Ryse huffed, leaning against the Impala. Her uncles had gone off to see if they could trap the angel that was following them earlier, leaving her and Clara with strict orders not to leave the Impala. They were to stay near it and the motel room they had gotten for the night. She wasn't happy at being left out. She could have easily have followed them, tracked down the angel, and interrogated him herself, but as Clara had pointed out, that would have most likely had broken into her reserve she had been building up to get them home. It was starting to get dark out and they still hadn't heard anything. Sam had left his phone in case they need to reach them for anything. Clara had already used it to check in with the Doctor and was able to report that everyone was having a splendid time back at the bunker. What that splendid time entailed, she was unclear and uninterested really. Ryse always liked to be out where the action was, which she knew her parents weren't too fond of.
"Ryse?" she head Clara call from the room door. Ryse turned to look at her. "Water's hot if you want some hot chocolate or something." Ryse nodded and pushed herself off the car, kicking a rock out of her way as she made her way back inside. Clara handed her a steaming mug of hot chocolate. "Why so sullen?"
Ryse shrugged, "Just wish I could be more helpful."
"I think you've helped plenty." Ryse scoffed at her. "You seemed lost in thought out there."
"Just missing home I guess."
"Yea, I guess it's a bit different being with family that doesn't even really know you," Clara nodded sitting down indian style on the one bed. Ryse nodded.
"I think the biggest thing is that my parents aren't really my parents here," Ryse said poking at one of the marshmallows floating. "I mean, they are, but they aren't. They don't really know me or believe I'm real yet."
"Sure they do. I mean, obviously you're real. They can't deny that," Clara reassured.
"I think dad believes it, but the look in mom's eyes," Ryse said closing her eyes in thought and shook her head. "I think it's going to take until I'm born for her to realize I'm real, that I'm possible."
"Well hey," Clara said, "Stop worrying. You're going to be home before you know it. Maybe even when we get back, the Doctor will have the TARDIS all refueled and we'll be able to get you back to your time at least and you won't have to worry about who believes what."
"Yea, I guess you're right," Ryse sighed. "It's still weird though." Clara smiled at her. "So what did the Doctor's tests have to say anyway?"
"Oh," Clara said, biting the inside of cheek, "everything came back fine."
Ryse narrowed her eyes at her, "What really happened?"
"Nothing really." Ryse continued to give her a skeptical look. "The Doctor said there was a bit of residual vortex energy flowing around because of your boost."
"Did he happen to mention why that boost was needed?" Clara shook her head. "Think it could have something to do with the fact that demon's possess humans and the fact that mom can't exactly smoke out because now she's stuck with the body she's in? Is she even a demon anymore?"
"Um, yes?" Clara said unsure. "The Doctor said once the vortex energy disappears from her system, all her old powers, minus possession, should come back. Why don't you talk to him when we get back if you're worried?"
Ryse was about to reply when she heard something outside. She looked over to the window, unsure of what it was she heard exactly. When she heard the noise again, she got up and went to the window, pulling aside the curtain to peek outside. Her heart leaped a bit in her chest. On the other side of the parking lot was a hellhound, nose to the ground. She recognized it almost instantly and without thinking, hurried out the door, amidst Clara's protest.
"Ryse, where are you going?"
"It's ok! I know that hellhound!" Ryse called back as she jogged away. Clara froze in the doorway, scared for the girl's life and unsure what she should do. She remembered the marks on the bodies at the morgue and what both brothers had told her about hellhounds in general.
"Ryse! Get back here!" Clara called again once she got over her initial shock. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and ran after her as Ryse stopped halfway into the parking lot, calling to something that Clara couldn't see. She heard a snarl and growling and watched as a confused look flashed across Ryse's face. "Ryse?"
Ryse put a hand out to stop Clara, "Go back to the room. Grab the brown bag on the counter and pour the contents in the door and windows."
"What?"
"Clara. Do it. I'll only keep his attention for so long," Ryse said staring at a spot Clara couldn't see.
"I'm not leaving you out here alone," Clara replied stepping closer to Ryse. She heard the growling deepen and grow more menacing.
"Yea and I'm not about to watch you get shredded," Ryse snapped. "I got this. Promise."
Clara gave her an unsure look, but the way Ryse's face was set she knew there was no arguing. There was only one thing she could do at this point. She backed away and back to the room, Ryse continuing to hold the invisible creatures attention. When Clara made it back to the room, she immediately grabbed Sam's phone and found Dean's number. Hands shaking, she dialed the number and held it up to her ear, pushing aside the curtain to look out at Ryse.
"What's up?" the gruff voice answered.
"Um, well," Clara said watching the young girl standing stock still in the parking lot. "Ryse is out in the parking lot."
"Ok," Dean said sounding confused, "the update is appreciated-"
"She's staring down a hellhound…I think."
"What!?" Dean snapped.
"Well she said she was."
"Son of a bitch…" he grumbled. "We're on our way. Get her inside and pour the-"
"Contents of the brown bag in the door and windows. Ryse already said. And I don't think I'm getting her inside."
"What do you mean? What's she doing?"
"I told you, standing in the parking lot , staring at something. The look on her face is kinda intimidating."
"Is she armed?"
"No. She kinda just ran out of the room saying she recognized it or something. I chased after her, but she told me to get back inside."
She head Dean huff into the phone, "Sam and I are on our way back. Put down the gopher dirt and get her inside if you can."
Ryse watched the beast pace in front of her, watching her. She could tell he was debating on if he was going to attack or not, she was actually surprised he hadn't. Her fingers started tingling, her power coming to surface of its own accord. The hellhound paused watching her.
"Well, well, well," a voice said from behind her. She turned to see a demon standing behind her. "This town is just riddled with angels, ain't it?" Ryse clenched her jaw. She didn't recognize the demon that was possessing the businessman staring at her, but that didn't mean this would end well. "Abadon will be so happy when I tell her about all the featherbrains we took out."
"What do you want?" Ryse asked, trying to divide her attention between the two.
The demon shrugged, "Following orders. I was trying to keep tabs on the one angel here so I could take him out since he kept giving me the slip, but then you show up out of nowhere."
"Pretty brave for a demon to be taking out angels," Ryse muttered knowing how the majority of demons flee rather than fight when it comes to a disagreement between them and an angel. If only she was back to full strength.
"Reason why I have help," he chuckled. The hellhound snarled in response. "Now what brings you here? You helping out that faction?"
"What faction?" Ryse asked playing dumb. She had hoped by the fact Clara had ran inside rather than continue to argue with her meant that she was on the phone with her uncles.
"Oh you know," he smirked, "the faction that's getting together to go after the featherbrain that kicked all the rest of you out. They want a pretty penny for his head."
Ryse rolled her eyes, which she hoped were still normal, "I work alone. I can't speak for my brethren and their revenge, but I don't need it. I was here before they were so I bear no ill feelings to what happened."
"Lies." She kept her poker face, but allowed a hint of curiosity to show. "I know for a fact that with you being disconnected from heaven that most of your powers are gone."
"You really want to test that theory?" Ryse asked. The demon shifted, his eyes narrowing as he watched her. "I don't know how many of us you've come across, but depending what level you're at up there, some of us may still have access to all their powers. Now what say we get to the point. What do you want?"
"Information." She raised an inquiring eyebrow at him. "Where are the Winchesters?"
"I'm sorry, who?"
The demon rolled his eyes, "Don't. That's their car and you reak of those two. Where are they?"
"I haven't the foggiest. I just came across them is all," she shrugged.
He smirked at her, "Why is it I don't believe you?" She tilted her head at him as her mind started going through the different fighting techniques her parents had taught her. "I was at the widow's house this afternoon when a charming young federal agent came to the door to question her. I caught a glance of the car he came in, that one over there in fact, and there was a striking similarity girl sitting in the passenger seat that resembles the one standing in front of me. Care to explain that?"
"Well hot damn diggity...you found me out," she sighed, widening her stance slightly for better balance at whatever was going to come at her. "Want a cookie?"
"Really, I'd love to rip your organs out one by one as you watch," the demon answered, "but how about you tell me where those knuckleheads are first?"
"Wish I could butterball," Ryse replied. A shot gun blast went off and Ryse ducked out of habit only to be tackled from behind by the hellhound. She heard the demon yell something, but the growling in her ear made it discernible. She reached back with an arm and grabbed the creature around the neck, flipping it over onto it's back before it could get it's claws into her. It twisted and landed on its feet, almost nose to nose with her. Her hands were tingling more fiercely now with the power she had been storing up for the last few days. She managed to flip over the hound as it went for another attack, granting her a quick glance over the lot to see Clara being pinned by the demon who appeared to have her in a chokehold. She landed and turned to run over and knock him over when the hellhound sunk its teeth into her shoulder and shook her, before sending her flying into the nearby dumpster.
Clara scrabbled to reach anything that could help get her attacker off. The shotgun she had used lay too far out of reach and she wasn't sure it was still loaded. Her eyesight was starting to black out from lack of oxygen and she knew it was only a matter of time before she was gone. Suddenly, she felt her body released from the hold as she fell to the ground and oxygen suddenly flow into her lungs. She gasped and coughed as strong hands helped her up. When her eyes were finally able to focus, she looked up into a familiar pair of green eyes.
A/N: Whelp, back from vacay. Didn't get much written as I would have liked so updates may be a bit slower than they have been, fair warning. I shall do my best though to update as quickly as I can in a timely manner. Will most likely start some extra editing that I missed here & there like the little oopsies I just fixed in the previous chapter. Hope everyone is enjoying & thanks for reading!