Breaking and Entering

Chimera watched the dark building of Bains Pharmaceutical, silent and unmoving among the shadows of the few trees scattered around. She scanned the area for cameras, easily picking them out and mapping her route. It was going to be tricky. The security was tight, but in one of the small domestic forms, she should be able to get in. A rustle of feathers directly behind her, made every muscle tense and she spun round, fangs bared, hunkering slightly as her nails sharpened into claws and she felt them tug as they raked through soft flesh. She got a glimpse of beige fabric, blue eyes and black hair, before a hand gripped her arm and the world lurched sideways. Chimera staggered slightly and shook her head, stomach rolling worse than in a complex flight maneuver. Opening her eyes to a dimly lit office, she could feel Castiel was still gripping her arm, steadying her. The Winchesters stood before her, Sam looking out for any guards through the glass window of the door and Dean watching her with a smug grin that made her mood darken further. Chimera snatched her arm from Castiel with a deep growl.
"What the bloody hell was that?"
Sam put a finger to his lips, frowning at her outburst.
"Shh, we don't want to attract any guards."
Chimera snarled, an animalistic sound that drew everyone's gaze to her.
"I don't give a damn about the guards. I can deal with the guards. What I am pissed about, is being ambushed like that."
She whirled around on Castiel as she spoke, then paused as she took in the bloody lines over his cheek, dripping onto the white collar of his shirt. Her face softened slightly with guilt.
"I'm sorry. Though to be fair, you should never sneak up on a Therian. Especially a military trained Therian."
"You alright Cas?"
Dean said, scowling at Chimera also saw the blood in the darkness.
"I am fine Dean. I understand it was an accident. I did appear quite suddenly behind her."
Dean grunted.
"You do that to us as well, but we don't shred you into ribbons for it."
Chimera glowered but said nothing, flexing her fingers, as though considering tearing something else into ribbons. Or, someone. Getting on Dean's good side was going to take a miracle. Chimera remembered the Impala and grinned. He was clearly attached to his car, if his reaction to its apparent condition was anything to go by. Showing him that it was not actually damaged, would probably ease his mood. She cocked her head to one side.
"How did you do that anyway?"
"Angel. Wings. You figure it out."
Chimera didn't dignify that with an answer as she examined the desk, pulling at drawers and finding them locked. She heard Sam sigh and ignored them, opting to examine the locks on the desk drawers instead.
"Angels can appear anywhere they want, in an instant."
She peered over the desk with an eyebrow raised.
"So he could go to the other side of the world and back in seconds?"
Sam nodded, then watched with interest as the Alien grabbed a letter opener from the desk.
"What are we even doing here?"
Dean snapped from where he had taken over as lookout.
Trying to find out what they have done with the fifty tonnes of Quartz delivered by The Helix."
Dean looked at her in surprise.
"Fifty tonnes of Quartz?"
"Why do you think they were on the docks in the first place, genius? Night time fishing?"
A filing cabinet rattled as Sam opened it and scanned the labels. He paused.
"Wait, how do you know The Helix delivered Quartz to this company?"
The lock on the desk drawer clicked and Chimera dropped the letter opener back on the table, a claw on her index finger retracting. She pulled open the drawer, speaking without looking up.
"I was there when the deal went down."
She closed the drawer with a huff.
"Nothing. This is just a Junior Accountants office. If we want any real information, we need the bosses office."
She strode to the door and out into the hallway without any hesitation. The boys glanced at each other, before Sam shut the filing cabinet and they hurried after her.
"How did you know when and where the deal would take place?"
Dean asked suspicious. Chimera shrugged, hips swaying as she walked confidently down the hall.
"Sheer luck to be honest. Just happened to be in the right place at the right time."
She told them about sneaking into the restaurant kitchens and getting trapped by the delivery van, forcing her to shift and hide in the restaurant itself. By the time she finished, she was pushing open the door to the service stairwell.
"So, you just happened to sneak into the same restaurant, hide beside the neighbouring table and overhear a conversation between an Alien and a black market dealer?"
Dean said skeptically. Chimera paused, leaning on the railings as she looked down at him, nodding her head sharply as she bit her lip.
"Believe me, I know how you feel. I wouldn't believe someone who said that either, but have you never had a stroke of luck in one of your jobs? Heard or saw the right thing at the right time? Sometimes I wonder how, in the entire planet, I just happened to walk into that restaurant and sit at that table at the same time that deal was done."
She continued climbing the stairs.
"I mean, I was all for ignoring it. It was interesting as a passing fancy, but nothing that I cared for. In essence, it was boring. Just a black market deal and they happen everywhere. Doesn't matter which planet you go to. Yet after the Mexican left, her eyes glowed and her voice changed. I recognised it, after all, I had heard it in the training sessions that my friends did after one of these creatures managed to infiltrate them. Then of course, it became much more fun."
"Who are these friends you keep mentioning?"
Sam asked after a moment, as they reached the top floor. Chimera paused for a moment, hand on the door and head cocked to one side. Suddenly she pulled the door open and held it for the boys to go through.
"The people who woke me up. When they found me, I was in a Stasis Chamber."
Dean raised an eyebrow as she joined them in the hall, the door closing with a soft click.
"Stasis Chamber?"
The Alien nodded, sniffing the air. She turned in one direction and began walking. Dean noticed she didn't make any sound at all when she walked.
"A capsule that slows your body's systems right down and puts you into a deep coma like sleep. Tended to be used for long distance travel and slows the aging process. Allowed your ship to go onto minimum power as well."
Chimera paused, peering through a door to her left and grinned.
"Anyone fancy a snack?"
She vanished into the room before anyone had much chance to process the sudden change of topic. The room was small, with a couple of tables and a scattering of hard back chairs by the door. Opposite the door was a sink and some cupboards, which Chimera was digging through. A fridge hummed to her right.
"What are you doing?"
Dean snapped. Chimera turned around with a packet in her hand.
"Biscuit?"
Dean hesitated between glaring at her and accepting the offer. In the end, he shrugged and took a biscuit.
"We don't have time for this. We need to find the information and get out, before anyone notices us."
Sam pointed out from the doorway. Chimera rolled her eyes, opening the fridge door to see if there was anything else of interest.
"Will you relax? We have all night. If they were going to notice us, they would have by now and I will hear anyone coming before they get within a hundred feet of us. Trust me."
She pulled out a leftover section of pie in a plastic container, throwing it to Dean who grinned in delight.
"Forks are in that drawer."
She said, pointing without looking at a drawer by the sink. Spotting a can of whipped cream, she grinned.
"Have either of you heard of Travis Air Base? What is it?"
Sam glanced at her as she shook the can and examined the top, clearly trying to work out how to open it.
"It's an Air Force Base near San Francisco. Why?"
Chimera paused for a moment, then shrugged.
"Because when I was in the Kennedy House, they mentioned the Travis Air Base. I figured that's what it was."
She paused as she sprayed cream into her mouth. Castiel and Sam watched in fascination, as her face suddenly twisted into a look of horror and disgust. She fled to the sink and began retching. Dean looked up from the table, his mouth full of pie.
"You okay?"
Sam asked. Chimera turned on the tap and rinsed out her mouth, then gagged again.
"Oh dear Hellna. I don't think anything in that tin of shit you call cream, has ever seen a cow in it's life and your chemicalized water is only marginally better, and I mean marginally."
Chimera spat into the sink and shuddered.
Now, where was I?"
She shook her head, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand and glaring at the can of cream.
"Oh yes, I wasn't certain, but after the website stated it specialised in helping the military, I figured it was something to do with the Air Force."
Suddenly she raised a hand, cocking her head to one side. After a few minutes frozen, she relaxed.
"we're okay. Come on, let's go. I'm getting bored."
She swept from the room and Dean shrugged at Sam's look, swallowed and hurried after her. Castiel just frowned in confusion, watching the girl stride down the hallway. They found a large glass walled office and Chimera peered around the open work space, before slipping through into the office. She headed for the desk and began tugging at the drawers, while Sam booted up the computer beside her and Dean pulled open a filing cabinet to rummage through the files. After a while, he huffed.
"I don't understand this."
Chimera looked up from the drawers she had manipulated open. She had several folders on the desktop and Sam was typing away at the computer.
"What's wrong?"
Dean passed over a file.
"I mean these reports look like half of them are in another language."
Chimera scanned the page and grinned.
"Oh, no it's not. It's different chemical compounds and the results of the tests they have been in."
She looked puzzled at Dean.
"You really don't know what these all mean?"
Dean scowled.
"My science is a little rusty."
He said sarcastically. Sam smirked from behind the computer and Chimera blushed.
"Sorry. I guess I'm not really use to people not understanding the same things I do. One of the people who woke me, ran a whole department of scientists and I often helped with their work. Another pretended he didn't understand, but I could tell he did and in private we often challenged each other with games. Though, what they understood was nothing compared to my people. My people used these sorts of equations to challenge the children when in General School."
A look of deep sadness crossed her face and she seemed to stare out of the floor to ceiling windows. Dean knew that look. Had seen it in the mirror himself when the job got too much and on Sam after their father died.
"Who did you lose?"
Chimera snapped her gaze at him and he saw her eyes harden, her shoulders tensing and mouth tightening. Yet, when she spoke, her voice was soft.
"Everyone."
She handed him back the folder and he gently took it. Chimera turned back to Sam, who had paused to watch them and cleared her throat.
"Anything?"
Sam shrugged, accepting the change of topic and looking back at the screen.
"Well, there are emails detailing about a Project Gold nearing completion and notes from doctors on the Travis Air Base of various soldiers, all of different ranks. The dates indicate a shipment to leave here in two weeks, but no mention of where its going. There was something about a new shipment from last week being better than expected and enabled the Project to be completed much sooner than scheduled."
Chimera frowned.
"Travis again. That name keeps cropping up. Let me guess, there are no records for any deliveries last week."
Sam shook his head.
"No mention of a Project Gold anywhere else either. Looks like it is a top secret Project."
Chimera pursed her lips, eyes glancing all over the room.
Something tells me that this is bad. Are there any reports alongside the emails?"
Sam nodded and she peered over his shoulder as he brought up the test results. Dean gave up on the filing cabinet, feeling he would miss anything important when he didn't know what he was reading anyway, then spotted a pair of folders labeled 'Gold'. He filched them, then turned and watched Chimera, who was frowning at the screen over Sam's shoulder. She shook her head and muttered to herself as she read, then her eyes widened. She stood up straight with a look of horror.
"No. Surely they wouldn't? They have made a new vaccine to be released to the public. It looks like it is being released into the Military first and then upon positive responses, the general public."
Dean shrugged, realising that she was actually talking to them.
"So? What about it?"
Chimera glanced at them.
"From what I can tell, even to your scientists, there is no way this vaccine will have any effect on the illness it is suppose to counter. In fact, as far as I can tell, it will have no effect at all. They have added the quartz into the vaccine, which is made up to basically amplify the properties on the Quartz. I need to find a section of the Quartz and analyze it, see what they have programmed it with."
She looked to see three confused faces. Chimera shook her head.
"I'm sorry. Goa'uld technology, among many others, use crystals as a highly important part of their technology. Much, if not all their technology is run through crystals. They can store data on it, like a circuit board in your own technology."
Her head snapped to the side, peering through the glass into the dark building and Dean could see her eyes glowing in what dim light there was.
"We should go. We have dallied here long enough. I don't like where this is going and I think we need to talk to a few of my friends. This is much bigger than I thought."
Dean waved the folders in his hand.
"I found two folders labeled as 'Gold'. Figured they might be connected to that Project you mentioned."
Chimera moved around the desk and he handed her the files. Castiel was looking into the main offices and Sam shut down the computer.
"What about the crystals you wanted?"
Sam asked as she read quickly through the files. The Therian snapped them shut.
"These are good Dean. Take them and go. All of you. I'll slip down and find some quartz in the labs. If I need help, I'll pray."
She made for the door and Dean caught her arm. The Alien tensed under his grip, but her gaze was curious when she looked at him.
"We all go."
Chimera made to say something, but then her head snapped round, her gaze fixed on the empty floor, head cocked as she listened. Chimeras grip on the door loosened and she took a step back.
"We need to go."
Castiel said from behind and he gripped Sam and Dean by the shoulders. Dean just had time to see four flashlights enter the far side of the room, before everything blurred and they were suddenly stood outside the building. He looked round to see they were in the carpark, beside the road and he blushed, jerking his hand back as he realised he was still gripping Chimeras arm. She looked at him uncertainly for a moment, then shook her head and turned away to cross the road.
"What?"
Dean huffed at Sam's questioning look, but his brother just shook his head, smiling.
"Are you coming? We can't go back into the building now, so we might as well go back to the warehouse and get some sleep."

Dean scowled at the chipped, dented and scratched bodywork of his precious car. Sam had passed out on an old cot Chimera had found in a neighbouring warehouse. Castiel had offered to keep guard outside and the thrice damned Alien, if that was indeed what she was, had vanished. He suspected she was lurking in the shadows of the upstairs office that overlooked the main floor of the warehouse. Not that he cared where she was. It was clear Chimera was not Human and she definitely seemed to have a strange way of talking, but he also didn't like her. Sure, she was hot, energetic and mysterious, which he had to admit was damn attractive. Dean took a swig of whiskey. Attractive or not, he did not like her. The man huffed, knowing he was losing his internal battle. Who was he kidding? She was hot, dangerous and amusing. What was not to like? Well, the damage to his car for one. Need there be any other reason to hate her? He stood up and ran a hand on one of the few undamaged patches on the front of the bonnet.
"Oh baby, what did that wicked woman do to you?"
Dean refused to admit to anyone, ever, that he froze in place, his heart stopping in fright, when a voice whispered directly into his ear.
"Let me show you."
Chimera, her body warm as she pressed into his back, her arms slipping around his waist as she reached for something on the car. He watched her grab at something and stared in amazement as the Impala shimmered blue, then returned to its former sleek, polished and gleaming state. Just as he remembered it from before. He let out a little hysterical laugh, running his hands over the smooth bonnet and laughed again. Suddenly, he spun round to face Chimera, who had stepped back and was grinning smugly at his delight. Then he grabbed her chin and kissed her, on the mouth. Chimera froze, tensing in surprise for a moment, before she then melted into the kiss. When she purred, Dean pulled away, eyes wide, blushing as he realised what he had done. He coughed, stepping away, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he avoided her eyes.
"Sorry. I uh. Thanks, for uh, for the car."
Chimera shuffled uncertainly, before nodding.
"You're welcome. Simple device. Scans the object and designs a rough hologram to show people what you want them to see. It looked wrecked, but if you touched it, then the whole illusion would be revealed."
She opened her fist to reveal a small round device in her palm. Dean noticed offhandedly that her cheeks were flushed and her breathing was slightly shorter than usual. He suppressed a grin, turning back to run his hands over the car in relief. He heard Chimera start heading up the stairs.
"Oh and Dean."
He turned to see her leaning against the banister, halfway up the stairs, a copy smile toying on her lips.
"Consider this my offer to a fresh start. I understand I may have overstepped some boundaries when we first met. How about we try again?"
Dean hesitated for a moment, still uncertain on whether to trust the creature before him, but then he shrugged.
"Sure. Fresh start."
Chimeras grin broadened and he swore he could hear her purring again, as she turned to saunter the rest of the way up the stairs. Alien or monster, he didn't know, but whichever she was, Chimera fascinated him in a way he didn't understand.