piece of broken glass.
"Shit." She hissed out in pain.
Mercedes stepped into the room, and helped her stand. "Let me see how bad it is."
The computer's voice boomed in their ears as Mercedes grabbed Bonnie's hand. "The only vitals I could detect belong to you, Siren Song and Nature's Servant." The girls looked at each other, both crestfallen.
"That means Nick Fury is either dead somewhere in this mess, or he has been taken hostage." Mercedes despaired as she dropped Bonnie's badly bleeding hand. She looked to Bonnie with wide and uncertain eyes.
"No!" Bonnie shouted. "He isn't dead! We can still save him. We just have to find some type of clue." Bonnie picked up her flashlight and began to rifle through the room. In her hurry she tripped over an upturned desk.
"Bonnie!" Mercedes cried. She reached for her, but Bonnie was able to catch herself on a large silver box.
"I'm ok." She muttered as she stood. Beside her the box let out a long loud beep. Then a line lit up on it. The young women looked at each other, and then they both went for the box. Together they lifted it, and set it on the only still standing table.
"What does it say?" Mercedes asked.
"It's my birthday." Bonnie breathed out.
"Nick must have left it for you."
"I think this is what we were looking. Let's head back to the jet and get this thing open. Computer, pick us up at the opening of the right side of the helicarrier."
"That's good and all, but Servant your hand is still bleeding." Mercedes commented, and held out her hand. Bonnie placed her hand in Mercedes' and waited. Mercedes began to hum and Bonnie watched as the blood stopped pouring and her torn skin mended.
"So lost without you." Bonnie laughed.
"Yeah I know. Now how are we going to get this thing out of here and still carry our flashlights?"
"Hand me your light." Bonnie said, and then she levitated them both. They grabbed the box and made their slow exit. Outside they found the sun high in the sky and the jet hovering for them.
"Computer, open the loading hatch." Mercedes ground out. The jet eased closer to the split ship and lowered the walkway. The two girls struggled up and set the box down. Huffing, they dropped down beside it.
"Goddess, that was heavy." Bonnie puffed.
"Mmm." came Mercedes' witty retort.
Bonnie chuckled, and slid over to the box. She examined it and a puzzled frown marred her face. "I can't open it." She informed her sister.
Mercedes head popped up off the floor and she looked to Bonnie. "Don't tell me we left the key to that thing in there."
"No. I don't think so. There is no lock, and there isn't even a lid or door to open" Bonnie told her. She ran her hand over the box.
"Let me try." Mercedes sat up, and tried pushing her fingers into the box hoping to find a hidden button. She didn't find one. "Since it was left for you maybe a spell might open it." She suggested.
"You think?" Bonnie ran her hand over the box again and whispered a spell. A small click was heard, and a thin line appeared around the top of the box. The sisters shared a smile.
"Oh the cleverness of me." Mercedes boasted.
Bonnie shook her head in amusement and gripped the newly formed lid. She lifted up, but it wouldn't budge. She ran her hand over it again with a different spell. Bonnie scoffed.
"What?"
"The lid won't move." Bonnie explained.
"Try another spell." Mercedes recommended.
"I already did." The girls looked at each other confused. "What if I'm only part of the key? What if you need to sing for it to fully open?" Mercedes leaned over the boxes and began to hum. Nothing happened.
"My birthday isn't on it. Maybe it really is just for you." They stared at the box both willing it to open and reveal its secrets. Suddenly a thought hit Bonnie as she took in her bloody handprint.
"The box didn't light up with my birthday or beep until I touched it."
"Yeah, but I've already touched it several times." Mercedes countered. Bonnie just traced the handprint and smiled. Understanding her meaning Mercedes grimaced. "You don't mean what I think you mean. Do you? I'm really not a fan my own blood."
"You might not need as much blood as I used Mercedes. Let's prick your finger and find out." Bonnie retrieved her abandoned backpack and pulled out a small blade. She grabbed Mercedes' hand before she could protest, and lightly drew a little blood. With glaring eyes Mercedes wiped her finger on the box. They waited for a response, but the box didn't change. "Maybe we need more blood." Bonnie surmised, lifting the blade up again.
"Bonnie!" Mercedes protested. "You are just blood thirsty."
"Mercedes Jones. Give me your hand." Before she could say anything the box gave a familiar beep and a new line of numbers lit up.
"My birthday." Mercedes leaned in to the box and hummed again. This time it clicked and the lid rose a little. She gripped it and pulled. The lid came off without a fuss. Inside there lay six thick manila folders, two flash drives, and two big blue wrapped packages. She grabbed the first package, and saw a card on top with Bonnie's name on it. She handed it to her then reached back into the box to grab the one with her name written on it. Mercedes unwrapped the blue paper and opened the gift box. Inside was a golden necklace with a pendant made of a large and a small circle. She fastened it around her neck and pulled out the fabric it was sitting on. When she unfolded it she found that it was a uniform. It was a one piece suit with a similar shape to the one worn by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. It had the same pattern, belt, and high collar. The main difference was the colors. Where the S.H.E.I.L.D. uniform was mainly navy with black accents this one was black with burgundy wine colored accents. It also lacked the official S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem and in its place there was a pentacle with a treble clef in the center of the star to represent Bonnie the witch and Mercedes the siren. Mercedes picked up the card and read it. In the note her father explained that the necklace was a weapon made just for her. When placed near her mouth the large circle could amplify her voice to affect an entire room at once. When the two circles are placed together and near her mouth it makes her powers more potent and concentrates them onto a singular person from a distance without affecting anyone else. The uniform was there to help them look more official, but also to help save their lives. It was bullet proof, flame retardant, and connected them with the computer.
"What's in your box?" Mercedes asked her sister.
Bonnie held up a uniform that matched Mercedes', but with red accents. She then lifted two guns. Finally she held up what looked like a glass bullet. "Dad gave me two guns he had designed for me. I fill these little glass bullets with a potion of choice. Then I slide them into a magazine clip and they will break upon contact once fired. That way I have the accuracy and speed of a gun but with the power of my potions."
Mercedes showed Bonnie her necklace then pulled out one of the manila folders. On the top the name Tony Stark was written. She flipped through it and saw a picture of the man. It listed every known fact about him. His address, his birthday, how much money he made in a year, a psychoanalysis report, his current relationship status, and even his favorite ice cream. She pulled out the next file with the name Natalia Romanova, also known as the Black Widow. She flipped through it and found the same kind of information inside. She showed Bonnie the two files, and told her what information they contained. The girls pulled out the four remaining files and examined then. There were files for Robert Bruce Banner, Thor, Clint Barton, and Steven Rogers. Mercedes grabbed the two flash drives and plugged one into the computer as Bonnie read through the folders. The drive contained 8 video files, and all of them with dates for titles except for one. It was titled Watch First.
"Hey Bonnie, dad left some videos for us to watch," Mercedes called to her sister. Bonnie dropped the files back into the box and sat beside her. Mercedes opened the video file and their father appeared on the screen. Unlike the video that started it all, the atmosphere in this video was much calmer. Nick Fury sat in his office staring at the camera with his one good eye in his normal black clothes and leather trench coat. His face was blank and gave away nothing and his voice soothing and clear.
"Hello girls. If you are watching this video than all of my worst fears have come true. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been taken and I may be dead. As of now it is April 16th. In the past four weeks six of our warehouses and buildings were ransacked and destroyed, and three of the six Avengers have gone missing without a trace. I sent your brother out with a team to investigate five days ago, and no one has heard from them since. I have gathered all of the information we have on this new enemy for you to study, and as time goes on I will add more. As of yet we do not know of their plan. It is up to you, my daughters, to save the world. I have faith that you can accomplish what I cannot. Be safe and take all of my love. Nick Fury over and out."
The video ended and the list of video files took its place. Bonnie placed a comforting hand on a somber Mercedes' shoulder. The news that both their father and brother could be dead tore through the young women. Mercedes' earlier question now answered. Without a word she started the next video. Again their father appeared on the screen.
"March 10th. The S.H.I.E.L.D. warehouse in Washington, DC was ransacked. The few agents that are still alive report that nothing has been taken. They say that the building was infiltrated by these people who just appeared from thin air. The director of the warehouse along with his first and second in command were tortured for information. None of the survivors were sure what information they were looking for. The enemy had a sort of telekinesis with black eyes and would either pin someone to the wall or simply kill them with a flick of their wrist if they tried to interfere. All digital scans and scrapings have proven inconclusive. I will report more when more information is gained. Nick Fury over and out."
Mercedes clicked the link for the third video to start. Nick was again sitting in his office and facing the camera. "March 23rd. The S.H.I.E.L.D. base in New York has now been destroyed. Agents describe a similar attack like the one in DC. The same creature with the black eyes and telekinesis were looking for information, but none of the survivors knew what kind of information. I have also received a phone call from one Ms. Pepper Potts. She has informed me that Tony Stark has gone missing. He has been gone for over 3 days with no correspondence. I have sent out agents along with Clint and Steve to find him. We are now waiting on word from them. Nick Fury over and out."
The fourth video started as Nick Fury appeared before them. "March 29th. It has been three days since our last check in with Steve and Clint. Their last correspondence was a distress call. Before his message was interrupted Clint said that two of the agents turned on the group. We traced the signal but when we arrived there was no trace of any of the agents or Clint and Steve. Our best efforts to find them have turned up nothing. We have also lost the warehouse in Utah and the base in Texas. The Utah attack matches the description from our other facilities. However the one in Texas has changed. Survivors say that the creatures didn't just appear, but that the attack came from fellow agents. The agents like the creatures before had eyes that were pitch black and seemed to develop the same telekinesis. One survivor talked to the agent before the chaos began. He informs us that the agent was behaving strangely. He asked questions above his security clearance and many of those questions about the Avenger Initiative. We are unsure if the creature inhabited the bodies of the agents or if the agents were actually the creatures all along. Based on assessment I believe the former to be true. With this new information we may assume that Clint, Tony, and Steve were taken by these creatures. As of yet it is unknown if they are dead or alive. Security in all S.H.I.E.L.D. locations has been increased and all agents now have a special identification phrase. Nick Fury over and out."
Just as Mercedes clicked the fifth video file her phone rang. She paused the video and put her phone on speaker. "What do you have for me Hale?"
"Mercy are you ok? Have you gone to the headquarters yet? Whatever you do don't go there!" came Hale's panicked voice.
"Slow done Hale. We've already gone to the site and now we are back in the jet. Did you find out what I'm dealing with?"
"You've already been to the site? How do I know it's really you? Tell me something personal that only we two know."
"What? Fool I do not have the time or patience to deal with this mess right now."
"Tell me something or I'm hanging up." Hale stated firmly.
"Fine." Mercedes acquiesced. "When I was in the 8th grade my family went to Canada to visit you all up there. At a party you caught me making out with Jason Louis, who unbeknownst to me was our second cousin. You promised to keep it a secret if I would clean your room and be your personal servant for the remainder of my trip. There, is that personal enough for you?"
On the other end of the phone Hale released a grateful sigh. "Good." He started. "I talked to my man Trick, and he told me that what you are dealing with goes way beyond simple vamps and fae. You are dealing with the big daddy of all baddies. These creatures you are talking about are demons. Straight biblical, Book of Revelations kind of demons."
Bonnie and Mercedes gasped in horror. "What?" shrieked Bonnie.
"Exactly. I bet you didn't have any weapons that could fight them off either. How did you two get out alive anyway?"
"They weren't there." Bonnie answered "When we got there all of the crew was dead."
Hale was silent for a moment then asked, "Nick?"
"MIA. We didn't see him in the airship or on the ground." Mercedes responded.
"That could be a good thing right? If he isn't proven dead then he may be alive."
"We can only hope." muttered Bonnie.
Changing the subject Hale continued. "Trick doesn't really know a lot about demons so he's doing a little research for me. He just wanted me to call and make sure that you didn't go in there. From what he's told me this will be tough, and if you would like I can send you a little help. My friends Bo and Dyson could come down there. I'm not sure what a succubus and a wolf can do against a hoard of demons, but together they always seem to pull out a win."
"I don't know. Right now we need to do a little research of our own and refuel. Call us back as soon as you can and we'll make a plan from there." Mercedes yawned.
"Alright. When doing your research look mainly for Crossroads Demons. Trick says they are the ones less likely to hurt you as soon as they're summoned. He says that they are a kind of mix between a loan shark and a genie in demonic form, and are looking to make a deal. You might as well get a little rest because they can't even be summoned until after dark"
"Thanks for the heads up. Bye Hale." Mercedes hung up her phone and slipped it back into her backpack. "What do you say to going to the nearest town, getting some coffee and breakfast, checking in to a cheap hotel, then seeing what we can find on Crossroads Demons and watching the rest of Dad's videos?"
"That sounds like the best idea ever." Bonnie approved and she pulled up their location on the map. "We are in rural Iowa. About a two hours walk away from the nearest town and an hour away from the nearest road"
"What do you want to do?"
"I say we load up as much as we can carry, activate the cloaking device on the jet, and make our way to that road. Hopefully we will pass someone headed to town and we can catch a ride. There we'll do our business and try to find a nearby crossroad." Mercedes agreed with her and the two began to gather their things. Bonnie made sure to grab both bags of her books and potions. Mercedes grabbed her backpack and took out the flare. She then filled the bag with the contents of the sliver box.
"Ready?" She asked her sister then stopped. She first stared at Bonnie, then glanced at herself. They both were armed like they were going to war. "Hold that thought." Mercedes grabbed an extra bag and began to divest herself of her weapons and harnesses. She placed them in the bag, and then waited for Bonnie to do the same. They would have trouble enough getting picked up in the middle of nowhere as it was, but carrying and showing four guns a piece would get them nowhere but the county jail. The girls walked down the walkway, and instructed the computer to cloak the jet. Loaded down, they made their way to the road. They walked along side of it for ten minutes before they heard the sound of a car racing down the street. Quickly the girls turned towards it and started to wave their free hands. The driver of the black Impala drove right past them without even slowing down.
"Dammit!" cursed Bonnie. With no other option the girls continued to walk. Not long after another car was heard. The girls again stopped and waved. The red pickup truck rolled past them then stopped. The girls ran to the passenger's door, and looked into the window. A middle-aged man sat in the driver's seat staring back at them.
"What are you girls doing out here with all of that in the middle of nowhere?"
"We were out camping last night and now our car won't start. We are trying to get to town and to a hotel so we can rest and find a mechanic." Mercedes quickly supplied a story for them. "These things are what we didn't want to just leave in the car."
The man nodded his head and unlocked the door. "Put your stuff in the bed of the truck and then hop on up here." he instructed. The sisters did as they were told and then Mercedes shut the door. As he pulled off the man introduce himself. "My names James, but my friends call me Jim."
"I'm Sable and this is my friend Autumn." Bonnie lied.
"Nice to meet you girls."
"It's nice to meet you too Jim." Mercedes countered. The rest of the ride was spent in small talk before Jim dropped the two off at a motel.
"Now make sure you call that number and tell them that Jim sent you. Bypass Motors has the best mechanics in town." The girls promised that they would call, and grabbed their bags.
They paid for the room with some of the emergency cash found in the jet, and set their stuff down inside. Once settled they walked the two blocks to the diner that the hotel attendant recommended. After a few cups of coffee and a light breakfast they went back to the motel to get started. "Now that I know what to look for I'm going to search my books again to see if I missed anything." Bonnie informed Mercedes as she sat on one of the twin beds.
"Ok. You do that and I'll see what I can find online." Mercedes agreed as she pulled out her tablet. She logged into her computer and connected to the motels Wi-Fi. 'Now, how to go about this?' She asked herself. Mercedes typed 'Crossroads Demon' into the browser and pressed enter. The first couple of websites told of the origins and legends of the Crossroads Demons and the significance of the crossroads in old folk tales. She then found several sites that seemed very informative, but she was majorly disappointed when she realized they were just fan pages for some book series. And that was when she remembered where she had heard about demons before. Sam was explaining to her some new series about some brothers that he had found. It was a good thing Hale gave her a step in the right direction because some work of fiction that Sam read wouldn't be enough to stop real demons. Mercedes took a deep breath to regain her focus, and continued her search. She finally stumbled across a few good sites that seemed pretty reliable. Then again she wouldn't know a reliable source if it slapped her in the face when it came to demonology. From what the websites said it seemed rather easy summon a Crossroad's demon. All one needed was a picture of himself or herself, a black cat bone, some yarrow, and graveyard dirt. She wrote down the list, and then shared her findings with Bonnie.
"That stuff shouldn't be too hard to find. If there is a Wiccan store around here it might have the black cat bone there, but I'm not sure since those tend to be used more in hoodoo and voodoo. I have a picture of me and my friends in my wallet. I can just cut them out and use it. I brought some dried yarrow with me and there was a church with a cemetery in the back right as we pulled into town. We can kill two birds with one stone there. From the little I've learned from my books, I've read that demons are susceptible to holy water."
"Cool. What else have you learned?"
"There are ways to trap demons. They're called Devil's Traps. I've been practicing drawing them here in my notepad." Bonnie held up the paper so Mercedes could see the drawing. "When made big enough it cages any demon that steps in it."
"Well done Bonnie." Mercedes encouraged. "So we find a crossroads online, go buy the stuff we need, go to the crossroads to draw the trap and check out the lay of the land, come back and take a little nap, and then go bury it when it gets dark. We wait for it to show up then trap the demon in the circle and ask it our questions. We set it free only if it promises not to hurt or kill us. After that we take what we've learned and try to save the world."
"In a nutshell," Bonnie replied then she paused. "You have a knack for taking what could potentially be the end of our lives and making it sound like a walk in the park."
Mercedes smiled but, ignored her and pulled up Google maps. She entered her location and searched for the closest crossroads that was not near any buildings or people. She found it and wrote it down. She then checked the local public transportation site. The bus would put them about 2 miles away from the two roads, which wasn't so bad. They could walk that in about 30 minutes. The only problem was that the buses stopped running at 10:00pm, and it wouldn't get dark until about 8:00. Who knew how long it would take to interrogate a demon. They couldn't just fly the jet there and back, that would look to suspicious. It seemed that they would just have to walk the 8 miles back into town. After finding their crossroad Mercedes searched for the nearest Occult or Wiccan store, and she found one about six blocks away from the church.
"Ok, it is now 12:00 so we have roughly nine hours before we meet the demon. I have the bus schedule and the next on leaves here in 13 minutes. I'll get off at the church and you ride three more stops until it lets you off at Rhiannon's Moon. That's the store for the occult. I'll be on the bus that arrives 30 minutes later and we'll ride it until the last stop." Mercedes informed her sister. 13 minutes later they were on the bus and on their way to the church. At her stop Mercedes departed and made her way to St. Paul Catholic church.
Mercedes pushed open the large wooden doors of the stone cathedral. She walked past the pews and confessionals to the elaborately carved stone font. She looked around then quickly pulled out a water bottle. As she was lowering the bottle a voice called out.
"Can I help you?" Mercedes' head shot up and there stood an aging priest with a rounded middle.
"Hello father." Mercedes greeted, pulling her hand away from the water basin. "This may seem weird, but I'm collecting holy water for my little brother. He stayed up all night watching scary movies, and is now convinced that he needs holy water to keep the vampires away. I tried to explain that monsters aren't real, but it's not working." She smiled sheepishly at the priest. 'I am lying to a priest. I am going straight to hell.' Mercedes thought.
"Holy water isn't something to play with young lady."
"I know sir, but my little brother is just terrified. I figure if a little holy water can make him feel better then it's my job as an older sister to get it for him."
The priest stared at her then asked, "You would come all of this way just to make him feel better?"
"Yes sir. He said we needed holy water and prayer. So that's what I'm here for."
The priest nodded, "take some water and assuage his fears."
"Thank you father." Mercedes replied as he turned to walk away. "Father!" she called, "he also watched a movie about witches and wanted me to gather some grave yard dirt. Do you mind if I take a little from the cemetery in the back?"
Bonnie stepped off of the bus and into the sunlight. Glancing around she spotted Rhiannon's Moon. She walked through the doors and caught a whiff of the many oils and sweet smelling incense. Without bothering to look at the walls and tables lined with crystals, ceremonial athames , herbs, and oils Bonnie walked straight to the back counter to talk to the sales associate. Black cat bones were almost never kept in the front of stores anymore. Most people thought that the rituals involved in selecting a black cat bone were barbaric and cruel to the cat. Nowadays people would often clean left over chicken bones after a meal, paint them black, and then sell those. Many people didn't have the stomach for the ceremonies and didn't like people that did. So most store owners either only sold the chicken bones or hid the real ones in the back. All true practitioners knew that chicken bones, while useful, didn't have the same power as a black cat bone.
The slender blonde woman behind the counter looked up from her magazine and smiled. "Hello. Welcome to Rhiannon's Moon. What can I interest you in today?"
Bonnie smiled back and answered, "I'm looking for a black cat bone.
"Of course. If you just follow me. They are right up front across from the anointing oils." The woman moved from behind the counter, but Bonnie held up a hand to stop her.
"No, I need a real black cat bone. Not a chicken bone painted black."
The woman turned back to look at her, surprised apprehension on her face. "I don't know what you mean. Those are black cat bones."
"Ma'am, you and I both know that if you actually have any real ones they are in the back. I need a real black cat bone."
The woman frowned then sighed. "Look, I know you probably read on some site or in some book all of the things you can do with a black cat bone and you want to try them out, but unless you are an actual practitioner they can be more dangerous than helpful. If you'd like some crystals or incense to take back to your friends that's fine, but I can't give you a real cat bone."
Bonnie nodded then began to concentrate on the candles nearest to her. Soon they began to rise above their heads and move around them. "I am a practitioner." Bonnie slowed the dancing candles and lowered them to their proper place.
The sales lady let out a small gasp and stared at Bonnie with large surprised green eyes. "You must be a very powerful witch. There aren't many of us that can display our powers like that, and definitely not out here in the middle of nowhere Iowa." She held out her hand to Bonnie. "I'm Cora. It's nice to meet you."
Bonnie grasped the small offered hand and shook it. "Likewise. I'm Sable," she said using the same name she gave Jim earlier.
"Wait one moment Sable, and I'll be back with the bone."
Bonnie watched Cora walk through a door that led to the back of the shop, and she began to look around the store. She needed a box to store the picture, bone, dirt, and yarrow. Bonnie selected a medium sized light brown wooden box and walked back to the counter. Not long after Cora returned holding a clear container. She set the container down in front of Bonnie and opened it. Inside were three bones of varying size.
"I have three to choose from. Here is a femur, rib, and toe bone."
"How were the bones retrieved?" Bonnie questioned, checking for their authenticity.
"Three different black cats were boiled alive at midnight. Then the bones were tasted until a bitter one was chosen. These are the bitter bones from each cat." Cora explained.
"Good. I'll take the rib bone and this box please." Bonnie grabbed the bone and placed it and the box on the counter. Cora slipped them both into a bag, and Bonnie handed her the money.
"Good luck with your casting Sable and have a nice afternoon."
"Thank you, and enjoy your day too." Bonnie left the store and walked to the bus stop. Checking her phone she realized she had about five minutes before the bus was to arrive. She sent a text to Mercedes asking if she was on the bus yet. Mercedes responded with a yes not long after. Exactly five minutes later the bus pulled up to her and Bonnie walked on. After paying she grabbed a seat by her sister.
"Did you get the dirt and water?" She asked in a hushed whisper.
"Yeah. Did you get the bone?" Mercedes replied equally as quiet. Bonnie opened her bag and showed her the rib. "I bought some spray paint from a hardware store not far from the church. I figure we can use it to draw our circle."
At the last stop the sisters got off of the bus and walked the two miles until they reached the cross of two dirt roads. Bonnie dropped her pack the grabbed her notepad. She took the black spray paint from Mercedes and carefully she replicated the Devil's Trap on a much larger scale and about 3 inches from the center of the crossroads. When she finished Mercedes came behind her and covered the trap with loose dirt, hiding it from sight. Bonnie drew 4 more traps at the junctions of the roads in all directions and Mercedes gave her a puzzled look.
"In case we can't trick it into the first circle or it realizes it is there." Bonnie answered the unvoiced question. Mercedes nodded and proceeded to cover the new traps in dirt.
Once done the girls began to walk around and check for dips and bumps in the road. In the dark they could fall because of them and that mistake could be the difference between life and death. The girls mapped out and memorized each uneven part of the road and quickly went over a battle plan. They gathered their things and started the two mile walk back to the bus stop. "When we get back to town let's go back to that diner, eat, then go to the room, and take a nap." suggested Mercedes.
"You're reading my mind." laughed Bonnie. "I can't tell if I'm more tired or hungry."
The girls exited the bus and walked into the diner. The hostess greeted them and showed them to their table. After browsing the lunch menu the girls placed their orders. Over their meal the duo ran over their plan again.
"We have to be at the crossroad before nightfall. We will try and trick it into the trap then we make a deal to release it as long as it vows not to hurt or kill us and answer all of our questions about the missing agents and destruction of the S.H.I.E.L.D buildings." Mercedes said around a bite of her burger.
"Right, then I will release it while you have the splat gun trained on it to take it down if it goes back on its word. If for whatever reason it discovers the trap we attack and push it back to the second one. You come from the right and I'll be on the left." Bonnie explained before licking the ketchup from her fingers. After finishing their meal and paying the tab the two sisters got up to leave.
The young women made their way into the hotel and set their bags on the table. Bonnie took out the holy water from Mercedes' bag and began to fill her glass bullets using a syringe. Mercedes gathered all of the things they needed for the evening. Once finished Bonnie spread out over her bed and closed her eyes. Mercedes did one last count then let out a yawn as she slipped under the cool sheets. She set the alarm on her phone for 6:30 and placed it on the nightstand beside the bed. She glanced over to see Bonnie fast asleep on top of her covers, and with one last yawn Mercedes joined her sister in dreamland.
Four hours later Mercedes awoke to the shrill ring of her alarm, and Bonnie stirred from the bed beside her. Clumsy hands reached for her phone and she slid her finger along the screen to dismiss the alarm. Throwing her legs over the side she sat up. "Bon, you up?"
"Mm hmm." Came her sleepy reply, and with a great effort Bonnie sat up in bed.
"Let's hurry. Our bus should be here in 30 minutes."
Bonnie and Mercedes slipped on their shoes and loaded their bags onto their backs. With on last check they left the motel and walked to the bus stop. Neither sister said anything throughout the bus ride. Both girls growing more nervous and anxious with each traveled mile. At the last stop the girls stood up and walked to the front of the bus and waited for the doors to open.
"Are you sure you girl want to get off here. All of the shops are closed and no one else is going to be out here once it gets dark. I know this is the last stop and all, but I could drop you off closer to town on my way to the garage." The bus driver tried to explain.
"No thank you. This is where we need to get off. We are meeting someone just outside of town." Bonnie told the man.
"I don't know. I don't feel right letting you two off here by yourselves. It's not safe."
"We'll be ok. We can handle ourselves. Thank you for the ride." Mercedes interjected.
"Alright then. You girls be safe." The driver finished as he pulled the lever to open the door.
Bonnie and Mercedes stepped off of the bus and watched as it turned and went back to town. Mercedes readjusted her backpack and the two walked to the crossroads. Once there the girls quickly changed into their uniforms and strapped on their holsters. Mercedes slipped her new necklace around her neck, and Bonnie slid one of her new guns into her shoulder holster. She held out the other to Mercedes.
"There are 20 bullets in the magazine clip, and there are three types of bullets. The first is the holy water, then the paralyzing one, and lastly the potion that leaves a person unconscious. They alternate throughout." Mercedes took the gun and slid it in her holster. Mercedes pulled a small shovel from a duffle bag and started to dig while Bonnie filled the brown box with the yarrow, dirt, the picture, and the bone. When the hole was dug Bonnie placed the box inside and covered it with dirt
Bonnie checked her phone for the time. "It's 8:00 we have another 45 or so minutes before the sun sets."
"I uploaded dad's videos on the tablet that I brought with me. We can watch the rest of them while we wait." Mercedes suggested as she pulled the tablet from her bag. The sisters sat on the grass and huddled together. Mercedes tapped the screen and the fifth video started. In videos 5 through 7 Nick Fury talked about more destruction caused be the demons. It was the eighth and last video that went into more detail.
Like all of the previous videos Nick Fury sat behind his desk in his signature black frowning at the camera. "May 3rd. Our bases in London and Budapest have now fallen. Again survivors describe our mystery enemy. The agents with the highest ranks were tortured about information. Four days after the assault Black Widow went missing. She was three days late for her check in, leaving us with only two Avengers. Thor is unreachable in Asgard so he is assumed safe. Dr. Banner has been retrieved and placed in a secure location, that only I know of, for safe keeping. Nick Fury over and out."
Mercedes checked the clock and then shut down the tablet. The sun was low in the sky, the moon was now visible, and the street lights flickered to life. The girls sat in silence for a while, both trying to calm their nerves. Mercedes silently said a prayer for her and Bonnie , while Bonnie ran through a list of useful spells in her head. Just as the sun dipped below the horizon Bonnie stood up and walked to the center where the two roads crossed, and Mercedes joined her a moment later.
"Where is it?" Mercedes wondered aloud. The two girls turned around looking down each road.
"Hello Bonnie Bennet and friend." came a deep rich voice from behind them. The girls swung around to face the demon standing bathed in the soft orange glow of the lamp. He was a tall muscular man with a warm golden brown complexion. His hair was cut close to his head and he had an easy smile that showcased a mouth of perfect white teeth. To put it plainly he was absolutely gorgeous. The only giveaway to his true nature was the dark red eyes that stared out at them. "What can I do for you ladies tonight."
"Your eyes, shouldn't they be black?" Bonnie questioned.
"No. I'm a crossroads demon. So mine are red. Different eye colors for different positions. Now what do you want little witch? More power? To be the strongest witch to have ever lived?"
"What kind of demon has black eyes?" asked Mercedes.
The demon looked at her for a beat as the red faded to a normal yet beautiful light brown. "A common demon. You know the henchmen. Are you here for a wish too…"
"Mercedes," she supplied, "You don't look like what I thought a demon would."
He laughed. "Were you expecting a beastly red creature with horns and a tail?"
"No. Just nothing so handsome." Mercedes answered truthfully.
"In my line of work we come to the summoner as someone they find irresistibly attractive. I am Bonnie's kind of man." He replied with a wink for Bonnie.
Bonnie smiled. "Please step a litter closer so I can see you better."
The demon took three steps then paused. He bent down and brushed his hand through the dirt. In the dim light Bonnie could make out the beginnings of the first Devil's Trap. The demon looked up and the seductive grin was gone. It was replaced with cold fury. "Who are you to try and trap me?" he ground out, and for the first time he noticed their weapons.
"It was just a precaution. We really just want answers." Bonnie informed him.
"I will answer any question you have for a price. Which of you two want to offer your soul for these answers."
"You don't get a soul for just a few answers. Think of something else. Do you need any potions or information of your own." Bonnie offered.
"No. I deal only in souls. If you refuse to trade your souls then this conversation is over." The demon turned to walk away. Quickly Mercedes grabbed her gun and shot beside his feet hoping to stop him before he vanished on them.
"I don't believe we were done talking."
The demon turned and with a flick of his hand Mercedes went sailing through the air. Bonnie lifted her gun and shot into his head. The bullet pierced his skull and the demon howled throwing his head back. He brought his head up right and blood and holy water rolled down his face.
"You stupid little bitch." He crowed. Before she could blink the demon appeared in front of her and smashed his fist into her face. Bonnie stumbled back, but then swept her leg out taking the demon down. She reached for her gun, but was too slow. The demon reached out and pulled her to the ground. Bonnie struggled, but it was no use. The demon over powered and straddled her. His hands wrapped around her neck and squeezed. Black specks began to swim in front of her eyes. She thrust her hips as high as she could and crossed her arms over his tucking them under her elbows. She slammed her hips down and his hands lost their grip on her neck. Bonnie tucked in her chin and gasped for air. The demon broke her hold and raised a fist to punch her when two shots sounded in the air. The demon rolled off of her and Bonnie jumped up. She turned to see Mercedes holding the splat gun aimed at the prone demon.
"You ok Bon?" Mercedes asked without taking her eyes off of the demon. Basic training tip one, never take your eyes off of your target until you know for certain it's dead or incapacitated.
"Yeah. Help me drag him to the trap." Bonnie instructed as she grabbed his hands. Mercedes jogged over to her and grabbed his feet. "On the count of three. One… two…three." The sisters lifted the demon and started to move. The demon groaned in their hands and his head rolled.
"How long do theses potions last?" Mercedes demanded as she and Bonnie sped up.
"They are supposed to last until I give the antidote." Bonnie grunted. The hands Bonnie were holding wrenched free from her grasp and pulled her over the demon sending her crashing to the ground with her shoulder taking the brunt of the fall. He kicked himself free of Mercedes and stood. Mercedes lifted her necklace to her mouth and let out a high pitched shriek. The demon clapped his hands over his ears and fell to his knees. Bonnie struggled to her feet, careful of her throbbing shoulder. She lifted her gun to shoot. The demon released his left ear and revealed the blood that poured from it. He thrust his blood covered hand out in Bonnie's direction. She felt strong invisible hands gripping her throat cutting off her air. The demon was finishing the strangling job he started. His other hand shot out towards Mercedes and her shrieking stopped. She began to convulse as racking coughs shook her body. Her lungs felt like they were on fire and about to explode. She doubled over with her hands catching her. With each cough blood shot from her mouth. Bonnie watched as the demon stood and walked over to Mercedes.
"A siren," he spat, "well little song bird you just sang your last aria." Mercedes crawled away from the demon towards the road leading further away from town and he followed. He grabbed her foot and flipped her over. He yanked her head back and ignored the blood that landed on his face as it flew from her mouth. "Don't fly away just yet. I want to enjoy letting your sister see you die first. Did you know that you are the only family she has left? Her biggest fear is that she will be left alone. I'm going to make sure that she dies alone with no one to see but me. " he taunted then placed what would be considered a swift chaste kiss in any other situation on her mouth.
Bonnie burned with rage as she watched that monster man handle her sister. Fighting past the coming darkness she searched for the gun that was knocked form her hand. Before he caught her, Mercedes was able to lead the demon right in front of one of the other Devil's Traps. If she could shoot him with a few rounds of potion and holy water it would give her enough time to push him into it. She found the gun and aimed it at the demon. 'Good job 'Cedes' Bonnie thought. Her finger caressed the trigger then a shot exploded in the air. Bonnie watched the demon jerk and a bright orange light glow under his skin before it went down. The demon was out cold, Mercedes sagged in relief, and she could breathe again. The only problem was Bonnie didn't shoot the gun.
Whipping her head towards town Bonnie saw two shadowy figures emerge under a lamppost. The closer they got the clearer they became. Two tall men approached the two girls. The tallest went to Mercedes and the shorter one came to her. "You ok?" asked a gruff voice. Not trusting herself to speak she just nodded. "Hell of a mess you got yourselves into. Word of advice, don't summon demons."
"How long will it be out?" Bonnie croaked forcing herself to ask past her burning throat.
"Forever. That son of a bitch is dead so no need to worry." The man assured her as he helped her to her feet.
"Dead?" She restated.
"As dead as can be."
Frustrated at the loss of their one lead, Bonnie brushed his hands from her arm. She staggered over to Mercedes and the giant man as the other one followed her. "Cedes?" grumbled Bonnie.
"I'm ok," scratched Mercedes. "My chest and throat hurt but I'm not coughing up blood anymore." Bonnie dropped down beside her sister, and ran her hands over Mercedes' mouth whipping away the blood. "How about you?" she asked once Bonnie removed her hand.
"I've been worse." Bonnie said tiredly. Then she turned to the demon beside her. The guy was right. It was dead. "Dammit. It's dead."
"What?! How did that happen? Now what will we do?" Mercedes cried then rubbed her sore throat.
The two strange men shared a puzzled look. "Umm," the taller one started, "I'm sure that whatever you asked for isn't worth getting killed over. Demons are dangerous and you shouldn't go looking for trouble."
"How did you know that he was a demon," Mercedes inquired suspiciously, "and how did you kill it?"
"We're hunters. We go after things like demons, ghost, witches, and other supernatural shit." The gruff one supplied.
"How did you even know we were out here?" Bonnie questioned choosing to keep quiet about his witch hunter statement.
"We overheard part your plans at the diner this afternoon. With a little research we found the closest crossroad." The tall one informed them
The other offered Mercedes a flask. When she just looked at it he explained. "To wash the blood out of your mouth."
Mercedes took the flask and poured the contents in her mouth. She grimaced, but swished it around. She turned her head away from the group and spit it all out. The bitter metallic taste was replaced with the burning taste of whisky. She handed him back his flask. "Thanks." she croaked. He nodded then put the flask back in his jacket.
"How did you kill that demon?" Bonnie demanded looking from one man to the other.
"With a special gun made to kill demons." the giant one answered. "What are your names?"
"I'm Nature's Servant and this is Siren Song."
The shorter one laughed. "What kind of names are those."
Bonnie and Mercedes just looked at him. The tall one could sense the rising tension from them and tried to defuse the situation. "Can we offer you a ride back to town?"
"Yes please. I don't think I could walk back in this condition." Mercedes answered. Seeing her struggle Bonnie and the taller man rushed to help her stand. As the quartet passed under a light a laugh broke the silence..
"What the hell are you wearing and why are you wearing it here to meet a demon?"
"We are special ops S.H.I.E.L.D agents on a mission, and these are our uniforms." Bonnie ground out. First they kill their only means for information and now he makes fun of their clothes. 'Idiot.' Bonnie thought to herself.
"Do all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents have such lame names?" He joked. "Why don't you just tell us your real names?"
"Oh, and what is your name? Billy-Joe or Cletus?"
"For someone who just got their ass saved you sure are ungrateful," he countered.
"No one asked you to follow us and ruin our mission." Bonnie responded.
"Ruin your mission? You were both about to die," the gruff man argued.
"We had him right where we wanted. I was going to shoot him with a barrage of holly water and potions and then knock him into a Devil's Trap. Once we recovered we were going to question him about the missing agents and the destruction of our headquarters."
"Why would a demon give a rat's ass about some human super police?"
"Well now we'll never know!" Shouted Bonnie.
"Wait did you say potions? Are you two gallivanting around with witches too? What kind other kind of shit is S.H.I.E.L.D. messing with?" The man questioned.
"Oh I don't know, maybe gods, billionaire scientist, and radioactive super humans." She shot back.
"Are you two witches?" He demanded.
"So what if we are? What are you going to do about it?" Bonnie was slowly gathering her energy to say a quick spell to leave the men unconscious if this guy decided to try something.
Mercedes watched the two argue then glanced at the silent man beside her. He looked down at her, and held out his hand. "I'm Sam Winchester and this is my brother Dean."
AN: Yay another chapter done. To make up for my year long absence I made this one super long, and I hope you enjoyed it. I plan on making this about 13 to 16 chapters long give or take a few. I know how it ends and I have 10 chapters outlined already so hopefully my next update should be soon. I'll be done with school in two weeks so expect these to come out a little faster. If you liked it, please leave a review. If you didn't like it, tell my why (nicely please). Until next time. Hugs and Kisses xoxo.