Hello again my friends! We are back with chapter two and I just have to say I am so chuffed with the response the story has gotten. Over one hundred views, three reviews and a good few followers to boot, I'm super happy! Anyway enough of that, I hope you enjoy chapter two, I even had to do a bit of geography to find out where everything was, (thank the Lord for google maps), and spend some quality time with The Walking Dead timeline. So for any of you super fans of the series, I hope you get a kick of my research skills. But, better than all that please read, review, (I love to hear from you) follow and fav. See you all next Sunday (fingers crossed) Cheers! D.S
Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or The Walking Dead. Only the OC's are mine.
Crossroads
Part Two
The Vetala cocked her head, stepping away from the boy and fixing her bright blue eyes on Dean. "You know what I am?" she asked, voice cool and coxing, Dean felt the effect on him, that gentle tone trying to get his guard to drop. He shook his head and smirked.
"Oh yeah, came across a few of your kind before."
"And you're still alive?"
"Well, you know about pest control," Dean shrugged. The Vetala's eyes narrowed and she let a loose a feral hiss.
"You killed them?"
"Well, they wanted to eat me," Dean shrugged. "I kind of objected to that." The Veltala wailed like a wounded animal. It echoed around the cavern, bouncing off the walls and down the tunnel.
"Darla!" Finn shouted, discarding the kid so he flopped to the ground, cracking against the stone, to grab a hold of the Vetala's shoulders. "What's the matter?"
"She's just pissed that I killed some of her kind," Dean said, which only got the Vetala, Darla even angrier, though she didn't move to attack him. "Vetala are pack creatures, like wolves, they love their family." Dean cautiously looked around with a raised eyebrow. "Where's your mate?" Finn stiffened, but Darla just bared her fangs more, though she did swallow back her hisses.
"How do you know of my kind?" she asked.
"Oh I know a about a few things that would rather I didn't," Dean said with a cocky smirk. Darla narrowed her eyes.
"A hunter?" she sneered, her own blonde eyebrow quirking up in disbelief. "I thought your lot had all been wiped out."
"Oh you mean the zombie squad?" Dean asked, which only got him confused looks from the pair. "Yeah, they're tough to beat, but nothing a hunter can't hack to pieces."
"Darla, what's going on?" Finn asked. "Who is this guy?"
"He's a hunter," Darla said, freeing herself from the human easily, smoothing her blonde hair back into place. "Never thought I'd see one again when the dead rose. Rumours said that they were all wiped out." Dean tried not to tense at that piece of information. He was curious about the fate of hunters in this reality. At least it was confirmed that they existed at least, that was something Dean could work with. "Though what this one thinks he can do against me..."
"You don't look like a Vetala," Dean addressed Finn who appeared shocked the hunter was even speaking at all. "No where near good looking enough. Makes me wonder what a Vetala is doing with human."
"That's not your business."
"Oh I don't know ..." Dean's breath hitched though as Darla finally made her moved, coming at him full force with the strength that could lift a car clear off all four wheels. Reacting Dean dodged the move, swiftly reaching behind to pull his bludgeon, as she rushed passed him, he swung hard so that the nails cracked against Darla's skull.
"Darla!" Finn called but Dean ignored the guy, for now. The blow he had landed on the Vetala had hardly left a scratch on her. SHe stumbled a little, giving time for Dean to move away, but Darla was soon smirking at him through her blonde hair.
"That's not good enough," she hissed. Dean growled but that was all he could do as a blow landed on his back. He spun, quick enough to push Finn away, who had rushed the hunter, fists up.
"Bastard!" a punch was thrown at Dean's face, forcing him to duck. As he dodged another wild swing Darla was back on him, teeth bared as she tried to grab and pin him down. But Dean had been hunting longer than he could remember, his body reacted out of old instincts, knowing to keep the monster out of range and away from him. As he backed up, Dean's eyes flicked to the kid, only to find the little brat gone.
"Damn kid," Dean muttered, smacking his bludgeon at Darla while neatly side stepping Finn. "Well at least he's out of here."
"Stop moving!" Finn screamed, Dean just shook his head and laughed.
"Why are you even working with her?" he asked. "You know she's just going to kill you when..." Fingers wrapped around his shoulder, digging in hard so that they drew blood. Dean cursed as Darla yanked him back, grip so strong it could have crushed his shoulder bone to pieces. Dean stumbled, feet unable to keep up, as Darla threw him to the ground, twisting so that she landed on top of him. She cracked the wrist of the hand that held the bludgeon on the floor, causing it to spasm and release Dean's hold. She did the same to the other so Dean lost his make shift knife, before settling more comfortably on top of him, a smirk stretching her pretty lips.
"You've got quiet the mouth on you," she said, other hand coming up then shooting down so the nails pieced skin. Dean bit his lip to stop from screaming, but it only made the Vetala giggle. "Such a manly man."
"Oh, you would know that, wouldn't you, sweetheart," Dean said with a smirk of his own, even as he held in a groan. "That what you look for in replacements until a good strong Vetala comes back along?" Darla quirked an eyebrow, leaning in close as she twisted her hand. Dean grunted, but still did not give into the urge to cry out.
"Such a smart mouth, don't you know when it's better to just put up and shut up?" she asked.
"I'm a glutton for punishment," Dean said.
"Really? I may just have to take the time to break you," Darla mused with a glint of amusement. "There's so little else to do, what with the world gone to shit."
"Must make you happy?" Dean asked, as he tried to inch his hand back towards himself. "Hell on earth, end of days and all that jazz? Just what a monster would want."
"Oh you think?" Darla sneered. "Do you know how hard it is to get fresh blood now that all the nice humans have decided to become the walking dead?" A pout formed on her lips and Dean could almost believe for a moment the Vetala was the pretty human girl she pretended to be. "They're all rotten, hardly any blood at all, and they take all the fresh meat for themselves. No wonder most of the creatures have retreated."
"Retreated?" Dean pushed, but Darla seemed to have caught on to his fishing. She leaned closer, eyes narrowed as she stared at him.
"You really know a lot about us, even for a hunter," she muttered, so close Dean could smell her breath, a mixture of blood and rotten flesh. "A baby like you shouldn't know such things."
"I'm older than I look."
"Yes," Darla mumbled, brow creased a little. "I do believe you are."
"Kill him Darla," Finn's voice suddenly said. Dean glanced passed the Vetala to see the young man stood above, an angry scowl twisting his face. Dean felt Darla stiffen on top of him, the nails in his shoulders twitched and she cocked her head.
"What?"
"Hurry up and kill him, or let me do it. I want this bastard dead and all your doing is talking to him." Finn reached forward, hand obviously going for Darla's shoulder to pull her away, but that all change in a split second. Darla hissed, twisting, yanking her nails free from Dean, who huffed as her weight was lifted from him. She turned on Finn, eyes feral, launching herself upright so that she bypassed his arm and wrapped a bloodied hand around his throat. Finn gasped, eyes widening as he stared at the Vetala. "D...Darla?"
"Oh Finn, I think I've indulged you a little to much," Darla cooed, her other hand coming up to run a finger down the young man's face, leaving a red stain in it's wake. "What makes you think you can tell me what to do?" Dean snatched up his make shift knife, planted his feet and tried to push himself away, but Darla wasn't letting him escape that easy, swinging out a leg that caught him in the stomach. Dean's breath was forced out of him, he gasped and hunched over. God that hurts, was Dean's thought as he slumped, somehow managing to keep a hold of his wooden knife. His body wanted to curl in on itself, but Dean forced it to do the opposite, turning so that he could try and crawl away. It wasn't dignified, but he needed to get some distance between him and Darla. Silver, he needed something silver or he was screwed.
"I didn't mean ..."
"Oh I think you did Finn," Darla said. "You think because I don't kill you that you're my equal? Oh no, never, you're my grocery shopper, my errand boy, maybe it's time for an upgrade."
"No, Darla, please. I love ..." Finn's words ended however with a loud scream, Darla having lunged, teeth latching onto his neck and drawing blood into her mouth in a frenzy. Dean didn't stop though, crawling over to one of the many couches that sat in the cavern, using it to pull himself up right.
"Ah damn," Dean muttered as he saw Finn, trapped in the grasp of Darla. The hunter looked around, hoping that maybe he would get lucky, but Dean had never been blessed in such a way. Sam was always the one with the luck. He contemplated running, he could, since Darla was feeding she wouldn't even realise that he was gone until she finished. But Dean was a hunter, and his job was to save people, he couldn't leave Darla free to hunt what remained of the human population, they were low enough as it was. So Dean stood there, catching his breath, mind working frantically to figure out where he could get a silver knife in the lair of a Vetala. "Improvise," Dean muttered, mind sparking as he remembered. He reached into a pocket, fingers wrapping around the silver ring he had pinched from the shopkeepers draw. It wasn't a silver knife, but it was silver, it could just about do the job, maybe. He shoved it down the tip of the wooden knife, making sure it dug into the wood so it wouldn't fly free straight away. Dean had just finished as Darla pulled back, allowing the now dead corpse of Finn to fall to the ground.
"Ah, that was good."
"Don't think he felt the same way," Dean said as Darla turned towards him, blood smeared across her face, which she wiped at with the back of her hand.
"Oh I don't know, he always wanted to be close to me, that was the closest he could get," she smiled, but Dean didn't bother to reply. The Vetala sauntered closer, eyes raking down Dean in appreciation. "It appears I now have a vacancy for a grocery shopper, fancy applying?" Dean snorted.
"Not likely, got better things to do than feed an ugly old hag in a cave."
"How dare you, I'm told I'm quiet comely," Darla pouted.
"Yeah, for a widow," Darla flinched, a hiss coming from her.
"You really don't know when to shut up, do you?"
"It's a problem I have."
"Then I'll correct it," she pounced, rushing him. Dean dodged, glad it was just down to him and the Vetala. Sure he had taken out a pair before, but once he got one down the other had been easy. Vetala pairs were devoted to each other, threatening one was as good as bagging two. But Darla was alone, no partner, so nothing to hold her back. Dean would have to be careful. She came at him again and Dean avoided her, he didn't want to take his moment to soon, he needed to aim for the heart. With a silver knife it was difficult enough, but with only a little silver ring, he was even more disadvantaged.
"Why so shy now?" Darla asked as Dean moved again out of her reach. "You're meant to be a hunter aren't you?" Dean said nothing, which only made Darla grin. "Wouldn't happen to be because you have no silver?" Dean kept his face blank but Darla didn't seem to care, her bloodied face lighting up in glee. "You know nothing else kills a Vetala don't you? Having killed some before you know that nothing else works. You can set me on fire, chop off my head, even blow me up and I'll still come back eventually." Darla rushed forward again, arms out wide, away from her chest. Dean took his chance, ducking down low to get in close, his wooden knife held tight as he came back up in front of a surprised Darla, who had been expecting another dodge. With all his strength he plunged the wooden knife with the silver ring on the end right into Darla's chest. It went though, piercing the skin and bypassing the bone to strike at the heart. Darla jerked to a stop, a gasp coming from her mouth, as blood bubbled up to choke her. Dean pressed forward, leaning his weight, then carefully making sure to twist the wooden knife, he had to make sure he twisted, it was the final act that would kill a Vetala, a silver knife through the heart, but twisted whilst in place. Difficult to do when your trying to avoid being eaten. Dean finished the motion, letting go the breath he had been holding, he glanced up to smirk victoriously at Darla, only to find she was already glaring down at him. With strength Dean knew she shouldn't have, Darla eased Dean away, even as he fought back. Nail's gripped shoulders, squeezing bones painfully as Dean tried to keep the knife in position in Darla's chest.
"You think that little bit of silver would be enough?" she hissed, hand coming from his shoulders to wrap fingers around Dean's throat. "A silver knife to the heart, twisting when pierced to finish the job," she said tightening her grip so Dean choked as his air was cut off. Dean automatically let go of his wooden knife, reaching up to his throat to try and pry Darla's fingers away. Darla laughed, taking the moment to pull out the knife, throwing it away, far from where the hunter could reclaim it. Dean bunched his fists and punched at Darla's face. The Vetala, let the hunter do what he wanted, the blow not even making her flinch. The fingers slowly got tighter and Dean's vision started to waver slightly. "I should make this last, draw it out, after all you've killed some of my kind before," a furious look crossed Darla's face then. "But I just can't stand the sight of you!" She reared back and Dean knew there would be nothing he could do to stop her. He was alone, no back up and no other plan he could use to push her off. At least I lasted over a day, Dean thought as he watched Darla come closer, he wondered if the Gatekeeper would send him back to Hell for doing such a shitty job? Suddenly a figure appeared between Darla and Dean. It was small, it had to be to get between the two with such little space. Darla reared back, hissing. "You!" Dean stared, getting the figure into focus. It was the kid. The kid he thought had legged it long ago, but there he was, stood between Dean and Darla, a fierce look on his face and a little silver knife in his hand.
"Kid!" Dean managed to gasp out a yell, but the boy was already acting, lunging forward, using the hole Dean had already made as a guide, he plunged the silver knife into Darla's chest. The Vetala let loose a high scream, flailing wildly to try and free herself. In her fear she let go of Dean who didn't let the lack of oxygen stop him from wrapping a hand around the kid's, twisting the knife in just the right way. Darla's scream was cut off, her eyes went white and with little fanfare dropped dead to the ground before the beaten up hunter and the kid. Dean gasped, stumbling back as he tried to suck in air, he fell back on his behind, knees coming up to his chest. His head was spinning, but he was quickly coming round. When he finally had gathered himself he looked up. The kid was still stood there, staring down at Darla as though he was waiting for her to pop back up again. "You know she's dead right?" Dean asked, which brought the kid's attention back to the present.
"I know what a dead person looks like," the kid muttered, though his eyes kept flicking back and forth.
"Yeah, I'm sure you do," Dean groaned as he stretched. The Dean from this realities body was so not built to take the damage Dean was used to, he'd have to start working out, maybe walking?
"What was she?" the kid suddenly asked. Dean glanced back at him, surprised to find such an intense look on the small kid's face. He'd not really thought of how old the boy must be, probably eight, going from his size, but his face looked older, his eyes wiser. Dean debated before answering, but it didn't take him long to reply.
"She was a Vetala," he said, which only got him a frown. "A snake woman, from Hindu mythology. They haunt forests, so it's not hard to believe you would find one out here. They usually work in pairs but this one probably lost it's mate at some point."
"Is that why Darla needed Finn?" the kid asked.
"Yeah, she could have hunted on her own, but in this new messed up world, she probably thought it best not to risk herself." Dean watched the kid process the information.
"You kill them with knives?"
"Silver knife, great find by the way, where'd you get it?" Dean asked, the kid just shrugged. "Whatever, silver knife right to the heart, and make sure you twist it, that's what finishes them off. Speaking of knives," Dean leaned forward, fixing the kid with a dark look. "You and your friend took one from me when you jumped me." The kid frowned a moment, then nodded. "Where is it?" Dean demanded.
"Finn had ..." a moan cut off the kid's words. The hunter turned to see the just mentioned Finn starting to twitch on the ground, snarls and groans issuing from his now dead mouth.
"Oh, that is just typical," Dean muttered, pushing himself back up onto his feet. Before crossing to the now zombiefied Finn. Dean retrieved his wooden knife, then, just as the zombie was getting to it's knees Dean kicked it in the back of the legs, sending it back down, then with a sharp jab stabbed the thing in the head with his wooden knife. Zombie Finn went down once again, and Dean knew he wasn't getting back up. "Gonna have to remember to do that."
"He came back," the kid said, voice sounding shocked. "He was already dead though."
"We all come back," Dean said, bending down to search Finn's pockets. When his fingers finally found the hilt of the demon knife he grinned. "Not yours, bastard." Dean stood up, checking the demon knife over, it looked fine. Stowing it at his belt Dean moved to search the floor for his bludgeon. Finding it in good nick he slid it back into place between the two belts. "Doesn't mater how we bite the dust," Dean carried on to the kid. "We all come back as one of them. Make sure you get them in the brain, that makes them stay down." Dean ended up back at Darla, pulling free the silver knife, wiping it clean then pocketing it.
"I'll remember," the kid said.
"Good," then Dean stalked away, making his way back up the tunnel.
"Hey, wait!" the kid called, but Dean ignored him, walking back to the trap door, pulling himself up through it and back into the cabin. The mess from his rucksack was still all over the floor, with a click of his tongue Dean bent and started to shift through the remains. There were a few cans, bits and pieces that the kid had probably picked up when he went back through town. Dean's eyes landed on a book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, "nice choice."
"What are you doing with my stuff?" the kid spoke from behind, as he came up out of the trap door.
"Oi, oi, I'm just taking back what's mind," Dean said, gathering the cans back into the bag, before swinging it up onto his back as he stood. "I'm sure you've got more stashed," he muttered, as he started to walk towards the door. As he passed the kid however he stopped, hand going to his pocket to pull out the paper he had taken from the nest. He unfolded it, catching a glimpse of the photo he had found once again. A young boy, perhaps five years old, with a man and woman on either side of him. "Here." The kid stared at it for a minuet, the carefully took it.
"Thanks."
"No problem," Dean walked on.
"Where are you going?"
"Got places to be, kid."
"Where?"
"Somewhere that isn't here," Dean was almost at the door when running feet sounded behind him and fingers gripped the back of his coat.
"Please don't leave," Dean startled, looking down at the kid who was staring at him with wide eyes.
"What?"
"Don't go, please," the kid said again, but Dean shook his head.
"I can't stay here kid, kind of on a mission. The life saving kind if you know what I mean," Dean said but it didn't seem to make much difference to the kid. He gripped his coat tighter, unwilling to let go.
"Can I come with you, then?"
"No," Dean instantly denied, which got him an angry frown from the kid.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't need a brat tagging along behind me, slowing me down," those were the words Dean spoke, but they weren't the real reason.
"I won't slow you down, I'll keep up, I promise. I'm a good scavenger, I'll get my own food."
"That doesn't matter kid. I can't take you with me. Just stay here, you have the town to pick over."
"There's nothing left there," the kid said, head hanging. "It's all gone through by other groups, bigger groups. Please let me come with you."
"I can't ..."
"I'll die here," the kid said softly. "If I stay here, I'll die here. I'll turn into ... into one of them. I don't want that to happen, I don't want be like that." A steely glint suddenly entered the kid's eyes, a determined look that took Dean aback. "If you're going to leave me here than you might as well kill me yourself." Dean gaped, for once not able to think up with a come back. That look. It brought back memories that Dean wanted to keep locked away. Times when he watched his Dad walk out the door of the small motel room they were staying at. After he had begged his Dad to let him go with him, that he wouldn't be a burden, that he could do the job. But his Dad wouldn't listen, just giving him the blank look, telling him to look after Sammy and closing the door behind him. It made feelings rise to the surface, ones he thought he had long since let go of, but were now hard to ignore.
"Fine." The kid blinked.
"What?"
"You can come with me," Dean said with a sigh, turning to fully face the boy, shifting his hands so that he was gripping the kid's shoulders so he could look him dead in the eye. "But you do what I say. No matter what it is, no mater how stupid it sounds, you do what I say, when I say it. Got it?"
"Yeah. Will you teach me to fight monsters?" Dean stilled. No, he didn't want to teach the kid to fight monsters. But Dean was a hunter, he'd always be a hunter, and he wouldn't be able to ignore signs that led him to a hunt.
"What's you're name, kid?" the boy frowned, brow crinkling as he thought for an answer, then he shrugged.
"Kid."
"Kid?" Dean scoffed. "You got to have a real name. What is it, something stupid like Willy?"
"I don't know, can't remember."
"You can't remember?" Dean asked and the kid, well Kid, nodded. "Well, it's better than Willy," Dean said, releasing the boy and standing to his feet. "My names Dean," he jerked a thumb at himself and Kid nodded in understanding. "Well, gather your shit Kid, we got places to be."
"Where?"
"Atlanta," Dean said which got him a shocked look from Kid. "I want find out how this mess all started."
They ended up staying the night at the cabin, Dean was right that more stuff was stashed out of sight from when Kid had done runs into town. Dean reclaimed his 48 and the ammo to go with it, as well as another gun, which he handed over to Kid along with the silver knife, then stashed the rest of the ammo into his rucksack. As Kid had gathered what else he could Dean had salted and burned both the bodies down in the cavern. He knew more than likely they wouldn't come back as a vengeful spirit, but it had just become second nature to salt and burn any body that was killed. After a meal of canned beans and the sky darkened outside the hunter and boy bedded down for the night, Kid in his nest of blankets and Dean in some blankets he had gathered from the cavern down below. Dean watched from the low light of the torch they kept on as Kid shuffled around in the nest, the photo he had handed back to the boy, clutched in one fist. "Whose with you in the photo?" Kid flinched, eyes staring at Dean owlishly.
"What?"
"The photo, it your Mom and Dad?" Kid was quiet a moment, pulling the blankets around him, slipping the photo back into a pocket.
"Yeah."
"They dead?"
"Yeah."
"Before or after?" Dean asked, he knew it was probably cruel to dig into the boy's past like he was, Sam wouldn't have approved. But Dean was curious, plus Kid might be able to fill him in on what actually happened to this reality. The Gatekeeper had been rather vague with the details.
"After, we were on holiday, camping," Kid said slowly, face scrunched up in thought, as though he couldn't quiet remember. "Some men came and got us, they lived in the forest."
"Rangers?" Dean supplied and Kid nodded.
"Yeah, we stayed with them a bit, but they all left and didn't come back. Then Dad left when we ran out of food, then Mom when he didn't come back."
"How long ago was that?"
"Five hundred and forty nine days ago."
"Fucking hell," Dean muttered. "How long did you wait in the ranger shelter?"
"Forty days," Kid shrugged. "I'd managed to use some of the stuff the rangers left behind to catch some animals. It was hard though and I didn't eat a lot. I finally decided to leave when the winter became to bad. That's when I found the town."
"That Finn find you there?" Kid nodded, looking away. Dean could tell from his body language that he was closing off, and Dean respected that, he didn't need to delve into that part of Kid's life. "Well it's good you managed to last that long on your own."
"Have you always been on your own?" Kid asked. Dean didn't know how to answer, he couldn't tell Kid the truth, it sounded stupid even to him. 'Oh I'm just from another reality, where all this crap didn't happen and I only got here because I was ripped apart by a Hellhound at the same time as this Dean bit the dust.'
"Yeah, I've always been on my own," Dean said, reaching out for the torch. "Best get some sleep, I want to be up early so we can start walking to Atlanta."
"Why are you going to Atlanta?"
"Hopefully it will have some answers for me," Dean said as he flicked off the torch. As he laid it back down he suddenly asked. "Hey Kid, you know how all this started?"
"What?"
"The zombie squad."
"Zombie squad?"
"The dead that don't stay dead, do you know how it all got going?" Kid was quiet a minuet, before he finally answered.
"No, the rangers didn't say." Dean sighed.
"Didn't think so."
"Is that your mission? To find out why it all started?" Dean was surprised by the question, not expecting the boy to even remember much of what he said.
"Just go to sleep, Kid," Dean muttered, turning over and closing his eyes. But even then sleep did not come easy to the hunter. Even when he heard Kid drop off, Dean tossed and turned, unable to switch his brain off. When he finally nodded off, it only felt like moments until that the sun was hitting his eye lids, bringing him awake once more. Accepting the inevitable Dean got up, quickly rousing a sleepy Kid, gathering the stuff they planned to take with them and stepping out of the cabin into the harsh sunlight. The two scaled the rope up to the woods above, then set off in a direction that would hopefully lead them out of the forest. "Make sure that compass keeps pointing south," Dean said to Kid walking beside him. The boy had gather quiet a helpful stash from the town, even managing to get a hold of a map and compass. Though Dean was not the out door type, he much preferred riding in his car to walking, he knew how to read a map. A hunt could be anywhere at any time, it was a skill his Dad had taken time to install in Dean and Sam since they were boys. Using Kid's map Dean was finally able to pinpoint where he was. Chattahooche National Forest, the town the Gatekeeper had pointed him to being on the edge of the trees near Cleaveland and Dahlonega. Still out in the middle of no where, but at least Dean had a heading now. South would lead them to Dawsonville, where hopefully they could find a car with gas so they could reach Atlanta in less than two days. Kid didn't know much of the state of things outside of the Chattahooche Forest, the town the furthest he had gone before he had been found by Finn and then he had stayed with the guy and the Vetala until Dean had come along. Dean's mind wandered as they walked, his thoughts moved from the world he found himself in to the one he had left. He wondered how Sam was doing. His little brother was alone now, was he still hunting? Had he gone back to Stanford? Dean kind of hoped his brother had done the latter, it was safe, boring but safe and that was all that mattered to Dean. Or maybe he was trying to find a way to bring Dean back? Dean went cold at the thought of Sam doing a deal, his brother was stubborn, but hopefully he wouldn't be stupid. He wondered for a moment if he would even be able to be brought back. The Gatekeeper had yanked him out of Hell and put him here, could any demon do the same thing?
"Are wizards real?" Dean startled at the sudden question, he turned to stare down at Kid who was frowning at him, the compass clutched in one hand, though a cord was looped around his neck so he wouldn't loose it.
"What?"
"Wizards, do they really exist?"
"Why are you asking that?" Dean asked and Kid shrugged.
"Well Darla was real and you said she was a snake lady."
"Vetala," Dean corrected.
"Vetala," Kid repeated with a look of annoyance. "If Vetala are real, then are wizards real too?" Dean stared at Kid for a second, then his lip twitched and he laughed. Kid pouted, "Hey!"
"You read to many books, Kid," Dean shook his head which only made the boy glare at him all the more. "No, wizards aren't real," the look of disappointment struck Dean in a way he never thought it could, so he quickly added. "But witches, that's another thing."
"Witches are real?" Kid asked, excitement creeping back into his tone. "Like Hermione Granger?"
"Not really like her Kid," Dean said with a smirk. "In fact most of them aren't even old, usually bored housewives."
"Housewives?" Kid tilted his head and Dean laughed, finding the boy's confusion adorable.
"Listen up Kid, let me explain something to you about witches." Dean launched into an explanation, surprised by how much he remembered from his Dad's journal and his own encounters with the bored Housewitches of Dullsville. In fact Dean got so into his explanation that he soon got into another topic, pushed by Kid's probing questions. They passed the time this way until they reached the edge of the forest. The pair stopped where the ground started to slope downwards, and simply looked. Dean could make out cities in the distance, nothing distinct, but enough to show the way forward.
"It looks so normal," Kid commented and Dean nodded.
"Most weird stuff does, Kid," Dean said. "Come on, I want to at least get to a road before night comes." The two made there way down the slope, the trees getting thinner, finally they vanished and a road appeared before the two. Dean stopped at the tree line, pulling his gun from his belt where it rested with the parcel knife, hammer and demon knife, his Rambo survival weapons he kept on his back. Leaning down he whispered in Kid's ear. "Stay out of sight," then the hunter stepped out into the open. He kept quiet, listening for the moans and groans that signalled the arrival of a zombie parade, but all was quiet. He checked both directions up and down the road, once he was sure it was clear, he whistled and Kid emerged from the trees. "Which way south?" Kid picked up the compass from where it dangled around his neck, squinting at the needle.
"That way," he point left and Dean nodded.
"According to the map Dawsonville should be in that direction. If we're lucky the daylight will hold." Kid nodded, but Dean cast a weary look around the deserted road. "Lets walk along the tree line."
"Why?" Dean shrugged, but Kid didn't argue further. The two retreated back to the trees and started to walk south once more. Kid chattered a little, trying to pull Dean back into a conversation about monsters, but Dean was distracted, eyes shifting from side to side. He was on edge and he didn't know why.
"Dean. Dean? Are you listening to me? Tell me about ..." Kid was speaking as the pair rounded a bend in the road only to be cut off by Dean's hand over his mouth. Dean grabbed Kid, yanking him back as a herd of zombie's came into view from around the bend. They were walking along the road, stumbling and bumping into each over as they made their way to no where. Kid's eyes widened as he caught sight of them himself. Dean pulled them further from the tree line, then shoved Kid up against a tree.
"Climb," the hunter ordered. Kid didn't hesitate, doing as directed, Dean just behind him. As the two settled in the top branches of the tree, the horde was coming passed them. Dean had a good view of the zombies from the vantage point, the noise was more than he thought it would be, from creatures that couldn't even speak. He turned to look at Kid, who was staring wide eyed. He caught the boy's eyes and placed a finger to his lips, signalling the need to be quiet. Kid shook, but nodded his head in understanding, eyes fixed on the zombies as they trouped passed.
Dean took the time from his relatively safe vantage point to take a good look at these zombies himself. They looked pretty decayed, with limbs missing and plenty of flesh falling from ripped and mangled bodies. The clothes hadn't survived much either, faded and torn in places, though much to Dean's amazement, still managing to stay on the moving corpses. The scene took Dean's mind back to the horror flicks he used to enjoy taking the piss out of. Like Romero's Dawn of the Dead which he'd watch as he got steadily drunker from a hard hunt, pointing out to Sammy how much bullshit the whole thing was. The group that was walking down the road was huge though, as though the horde had been herded together and set loose. Dean checked Kid, the boy was staring at the zombie's wide eyed. Poor little bastard, Dean thought, he wouldn't have seen much of the dead stumbling about, being trapped in a Vetala's lair for over five hundred days. That number startled Dean. Five hundred days, to be honest it wasn't a lot of time to the hunter. Dean lived life day to day, hunt to hunt, but to think all of this had been done in five hundred days, it was no wonder the hunters of this reality hadn't been able to cope.
The tree shuddered and Dean snapped out of his thought's, he glanced down to see a zombie had crashed into the side of their hideaway, snarling angrily at nothing. Kid let out a whimper, which had Dean reaching out to lay a hand on his shoulder, gaining Kid's attention and shaking his head. Kid's face was frightened, but he lifted a hand to his mouth, hoping to muffle his voice in case he let something loose. Dean, satisfied turned his focus back to the zombie, it walked around the tree, then away from the group and off into the woods alone. Dean watched it go, disappearing out of sight, then was back to watching the horde. It was thinning and after a while there was nothing left of where once before a herd of zombie's had passed through. Dean motioned for Kid to stay in the tree, then slithered down. His feet landed hard on the grass, the hunter bent his knees so he was down low. He pulled his bludgeon from his back, making sure the nails were still in place, then he carefully made his way back out to the road. Dean stopped when he reached the middle, looking in the direction the zombie's had come, then up to where they had gone. He couldn't hear them anymore, which gave Dean some confidence that they wouldn't be turning back around. He looked back at the tree, Kid was still in place, he jerked a thumb up the road then pointed at Kid and shaking his head. Kid pouted but didn't move, turning his head to look to where the zombie's had gone. Dean, satisfied starting walking down the road, keeping to the middle in case a zombie decided to come out from the forest of trees that ran on either side. He went about fifty paces when he stopped. The hunter tensed, he was sure he had heard something, maybe the breaking of wood or leaves. Dean scanned around himself, nothing appeared. Had he imagined it? No he couldn't have done ...
"Dean!" the hunter spun at Kid's shout, just in time to avoid hands that came out to grab any part of him they could. Dean reacted instantly, lifting his bludgeon and bringing it down with a hard whack on the zombie's skull. The corpse dropped to the ground, but was quickly replaced with another. Dean took a step back, trying to get his bearings before he was over run. Zombie's were coming out of the trees, spilling onto the road. Some had been wandering in the direction of where the herd had gone, but now they were turning, drawn by the sound of Kid's shout and the snarls of their fellow zombie's.
"Shit!" Dean spat, swinging at the next corpse which came at him, taking it down with ease.
"Dean!"
"You stay there!" Dean yelled back at Kid, he didn't want the boy to come down here. Better to be up in the tree and save, out of Dean's way. The voice's only attracted more of the small group, they banded together coming straight at Dean. The hunter hissed, tightening his fingers around the bludgeon swinging again and taking out another. He was tempted to use his gun, but he lacked ammo and he didn't want to waste what he had on the dead. Hands scraped his shoulder from behind, Dean flinched, jumping away, but it was getting hard to find a place to escape to, the zombie's were surrounding him, trapping him between them and making it hard for Dean to move. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" Dean cursed, as he shoved one zombie into another, but it did nothing to open up a gap. Then one of the zombie's in front of him went down, without Dean even hitting it. The hunter blinked, as Kid, having ignored the hunter's orders, stepped back, his little silver knife in hand, then dived at another of the zombie's surrounding Dean. "What are you doing?!" Dean yelled, his stupor broken as he swung around to hit at a zombie behind him.
"Helping!" Kid called back.
"I told you to stay in the tree!"
"You were gonna die." Dean snorted, now that he could concentrate on what was in front of him he cleared away the zombie's easily. As he downed the last one, he turned to see Kid, stabbing one in the neck, having missed the head when the zombie had jerked roughly aside.
"I wasn't going to die," Dean shook his head. "Make sure you get the brain, or they're just getting back up."
"I know," Kid said with a scowl, dipping under the reaching hands of the zombie to come up behind it, finishing it off with a knife to the head.
"Whatever, Kid. You still disobeyed orders," the hunter took a look around. The dead were all down, and not getting back up. He placed the bludgeon back into place between his belts, the gripped Kid by the back of the coat, dragging him back to the trees.
"Hey! Dean, stop ..."
"What did I tell you when I let you come with me?" Dean said, voice surprisingly cool. Kid flinched, but didn't look away from the piercing green eyes that held him in place.
"That I do as you say, no matter what."
"Yeah, and what did you just do?"
"That was different," Kid protested, but Dean shook his head.
"I don't care, you do what I say, when I say it. On a hunt it will be the only thing that will keep you alive."
"But I was trying to keep you alive. They were going to kill you." Dean blinked, trying desperately to keep his face neutral, even as his mind started to stuttered. The boy had wanted to save him? Had thought he was going to die? How many times had he said the same thing to Dad, only to be brushed off, told to concentrate on Sammy, that'd he was fine and didn't need a kid to worry about him?
"Well thanks, but next time, just do as I say," Dean turned away, standing up and giving Kid a shove. "You got in my way." Kid snorted.
"No way, you were surrounded, you were Walker chow for sure."
"Walker?" Dean raised an eyebrow.
"You know, the dead people," Kid explained. "They walk around all the time, don't they? So Walker." Dean thought for a moment, then let loose a laugh.
"I like it, we'll use that Kid, much better than zombie."
"Zombie?"
"Never mind." The two started their journey once more, heading back to the trees, but keeping an eye on the road. They walked for hours, passing the time with small talk, well Dean mostly talking about hunts, monsters, TV and movies, the last two tended to make Kid frown and Dean shake his head in disappear. Kid took in the information easily, almost eagerly when it came to hunting. Dean didn't know how he felt about that, he knew he really shouldn't be exposing Kid to the darker side of the world. But on the other it made a small part of the Dean feel warm, something that he couldn't really understand, but rationalised that it was because he was preparing Kid for life, real life now that the dead walked the earth. Just as the sun was on it's way to sinking they finally came upon their goal for the day. Dawsonville was bigger than the little town that the two had first met in, but still nothing compared to the city they were hoping to reach. However it was just as deserted. They stopped on the outskirts, keeping their wits about them in case a Walker came out of no where.
"We going in?" Kid asked.
"Not sure, don't know how many Walker's might be in there," Dean frowned.
"We could just carry on."
"We're not walking at night," Dean shot down the idea. "We'll go in. Keep quiet and don't speak unless I tell you." Kid nodded and the two entered the town. It was just as empty as everywhere else. Shops were gutted, windows smashed in, cars simply left in the street like relics of a long forgotten time. Dean eyed the cars with interest, "keep a look out," he muttered, walking up to the nearest car. The doors were open, but Dean headed right for the drivers side.
"What are you doing?" Kid asked. Dean didn't answer, he bent and checked the ignition, no keys. Not that Dean would need them to jump start the thing, he knew his way around a car. Dean stepped back and looked around the street. Most of the cars were family vehicles, big and boring and nothing like what Dean would have preferred to drive. Then, as he was about to settle on a old sedan his eyes landed on something that made him grin in glee.
"Oh, where have you been hiding baby?" Dean muttered, marching over to a 1964 brown impala. Dean ran a hand down the side, it was no where near as beautiful as his baby, nor did it probably have an arsenal of weapons in the truck. But it was an impala, one in good nick too, no one probably wanted to steal such a temperamental car, but to Dean it was perfect. "Oh, you and me, we'll go places together sweetheart."
"Why are you talking to a car?" Kid asked and Dean turned and shot the boy a smirk.
"You'll figure it out when you get older. She's a beauty."
"It's an old car," Kid stated in which Dean reacted as though he had been shot.
"God damn youth today, don't get the beauty of a classic car. Don't you worry, Kid," Dean ruffled the boys blonde locks which got his hand a swat. "I'll teach you all you need to know to appreciate this wonderful lady."
"You're insane."
"Indeed I am." It didn't take long for Dean to get the car going, thankful that there was gas in the tank and his own knowledge of just have to sweet talk such fussy ladies. Kid watched the area, but he did probe the hunter with questions about the car, which Dean answered easily. Once the Impala was set, Dean sent Kid to gather as much food as he could find, but not going from the street, while he pumped the cars that were left for gas. He'd found some pipe in the Impala's trunk, and Kid brought back some plastic bottles which Dean used to get what he could. The sun was barely still up by the time they were done and Dean shut the trunk with a final snap.
"We getting out now?" Kid asked, Dean shook his head.
"We'll sleep in the car. We should reach Atlanta by afternoon tomorrow," Dean ushered Kid into the back seat, tossing him a blanket while he camped out in the drivers seat. "Get some rest, I'll take watch."
"What about my watch?"
"You don't get a watch."
"I can do it," Kid protested but Dean snorted.
"Fine, I'll get you up," the hunter smirked as his lie was swallowed, no way was he getting the kid up, but he didn't need to know that.
"You think we'll find anything in Atlanta?" Kid asked.
"Don't know," Dean shrugged. "But it's better than just wandering around with no where to go."
"What if there's nothing there?" Kid sleepily asked. "What will we do then?" Dean didn't answer right away, not really sure how to answer. Atlanta was the biggest city in the area, so he hoped there would be something there that could give him answers, or at least point him in the right direction. His mind came up with a foggy memory of disease centre being in Atlanta, but he didn't know if that held true in this reality. And if that went down the drain, then what? Just carry on wandering? The Gatekeeper wanted results, the world needed to get better, but how was Dean supposed to do that?
"We'll figure something out," Dean said. "Plans are always best when thought of on the fly, you'll figure that out soon, Kid. Kid?" Dean looked over his shoulder into that back and smiled. The boy was out like a light, soft snores coming from his mouth as he slept, oblivious to the world. Dean shook his head and settled into the front seat. All was quiet, for now, Dean hoped it would stay that way. But if not, the hunter was ready, no way was he dying here, he had to much to live for.
Please Read and Review X D.S X