"How could this happen?" General Thompson asked again. "This project was in its final phase. I was assured that Lt. Ketch was well on his way to being able to bond with the dragon now that Dr. Tapping's formula is ready. The dragon was supposed to be well behaved and controlled. Winchester was our only wild card and we were about to be rid of him for good! So how the hell did this happen?"

"We're still trying to figure that out," Col. Stephens hesitated to admit. "After you spoke with him yesterday, by all accounts, Winchester was back in line. Everything in his history suggested he'd stay in line and follow orders for at least a week and a half before his true nature asserted itself again, easily enough time to allow for Tapping's formula to work. We had zero indications that he tried to influence the dragon. There were a few minutes when the dragon followed him into the curtained bath area when they were out of our line of sight…"

"Why the hell were there any curtains in that habitat?" the general demanded. "We were supposed to have full view of the beast at all times!"

"It was one of Winchester's requests," Stephens explained, knowing what was coming. "You granted it in order to help settle the private down while Tapping's team continued to work on synthesizing the hormone."

He wasn't disappointed. Thompson's face, which was already reddened in anger, went even redder. "I want all the footage and audio recordings from the moment they both went behind those curtains until they came back out," he said, his voice deadly quiet. "Meanwhile, I want both of their files gone over with a fine-toothed comb."

"We already went over Novak's," Stephens reminded. "He'd seemed like an ideal candidate. He worked hard, obeyed every order, and most importantly, didn't have a backbone to speak of. His ex-wife and his co-workers walked all over him. He was the perfect mix of ambitious enough to try for the project and spineless enough to be easily controlled. If he'd mentioned Winchester, we'd have taken them both in a heartbeat, lobotomized that son of a bitch down to a literal drooling idiot instead of the one he already is, and had a perfect pairing."

"So what happened with Novak now?" the general demanded. "How could such a good, loyal and meek soldier suddenly decide to go rogue?"

"Winchester," Stephens growled. "It's the only answer. We should have gone with the suggestion of lobotomizing that bastard as soon as he formed the bond so he couldn't negatively influence the dragon. I still don't know how he did it, but he obviously convinced the beast to help him escape." He shook his head. "The dragon is far more intelligent than we'd anticipated. It even had Ketch fooled!"

"Ketch," the general spat. "You all kept saying that Ketch was well on his way to bonding with the dragon. He couldn't even convince it to come out of its cage! You had to send Winchester in to do it."

"Yes, Sir, the dragon's link to Winchester is still very strong," the colonel admitted. "In retrospect, if we had removed Winchester in any way prior to the new bonding, we might have even had a second Lucifer on our hands. But we were confident that, given a little more time…"

Thompson held up a hand, and Stephens immediately went quiet. "Never mind all of that now. Let's focus on what's most important, namely, why haven't they been found? Even after they removed the trackers, they should have shown up on radar or a camera somewhere. It's a dragon for fuck's sake! The damned thing should have been all over social media by now. That's how we first found out Raphael was active, so where the hell are they hiding?"

"We believe it is in its human form for precisely that reason, because no one reported seeing a dragon," Stephens reported. "It set fire to a couple of deserted buildings, probably Winchester's work. We know he enjoyed having the dragon fire on the practice field and he certainly did it enough in the simulator. We suspect the private was likely just testing the dragon's range or even how well it responded to his controls. There doesn't seem to be any real reason behind burning both buildings to the ground the way he did. It would fit with how reckless the bastard's been in the past. But beyond that, there's been no sign of them. If Winchester stayed low, which given his fear of heights is likely? They could have avoided being picked up by radar. If they also stayed over the more rural, isolated areas, they may have avoided being seen. Beyond the fires, we have no indication of what direction they went. They could have set down anywhere and went off on foot." He spread his hands. "We're going over the files of both Private Winchester and Warrant Officer Novak with a fine-tooth comb. We've already contacted Novak's ex-wife. While we've avoided Col. Winchester for obvious reasons, we believe we might make headway with his wife. We're also trying to find a brother, Samuel, to see if the private reached out to him. If that doesn't work, we'll go to the colonel with our original cover story about a training accident. We anticipate that he'll cooperate at that point in order to help us complete our reports, so long as we keep this under wraps and Private Winchester doesn't reach out to him. Frankly, I consider it highly unlikely he would try to contact his father. The colonel was not exactly brimming with fatherly pride when we met the man. I would suggest the ambassador, Winchester's brother, or possibly Novak's ex-wife. If Winchester doesn't reach out to anyone in his own circle, he may go seeking help in Novak's."

Thompson was still red-faced and scowling. "Reach out to the ambassador. She's proven to be friendly to our causes in the past. Meanwhile, let's look at the brother. From what we've seen, Winchester's not exactly close to his parents, so if he reaches out to anyone, my money's there. Novak's ex-wife is apparently part of why he blew his brains out, so not much hope there. The brother's probably our best bet."

"We can try, but it doesn't seem like they're close, either," Stephens pointed out. "They've had little to no contact since the private was sent to their father's base. All Col. Winchester said about it was that the younger son was disappointed in the behavior of his brother."

"Who wouldn't be?" the general growled. "Still, Private Winchester is far more likely to contact his brother than either of his parents. Find Sam Winchester and bring him in."

"Yes, sir, we're already in the process of searching for him," Stephens vowed. "Meanwhile, we'll keep spreading our net to find Private Winchester and the dragon. We'd like to circulate both of their pictures to law enforcement as armed deserters, with instructions to monitor and report without approaching. The last thing we need is some local yokel causing them to panic and create a mass casualty event that exposes this project to the world. Especially if we accuse them of espionage and sabotage, we could get a lot more people watching for them."

"Do it," the general ordered. "And get Ketch out there, too. Once we find the dragon, he'll be needed to try to calm it, especially since Winchester's likely got it flipping out by now." He shook his head. "You know, I was against using Ketch as our guiding partner at first. The lieutenant's a good soldier with a lot of experience and a spotless record, but he's a little too independent for my tastes. Part of me was glad we ended up not using him. Just imagine how bad we'd be right now if someone with his skills was on the loose with a dragon?"

Stephens scoffed. "Ketch is an ass-kisser and always has been. Once he finally gets his dragon, he'll fall in line just like he always has."

When it came to sleeping, Castiel usually liked being in his human form. Dean always let Castiel wrap up on him once he fell asleep. Even though his bondmate frequently complained about being spooned, once Dean drifted off, Castiel knew he was free to wrap him up. Then they both slept soundly all night. However, his dragon form offered Dean protection and warmth that he couldn't provide nearly as well in human form. That was why, when it was clear Dean was exhausted, Castiel had been quick to pull him into a hollow at the base of a rocky hill and morph into his dragon form.

Castiel was still very proud of himself for his idea of hiding in the scorched rubble of the burning barn. With the building still in flames and falling down around them, the searchers who'd come to investigate hadn't bothered going inside. Meanwhile, Castiel could easily shield Dean from the flames and debris. Dean was perfectly safe with a fire dragon. As soon as the searchers had gone, Castiel had taken his astounded bondmate back through the flames and they'd started out. The two of them had spent all day hiking as far and fast as they could, moving generally west through the wilderness. But while Castiel, despite the fact that the rough terrain quickly destroyed his slippers, could make good time, his fragile bondmate was having difficulty. Castiel did his best. He bent or uprooted small saplings, helped his bondmate to climb over rocks, even carried Dean on his back when they had to cross a small stream. Through it all, Dean hadn't said a word. He certainly hadn't complained, but Castiel quickly noticed that, after several hours of hiking, Dean was trudging along with his head down, breathing hard, and covered in sweat despite the chill in the air. That was when Castiel had found their hiding place, morphed into his dragon form, and tucked his exhausted, wild-eyed bondmate safely under his wing.

The dragon had been awake for a time now, listening to the sounds of nature and Dean's snoring. But now, the snores stopped. Castiel purred, feeling Dean's questing hand stroking gently through his feathers. "You really are a magnificent bastard, aren't you, Cass?" he said quietly.

Castiel purred louder. "I'm glad you think so."

"Well, Puff, your dragon magic certainly got us a lot farther than I would have thought, that's for sure."

Castiel furled his brow. "I don't understand that reference."

"Puff!" Dean exclaimed, incredulous. "Puff the Magic Dragon? Lives by the sea and all that? Seriously, Novak, how could you not know about that song? People said for years it was about drug use when it actually was a cute kid's song about a dragon."

The dragon lowered his chin to the ground and sighed. "Sorry, Dean."

"Eh, doesn't matter. You're brain damaged, after all, so some stuff is bound to be lost. I'm just glad to see that you didn't lose your edge. And your mojo is something else! You really surprised me." Some pressure against his feathers marked where Dean shifted around. "Hey, lemme out of here, would you?"

Castiel raised a wing, allowing Dean to climb out. Dean got to his feet and leaned back, grunting as his back popped. Then he turned to regard Castiel. "Well, you got us this far. I don't suppose you have any real idea of what to do now?"

"Not really," Castiel admitted sheepishly. "I just knew that if I didn't get us out of there soon, they would have kept trying to find a way to separate us." His eyes narrowed, snorting air hard through his nose in anger. "I will never let anyone take you away from me, Dean. Never!"

"Ok, calm down, I'm not going anywhere," Dean soothed, patting the dragon's muzzle. He looked around, then looked down at himself. "Well, I appreciate you carrying my pack yesterday, and I really appreciate you using your mojo on me back in that barn." He shook his head, grinning at the dragon. "That was amazing! I had flames all around me, and while it was uncomfortably warm and a really odd feeling? Look!" He held up his unblemished hands. "Not so much as a sunburn. Freaking amazing, man!"

Castiel purred, pleased with Dean's approval. "You're my bondmate," he explained proudly. "As our bond continues to grow, so will my ability to protect you. Since I'm a fire dragon, I knew you'd be safe from the flames as long as you were with me." He whined a bit, getting to his paws to nudge Dean with his nose. "I just wish I could grant you some of my strength, too. We haven't yet reached that point."

"The fact that it's a point at all is awesome, dude," Dean admired. "Thing is, we do need to figure out a plan. That plan is going to involve you being on two legs."

Castiel immediately nodded. Reaching back, he picked up Dean's pack in his mouth by one strap. Then he transformed, becoming a grinning man with bare feet and no pack in sight.

"Huh," Dean admired. "I am not going to begin to to try to understand the science behind the way you can keep whatever you're wearing, or apparently carrying, in the form you're not in. Whatever, it's cool and useful as hell."

Castiel beamed. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Dean looked around, found a convenient tree, and limped off to empty his bladder. "Wish I had a compass and a map," he called from behind the tree. "While I'm at it, I wish we had regular clothes, some money, maybe a car. We're going to need all of those things." Finished, he came back around the tree and sighed. "I hate to say it, buddy, but we're about to embark on a life of crime."

"I understand," Castiel said sadly. "Fortunately, we can use my knowledge of security for our nefarious purposes."

Dean chuckled, smiling fondly at him. "You don't remember 'Puff the Magic Dragon,' but you can still pull out words like 'nefarious.' Amazing." He looked down, his smile fading, and indicated Castiel's filthy feet. "You're sure you're ok barefoot? I mean, you've been fine all this time, but this is some rough terrain ahead."

"You forget my feet are really paws with thick padding," Castiel reassured. "I'm more worried about you." He pointed to Dean's left foot. "You seem to be limping."

"Yeah, I'm not really used to long-distance hiking," Dean admitted. "Haven't done much of it since boot camp. Now I've got a blister on that foot. No doubt I'll have one on the other one before too much longer."

"I'll carry you."

Castiel moved purposefully toward Dean, but Dean backed up rapidly, hand up. "No way! I know you're super strong, but you're not going to carry me piggyback."

"Of course not," Castiel reassured, scooping a protesting Dean up in a bridal carry. "I'll just carry you in my arms."

Dean grumbled and complained, but Castiel dutifully ignored him. His bondmate could not walk on a foot with blisters. At least Dean didn't struggle. Despite his complaints, he had his arms looped loosely around Castiel's neck when he wasn't using them to push brush away.

Soon, they came to a steep cliff. Looking down, they could see a small town. Dean pointed at it. "Put me down. We'll go along this cliff, try to find a way to climb down there, and you'll need your arms for that. I bet it's a place where we can steal whatever we need."

"Why would be need to climb?" Castiel asked.

Dean rolled his eyes. "You don't think someone might notice a giant dragon flying down to land in the middle of someone's back yard?"

Cass didn't bother to answer. Instead, to Dean's absolute horror, he took a few running steps and then leaped into the air. Dean was too terrified to scream, but he managed a squawk of surprise when a much-smaller version of the dragon's black-feathered wings suddenly appeared on Cass's otherwise-human back. Even with the wings, he went into a steep drop, hugging the cliffside and moving with sickening speed before finally leveling off at the bottom. By the time the dragon came to a gentle landing, Dean was very glad he'd just emptied his bladder and had nothing in his stomach. "Never do that again," he gulped.

"Dean, you must get accustomed to flying," the dragon insisted. He'd already started walking, the wings vanishing into whatever otherworldly dimension he kept them in. "It's just you and me now, and we will obviously have to fly. We can fly mostly at night, and…"

"Fly where, Cass?" Dean asked, exasperated enough to forget his heart-stopping trip down the cliff. "Everyone and his dog is going to be out looking for us. The military already had egg on their faces for losing all the other dragons. Two of them are currently burning things up, one is God only knows where doing God only knows what, and the last they had to put down. Pay close attention to Lucifer, because that's proof that yes, they can absolutely put you down. They already threatened to do exactly that if you didn't show progress in your training, which is why I let that motherfucker Ketch get away with as much as he did." He looked earnestly into the troubled blue eyes looking back at him. "Cass, this is serious. These people you were supposed to fight already did something to force Milligan to get Michael to rogue. That guy was a good soldier, and now he's out there having your brother burn down military instillations. People die during attacks like that. That's why they were desperate enough to take the two of us, even though they clearly did not want me and were trying to replace me with Ketch from day one."

"I am aware of the situation," Castiel said, frowning. "I haven't forgotten or abandoned my mission. That's why we're going west. Ketch told me that while Michael is clearly mobile and has been seen in multiple places, Raphael was most recently seen over a remote area near Yosemite."

Dean froze. "Yosemite? You mean the park?"

"Yes." Feeling his bondmate stiffen, Castiel looked down. "What is it?"

"It's just that Yosemite's only a few hours away from Stanford," Dean explained, looking upset. "My brother's out there. I don't like that there's a rogue dragon only a few hours from him."

"Unfortunately, it's probably a bit less for Raphael flying," Castiel pointed out.

He was alarmed when Dean's face suddenly drained of blood. "We need to get in contact with Sammy," Dean said. "I have to make sure he's alright and warn him not to go to Yosemite. The last time we were together, he was talking to Dad and Kate, our stepmom, about how much he liked taking his girlfriend out there. If he does, and that dragon…?" Dean clutched at Castiel's shoulders. "Ok, new plan. We need to get to the town and find a phone I can use to contact Sammy."

"We need to get out there," Castiel corrected. "Of course we'll call your brother, but we still are the only ones who can really stop Raphael and Michael."

Dean stared at him. "You still honestly want to fight two other dragons? Cass, the military can…"

"That's my duty," Castiel declared. "You think the military hasn't already tried to take down Michael when he was attacking those bases? Dragons are fast, powerful and extremely tough. The only reason they were able to stop Lucifer was because he never had a joining partner or a bondmate and was basically an animal. He acted on instinct. That's why they were able to stop him. But that is also why Dr. Tapping hurt me before I had a joining partner. They were trying to find out our weaknesses specifically so they could stop Michael and Raphael. They still went ahead with my project, even thought they obviously didn't want you to be a part of it, because they know that the best way to fight a dragon is with another dragon."

"Yeah," Dean said unhappily. "It should have been Ketch and his friend, not us, fighting these guys. Ketch would have done a way better job than what I could do. So could Jimmy. I'm over my head and out of my league and frankly, we don't stand a chance with me in the picture!"

Castiel smiled fondly at Dean. "I don't have all my human memories and you don't have battle experience, but we both have something better. They wanted me as Jimmy Novak because I proved myself capable of thinking on my feet. I was able to take down a drug operation when my team was outnumbered three to one because of that."

"Yeah, I heard you were some kind of hot-shot cop," Dean recalled. "That's what you did that got you decorated? Awesome! But I'm nothing like that."

"No, you're not," Castiel conceded, "but you're something else. You're streetwise. You've been a huge thorn in the side of the MPs and your commanding officers because you think outside the box. You don't act like conventional military. You don't do what's expected. And that's what we need, Dean. Milligan and Michael are trained military men who will act like trained military men. I can predict and counter that. We need your wits to outsmart and beat them."

"Dude, you are seriously delusional," Dean complained. "You honestly think a thug like me can outfox a couple of trained military killers?"

"I do," Castiel confirmed. "I have to. Like it or not, you and I are all there is to stop them."

Dean gave a long, drawn, out sigh and looked ahead. While they'd been talking, Castiel had continued to travel. Now they were nearly to the town. "Ok, step one, find some decent clothing. I see a lot of laundry on clotheslines out there because it's pretty warm and sunny today. We'll have to find something close enough to our sizes to make do. But we're going to have to really keep an eye out for doorbell cameras because we cannot be seen, ok?"

"See?" Castiel said confidently. "You're already doing it."

Dean shook his head. "I just hope it's enough."