A/N: Finally we're getting somewhere in this chapter. Hee! A few more Supernatural references here, but these should help understand the story, instead of making things more confused like the last chapter. (If you ain't watching the show, you should!)
R/R, peeps!
()
Obi-Wan stared at the deep cut in his palm. He concentrated for a few long seconds and slowly, the wound closed itself. He wasn't the greatest when it came to Force healing, but as long as he wasn't bleeding anymore, he was fine.
He quickly washed his hand of blood. He tucked down his sleeves to cover the directional scab.
He wasn't sure if the spell would still work if the blood dried, though he didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later, Castiel arrived.
Only a gentle blow of wind announced his arrival. Obi-Wan slowly turned around, crossing his arms over his chest. "So," he began. "Can I leave?"
"No, not yet." Castiel glanced at the Gospel sitting on top of one of the chairs. "Have you received any revelations?"
"Nothing that I would call useful," Obi-Wan glared at him. "What are you doing Castiel? Stop giving me half-truths and vague facts; just come out and tell me the truth."
"You will not understand it," Castiel said. "There is so much history you do not know, and if I can spare you the memories of hell… This needs to be done slowly, carefully. I cannot push it."
Obi-Wan sighed. "Then I have no choice," he pulled back the door to the refresher. On it, smeared in his blood was a circular sigil. Castiel's eyes went wide as Obi-Wan slapped his cut hand upon it.
There was a flash of bright light, Castiel cried out and evaporated into the air.
Obi-Wan stepped back from the sizzling sigil. He knew he didn't have much time. He twisted to the small couch by the wall, concentrated on the mass and lifted it with the Force.
The couch made a horrible noise as it slammed into the wall. Obi-Wan pulled back and slammed it again, again, again, and again. The couch splintered, split in half. With one last crash, the couch broke through the wall.
In his mind, Obi-Wan gave a yelp of victory. He jumped through the hole and ran for it.
()
He was still on Canter, this much he knew. Obi-Wan ran as fast as he could, opening his mind to the Force, seeking Qui-Gon out. He had no idea how long he's been missing.
He found his Master easily. He wasn't far and Obi-Wan willed himself faster. He jumped over full lanes of traffic, dropped down ten floors at a time, not giving a second glance to those he scared when he ran past them. He could not afford Castiel appearing and whisking him away again.
Something was wrong though. Qui-Gon was not responding to the bond. Either was something was blocking the signal between them or Qui-Gon was incapable of responding.
Castiel did not think of providing Obi-Wan with his lightsaber. Beyond the knife he filched from the kitchen and the broken information of exorcism, Obi-Wan was defenseless. He could rely on the Force to get him out of a situation but not help him should he go up against a demon. Or Castiel.
Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon's Force signature to a library, one of the biggest on planet. Obi-Wan entered the building and noticed something straight away.
It was empty. The doors were opened to the public and nobody was there.
Oh yeah, everything about this screamed 'trap.'
Obi-Wan made his steps light and he kept low to the ground. He checked around every corner, ducked behind every wall and despite his overly dramatic stealth, he met no one. There was no guard, not even a cleaning droid.
Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon's signature upstairs, to the library's spacious study hall. And slumped over in a chair, right in the middle of the room was Qui-Gon.
Obi-Wan pulled out his knife. He glanced around, saw and sensed nothing. Cautiously, he made his way towards Qui-Gon.
"Master?"
His Master, he could see, was beaten unconscious. Qui-Gon's eye was swollen shut, bruises covered his whole right side of his face and there was a trail of dry blood from his forehead.
"Put up quite a fight, that one did."
Obi-Wan twirled around at the voice, holding his pathetic knife at the ready. He blinked. "Master Tau?"
No, Obi-Wan decided quickly, despite Tau's eyes were a beautiful shade of green. Demon.
"I tried to possess him," she nodded towards Qui-Gon. "But he's not like the others. Oh no, he's much stronger."
"What do you want?" Obi-Wan demanded. There was no way he could fight her on his own. He certainly can't run away.
"Just to talk," Tau put up her hands in mock defense. "That's all I want. I'm curious really, about the boy everyone is talking about."
"I'm nothing special."
Tau's eyebrows rose. "Oh? In all of the planets of the Republic, of all one-hundred-fifty billion citizens, you're the only one who knows the exorcism chant. You. Can you tell me why?"
"I don't know."
Tau pursed her lips and scrutinized him. For the long seconds she pondered, Obi-Wan spread out his will through the library, locating the exits and windows. The nearest window to him was a good hundred feet away. Could he distract her long enough to grab Qui-Gon and run?
"You don't really know, do you?" Tau suddenly laughed. "Oh my. You can't believe how many demons you have scared, thinking you're some kind specialty boy. Nah, you're just a Jedi who got lucky in the psychic department. Go."
Wait, what? "You're letting me go?"
"You're not a threat," she sneered. "And since you don't know everything, by the time you pathetic Jedi organize against us, it'll already be too late. Frankly, I'm curious to see what'll you do. Go."
Obi-Wan wasn't sure if she really meant it. Slowly, cautiously, he bent down to grab a hold of Qui-Gon's heavy form and lifted him off the chair. Giving Tau a wide birth, he made his way towards the exit. She watched him, amused.
If the Temple had received Obi-Wan's distressed signal, they would've sent two Masters, not one. Obi-Wan wondered who the other Master was, if he was still alive. Tau wasn't like the other demon's he's encountered so far. The other two were blood thirsty, savaged. She was a little more calm, collected, and clearly much more dangerous.
Do you know what hell is like?
Obi-Wan nearly stumbled at the voice. He shook his head, trying to disperse it. He couldn't afford to have a crippling vision, not now.
Hell is like… well, like hell. Even for demons.
Tau was still watching him, now studying his shaky movements. If only he could get into the hall, away from her eyes…
It's a prison of flesh, and blood, and bone, and fear. And you sent me back there.
And like before, Obi-Wan could not stop the name from spewing out of his mouth. "Meg."
Tau stiffened. Her eyes went impossibly wide. "No…" she breathed, her good demeanor suddenly gone. "There's only one person who… no…"
Obi-Wan turned to run. He didn't get far.
An unknown force pulled Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon apart and they both crashed into opposite bookcases across from each other. An orange saber was held to Obi-Wan's throat. "You little sneak!" Tau sneered. "Keeping secrets from me? Naughty, naughty."
She pulled the saber away to grasp him by his front, lifted him off the floor and slammed him down onto a nearby table. "Now, little Obi, you will tell me what I want to know or else I start cutting off limbs. First of all, how much do you know?"
Obi-Wan struggled weakly under her grip. "I don't-"
"Do not tell me that, boy. Exorcism spells and Devil Traps are one thing, but my old name? Specifically that old name should've been beyond your grasp."
"I'm a Jedi. It's as simple as that."
"Jedi look to the future, not to the past. Even if you do not know, you're channeling something specific and I want to know what."
Tau painfully shoved two fingers against his forehead. And as if she had turned the faucet on at full blast, everything was flooding in.
Obi-Wan made a face. "What's wrong with my tapes?"
"For one thing, they're cassette tapes," Sam rolled his eyes. "And your choice in music? Metallica, Black Sabbath?"
Obi-Wan made a show of leaning over and snatching one of those tapes, shoved it in the player and turned it on loud. "Driver picks the music," he said matter-of-factly. "Passenger shuts his cake-hole."
()
Michael was twisting his hands in his lap, devastation clearly written across his face. "You said you're a big brother."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yeah."
"Would you take care of your little brother? You'd do anything for him?"
"Yeah, I would."
()
Sam looked as if he was just sleeping. It made Obi-Wan choke a bit on laughter, seeing how large his brother was on that dinky little mattress. He sobered quickly and he tried, weakly, to keep the sobs in.
"When you were little, couldn't have been more than five, you just started asking questions. How come we didn't have a mom. Why did we always have to move around. Where's Dad. I remember I begged you. 'Quit asking, Sammy. You don't want to know.' I just wanted you to be a kid. Just for a little while longer. Always tried to protect you. Keep you safe. Dad didn't even have to tell me. It's just always my responsibility, you know? It's like I had one job. I had one job, and I screwed it up. I blew it, and for that, I'm sorry. I guess that's what I do. I let down the people I love. Y'know, I let Dad down, and now I guess I'm just supposed to let you down, too. How can I? How am I supposed to live with that? What am I supposed to do? Sammy?"
Obi-Wan stood and kicked over the chair. He screamed to the sky, "What am I supposed to do?"
The memories came in flashes, came in shattered pictures. Obi-Wan didn't understand all of it, but he understood enough.
"And why would an angel rescue me from hell?"
Castiel stepped closer. Obi-Wan had to fight to keep from flinching back, from blinking. "Good things do happen, Dean."
"Not in my experience."
Castiel cocked his head at him. "What's the matter?" He sounded almost mockingly. "You don't think you'd deserved to be saved."
"Why'd you do it?"
"Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you."
Obi-Wan curled his fist and brought it up as hard and as fast as he could. He felt two of his knuckles broke the moment they contacted with Tau's jaw. He ignored the pain and twisted, bringing up his leg to strike her again.
Tau stumbled back, blood flowing freely from mouth. She was laughing. "Dean!" She cried out happily. "It is so good to see you!"
Obi-Wan advanced on her. Tau simply kissed the air towards him. She threw back her head and black smoke erupted from her mouth. Obi-Wan knew there was nothing he could do but wait for it to end. A second later, Tau collapsed on the floor in a bloody heap.
Obi-Wan sunk to his knees. "Goddamit."