A fool is he who can not foresee, Hell is what this, our land will be. Yes hell is what this, our land will be.
Do you hear the clarion call, It's calling out to one and all. Which side will finally prevail, while the other side will fail.
- The Clarion Call by Falconer.
Chapter One
Jack appeared at the site of Sam's funeral with a sigh and a heavy feeling of disappointment. Everyone had gone home, save for a lonely blonde who'd sat with tears in her eyes for hours now, simply staring.
"You've been sitting there for several hours now, mentally cursing at me" Jack commented
Claire sniffled and wiped at her eyes as she responded "I hate you so much right now"
"It was his time Claire" Jack said calmly "He lived a long and happy life"
Claire scoffed and stared at him as she angrily stated "You can't be that stupid"
"Excuse me?" Jack asked, surprised by her outburst.
"You call that happy?" she asked. Her tears still forming as her anger took over "It was numb. He was a shell of what he was. Everytime he experienced something positive it was overshadowed by the pain of his brother not being there. He deserved better. Dean deserved better!" she finished with a yell.
Jack sat next to her and replied "I had promised them there would be no more divine intervention"
"You should have done something!" Claire yelled back before she continued "Literally anything! After everything they did for this world; after everything they did for you! How could you let Dean's life end when it did? How could you put Sam through that? You're not Chuck, it's not like you would have toyed with them for your own entertainment. Don't you think they deserved better after everything they went through and sacrificed and lost?"
"I do" Jack responded with a sigh "They deserved anything they could ever want for everything they went through."
"They at least deserved a happy ending, both of them" Claire said before wiping at her eyes. She pulled out a flask and had a long swig from it before saying "Can't you go back and change it. Fuck, put me in Dean's place, let me die so that they can-"
"No Claire" Jack said sternly "Heaven interfering has caused you more than enough pain as well."
They were silent for a moment as Claire continued drinking. Jack said "I did have one idea" Claire looked at him hopefully, her eyes wide. Jack added "A possible different outcome. It would mean a very different life for you."
"Do it" Claire said "I don't even care what happens to me just do it"
"There are many people who do care about you Claire" Jack said softly before adding "You would end up in Chicago"
"Seriously? It's a wasteland after the wars." She commented
"You would not be alone, but it would be fifty-fifty that you prevent that level of destruction" Jack said
"Wow, no pressure" Claire said with a scoff. She sighed and took one last swig before putting the flask back in her pocket. "Well, what are you waiting for? Is this like an angel thing where you need me to say yes?"
Jack chuckled and shook his head. He sat for a moment and concentrated before bringing his hands together in one solid clap.
~~ Sometime in 2018 ~~
M.O.L. DATABASE
ENTRY 328: Clarions.
Abominations created by the men of letters in Australia. A selection of the children aquired in the eighties were test subjects. Like all M.O.L. property they were raised and molded as successful hunters. Kept obedient with the use of high powered shock collars.
After the fall, subjects were experimented on monthly. The angel grace injection experiments proved somewhat successful, the test subjects only know it as 'go juice'. Screams of pain subsided after upto 18 months.
Successful subjects are now stronger, heal faster and have grown wings that can be hidden on another plane (Wings can be pulled forth and used in battle as they are strong and weapon resistant). Failed subjects found themselves deceased, either from pain, negative physical reactions, insanity, or their ego getting the better of them.
{~~~}
Lotus was a Clarion. She was just under six feet tall with dark brown hair that was shoulder length and an under cut. She had bright green eyes and dressed predominantly in black.
Along with her team they were currently in the armoury, gearing up for a mission they had no intention of completing.
To her left was her best friend Lily. Lily had blue eyes and black hair that she kept quite short. She also dressed predominantly in black and was an inch or two taller than Lotus.
Across from them stood Wattle and Clover. Two men who each had short messy brown hair. Wattle was well over six feet tall, well built and had dark brown eyes.
Clover was exactly six feet tall and even more muscly than Wattle. His eyes were a hazel colour.
Once they were all armed and had several duffel bags between them loaded with weapons and other important equipment, Lotus questioned "We ready? There's no turning back after this"
The other three all gave a nod and Lotus said "Well then, collars off"
All four of them ripped their shock collars apart before heading out of the room. They kept calm and were heading towards the exit when they heard a scream of pain.
"The hell was that?" Lily asked.
Wattle commented "We have to check it out. What if they're trying to make more of us?"
Lotus nodded and said "Remember, we need to get out of here quick"
They rounded a corner and snuck into the room the screams had come from. They gasped at what they found in the large room.
There was a barely conscious woman with wavy blonde hair, tied to a table with her head angled towards the floor. There was a cut on her throat and there was go juice dripping out of the wound.
Wattle, using a silenced pistol, shot the two agents in the room before Lily and Lotus moved to untie the woman. Lily sombrely commented "This is where the go juice comes from."
Lotus brushed the woman's hair from her face and frowned when she saw bruises. "Stay calm, we're going to get you out of here"
She placed her hand on the woman's head and healed some of her injuries. While Lotus was using her powers, her eyes glowed a bright green colour, another trait of the Clarions. The woman gasped and looked around as Lotus began unchaining her.
Clover looked at a nearby chart and read "Subject 48 out of 50?" He looked around and gasped when he saw another woman and a man chained up in the corner.
He could tell they also had their own internal go juice however it was far stronger than that of a Clarion. It looked like they hadn't been allowed to move in a long time and he realised that at one point there must have been many more of them chained to the walls. He began to unchain them as he stated "I found the other two. You guys got names?"
The man said "I am Ezandriel. This is Adriel and the woman over there is Haniel. Why are you freeing us after so long?"
Clover replied "Whatever you are, it's pretty clear you shouldn't be here and we won't let these bastards make more Clarions"
Lily added "We've seen more than enough people we care about die by their hands"
"Is that what you are? Clarions?" Adriel questioned "Your grace is strange"
Clover nodded and simply said "We were experimented on a lot. We have our own go juice now. It gets run down like energy but recharges on its own now too"
Lotus helped Haniel to her feet and she weakly stated "Please, I need it back, I need to-"
"All right, easy girl" Wattle said as he handed her the small container of go juice.
She said "Close your eyes for a moment"
The Clarions all shielded their eyes from a bright light and that's when a loud alarm began sounding throughout the compound.
Lotus loudly called out "Everyone get moving, now!"
Haniel commented "This place is well warded. We can not do a lot to help until we are outside the building"
"Then don't die" Lily said
The group began to work their way through the facility. Over twenty minutes they shot and fought their way through countless guards before finally the end was in sight.
They were almost outside when Lotus stopped by the door and made sure everyone made it outside. Wattle had been behind everyone and was almost there when someone appeared out of thin air between Lotus and Wattle.
The new figure swung a large blade and Lotus watched in horror as Wattle's head fell to the ground. "No!" She roared before emptying her clip into the figure.
More guards came running around the corner and Lotus forced herself to drop a small grenade before running out the door and catching up with the others.
"Where's Wattle?" Lily asked
Lotus sombrely shook her head and they began moving quickly away from the building. Ezandriel, Adriel and Haniel each grabbed one of the Clarions and flew them a few kilometres away.
Haniel turned to Adriel and Ezandriel and said "Return home, order the wrath"
Adriel and Ezandriel gave a nod and disappeared as Haniel turned to the others. "I am truly sorry" she said honestly. "If I had known that I would set off an alarm I would have waited until we were free"
Clover sighed and said "We knew the risks when we decided to escape. It's not your fault"
Haniel gave a nod before asking "Do you need help getting home?"
Lotus pointed out "We were prisoners there for a long time. Any home we might have had has long since been removed from our memories"
Haniel seemed surprised and questioned "Where will you go? What will you do?"
Clover shrugged and said "Find somewhere to live. If we can we will probably leave the country."
Lotus added "We will continue killing things that go bump in the night. Now we'll do it on our terms though"
Haniel smiled and commented "Hunters. Somehow I am not surprised. I will assist you as best I can before I return home. Perhaps I could fly you to America. There are plenty of monsters there"
Lily commented "That and those Winchester dudes keep trying to blow the world up"
Before anything else could be said there was a loud rumble as clouds began to form in the distance. Lotus asked "What's going on?"
Haniel simply said "They killed forty seven of my brothers and sisters. They will be punished accordingly"
The group watched as a bright light descended from the sky in the distance. There was a distant bang and seconds later they were hit with a shockwave of wind.
Haniel disappeared for a moment and when she appeared again she smiled and said "That facility and it's contents are no more than burnt rubble."
"So... America?" Lotus questioned as she looked at the others.
Clover smiled "Sounds good"
Haniel smiled and said "Well, hold on."
They each balanced a bag and held hands in a circle; in the blink of an eye they were elsewhere and it was lightly raining. "Where are we?" Lily asked as she smiled at the rain.
Haniel replied "Central America"
Clover feigned seriousness and stated "Though my eyes could see, I still was a blind man"
Lily seemed equally as serious and added "Though my mind could think, I still was a mad man"
Clover replied "I hear the voices when I'm dreaming"
They began walking as Lily badly sang "I can hear them saaaay"
Lily and Clover continued walking and singing horribly as they walked.
Haniel walked next to Lotus and asked "What are they doing?"
Lotus pointed to the welcome to Kansas sign and explained "Kansas is also the name of a band." She smiled as she yelled "And they're singing one of their songs, horribly!"
Haniel chuckled and walked with Lotus while Clover and Lily jumped in puddles in front of them. The joy they were experiencing at being free was apparent and contagious.
{~~~}
Meanwhile, not far from where Haniel and the clarions were walking, Sam and Jack were anxiously waiting for Castiel to return. The bunkers alarm system had alerted them to the Australian men of letters chapter being destroyed.
After a brief flight, Castiel had determined that the compound had been destroyed by heaven itself. He had risked a trip to the weakened heaven to determine what had happened to warrant the wrath.
Castiel returned to the bunker to find Jack and Sam in the war room. "Cas, you're back" Jack commented.
Sam stated "Hey Cas, glad you're OK. Any luck finding out what happened?"
Castiel replied "A little. It appears the Australian branch of the men of letters captured at least fifty angels after the fall Metatron caused. They were experimented on and killed after their grace was removed. Only three angels survived, with the help of creatures the men of letters created. The men of letters facility they were kept in was leveled by the wrath of heaven. I am unsure of which angels escaped the facility and I don't know what creatures they had help from."
Sam sighed and said "Do you think we have anything to worry about? Should we be concerned with these creatures?"
Jack added "How did they create creatures? I didn't think humans had that ability"
"They don't. They were playing god, as some say. That and what they did to the angels they caught is why they were destroyed" Castiel then looked at Sam and stated "What happened seems to be of no concern to us. For now I suggest being wary but focusing on Dean"
Sam nodded and said "OK. Thanks for checking Cas."
{~~~}
Haniel spent a month with the Clarions. They taught her what they could about being human and they all developed a friendship.
Lily, Lotus and Clover were now equipped with a car, a van, a laptop, several fake IDs, a phone each, clothes and plenty of cash. They were also now hidden from angels with wards on their ribs. Most other supernatural beings were already warded against by tattoos that littered the clarion's bodies.
They had also acquired a large manor. The four of them had spent the month warding and casting protective spells on the large two story mansion.
They were getting their electricity and water free and in secret thanks to the spells. The property also had a large bomb shelter that was equally warded and protected though, the bomb shelter was mainly used for storage.
The manor was now as safe as a men of letters bunker. No one would be able to find it whether they were looking for it or not. On paper, they were in the middle of a protected forested area.
The first floor consisted of a control room, gym, indoor pool, laundry, kitchen, meeting area and several large lounge rooms. They had even built themselves a dungeon. The second floor consisted mainly of bathrooms and bedrooms.
All four of them were currently in the foyer area saying goodbye to Haniel.
Lotus hugged her and said "Don't forget how to use that phone. Make sure you visit us once in a while too"
Haniel smiled and said "I will. It has been a pleasure spending time with the three of you." She hugged Clover and then Lily before taking a step back. "If you ever need me and the phone doesn't work, pray to me, I will hear you"
"Stay safe Haniel" Lotus said with a smile
"I will if you all do" She said with a smile before disappearing with a fluttering sound.
Lily questioned "Well, what do we do now?"
Clover said "Find something to kill?"
Lotus chuckled and said "Yeah. Let's go save some people"
{~~~}
Over the next month the Clarions fell into an easy routine. They were on their third case, a nest of vampires not far from the manor, when things changed.
They were expecting a small nest. Clover and Lily had gone to take care of it while Lotus headed back to the manor, planning to go grocery shopping on the way home.
However they were sorely mistaken in thinking it was a small nest. There were three other hunters already attacking the vampires when Lily and Clover quickly joined the fight.
They weren't ready and despite their skills and what could be considered back up from the other hunters, Lily and Clover found themselves struggling.
After a long fight, Lily saw Clover get knocked out and was almost knocked out herself. She looked up at a vampire and he was about to attack when his head was sliced off.
One of the human hunters, a dark haired girl who was obviously severely beaten, looked at her weakly before being stabbed by the last remaining vampire.
Lily moved quickly and killed the vampire before attempting to heal the young hunter, however being so weak all she could do was make the injuries not life threatening.
"Lily" Clover said with a groan as he approached. "Since when are nests this big?"
"I don't know but we need to get out of here" Lily replied. "This one's alive, check her friends"
Clover disappeared for a moment and returned to say "Her friends didn't make it, I found three survivors though, looks like they were being used as blood bags"
Lily sighed and said "OK help me load up the car and you can take the survivors into town. I'll meet you at the manor"
"OK" Clover replied. "I'll send you a message when I'm on my way"
Ten minutes later Lily was driving back to the manor with a young hunter unconscious in the back seat and two bodies in the trunk.
When she pulled the car to a stop at the manor the younger hunter was still unconscious. Lotus emerged and frowned when she saw Lily was injured. "What the bloody hell happened? Where's Clover?"
Lily replied "We were wrong. The nest was huge. Her two friends are in the boot. Clover's dropping off the survivors we found."
"Fuck." Lotus said with a sigh. She moved over and said "Let's get 'em mostly wrapped up before we deal with the girl"
Lily gave a nod and moved to open the boot of the car.
Half an hour later they had the two dead bodies ready to burn on a pyre and they were lying the girl on a couch inside. Clover walked in and commented "Survivors are safe. Any luck with the girl?"
"Was just about to heal her" Lotus replied before asking "You OK?"
Clover gave a nod "I'll live"
Lotus commented "I want you two to train hard over the next couple of days. This shouldn't have happened"
Lily looked annoyed as she said "What? So your gonna punish us for misjudging the size of the nest?"
Lotus replied "No, I just can't hunt successfully if I'm worrying about you two wierdos getting hurt. You're all I got; I ain't loosing either of you"
Lily sighed and gave a nod she knew Lotus was just concerned. Clover commented "We love you too Lotus"
"Sap" Lotus teased before turning back to the unconscious girl. She mumbled "Well, here goes nothing." She placed a hand on the girls forehead and healed her remaining injuries.
The girl sat up with a gasp and looked around frantically. Before she could say anything Lotus said "Easy kid, easy. You're safe here, we're hunters too"
"How do I know you're even human?" The girl asked
Lotus smirked and replied "We ain't" and with a slight ruffle noise she brought her wings out of hiding.
"What are you? Are you angels?" The girl asked, obviously curious yet fearfully cautious.
"We're clarions" Lily pointed out as Lotus hid her wings again "Long story short we're the half human half angel result of a nasty experiment"
Clover added "We're just hunters now."
Lotus then said "I'm Lotus, that's Lily and Clover"
"Krissy" the girl stated before she asked "Where are my friends?"
"They didn't make it" Lotus said softly "We're all ready to give them a hunter funeral but we thought you might want to say goodbye first"
Krissy gave a nod as tears welled in her eyes. "Where uh, where am I? What do you want with me?"
"Our HQ" Lotus replied "And we don't expect anything but you're welcome to stick around"
"Why the hell would I do that?" Krissy asked. "You can't keep me here" she said sternly
"Easy kiddo" Lotus said "You keep us and this place a secret you're free to leave whenever you like"
"Take me to my friends" Krissy demanded. She was obviously wary about her present company.
Lotus gave a nod and looked at Lily and Clover "You two go sleep off those injuries"
Lotus lead Krissy outside to where the funeral pyre was set up. She handed Krissy a zippo and said "I'll give you a moment."
Krissy nodded and Lotus hung back while Krissy went and said goodbye to her friends. After a few minutes Krissy covered their faces and lit the pyre before taking a few steps back.
Lotus moved closer and gave her shoulder a squeeze before speaking softly "Right now, there ain't a thing I can say that will make you feel better. Loosing people close to you always sucks and it's always going to hurt but in time, it does get easier to deal with"
Krissy sniffed and was teary eyed as she bitterly said "You think you know? I lost my mother to monsters, then my father, my aunt thought I was a disappointment and now I've lost the only two people I had left"
Lotus took a deep breath and quietly explained "I don't remember my real family. I know they existed; I mean I must have come from somewhere. My only memories of growing up were in a facility where I was treated like a test animal and forcibly raised to be an obedient hunter."
Krissy glanced at her but Lotus kept her eyes on the burning pyre as she continued "The only family I ever remember knowing are the others who suffered like I did. Lily and Clover are all I have left. The three of us... We survived and escaped a couple of months ago. Some of the others were killed on hunts, some died in captivity at the hands of our captors. We are what's left of a group of thirty and I... I witnessed too many of those deaths"
Stray tears were slipping down Krissy's cheeks as she commented "That's horrible"
Lotus nodded and said "Yeah, it is" She was quiet for a moment before she said "Even if it's only temporary I'd like it if you stuck around for a while, especially if you want to keep hunting."
Krissy sighed and said "Why? You don't even know me"
Lotus replied "I know you could use a friend and I know that I might have lost my family if it weren't for you and your friends. We owe you"
Krissy seemed to be thinking about it. Lotus added "Come to think of it though, that might not work out if you like country music. If that's the case I'm going to need you to leave."
Krissy couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped "Naah we're cool... It does seem like you've got a pretty sweet set up here"
Lotus stated "Your own room with free gas, electricity, water and netflix"
Krissy was quiet for a moment before she said "All right. I'll stick around, at least temporarily. When it comes to hunting-"
"The details can wait until tomorrow" Lotus said, cutting her off. "I might call ya kid but I won't treat ya like one. You obviously got some skills. For now say goodbye to your friends and we'll go grab any stuff you left at your hotel"
Krissy gave a nod and said "Thanks Lotus"
"Don't mention it kiddo" Lotus replied.
They sat silently together as they finished waiting for the bodies to burn.
Eventually they headed to the hotel Krissy and her friends had been staying at and packed all their things. They had a van they kept most of their things in and Lotus drove that back to the manor while Krissy drove the car.
Once back, Lotus showed Krissy to one of the many bedrooms. "Make yourself at home and get some sleep. You'll probably be woken for breaky"
Krissy gave a nod and headed to bed.
{~~~}
The next day Krissy entered the control room around lunch time. "Hey" Lily greeted. "You feeling better after this morning?"
"Yeah" Krissy said with a chuckle "Nothing quite like getting woken up by heavy metal at full volume"
Lotus chuckled. "That wasn't full volume" she said with a smile.
Clover then stated "We have a no going full volume rule"
Lotus stuck her tongue out at him and Krissy chuckled before asking "I don't suppose there's any news of a hunt? I could use a distraction"
Lily replied "We haven't looked. We wanted to hang out with you today and get to know you, as well as what you can and can't do on a hunt"
Krissy looked at Lotus and argued "Dude I thought you weren't going to treat me like a kid. I don't want to be coddled on hunts"
"That's not what we're doing" Lotus replied calmly "We need to play to your strengths is all"
Clover explained "Out of us three, we're pretty good all around but we're stronger in different areas"
Lily added "I'm best at computers so I'm usually in charge of hacking. Clover's brilliant with spells and Lotus's hand to hand combat is insanely good"
"Oh" Krissy said. She quietly thought for a moment before saying "I'm pretty good at talking to the victims and getting info. I can research but I'm no good with other computer stuff. My hand to hand isn't the best but I'm not bad at it either. I'm real good with guns, anything from a pistol to a sniper rifle"
Lotus gave a nod "That's good. Don't expect us to put you on the front line to much till we work on your hand to hand a bit" She raised a finger to keep Krissy quiet while she added "You'll be as much a part of hunts as the rest of us but we won't watch you die. No matter how good you are, we've got years of experience. Trust has gotta go both ways"
Krissy gave a nod "OK"
"Good" Lotus said with a smile "Now, we built a firing range out the back, let's go see what you got"
{~~~}
A month later the group was on a case a few hours away from the manor. That evening they were going to head to an abandoned building, believing it to contain a vengeful spirit.
Krissy was waiting in a diner for an order for the four of them when a guy close to her age had his card declined. He tried a second one and it was declined as well. The cashier stated "You're going to have to pay cash. Your cards, which suspiciously have different names, are no good"
Krissy watched and heard him mumble "I don't understand, Sam and Dean said they'd be good for three months"
"I don't want to know what you and friends are up to. Sam and or Dean aren't the names on these cards either. So pay cash or get your fraudulent ass outta my diner"
Acting on a hunch, Krissy handed over some cash. "My shout if you help me carry my order" She said
The guy seemed hesitant but gave a nod and mumbled "OK. Thank you"
"No problem" Krissy replied
Eventually they got their food and headed outside. He questioned "Why did you help me?"
Krissy said "I have a feeling we have mutual friends"
"What makes you say that?" He asked
"Inside there, you mentioned a Sam and Dean" Krissy pointed out. "Did you mean the Winchesters?"
He gave a nod and said "Yes but stay away from Dean. It's a long story but he's not really Dean at the moment. I've been trying to find a way to help him"
"I had heard a rumour" Krissy replied. "Why don't you come with me. My friends and I are working a case but we can probably help each other. I'm Krissy"
"Jack" Jack replied as he shook her hand "How do I know you really want to help Dean?"
Krissy sighed and said "The Winchesters saved my life. Twice. I don't like the idea of an archangel using his body"
"You know" Jack said
Krissy nodded and said "Like I said, I've heard a rumour. Stay or go, it's up to you but me and my friends won't hurt you. I do need to leave now though because if these burgers go cold, I'm going to be stuck listening to my friends complain"
Krissy moved around to the drivers side as Jack thought about it. She started the car and Jack abruptly got into the passenger seat. Krissy just smiled and began driving back to the hotel.
Once they were back at the hotel they walked in and Krissy called out "Hey guys. I brought a friend, this is Jack, play nice"
The moment the door clicked closed the next few moments happened quickly.
Lily's eyes flashed green briefly before she said "Guys!"
Lotus was up in a flash and grabbed Jack as Clover grabbed an empty water bottle. Lily held Krissy back as Lotus made an incision on a struggling Jack's throat.
His grace seeped into the water bottle and Clover put the lid on as Lotus demanded "You see that blackness? Do you see it?"
Jack nodded and Lotus said "It's tainted. Would have destroyed you." Lotus then relaxed her hold and healed the cut on his neck. "Right, let's eat" She then said casually.
Krissy looked at Jack and asked "You OK?"
Jack nodded and while obviously a little bewildered asked "How could you tell? You guys aren't human are you?"
"I am" Krissy said as they all began eating.
Clover explained "I'm Clover, this is Lily and Lotus. We're clarions; half human, half angel, kind of."
"That's not right" Jack commented with a confused expression "That would make you a nephalim, like me. Well, like me when I'm not missing my grace"
Lily stated "You were born a nephalim. We were born human and experimented on with go juice"
Jack was surprised "Who would do that?"
Lotus explained "The Aussie men of letters. They don't exist anymore."
"I've heard of them. I used to live in the bunker." Jack then looked concerned for a moment before asking "Sam and Dean aren't doing that are they?"
Clover commented "From what we knew before we escaped, no. Sam and Dean made the bunker their own long after the american chapter was wiped out"
Lily added "Other countries might have but after what the Winchesters and friends did to the British chapter, America was simply deemed a no go zone"
Jack gave a nod and said "That was before I was born"
"That was only a few years ago" Lotus pointed out with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh yes" Jack said with a nod "I knew it would be dangerous for me so I made sure I was an adult when I was born"
"Cool trick" Krissy said with a nod. "Anyway, what can you tell us about Dean? We'd already heard a rumour about archangel dickbag not being dead"
Jack sighed "The others didn't believe me but I could sense it, even with my powers coming from that tainted grace. The explosion, the earthquake, the bright light... He fooled them. I know that assbut is still in Dean"
Lotus chuckled "Assbut. I like it" she said with a smile.
Krissy questioned "Is it possible to save Dean?"
Jack looked at her with a surprised expression. He looked around at all of them and asked "You really believe me?"
Lily replied "Of course"
Clover explained "When we escaped from the men of letters, we freed three angels. We became really good friends with one of them and she managed to send us a warning. All we were told is that the 'assbut' is still alive"
Jack gave a nod and said "Dean's still in there, he can be saved, I just... I don't know how"
"We'll work it out" Krissy stated. "Are you living anywhere?"
Jack shook his head "No. I thought I'd be safer not staying in the bunker"
Lily commented "We need to take care of this vengeful spirit first"
Lotus nodded and looked at Jack as she said "We're taking care of a spirit tonight. After that you're welcome to come home with us. Want to join the team?"
"I'd like that" Jack said with a smile. "Team free will, three point O"
"Hell no" Clover said
"That's not a good team name" Krissy stated "We'd have to put effort in to come up with something worse"
Lily stated "Team pouty face"
"Team plaid puppies" Lotus stated
"Team feathers" Clover added
The clarions and Krissy all chuckled while Jack thought for a moment. He then quite seriously suggested "Team kick-assbut?"
The others burst out laughing before Lotus said with a smile "Yes, definitely. Jack, welcome to team kick-assbut"
Jack smiled proudly and they all finished eating before discussing a plan for the vengeful spirit they were hunting.
{~~~}
They had taken care of the vengeful spirit and headed home before Jack was shown around. Krissy showed him around outside and asked "So what do you think?"
Jack replied "I like it out here, it's a bit nicer than an underground bunker"
"Yeah they've got a good set up" Krissy replied. "How are you coping without powers?"
"Fine I guess" Jack stated. "It's not the first time I've been without them. Mostly it's just a bit daunting that it's so much easier to die"
"You're in good hands" Krissy pointed out. "I've been living with these guys for a little over a month. They've quickly become family"
Jack pointed out "I like that you all treat me like an equal. Sam, Dean and Cas... They've always cared about me and they mean a lot to me but it took us a lot longer to be comfortable around each other. Them more so than me"
Krissy commented "Sam and Dean don't seem the type to trust easily"
"No, Dean just wanted to kill me at first." Jack said
"Wait, what? Why?" Krissy asked
Jack nervously replied "I consider Castiel my father. He protected and cared for my mother before I was born. Lucifer was my real father"
"Oh wow" Krissy said "I'm guessing Dean thought you'd be evil"
Jack nodded. "I don't want to be" he stated
"You're not" Krissy pointed out. "You seem like a cool dude. The clarions trust you too which says something. I don't know how they do it but they have a way of just knowing. They aren't that nice to everyone"
Jack gave a thoughtful nod and as they walked, they passed the funeral pyre. He noticed two fancy looking stones near the pyre and curiously asked "Why do those rocks have names on them?"
Krissy sombrely explained "The names of my friends. They died when I met the others. They got their hunter funeral on this pyre and those stones are a way to remember them"
"Oh" Jack said before awkwardly patting her on the back. Krissy couldn't help but smirk.
"Hey guys!" Clover called out from the front porch "Come in for a second, got some news"
They headed into the control room and found the others around a large table. The water bottle holding the grace was sitting on the table.
"What's up?" Krissy asked
Clover explained "It's the go juice. I've managed to remove the taint but I'm still unsure about it."
"Is it safe?" Jack asked
"I don't know" Clover replied. "It was tainted with demon blood and a pretty powerful spell. I've fixed that but the thing is, this isn't your go juice Jack. This might temporarily return your powers but they wouldn't be at full strength. That and when it burns out there's a chance it could hurt you."
Lily added "We have an angel friend who could probably tell us more but it's not safe to contact her until we take care of archangel assbut"
Clover nodded and said "So you can have it back if you want Jack but it's risky"
"You're letting me choose?" Jack asked obviously a little surprised.
Lotus commented "It can't be easy being suddenly without your powers; you're human now. It's your choice"
Jack thought about it for a moment and said "Keep it somewhere safe. I won't use it unless I have to. Being human isn't so bad. I might need some training though"
"Good choice" Krissy said with a smile
Jack smiled proudly and Clover locked the grace in a warded box. He headed off to put it somewhere safe.
Lotus commented "Well done Gumnut"
"Gumnut?" Jack questioned
"It's a nickname. Sometimes they call me Daisy" Krissy explained with a roll of her eyes "Welcome to the family"
Jack smiled proudly again and Clover walked back in the room.
Lily said "We can work out what training you need tomorrow"
"For now, let's go out for burgers" Clover said
{~~~}
For the next few weeks Jack was trained as the group took on small hunts. They all also helped him with any struggles he had now that he was human. Things were going smoothly.
Then one day Haniel popped in for a visit with news. Lotus greeted her with a hug as did Clover and Lily. Lotus said "Guys, this is Haniel. Haniel, this is Krissy and-"
"Jack" Haniel said with wide eyes "I thought you would have been with Sam and Castiel"
Jack shook his head "I didn't think I was safe around Dean"
Haniel replied "You were right. I'm glad you're safe"
Jack was obviously surprised. He commented "You're not like the other angels I've met"
Haniel nodded and said "I was held captive for years before the clarions freed me. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. That and I understand you are close with Castiel. He was a friend"
Lily asked "What brings you here anyway, isn't this a bit risky?"
Haniel nodded "Yes. As you know I've been doing what I can to get more information about a certain archangel. In my travels I met a demon from what he called, apocalypse world"
Jack stated "That can't be right. The gates of hell were closed there. There weren't any demons"
Haniel nodded and explained "All I know is that he made a deal so he wouldn't be trapped in hell there. He came through the portal with a group of humans"
Lotus then asked "What does this demon want? It seems like a bad idea trusting him"
"It might be" Haniel replied with a sigh. "He wants to rule hell. He is powerful but still no match for an archangel. He wants to help in exchange for letting him take over hell"
Lily stated "I don't like it"
Jack questioned "What exactly does he have in mind?"
Haniel explained "We take out the archangel in Dean and let him take over hell. In exchange he'll free our version of the archangel and give him a vessel. He believes he can keep him powerless"
Jack gave a shake of his head "No. Our world's version was no better than the one inside Dean"
Haniel sighed and said "He wasn't great, but the demon thinks he can control that. The demon says that the end of worlds is coming and that we'll need all the help we can get"
Lotus sighed "We're not agreeing to anything yet but how does he plan on helping us free Dean? That's our top priority at the moment."
Haniel gave a nod and said "He's planned to use some demons to trap the archangel tomorrow afternoon in a barn a few hundred miles to the north. He crafted a spell to remove the archangel without harming Dean. Clarions, the spell should make it possible for you to absorb his grace when he is not in a vessel. He would simply cease to be; something that will only work due to the fact you were experimented on with the grace of many different angels. From what I can tell the spell seems like it will work"
Clover sighed and commented "It sounds like a trap"
Krissy said "What if it's not though? This could be our chance to save Dean."
Lotus looked at Krissy and Jack and stated "If we do this, you two are staying here. I will not risk you guys like that"
"We've gone up against demons before" Krissy argued
Clover pointed out "If this is a trap and we get killed, you guys will still be alive to save Dean."
Lily added "We know you're capable but please, trust us and stay safe on this one"
Krissy grumbled "Fine but I'm not happy about it"
Jack nudged her and said "Is there anyone else you'd trust to save Dean?"
Krissy sighed and shook her head "Besides Sam, no."
{~~~}
The following afternoon Haniel led the clarions into an old abandoned barn, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
"Ah, hello darlings. Nice of you to show up" The demon said.
There were three other demons in the barn who warily stood their ground. Dean was sitting in a chair looking bloodied and bruised. There was tape covering his mouth and he was in the middle of a large complicated symbol that had been painted on the floor.
Haniel commented "The deal still stands Crowley. We do this and you four leave unharmed. Alone"
"Yes, of course" Crowley replied "Get rid of the imbecile in that meat suit and we've got more important things to worry about"
However before they could even begin the spell another group of demons blew the large doors off the barn. "They're not mine!" Crowley yelled before disappearing with his minions
"Nuts" Lotus mumbled as the clarions pulled out their weapons.
A fight broke out and the clarions began killing demons. It was a struggle and each of them occasionally had to pull forth their wings to aid them in battle. They often used their wings to knock an enemy backwards and save themselves getting stabbed.
It took them close to five minutes before the group of demons was taken care of. The barn was now littered with dead bodies and pools of blood.
Haniel commented "We need to move fast"
Michael, in Dean's body, was chuckling to himself as he watched them fight.
"OK guys, be ready" Lotus said before Haniel began reading the spell. Haniel's hand was on Dean's forehead and soon Dean tensed and struggled violently against his bindings.
The symbol on the floor began to glow and the ground beneath them shook. Suddenly, Dean's head rolled back as a bright blue light emerged from Dean's mouth.
"Now!" Clover yelled. He, Lotus and Lily then each raised a hand and absorbed Michael's grace to add to their own.
Once they all depleted his grace there was a large outward explosion of power that sent everyone flying. The now unconscious clarions and dead bodies all flew outwards, away from Dean and most of the bodies went straight through the barn walls.
Even Dean's body went flying backwards. The chair he had been chained to crumbled and his body fell to the ground with a thud.
Haniel moved quickly over to Dean and smiled. It had worked. She quickly grabbed him and flew him to the bunker. Sam and Bobby froze and Haniel stated "You're welcome" before disappearing again.
She reappeared in the barn as Lotus sat up with a groan. "Haniel. Did it work? I definitely feel stronger"
"Yes it worked. We shouldn't stay here long" Haniel replied.
"Clover! Lily!" Lotus called out
Clover groaned as he sat up and Lily replied "Yeah"
Then Crowley reappeared. "Here we are, as promised" Crowley threw a man on the ground in front of them. "This world's Michael. He's running on permanently low grace and if you ever want to fix that, you'll need me"
Haniel questioned "How did you find him a vessel?"
Crowley smirked and replied "I time travelled and magically cloned daddy Winchester. In his younger days obviously."
Lotus asked "What are we supposed to do with him?"
Crowley looked at her and said "Screw him, kill him, torture him. I don't bloody care! A deal's a deal. I'm sure we'll meet again." With that he disappeared.
"Haniel? What is going on?" Michael demanded before staring at the Clarions "What in the name of father are you?!"
Clover gave a scoff and said "He didn't have anything to do with making us"
Haniel commented "We should get back to the manor. We can fill you in when we get there"
"No" Michael said sternly "I must get my grace back and fight Lucifer. The apocalypse will go ahead as planned"
Lily chuckled and said "Mate, you're a few apocalypses too late"
Haniel added "Besides, Lucifer's already dead"
Lotus stated "Haniel is right, we need to leave. You can behave yourself or be killed, now let's go. Haniel, could you please?"
Haniel gave a nod and transported them back to the manor two at a time
Krissy and Jack were waiting for them. "Did it work?" Jack asked
"Who's this?" Krissy asked
Haniel explained "It worked. I returned Dean to his brother. This is this world's Michael"
"What?!" Jack gasped
Krissy stated "Well go lock him up in the dungeon"
Surprisingly at this comment Michael fearfully shook his head "No, I'll do anything, don't lock me up again. Please"
Lotus said "We're still undecided. Everyone in the kitchen for now. I need a drink"
An hour later, they had been through two bottles of whiskey while they filled Michael in on what happened since he had been locked away in the cage.
Michael said "So let me get this straight. After I was locked in the cage, Castiel raided purgatory, killed Raphael and was responsible for the leviathan getting free. After the Winchesters took care of that, Dean took on the mark of Cain to kill Abbadon and Metatron closed the gates of heaven, causing all the angels to fall"
"That's the short version but yes." Haniel replied "I was captured in Australia along with fifty other angels. That particular men of letters chapter was stealing grace and using it on humans"
"Which is where we came from" Lotus said. "It wasn't long ago that we escaped and we saved Haniel, Adriel and Ezandriel"
Michael gave a nod and said "If Dean has the mark of Cain he will soon turn into a demon"
Haniel gave a shake of her head. "The mark was removed and the darkness was released. Lucifer tricked his way out of the cage while everyone was trying to find a way to destroy the darkness. Father returned and eventually left with her"
"Father returned?" Michael asked with wide eyes
"He has disappeared again" Haniel pointed out.
Michael sombrely muttered "He left me there." He was silent for a moment before he asked "How did Lucifer die?"
Jack explained "I accidentally opened a portal to another world before I was born. The Michael from that world came here and killed Lucifer. Dean said yes to save Sam"
Michael almost looked annoyed "Seriously? After everything I did to get him to say yes to me, he says it to some, some assbut?" The others all chuckled and Michael asked Jack "How did you even open a portal like that? You're human"
Jack explained "I wasn't until my grace was stolen by Lucifer. He's technically my father"
Michael's jaw dropped and Lotus stated "Anyway, the other Michael tricked everyone into believing he died. We dealt with him today and now you're here"
"What do you want with me?" Michael asked. "I presume you want to use me for something"
"An archangel could be an asset" Lotus commented. "Crowley mentioned the end of worlds to Haniel. Do you know anything about that?"
Michael raised an eyebrow and said "There are many myths but they are just that, myths"
"They might not be" Clover pointed out "The question is if we leave you free, what are you going to do?"
Michael scoffed and replied "I lived my whole life preparing to fight my brother. I don't know what to do now"
Jack very happily stated "You can join team kick-assbut if you be a good guy. If you don't they'll kill you" He pointed at the clarions for a moment and then giggled before looking serious and saying "I think that's what grandpa would have wanted. You being a good guy just because you can and not because you were told to. You should decide that for yourself uncle Mike."
Jack then hiccuped and fell off his chair. From the ground he said "I like whiskey" before burping.
Clover laughed and said "Come on Gumnut. Bedtime"
"OK" Jack said as Clover helped him to stand.
They headed upstairs and Lotus said "He's right you know. We will kill you if you make the wrong choice"
Michael sighed and gave a nod. He sombrely said "After what I've been through and everything that happened... I can't say he's wrong"
Haniel looked at the others and said "Why don't you guys go get some sleep. I'll keep an eye on him tonight"
Lily gave a nod and she stood she said "You can not imagine how painful your death will be if anything happens to her"
Michael gave a nod and sighed as he poured himself another drink.
{~~~}