Dean was back in his dragonriding uniform. This time, he made careful check of the parachute and tightened up the G-force panels in the sides of the uniform. There were no plans for him to fly today, but that hadn't stopped it from happening last time. This time, he'd make sure everything was set, just in case the worst happened. He triple checked his harness and said a quick prayer before reluctantly climbing back up into Cass's saddle.
Cass, meanwhile, was practically tripping over himself to make sure Dean was safe and secure. Dean had feathery black wings and a giant head all around him. The dragon literally laid down on his stomach to make Dean's travel into his saddle easier. A fond, worried buzzing was constantly in the back of Dean's head along with frequent questions about if he was alright, could Cass do anything to help him, so on and so forth. Dean spent so much time reassuring the dragon that by the time they were finally up and moving, his own anxiety was all but gone.
Once again, they were back at the training field. This time their audience was considerably lessened. The blackened ground crunched under Cass's clawed paws. Dean noted with a certain degree of satisfaction that there was not a single hornet to be seen. Granted, there wasn't any vegetation, either, but that's what grass seed was for. He had no doubt that, before too long, no one would even know the ground had been scorched. It wasn't that big of a deal. So some people got a bit sunburned, there were some blisters, and some property damage had happened. So what? At least he'd proven that Cass could and did obey his commands. That was more important than anything else.
That, and the conversation he still intended to have with Lt. Ketch.
Ketch hadn't bothered to show his face all day. Even when Dean had been called up and given his orders, he'd noticed that Ketch hadn't been around. No doubt, the limey bastard was laying low. Now Dean finally saw the lieutenant, sitting some distance away from the field in the passenger seat of a jeep like a king on his throne. Dean gave real consideration to "accidentally" driving Cass to stop right over the jeep, but he had nothing against the poor sap driving it. Maybe if Ketch got out…?
"Nice to see you both back," Ketch called over the radio.
"Yeah," Dean drawled, letting the sarcasm leak into his voice, "I bet it is. You and I are absolutely going to have a conversation about that bullshit you tried to pull on Castiel later."
"As you were, Private," Ketch responded calmly. "Please keep your head in the mission."
"Yes, Sir," Dean responded through gritted teeth.
Ketch either didn't catch the tone in Dean's voice or chose to ignore it. "Alright, we have our orders," he said. "Let's get to work."
The next hour passed reasonably uneventfully. They practiced ground maneuvers and targeting until Dean's ass was starting to get sore from bouncing in the saddle. Finally, Ketch called them back to the starting point. Dean breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Ketch in his own flight uniform getting out of the jeep and jogging over. He reached down to pat the dragon, feeling Cass stiffen under him at the sight of Ketch. "Ok, Cass, here's the plan. Lt. Ketch is going to practice flying with you now."
"What?" The dragon's head shot up in alarm, one blue eye peering hard at Dean. "No he's not. I only want you to ride me."
"I know, and after the shit he pulled the other day, I really wish there was anyone else," Dean apologized. "But there isn't. Ketch is some kind of badass. He's got a lot of experience under his belt, including being a certified fighter pilot. He's the only one qualified to ride you."
"I don't care. I only want you!" Cass was really getting upset. His wings unfurled and flapped in agitation, barely missing smacking Ketch. His feathers were ruffled. The dragon reared up on his hind legs, turned in place, and came back down with his tail facing Ketch. Dean winced. If the sight of the dragon's scaly ass right in his face didn't tell Ketch what Cass was thinking, nothing would. "I won't let you fall, Dean," Cass reassured. "I promise I won't."
"I know you won't buddy, that's not the issue," Dean soothed, stroking at a feathery wing. He tried to keep his voice steady and not show just how rattled he'd been when Cass had reared up like that. "This isn't about you at all. I just have this thing about flying."
Cass rumbled and moved again, sidestepping away from Ketch as he tried once more to approach. "You'll be fine. I'll keep you safe. I don't want anyone else to ride me. Just you."
"What's going on, Private?" Ketch asked impatiently. He'd tried again to approach and help Dean out of the saddle, and once again, Cass had quickly moved away from him.
"He's upset," Dean reported. "You shouldn't have tried to trick him, you asshole! Now he doesn't trust you and I can't blame him."
Ketch gave a great sigh. "Castiel, I'm sorry that I was present and didn't stop my superiors when they tried to trick you," he said. "At the time, I thought it was the best thing for you because Private Winchester just is not qualified. I thought what was happening was right, making sure you had a capable rider who could help you through what will be a difficult fight in your future. But it was wrong. It was not my plan and I played no part of it, but I should have spoken it. I don't blame you for not trusting me. However, it's very important that we move forward with your training. That means we need to start working on aerial maneuvers, and that means I'll be riding you."
"No!" Once again, Cass reared up on his hind legs and flapped his wings, this time punctuating his message with a roar.
Dean held on for dear life. The dragon dropped back to the ground and tore at it, claws tearing massive chunks from the scorched earth. Alarmed, Dean looked out and saw armed men racing for the practice field. An alarm was sounding. Weapons were being pointed at Cass as he threw his head back and roared again. "Cass!" Dean yelled. "Stop! I'm getting down."
Cass didn't seem to like that idea, but he had little choice when Dean unhooked his harness. He obediently held still while Dean climbed off and stomped around to the dragon's front. "You need to knock it off," he ordered, pointing an accusing finger at Cass. "Do you hear the alarms? All those guys are coming out here because they think you're going rabid. They're out here now, ready to shoot you, put you down like a mad dog. And for what?" He spread his hands. "What difference does it make in the end who rides you in the air? I'm not qualified. You know that. I know you know that, because Jimmy knew that. No one has any doubt that I am not qualified to fly with you. There's no need to throw a temper tantrum over this, ok? Now, I get it. Ketch is a total douchebag who ruined your trust…"
"Oi!"
"…But here's the thing. I can't fly with you."
"You can, Dean! You can learn, I can…"
"No." Dean reached out and grasped the dragon's nose, giving it a slight shake. "All my life I have been afraid to fly. That isn't something I can just change overnight, no matter how much I want to. I'll work on it. Maybe, in time, we'll be able to fly together, but right now? If I went up into the sky with you again it would be worse than last time. I'd freeze, buddy. I couldn't help it." He patted the great scaly snout. "These guys need you flying and they can't wait for me to get over my phobia. We're only good to them if we're useful. If we don't show some progress, then I'll get sent to the stockades, and you…?" He shook his head. "Frankly, I don't want to even think about what would happen to you. So please do this for me, ok? Fly with Lt. Ketch."
"You were given your orders, Warrant Officer Novak," Ketch urged, coming up to stand next to Dean. "I'm sorry to ask you to do something that makes you clearly uncomfortable, but we both have our orders. You know you should follow them. Now your guiding partner wants you to follow those orders, too."
The dragon gave a low moan. He nuzzled hopefully at Dean, but Dean backed away. "I'll be right here waiting for you to come back," Dean promised, continuing to back away. "We'll still be together. I'm not leaving, ok? I'll be right here the whole time, cheering you on. You're going to be the most amazing thing in the air, and I will be there to see it. Now go on."
A distressed blue eye blinked at him. "You'll be here?"
"Wild horses couldn't drag me away," Dean vowed. "Go ahead, show everyone how awesome you are at flying."
"Steady on, Castiel," Ketch called. He'd finally reached the ladder portion of the dragon's saddle while Cass was distracted and had taken hold. "I'm climbing up."
Everything about the dragon registered discomfort. His feathers were all fluffed. His breathing was in snorts. His tail lashed. He restlessly shifted his weight from paw to paw, making it harder for Ketch to climb into the saddle, but remained in place. His attention was fixed on Dean, who continued to back away, heading for the perimeter of the practice area. "You're doing great," Dean called. "You'll still be able to hear me with the radio, too, although I'm not sure how far I'll be able to hear you."
Cass continued to stare at Dean. Meanwhile, Lt. Ketch had reached the saddle, where he quickly strapped himself in place and took hold of the controls. "Alright, I'm aboard," Ketch announced. "Up we go!"
Nothing happened. Castiel was still staring after Dean. He gave a low, longing moan.
"C'mon, Cass, it's time to fly," Dean encouraged. "You need to show that you can respond to commands, remember? I know you can feel that you're supposed to go up because you had no problem feeling it yesterday. So let's see that scaly butt in the air. Show us what you've got, big guy!"
With another low moan of distress, the dragon spread his wings and jumped into the air.
Dean was pleased to learn that the range on Castiel's telepathy was apparently very good. The dragon didn't say much, other than to occasionally ask quietly if he was doing good. Dean offered lots of praise and encouragement. Ketch put the dragon through his paces, doing complicated aerial maneuvers before swooping down to flame targets. That was absolutely incredible to watch. Dean cheered and jumped up and down in excitement. By the time Cass flamed the last target, Dean was practically dancing. "Yeah, Cass!" he whooped, pumping a fist in the air. "That's how it's done!"
"Indeed, well done, Castiel," Ketch encouraged. "Alright, that's enough for now. Time to land."
Castiel quickly landed, a little too quickly for Ketch, who grunted. "Bit rough on the landing," Ketch noted. "We'll work on landings and take-offs next time."
That got another low moan from the dragon, but he was already making a beeline for Dean. Dean quickly ran over to meet him. Castiel lowered his head, and Dean scratched at his eye ridge. This produced a loud purr. The eye closed, the dragon bumping his head against Dean for more attention.
"Like a big cat, you are," Ketch noted, climbing down. "Head back in and get the riding gear off. Then go back to your human form and have some lunch. I'll be there to share with you, if you're agreeable?"
Cass turned to study Ketch with one eye. After a moment, he nodded.
"Excellent!" Ketch patted the dragon's head. Then he nodded at Dean. "Private Winchester, good work today. You carried out your orders to perfection. Continue that, and maybe you'll make something of yourself after all."
Cass immediately began purring again. Dean clenched his fists. Leave it to Ketch to find a way to simultaneously compliment and insult him. "Thank you, but I haven't forgotten what you did," Dean said through gritted teeth. "We've got a truce for now, but if you ever try that again, I don't care what your rank is. Got it?"
Ketch gave a slight smile and headed in to the base.
Dean started to follow, but Cass's head blocked him. "Dean," he said, "are you afraid of me?"
"No, and now I really wish I'd just punched that bastard," Dean snarled, glaring after Ketch.
"Ketch didn't say it," Cass pointed out. "He's actually been very nice of me, and I'm glad he'll eat lunch with me. That was Dr. Tapping and the Colonel who tried to trick me."
"Yeah, and I'm seriously pissed off at both of them, but even Ketch admitted he should have said something!" Dean took a deep breath, let it out, and patted the dragon's head. "I promise, I'm not afraid of you. I just have this thing about heights. Like I said, I'll work on it. The shrink here said he can help me get through it. There's also probably some really good drugs. Eventually, I'll get up there with you, just…" He shook his head. "I can't right now, buddy. But that does not mean I'm afraid of you. I'm not, I promise. Hey," he called, grinning at the dragon, "I agreed to stay in that cage with you, didn't I? I wouldn't do that if I was afraid of you."
The dragon gave a toothy grin. "I guess not."
Dean patted his nose. "C'mon, buddy, let's get lunch."
Feeling much better, Castiel headed back inside. Sure, it felt wrong to carry Ketch instead of Dean, but it seemed to be making everyone happy. He supposed he could live with the sick feeling in his gut for that, at least until Dean was in his rightful place in his saddle. Besides, Ketch was very nice to him. He'd heaped praise on Castiel during their flight training today, and it was very nice of the lieutenant to offer to eat lunch with him. Otherwise, since Dean's free time was over lunch today, Castiel would have had to eat alone. He just wished Ketch and Dean got along better. Still, Ketch had complimented his bondmate today. That had pleased Castiel. With Ketch's help, Dean should make good progress. With this happy thought in his head, Castiel returned to the domed room.
"Well done, Lieutenant," Col. Stephens cheered when Ketch entered his office. "I saw the training. The dragon responds well to you."
"That it does," Ketch said proudly. "I did have the expected difficulty at first when the dragon initially objected to the change. But Winchester did surprisingly well at calming it. The creature has now proven itself willing to take me on as a rider. I'll continue my work on getting it to trust me, but I feel I've made great steps today. We can proceed as planned."
"Excellent. You're dismissed." Col. Stephens returned Ketch's salute and then went back to his computer, where he pulled up his email. The general and his superiors would be happy to hear about the progress being made. If everything went well, Stephens was confident they'd be able to phase Winchester out of the dragon's training completely before long. Getting the beast to bond with Ketch would take longer, of course. Still, he had every confidence in Dr. Tapping. Once the creature began to respond positively to Ketch, they'd be free to remove Winchester entirely. Then the wayward private could go to the stockades where he belonged. The last thing a plan as ambitious as Project Castiel needed was a wild card like him.
Of course, they'd need a reason, some final nail in Winchester's coffin to ensure he went straight to the stockade. Col. Winchester would no doubt raise a fuss otherwise, despite what he'd said about disowning the boy. Private Winchester's long history was likely enough to get him dishonorably discharged, but that wasn't enough. The dragon had bonded with the private. Even if their plan to induce a second bonding with Ketch worked, there was no way to know how strong its original attachment would remain. That would be especially true if their leading theory, that Warrant Officer Novak had been nursing a secret love interest in Winchester, was true. Out in the streets, Winchester would be completely outside of their control and could do unknown amounts of damage. No, the project directors had already come to the unanimous conclusion that Private Winchester was a loose end that needed to be tied up, once and for all. That would require a compelling reason to lock him up and throw away the key, something far more serious than his spotty record. There were several plans being bandied about to make that happen. No one believed it would be difficult. It was simply a matter of setting things up and letting Winchester's own reckless nature do the rest. Then, once the troublesome private was behind bars with an extensive prison sentence, it would be a simple matter to ensure he never got out again.
