Warning for some mature language in this one...because demons can't keep their mouths shut. :P
Dean exits from the motel after Sam and Bobby, taking the keys that Sam tosses at him. He smiles,
"Hey, sweetheart, did you miss me?" I glance around, wondering who Dean was addressing. No one else was in the vicinity other than the three of them. Uriel notices my bemused expression, sighing,
"Really, Cas, you should at least try to familiarize yourself with the human language. He's talking to his car." I look back, confusion growing. Why would he attempt to communicate with an inanimate object? Then it dawns on me,
"Is this…idol worship?"
Uriel bursts out laughing again, his vessel making wheezing noises with each wave of mirth that hits him. When he doesn't stop, I frown and leave him there. Uriel can really be an ass at times.
I land in the back seat of Dean's car. Sam and Dean are sitting side by side in silence, but I could almost feel the questions bubbling beneath the surface of both their minds. Finally, Dean speaks,
"There's still one thing that's bothering me."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, the night that I bit it. Or... got bit," Dean chuckles at his own wit, but I sigh. He and Uriel were so alike. He continues, "How'd you make it out? I thought Lilith was going to kill you."
Now here was something new. I was aware that Dean had been taken by a Hellhound, but Lilith was there as well? Perhaps I could get information on her location from this.
"Well, she tried. She couldn't," Sam replied.
"What do you mean, 'she couldn't'?"
"She fired this, like, burning light at me, and... didn't leave a scratch. Like I was immune or something." I lean in closer. I had heard about Lilith's capabilities, and how she had managed to find and choke down her old Grace in order to regain some angelic powers. But those were twisted and tainted nonetheless, only a shadow of their former glory, and had nearly killed her in the process.
Just then, there is a gust of air as Uriel arrives beside me. He appeared to have gotten over his laughing fit, expression now serious.
"I just received word from our superiors." I only half listen to him, focused on Sam and Dean's conversation,
"About?"
"We are to track down a demon by the name of –"
"-Ruby, where is she?" says Dean's voice, and Uriel tenses. So that is her name.
"Dead. For now," replies Sam. We both know it was a lie. But why would he lie, unless he was connected to this Ruby somehow? I remembered the traces of demon we had sensed earlier inside the motel, and I had a notion as to why it had been there.
"So you've been using your, uh, freaky ESP stuff?"
"No." Once again, another lie. Uriel appeared to be ready to jump up from his seat and smite Sam right then.
"Let's go, Uriel," I say, a warning evident in my voice. He huffs, taking flight and disappearing from sight. I linger, hoping for Sam and Dean to talk some more about Lilith, but they have both gone silent again. Sam turns away, a troubled look on his face. Perhaps he knew someone was watching him and saw through his lie.
Uriel is waiting for me when I arrive. I look around, surprised to find myself at the same diner we were stationed at. The Arches must be joking with us, tossing us around like this. I am about to ask Uriel why we have come here again when from the corner of my eye I catch some movement. A form, which I instantly recognize as a demon, is stalking through the shadows. I don't need to ask to know that it is Ruby.
She appeared to be spying on the demons inside the diner, which had long closed down for the night. Ruby stood stock still for a few moments, before just as quickly turning and leaving. Silently, we follow after her. She appeared to be going nowhere, cutting through the dark woods and past dense undergrowth.
For a human or even a demon, it would have been impossible to follow her without being noticed. That was probably her plan- except, we were neither. After a while, the demon stopped in a clearing. She cast her gaze behind her, eyes passing through our veiled forms, before taking out a syringe from her pocket. We both tensed, but I sensed no trap and told Uriel to calm down, whose eyes were burning with restrained fury.
Then, Ruby stabbed herself in the arm with the needle.
"What is she doing?" hissed Uriel as the syringe began filling with her own unclean blood. I did not know. When she was done, she took out another syringe and did the same. We could only watch with a kind of disgusted fascination.
After the third syringe, Ruby began swaying unsteadily on her feet. She finished filling the vial, then glanced around once more before sinking to the ground…and promptly fell asleep.
It's a common fact that demons, like angels, don't sleep. At least, not from what I've seen or been told. Then again, I've never seen a demon drawing their own blood, and in such vast quantities. Maybe it was for a spell? But if it was, why would she wait?
When we were sure that the demon was asleep, Uriel growled,
"We should kill her now."
"You know our orders. We were only to track her down."
"But she's just an insignificant little maggot, not even a high-tier demon!"
"And why would our superiors tell us to follow her if she is just a 'maggot'? She must be important. We need to keep her alive."
Uriel says nothing more on the matter, falling back into his usual brooding state. The night passes without any other strange occurrences.
Dawn slowly begins to filter through the treetops. The demon, who had lain for the whole night in that one position, finally stirs. I nudge Uriel, and we watch as Ruby slowly rises, shaking off the cold dew that had collected on her body overnight. She checks the syringes by her side, seeing that they are safe before covering them with the edge of her jacket and heading off. We follow behind without a word.
As Ruby walks, she takes out her cell phone from her pocket and dials something in. She appeared to be heading towards the main road. Her pace quickens as whoever she is calling does not pick up. Finally, she lets out a soft noise of frustration and cancels the call, stuffing the phone back into her pocket.
Suddenly, Uriel nudges me, motioning towards the trees. At the same moment I turn to see, there is a loud SNAP behind us. Ruby notices it too, whirling around in a split second.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here," Another demon emerges from behind the trees, possessing the body of a waitress from the diner. Two other demons appear as well to the left and right of Ruby, flanking her in.
"I thought I smelled a bitch from the parking lot." Ruby doesn't speak and backs away slowly. There was a look of terror on her face, but it seemed slightly…off. Like she had planned for this to happen.
"Who's the blood for, honey? I doubt Red Cross would take it."
"Why don't you ask Lilith or her boyfriend?" Ruby snaps back, eyes darting between the other two demons.
"We would but- Oh, don't you know? Hell's phone lines are out of service."
"Better call in technical support, then," she retorts. A look of rage crosses the demon waitress' features,
"Don't you smart-mouth me, Ruby!" With a sweep of her arm, the waitress sends Ruby flying back into a tree. There is a cracking noise as something breaks- probably her ribs or spine.
"We should do something, Uriel. They're going to kill her," I say, watching as Ruby groans on the ground.
"No. We both know our orders. We were only to track her down," he replies curtly, and I don't realize until later that he was mockingly imitating what I had said earlier.
"So this is all the Winchester's precious little slut has got, huh? Pathetic," The waitress waves her arm again, tossing Ruby sideways like a ragdoll into another tree. Something else breaks from the impact. The three demons advance towards her as she unsteadily gets to her feet, an arm dislocated from her shoulder.
"Best wishes from Lilith! Oh, and tell Alastair we said hi," The waitress crows, stopping a few feet before Ruby.
"Wait!" Ruby yells, as the other demon's hand starts to rise again, "I can tell you where he is. Dean Winchester." The demon's hand lowers,
"Alastair's pet? If you haven't heard, he's in the deep hole right now, and you're going next."
"Oh yeah? Well I just saw him yesterday, alive and breathing."
"Liar," the waitress hisses, raising her arm again.
"I can prove it!" Ruby's eyes flashed real fear this time. Her plan, whatever it was, obviously did not seem to be going according to plan.
"So what? It doesn't matter, anyways. We'll just have to drag him back in ourselves." Just then, a voice sounded in my head. I blink, looking around. It was not the voice of revelations, and it buzzed irritably in my ear like a fly. And it went,
"I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle."
Uriel is staring at me with confusion. He says something, but I can't hear him.
"I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle."
I shake my head, backing away from Uriel with bewilderment.
"I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle."
"No, no. This is Castiel, and I command you to cease this incantation at once!"
"Castiel? No. Sorry, Castiel, I don't scare easy," the voice replies smoothly.
"You do not want to do this, Pamela Barnes," I warn, anger building up inside me. This human dared to tell me, an angel, what to do?
I did not notice it, but my voice had broken through the veil that cloaked the two of us and had filled the forest clearing with a high-pitched drone. Uriel was shaking me now, and all four demons had frozen, the waitress' hand half-raised for the death blow.
"I conjure and command you, show me your face."
"No," I hiss, gripping the sides of my head.
"I conjure and command you, show me your face."
The three demons had turned tail and bolted, leaving Ruby alone.
"I conjure and command you, show me your face."
I felt myself moving against my will. This could not be possible. Ruby scrambled to her feet and ran as well, dragging her ruined body behind her.
"I conjure and command you, show me your face."
Uriel sounded far away now, yelling something unintelligible at my face. I look up at him, and he suddenly backs away as he sees my eyes begin to radiate light.
"I command you, show me your face! SHOW ME YOUR FACE NOW!"
"NO!" I roar, and stand, wings tossing open from my back. Light pours from me in all directions and suddenly, I am in a darkened room and not in the forest with Uriel. I cannot make out the faces of the people sitting in a ring before me, seeing only what looks like fire surrounding my vision. Someone is screaming, the sound piercing into my ears. I find myself free again, and my vision clears as the flames flicker and die out...
Looks like this'll be a four-part chapter, haha...*dies* |D