《Heirs of Creation- A Supernatural Fanfic》


 A Serbian Episode Pt 1

    ***A/N*** This is written more like a script instead of a novel. I think this keeps it close to the feel of the show.2 parts make up an episode. With this, it should make for apretty quick and easy read. That being said, there are changes in tenses when setting up each scene.***


    Scene opens up on a harsh winter scene, in the midst of a blizzard. A bundled figure is seen walking through the forest, their back facing away from the camera. They are holding a bloody knife and the figure is walking away from a trail of blood. They are walking out of the forest.


    *Medvedja, Serbia 1724*


    (Scene change) That same person walks into a tavern, and sits down near the fireplace. The lighting is dark and their face still isn''t well seen. They are staring into the fire and don''t notice a man sitting down next to them. He is tall and handsome with a cool confidence about him.


    "Mind if I join you?" He asked, already sitting down.


    The person turned to face them; a young woman with striking blue eyes, seemingly early twenties. She looked surprised to see him there. "How did you find me?" she asked incredulously. It''s obvious that neither of them are from Serbia.


    "You''ve gotten careless. You can''t expect to go around making a show, and not have me notice."


    "I''m not making a show, I''m helping people." She said, quickly getting angry.


    "You''re exposing yourself." he replied calmly.


    "You only found me because you know where to look. Not everyone, or thing, is that smart."


    "For now," he said. His eyes softened. "If your desire is to be a human, then why don''t you let me help? I can take the burden away from you."


    The woman turned away from him, staring back at the fire. "I''m not ready to give it up," She answered quietly.


    The man grinned, then said, "Something tells me that you will be soon enough. Pray that you''ll be able to find me when that time comes."


    "What do you-?" she whipped her head in his direction, but the man was gone. An anxious look washed over her face and she nervously rubbed the back of her neck, below her left ear.


    *Screen cuts to intro*


    Scene opens up to the boys at the bunker, in the afternoon. Sam is doing research on the computer at the table. Dean is sitting next to him, stacking bacon on a hamburger with a gleeful look. Sam stops what he''s doing and looks at Dean with a disgusted grimace on his face.


    "Do you ever think about the fact that 90% of what you eat is slowly killing you?" Sam asked.


    "We deal with death on a daily basis. The last thing I''m worried about is a little cholesterol, Sammy." Dean shoved the burger in his mouth. Sam rolled his eyes. Dean continued, mouth full. "You find anything interesting?"


    "Um, yeah....maybe. A few graves in Redmond, Washington were exhumed recently. the corpses hadn''t been dead long, but all their blood was drained after they had been dug up."


    "What? Like someone is using it for vamp poison?"


    "Well not only that, but their heads were already lopped off. That was all their cause of death."


    "Dean came over to the computer and looked at the article, "So three people get decapitated, then later their exhumed bodies found, drained of blood? So, it could be vampires.... but it could also just be someone using human''s blood to use against vamps..."


    "Or it could be some psycho serial killer. They never caught who killed the vics, but suspected it was the same person," Sam finished.


    "That sounds like a big ball of crazy. Let''s check it out. We can always call around to see if a hunter we know is already there."


    (Scene change) The brothers pull up to a police station. They walk up dressed in their FBI getup. They walk inside to the front desk, and flash their badges.


    "I''m special agent Finn, this is special agent King. We''re here to investigate the the case of the corpses that were exhumed recently," Sam said.


    "Not much of a case," said a voice behind them. They turned to see the Sheriff. "Sheriff Boggs," he said, introducing himself. "Not sure why the feds would be put on this one. We''re thinking some psycho is doing this."


    Dean scoffed. "Well you may think that you don''t need us now, but wait until the body count gets into the dozens."


    "True," the sheriff agreed. "But we find them quick and it''s done; I don''t think we need DC babying us through this."


    "Look, we''re just following orders. This isn''t first time we''ve seen something like this," Sam lied. "We''ve been tracking cases like this for while, trying to pin someone down."


    The sheriff now looked a little more concerned. "Right...Well then feel free to do what you need. Coroner''s office is downstairs."


    (Scene Change) They are now downstairs. The Coroner lets them in after they show their badges, and he pulls out the three bodies for them to examine.


    "That guy was a Class A douche," Dean grumbled.


    They immediately checked out the heads, checking for bite marks.


    "Dean, look," Sam said, pointing to two puncture marks on the neck of one of the women.


    "The other''s have the same," Dean remarked. "So they are vamps," he continued quietly. "I don''t understand why their blood was drained after they were already buried."


    "Excuse me," Sam said to the coroner. "When were these vics killed?"


    The coroner came over to them. "Less than two weeks ago, they were killed within days of each other-"


    "-That''s why they assume it''s a serial killer?"


    "Yes. Each body was found in a fairly public place; the local grocery store down the road. It was obvious that they had been moved post-mortem."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "So you think the sicko was just coming back to the grave for more kicks and giggles?" Dean asked.


    "That''s what we''re thinking."


    (Scene change) The brothers are back outside, getting into the Impala.


    Sam sighed. "This doesn''t make any sense. It''s gotta be someone hunting vamps down... but why would they be digging the bodies up afterwards?"


    "Maybe it''s a hunter who''s taken a little too many hits to the head? But putting them on display so the police could find them? That''s creepy."


    "Did you make any phone calls?" Sam asked Dean.


    "Yeah, no one we know is on the case.


    "So what do we do now?"


    Dean pulled out and went down the street. "Well we see if we can find the nest I guess. Have a stake out until we see if anyone comes to take one out."


    Sam nodded. "We should talk to the vics'' families. They were all locals, they''ve may have only been vampires for a short time."


    (Scene Change) They are now inside a family member''s home, interviewing a woman.


    "Mrs. Hearst, had you noticed any strange behavior from Caleb before his death?" Sam asked the blubbering woman.


    "Yes *sniff*, I guess he was acting different. He wouldn''t *sniff* eat much and he got so pale and sick."


    "Do you think he was hanging out with the wrong crowd? You know, that he may have gotten himself into some drugs?"


    Mrs. Hearst choked back a sob before continuing. "I had thought that. That''s what I told the police. He started coming home late, wouldn''t tell me where he was or what he was doing...."


    Dean piped up, "Did he know any of the other two victims? Samantha Bennett or Liv Trescott?"


    *sniff* sniff* "He knew Samantha for years."


    "We spoke to the girls'' parents, they showed the same signs that Caleb did before he died. Do you have any idea where they could have gone during that time?"


    She wiped her tears, and thought for a moment. "There''s an old, abandoned school right outside of town. People say that''s where a lot of drug deals happen. That would be my first guess.... but the police have already checked the scene. There was no blood that belong to Caleb and the gi-" She broke down into tears again. Dean, now looking uncomfortable, stood up.


    "Thank you, Mrs. Hearst, we won''t take anymore of your time," he said. Sam quickly followed him.


    (Scene Change) The boys are parked outside of the abandoned school. It is late in the evening and they have not seen anything yet. Abandoned buses and cars are still in the parking lot.


    "Man, I wonder if monsters deliberately pick out creepy-ass places to hang out." Dean complained. "We''ve been sitting here for two hours, we should just go check out the inside."


    "Yeah, okay," Sam agreed. They got out of the car and made their way towards the decaying building. "I wonder if the kids had come here and then were turned into vampires. It would make sense with their strange behavior before their death"


    "Good ol'' chicken or the egg debate. Still doesn''t us insight into the wacko killing them off."


    They rounded the corner to a pair of metal doors, and were met with a headlight coming off of the road towards them. They ducked into the shadows and watched as a motorcycle drove around to the back of the school. The brothers slunk closer to where it stopped, and saw a figure duck into the school through a broken window. Pulling out their knives, they followed the person into the school.


    They found themselves in the cafeteria; long tables and chairs covered in dust were strewn about the room. There was no sign of the person who had entered earlier. Sam pulled a flashlight out and checked around the room.


    "Nothing."


    "Let''s move to the-"


    Something hit Dean, knocking him to the ground. Dazed, he rolled over and tried to clear his vision. A young woman hovered over him, holding a long knife to his throat. In her other hand she held a gun, keeping Sam at a distance.


    She was petite with long dark, brown hair and striking blue eyes that gleamed with a livid ferociousness. She pressed the knife closer into Dean''s neck, drawing blood. She eyed them suspiciously for a moment.


    "...You''re not vampires," she noted.


    "No," Dean wheezed. Her knee was pressed into his chest.


    "We''re hunters," Sam said, holding his hands up.


    Her disposition changed, and she got off Dean and helped him to his feet.


    "Sorry about that," She grinned. "I''m Mallory Devlin. I got into town a couple of days ago. I''ve been watching this place, trying to catch some vamps....Who are you?"


    "I''m Sam Winchester. The guy you almost decapitated is my brother Dean."


    "Well I didn''t want to take any risks. This is the main pick up spot for the nest."


    Dean was holding his neck, trying to stop the trickle of blood. "Oh!" Mallory said and ripped a piece of her shirt and handed it to him. "Again, I''m really sorry. Good thing you didn''t put up much of a fight. Probably would''ve lopped your melon off without a second thought," she chuckled.


    "Yeah. ha," was his response. "Since you''ve been here longer what can you tell us about this nest? Have any clue as to who is digging up the bodies?"


    "I''m getting an idea. We can discuss it over dinner; my treat. It''s the least I could do after almost killing you guys," she was already walking out through the broken window. "Besides, I''m dying for some onion rings."


    Sam and Dean slowly followed after her. "You okay?" Sam asked.


    "I''m fine," Dean pouted. "I''m just not sure if I should be impressed or mad."


    "She did take you out pretty easily."


    Dean shot him a look. "Shut up."


    They were now outside and Mallory was already on her motorcycle. "There''s a great diner about ten minutes from here," She said, slipping her helmet over her head. She looked over at the Impala a short distance away. "Great car, by the way."


    Dean couldn''t help but slip a grin. He noticed Sam laughing to himself.


    Dean glared at him again"...Shut up."


    (Scene Change) A man is running down an alley, terrified of whatever is following him. He stops short when he comes to a dead end.


    "Please! It wasn''t me!" He pleaded desperately. "I can give you more names. Tell you who was there that night!"


    "Well I can''t just let you live now. Even if it wasn''t you." Said a cool, masculine voice in the shadows. The unseen man swung a blade and chopped the head off of the horrified man. "San, Brate (Sleep, brother)" he said as he started dragging the body out of the alley.

 A Serbian Episode Pt 2

    (Scene Change) At the diner, the three are sitting at a booth. Sam, always the healthy one, sits eating a salad and has his laptop out. Dean and Mallory are both eating hamburgers, but instead of fries, Mallory has a stack of onion rings. Beside her is a leather notebook with old looking paper in it. Pictures and notes in various languages are written all over the pages.


    "We didn''t realize that there was a hunter already on this case. How''d you catch wind of it?"


    "Well I haven''t been back in the states for a while. I''ve been in Europe for the last several years, hunting there."


    "How long have you been hunting?" Dean asked. "No offense, but you hardly look old enough to vote."


    "I''m old enough," she replied flatly. "A hunter''s life was just something that I accepted at an early age. I''m sure you two can attest to that."


    "Fair enough," Sam intervened. "What brought you back to the states?"


    "I had been working on a case in Serbia. I heard about this case and there were a lot of similarities; bodies with the heads chopped off, buried then dug up days later with their blood drained. I finished the job there and came straight here."


    "So you fink there''s a connection ''ere?" Dean asked him his mouth full.


    Sam tried to hide his embarrassment, but Mallory didn''t look bothered. "I do," she said excitedly. "It all goes back to an old urban legend in Serbia," She pointed to a section in her notebook. "Back in the 1700''s there was a man, Arnold Paole, who was bit by a vampire. He eventually killed it and claimed that he was able to cure himself of the bite by eating some of the dirt from the vampire''s grave and then bathing in its blood.


    "That''s a load of crap."


    "Obviously. Someone had to take him down when it was clear that he wasn''t cured. But like a lot of myths, things get blown out of context. Many people there still believe that you can cure yourself that way."


    "So," Sam said processing his thoughts. "We might be dealing with someone who has some Serbian ancestry. They know the legend... They may be looking for one specific vampire."


    "I''m guessing we''re looking a vampire that is trying to cure itself. They don''t know who turned them, that''s why there''s been a number of killings."


    Dean leaned back in the seat. "Well that''s a good start. It probably wouldn''t be hanging around the nest getting cozy if it was looking for revenge. We can pick it up again tomorrow morning, see what our leads are then."


    (Scene Change) They are outside of the diner, getting ready to leave.


    "Hey Mallory," Sam said before she drove off. "You have a cell phone? So we can meet up somewhere tomorrow morning?"


    "Oh I don''t have a cell phone," she said bluntly.


    "You''ve been hunting solo?" Dean asked, confused.


    "Live free, die hard... or whatever it is. What hotel are you guys at? I can meet you there at eight."


    "We''re at The Leafy Lodge on Aspen street."


    "See you then." She kicked off and left them in the parking lot.


    (Scene Change) The brothers are back at their dingy motel, getting ready for bed. Dean is sitting on the bed, cleaning a pistol and Sam is at a table, still at his laptop.


    "Mallory seems like an interesting character. I can''t believe she''s made it this long on her own. Sounds like she has nobody," Sam said, thinking out loud.


    "She''s a tough cookie, is what she seems like."


    Sam laughed. "So are you done moping about the cafeteria incident?"


    "Look," Dean said defensively, "I can appreciate a good hunter when I see one. She''s obviously not a noob at this."


    Sam dropped teasing Dean, but continued his original thought. "I just wish we knew more about her. I mean, it''s great that she knew a lot more about the case than we did- that saved us a lot of research- but do we actually know any hunters that have ties outside of the united states?"


    "Like it matters? Look, Sammy, monsters are everywhere. Some one''s gotta clean up messes there too. Why are you being so weird about this?


    "I don''t know, something seems off to me."


    "If it makes you feel better, we can make some phone calls, see if anyone has connections across the pond. Check her cred."


    "I just don''t want to have the wool pulled over our eyes. It wouldn''t be the first time we''ve been duped by someone claiming to help us. We don''t know the first thing about this girl."


    "Yeah, I got it, Mr. Paranoid. We''ll just have to watch our back until we know we can trust her. Would ya turn the light off by you, if you''re not gonna use it."


    Sam sighed and flipped the light off. He turned back to his computer, looking at a page of vampire legends. He browsed through a few different articles of different Serbian legends. One caught his eye and he clicked on the link. The title at the top read ''The Defender of Medvegja''. Sam creased his forehead and read through the article. He stopped when he saw a drawing depicting a woman holding up a head of a vampire. He heard Dean move in his bed and Sam quickly shut the laptop.


    (Scene Change) It is eight in the morning, and the boys go outside to see if Mallory has gotten there yet. They find her sitting on the hood of the Impala, reading something.


    "What are you doing on my baby?"


    "Waiting. Donut?" She handed him the box.


    "Ooh." He grabbed one greedily.


    "Do any research last night?" She asked.


    "Um, uh, no." Sam stuttered. "Just went home and hit the hay. What about you?"


    "Me and sleep aren''t the best of friends, so yeah, I found some stuff. I hacked into the town''s public records, traced anyone with Serbian lineage and went from there. One lead stuck out to me, so I dug a little deeper." She showed them the paper she was reading. "Lana Dragovic; A widow here in town. She lives with her son, Darren. He''s been in and out of jail a couple of times due to drugs. No one has seen him in a couple of weeks. Lana reported him missing. I figured that would be a good place to start."


    "Nice work," Dean said, finishing off his second doughnut. "Let''s go. Mallory, you can ride with us." They clambered into the Impala. And took off towards the address listed on the paper.


    (Scene Change) They pulled up to a shabby house and got out of the car. When they reached the door, Sam and Dean pulled out their fake FBI badges, ready to flash them. A plump woman answered the door, barely opening it. When she saw the badges, she frantically started spouting off angry Serbian. The boys shared a confused look. The woman tries to shut the door on them, but Mallory catches it and holds it open.


    "Cekati! (wait)" Mallory said to the woman. She kept talking to her in her in Serbian, eventually calming her down.


    "She said she doesn''t want feds in her house."


    "Good, tell her we''re fakes," Dean said, pushing his way into the house.


    Mallory relayed the message back to the woman who now looked confused. She spoke to the woman while the boys inspected the house. Old furniture cluttered every room, but everything was in immaculate shape.


    "There''s no sign that her son even lives here... unless they''re both into dollies. We need to check upstairs," Dean noted.


    "Got it," Sam agreed and went back over to Mallory.


    "Lana said that she thought Darren had gotten back into drugs right before he disappeared. She hasn''t seen him since.."


    "Do you think she''s telling the truth."


    Mallory looked back at the timid woman. "No."


    "Hey guys!" They heard Dean yell from upstairs. The two left Lana looking lost behind them and bounded up the steps.


    Sam and Mallory entered a long hallway; Dean stood at the end by an open door.


    "Holy- what''s that smell?" Sam asked, holding his nose.


    They entered the room and saw the answer to his question. Dead animals were strewn across the bed and floor, blood was smeared on the walls. In the connecting bathroom, the tub was stained with blood and dirt.


    "Well Darren definitely came home to see mommy dearest recently," Dean said.


    "Yeah," Sam coughed, trying not to lose the doughnut he had eaten earlier.


    "We need to talk to her again," Mallory stated. They raced downstairs to find Lana sitting in a chair crying. Mallory approached her carefully. "I''ll ask if Darren knew about the legend. And see if she knows where he went." She talked to the sobbing woman, trying to get information from her. After a few minutes, she walked back over to the boys.


    "He does know. He''s been trying to find the vampire who turned him at the school, to fix it. I asked if he had fed on any humans. She said that he always brought home animals to feed on, but she wasn''t sure about humans."


    Dean nodded. "Darren knows where the nest is, but he wouldn''t risk going in there. they''d kill him. He''d track them down individually... starting at the school. We need to go back."


    "I''ve been at that school for three nights now, and haven''t seen anything. The vampires aren''t going there now because of him."


    "How do you track down a vampire who doesn''t want to be a vampire?" Sam asked. "When is the last time she saw Darren?"


    Mallory turned to Lana, translating her message. "Early this morning... he said something about having no luck again.... he killed another vampire, to get more information.... he''s going to the nest tonight for one last desperate attempt."


    "Wait, there''s another body? Where?"


    Mallory asked Lana. "She doesn''t know. It could be found soon though. What time is it?"


    "A quarter to nine," Sam said, looking at his watch. "The grocery store opens at nine. That''s where the other ones were found. The body could be there right now."


    "Doesn''t do us a whole lot of good. We still don''t know where the nest is."


    "Damnit!" Dean trudged out of the house. Mallory spoke to Lana one more time before following him outside.


    "Hey wait! I asked her if she knew where Darren might be."


    "And?"


    "She said he always went to make sure that the body was found."


    (Scene Change) On the way to the Grocery store, they get a call from Sheriff Boggs, telling them that another body has been found. They pull up to the grocery store, where police cars and an ambulance take up a majority of the parking lot.


    "Sheriff," Sam nodded as the three of them walked up to the scene. The body of a man was propped up against a light pole; his head resting on the ground beside him.


    "Customer just found him. Same parking lot, different spot," The sheriff said. "Who are you?" He asked Mallory.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Forensics. Just flew in last night."


    Sheriff Boggs didn''t seem quite sold. "How old are you?"


    "I''m old enough," she responded casually.


    Mallory watched as the brothers talked to the police. She looked around to see if anyone stood out to her. Other than the police, there were only about a dozen civilians around.


    "Spot anyone?" Sam asked behind her.


    She gestured with her head towards a man standing beside his car a short distance away. "He looks way calmer than the other civilians here. Plus, he''s the only one wearing a scarf. It''s not that cold out and he''d want to cover bite marks. I''m putting my money on him."


    "Impressive, Sherlock. We''ll keep an eye on him the rest of day."


    She kept a wary eye on him, waiting for him to move. The body was placed in the Coroner''s van, and she saw the man give a slight smile and get back into his car.


    "Guys," she said, getting their attention. They finished talking with Sheriff Boggs and made their way towards the Impala. Dean pulled out and kept a fair distance from Darren''s car.


    "Stalker mode engaged," Mallory said under her breath. "You guys are pretty good at this."


    "Not our first rodeo sweetheart," Dean said. "...The psychotic vampire is new though."


    (Scene Change) Now nighttime, the gang followed Darren all day. He is now leading them down a dirt road towards what they assume is the nest. The car stops in front of a large house and he hops out, wielding a knife. Mallory and the boys park behind a small grove of trees and went around to the back of the house.


    "What''s the game plan?" Sam asked.


    Dean stopped short at the door. "Let''s split and try to find him. Take out any vampire that you meet, but try not to kill Darren... Oh, and let''s try not to die," the last part was directed more to Mallory.


    "Not my first rodeo, sweetheart," She grinned and led the way into the house.


    (Scene Change) Sam makes his way down a long set of stairs going down into the basement. He reaches the bottom, looking for any movement.


    (Scene Change) Dean walks down a brightly lit hallway, silently checking the rooms. He pauses when he hears muffled screams in one of the rooms. He pushes on the door and finds Darren standing over a bloodied vampire tied to a chair. Darren turns towards him with a crazed look in his eyes.


    (Scene Change) Mallory steps into a large dining room. The floorboards creak behind her and she turns to see three vampires slowly coming towards her. The burly one in the middle regards her with recognition.


    "Ti si Branitelj (You''re the defender)," He stated.


    "Wow, no one''s called me that in ages. I''m so flattered," Mallory smiled. "Did you know me back then?"


    "I was a child when I was turned. I remember people whispering your name in the streets. They revered you. But you didn''t rid all of Medvegja of the vampires. Some were smarter than Arnold. But after you left, others took your place, and those not killed had to flee."


    "Well he wasn''t the brightest bulb in the box. You''ve been here awhile then. Did you turn Darren?"


    "Doesn''t matter who turned him. It''s too late for him now."


    (Scene Change)Meanwhile, Sam''s weak flashlight barely lights the basement. He finds a light switch, but the bulb is burned out.


    "Figures," he mumbled. A running force hit him from the side and he flew to the ground, his flashlight and knife skidding across the floor. The vampire set down on him, throwing punches. Sam kicked him off and they set off in a brawl. The vampire grabbed him by the shoulders, throwing him into an old washer.


    (Scene Change) Dean held his knife out at Darren. "Come on, man. What are you doing?"


    "Getting my revenge!" Darren yelled at Dean. "I need to find a cure... za majkom (for mother)" He whispered as he ran his finger along his knife. Suddenly, Darren sliced the knife into the vamp''s neck, sending the head rolling underneath the bed. Dean watched in surprise as Darren then broke down into sobs.


    (Scene Change) The three vampires come in closer to Mallory, but she holds a calm look on her face.


    "I take it you know that the Serbian legend for the cure is a ruse?" She asked.


    "Of course," the middle vampire answered.


    "Why''d you turn Darren?"


    "He was just a victim of circumstance. Going to the school was an easy place to pick off unexpecting kids."


    "I see... well now that that''s out of the way, I still have to kill you guys. Sorry."


    "Hajde onda da igramo (let''s dance then)."


    (Scene Change) Sam and the vampire are still going at it, Sam desperately trying to either find his knife or something sharp to take the vamp out.


    Sam spotted a thin metal sheet lying next to the dryer. He grabbed and swung, catching the vamp''s face and sending him to the ground. Sam pounced on him, bringing the sheet down on his neck, spraying blood in every direction. He wailed down on him a couple of times for good measure. The vampire stopped flailing, his head now completely detached. Sam felt around for his knife, finally finding it and dashing upstairs.


    "Mallory! Dean!" He followed the sound of commotion coming from a few rooms away. He turned into the dining room to see Mallory chopping off the head of the second vampire, one already dead. The burly one was angrily swinging at Mallory, trying to put up a fight, but she had the speed and agility of an experienced fighter, dodging his blows with ease. Sam stood in the doorway, afraid that he''d do more harm than good by going in to try and help. She swung upwards with the knife, cutting deeply into his arm. He growled in pain. She took the opportunity to land hard punches to his face, knocking him to the ground.


    "What are you?" He slurred, blood coming out of his mouth.


    "Sam branioca, ti kurvin sine (The defender, you son of a bitch)."


    In one swift motion, she cut off his head. With his shirt, she wiped off the blade. Sam stared in horrified amazement at her. She turned to him, noticing the blood on his face and shirt.


    "You good, dude?"


    "Not as good as you, apparently. Where''s Dean?"


    "Dunno."


    (Scene Change) Dean is still standing above Darren, unsure of what to do. The young man is still crying, holding his head in his hands.


    Mallory and Sam raced up behind Dean. Dean turned to acknowledge them.


    "He''s been like this for a few minutes."


    Mallory gingerly approached the weeping man. "Darren?"


    Darren looked up at her, tears smearing the blood on his face.


    "It''s over," she said. "They''re all dead."


    "But I don''t know which one turned me."


    Dean approached him as well. "It doesn''t matter. You can''t be cured if you''ve already fed on a human."


    "But I-" he started.


    Mallory put her hand on his shoulder. " What you''ve been trying won''t work. It''s an old urban legend. You could kill a hundred vampires and it wouldn''t fix you."


    "I need to be fixed!" He cried. "I don''t trust myself!" He broke down into hysterics, jabbering in Serbian.


    "I''m sorry," Mallory tried to comfort him.


    She stood up. "What do we do? He''s fed before, he''ll do it again."


    "We can''t just take him out. He was just trying to find a cure," Sam countered.


    "No!" Darren composed himself and looked at them with resolve. "She''s right. I''ve already fed on a human; I''m too dangerous. Do what you must."


    The three shared a look. "I''ll do it," Dean said. He walked towards Darren. The young man knelt on the ground. He looked at Mallory and said, "Tell my mother I''m sorry."


    She nodded then looked away as Dean finished the job.


    (Scene Change) The next morning, the boys are back at their motel, all fresh and clean again. They''re standing outside by the Impala and Mallory''s bike.


    "Thanks again, Mal," Dean said.


    "Woah, nicknames already. Buy a guy dinner once and he''s already that comfy with you," she teased and Dean rolled his eyes. "It was my pleasure. I''ve been flying solo for a while now. It felt good to to be on a team."


    "Well do yourself a favor and get a phone," Dean said. "Here," he handed her slip of paper with their numbers on it. "Let us know when you do."


    She smiled. "Thanks guys."


    Sam and Dean smiled and waved her off as she got on her bike and left.


    (Scene Change) Dean and Sam are driving back to the bunker, Dean is singing along to the radio, Sam is sitting and in deep thought Sam mode. Dean finally notices.


    "Dude, what is your deal?"


    "What? Oh, it''s nothing."


    Dean laughed. "Quit lying. You suck at it. Does it have to do with Mallory again? She''s cool, man. Why don''t you trust her?"


    "I don''t know. She just seems, different. Like, she''s super smart; she knew of the vampire legend before we had even thought of doing that sort of research, she found Lana and Darren. Heck, she spotted him pretty much as soon as we got to the crime scene."


    "You''re jealous."


    "What?"


    "Yeah, she''s like Sam 2.0. Gotta say man, that''s a little beneath you."


    "Dean, I''m not jealous. You just like her because you guys are junkfood buddies."


    "Whatever, grumpy gills."


    Sam sighed, now frustrated. "She took out three vamps in the same time that I took out one. and she didn''t have a trace of her own blood on her. It didn''t look like they touched her."


    Dean looked at him. "So what are you saying?"


    "I''m saying... I don''t think she''s completely human."


    "What?"


    Sam pulled out his phone. "Look, she said something to the last vampire before she killed it. I only remember the first part, but it was something in Serbian."


    "Really Sam?! What did she say, nerd?"


    "She called herself the defender."


    "Defender? What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "I don''t know, but I did do some research last night- about Serbian vampire legends. There was a something about a "Defender of Medvegja". A woman who cleansed the town of vampires before she just disappeared."


    "You''re saying Mallory is a three hundred year old vampire slayer? That''d give Buffy a run for her money. Where''s this article?"


    "I''ll pull it up." Sam found the article from last night and handed Dean the phone.


    "Dude, this talks about a guy who defended the town. How many beers did you have last night?"


    "Gimme that." Sam scrolled through the article, even checking the drawing at the bottom. It depicted a man now holding the vampire''s head. "I swear this is not what it said last night!"


    "I just think you''re trying to find an excuse not to trust her."


    Sam thrust the phone in his pocket and looked out the window, irritated. "Until I can prove otherwise, I don''t."


    Dean ignored him and turned the radio up.


    (Scene Change)


    Mallory sat at a caf¨¦, looking at a laptop. The browser was open to a tab of Serbian legends. She touched the screen and the pixels warped for a moment before returning back to normal. She shut the laptop and put it away.


    "I''m sorry, Sam."

 Fishy Business Pt 1

    Scene opens up at night at a lake. A group of high school kids are parked at the shore, listening to music and doing typical dumb high school things.


    Ballwin, Missouri.


    A young man, very drunk, walks to the water''s edge with his girlfriend in tow.


    "Landon, I don''t think this is a good idea."


    "You seriously don''t believe in that nonsense do you?" He slurred, taking off his shirt.


    "I don''t think you should be going out there when you''re so drunk. Come back to the campfire."


    "Janey, don''t be such a baby! Come on!"


    She hesitated then took a step back. "No."


    "Fine, whatever." he jumped into the water swimming away from her. Janey watched him from the shoreline, hoping that he wouldn''t go too far out.


    Close up to Landon shows him treading water. He sees something floating above the surface and it peaks his interest. The closer he gets, he realizes it''s another person. He yells to get their attention. The figure turns and it is a beautiful woman with long flowing hair. She smiles at him.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t think anyone else was out here," she said.


    "Nah, you''re good. You live nearby?"


    "Yes." She looks over to Janey who is still standing on the shore. "Is that your girlfriend?"


    "Oh, uh, Janey... No," Landon lied.


    Back at the shore, Janey notices that Landon has stopped. She walks around the shoreline, trying to get a closer look.


    Meanwhile, the girl in the water smiles at him and swims closer. Landon chuckles nervously, but doesn''t swim away. The girl wis breathtakingly beautiful. Her face now close to his, she leans in and whispers.


    "You shouldn''t have lied to me,"


    Starled, Landon backs up, but something catches on his arms and legs, pulling him underneath the water. He flails and tries to fight against the force taking him down, but it is too strong. His screams quickly become muddled with incoming water.


    "Landon!" Janey screamed, coming in closer. The commotion caused the other high schoolers to look in their direction. Janey ran into the water trying to reach Landon.


    The girl in the water calmly watches as Landon sinks to the bottom of the lake. She looks up and sees Janey coming towards her. She dips her head into the water, disappearing from view.


    "Landon!" she yelled again. The other kids were now also in the water, looking for his body. One was on shore, calling 911. Janey swam around frantically. Something nudged her foot and she pulled back to see what it was.


    Landon''s body slowly rose to the surface, a dead look of horror still stuck on his clammy face.


    Cut to intro


    (Scene Change) Mallory is in a gas station, mid afternoon, walking the aisles. She spots a pack a red vines and picks them up. She has a cell phone in one hand and she dials a number and holds it to her ear.


    "Hello?" Dean answered. He is back at the bunker, shooting pool.


    "Hey, Dean. It''s Mallory."


    "Hey, you got a phone! Welcome to the 21st century."


    "Haha," she laughed sarcastically. Now at the back of the convenience store, she caught a glimpse of the cute cashier and made an approving face.


    "What are you up to?" Dean asked on the other end. "Been working on anything?"


    "I''d like to say I have.... but ever since Washington, I''ve been driving across the country, enjoying American food again. Did you know they have a ten pound burger challenge at a diner in Durango? Man, I love this country."


    Dean laughed, "Yeah, you''re talking about Ronda''s. Great place. Where are you now?"


    "Right next to the Kansas border." She stuck the red vines in her pocket and walked out. The attractive cashier looked up as she left. He looked back down at the counter and was surprised to see a crisp hundred dollar bill sitting there. Written along the top was, "Keep the change". Looking confused but happy, he slipped it into his pocket.


    Now outside, Mallory put the Red vines in a bag on her motorcycle, still talking to Dean.


    "You''re pretty close to me and Sam. If you need a place to crash, you''re welcome to stay with us."


    "You sure?"


    "Yeah, we''re actually looking into a case right now. I think It''d be right up your alley."


    "Okay, that works for me."


    "Sweet. I''ll text you the address."


    "Text? What''s a text?"


    "Seriously Mal?"


    "I''ve never used a phone before! I''m surprised I haven''t broken it yet."


    Dean sighed audibly over the phone. "Just wait a sec, it''ll come."


    "Wha- Ooh." She pulled her phone away from her face. "Oh, look at that.... Alright, I got it. See you later tonight."


    "Yep."


    She hung up the phone and slipped it into her pocket.


    (Scene Change) Dean put the phone back in his pocket. Sam walked up behind him.


    "Who was that?"


    "Mallory," he said, not looking up from the pool table. "She''s coming to help out on the case."


    "Wait, she''s coming here?" Sam asked, looking defensive.


    "Uh...yeah," Dean answered, in a matter- of- fact tone. "Is that okay with your royal stuffiness?"


    "Dean, you know how I feel about the situation. Inviting her into the bunker seems like a really stupid idea."


    Dean finally stopped his game and looked at Sam. "Dude, if we do this, we can test out your theory that she isn''t a human. There are spells and wards for all kinds of things here. If she isn''t human, then she won''t get very far. Would ya trust me?"


    Sam didn''t look completely sold. "I''m still not crazy about the idea. What if all the protection we put up doesn''t affect her?"


    "Well we''re going to have to figure it out one way or another. This way, you can eliminate some things off the list in one fail swoop."


    "...Fine."


    (Scene Change) Mallory finishes packing things in her pack and starts to put on her helmet. Her bike is sitting next to a cluster of other motorcycles parked beside her. Two older, bigger bikers walk over to their bikes. They stopped when they saw her.


    "What''s a pretty girl like you riding a bike like that?" One chuckled. "Wind''s gonna mess your hair up."


    She stopped in the middle of putting her helmet on to better talk to the them. "What''s a fat guy like you riding a bike like that? People are gonna think you''re an idiot," she said, gesturing to his own bike.


    "Whaa-" The man said, looking over in the direction of his motorcycle. Where his motorcycle once was, a red plastic tricycle was now in its place. Mallory slipped her helmet over her head and saluted to the men and took off, leaving them in a confused, angry stupor.


    (Scene Change) Mallory pulls up next to the bunker and gets off her bike. It is late in the evening.  Meanwhile, Sam is touching up a devil''s trap underneath a rug by the garage door. Dean walks up to him.


    "You done? She should be here any minute."


    "Yeah... everything''s ready... for angels, demons, witches, you name it."


    "Man, I hope you''re wrong about this...." Dean said smugly. "Mostly because I''d love to see the look on your face."


    Sam shot him a look which Dean didn''t catch because his phone started ringing.


    "Hey, you here?--- Yeah, let me open the garage for you."


    (Scene Change) Sam waits as Dean meets Mallory outside. She walks in behind Dean, stepping onto the rug.


    "Hey, Sam!" She said cheerfully.


    "Hey," he responded rather awkwardly.


    "Nice Bat Cave you guys got here."


    "Thanks... You hungry?" he asks, watching her warily. "I can whip something up real fast."


    "Sure." she smiled. Dean gave Sam a crooked grin then turned to Mallory. "I can show you to the dining room. Give you some details about the case." They walked away from Sam, Mallory following him.


    Sam, now frustrated and slightly disappointed, walked to the kitchen.


    (Scene Change) Mallory, Dean and Sam are sitting at the table. Mallory is eating and Sam has his laptop out.


    "So this story popped up the other day- Local teen, Landon Burke, drowns in a lake- didn''t seem like a big deal, until we looked at the details," Sam explained.


    "What details?" Mallory asked.


    "Well his girlfriend, uhh Janey Thompson, was watching him from the shore, she saw him drown. Her and at least three others say that they saw someone drowning him . Janey says that when she went out in the water, the figure dipped under the water and disappeared."


    "hmm.... have you guys ever dealt with something like this before?"


    "Well," Dean said, "We deal with the ghost of a boy once who was drowning people. But we looked into other options: mermaid, siren. That sort of thing. You ever come across something like this?"


    "Maybe.." she pulled out her leather notebook and flipped through it. "I''ve never come across a siren... mermaids are super annoying, but rare and pretty much harmless.... no wait, those are nymphs... scratch that; mermaids will mess you up."


    Sam peered at the notes and drawings scrawled in her book. "Did you draw everything in there?" He couldn''t help but be impressed and notice how thick the notebook seemed.


    "I did... but only the things I''ve seen first hand. I don''t have anything in here that I haven''t faced personally... here we go."Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    She turned the notebook so the boys could see what was on the page. written on the top was, Rusalka, Russian lore.


    "What is this?" Dean asked.


    "They''re very similar to mermaids and the lore of sirens, though they don''t have tails; they lure in unsuspecting men with their beauty, then lead them to their deaths. Never heard of one being this far west; they''re deeply entrenched in Russian folklore. I killed one outside of St. Petersburg awhile back. There''s a good chance this is a Rusalka, but we''ll have to dig a little deeper to really know for sure."


    "Well, you''ve already got us beat in the mermaid and rusalka department, glad to have you one the case," Dean said. "What else can you tell us about them?"


    "They''re pretty much angry spirits. Women who died from a jilted love affair in or near a body of water, either by suicide or were killed by their lover. They drown other two-timing men."


    "Angry spirits wiping out random cheaters. Sounds familiar. How do you kill one?" Sam questioned.


    "I don''t know if there''s more than one way to do it, but in my experience, their death must be avenged."


    "Wait, so you killed a Rusalka''s lover?"


    "Of course not Samuel," Mallory said in a half serious, half mocking tone. "Guilt got the best of him... and she did the job herself. If there is another way to get rid of them, we''re gonna have to dig a little deeper."


    Dean stood up from the table. "Well that''s a head start. We''ll head to Missouri first thing tomorrow- see what else we can get. We should let you get to bed," he said to Mallory. "You''re probably exhausted from driving all day. There''s an open room, down the hall, first one on the left."


    She stood up, gathering her notebook. "Thanks again, guys," She picked up her plate and started for the kitchen.


    "No problem," Sam smiled. He grabbed the plate from her. "I got it." She thanked him then turned and went down the hall, shutting the bedroom door behind her.


    Dean turned to Sam, following him into the kitchen. "Well, are you satisfied? She passed all your tests."


    "Just because she did, doesn''t mean that there isn''t something off about her."


    "Doesn''t mean that there is something off about her."


    "Why can''t you just trust my hunch on this?"


    "Because I want us to be able to trust someone! Aren''t you sick of always looking behind your back, trying to guess who''s on our side, and who isn''t? She just seems like a break from that. She''s a good hunter; she''s smart. She''s on top of things... I trust her," Dean said with resolution.


    "How can you be so casual about this? There''s a stranger in our home and you treat it as if it''s nothing."


    "... Well I guess you can say ''I told you so'' when you find me dead tomorrow."


    "Dean..."


    "Don''t make me bet on this, Sammy," he said walking out of the room.


    "Dean, you suck at gambling."


    Dean waved his hand at him and walked out.


    (Scene Change) In the middle of the night, Sam is creeping down the hallway towards Mallory''s room. A light is shining underneath the door. Sam stops at the door, hesitant on what to do next. He hears a faint noise on the other side. He waits, but curiosity gets the better of him and he opens the door slowly. Mallory is sitting on the floor by the bed, head in her hands. She looks up when he opens the door.


    "Hey, Sam."


    "Hey.. can''t sleep?" He asked, now feeling like an idiot for noticing her tear streaked face.


    "I tried... Sleep and I don''t really get along though. Sorry if the light was keeping you up."


    "No! No, you''re fine. I was already awake. You good?"


    "Yeah, I''m fine."


    "...You wanna talk about it?"


    She laughed. "Are you always this awkward when trying to comfort girls?"


    Sam laughed nervously. "I guess it''s not my strong suit." He stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do.


    "It''s okay. Just a bad dream. You can go to bed," she said reassuringly.


    He nodded, but stayed a bit longer. "I''m sorry."


    "For what?"


    "For..." he thought, "For whatever you''ve gone through. I doubt you''ve had an easy life as a hunter."


    Mallory smiled slightly. "I could say the same about you and Dean.... Funny enough, I think life was harder before I became a hunter. But thanks though."


    Sam smiled. "Goodnight, Mallory."


    "Goodnight."


    (Quick Flash) The three are sitting in a living room, interviewing Janey Thompson.


    "Janey," Sam started. "What can you tell me about your relationship with Landon? How long had you two been dating?"


    The young girl had tears in her eyes. "About two years. But we were off and on a lot."


    "Was it a good relationship? Did you trust him?" Mallory interjected.


    "Do you mean, do I think he cheated on me?" She was quiet for a moment. "I suspected something going on between him and Alexa Carnes," She said bitterly. Then her eyes got big. "Wait, you don''t think I killed him, do you?"


    "Of course not!" Sam comforted. " We just want to know more about Landon." He turned the conversation. "Did you see anything strange that night?"


    "Well, we were all a little buzzed..." She commented sheepishly. "But I saw someone out there with him. And I wasn''t the only one! I''m not crazy."


    "Do you know of anyone else who was killed in that lake?"


    Janey''s face paled. "There''s been this rumor around for years that a woman was killed in that lake by her husband... Maybe ten years ago.... Some people say her ghost still hangs around the lake. Since she was killed, a few other people have drowned."


    "They blame the drownings on this ghost?" Dean asked her.


    "I guess. No one really swims in there anymore...."


    Mallory asked her one last question. "Do you know the name of the woman who was killed ten years ago?"


    "Rachel Stinson. Her husband was Richard. These days, most people call the lake, Stinson Lake... after her."


    "... What a way to keep a memory," Mallory mumbled under her breath.


    Dean chuckled nervously and turned to Janey, "Whatever happened to her husband?"


    "After he killed her, he shot himself."


    The three shared a look of disappointment. "Well, Thank you for your time, Janey. We''re very sorry for your loss," Sam got up and nodded at her.


    (Scene Change) The gang is now getting back into the impala.


    "Well this is just fan-freaking-tastic. If the husband is dead, that doesn''t give us a lot to go off of," Dean said, getting into the driver''s seat.


    "Not necessarily," Mallory explained. "If she killed herself, then avenging her death wouldn''t matter..."


    "Then how would we kill her? Like we would any ghost?" Sam inquired.


    "... That''d be kinda hard if her body was at the bottom of the lake."


    "So now what?"


    Dean revved the engine. "We find out if she really was killed by her husband."


    (Scene Change) The boys and Mallory pull up to a different house, it is closer to sunset by this time. They walk up to the door and knock. A tall man who what looks to be in his late twenties answers the door.


    "Hello? How can I help you?" He asked timidly.


    "Derek Stinson?" Sam flashed his badge. "I''m Special Agent Spencer, this is Special Agent Guster, " he said indicating Dean. "... and... forensic specialist, Agent O''Hara. We have a couple questions regarding your late parents."


    (Scene Change) They are now inside of Derek''s house, standing in the foyer.


    "I don''t understand, my parents were killed over ten years ago. Why would the police be interested in them again?"


    "Because as you know, the records state that it was never proven that your father killed your mother; it was only speculated. We''re opening the case again," Dean said in a no nonsense tone.


    "Okay..."


    Mallory piped up. "This was the house that you grew up in? Have you removed anything that belong to your parents? Records, journals, anything to that extent?"


    "Yeah, um, I kept everything of my dad''s in his study. I moved my mom''s stuff in there a couple years back. You''re free to take a look."


    (Scene Change) They are now in the study going through mountains of papers and notebooks. Dean is looking through an old journal of Richards. He stops towards the end of the journal when something catches his eye.


    "Hey, hey look at this. Looks like Dick was worried about Rachel cheating on him."


    "What?" Sam and Mallory say in surprised unison.


    "Yeah, it doesn''t say with who though. He seemed pretty upset about the whole thing. You guys find anything?"


    "Not yet." Mallory answered.


    They continued to search through their possessions. Some time had passed and Mallory was looking at old photographs from the box that belong to Rachel. Her finger caught the edge of a back of a picture frame and she turned it over and found a small key wedged into the frame, distorting it.


    "Lookie, lookie," She said quietly. The brothers stopped and looked at the key.


    "Does it open anything in here?" Sam asked.


    "No. We''ve checked everything in this room three times over...Derek" She said to the young man who was in the next room. He wandered in nervously. "What room was your mom''s stuff in?"


    "Uhh.... The room I use now. Why?"


    Mallory gave him a quizzical look. "Just curious. Thanks."


    Derek nodded and left the room slowly. Once he left, Mallory turned to Sam. "You go distract him, Dean and I will go take a look in his room."


    "Wait, why me?" Sam said in protest. "Why don''t you do it?"


    "Because, he''s been drifting in and out of this room for the past hour and I don''t think it was because of mine and Dean''s winning personalities."


    Sam let slip a faint derp face and didn''t move. Dean smiled giddily to himself.


    "Now''s not the time to be self conscious, Sam. You''re a handsome enough dude," Mallory encouraged with a grin. Dean and Mallory slipped past Sam, Dean whispered as he passed him, "Told ya that haircut was gonna come back and bite you in the ass." Sam made a sour face and went to find Derek.


    (Scene Change) Mallory and Dean open the door to Derek''s room. The walls are covered with various anime posters.


    "No wonder Derek was nervous about telling us where her stuff was. This guy''s a nerd."


    They searched through Derek''s belongings thoroughly, checking the bathroom and closet for anything that the key would fit into.


    "Okay," Mallory stopped in the middle of the room, thinking aloud. "If I was having an affair, where would I keep all my gushy love crap? Not just out in the open in a locked box..."


    "Well, there''s no pictures on the wall, couldn''t be behind on of those. Maybe behind some of the posters." Dean started carefully removing the posters, trying to find a lump in the wall. Mallory checked the closet again, running her fingers along the floor and walls.


    "Find anything?" She asked a few minutes later.


    "Nada."


    Mallory sat in the closet, staring blankly at the floor. The wood paneling in one of the corners was slightly lifted, so she pulled out a knife and moved over to it. She pried the panel, causing it to pop up. She chuckled darkly to herself and stuck her hand into the hole that the panel hid.


    "Dean,"


    He came over and she showed him a small box. Using the key, they opened it to find a stack of letters and pictures. They looked through them. The pictures consisted of her and another man. The letters were addressed to a Mark Stephen.


    "This guy lives in town," Dean commented.


    "Makes our job easier. Let''s hope he''s still alive."

 Fishy Business Pt 2

    (Scene Change) Dean and Mallory make their way back to a very uncomfortable looking Sam. He stands up quickly and gives them a, "I will kill you later" look. Derek stands up as well.


    "Did you find anything that you needed?" Derek asked.


    "I think so," Dean said cheerfully. "Thank you so much for your help. If we need anything else, I''m sure Agent Spencer could give you a call."


    Sam shot Dean a death glare then turned and laughed nervously, already making his way to the door.


    "Okay," Derek said, following them to the door. "Don''t hesitate to call if you need anything else!"


    (Scene Change) They are walking out to the Impala.


    "Please tell me I didn''t suffer through that for nothing."


    Dean held up a letter and a picture. "No, Sammy. You didn''t."


    (Scene Change) They pull up to another house. It is now nighttime and only the porch light is on. They go and check the front door. Dean knocks on the door while Mallory and Sam walk around back to the back door. They meet back together on the front porch after seeing that Mark is not there. They are not standing on the porch long when they see a car pull up into the driveway. A middle aged man gets out of his car, not seeing them on the porch. When he notices them, his face goes pale and he backs up against the car. They move slowly towards him.


    "He''s gonna bolt," Sam noted.


    "Yep."


    Suddenly, Mark took off down the street. Dean and Sam tore down the porch steps, Mallory pulled herself over the balcony railing, and they chased after him. She cut him off and grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him to the ground. Seconds later, Sam and Dean came up behind them. Mallory was holding his arms behind his back as he struggled to free himself.


    "Errff! Get off!" He grunted. Mallory eased up, allowing him to sit up. The three of them circled around him.


    "Why''d you run Mark?" Dean smirked. A look of regret and guilt washed over his face and he said nothing.


    (Scene Change)They are sitting in his house. Mark is running his hands through his hair.


    "I... I never meant for it to happen..." he started.


    "What? The affair, or her death?" Dean asked harshly.


    "Her death was an accident! I swear!" Mark cried.


    "That night, she told me that she wanted to end things. She felt too guilty..."


    (Show flashback to the night of her death)Mark and Rachel are on the shore of the lake, arguing.


    "I''ve told Richard..." Rachel said, with tears in her eyes.


    "Why did you tell him?!" Mark demanded.


    "I can''t do this anymore! To him... To Derek."


    Crying, she started to walk away from. "Rachel, wait-" He reached out and grabbed her arm, but she pulled away and started walking faster. He grabbed her again with more force.


    "Let go!" She jerked away, losing her footing on the loose gravel. She fell, knocking her head on a large rock at the edge of the water.


    "Rachel!" Mark bent down and grabbed her. Blood flowed freely from her head and seeped into the water. Mark looked around in a panic.


    (Flashback to Mark telling the story)


    "I didn''t know what else to do. I felt too guilty to bring her back to Richard... I-I just dragged her into the lake. I was a coward... Richard killed himself a day later. It''s all my fault." He broke down into tears.


    The three were silent for a moment, unsure of what to say.


    "Mark..." Mallory finally said. "Rachel is still hurting people. She can''t rest because of what happened."


    "I know," he choked. "I see her. All the time, at the lake."


    "What do you mean?" Sam asked.


    "Almost every night, I drive out there. I don''t get out of my car, but I see her. In the water, like she''s waiting for me. I thought I was going crazy at first, but-"


    "Does she ever say anything to you? Or come towards you or anything?"


    "No.. she just waits."


    "Do you ever say anything to her?"


    "No...I never get out of my car...I just go to see if she''s still there."


    "Mark, we think Rachel is a Rusalka... an angry spirit who can''t rest because of her death," Dean explained. "We might need your help in order to get rid of her."


    Mark looked worried. "What? What do you mean- what would I have to do?"


    "We''re not exactly sure," Mallory said. "We don''t know much about them. But we need to find a way to get rid of her spirit, and you might be the key to that."


    "How?"


    Mallory looked uneasy. "We''re still trying to figure that out."


    (Scene Change) They are sitting in a motel room, around a table. It is late at night.


    "If avenging Rachel''s death is the only way to get rid of her, we can''t just just kill the guy," Sam lamented.


    They sat quiet for a minute. "You''re right," Mallory said. "It was too easy for me last time facing a Rusalka. I never had the opportunity to see if there was another way to kill her."


    "Then we''ll just look into the lore more," Dean said. "We kind of just came into this without knowing a whole lot. There''s gotta be something."


    "You''re right," Sam agreed. "We should get some sleep..."


    "I can take the couch," Mallory offered.


    "You sure?" Sam asked.


    Mallory looked at the couch. "Do you honestly think you''d fit on that thing? I''m fine."


    "Fair enough."


    (Scene Change) Sam is lying in his bed, arms behind his head, still wide awake. He hears a rustle in the corner of the room. He sits up to see Mallory, lying on the couch. She looks anxious and sweaty, like she''s having a nightmare. Sam gets up and slowly walks up towards her. He reaches out his hand to grab her shoulder, but she suddenly bolts up, awake. She grabs his outstretched arm with a strength that surprises Sam.


    "Sorry," she says, panting. A look of something like terror is painted across her face.


    "Are you okay?" He asks with genuine concern, and slight fear.


    Mallory didn''t look at him, distracted with her thoughts. "Yes... I''m sorry," She realized that she still had a hold of his wrist and lets go.


    Sam bent down, their faces now at similar levels. He looked unsure of what to say, but goes ahead with his thoughts. "If you... I don''t know, want to talk about it, you can. We''ve all been through Hell here. You''re not alone..."


    "I don''t want to talk about it. Not today." She laid back down, ending the conversation. Sam, looking slightly hurt, stood up and walked back to his bed, massaging his wrist.


    (Scene Change) The three are at a diner, it is the next morning. Sam and Mallory are stilling next to each other in a booth, Dean on the other end. Sam is sitting near the window. Dean is browsing the internet.


    "Here we go.... There''s a couple of different options. If a Rusalka''s hair dries, it dies..."


    "Speaking as a girl with long hair, that could take some time... What''s the other one?"


    "They die if they are too far away from the water."


    A waitress interrupts them when she brings them food. Sam whips out the salt on the table and sprinkles it on his food. "You want some?" He asks Mallory.


    "Ooh, yeah. Thanks." She grabs it and sprinkles it on her food.


    Dean shoots him a "What the hell is your problem" look.


    Sam clears his throat, "Mallory, do you mind if I get passed you? I need to use the little hunters room," he chuckles anxiously.


    "Sure thing man."


    Dean watches Sam leave then gets up. "I''ll be right back..."


    "Whatevs."


    Sam is waiting for him in the bathroom.


    "Really dude?" Dean asked in annoyance. "Checking to see she''s possessed by a ghost. Real subtle."


    "What, did you want me to ask the waitress for a cast iron pan and hit her over the head with it. So she doesn''t have an aversion to salt. Just covering my bases."


    "No, you''re acting like a paranoid weirdo. If you want to know so damn bad, then why don''t you just ask her!" he huffed then started to walk out.


    "Wait, something''s happened the past two nights."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Back at the bunker, She was awake in the middle of the night. She had been crying-"


    "Where are you going with this?"


    "At first, I thought it was just a nightmare like she said, but last night, She was asleep but obviously having a nightmare... when I reached out to wake her up, she woke up before I could touch her and grabbed my wrist. It was like she knew I was going to touch her and woke up before I could do it."


    "Oookay.."


    Sam sighed in frustration and pushed up his jacket sleeve. His wrist was slightly bruised. Dean''s demeanor changed and he looked worried.


    "She did that?"


    "Yeah... Dean, even if she doesn''t mean us any harm, there''s definitely something fishy about this. I mean, no one that size should be that strong and it seems like she has chronic nightmares, probably about some pretty messed up stuff."This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "Did she tell you what they were about?"


    "She said she didn''t want to talk about it."


    They looked through the open bathroom door at Mallory. She was sitting at the table, speaking with the waitress.


    Dean turned back to Sam. "We''ll find out soon enough. Maybe it just has to be when she''s ready to open up."


    They walked back over to the table sitting down.


    "Okay boys," She said eagerly. "I''ve got a plan to clear this whole thing up.... also, our super old waitress wanted your number, Dean."


    "Wait, what? You didn''t give it to her, did you?"


    "Of course, she looked lonely," Mallory grinned and bit down on a piece of her waffle, ignoring Dean''s annoyed face.


    Sam laughed, "We can always trade and you can have Derek''s number." Dean was not amused by that comment either. He turned his head to see the old waitress look at him and wave; he grimaced and pushed his food away from him. "I don''t want this anymore."


    "Oh, goodie," Mallory pulled the plate towards her. "Split the bacon?" She asked Sam.


    "Please."


    (Scene Change) It is evening again. Sam and Mark are walking down to the lake, Sam is on the phone, talking to dean.


    (Scene Change) Dean and Mallory are outside of the Impala, on the road, a further distance away from the lake. In her hand, she is holding a long iron rod.


    "The last group of people just left. We''ll be at the shoreline in about five," Sams says.


    "Sounds good. We''ll be on the lookout." Dean hung up the phone.


    "You think this will work?" He asked Mallory.


    "No idea... but it should still be pretty exciting."


    "Right. I feel comforted now."


    (Scene Change)Sam and Mark are at the shoreline.


    "Sam, I don''t feel so good about this," Mark said, looking worried.


    "It''ll be fine. Nothing is going to happen to you."


    They looked out onto the water.


    "There!" Mark pointed to a bump sticking out of the water.


    Sam tensed and pulled out a iron rod for good measure.


    Back on the water, the bump was gone.


    Mark squinted. "Where did-" He fell to the ground, screaming. Sam whipped around to see a beautiful young woman with dark hair that was so long, it dragged on the ground. She was pale and soaking wet in a loose white dress. A chunk of her hair had wrapped around Mark''s ankle.


    Sam lunged with the rod, but she was already gone. Mark continued to scream. Dark hair was now wrapped around his head, pulling him into the water. Rachel was waist deep in the water, pulling him in with a giddy look in her eyes. Sam struck down on the length of hair with the rod. Rachel screamed and released her grasp on Mark. Sam helped Mark up and pulled him away from the shore. They sprinted away from the lake, making their way to the road. Rachel followed them, Her image shifting like a ghost; she disappeared from view.


    (Scene Change) Dean and Mallory are still sitting on the truck of the impala. Dean looks over at her.


    "Dean, if you want to talk about feelings and crap, save it."


    "I didn''t say anything!"


    She meets his eyes. "You didn''t have to. I know Sam told you about my nightmares."


    Dean put his head down. "Look, it''s fine if you don''t want to talk about it. But it doesn''t help if you keep it bottled up. You''ll have to talk about it with someone at some time."


    "Why do I get the feeling that you aren''t very good at following your own advice?" She said with a hint of frustration.


    "This isn''t about me. It''s about you. Mal, Sam and I hardly know you, but we want to help."


    "...Or you don''t really trust me and you want to find out more."


    Dean looked taken aback but tried to cover it up. "We trust you-"


    "-Sam doesn''t seem to."


    "Sam''s just hesitant whenever we get mixed up with other hunters. You never know what crap they bring along with them," he lied.


    She looked at him with stubborn eyes. "...Fine. What do you want to know? My dad''s always been in and out of the picture for ages, but still manages to be a total jackass. My mom was killed about ten years ago, but I really couldn''t say a whole lot of great things about her either. I''ve been on my own most of my life, so forgive me for not being too quick to open up about my greatest, deepest secrets."


    "Well," Dean scoffed. "That was a good start. Don''t you feel better?" He said in an attempt to lighten the mood.


    Mallory laughed bitterly. "Ha, well that''s all you''re getting for now."


    "It''s better than nothing."


    "...I don''t really open up to people well," she confided.


    (Scene Change) Show Sam and Mark running up the road. Mark is falling somewhat behind, his pace slowing.


    "Hey! Hey hey-" Sam turned and pulled on his shoulder. " We gotta go-" He looked behind them. Nothing was there.


    Sam whipped his head, looking for Rachel. Her image suddenly shifted into view in front of them. She lunged at Sam and pushed him with unnatural strength. He landed about ten feet away, the air knocked out of him.


    She stopped in front of Mark, her expression changed and she gently smiled at him. Mark was frozen in fear as she reached up at touch his face.


    Without Mark noticing at first, her hair quietly wrapped itself around his neck. By the time he noticed, she was already choking him, maintaining her smile.


    Sam came up behind her, striking her on the head with the rod. She disappeared once again. Sam grabbed Mark and they kept running.


    (Scene Change)Back to Mallory and Dean at the Impala.


    "What about you, huh? I don''t know anything about you or Sam. I bet you guys have a few good stories to tell. Please don''t tell me I''m the only crazy one here."


    Dean smiled, but quickly turned serious when he heard yelling. "Here they come."


    In the distance, Sam and Mark are making their way to the car, in a dead sprint. Nothing is following them.


    "Crap, she''s not with them," Mallory said. "Dean!"


    Rachel appeared beside Dean, her hair wrapping around his neck. He grasped at the hair, trying desperately to tear it away. Mallory swung at her head with the rod. Her image shifted again and she disappeared. Mallory grabbed the car keys that had fallen out of his pocket and helped him up. Dean coughed, and rubbed his red, chapped neck.


    "Get in the car!" She yelled at Sam and Mark who had stumbled up to them.


    (Scene Change) Mallory turns on the car, Dean is in the passenger seat. Sam and Mark are in the back, panting. She pulls out and drives down the road.


    "Why are you driving?" Sam asked Mallory.


    "Because Dean can''t breathe at the moment," She replied. "Woah!" Mallory said in surprise. Sitting next to Mark, Rachel appeared, now looking more gaunt and less wet. She reached her hands around Mark trying to choke him. Sam grabbed the iron rod about to hit her with it.


    "Wait!" Dean said hoarsely. "Mal step on it!"


    Mallory sped down the road. Mark and Sam were still fighting Rachel off, but she was getting weaker. She got a hold of his throat, clamping down on it with blind fury in her eyes. Mallory pulled the car out onto the main road and sped down it. Rachel''s image started to shift again and her grip relaxed.


    She let go of Mark and started at her hands, screaming. Suddenly, her body imploded, turning into water, leaving a puddle on the seat.


    Mallory slowed the car to a stop. Sam and Mark were the back, breathing heavily. Mallory grinned at Dean. "You see, that was exciting!"


    (Scene Change) They are outside of Mark''s house.


    "I owe you guys everything," Mark said humbly. He shook Sam and Dean''s hand. Mallory reached up and gave him a hug.


    "Just stay out of trouble," Dean said.


    "... And you should probably never tell anyone what just happened," Mallory piped in.


    Mark laughed. "You can count on it."


    (Scene Change) Back at the bunker, it is early morning. Mallory is in the kitchen, making breakfast. She is wearing a loose gray v neck and comfy sweatpants, her wavy hair is pulled up into a ponytail. Dean shuffles into the kitchen, wearing pj''s and yawning.


    "Hey, dude," She says casually.


    "What are you making? Wimpy ass pancakes?"


    She laughed. "No, they''re crepes. Way better than pancakes."


    He sat down at the island counter. "I''m not eating French food.... it''s French."


    "Come on, you baby. I''ll have you know that I am a professional crepe maker. I learned a thing or two when I spent a few months in Nice."


    "Oh yeah. Where''s your professional crepe making certificate?"


    She handed him a plate with crepes and strawberries on it. "Just shut up and try it."


    Dean shoveled some into his mouth. "Mmm..K, fine. You win." He chowed down on them and looked up at her curiously. On her neck, behind her left ear was a pink scar in a particular shape. It was about an inch long and looked oddly familiar.


    "Is that a birthmark?" He asked.


    She reached up to her ear, suddenly looking self conscious.


    "Sorry, that was rude."


    "Nah, you''re good." she said, slightly blushing. "Yeah, it''s a birthmark. I usually try to keep it hidden.... but didn''t want my hair to get into the batter," She said nonchalantly, putting a bowl into the sink.


    "So, what''s your plan, now? You gonna stick around Kansas for a bit longer?" He said, quickly changing the subject.


    "I don''t know... I don''t really stay in one place for very long."


    "You''re a great hunter. You''re welcome to stay here a bit longer if you want."


    "I''m not sticking around just to make you breakfast every morning," She teased.


    Dean laughed then grew serious. "Then why are you sticking around? You seem like the type to dip out once the action is over. That''s what you did in Washington."


    Mallory stopped doing the dishes, but didn''t turn to face him. "Well we did get in pretty late last night."


    "That''s not what I mean."


    She sighed. "I remembered that sometimes it''s nice to not just dip out. It''s been a long time since I''ve confided in anyone."


    "So I should feel pretty special."


    "I''m being serious, Dean."


    Dean smiled. "I know. And if you don''t want to go, then don''t. At least for a little bit. Deal?"


    "...Deal. What about Sam? I still don''t think he''s completely Team Mallory."


    "Don''t worry about Sam. He''ll come around."


    Mallory smiled at him, but she didn''t looked convinced.


    (Scene Change) A man is sitting in a dimly lit bar, holding a glass of scotch. He is somewhere middle age, nicely dressed, silver hair. Another, younger man comes up to him.


    "Sir, She''s been found." The young man says to him.


    "Good," he says quietly. "Now.... How do we trick that sneaky fox out into the open... without getting everyone killed?"

 Walking Among Us Pt 1

    Scene shows a young man in a room lit with candles. He is standing at a table, performing some sort of ritual. There is a wooden bowl with what looks like blood in it, intricate symbols drawn out in blood on the table, and a knife beside the bowl.


    The man picks up the knife and in a strange language dips it into the bowl. He keeps chanting as he pulls it out, the blood not slipping off the blade, but seeping into it.  He grins and his eyes flash black with demonic powers.


    He sets the knife back down on a leather strap and wraps it.  Behind him someone knocks on the door.  They open it and ask,


    "Is it ready?"


    The young demon picks it up and turns around. The man who opened the door is the middle aged man, with silvery hair and a fine suit. The younger demon hands it to him. When he takes it, his eyes flash black as well.


    "It is powerful," he remarks, a hint of glee in his voice. "Pity that it''s taken this long to get what we needed."


    The young demon smiles, "It will be worth it, sir."


    "let''s hope so. This is a dangerous game we''re playing."


    "It always has been."


    The older demon looked at him, challenging him to continue with his thought.  The younger demon looked back at him humbly, realizing his place.


    "Where was she last seen?" the older demon asked.


    "Outside of Colorado, heading east."


    The older demon placed the knife inside of his coat pocket. "Let''s get going then."


    (Cut to intro)


    Dean and Mallory are in the middle of a game of pool, it is sometime in the afternoon.


    "... And... Three... two... One..... I''ll be taking that bacon cheeseburger, thank you." Mallory stood up from the table in victory.


    Dean rolled his eyes and walked over to the table where a pristine burger sat upon a plate.


    "Your majesty," He said dryly, handing it to her.


    Mallory happily picked it up and took a bite.  "You never stood a chance, anyway."  Dean looked at the burger with longing.


    Sam walked into where they were playing.  He laughed when he saw them.  "If you keep playing her, you''re gonna have to go out and buy more meat."


    "where you headed?" Mallory asked, noticing that he had on his coat.


    "I''m gonna grab some groceries.  You guys need anything?"


    "Yeah, see if you can find Dean any dignity.  I think I''ve taken it all," She smirked.


    "I hate this game," Dean grumbled as he walked out of the room.


    (Scene Change) Sam is in a parking lot, waiting.


    "Sam," Cas said behind him.  Sam turned around to the the somber angel.


    "Cas," Sam said a relieved tone.  "I''ve been trying to get ahold of you for days."


    "I''m sorry, I''ve been dealing with business."


    "It''s fine.  You gotta minute?"


    "Yes.  Is something wrong?"


    Sam sighs and looks around.  "Maybe, come on."


    (Scene Change) they are walking through aisles in the grocery store.


    "So, you fear that this Mallory may not be all that she seems?"  Cas said tentatively.


    "I don''t want to sound paranoid- okay, I know I sound paranoid- but Dean doesn''t seem so sold.  I need a second opinion."


    "I fear that going to the bunker may cause concern on Dean''s part.  It would be strange for me to appear without warrant asking questions about this new hunter.  He may become angry with you."


    "Seriously, Cas?  Come on!  Does it really matter at this point."


    "I suppose I can come. Let''s just hope that if she is something, she is something that we can handle."


    "Right."


    (Scene Change) Back at the bunker, Dean and Mallory are watching the news on the TV.  The scene depicts a diner with its interior stained with blood.  Police tape and the police are everywhere.  The newsperson states, "Ten people were found killed in the diner this morning, including Rhonda Sims, the diner''s owner.  Police are suspecting a serial killer in this investigation."


    "Hey, isn''t that the diner you stopped at?" Dean asked Mallory.  She nodded her head slowly, eyes glued to the screen.  Dean looked back at the TV.


    The scene on the TV cuts to the chief of police outside of the diner.  "There''s been a very similar case to this back in Blanding, Utah less than a week ago.  If this is a serial killer, they may not be working alone, and they''re moving very fast- we''re just not sure where at this point."  The camera on the TV moved back to the inside of the diner.  Dean turned off the TV and walked to the dining table.


    "You think this could be our thing?" Mallory asked.  "... This looks pretty brutal."


    Dean was now on a laptop, looking through an article.  ".... The one in Utah happened while we were in Missouri," he said as Mallory walked up behind him.


    "How were they killed?"  She asked.


    "Throats slit... Same for the one in Colorado."


    "Demons?"


    Dean gave an "I don''t know, maybe" shrug.


    They looked up to see Cas and Sam enter from the upper level.  Cas looked awkward walking behind Sam.  Him and Mallory made eye contact, Cas gave a puzzled looked, but Mallory remained calm.


    "Cas?" Dean asked looking confused.  "What are you doing here?"


    "I uh-"


    "He just wanted to check up on us," Sam said with feigned cheerfulness.  Dean looked at Sam suspiciously.


    "You a hunter?" Mallory piped up.


    Cas gave Sam an uneasy look.


    "This is Castiel.  He''s an angel," Dean said, fed up with Sam''s antics.


    "Oh. I''ve had some run ins with angels.... Nice to meet you, Castiel.  I''m Mallory.  Mallory Devlin."  She took his hand and shook it.  They looked at each other, sizing the other up.  Mallory gave him an easy smile and released his hand.  Cas still looked somewhat dumbfounded.


    "I had wondered what had taken you so long at the store," Dean continued.  "Did you get any more beer?"


    "You said you didn''t need anything," Sam responded, there was a subtle tension between them.


    "It doesn''t matter.  Mal and I think we found something- Killings in Wyoming a couple days ago.  Same type of killings in Colorado this morning."


    "How did they die?" Cas asked.


    "Throats slits.  At least 20 of them dead."


    "Have you been in contact with Crowley?  Rowena?" Cas questioned.


    "This doesn''t really seem like their thing," Sam commented.  "They''re not just going to go on a random killing spree."


    "Yeah, their plates are a little full at the moment," Dean agreed.


    Mallory looked puzzled.  "Who are these people?"


    "Long story," Dean said.  "We''ll explain later."


    Sam continued.  "So is this something that we want to bother with?"This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "At the rate in which people are dying, it may be a good idea." Castiel concluded.


    (Scene Change) Dean walks into the kitchen where Sam and Cas are waiting.  Dean doesn''t look very happy with them.


    "Where''s Mallory?" Sam asked.


    "She''s packing... oh and probably thinking of ways to kills us because apparently that''s really why she''s here."


    "Dean-"


    "Do you guys want to tell me what the Hell is going on?!"


    "I brought Cas to see what her deal is.  Just to settle this."


    "And-?" Dean looked at Cas expectantly.


    "There''s certainly something different about Mallory.  A strange sense of evil brews in her, but I can''t quite put a finger on it..."


    "What do you mean?" Sam asked, looking surprised that he was right.


    "... Like she''s evil, bad juju, or..." Dean added.


    "Like, she may be cursed.  That''s all I can identify, but I believe there is more than what I can sense.  It''s something that I have never encountered before."


    Sam looked concerned.  "So what do we do?"


    "I don''t know," Cas admitted.  "Try and figure out what you can without angering her. Who knows what kind of havoc she would cause if we got on her bad side."


    Sam looked at Dean, who now looked concerned rather than angry.  "Do you want to talk to her?" Sam asked Dean.  "She trusts you more than anyone."


    Dean didn''t say anything, but walked out of the room.


    (Scene Change)  Mallory is in her room, flipping through her notebook, her bag is on the bed.  In the background, Van Halen''s "Running with the Devil" is playing.  The door is slightly open, but Dean knocks on it.


    "Yeah," she said, not looking up.


    "How''s packing going?" Dean asked, walking into the room slowly, but trying to be casual.


    "Fine... Hey thanks for letting me borrow this album- One of my favorites."


    "No problem.  So when did you run into angels?  How''d that happen?"


    Mallory laughed.  "Well, no offense to Castiel, but angels aren''t always the nicest."  Dean smiled at her response.


    "I ran into some somewhere in Turkey- huge pain but I managed to dodge them," she continued. "Got a sweet blade from it though," she said, showing him inside her bag so he could see an angel blade.


    "... Well I promise that Cas won''t cause you any problems."


    "He seems great.  I know they''re not all bad."


    Dean didn''t responded so he stood awkwardly.  "Yeah, uh, they''re pretty powerful..."


    "Yeah.." Mallory looked at him suspiciously and set her bag down and turned off the music.


    "He noticed... something about you when he came."


    "And what was that?"  She said in a serious tone.


    His face became stern and he asked bluntly.  "Mallory, are you cursed?"


    Hurt and defiance immediately clouded her face.  She looked at him but didn''t say anything.  Dean waited for her to responded, so they stood in an awkward silence.


    She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the ground.  Dean sat down next to her.


    "Does it have to do with your nightmares?" he asked.


    She nodded.  ".... It was a witch... I was cursed as a child.  Every time I sleep, I relive my memories- in perfect detail.... Some are good.  Some...'''' her voice trailed off.


    "So you''ve been having nightmares since you''ve been here?"


    "A couple of times.  I''ve spent countless nights lying awake because I didn''t know what I would have to relive every time I slept.  But I can only go so far before failing.  I''ve tried everything I could think of to reverse it, but the witch died before I could find her again, but her death didn''t cause it to go away... It was such an old form of magic, I''ve yet to find another who could take it away."


    "I''m sorry Mal."


    "We all have our demons," she smiled faintly.


    "I''m glad you told me though,"  Dean stood up.


    "There''s one more thing," she stopped him.


    "What''s that?"


    "If someone touches me while I''m sleeping, they''re pulled into my memories.  Not physically, but it''s kinda like a djinn.  But they don''t wake up until I do."


    Dean nodded in understanding.  "That''s why you woke up before Sam could... But you bruised his wrist... does this curse give you crazy strength?"


    Mallory gave him a half smile and shrugged.  "I guess."


    "Well," he smiled.  "Sam will be glad to hear that.  To be honest, he''s been kind of worried about you."


    "I know.  I''m not necessarily normal..."


    "Then you''re in the right place," Dean said comfortingly.  "I let the guys know that we''re ready to leave."


    Mallory watched him leave and nervously started rubbing her birthmark, a look of worry on her face.


    (Scene Change)  Show the gas station that Mallory stopped at in Colorado.  Camera pans up from the ground to show the young demon from the first scene holding the attractive cashier around the neck behind the counter.  Scene cuts to show the gas station behind the two.  There are three other demons standing there.  On the ground is several bodies, blood pooling around them.


    "Now..." The young demon said to the cashier.  "Please, tell me where you saw the girl go."


    "Look-- I don''t know what girl you''re talking about."


    "Don''t lie," His eyes flashed black.  He squeezed his neck harder.


    "O-okay!" The kid pleaded.  "There was a girl here like five days ago... she came in and left real fast.  Left a hundred dollars one the counter."


    "Did she have a motorcycle?"


    "Y-y-yes."


    The demon smiled.  "Oh Mallory...." he said softly.  "You shouldn''t be so enamoured with human toys."


    The cashier looked at the demon with horror as the demon spoke to himself.


    "Do you know which direction she went?"


    "... East i''m guessing.  I didn''t really see."


    "That''s fine, that''s fine,"  He replied with a crazed grin.


    The demon let go of the cashier and turned his back on him.  The cashier stood frozen behind him.  The young demon pulled out a knife wiped it down.  "Boys, you know what to do."


    Two of the demons left the gas station while one pulled out a gun and shot at the surveillance camera.  The young demon turned back to the cashier and in one swift motion, slit his throat with the knife.  The boy fell forward and the demon caught him.


    "Shh, shh," He said to him as he gagged on his own blood.  "You''ll stain my suit."  He unceremoniously dropped the body to the ground and followed the last demon out of the gas station.


    (Scene Change) The camera shows the inside of a dark, luxury car.  The young demon opens the backdoor and gets in.  The older demon is in there, waiting for him.


    "So?"  The older demon asked.


    "I think we should go to Kansas."


    "Why do you say that?"


    The young demon explained.  "Well I have a hunch that she has gone to see the Winchesters.  It would be nice if we knew for sure, but that''s a best guess."


    "Well, we''re going to have to find out on our own.  I''ve almost missed having communication with Hell for that reason.  Crowley is well connected, I''ll give him that."


    ""We can get some inside information.  Talk of the town is that Crowley is losing his touch."


    "He''s been on a downward slope for a while now.  And now that Abaddon is out of the way, the timing couldn''t be more perfect."


    "I''ll get in touch with my informants; see if they can dig anything up about the brothers'' whereabouts.   Where should we go next?"


    "Let''s send Mallory a little message."


    "Isn''t a dozen bodies a good enough message?" The younger demon asked timidly.


    The older demon smiled at him condescendingly.  "Oh, Atticus... This is a game! cat and mouse!  The goal is Mallory, the brothers are a second thought.  We want to weed her out; she''s been in hiding for far too long, we don''t want to call too much attention to ourselves yet.  If we get the brothers too involved, we''ll do just that," He leaned forward and grabbed a notebook.  He then pulled a pen from his suitcoat.  "When I say ''leave her a message'', I mean it quite literally."  He shoved the materials into Atticus'' hands.  The young demon looked slightly bewildered.


    "... What do you want me to say?"


    "You''re creative.  Think of something!"


    "Yes sir." Atticus scrambled out of the car.  One of the demons that was in the gas station was waiting outside of their car.


    "Sir?" He asked Atticus.


    "What?!" He snapped.  "I''ll be back in a minute."  He cleared his throat and composed himself before walking away from the SUV.


    "So much for theatrics," he mumbled to himself as he opened the door to the convenience store.

 Walking Among Us Pt 2

    (Scene Change) Dean and Mallory are at the diner in Colorado.  It is morning again.  They are in the midst of police and forensic people.


    "This is a mess," Dean said.


    Mallory was crouched over where one of the bodies once was.  She wiped at the ground at something then sniffed her fingers.


    "Demons were here... but why... And you''re sure this Crowley guy isn''t behind this?"


    "As much as I hate to say it, but we keep in good contact with Crowley, for the most part.  This wasn''t him."


    "Rogue demons then?"


    "Best guess so far."


    Dean''s phone started ringing and he pulled it out and answered it.  "What''d you find out?"


    (Scene Change) Show Sam and Cas walking across the street.  Sam is on the phone.


    "We talked to the witness that the police picked up.  He was across the street when it all went down."


    (Scene Change) Show Dean.  "What''d he see?"


    (Scene Change) Back to Sam.  "Two big black SUV''s showed up, bunch of dudes in suits walked in.  Not even ten minutes later, they walked out."  Sam and Cas get into the Impala.


    (Scene Change) Mallory is now standing next to Dean.


    "So it didn''t take them long to dine and dash... We got sulfur, so we at least know we''re dealing with demons.... K."  Dean hung up the phone.  An officer walked up behind the two and spoke up.


    "Did you guys go up to the scene in Utah?"  She asked.


    "No... Uh, Some other agents were put on that one." Mallory said.


    "Not that''d it be much different," She stated.  "Reports are nearly the same.  Some sick group of psychos are goin'' around doing this... Just got a call from the sheriff in Burlington.  A gas station was hit late last night.  These guys are moving fast."


    "Same cause of death?" Mallory asked her.


    "Exact Same."


    Dean and Mallory shared a worried look and made their way to the door.


    (Scene Change) The four are driving in the impala late at night.  Dean is driving and Cas and Mallory are in the back seat.  Mallory is asleep.  They are driving in silence before Sam finally speaks up.


    "Do you think we could just be on some wild goose chase?" He asked with a hint of concern.


    "Maybe..." Dean agreed.  "We still haven''t found out the reason behind the attacks.  I don''t think it''s going to be pretty when we do."


    "Still, I fear it may be connected to one of us," Cas said quietly.


    "What do you mean?" Sam looked back at him.


    Cas looked over to Mallory, who was leaning against the door, fast asleep.


    "There could be a way to find out more about her..."


    "Yeah, a good way to piss her off." Dean warned.


    "Dean, this could be a very effective way to learn more about her, and maybe the case.  You said that she had been to the diner in Durango.  How are we to know that she wasn''t at the killings in Blanding and Burlington?"


    Dean scowled.  "I still don''t think this is very smart.  You''re going into her personal memories.  Who knows what craps she''s been through."


    Sam spoke up.  "Yeah, but there''s still a lot about her that she hasn''t told us.  These demons could be after her for some reason... If she''s not going to speak up, this is a good way to get something out of her."


    Dean didn''t say anything, but angrily kept driving.  Sam sighed and turned back around. They drove on for a few more minutes in silence.  Cas looked back at Mallory, then back at Dean and Sam.  He reached out his hand and gently touched Mallory''s arm.  Almost immediately, his eyes closed, and he slumped in his seat.


    Dean looked in the rear view mirror, "Damnit Cas!" Sam swiveled in his seat and reached out to shake him awake.


    "Don''t!  You might be taken under too."


    (Scene Change) Cas is standing in the middle of a barren and grim forest.  He looked around him and found no one.  "Mallory?"


    Silence.


    He ventured a few steps forward.  In the distance, a figure is hunched over something.  Cas precariously walked towards it.  Lying on the ground was the body of a small boy, blood covered the left side of his neck.  The figure over him was a man whose hands and face were covered in blood.  There was a rustling noise behind him and the man looked up towards the noise.  The man stood up, opening his mouth to reveal large sharp teeth and a long tongue.


    "Leviathan?" Cas asked aloud, utterly confused.  The leviathan took off after the sound and Cas ran after him.


    They came up upon two young children vigorously running.  One was a young boy, looking to be about 9 years old.  He had dark hair and rich brown eyes.  Beside him ran a girl who looked to be about seven.  She had long dark, brown hair and bright blue eyes.  The leviathan sprinted after them, gaining ground.  Cas slipped his blade out from his sleeve and moved to cut off the monster.  He jumped forward, bringing the blade across the leviathan''s neck.  The blade slipped through the neck like butter, but no blood was shed.  The monster paid the angel no attention and kept on sprinting.


    Cas followed the three until they reached the edge of the cliff.  The young children turned around, knowing that they were trapped, utter fear in their eyes.  The leviathan slowed, knowing he had won.  He crept towards them, opening his mouth to reveal his true self again.  The children held onto each other, bracing themselves for the attack.  The leviathan lunged at them but was suddenly thrown back with a immense flash of black light. Cas shielded his eyes from the light.


    When he opened his eyes, he was in complete darkness.  The children and the monster were gone.  The forest and cliff had disappeared as well.  He stood in the black for a moment before the world around him reformed.  Now, he was in the bunker.  Sitting on the couch was Dean and Mallory, watching the news;  it was the broadcast of the diner attack.  Cas walked around the couch and stood in front of the TV.  The two continued to watch the news as if he wasn''t there.  Cas reached forward and touched Mallory''s face, but his hand went through it as if it was smoke.


    "You can''t do anything," Said the real Mallory''s voice.  Cas looked to see her sitting on the dining room table.  "They''re memories.  They can''t be changed, or interfered with."


    "What happened to the children?"


    Mallory smiled.  "You''re looking at one of them."


    "You were in purgatory... The leviathan... They were chasing after you.  Why?"


    "That''s not important," She responded casually.  "The real question is why you''re in my head in the first place."


    Cas didn''t say anything.


    "Why are you here, Castiel?" She asked again, her face grim.


    "... I wanted to know if you had anything to do with the demons killing people."


    "I''m not a villain, if that''s what you''re thinking."


    "No," he said, walking towards her.  "I want to know what they want.  Are they looking for you?"


    "I''m afraid so."


    "Why?"


    "... I don''t know.  But I''m going to figure it out.  I can''t have you three  getting hurt because of me.


    "You''re planning on leaving?  When?"


    "Whenever I get a hint as to where the demons will be..."


    "Mallory, what is really going on here?  Surely a group demons wouldn''t want a cursed girl-"


    "-They don''t."


    "Then why do they want you?" Cas asked, his voice raising.  "What are you?!"


    Mallory smiled at him, but it was sad and empty.  "If you don''t know, then it''s best that it stays that way.  I''ve already put you guys in danger; I can''t continue to do so.  It was selfish of me to think that I could be around friends and keep everyone safe.  I will leave and so will the demons.  You will not be involved with this any longer."  She stood up.


    " Mallory, wait-"


    "I could make you forget this conversation once you wake up, but I want to trust you and I want you to trust me too.  Please don''t say anything to Sam and Dean."


    Cas stared at her, contemplating her plea.  "I won''t," He said finally.  Mallory walked up to him and places two fingers on his forehead.  Cas'' eyes closed and he fell to the floor.


    (Scene Change) Cas jumped awake in the Impala.  He looked around confused, Sam and Dean looked back at him and Mallory.  Mallory was sitting awake beside him.


    "Dude, you were only out for like a minute," Sam commented.


    "Dream time.  It''s a little different," Mallory commented smugly.  Sam and Dean looked at each other awkwardly and didn''t say anything.  Dean turned his attention back on the road and Sam turned up the radio.  Cas looked over at Mallory, but she ignored him.


    (Scene Change) It is daylight at the gas station.  Cas and Mallory are checking out the scene, Dean and Sam are at the police station.  The bodies are no longer at the gas station, but much like the diner, the blood is still there.  Mallory walks back behind the counter, Cas is a short distance away, watching her.


    (Scene Change to Dean and Sam at the police station) An officer is sitting at a desk with a computer.  the brothers are standing over him.


    "This is what we got of the security footage before the perp shot the camera...."


    They watched the footage Atticus slitting the boy''s throat and letting him fall to the ground.  The demon that shot the camera smiled at it while pulling his gun out, flashing his eyes black.  The screen when black after that.


    "Doesn''t give us a lot to go off of..." Sam mumbled.


    "There was another security camera," The officer continued.  "It was at the back of the store, you couldn''t see any of their faces, but we did..." he pulled up the video. "Catch this."


    The footage showed Atticus walk back into the store, pause at the counter then leave again,


    "What did he do?"  Dean asked. "Play that again."


    The officer replayed the video.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "Stop." Dean ordered.  "Look.  He''s pulling something out of his pocket..."


    Sam squinted at the screen.  " Did you guys find anything on the scene, a note,or anything like that?"


    "No, we''re still looking over the crime scene."


    Sam pulled out his phone.  "I''ll call Cas."


    (Scene Change) Show Cas and Mallory back at the gas station. Cas is speaking on the phone with Sam.  He hangs up and addresses Mallory.


    "They think one of the demons left something.  A note perhaps."


    "Where?"


    "By the counter they think?  Mallory, if there is something, it''s for you.  Are you sure you want to play this game?"


    She scanned the counter, running her hands along the surface.  "I''m already playing it.  I''ve been playing it for years, I just didn''t realize..."  Her fingers stopped under the cash register and she lifted it.  Out from underneath it, she pulled out a note.  Cas stepped forward trying to take a peek at it.  Mallory scanned over it, then shoved it into her pocket.


    "Tell Sam we didn''t find anything," She told Cas.


    "But-"


    "Tell them that.... please." She walked out of the gas station.  Cas stayed inside and pulled out his phone.


    "Sam... yeah, we looked.  We didn''t find anything... okay, we''ll see you in a few."


    (Scene Change) That night, at a motel, Mallory slips out the hotel door, shutting it quietly behind her.  She walks over to the impala and pulls out a CD from her backpack; it is the Van Halen CD that Dean had lent her.  Attached to it is a note.  She places it under one of the windshield wipers.


    "Leaving so soon?" Cas asked behind her.


    "Gotta take care of business sooner or later." She turned and faced him.


    "How will you get there?  Steal the impala?"


    She grinned.  "I''ll think of something."


    Cas turned his head in the direction of the hotel door, "Well I don''t think Dean would ever forg-" He turned back around and Mallory was gone.


    He walked over to the impala and picked up the cd.  The note read, "See you around boys.  This case is on me."


    Cas slipped the cd into his pocket.


    (Scene Change) Inside the hotel room,


    "Dean.  Sam,"  Cas said sternly.  Dean jumped awake, rubbing his eyes.  "Crap, Cas.  What?!"


    Sam fumbled around, looking for a lamp.  he turned it on and sat up.  "What''s going on?"


    "It''s Mallory.  She''s gone to confront the demons."


    "What?!" Dean exclaimed, getting out of bed and putting on his shoes.


    "They were after her the whole time, trying to separate her from us."


    "Why?" Sam asked.


    "She wouldn''t say.  I don''t think she even knows.... but I saw some of her memories.  One of them was her as a child in Purgatory... what ever she''s facing has serious consequences."


    "Damnit Cas, why didn''t you say anything?" Dean out on his coat and pulled out his keys.


    "She didn''t want to get us involved."


    "Well that isn''t up to her!"


    The three left the hotel room.


    (Scene Change)  Mallory is walking up to an old abandoned theater.  She opens the door and steps into the darkness.  When she steps inside, the lights on the stage light up and sitting in a plush chair on the stage is the older demon.  He is sitting at a table, sipping on a cup of tea.  Standing beside him is Atticus.  About a dozen other demons are in various places in the theater; sitting in seats, standing on the stage, or standing near the doors.  The older demon looks up and grins when he sees Mallory.


    "Mallory Devlin!  I''m so glad you could make it!  Good to know the directions were simple enough."  He set down his cup of tea.  and stood up.


    She walked towards him slowly.  "Who are you?"


    "Oh! how rude of me!  Azarias is the name.  This is Atticus.  Come, have a seat."  He gestured at the table where another plush chair had appeared.


    Mallory hesitated but sat down.


    "Tea?" Azarias asked her.


    "No thank you."


    "Suit yourself."  He sipped at his again.  Everything about him was refined.


    "What do you want with me?"  Mallory asked harshly.


    Azarias chuckled.  "Right into it then..."


    "You''ve killed at least twenty people, so yeah, let''s get right into it."


    "Ah, I never killed a single soul.  Atticus deals with the blood.  I just deal with the negotiations."


    "Negotiations?"


    "Yes," Azarias smiled.  "I''ve waited a long time to meet you.  I''m glad I finally had the chance.  I take it you came alone?  Assuming you were with the Winchesters."


    "And an angel-"


    "-ooh, making all kinds of friends I see."


    "Yeah," she said flatly.  "I did come alone.  Now it''s my turn to ask questions.  Who the Hell are you and what do you know about me?"


    Azarias looked at her with a cool expression.  "I''m a demon."


    "Yeah, I got that.  But who are you?"


    He stood up and started pacing the stage.  "Someone who''s waited a long time to get to the center stage.  My brother had his time in the limelight, but we all know how that ended up.  Now it''s up to me to clean things up."


    "Your brother?"


    "Azazel, of course."


    Mallory looked surprised.  "The Yellow eyed demon?"


    "Yes, him."  Azarias looked slightly irritated.  "He had good intentions, but got himself killed."


    "So, wait.  Are you trying to replace him?  That was years ago.  Hell''s gone through plenty of rulers in the last decade.  You don''t seem nearly as powerful as Azazel and Abaddon, or as crafty as Crowley."


    Azarias pursed his lips before answering.  "My goal... dear girl, is not to rule hell.  Demons have shown time and time again that they are unfit to do so.  No, no, my goal is to find the right ruler.  Azazel and Lilith set forth the steps to release Lucifer, but Lucifer is no longer an option at this point-"


    "Not that anyone is complaining about that... well except for you, maybe," Mallory smirked.


    "You should show more respect to your father." He said bluntly.


    (Scene Change) The brothers and Cas pull up to the theater and quickly make their way to the theater.  instead of going through the front door, they make their way to the back.  They sneak through the back door and shuffle through the darkness.  they make their way backstage.  Sam stops when he sees Mallory sitting and talking with Azarias.


    (Scene Change back to Mallory and Azarias)


    Mallory''s face clouded in anger.  "You''re wanting a true heir of Lucifer to take on Crowley and rule Hell."


    "For years, the loyalists have been wanting to set things right again.  Back to the days of order.  Without Crowley or Abaddon, or even Lilith screwing things up," Azarias said with glee and passion.


    "Azarias, please.  Show some respect.  Lilith was my mother, after all,"  She said sarcastically.


    Azarias shot her a cold look.  "Unfortunately for us, there wasn''t many of your kind left after the Leviathans had their way with you."


    "There weren''t many to begin with."


    "It''s taken thousands of years to track you down.  Now we can finish the job."


    "What makes you think that I want to rule Hell?" She asked stubbornly, standing up from the chair.  "I hate demons.  I hate the politics of everything, and I hate others interfering with my life.  You should have just left me alone."


    Azarias calmly pulled out a blade from his coat.  He looked at it longingly.  "Oh, dear Mallory, I had a feeling you''d be... difficult.  Seeing as you won''t be cooperative, I suppose we''ll just have to go with plan B... Our orders were just to lure you out in the open."


    Mallory looked horrified.  "What do you mean?"


    "You''re not first in line for the throne.... Shameful really, I kind of looked forward to a combined rule of Hell..."


    They were interrupted by the thud of a body dropping to the ground.  Azarias and Atticus turned to find Sam standing over a dead demon, demon blade in hand.


    Azarias'' face turned red in anger.  "You know I didn''t want extra company," He said to Mallory.


    "Deal with this," He ordered Atticus.  Azarias put the knife back in his coat.  Mallory stretched out her hand, and Azarias flew across the stage and hit the wall, the knife falling from his pocket.  He slowly sat up and wiped blood from his mouth.


    The remaining demons flooded the stage towards the brothers and Cas.  Fighting broke out among them, the occasional flash from Cas or a blade, indicating a death of a demon.


    Mallory made her way towards Azarias.  A demon lunged at her, but she caught him around the throat and threw him aside like a rag doll.


    Dean and another demon were in the midst of a fight.  The demon picked him up by the shirt and threw him several feet.  He landed off stage, out of breath.


    Cas held off two or three demons easily enough, placing his hand on them, killing them quickly.


    Sam and Atticus were going at it, Sam punching the demon, sending him stumbling back a few feet. Sam continued towards him, knife aloft.


    Mallory picked Azarias up by the collar and held him close to her face.  "Why are you here if you know you can''t kill me?!" She spat.


    "I only have the knife for safe keeping.  But mark my words, Mallory.  The weapon will be your demise."


    "Who sent you?"


    "... You already know the answer to that."


    She threw him again, and he landed near Atticus and Sam.  Atticus was on the ground, fighting Sam off.  Azarias crawled back into the wall, grabbing the knife.  Sam held his demon blade to Atticus'' throat, weighing down on him.


    "NO!" Azarias yelled at Sam.  He leapt forward with the knife and thrust it into Sam''s side,'' the blade let loose a bright, white light.  Sam yelled out in pain and slumped forward and rolled off Atticus.  In the blink of an eye, Atticus and Azarias disappeared, taking the strange knife with them.


    Dean had made it back on the stage and rushed towards Sam.


    "Sam!" he yelled.


    "Dean, don''t touch him!"  Mallory stretched out her hand again and stopped Dean in his tracks.


    "Mallory, Wait-" Cas said, and Mallory did the same to him.


    Confusion and anger twisted Dean''s face.  Mallory walked over to Sam and crouched over him.


    "What are you doing?!" Dean yelled at her.


    Mallory ignored them and placed a hand on Sam''s wound.  Her eyes flickered black, but had an eerie white glow in the middle.  She grimaced in pain before closing her eyes and falling to the ground.

 Family Ties pt 1

    Scene opens up close on Sam''s face.  His eyes are closed, but suddenly burst open.  He is sweating and looks around, confused.  He is lying on the ground of a forest floor.  It appears to be Purgatory.  He slowly gets up, wincing.  He looks down to see that his side is bleeding.  He holds his hand there and stumbles forward.


    He makes his way through the maze of trees, occasionally stopping to catch his breath.  He leans against a tree and closes his eyes.


    "Sam!"  Mallory''s voice is heard off in the distance.


    Sam opens his eyes and looks around.  "Mallory?" His says slightly confused.  "Mallory?!" He yells louder, although it hurts him.


    Mallory is shown in the distance running towards him.  She has blood smeared on her face and is holding a bloody knife.  She comes up to Sam, but stops short when she sees him bleeding.


    "You''re still bleeding... Damnit."


    "Why are you all bloody?"  He asks, short of breath.


    "I''ve already ran into some company-  Werewolves."


    "What?  Where are we? Purgatory?" Sam sinks to the ground.


    She looks around, alert.  "I don''t think so... maybe some sort of ''mind purgatory''... but we''re not physically here. The stab from the knife didn''t kill you, it just- I don''t know- put you into some sort of mental limbo."


    "A mental limbo with things that can kill me... great."


    She crouches down and helps him to his feet.  "Come on, we need to get you hidden-- the knife wasn''t meant for you."


    They made their way through the woods, Sam leaning on Mallory.


    "It was meant for you."  He states.  "Why?"


    Mallory ignored him when they hear a rustling sound behind them.  From a large bush emerges a leviathan.  Mallory quickly let go of Sam and didn''t hesitate to run at the monster.  The leviathan ran to meet her, but she ducked as soon as he got close enough, slicing him in the stomach.  While he held the wound, slightly bent over, Mallory made a quick turn and lopped off his head.  She wiped the blade on the dead monster''s shirt.


    "Mallory what is going on?  Who wants you dead?"


    She rushed back over to him and took his arm.  She looked at him with a grimexpression.


    "The usual.... My family."


    Cut to intro


    Back at the theater, Dean and Cas are now free from Mallory''s hold.  They are standing over Sam and Mallory.  They look down at them in utter confusion.


    "What do we do?" Cas asked.


    "Uhh... I don''t know if we can touch either one of them without going under."


    "We need to leave though." Cas bent down and reached his arm out to Sam''s head.  "I''ll see if I can transport them back to the bunker."


    Dean grabbed his arm.  "Hey, hey, hey wait.  If you zonk out, I''m screwed.  I can''t get you guys out of here if I can''t touch you."


    "Well we need to try something," he said seriously.  Dean reluctantly let go of Cas'' arm.


    "Do you want me to transport you as well."


    "Hell no, I hate getting zapped.  I''ll just meet you later."


    Cas nodded and hesitantly placed his fingers on Sam''s forehead.  When nothing happened, he did the same to Mallory''s forehead with his other hand.  He concentrated and the three of them disappeared.  Dean sighed in relief.  He turned to leave but froze when he saw a young man was standing on the stage behind him.  He was tall with dark hair and tanned skin.  He was dressed casually, like he had just walked out of a Abercrombie & Fitch ad.


    Dean groaned.  "Who are you?"


    The young man smiled, a twinkle in his eye.  "I''m Maxus."  He seemed very unassuming.  "You''re Dean Winchester."


    "Congrats.  You just answered the million dollar question."


    Maxus looked unbothered by his retort.  "You can put the knife away, Dean.  No one''s going to die today."


    Dean was uneasy, but put it away.  "What are you doing here?"


    "I''m looking for Mallory.  Seems as though I''ve just missed her... poor timing," he said casually.


    "Why?" He asked harshly.


    "I haven''t seem my sister in over two hundred years.  When I caught wind that she was in the United States, I figured it was time we did some catching up."


    "Sounds pretty chummy coming from the guy who wants to kill her."


    Maxus laughed softly.  "You have no idea as to the extent of our history, Dean."


    Dean clenched his fists.  "Then why don''t you enlighten me?"


    (Scene Change) Cas has Sam and Mallory in the infirmary back at the bunker and is looking over Sam''s knife wound.  He puts his hand over it in attempt to heal him.


    (Quick flash) Mallory is helping Sam through Purgatory.  He collapses in pain, yelling out.


    "Gah!  What is happening?" Sam cried.


    He pulled his shirt up.  The knife wound was glowing a bright white.


    Mallory''s eyes went wide.  "It''s Cas.  He''s trying to heal you."


    "Then why does it hurt like Hell?"


    "Because it won''t work- I''ll be right back.  Do you think you''ll be okay for a minute."


    Sam nodded, pulling himself towards a tree stump.  Mallory disappeared.


    (Scene Change back to the bunker) Cas is trying to heal Sam''s wound, but after a few seconds, it is apparent that it is not working.  He stops, sweat accumulating on his forehead.  He looks concerned.


    Mallory sat up suddenly, surprising Cas.


    "Mallory."


    "Cas, don''t try to heal him.  You might be making things worse."


    "How did you kn-"


    "Look I can''t explain right now.  I need to get Sam somewhere safe."


    "What can I do then?"


    "Try and find anything that could take the bunker even more off the map.  We don''t want any unwanted visitors."


    "But-" Cas started, but Mallory was already laying back down, asleep.


    (Scene Change back to Dean and Maxus) Maxus is now sitting on the arm of one of the plush chairs, arms folded.


    "Beings like me and Mallory didn''t have the best upbringing.  In fact, we''re the only two left."


    "Beings?! What the Hell are you guys?"


    Maxus regarded him coolly.  "We''re Lucifer''s children.  His physical children- a hybrid of archangel and superior demons... Mallory didn''t tell you any of this?  She was always ashamed of the fact, to be honest."


    Dean looked at him dumbfounded.  "Lucifer?  Demon- What?  But Lucifer hates demons."


    "It''s not as crazy as it seems... and you''re right, he does.  Demons were just the first step.  After Cain and the beginning of the demon race, Lucifer sought to create something better- more powerful than any Knight of Hell or archangel."


    "So he decided to get cozy with some of the souls he had corrupted?... Figures."


    "Not just any demons.  If he was going to create the perfect being- his own army of elite soldiers, he had to pick from the cream of the crop."


    "... Who''s the whore then?"


    Maxus showed slight anger for the first time.  "My mother was Abbadon... Thanks by the way, for killing her."


    ".... Yeah, I don''t know if you really mean that or not."


    "It''s complicated."


    Dean folded his arms.  "Was Abbadon Mallory''s mother then?"


    "No, Lilith was.  Lucifer''s pet- his most loyal.  I''m not gonna lie, Lucifer did always seem to like Mallory over the rest of us."


    "You said there were only two of you left.  How many children did Lucifer have?"


    Maxus scrunched his face in thought.  "There were six, but they didn''t last too long."


    "Why is that?"


    "Simple-Leviathans.  They don''t like competition."


    Dean looked confused again.  " You were in purgatory?"


    Maxus stood up, looking bored. "These are questions that Mallory can easily answer. I''m not here to give you a history lesson. I''m here for her."


    "Well she''s not here, obviously."


    Maxus smirked.  "I can tell. It reeks of Angel in here.... Whatever. I can wait, sooner or later she''ll come looking for me. Oh... By the way, you may want to be quick about fixing Sam. That knife has nasty consequences."


    With that, Maxus disappeared. Leaving Dean fuming alone in the theater.


    (Scene Change to Sam and Mallory) they are sitting on the ground up against a large boulder. Around them is a number of large rocks, hiding them in a small enclosure.


    "Let me see the wound," Mallory said.


    Sam lifted his shirt again.


    "The bleeding''s stopped, so that''s good- and bad.  Here-" she cut off a strip of her shirt and helped him tie it around him, wrapping the bloody gash.


    "Why''s it both?"


    "Because there''s only one way to get you out of here.  The knife was infused with my brother''s blood and other powerful spells.  So, the wound itself won''t kill you, but monsters here can, especially if you''re wounded."


    "So if I die here, I really die."


    "Yeah."


    "But what if my wound heals while I''m here?"


    "Then you''re stuck here... and your physical body would pretty much be a vegetable."


    "... And I would probably get killed eventually.  This sucks.... How do I get out of here?"


    "Well, first things first, I need to find the knife and get it away from Maxus."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Sam looked worried.  "What if they hid it?  Maxus has got to know that you''d be looking for it now."


    Mallory shook her head. "No, he''s probably put Azarias in charge of it.  The power of the knife is way too tempting for me and him- it has a strong bloodlust tied to it.  Damnit! This was just what he wanted."


    "What do you mean?"


    "He wanted me to want the blade... but he also wanted to single me out.  What better way than  hurting someone I care about?  If you hadn''t been stabbed, I wouldn''t have known about the blade. That''s why Azarias had the knife in the first place!  I don''t even know if the knife is truly meant for me.  Maxus could have just used it as a ruse."


    Sam looked at her, guilty.  "Mallory... I''m sorry."


    She hadn''t been looking at him, but whipped her head around when she heard him apologize.


    "I didn''t trust you," he continued.  "I tried everything to convince Dean that you were out to get us.  Hell, I reinforced every trap and spell in the bunker trying to prove that you weren''t human."


    "... Well you weren''t wrong.  With the human part, anyway."


    "Yeah, but I was wrong about you.   I''m sorry for being such as ass."


    She smiled at him.  "I don''t blame you for being suspicious.  It''s been ages since I''ve been around humans for a extended amount of time, I''m a little rusty."


    Sam leaned his head against the rock, and closed his eyes.  "A daughter of Lucifer and Lilith- that''s new."


    "Oh, you heard all that?  That''s embarrassing," she teased.


    "We''re all a little embarrassed of our family sometimes."


    "Yeah, well your family didn''t try to bring about the end of the world."


    Sam chuckled, then grew serious.  "How many are there?  You know, of... whatever you are."


    "Ha, hybrid, mutt, half-breed.  I''ve heard a bunch of different things.  The leviathans came to call us the Children of Purgatory.  I think that one has a nice ring to it."


    "Okay, then how many Children of Purgatory are there?"


    "Just me and Maxus now... there were once six."


    "What happened?"


    Mallory cleared her throat, "Well, once upon a time..."


    "No, seriously," Sam laughed.


    "K, fine, fine. Guess I better rehearse it with you before I explain things to Dean and Castiel."


    (Scene Change back to the bunker) Dean and Cas are now standing over them, looking concerned.


    "His bleeding has stopped, so that''s good- I think," Cas stated.  "I never seen anything like this.  It seemed to hurt Sam more when I tried to heal him."


    "Then it''s Mallory that''s keeping him alive?" Dean asked looking over to her petite, sleeping body.


    "That appears to be the case."


    Dean ran his hand over his mouth, looking tired and worried.  "What do we do, man?"


    "I''m afraid we need Mallory.  Did Maxus give you any indication as to how to help Sam?"


    "Yeah, he was all kinds of helpful," Dean said angrily, shaking his head.


    "Then what did he say?" Cas asked, not catching the sarcasm.  Dean shot him an exasperated look.


    Mallory suddenly sat up awake, looking around anxiously.  "Whew! K, we''re good," she said, looking around her while wiping her face as if something was on it.


    "Mallory!" Dean said, getting her attention.


    She realized they were there and smiled in relief. " Hey guys, sorry, we ran into some more leviathans. Thought I still had black goop all over myself."


    "Well not here," Dean said. "Mal, what the Hell is going on? I just got in... After talking to Maxus."


    Mallory''s face fell. "He came to see you?"


    "Yeah, he seems like a real charmer too. Why didn''t you tell us you have a psychotic underwear model for a brother?"


    She whipped her legs so they hung over the side of the bed.  "Alright... What do you want to know?"


    Cas seemed pensive but Dean looked at her angrily.  "Well, starting with Sam''s situation, how about everything."


    (Quick Flash) Azarias and Atticus are standing at two large doors;  two other burly men are guarding the door.  They open the doors, and the two demons walk through. Inside is a dark, but fancy bar.  There are various men and women milling about, they give them Azarias and Atticus strange looks as they walk over to the bar and sit down at two stools.  The bartender is facing away from them, but he pipes up.


    "Do you still have it?"  He asked.


    "Y-yes, sir.  Azarias answered.  He sat up straighter.  Atticus looked very worried.


    The bartender turned around.  It''s Maxus.  He had a glass in one hand and is drying it off with the other.  He is wearing the same clothes as he was when he was with Dean.  He smiled at them.


    "Good.  Drink?"


    The two demons shared a quick look and nodded their heads apprehensively.  Maxus walked away to grab them a beer.


    "I saw Dean not too long ago.  Pity that Sam had to be stabbed.  How did that come about?"


    Azarias cleared his throat.  "He was about to kill Atticus, so I stepped in."  Maxus handed them two tap beers.


    Maxus grinned at them.  "Perfect then.  You did great!"


    "-Sir?" Atticus finally piped up.


    Maxus kept smiling as he wiped down the counter.  "You did exactly what I wanted you to, even if you didn''t know it at the time."


    Azarias looked confused.  "So.. You''re not mad that I stabbed Sam... and that Mallory got away?"


    "Of course not!" Maxus stopped wiping the counter and leaned over it.  "You see, that was the best way to get Mallory to come see me.  She saw the blade- she knows what that means-she now has the responsibility of not letting Sam die.  She has no other option."


    "Why didn''t you just let me kill her then?" Azarias asked.


    Maxus smiled tenderly at te demon.  "No offense, but you wouldn''t have be able to.  Besides, this is a negotiation tactic."


    "What do you mean?" Atticus asked.


    "This is a game, and she is playing her part perfectly."


    "Sir-" A demon from behind Azarias and Atticus interrupted them.  Maxus looked at him encouragingly.


    "We''ve received word from our insiders down in Hell," he continued.  "More and more demons are growing restless with Crowley, but their frustrations are without any direction."


    "Well, then we should start out campaigning.  Subtly, of course, but give the hopeless some hope.  Those that hate Crowley won''t have to deal with him for much longer."


    The demon nodded and walked away.


    Maxus turned his attention back to Azarias.  "I want you to still hold on to the knife.  The temptation is too strong for me- and I don''t want things to get messy.  But I still want you to stay close.  I have a feeling that we won''t have to wait much longer for my sister."


    (Scene Change back to the bunker) Mallory is still on the bed. Dean and Cas have pulled up chairs and are listening to her.


    "So what''s the deal with you guys?  What happened to... these ''children of purgatory?"  Dean asked.


    "Word got back to God as to what Lucifer was doing.  After the war in heaven and Lucifer getting tossed into the cage, God tasked Raphael to round up me and my siblings before Hell went... well, to Hell."


    "How did I not know about this?" Cas asked, slightly offended.


    Mallory couldn''t help but laugh.  "Do really think God wanted that kind of info getting out?  Only his archangels knew, and with downstairs, the Knights of Hell knew.  Lucifer tried to keep it on the downlow."


    Cas frowned.  "Raphael wasn''t the most compassionate archangel.  Why didn''t he killed you?"


    "Well when he found us, we were children.  Maxus was barely 7, I was 5.  My other siblings were just toddlers and babies.  God wasn''t expecting a gaggle of drooling kids."


    "So what?  He took pity on you guys?"  Dean said gruffly.


    "Yeah," Mallory looked at him sternly.  "I doubt Raphael was too happy about it, but he did what he was told and sent us to purgatory."


    "That''s where the Leviathans come in,"  said Cas.  "I remember them from your memories.  That dead boy... he was your brother... the one with you was Maxus."


    Mallory nodded somberly.


    "Maxus said the Leviathans didn''t like competition," Dean remembered.  "They wanted to take you guys out before you became too strong."


    Mallory nodded again.


    "Then how did you escape?"


    "Lilith found out we hadn''t been killed so she made a risky deal with a reaper and pulled us out."


    "So you were in Hell after that?" Dean guessed.


    "Yeah.. Maxus took to it a lot better than I did, but he became bitter because of Lilith''s preference to me .  Even with Abbadon there, it was a known fact that Lilith was Lucifer''s favorite slut, so that meant I was the favored one."


    "So then what happened?" Dean asked like a little boy being read a bedtime story.


    "He left after several years- just dipped out.  I didn''t hear from him for thousands of years."


    "What happened to you?  You stayed in Hell?"


    Mallory laughed uncomfortably.  "Yeah, for awhile.  But when I got a little older, I got a chance to go up top, see what humans were like..."


    "... And you fell in love with mankind."  Cas said, knowing all too well.


    Mallory gave him a half smile.  "I did... but that didn''t go over too well, seeing as I was supposed to take over the reigns some day.  It caused... issues."


    "You didn''t just leave like Maxus did?" Dean asked.


    "I wish I did when I had the chance."  Mallory said hesitantly.  "Let''s just say that I was grounded for a long time."


    "I can''t imagine that being a real fun thing."


    She laughed halfheartedly.  "Well, yeah...  Look, point is I got out,  and I did the same thing as Maxus.  Spent thousands of years on my own... but I picked up hunting, became more involved with humans... aaand that eventually brings us here."


    "Right," Dean said, knowing there was more to her story that she wasn''t saying.  "After that, I need a drink,"  He stood up and walked out of the infirmary.  Cas stood up as well, but didn''t leave.


    "So, for right now, Sam is okay?"


    "Yeah, the wound should take more than a week to heal.  That should give us some time to prepare for Maxus.  Now we just need to see if he really is a good hunter."


    Cas didn''t say anything and continued to stare at her.  She noticed and looked back at him.


    "Castiel?  You''re... kinda being weird right now."


    "Oh,  Right... sorry.  I just find your presence intriguing.  Now that I know what you are, The overwhelming aura of combined evil and righteousness that you emanate makes sense."


    "Thank you," She said sarcastically.


    "While you may be an abomination unfit for heaven..." She gave him a hard look.


    "...There''s a goodness about you.  You are truly an entity all own your own."


    "... Thanks, Castiel," She said this time with sincerity.


    "You can call me Cas.... That''s what my friends call me," He hesitated a moment more before awkwardly walking out of the infirmary, Mallory smiling as he left.


    "Cas!" She called to him, and he poked his head back into the room.


    "Yeah?"


    "There''s something more... about the knife."


    "What is it?" He asked seriously.


    "After ages of research, I learned a little about Lucifer''s back up plan.  He needed a fallback in case we became unruly or threatened his power.  In his crypts, he had the plans to create knives.  Knives that wouldn''t kill humans, but anything else that goes bump in the night, but more importantly me and my siblings.  Once we were strong enough, the knives became the only thing that could kill us."


    "Did he ever make the knives?"


    "Not that I know of... cursing a knife to have that kind of power is a pain in the ass.  And it would have weakened Maxus temporarily.  But he must have found the way to do it from the crypts."


    "...Yes.  If Azazel knew the locations of the crypts, he would have told Azarias, who in turn told Maxus.  Does Sam know all of this?"


    "Everything I told you, I''ve told him.... it''s just-"


    "What?"


    "I don''t exactly know how to bring Sam out of this.  There is a way to wake him up, without destroying the knife, but if I destroy the knife, it should have the same effect."


    "So you don''t know how to do either?  Does Sam know this?"


    Mallory shook her head.

 Family Ties pt 2

    (Scene Change back to Sam) Still in Maxus'' mind purgatory, Sam is resting at the mouth of a cave, breathing heavily in discomfort.  It is night.  He hears a noise and sits up suddenly.


    "Mallory?" He said tentatively.  He pulled a knife out and pulled himself to his feet.


    He walked out of the cave slowly, but sees nothing.  He hears another noise, this one the sound of a branch snapping under the weight of something.


    Sam whipped around to see Maxus at the mouth of the cave.


    "How do you like your new home, Sam?" Maxus said energetically.  "I made sure that everything was perfect for your arrival.  All this is very personal for me. Each monster is a vermin that I''ve killed personally... The set up is just like purgatory. Pays a little homage to the good ol days."


    "Who the Hell are you?" Sam demanded.


    "Oh, right. You haven''t met me yet.  How rude.  I''m Maxus.  I''m sure you''ve heard of me."


    "Yeah...." Sam said uneasily.


    Maxus chuckled.  " I don''t know what Mallory''s told you, but-"


    "-From what she told me, you seem like a huge dick."


    Maxus quickly covered up his irritation and continued.  "Look, despite everything, I do care about Mallory.  We''ve been through a lot together."


    "You love her so much that you want to kill her?" Sam asked smugly.


    "It''s more complicated than that."


    "I don''t really see how it is, so enlighten me."


    "Our entire lives have been about surviving.  I don''t want to just survive, Sam.  I want to thrive- use my powers to their fullest extent."


    "Why kill Mallory though?"


    Maxus put his hands in his pockets and walked slowly towards Sam.  "In order to do that, I need to be as powerful as I possibly can.  I can''t do that with her still here."


    "By killing Mallory, you can take her powers... So your greed got in the way of your love of her," Sam frowned.


    Maxus suddenly appeared in front of Sam, an evil glint in his eye, but his face remained calm.


    "Things change.  Opportunities arise.  I''m just seizing what is rightfully mine."


    Sam looked confused.  "Hell?"


    Maxus laughed.  "And you''re supposed to be the smart one!"


    Sam frowned at him.  Maxus continued.  "Yes, Hell.  Obviously.  I''ve come to find that if you rule Hell correctly, you rule everything.  Heaven''s a mess right now- they''re not doing crap, and earth is no better.  At the end of the day, I had to take things into my own hands."


    "And Crowley is just going to back down and let you take it?"


    "Crowley is weak and losing followers."


    "Why wait until now, though?"


    "Like my sister, I''ve spent a lot of time on my own.  I''ve preferred it that way for ages, plus there was something about the struggle of everyone else that I found fascinating- you and your brother included.  It''s was fun to be above all of that.  It''s not like I fit in anywhere- Heaven doesn''t want a half breed, most of Hell didn''t know I existed and even if they did, not everyone was sad to see Lucifer go.  They wouldn''t want his first born taking over things.  No, I decided being patient was the best thing... Once Abbadon came into the picture and shook things up, I figured it was time to get the ball rolling after she died."


    "Why didn''t you just kill her and then take Hell from Crowley?"


    Maxus scoffed.  "Look Abbadon was a bitch, but she did get me out of Hell once upon a time.  I owed her that much.  Besides, I was fine with waiting... Mostly because I was curious to see how everything would work out with the Mark of Cain.  Everything went great, apparently," he said with thick sarcasm.


    "So why spare Abbadon, but not Mallory."


    "Because Mallory owes me a lot more than I owe her.'' He snapped.  "Oh!  Speaking of which," his demeanor suddenly changed.  "I need you to give her a message for me."


    "What?"


    Maxus pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to him.  "Yes, unfortunately, I didn''t come to chat with you... but since I''m here, you may want to keep moving.  Things get a little crazy here at night."


    Maxus shot him dazzling smile and disappeared.  An exhausted Sam looked at the paper, folded it, and then stuck it in his coat pocket.  He made his way away from the cave, feeling through the dark.  A low growl stopped him in his tracks.  Sam turned and saw nothing.  The growling continued.  Clenching the knife he prepared for an attack.


    (Scene Change back to the bunker)  Dean is walking down the hallway in the bunker, on his way to the infirmary.  He is holding a plate of food.


    "So I don''t know if you even need to eat, but I got you somethi-" Dean walks into the infirmary to see Mallory back asleep on her bed.  Dean set the plate down on a table and reached out to touch Mallory''s arm, slightly hesitating.  As soon as he came into contact, he slumped to the floor, unconscious.


    (Scene Change) Dean wakes up at the trunk of a tree.  It is still night.  He quickly scrambles to his feet, confused.  He pulls a knife out and makes his way forward.


    "Dean!" Mallory yells behind him.  She runs up to him, looking worried.  "What are you doing here?!"


    "I tried to wake you up.  Why didn''t this happen to Cas when he touched you?"


    She scrunched her eyebrows.  "Not sure.  Might be a little different with angels."


    "Where''s Sam?"


    "I don''t know.  He''s not where I left him and I can''t track him as well as I could in the physical world.  Everything''s screwy here because it''s a reality completely build by Maxus.  His world, his rules."


    "Okay, so we''re stuck in the twilight zone and Sam is wondering around wounded.  Great."


    Mallory took off at a run.  "We''re not gonna find him standing around!"  Dean groaned and ran after her.


    (Scene Change) Dean and Mallory are yelling Sam''s name.  Dean has a thin layer of sweat lining his forehead, but Mallory is perfectly fine.


    "Sam!"  Dean yelled. "Sa-"


    "Shh!" Mallory commanded.  "Do you hear that?  Never mind, you''re a human.  This way."


    Now stalking amongst the trees, the two make their way to the source of the noise.


    (Scene Change)  Sam is standing in a grove.  At his feet lies two dead vampires.  He looks extremely pale and is holding his wound.  Out of the trees emerges a pack of vampires.  Sam takes a few steps back, realizing that he may be outnumbered.


    (Quick flash) Mallory is now running again, Dean following her.


    "It''s vampires.  They''ve surrounded him and he''s outnumbered."  She yelled.


    "I don''t see anything!"


    "Trust me! We''re close!"


    (Scene Change) Sam is now running awkwardly, holding his side and trying to further his distance from the vampires but they seem to be gaining on him.  Off to his left, Mallory and Dean burst through the trees in front of him.  Dean rushes over to Sam, stabilizing him.  The three make their way through the forest quickly, but are abruptly stopped when they reach a cliff''s edge.


    Dean is holding Sam up.  They look over the edge and see a rushing river underneath them.  To their right is a large waterfall.  Mallory stands behind them, the vampires are now closing in.


    "Hope you can swim!" She said and pushed Sam and Dean over the edge, sending them straight into the water.


    (Scene Change)  Swimming up to the surface Sam looks up to the top of the cliff  and sees a bright flashing light where Mallory was standing.


    "Mallory?!" Sam yelled.  Behind him, Dean swims over and grabs his shoulders.  He pulls Sam over to the edge of the river and helps him out of the water.


    "You good?" Dean asked him.


    "Yeah," Sam replied, breathing heavily.  "We can''t stay here."Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "We don''t have much of a choice! you look like you''re gonna pass out.  Where''s Mallory?"


    "I don''t know...."  Sam closed his eyes.


    "Hey hey hey!"  Dean said, slapping his cheeks.  "You gotta stay awake."


    Mallory appeared in front of them.  Her face was covered in blood and she was still holding her bloody knife.  She rushed over and knelt at Sam''s side.


    "Dramatic, much?" Dean asked her.


    "Look, I can zap you anywhere, but Sam is tied to the knife, I have little control over him.  I think it worked out pretty well." She said smugly.


    "Yeah, until another group of freaks tracks us down.  Mal, we have to get him out of here."


    "I know."


    Sam shifted and pulled the piece of paper from his jacket pocket.  "Maxus gave this to me," he said, handing it to her.  "He wanted me to give it to you."


    "He was here?!"  She opened the paper.  "It''s too wet.  Did you read it earlier?"


    "It said, ''Liam''s Corner''."


    Mallory''s face quickly changed to anger.


    "What does that mean?" Dean asked.


    "Dean will you stay here with Sam?" Mallory asked, ignoring Dean''s question.


    "Of course, but where are you-?" He turned but Mallory was already gone.


    (Scene Change)  Screen shows text, ''Quincy Massachusetts''.  Camera shows a pub on the corner of a busy street, named ''Liam''s Corner''.  It is a busy night and there are a lot of people around.  Mallory walks into the pub and sits down at the bar.  A man regards her and walks over.


    "What can I get ya?" He asks.


    "I''m here to see Maxus."  She said in a no nonsense tone.  The man suddenly looks nervous and he nods.


    (Scene Change)  The two are standing at the top of a stair case.  "At the end of the hall." The man says and he quickly walked away.  Mallory makes her way down the steps.


    (Scene Change) She is walking down the long hallway.  At the end of the hallway are double doors and two large men standing guard.  They smile when they see Mallory approach and their eyes flicker black.  The one on the left smirks and says.  "You sure got here quick.  Maxus was right to assume that you would be easy."


    Mallory gave them a smug look and flicked her wrist.  The two demons fell to the floor, writhing in pain.  Black plumes of smoke emerged from their mouths.  Mallory held out her hand and the black smoke curled around her fingers.  She clenched her fist and the smoke evaporated.  The two bodies lay limp.  She stepped forward and pushed open the doors.


    Now inside the same swanky bar from earlier,  all the demons have stopped their festivities and regard Mallory uneasily.  Atticus stepped forward, but Mallory waved him away and he fell back into a table.  She bent down and placed a hand on the cold floor.  The demons looked at her in fear but were unable to move,  their feet stuck to the marble flooring.  Mallory''s eyes turned their unsettling mix of black and white.  Dozens of columns of black smoke started to rise out of the panicking crowd.


    "Mallory, please."  Said a calm voice.  Mallory snapped out of her transfixed state and released the smoke back into the meat suits.  Maxus had appeared behind the bar.  He snapped his finger and all the demons simultaneously disappeared.  The two were alone in the room.  Mallory stood up and walked over to the bar.


    "There''s no need to get the demons involved in our little squabble."


    "Interesting that you care more about demons more than Lucifer ever did.  He''d be disappointed in you."


    "Our father took them for granted.  They have a lot to offer, especially if they know their leader actually cares for them."


    "They''re vile."


    "Say what you will, but I''ve really enjoyed having them around.  It''s nice to have friends, ya know?"


    Mallory scoffed.  "They''re not your friends.  They''re directionless saps that would follow anyone if they put on a good show!"


    Maxus continued to smile.  "See it''s thinking like that that would make you a poor ruler of Hell."


    Mallory grew more angry.  "I don''t want to be the ruler of anything, I want to heal Sam and I want you to leave me the hell alone!"


    Maxus was pouring whiskey into a glass.  "Drink?"


    Mallory clenched her fists.  "I don''t drink."


    "Yeah... when the alcohol has no affect on you, it''s hard to get past the taste.  Still, I think it makes me look cool."


    "What do you want with me?" She asked abruptly.  Maxus looked at her for a moment before setting the glass down.


    "I have a proposition.  You know what my goal is;  Azarias told you that much.  I know that you would never join me in ruling Hell, and quite frankly, I don''t think I''d want you anyway.  You''ve gotten very rude over the last couple centuries."


    "Get to the point."


    "See what I mean?  Whatever... I''m offering you a choice. Let me take your powers and you can live out the rest of your days as a human-"


    "Or you''ll kill me and take my powers."


    "... Yes."  Maxus face grew a bit softer.  "I don''t want to kill you, Mallory."


    "You just don''t want me to stand in your way."


    "I suppose you could see it that way."


    "Because that''s the only way to see it!"


    "Life hasn''t been kind to us.  This is about being back on top, the way our father always intended it to be."


    "Quit acting like Lucifer gave a rat''s ass about us!  It''s always been him saving his own skin and if you believe that he really cared about us, then you''re just as clueless as all the demons that killed themselves just for his affection."


    Maxus didn''t respond but finished his glass of whiskey.  He sighed and set the glass down again.


    "I gave you your options.  I''ll give you time to decide, but don''t get too comfy."


    "You''re not taking them."


    "Once upon a time, you would have been all too willing to become human."


    "... not anymore."  She said fiercely.


    "I can see that."  He chuckled.  "Well I guess before you leave, you should take care of Sam.  That''s why you''re really here."


    "That seems too simple."


    "The knife was just an attention getter.  To let you know what the risks are in this.  It''s a shame that Sam was caught up in it."


    He disappeared and reappeared beside her on the other side of the bar.  Azarias and Atticus now stood there, Azarias holding the blade.  He held it out to Mallory.  She hesitated, looking at it.


    "You do now how to save him, don''t you?" Maxus asked.


    Mallory didn''t answer.


    Maxus laughed heartily.  "Wait, so you don''t actually know?  Then you couldn''t even destroy the damn thing if it came down to it.  What a gamble!  You really do care about these Winchesters, don''t you?!"


    "Just tell me how to save him." She said quietly.  Maxus stepped towards her and looking at Atticus, he whispered in her ear, "You have to kill the one who cursed the blade."


    Mallory looked at the knife then to Atticus who appeared terrified, but stood his ground.


    (Scene Change to Sam and Dean) Dean is supporting Sam and they are walking through the night, bloody and battered.  The early morning sun is starting to rise through the trees.


    (Scene Change)  Azarias placed the knife in Mallory''s hand.  She gingerly held it.


    "Isn''t it powerful?" Maxus whispered behind her.


    Mallory wrapped her fingers around it, breathing slightly heavier.   She closed her eyes.


    "Let''s see..." Maxus continued.  "If you don''t do this, what? Sam dies in a week?  Maybe two?"


    Mallory tightened her grip around the blade and swiftly brought the blade across Atticus'' neck.  The demon crumpled to the floor.


    (Scene Change) Sam falls to the ground, screaming in pain.


    "What''s wrong?!" Dean asked.


    Sam clenched his side.  His wound flashed white and once the light had disappeared, the wound still remained.


    "Sammy?"


    "Gah!" Sam bent over in pain.  "I think someone used the knife!"


    (Scene Change back to Mallory and co.)  She is holding the now bloody knife in confusion.


    Maxus smirked.  Again he snapped his fingers and Azarias disappeared along with Atticus'' body.  He cocked his head.


    "I said you needed to kill the person who stabbed Sam, didn''t I?"  He paused.  "Oh, I didn''t!  Yeah... Azarias is the one you''re wanting."


    Mallory threw the blade to the ground and stared down at it in disbelief.


    "It''s intoxicating; the pull of the knife.  Especially once you''ve killed someone with it.  I hope it doesn''t cause you too many problems," he said darkly.  "But perhaps it will make your decision easier."


    He disappeared, leaving Mallory alone with the cursed knife and a pool of blood.

 Let Them Eat Burnt Cake pt 1

    Scene opens to Sam walking through Maxus'' purgatory, though it appears to be greener with thicker trees. He is holding his side and sweat has lined his brow. He looks around confused noticing that the woods around him seem different. A faint conversation is heard in the distance. Sam pauses and crouches behind a tree. He peers around it to see two men speaking in heated tones but their conversation is too hard to make out.


    Sam inches nearer and a closer look is shown at the two men. They seem out of place with older clothes that are centuries out of style. One is wearing a loose white shirt and dark brown britches. He has dark, longer hair and a beard and gray eyes. The other, Sam quickly realizes, is Maxus, in the same style of clothing and his hair is longer too. Sam darts behind a tree, now nervous at seeing Maxus there. After a moment he turns his head around again to watch the two men.


    Maxus suddenly grabs the other man''s throat. He grasps at Maxus, but his face quickly turns to an ashy gray color and he abruptly bursts into flames. Maxus stands, watching the body burn with glee. The fire dies quickly, and Maxus wipes his hands on his shirt, grinning. He then turns in Sam''s direction walking towards him. Out of Instinct, Sam reaches for the knife at his side, but Maxus disappears before coming too close to him.


    Pausing for a moment, Sam remains behind the tree. He then rushes over to where the other man was killed and sees just a pile of smoldering ash.


    *Cut to Intro*


    Text on Screen *Five Hours Earlier*


    Dean is crouched over a screaming Sam. Sam is holding his wound, drenched in sweat and writhing on the ground.


    "Sam!" Dean said gruffly. "Just breathe okay. It''s going to be fine."


    Castiel and Mallory appear behind them. Dean turns to glares at Mallory.


    "What the Hell happened?!"


    She bends down next to Sam, still holding the blade. Dean notices it in her hand, looking confused.


    She places two fingers on Sam''s forehead. His pain subsides and he stops screaming, now just breathing heavily.


    "I''m sorry Sam." Mallory said quietly. Her eyes were filled with tears. She showed him the blade. "I was wrong. I killed Atticus thinking that would fix this."


    "... What do we do?" Sam asked.


    "I need to kill Azarias in order to free you. That''s what Maxus told me anyways. I don''t know what to believe anymore."


    "He''s been playing games with you this whole time," Dean said. "We can''t trust him!"


    "I never said we could!" Mallory countered angrily. "We don''t know anything about how the blade works. Like it or not, Maxus holds the key to everything. We have to get as close to him as we can if we want to get Sam out of here."


    "What did he say to you when you went to meet him?" Castiel asked.


    "... He told me that I had to kill the one who had created the knife, so I killed Atticus. But if Maxus is telling the truth, I''m supposed to kill Azarias."


    "Why would he lie to you?"


    Mallory looked down at the blade in disappointment. "He wanted me to use the blade on someone. To want to use it again..."


    "It''s like the first blade- it deals with bloodlust" Dean said, knowing all too well. He looked at Mallory uneasily. "I remember you saying something like that."


    Mallory nodded. "It was a good tactic for Maxus to use. If I was a human, the blade would no longer affect me and he could save Sam..."


    "We''re not doing that." Sam said forcefully. "I don''t care what happens to me, you''re not giving that son of a bitch your powers."


    Mallory smiled tenderly at him.


    "Then how do we destroy the blade?" Dean asked.


    "I don''t know," Mallory said, turning her attention to the eldest Winchester brother. "What I''ve told you is all that I know about the blade..."


    Castiel furrowed his brow. "What do we do now?"


    "First things first, we need to make sure Sam doesn''t die in here." Dean said, taking command. "I''ll stay here. Watch after him. You and Cas can try and find out what you can."


    "Dean, you shouldn''t stay in here for an extended period of time," Mallory cautioned. "Who knows what the physical and emotional toll it could take on you. We should take turns."


    "Look, it''s most important for you to find out more about the blade. You can''t afford to stay here and babysit"


    "Dean''s right," Castiel said. "You''re the only one powerful enough to take on Maxus. Dean and I will take turns watching over Sam."


    Mallory mulled it over for a moment. "Fine. You okay with this Sam?"


    Sam chuckled. "I don''t really have a choice in the matter."


    (Scene Change) Scene opens to a wide shot of a dirt road. It''s pouring rain, and in the distance, a lights shine from a building. A carriage comes into the screen, making its way towards the lit building. Text appears *Outside of Paris, France 1794*


    The carriage pulls in front of the building, it appears to be a well managed inn. A woman steps out of a carriage and enters the inn. Once inside, she removes her hooded cape, showing that it''s Mallory. She is wearing a modest dress fit to the style of the times. Her hair is pulled up and curled. She sits at a table.


    At a nearby table, two men are sitting and talking in hushed tones. Mallory eyes them, focusing in on their conversation.


    One man is older, with graying hair, but still of a strong build. He speaks to the younger, blond-haired man in German.


    "When did you last speak to him?"


    "Not two days ago. Before that, it was right after the Queen''s execution. He''s growing nervous. With the increase of the use of the guillotine and terror ruling the streets, he feels that he is losing his influence. The people are afraid more than ever." The younger man replied.


    The older gentleman smiled greedily. "Foolish man. He doesn''t realize that he signed his own death warrant when he helped bring upon the king''s death."


    "Perhaps not, but when he does realize, it will be too late. He wanted to much and will now pay for it."


    They pause when a woman approaches them with more beer.


    "Merci Beaucoup," The older man responds with a perfect French accent. The woman nods and departs. They return to their conversation in German.


    "This country is in absolute shambles. Nothing can stop their descent into utter madness now." The younger man grinned. He swigged down his drink and wiped his lip.


    Mallory watched them silently, then scanned her eyes over the rest of the people in the inn. There were only half a dozen others in the room apart from the inn owner and his staff. One man caught her eye and she lingered on him for a moment. He stood at the fireplace only a few feet away from the two German men, gazing into the lively flames. His tall body stood rigid and his head was slightly cocked to the side. Mallory smiled to herself because she knew that he too was listening to their conversation. The man at the fireplace looked up at her. He was dressed in a loose white shirt and thick coat with dark brown britches. His dark hair was longer, matching the beard that sat comfortably on his face. He regarded her with steely gray eyes. Mallory broke eye contact, realizing that the two German men had finished their conversation and were getting up from the table.


    They made their way to the door then stepped out into the rain. Mallory casually got up from the table and followed them. The man at the fireplace left his place, heading towards the door as well.


    Mallory rounded the corner of the inn, watching the men get into a carriage that carried them down the road. She stood against the inn to stay out of the rain. There were a couple of stable boys near her, shivering in the night, but Mallory stood unaffected without her cape.


    "Il est une mauvaise nuit pour ¨ºtre sans cette (It is a poor night to be without this)," A voice said. She turned to see the man from the fireplace holding her cape out to her.


    "Il est seulement pour les apparences. Je suppose que pourquoi vous portez votre manteau ¨¦pais . On n''a pas vraiment besoin (It is only for appearances. I assume that is why you wear your thick coat. You do not really need it.)." She smirked at him.


    The man gave her a cheeky smile, handing her the cape. Mallory took it from him, placing it back on her shoulders.


    "Puis-je vous marcher ¨¤ l''int¨¦rieur? (May I walk you back inside?)" He offered his arm and Mallory accepted it. They slowly made their way away from the stable boys.


    "Vous n''¨ºtes pas fran?ais , mais votre accent est remarquable (You are not French, but your accent is remarkable)," He commented. Instead of taking them back inside, he lead them to the other side of the building.


    "je sais beaucoup de langues parce que mon travail (I know a lot of languages because of my work)" Mallory said. She fiddled with a knife that was concealed in the folds of her dress.


    "And what is your line of work?" The man asked, now in English, but with a crisp French accent.


    "I''m sure you are familiar with it."


    The man pushed her up against the wall, a threatening look in his eye. Mallory remained calm.


    "You are a hunter?" He asked. Mallory replied with just a smile. The man frowned and placed a hand on her neck.


    "I don''t have time for your interference," he hissed. His hand glowed a fiery red and he squeezed her neck. Mallory still remained calm and the man was surprised that he had no effect on her. She whipped out the knife and slashed at his wrist.


    The man recoiled, the wound making a hissing sound.


    "What are you?" He demanded.


    "I could ask you the same thing."


    (Scene Change) Cas and Mallory are back at the bunker. They are pulling out all kinds of random texts and books that the men of letters have. Mallory is standing over the table flipping through a book. Cas walks up behind her holding more.


    "This is everything you found on ancient curses and weapons?" she asked.


    "This is everything that the men of letters have collected over time. The creation of these blades is so intimate to Lucifer that there''s a strong possibility that we will find nothing." Cas said bluntly.


    "... That''s what I''m afraid of...." Mallory looked up from the book. "I wonder what information we could find from Lucifer''s crypts? He created a bunch so there''s gotta be something in regards to the blade."


    "That would be a good assumption but only a few ever knew of the crypts whereabouts and they''re all dead. Meg never told Crowley the exact locations of all of them. Even his knowledge is limited"


    Mallory frowned. "Crowley... That''s another douche bag that we have to keep track of."


    "Have you ever met him?"


    "Unfortunately I haven''t, but I heard he''s a real riot," Mallory laughed.


    "If you''re referring to the amount of chaos he has ensued, then yes I suppose he is."


    Mallory rolled her eyes at Castiel''s inability to understand the phrase.


    "I''m guessing you guys have had a few run ins with him?"


    "More than I''d care to admit. Though to be fair he has had his uses in the past. We currently have an... Understanding with him."


    "What do you mean?"


    "He played a part in Dean being freed from the Mark of Cain. These days he stays out of our business and we tend to stay out of his."


    "Huh... Never thought there''d be some sort of alliance between demons and Hunters... Do you think we should warn him about Maxus? He''s gunning for Crowley''s throne after all..."


    "That depends. Is Crowley the lesser of two evils?"


    (Scene Change) Sam and Dean back in purgatory. They are sitting on the ground. Dean is carving something out of a stick with his knife.


    "You know, when I first started to suspect that something was off with Mallory, I never would have guessed this. I mean yeah maybe she was sort of monster or cursed or something..."


    "You weren''t expecting her to be both?" Sam said.


    "...This is some heavy crap."


    "Yeah... What do you think will happen if Mallory can''t find a way to get me out of here? Do you really think she''ll opt for a showdown with Maxus?"


    " It might come to that... Either she''ll fight him or give up her power to save you."


    "Do you really think she''d do that though? Give all that up just to save one person?"Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "... She killed Atticus without hesitation because she thought it would save you. Now she has to deal with the bloodlust of the blade because of that. I think she''d be more than willing to give up her power for you."


    "But if she does that, our chances of killing Maxus are pretty slim. Dean, getting Lucifer into the cage and killing Abbadon was hard enough, but Maxus and Mallory are supposed to be them on steroids! Without Mallory in our corner this might be a fight we don''t come back from. I can''t have Mallory risking herself for me."


    Dean looked down at the stick he was whittling. He didn''t respond to Sam.


    "What is it?"


    Dean looked up at him then gazed off into the trees. "Honestly, I think our biggest problem right now is whether or not Mallory can control herself with the blade... If killing Azarias is the way to save you then we have to keep it. I''ve been there. I''ve felt what it''s like to crave killing something. Anything. It doesn''t have to be Mallory who kills Azarias but how much damage do you think she could cause before we get to him?"


    They sat in silence both looking worried.


    (Scene Change) Mallory and the man are standing out in the rain. She is wielding her knife, keeping him at a distance.


    "An aversion to iron.. good to know but it hardly narrows down what you are." she said.


    "How did you find me?" the man asked. Though he was at knifepoint, he stood composed and placid.


    "Truth be told, I had spent the afternoon taking care of some werewolves. I didn''t come to the inn thinking I would encounter anything else... But then I saw you... And I knew something wasn''t right. You give off an usually powerful amount of heat. I''ve never experienced anything like it," She delicately stepped closer to him, pushing him out further into the rain. "I followed the Germans out because I knew you were listening to their conversation as well. I figured I would lure you out here and you''d be the dashing gentleman that you were. French men will always go out of their way to prove that they are quite the charmers."


    "That was smart," he admitted.


    "My only question now is why you were so concerned about the two men."


    "I''m perfectly fine with telling you as long as you don''t try to kill me."


    Mallory laughed. "You don''t want to just fight it out now?"


    "I know when to stay away from a fight. My powers had no effect on you, so you apparently are not a human either. Why do you place yourself above me? Forgive my saying this, but you too are a monster."


    Mallory lowered her knife slightly.


    He continued. "I''ve never killed anyone. I''ve spent my life trying to stay away from monsters and hunters alike. I shouldn''t be killed just because I am different."


    "You tried to kill me... But to be fair, I was planning on killing you so I can see why you would feel threatened."


    The man laughed. It was a warm and inviting laugh. "Please. If you put the knife away, I''ll tell you everything you need to know. In fact you could probably help me."


    "Tell me what you are first." She demanded.


    "... I''m the Phoenix."


    Mallory looked shocked and put the knife away. "The phoenix?" She scoffed, looking impressed. "I thought that was just a legend- The monster that all other monsters despise."


    "I''m not very good at making friends," He said light heartedly.


    "Monsters rarely make good friends. What is your name?"


    "Matthias."


    "I''m Mallory."


    Matthias smiled. "A pleasure. Now if I may, what are you?"


    "I''m afraid my answer is a bit more complicated..."


    (Scene Change) Mallory and Matthias sit at a table in front of the roaring fire. There is no one left sitting at the tables or standing behind the bar, indicating that they have been there for a long time.


    "... You are a child of Lucifer. Is that what you call yourself?" Matthias asked.


    "I prefer a Child of Purgatory. I''d rather think of being in that awful place than be compared to the devil."


    "I can understand why. What happened to you brother, Maxus? Does he not hunt with you?"


    Mallory was quiet for a moment, as if it was a hard subject for her. "No, we went our separate ways centuries ago."


    "But he rescued you from Hell."


    "It didn''t take me long to realize that he had become cruel. He wasn''t the same man that I had grown up with in Purgatory. There, he did everything he could to protect me. When he rescued me from Hell, I felt as if I was supposed to succumb to his anger and bitterness at the world and our family. He wanted them to pay for abandoning and manipulating us. He didn''t think Lilith was fit to rule Hell after capturing me. He even spoke of wanting it for himself."


    "And you don''t know where he is now."


    "No, but I want to believe that there is still some good in him."


    Matthias smiled at her. "Not everyone has your ability to see the good in the bad."


    "You do." She stated. "It is obvious that you care for your country in a way that most humans never could but you don''t owe humanity anything.."


    "Nor do you, and yet you hunt monsters to protect them."


    "Then we are not living up to our greatest potential," Mallory said with a sad smile. "Tell me, why was the Germans'' conversation important to you? They were talking about the turmoil that France is currently in, but why?"


    Matthias'' eyes shone with excitement. Out of his coat, he pulled out a small notebook. "I have lived in France longer than I have anywhere else. I''ve been here for almost seven centuries, but only recently have I been tracking down the tyrants trying to destroy what I would consider my homeland." He opened the notebook, showing an extensive family tree written in beautiful calligraphy.


    "What tyrants? I thought France''s conflicts was between the rich and the poor. Do the poor not consider the rich and powerful to be the tyrants, or does it go deeper than that?"


    "It always goes deeper than that." He pushed the notebook towards her. "Do you know anything about the Frankenstein family?"


    (Scene Change) Castiel stands alone at a table in the bunker, overlooking sacks of books. He looks around not seeing Mallory. He walks away from the table, looking for her. Mallory is sitting atop of a staircase. She has the blade in her hands, and she is looking over it with a furrowed brow. Cas appears behind her. She isn''t surprised that he is there, and she continues to hold the blade.


    "The books won''t help," Mallory stated.


    Cas looked down at her, eyeing the blade with worry. "Should I reach out to Crowley? Perhaps he did pick up some information from the crypts and just didn''t know what the context was. He could be of some use to us."


    "That is probably our best bet."


    Mallory stood and slid the knife into her jacket. She noticed Cas looking at her weird. "Cas, I''m fine."


    "We''re not sure what effects the blade will have on you," he said in a matter of fact tone. "Apart from a looming bloodlust, we''re not sure what to expect. Especially with your powers. The results could be catastrophic."


    "I am not a being susceptible to corruption like a human or demon. Nor am I a slave to orders like an angel," She replied with a harshness that would have offended anyone else. Cas remained stoned face. She sighed, leaning against the railing, rubbing the mark on her neck. "I''m sorry. I just... don''t get involved for a reason. I''m tired of seeing people get hurt."


    Cas stood there awkwardly. "That is one of the vices of immortality."


    Mallory laughed bitterly.


    "... That mark on your neck. What is it?"


    "A reminder. We each received one after we were born. It''s Lucifer''s mark, his own special GPS, so we could never truly conceal ourselves from him and only he can remove it. I told Dean that my dreams were caused from a witch''s curse, but they''re really just an effect from the mark. Maxus has the dreams too."


    "Lucifer really did take the necessary precautions with you and your siblings."


    "He was thorough, I''ll give him that.... Could you contact Crowley?" She asked, wanting to change the subject. "We should pay him a visit."


    "Let me see what I can do."


    (Scene Change) Back to Mallory and Matthias.


    "A family that has controlled major events in Europe''s history for the last several centuries?" Mallory asked incredulously.


    "Yes! They have capitalized on chaos and fear for years. Whispering lies into the ears of politicians and royalty, starting wars, causing uproars. They have more power than most kings, ruling countries, unseen from everyone else."


    "But why?"


    Matthias shrugged. "Some humans will do almost anything to feel that they have control over their world. Regardless of how cruel it is."


    "But they have been made themselves into monsters by killing people and enhancing their abilities. They are hardly human anymore."


    "True, but they still have the carnal desires of humans: greed, power, a lust for more that what they currently have."


    "... Not just humans struggle with such things... How did you discover them?"


    "My initial knowledge of the family came during The Great Plague. I caught word of a German family that was unaffected by the sickness. I found that they were human, but there was still something unnatural about them. I didn''t think too much of it. Those who knew magic used it as a way to keep death from their doorstep during that time."


    He continued "But when political strife started to rise in France, I recognized familiar names and faces."


    "They resurfaced." Mallory interjected and Matthias nodded.


    "Who do you think riled up the poor? Or convinced them to kill the king and queen? It''s more than the French Revolutionaries wanting a change. They''re merely puppets in the hands of the Frankensteins. This country is nearly at the mercy of neighboring lands and yet they''re still too preoccupied with killing each other to truly notice. The Frankensteins have their influence in all of it."


    "Then what do you plan to do? Their position in society seems too vast and powerful to really make much of a difference."


    Matthias looked defeated. "I don''t know. Because they use figureheads to do their bidding, I''ve only been able to find one one man that I know for sure has fallen to the family- Robespierre."


    Mallory raised her eyebrows in surprise. "He''s one of the most influential politicians involved in the revolution."


    "And even he is being manipulated. If I find Robespierre, I could find the whereabouts of the Frankensteins. He travelled into Paris today."


    Matthias'' eyes held such a fiery passion to them, even with Mallory''s doubts, she had to help. "Then tomorrow we will go to Paris."


    (Scene Change) Dean and Sam in purgatory. Close up on Dean who''s face is splattered with blood. He looks angry. Camera pans out to show a couple of dead monsters at his feet. He turns and goes over to Sam who is leaning against a tree.


    "Come on Sammy," he says, putting one of Sam''s arms around his shoulders. They stopped when they saw a man leaning against a tree in front of them.


    "Well you certainly know how to make a mess," he sneered at them. He was tall and lanky with greasy hair. "You know, before you guys came along, the suckers in here just kept to themselves. Why bother killing each other when you just pop up again... and again... and again? It all just gets so boring."


    "What the hell do you want?" Dean asked him. The man flashed his eyes black and smiled.


    "I just wanted to see the famed Winchesters."


    Sam looked at the demon in confusion. "Why would a demon be here? Wouldn''t you just poof back to Hell?"


    The demon made a face. "Everything that Maxus kills makes it''s way here, regardless of where it came from- monsters, angels, demons. Doesn''t matter."


    "Why''d he gank you?"


    "Oh, he didn''t. No, some hunter did."


    "What do you mean?" Dean asked.


    "That''s the thing with Maxus, he''s put a lot of thought into this. Think about it, if you were raising an army of demons against Crowley, you wouldn''t want them to return to Hell if they were killed. You want them to be safe. Crowley can still get to them there. Here he can''t. I''ll eventually be out again, but I''ll still be out of his grasp."


    Dean looked angry. "So you''re one of Maxus'' minions?" Dean pushed Sam''s arm off of him and sauntered towards the demon. "What do you know about the blade then?" He said, inching closer to him.


    "What blade?" He seemed genuinely lost.


    Dean shoved the demon against the tree. "Don''t play stupid."


    "Look, I support Maxus. He seems like he''s got everything figured out, doesn''t mean I actually know everything."


    Pulling out a knife he held it against the demon. "Are you sure?"


    The demon laughed. "Go for it. I''ll still be here."


    Dean sunk the knife into the demon. The blade crackled and the body fell to the ground.


    "Welp, that wasn''t very helpful," he said, putting away the knife.


    "Actually, he may have just given us some good information without realizing it," Sam said, smiling.


    "How so?"


    "Think about it... Atticus was probably sucked in here after Mallory killed him. He knew about the blade. He''s probably our best shot right now."


    "True, but who knows how long that will take? We don''t have that kind of time and you can hardly fight."


    "We need to try. What else are we going to do?"


    "Well for one, you could actually take a freakin'' break!"


    "Dean, my wound''s gonna be here, regardless of what I do. Come on, we can take down some black eyes, see if they know where Atticus is."


    Dean groaned and put Sam''s arm around him again.


    "You know, I think it just might go faster if you just carry me," he said with a smirk.


    "Do you want me to leave you here? Cuz at this point, I''m perfectly fine with that."

 Let Them Eat Burnt Cake pt 2

    (Scene Change) Mallory and Matthias are walking through the streets of Paris.  It is morning and the sun is shining through the broken clouds.  Because of the rain the night before, it is muddy and the streets are filthy.  People give them dirty looks as they pass by.


    "I should have come to Paris before all of this.  I''m sure it was once a beautiful city," Mallory said, looking at patch of mangey beggars sitting in front an official looking building.


    "It still is," Matthias said.  "People just forgot to treat it as such."  He led her through a maze of people.  They eventually reached an open courtyard where a large group of people were gathered.  The pair stopped.  Mallory looked to the center of the crowd to see a wooden platform with a guillotine sitting on top of it.  The heavy blade gleamed menacingly in the sun.  Matthias and Mallory watched as a man was brought to in front of the guillotine.  He had a sack covering his face.  The executioner pulled the sack off and the crowd cheered.


    "Emilie Dechaux,"  The executioner cried out.  "You have been tried and found guilty to be a traitor to the revolution."  The crowd cheered more.


    "There he is." Matthias pointed out a man at the base of the platform, standing with a group of other important looking men, all wearing white powdered wigs.  "I did hear that he liked to watch executions," he said with disgust.


    The man, Emilie, now had his head placed inside of the device.  Mallory watched in transfixed horror as the blade fell down on his neck.  His detached head fell into a basket..  The crowd roared as the body was picked up and taken away.


    Matthias gently took her hand, pulling her out of her frozen state.  She looked at him.


    "I have seen so many horrors, but I have never witnessed humanity sink so low into this state of depravity."


    "I know... come, we''ll need to follow him."  He led her by the hand towards Robespierre.


    (Scene Change) Mallory and Matthias are standing inside of a building, next to a pair of large polished wooden doors.  The doors open and a group of men flood out.  Robespierre walks out with a man who accompanied him to the execution.  They veer away from the crowd and walk down a hall.  Mallory and Matthias follow after them.


    "You have condemned yourself for this!" The man said to Robespierre.  "It will be your head next at the guillotine."


    "I did what I thought was best."  He replied angrily.


    "No, you have proven yourself to be dangerous.  The people are terrified.  While some cheer when someone else is executed, most tremble in fear, knowing that they may be next.  They want this terror to end.  The people want their country back!"


    "And I am trying to give that to them!  I am trying to give them a better country!  A new France!"


    "You will be killed for doing so!"  The man nearly yelled.  Mallory and Matthias hid behind a pillar, listening intently.  "Many believe that you started this reign of terror and it must be your death that ends it."  The man, now furious straightened his coat and left Robespierre in the hall.  He fell back against a wall and cradled his head, looking defeated.  Matthias walked out from behind the pillar, approaching him.


    "Excuse me, monsieur?"  Matthias said politely.  Robespierre looked up and quickly composed himself.


    "Can I help you?"


    Mallory was quick to follow behind Matthias.  Standing beside him as he spoke to the stressed Frenchman.


    Matthias smiled at him.  You are Robespierre, are you not?"


    "I am.  And who are you?"  He looked at Matthias and then to Mallory.


    "We are of no great importance," Matthias replied.  "I was just telling my wife that I had always dreamed of meeting you.  You are a true revolutionary," he said with effortless charisma.


    Robespierre stood a little taller.  "Thank you.  It is citizens like you who will truly create the best future for our beautiful country."


    Matthias titled his head slightly, still smiling.  "We can only hope so.  If you will forgive me, but do you think that this country could really rebuild itself on its own, or do you believe that we do require foreign aid in order to do so?"


    Robespierre''s face fell slightly.  "I-I''m not entirely sure I know what you mean by that."


    "I have heard some whispers that leaders of the revolution are looking to others... for support... or influence."


    Robespierre now looked scared but irritated.  "Surely not!  Now if you will plea-"


    "So you don''t have any affiliation with the Frankenstein family?"  Mallory said, cutting to the chase.


    "I-I-" Robespierre fumbled.  He pushed himself away from the wall, attempting to distance himself from the two.  Mallory stepped forward and placed two fingers on his forehead.  Her eyes glowing with grace.


    "Devil!" Robespierre gasped.  A bright light erupts in the hall.  After it fades, the hall is vacant.


    (Scene Change)  Robespierre is sitting in a wooden chair in what appears to be an attic.  He wakes from unconsciousness, a little groggy and his wig is disheveled.  He panics when he sees Mallory and Matthias standing above him.  He tries to move from the chair but can''t move, even though he is not tied to anything.


    "Why can''t I move?!"  He yelled, struggling in vain.  "Where am I?"


    "You''re alright, we just didn''t want you trying to escape."  Matthias said, trying to be reassuring.


    "What are you going to do with me?  Sacrifice me?! Are you witches? Devils? What are you?!"


    "Witches?  Heavens no."  Mallory said.  "We just want some answers.  We are aware that you are familiar the Frankenstein family.  You have some knowledge of the world of magic and the supernatural."


    Robespierre scowled at her.  "Why would I tell you devil worshippers?"


    His comment resonated with Mallory, and she stood close to his face, hardly trying to cover up her anger.  "You''re right, you don''t have to tell us anything."  She again raised two fingers to his forehead.  Her eyes glowed their peculiar black and white.  Scene flashes to a French chateau in the green countryside.  Quick flash to inside the chateau, Robespierre is with two familiar faces; the Germans from the inn.  There are more people there in the room.  Overall, there is at least a dozen of them sitting around a beautifully polished table.  The older gentleman from the inn is standing above Robespierre, and he lays a hand on his shoulder.


    "We commend you on the progress that has been made thus far.  Louis'' death was necessary for securing France''s future.  It won''t be long until the Queen is next.  You should have trusted us more when we ensured you that the royal family would be caught before they fled the country."


    Robespierre appeared nervous.  "You''re right, I apologize. I just... how many lives will be lost before the reality of our dreams are seen?"


    "Robespierre! Surely you must have foreseen that there would be casualties.  This is war; within France and with other countries."


    "Just promise me that I will be able to see this to the end.  I need to be a witness to a better France."


    The elder man, with his hand still on Robespierre''s shoulder, looked down at him with a mix of contempt and glee that the Frenchman couldn''t see.  "You will be revered as a hero.  The moment the citizens execute you is the moment France truly falls into despair and that is a tragedy that no one can afford."


    The scene faded back to Mallory standing over Robespierre.  She removed her hand from his forehead.


    "What did you do to me?!" He demanded.  Mallory ignored him.


    "What did you see?"  Matthias asked.  Mallory did the same to Matthias.  He closed his eyes, taking in what Mallory was projecting to him.  When it was over, Matthias took a step back from her.


    "Thousands of people have died..." He said quietly to Robespierre.  "You have killed thousands of French citizens!" He lunged at him, catching his chin with his fist.


    "I thought I was doing the right thing!" He said, slightly out of breath.


    "No.  You have wrought terror and despair and you let those monsters manipulate you beyond recognition.  I used to hear stories of you.  A great lawyer who sought to give hope and power to the poor.  Who fought for the people, now you fight them.  You are no better than the creatures that now rule your actions!"  Mallory regarded Matthias in surprise, but she stood back as he attacked Robespierre again with a hard punch.


    The politician hung his head.  A slow, unsettling laugh escaped from his lips.  He looked up at them, blood now flowing from his busted lip.  "You''re right," he said weakly.  "The Frankenstein''s have been controlling this revolution for months.  I didn''t even try to stop them.  They cannot be stopped."


    "Damn you, then."  Matthias said through gritted teeth.  Robespierre replied with a bloody smile.


    "Where are they?"  Mallory asked him.  "Where is the Chateau?"


    "It''s the Chateau de Doumely."


    "Do you know it?"  Mallory asked Matthias.


    "I do.  What do we do with him?"


    "We''ll take him back to where we found him.  I have a feeling his usefulness to the Frankensteins is wearing thin."


    Robespierre looked at Mallory.  "It doesn''t matter how many you kill, Devil.  They are like shadows... lurking around every corner.  Always planning.  Destroying.  This world will never be rid of them."


    (Scene Change) Cas and Mallory are standing in the middle of a dirt crossroads.


    "Ducky, I''m hurt that you would want to meet me out here.  After all we''ve been through." Said a voice with a husky scottish accent.  "I would have thought I''d earned VIP access to the Batcave by now."  Cas and Mallory turned to meet the King of Hell in all of his finely tailored glory.  He regarded Cas smugly, but looked at Mallory with a subtle curiosity.


    "Crowley," Castiel greeted him.


    "Making new friends, are we?" Crowley said to Cas, while still looking at Mallory.  "And what might you be?" He now asked Mallory.


    "Spawn of Satan."  Mallory responded with a smirk.  Crowley''s face fell slightly in confusion.  Mallory then smiled.  "Name''s Mallory."


    "Pleasure," Crowley said sarcastically.  "So, is that all I get for an introduction?  I knew I should have just stayed home."


    "Crowley, we don''t have time for this.  We need some information."  Cas explained.


    "No no, please, humor me for a moment," Crowley said in annoyance.  "Why should I help you?  I don''t even know you," he gestured to Mallory, "And I don''t even like you," he gestured to Cas.


    "Crowley, you''re not really in a place of great leverage," Mallory said.


    "And why is that?"


    "Because you are not a threat to me."


    "... Who are you?"


    "I''m Lucifer and Lilith''s daughter."


    Crowley failed briefly in covering his surprise.  "Lilith never told me about you..." he paused. "And to think, we were once lovers in the nighttime."


    "That''s a disturbing thought," Castiel mumbled.


    "Why have you just now decided to grace us with your presence?"  Crowley asked her, ignoring Cas.


    "It''s a long story.  Look, we need to know if you know all the locations to the Crypts."


    "Right.  That''s not something I normally divulge in, sweetheart."


    The sweetheart comment struck a chord.  "Okay, you fiery back of dicks, tell us or I''ll go into your nut sized brain and get it myself."


    Crowley smiled. "Sorry Rosemary''s baby, I''m not easily rattled."


    Mallory raised her arm and out shot a blast of white energy. Crowley flew backwards, falling on his back. Mallory clenched her fist, forcing Crowley to stand and fly towards her. There was now fear in his eyes. She secured her fingers around his neck bringing their faces close together.


    "Know your place, Crowley. You''re not worthy of my time, but for my brother Maxus you are. You have something he wants and he could take it from you before you had a chance to squeal for help. At the end of the day, you are still just a crossroads demon. Not worth the crap that some poor sap would scrape off the bottom of their shoe. Now... Where are the crypts?"


    Fighting for breath, Crowley answered. "I was never able to find all of the locations. This is all I know." From his hand he produced a piece of paper and offered it to Mallory. She took it and released the demon.  Crowley rubbed his neck where a visible hand print had left it''s mark.


    "Anything else you bullies need?"


    "Not right now. As for you, you''ve been given your warning. You should take a hard look at the demons you consider loyal."


    Crowley scowled and disappeared.


    Mallory folded the paper and stuck it in her pocket.


    "I think that went rather well." Castiel said.


    Mallory laughed at the angel. "You know, the boys are wrong. You do have a sense of humor."Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "... I don''t understand what you mean by that. I don''t recall making a joke."


    (Scene Change) Dean and Sam in Purgatory.  Dean has a demon pinned up against a tree, holding the demon knife to his throat.


    "Look asshat, did you or did you not see Atticus in here?"  Dean demanded.


    "I don''t know who that man is!"


    "He''s probably wearing a nice suit.  Looks like a young Marlon Brando."


    "Who the Hell is that?!"


    Dean grunted in frustration.  "Isn''t there some place where you dicks, I don''t know, meet up or something?"


    "It''s kind of every man for himself out here."


    "I''ve been to purgatory before- the real purgatory, not this crap shoot, and I know that that isn''t always the case.  Monsters team up with monsters.  Why would it be any different with demons?"


    The demon looked back and forth between Sam and Dean nervously.  Dean pressed the knife deeper into his neck.


    "Okayokayokay! Alright, fine! Yes, demons usually get together at the river bank.  It''s the safest spot.  Helps protects us from any leviathans roaming around.  I don''t know if you''ll find your guy.  He''s sounds important but that sort of info is outta my paygrade.  I swear! That''s all I know!"


    Dean looked satisfied.  He released the demon.  The demon checked his neck for any blood marks.


    "Thanks man," he said.  "I was really worried there for a-"  The demon looked down at his stomach where Dean had impaled him with the knife.  He crumpled into Dean, who shoved him off.


    Dean wiped the knife on the demon''s shirt.  He stood up.  "This place is killin me." He said gruffly.  "Let''s go."


    Sam carefully stepped over the body, following Dean further into the woods.


    (Scene Change) Mallory and Matthias are walking up to a beautiful French chateau.  It is still daytime, but they keep a good distance away and don''t notice anyone around.  They are standing beneath a canopy of trees.


    "We should return at nightfall," Matthias noted.  "There''s no need to call more attention upon ourselves."  Mallory nods and they take a seat at a bench that is resting at the base of an oak tree.  Mallory sits, deep in thought.


    "Are you alright?" Matthias asked, noticing her expression.  Mallory tried to collect her thoughts.


    "You have spent eons walking this earth alone, but you kept to yourself.  Why do you now want to save France from it''s fate?"


    "... I suppose I no longer wanted to go  through eternity being a spectator.  I can help mankind.  I can change things."


    Mallory looked at him solemnly.  "What if we''re not supposed to be saviors?"


    Matthias was taken aback by her comment.  "Surely you can''t mean that.  You have dedicated years of your life saving people."


    "Only to watch them go through suffering all over again.  That cycle will never end.  As long as there is humanity, they are doomed to suffer.  When I fell in love with humanity, I was so naive... I think when I was freed from Hell, I wanted to prove to my family that I was not like them.  That I was compassionate.  That I was something that I had seen in humans.  I admired them... "


    "Mallory, why are you saying this?"  Matthias looked hurt.


    She now had tears in her eyes.  "Lilith used to tell me stories about Lucifer.  That... when the archangels would come down to earth, they would cause great calamity because of their power.  Humans feared them for it.  When I came to earth, I caused death and disease.  Hundreds died because of me.  I''ll never be accepted by those whom I seek to protect... At what point do you stop interfering in the lives of those who do not think they need you?"


    "... Why do you still hunt?"  He asked with a hint of anger.


    "... I don''t know."


    "Then perhaps you should have let Maxus take your powers."  He said with an edge in his voice.


    "My powers are the thing I despise most but cannot live without.  I''ve lived with them for so long, I''m afraid of what I''d be without them.  You should be able to know what that is like."


    Matthias got up from the bench.  "Why did you offer to help me then?  You wouldn''t be questioning yourself if you had just walked away from the inn- or better yet, if you had just killed me when you had the chance."  Mallory pushed herself off of the bench as well. Matthias turned away from her.


    "Because I have grown cold- going through the routine of killing beasts and thinking that I was helping people!  But when I saw the ferocity in which you cared for your country and your people, I too wanted to feel that.  I wanted to feel something again..."  She gently reached out and grabbed his shoulder.  He turned and looked down at her.  "... I don''t believe that killing the Frankensteins will stop them.  We may delay them here in France, but they''ve already caused too much damage... But if we can make any difference in taking out those monsters, whether it be today or years from now, I want to try."  Matthias responded by cupping her delicate face in his hands and pulling her into a kiss.


    (Scene Change) Dean and Sam are walking down a slope.  In the distance, the riverbank is seen.  Dean stops behind a tree and turns to Sam


    "Stay here for a sec," Dean orders him.


    "Dean, I''m coming with you."


    "No.  There''s at least a dozens demons down there.  You''re not gonna do a whole lot of good."


    Sam rolled his eyes and kept walking.  Dean grabbed his shoulder and shoved him back.  He pointed a finger at him.


    "Dude, just stop.  Trust me okay?"  Sam stopped, looking annoyed.  "I''ll just take a peek and see if Atticus is down there."


    "Fine," Sam huffed.  He settled himself against a tree and Dean left him to creep towards the riverbank.


    (Scene Change) Dean is behind a bush, looking out towards the river.  At the riverbank, there are several demons, mostly standing around or sitting on the rocks.  Dean comes forwards a little bit.  At the edge of the water, sits a young demon in a nice gray suit.  He is further off from the rest of the company.  Dean looks around before creeping closer to him.


    When he is about ten feet from him, Atticus looks up and see Dean approaching him.  Atticus hops up from the rock and backs away from the water.  Dean holds out the knife and jumps at him.  Startled, Atticus stumbles backwards and sprints his way up the bank, Dean following after him.


    From his safe place behind the tree, Sam sees Dean chasing after the demon.


    "Damnit." He breathed, following them.


    (Scene Change) Inside of the French Chateau, a couple of the Frankenstein men are walking down a dimly lit hallway.  They turn the corner, where Matthias is waiting for them.  They lunge towards him.  Matthias reaches out with both arms,touching them on the foreheads.  They stop, a red glow now emanating from their heads.  They both erupt into flames, crumbling into a pile of ash within seconds.  Matthias carefully steps over them and walks down the hallway from which they came.


    (Scene Change) Mallory is going down a different hallway.


    "What are you doing here?" A voice orders.  She turns to see three men making their way towards her.


    She stands calmly, raising her hand.  They get within two feet of her before they all explode, splattering blood everyone.  Mallory grimaces when she sees some of it get on her dress.  She wipes it then continues down the hallway.


    (Scene Change) In a room, at least a dozen of Frankensteins hear the commotion.


    "What was that?" One asks, looking slightly worried.


    One opens the door and pokes his head out.  He suddenly bursts into flames.  Stepping over his pile of ash, Matthias enters the room.  He takes a quick look around.  The Frankensteins get up from the table and to rush him.  Flames ignite below their feet, and they are all consumed in their own personal fires.  All except one.  A terrified man is cornered against the window.  As Matthias makes his way towards him, Mallory enters the room.  Matthias grabs the man''s neck.


    "Where were the two that made their way outside of Paris?"


    The man trembles.  "They''re there in the city."


    "Why?"


    "They are to ensure the arrest of Robespierre!"  He whimpers.  "They''re staying at L''hotel du Soleil."


    "Thank you," Matthias said with a smile.  He burns the man, then walks towards Mallory.


    "Everyone else in the Chateau is dead."  Mallory said.


    "We need to go back to the Paris."


    (Scene Change) Sam is lagging behind Dean and Atticus.  He is walking through a thicker part of the woods, the foliage is greener and the trees thicker.  He stops when he hears a conversation.  Two men are standing are standing in a grove, arguing. He inches closer.


    (Scene Change) It is morning in Paris.  Matthias and Mallory are walking to the hotel.  There is a commotion going on in the streets.  They go towards the source of the noise.  A man is yelling at a crowd, nearly hysterical.


    "Robespierre has been shot and arrested!"  He yells.  "He will face the guillotine tomorrow!"


    There was a mix of surprised gasps and shouting, along with a few cheers.


    Matthias and Mallory quickly leave the crowd, going to the hotel.  They step inside of the beautifully built building.  Mallory approaches a man.  "Excuse me."  He turns and looks horrified at the sight of her dress. Mallory gently taps his hand and a dreamy smile spreads across his face.  He is now suddenly unaware of her uncomely appearance.  "We are looking for two German men that are staying here.  One is slightly older and well built.  The younger one has blond hair."


    "Ah, yes."  The man said.  "They came in just yesterday."


    "Would you be so kind as to show to their room?"


    The man nodded and led them up a large staircase.  They stop in front of a room.


    "Thank you," Mallory said to him.  He smiled and drifted down the hall.


    "I''ll let you have the honor," She told Matthias.


    Matthias opened the door.  Inside the room, the older Frankenstein is looking out of the window, smiling over the now rioting crowd in the street.  The younger of the two is seated at a table.  Upon seeing Matthias and Mallory, he grabs a sword.  The older one turns from the window, almost pleased to see them.


    "I should have known that hunters would eventually be after us.  It is a shame, though.  If you had been here earlier, you could have tried to stop Robespierre''s fate."


    "He deserves his punishment after dealing with your kind."  Matthias said.


    "I''ll let him know that."


    "You have ruined this country."


    "Oh, we can''t take all of the credit.  The fickleness of the French was more than enough to work with.  We just... helped them ruin themselves."


    Matthias thrust out his hand, and the younger Frankenstein caught on fire, slowly burning.  He screamed in agony.  The older Frankenstein now looked worried that he was not just dealing with regular hunters.


    "Please!" He pleaded with the Phoenix.  "He is my only son.  I don''t want to watch him burn."


    "As I watch my country die, you will see the same happen to him."  The young man fell, burnt to a crisp.  His father dropped to his knees and held the young man''s head.  Matthias bent down to his level.  Through tears and gritted teeth, the old man looked at him.


    "You could hunt for a hundred years and still not wipe out the Frankensteins."


    Matthias touched his forehead.  "Luckily, I have that kind of time."


    (Scene Change)  Matthias and Mallory are now out in the streets again.  Their arms are linked.


    "Where to next?" Mallory asked him.


    "You were right when you said that the damage had already been done here.  I can''t save France."


    "No... but we can still search for the rest of the Frankensteins."


    Matthias nodded slowly.


    "I want to change my dress.  Will you meet me outside of the stables at the inn?"   Matthias nodded again and Mallory kissed him on the cheek.


    (Scene Change)  Sam looks over the pile of ash.  It swirls in the wind, creating a funnel of gray.  The man that was killed materializes from it, standing in front of Sam.  Sam steps back in surprise.  The man doesn''t seem to notice that he is there.  Sam hesitantly reaches out and touches the man on the shoulder.  He jumps, acknowledging Sam.


    (Scene Change)  Mallory and Matthias are walking down a street at night, arms linked.  Behind them is the in-progress construction of Big Ben.  By their dress, it is apparent that many years have passed.


    "I don''t know if I am ready to return to Paris," She stated.  "I never took a liking to French fashion."


    Matthias gave her a loving smile.  "You looked beautiful, regardless."


    "... You weren''t the one who was required to wear a corset."


    Matthias laughed and kissed her hand.  They stopped at a building on the busy street.  "I will fetch the luggage upstairs.  Meet you in the carriage?"  Mallory nodded and they separated, him going into the building and her stepping into the carriage that awaited her.


    (Scene Change) Matthias is in a bedroom, retrieving luggage off of the bed.  He doesn''t notice a figure appear behind him.


    "I never thought that my sister would be one to fall in love with a monster such as yourself."


    "Maxus."  Matthias looked at him, surprised and angry.


    "... She always loved humans, I thought they would be more to her liking."


    Matthias stood alert but with a flick of his wrist, Maxus pinned him against the wall.


    "I have spent centuries trying to find her... used up a lot of good witches..."  He says offhandedly.  "Who knew that I should have just sought after a phoenix and it would lead me to her... Of all creatures... But, you see, I can''t have that. I need her to want to be mortal and you threaten my plans."


    "Go to Hell," Matthias spat at him.


    "Trust me, I want to."


    He grabbed Matthias'' neck and killed him with a smile.


    (Scene Change) Mallory is sitting in the carriage.  Above her, an immense white flash mixed with flames erupts from the building above her.  People in the street cry out in fear and shock, running away from the building.  Mallory jumps up from her seat, staring up in horror.


    (Scene Change) Matthias looks at Sam, utterly confused.


    "Qui est-vous?"


    "Uhh..." Sam fumbled. "vous... parlez anglais?"


    "Yes. Who are you?" he asked again.


    "My name''s Sam.  What''s yours?"


    "... Matthias"

 Wild Moose Chase pt 1

    Crowley is sitting on his throne, his left arm propping his head up. His expression is a strange mixture of worry and boredom. A demon pokes their head into the room.


    "... Sir?" They asked quietly.


    "Get. Out." Crowley said through gritted teeth.


    "But, sir. We need to discuss our newest number of sou-"


    "GET OUT!"


    The demon scurried off.


    Crowley sighed and rubbed his eyes, looking tired.


    "You''ve been cooped up for a while now," A voice commented.


    Shocked, Crowley whipped around to see Maxus standing behind him, running his finger along Crowley''s throne.


    "Are you Maxus?" Crowley asked, trying to compose himself. Maxus grinned at him and began to walk slowly around the room.


    "If you''re going to give me the boot, just get on with it," Crowley said. "I''m tired of all the suspense."


    "Sounds like you''re just impatient," Maxus said. He picked up a jar with a strange substance in it and sniffed it. Disgusted by the smell, he set it down.


    "Do you like being a ruler, Crowley? Or do you just like being bossy?"


    Crowley looked offended. "I have done a lot for Hell. Made it efficient and great again. You can''t just show up and question my ruling authority."


    "You didn''t answer my question," Maxus said pleasantly.


    Crowley grumbled, "Do you think you could do it better?"


    Maxus shrugged. "The demons are tiring of you, Crowley. Sure, you''ve had a good thing going for a while. You hit some bumps along the way, but you kept your head up... But after the whole fiasco with Abbadon, you started losing your touch."


    "Psh, do you really think that red-haired swine made a better ruler of Hell?" Crowley asked.


    "Red-haired?" Maxus said more to himself. "Huh.... No actually. She sucked. A lot. She was cool once upon a time."


    "How do you know her?" Crowley asked suspiciously.


    "We''ve had quite the history," Maxus said casually. "At any rate, it''s not about who is the more tolerable leader. Hell needs a great leader." He poked and prodded at various objects in the room, slowly making his way back to Crowley. Crowley watched him with an uneasy look.


    "Sooo....You''re just going to kill me and take Hell for yourself?"


    "... Nah."


    Crowley looked truly dumbfounded. "What?"


    "That would be too easy! And not nearly as fun. Here''s what I was thinkin''," Maxus said, pulling himself up on a table with an almost child-like excitement. "I''m gonna just wait for you to lose your footing a little bit more. It won''t take long... Most of the demons hate you anyway. Then I''ll sweep in with my crew. We''ll be like the cool, new popular kids and you''ll be the cast off that no one cares about anymore. I''m sure it''d make a great rom com or something..." Maxus again said more to himself. "Note to self, tell Azarias about my newest movie idea... Anywho, I''m not going to kill you. Killing you would be letting you off easy, so I''ll let you live but you sure as Hell can''t stay here."


    "So what will you do with me?"


    Maxus shrugged again. "I don''t like ruining surprises. But trust me, it will be loads of fun!"


    With a smile, Maxus disappeared. Crowley stared at the space where Maxus was just standing. He sighed again.


    Cut to Intro


    Dean makes his way through the woods, no longer running and looking out of breath. He stops at a tree and rubs a stitch in his side. Mallory pops up beside him.


    "Mallory!" He said in surprise. "Is everything okay up top?"


    "It''s probably going better there than it is here. You look like crap."


    "I''m freaking exhausted."


    She placed two fingers on his forehead. Dean took in a sharp breath.


    "Feel better?" She asked.


    "Yeah... Thanks."


    "Where''s Sam?" She asked.


    "He''s behind me... somewhere. I went chasing after Atticus... Now that I think about it, it was probably a stupid idea to leave him."


    "He''s alive," Mallory noted. "I checked his breathing before I came. He''s safe, but his location feels kinda fuzzy."


    "... Fuzzy?"


    "Like I''m not exactly sure where he is. I mean, he is here, but it''s almost like he''s in a special part or something."


    Dean nodded slowly, trying to understand.


    "You should probably go back to him. Going after Atticus is a smart idea, but I would check on Sam before hunting him down again."


    "Okay. What are you and Cas up to? Did you make any headway?"


    "Kinda. Researching was a bust, but we got into contact with Crowley and managed to get the location to some of Lucifer''s crypts. We''re gonna check them out."


    "How''d Crowley take everything?"


    "Um... given the situation, pretty good. We did warn him about Maxus, but there''s not a whole lot he can do."


    "I kinda wish I could be there when that happens. Crowley deserves to get his ass handed to him."The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Dean and Mallory shared a laugh, but she again turned serious. "Are you sure you don''t want me to stay and you go to the crypts?"


    "I want to stay with Sam for as long as I can," he said adamantly. "Besides, I hate getting zapped around by angels..."


    Mallory nodded. She slugged him lightly on the shoulder. "Sounds good. Stay gold, Pony Boy." She disappeared and Dean walked back in Sam''s direction.


    (Scene Change) Sam is bracing a confused looking Matthias.


    "Where am I?" He asks Sam.


    "Uhh... Well in some sort of Purgatory. A place Maxus created for the creatures he''s killed and to hold his demons... Do you remember anything about how you came to be here?"


    Matthias furrows his brow, trying his best to remember. "... I remember... Maxus killing me... I was in London."


    "Okay, Do you remember when?" Sam looked down at his clothes. "It looks like you''ve been here for a while."


    "Umm... 1857?" Matthias said, questioning himself. Sam looked shocked.


    "We''re not safe here," Matthias noted.


    "Not exactly."


    Matthias noticed Sam''s wound. "And you''re injured. Forgive me for not seeing this earlier. You need to be somewhere safe!" He pulled away from Sam.


    "Wa-wait," Sam ordered. "No where''s really safe. We shouldn''t just wander off."


    Matthias nodded. "I can help make us safer."


    "... How?"


    Matthias raised both hands and a ring of fire rose from the ground, creating a large circle around them. "This will inform me if anything tries to cross the flame."


    Sam smiled, impressed.


    (Scene Change) Dean is running back to where he last saw Sam. In the distance, he sees the flames. In a burst, he rushes towards it. As he approaches, he sees Sam in the midst of the fire with Matthias.


    "Sammy!" He yelled, shielding himself from the heat. "Sam!" He yelled again, trying to get his attention. Matthias kept his hands raised and looked towards the source of the noise. Sam spotted Dean.


    "Wait! That''s my brother!" Matthias lowered his arms and the flames died. Dean ran over to them.


    "You okay?" He asked Sam in his typical worried older brother tone.


    "Yeah."


    Dean turned towards Matthias. "Who''s the Renaissance guy?" He asked Sam.


    Ever formal, Matthias graciously introduced himself. "I am Matthias. Samuel saved me."


    Dean looked confused. "Saved you? Wha- K, let''s just back the crazy train up for a second-"


    "-What is a crazy train?" Matthias mumbled.


    Dean looked exasperated "-First, who and what the hell are you and how did Sam save you?"


    "As I stated before, I am Matthias and I am the Phoenix."


    Dean and Sam shared a look. "You can''t be the Phoenix. We killed it back a few years back," Sam explained.


    "There are very few ways to kill a Phoenix, but if you manage to do it, a new one will rise from its ashes. I was the first. A new one arose after my death."


    "Woah, so you''re like Eve''s original reject crap?" Dean asked.


    Matthias looked at him, confused by his strange choice of words.


    "So you''ve been in here since 1857?" Sam asked.


    "I believe I have."


    "What did you mean when you said Sam saved you?" Dean interjected.


    "I have been trapped here, reliving my death over and over, much like the fate Prometheus suffered after he introduced fire to mankind... I suppose Maxus thought it was fitting, considering the monster that I am."


    "So you''ve been stuck for almost two hundred years, untouched by any other monster, ''dying'' over and over again... kinda like it''s your own special pocket of purgatory...." Dean said, putting the pieces together. He turned to Sam. "Mallory came in and checked up on me. She said that your location was hard to pin down because you seemed to be in a special place here. It''s because you were with him."


    Matthias'' face lit up. "You know Mallory?"


    "Yeah, do you?"


    "She is the reason Maxus killed me."


    (Scene Change)Mallory and Cas are walking in a long deserted cemetery. They approach a grand marble mausoleum that is overrun with decaying ivy. The doors are hardly hanging on the hinges, creaking back and forth with the breeze.


    "A mausoleum seems a little unoriginal for old Lucy," Mallory pointed out.


    "Still," Cas said. "I think it may be better than the abandoned funhouse. I can now better understand why Sam has a phobia of clowns."


    Mallory shuddered in agreement. "Plus, it was a total bust."


    They pushed the doors forward and stepped inside. It was just as rotted as the outside. A heavy coffin was laying on its side. A staircase led downwards in the place where the coffin originally lie. Cas gave Mallory a skeptical look.


    "This seems too easy." He said.


    "Cuz it probably is... " She mumbled. Cas led the way down the dark stairwell into the black.


    (Scene Change) They reach the bottom of the stairs. Before them lay an open room, with concrete walls with a large wooden chest in the center. The ceiling was caved in on the far side, letting light seep in.


    Cas hesitated and took a step forward. Mallory grabbed his arm and held him there.


    "Wait... Something doesn''t feel right." She said. "But I can''t put my finger on it."


    "What do you want to do?"


    "... I don''t know. Let''s see if we can just zap over there." They disappeared from where they were standing. Mallory appeared next to the chest, though her image shifted a few times and she fell to her knees, clutching her side in pain. She used the chest to pull herself up.


    "What the hell?" She said under her breath. "...Cas?" She looked to see if he was beside her. Instead, she heard him scream in pain behind her. She turned to see him writhing on the ground. His bright, white grace shown around him, casting a blinding light in the room. Mallory ran at him and rolled him onto his back. Cas'' body convulsed, and his eyes burned white. Bewildered, Mallory touched his forehead and he disappeared. She got up and raced towards the chest touching it, causing the item and herself to disappear.


    (Scene Change) Back at the bunker, Mallory appears with the chest next to Cas. He is on the ground. His grace is no longer shining out of him, but his eyes are still glowing and he is now slightly trembling. Mallory again bends down and places her hand on him.


    "Come on, buddy," She said, looking worried. He closed his eyes and stopped trembling. His breathing regulated and he now appeared to be peaceful. Mallory sighed in relief.


    (Scene Change) Mallory is still sitting beside a resting Cas. He slowly opens his eyes. His iris'' have returned to their normal color, but a jagged line of red surrounds his pupils. He winces at the light in room.


    "How long have I been lying on the ground?" He asked in a croaky voice.


    "Not too long."


    "... Everything hurts."


    "It looks like that Crypt was protected by some sort of Angel warding spell. I''ve never seen anything like it. Maybe Lucifer concocted it himself? Some booby trap though."


    "Did it not affect you?"


    "Not nearly as bad."


    Cas groaned, trying to sit up. Mallory pulled him up, and he braced himself against the chest.


    "I feel as if I have been staring at the sun all day... I want to throw up."


    "I can fix that," Mallory grinned, looking excited. She left the room. She quickly returned holding a bottle of pepto bismol and a pair of gold aviators. She poured a little into the cap and handed it to him. He hesitantly sniffed it.


    "What''s a bottle of pink liquid going to do?"


    She shrugged her shoulders. "It''s worth a shot." Cas tipped the cap back. And smacked his lips.


    "Oh! Also, try these bad boys on." She handed him the sunglasses. He looked at her with a dull expression.


    "These are your sunglasses."


    "Yeah, and they''re totally badass. Just try them, they might help."


    He frowned and put on the glasses. Mallory looked pleased with herself.


    "... Do they look okay?"


    "Yeah, dude. You''re gonna get all the chicks now with this new look."


    "I have a greater purpose on this earth that doesn''t include me getting poultry ... Perhaps I should take them off." Cas went to pull them off but Mallory stopped him.


    "K, fine. They''re not gonna help you get chicks. Happy? Just keep ''em on, ya buzzkill."


    Cas gingerly touched them again, trying to get used to the strange new accessory on his face. Mallory ran her hands along the chest before them.


    "This is the first crypt that has had a trap like that. Maybe this one will have something we need."


    She moved her hands to the edge and lifted the lip. The two peered over the side.


    "... Crap."


    (Scene Change) Crowley is standing, facing his throne. A close up on his face shows dark circles under his eyes. He stares blankly in front of him, unaware that a demon has entered the room. They hesitate before taking a few steps forward.


    "... S-sir?" The apprehensive demon said.


    "Yes?" Crowley said, absent-minded.


    "We have received some reports that the crypts have been broken into."


    Crowley perks up.


    "All of them?"


    "Yes... The most recent was in Massachusetts."


    "At the Cemetery?"


    "Yes, sir."


    Crowley scoffed, some of his usual arrogance returning. "If they weren''t such prats, I could have told them that one had been wiped clean a few years ago." He said smugly. "Serves them right."


    "Serves who right?" The demon asked, looking perplexed.


    Crowley glanced back at the young female demon.


    "Just... business."


    She gave him an uneasy, untrusting look. Crowley scowled and shooed her away.

 Wild Moose Chase pt 2

    (Scene Change)  Mallory and Cas are standing the empty chest.


    "I''m gonna kill him."  Mallory fumed.


    "Well, we don''t actually know if Crowley knew that this was empty."


    "Cas, quit trying to be rational! Can''t I just kill someone just because they''re an annoying jackass?!"


    "I''m not questioning your ability to do so-"


    Mallory groaned in frustration.  "That was the last crypt.  We have nothing to go off of now."


    "Perhaps Crowley did clear it out, and he is trying to maintain some leverage... We should reach out to him again."


    Mallory curled her fingers over the edge of the chest''s edge and clenched her hands in frustration.  Cas reached out and touched her shoulder in an attempt to be comforting, but recoiled quickly as if doing so hurt him.  He gave her a concerned look.


    She breathed in deeply through her nose and exhaled.  After a moment, she collected herself.  "You''re right."


    "I know you want to save Sam, but we need to look at all our options.  Even if it means returning to an option again that happens to be an annoying jackass."


    (Scene Change) Dean, Sam, and Matthias are walking through purgatory.  Dean is leading them, Matthias is helping Sam walk.


    "Welp," Dean said.  "I guess it makes sense why you''re here..."  He said to Matthias.  "I''m not saying that it doesn''t suck, cuz that seriously sucks balls, but it makes sense... Maxus wasn''t about to let his little sister run off with an immortal monster.  It''d ruin his plans... but on the flipside, it''s cool that you guys met during the French Revolution."


    Matthias perked up.  "You know of it?"


    Sam scoffed.  "Know of it? Yeah, pretty much everyone does.  It affected way more than just France."


    "... Really?  Did it all make a difference.  In the end?"


    "Yeah."


    Matthias looked proud but sorrowful.  "It pains me to know that I missed so many important events."  Sam squeezed his shoulder in an attempt to be comforting.  Dean, looking to cheer him up, spoke up,


    "So you were alive during the French Revolution," he said.  "Was Marie Antoinette.... You know... super hot?"


    "Dean." Sam said sharply.


    Puzzled, Matthias responded.  "How would I know at which temperature her body rested?"


    Dean''s face fell in disappointment.  Sam changed the subject.


    "So you only met Maxus that one time when he killed you?"


    "Yes, I had the misfortune of meeting Maxus for such an insignificant amount of time, and yet he proved himself a man who is not to be trifled with."


    "We''ve only briefly met him once too," Sam noted.  "He came to Dean after I got sucked in here, and he came to me not long after that."


    "All part of his plan, I imagine," Matthias said.  "He pays short visits as to make his subjects of torture feel that they can never truly be free from his scrutiny.  That in itself is torture.  How are we to know that he''s not observing us now?"


    Dean paused and glanced around in apprehension.  "...True... " He said.  "That''s why the sooner we find Atticus, the better."


    "How can we guarantee that once we find him, he won''t just smoke out? I mean , we''re not in the best place to create a devil''s trap," Sam said.


    "Well, I''ve got the chalk," Dean countered.  "If we could just get him to a slab of rock or something-"


    "And if we don''t?"


    Dean didn''t say anything, but suddenly looked overwhelmed.  "... I don''t know man."  He said quietly.


    "Could you show me what a devil''s trap looks like?" Matthias asked.


    "Huh?"  Sam looked confused.


    "Um yeah, I guess," Dean said.  "But why?"


    "... I have an idea."


    (Scene Change)  Outside of a small cafe, Cas and Mallory sit next to each other at a table.  Crowley appears across from them, taking a seat.


    "I don''t have time for a tea party," He stated, bluntly.


    "Crowley, did you know that the crypt in Massachusetts was empty?"  Cas asked, getting straight to the point.


    "Okay, no pleasantries then," Crowley complained,  "How are you Crowley?  Oh, I''m doing wonderful, except for the small detail that some bloody mutt is trying to take Hell from me!  I have to do damage control, Who cares about the crypts?!"


    "You should care."  Mallory said.  "We''re trying to find any way to kill Maxus so we can get him out of everyone''s hair."


    Crowley laughed bitterly.  "So you don''t know how to kill him?  You don''t even know how to kill yourself?  That''s rich!"


    "It''s not like killing a demon or an angel.  We''re on a different playing field.  Lucifer knew, he was the one that created us, and Maxus somehow found out."


    "Pity," he said sarcastically.


    "We have good reason to believe that Maxus got that information from the crypts somehow," Castiel said.  "So please, if you think there is anything that could help us, let us know."


    Crowley lowered his eyes.  "You found nothing of value in the other ones?"


    "No."


    "The crypt in Massachusetts was empty when I found it.  I just assumed Azazel cleared it out, but it could have been Maxus."


    Cas and Mallory shared a look of disappointment.


    "Where are Moose and Squirrel in all of this?"


    "Maxus has them... trapped for now.  They''re safe, but Sam is injured and running out of time." Cas explained.


    "Sounds like Maxus has us all under his thumb at the moment."


    "Yeah... What about you?  Maxus pay you a visit yet?"  Mallory asked him.


    "Yes."


    "What happened?"


    Crowley sighed.  "He gave me a warning that the demons would rise against me and I would lose Hell rather than him taking it by force."


    ".... And what is he planning on doing with you?"


    "He didn''t say."


    They sat in uncomfortable silence.


    "Well," Crowley said again.  "I will go and see if there''s anything in Hell that may be of help to you... but to be frank, I don''t feel comfortable wearing this meatsuit."


    "Okay... what do you want us to do about it?"


    Crowley smiled.  "Just hold on to this one for a moment."  He looked pointedly at Cas.  "And don''t leave a single scratch on it."


    "Crowley-" Cas said, standing up.  "We''re not going to babys-"Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    But Crowley had already opened his mouth and out came a plume of red smoke.  Behind them sat a middle aged man wearing a baseball cap, a plaid shirt, and greasy jeans.  He opened his mouth in shock as the smoke filled his nostrils and mouth.  He slumped in his chair for a moment then bolted upright, his eyes shining red.  The new Crowley smelled his dirty hands.


    "Blech!  I smell like a mechanic... Oh well, Ta ta!" He said to Cas and Mallory, who were now left with Crowley''s original body, sagging in its seat like a rag doll.


    (Scene Change)  Maxus is on the other side of the street of the cafe, sitting on a bench outside of a pet shop.  He smiles as he watches Cas and Mallory deal with Crowley''s abandoned body.  Maxus stands up and walked around the pet shop and into a parking lot.  He spots a beautiful woman putting groceries into her car.


    "Excuse me?" He said, getting her attention. She was tall and blonde and looked to be in her thirties.  She smiled as he approached her.


    "Can I help you?" She asked.


    "Yes, actually.  I need you to do me a favor."


    The woman suddenly looked hesitant.  She took a step back from him, but Maxus grabbed her from behind the neck and pulled her closer to him.  He balled his fist and punched it through her stomach.  A bright white light glowed around her, until it gradually turned into thick black smoke.  She closed her eyes and breathed in sharply, taking in the smoke.  When she opened them again, they were demonic.


    "You make a beautiful demon," Maxus said.  She smiled back at him.


    "What do you want me to do?"


    "Pay a friend of mine a visit."  He rested his fingers on her forehead, emanating white grace around them.


    (Scene Change)  Crowley is back in hell in his new vessel.  He is in a storage room, shuffling through artifacts.  Visibly frustrated he is talking to himself aloud.


    "I can''t find a bloody thing..." he mumbled.  He took out a large stack of books and began fingering through them.


    "What are you doing?"  A deep voice said behind him.


    "I''m looking for something, obviously."  He said, rolling his eyes and continued to search.


    The burly demon grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.  "You can''t be in here without Crowley''s permission."


    Crowley''s face fell for a moment, and he remembered that he is not in his usual vessel.  He played it off and said,


    "I have his permission.  He sent me to find some old records for him.  He''s upstairs doing some sort of contract."


    The burly demon seemed to accept his answer.  "You new here?"


    "Yeah."


    The demon laughed.  "I can see why Crowley got a new demon to do his dirty work.  Nobody else would want to."


    Crowley stopped.  "What do you mean?"


    "You''ll quickly learn that Crowley doesn''t give a rat''s ass about anyone other than himself.  He''ll use you up and spit you out without a second thought."


    Crowley became irritated.  "Well, that''s just Hell for you!  Do you expect a leader to coddle you and hold your hand?  We''re obviously here for a reason, and it''s not to be babied."


    "You talk big for someone who''s new to the game," The demon said, standing a good foot over him.  "Hell is Hell, but we still want someone we can trust.  Over and over again, he''s sold us out to save his own ass.  He doesn''t care about demons, he cares about staying in power."


    "... Do all the demons feel this way?"


    "Most of them do."


    "Then why hasn''t anyone rebelled?"


    The demon stared him down.  "Oh, we''re planning on it.  It''s just a matter of time, but civil war is a messy thing."  He started to walk out of the room.  "Have fun being the leprechaun''s new pet."  He called out as he walked away.


    Crowley hung his head and sighed.  He slowly returned back to the books and began going through them again.  He heard soft footsteps behind him.  "I''m busy, you can go away," he said without looking up.


    "Crowley, please." A sultry voice said.  He whipped around and saw Maxus'' beautiful demon standing in the doorway.


    He stood there in shock.  "Who the hell are you?"


    She smiled and sauntered towards him.  "I''m just a demon, but Maxus sent me here to check up on you."


    Crowley eyed her with contempt.  "I don''t need a chaperone.  Why didn''t he just come down here and torment me himself?"


    "He has better things to do."


    Crowley scoffed and returned to his task.


    She neared him.  "He figured you''d be looking for information on the knife."


    Crowley froze.


    "You''re not going to find it here," she said simply.  "Do you really think Maxus hasn''t taken the measures to make sure it didn''t land somewhere in Hell?"


    "If you have nothing else to tell me, you can leave," Crowley said curtly.


    The demon smiled.  "He wanted you to have a look around."


    "What?"  Crowley looked at her in confusion.  She grabbed his wrist and they smoked out of the room.


    (Scene Change)  Matthias, Sam, and Dean are walking through purgatory.  They are sneaking through the woods, on the hunt for Atticus.  In the distance is shown a small group of people.  The three encroach the group carefully.  Dean, in front, pauses behind a tree, and holds out his arm to stop the other two.  He points in the group''s direction.


    "Atticus is the asshat in the gray suit," he said to Matthias.  Matthias peered around the tree, looking at the group of demons.  They seemed to be arguing.


    Atticus cornered another demon, looking desperate.  "Trade me clothes," he said to the other demon.  The demon gave Atticus a bewildered look.


    "Uh.... no."  Atticus froze when he saw the brothers off in the distance.


    "Please!"  He grabbed at the demon''s shoulders but is pushed away.  A couple of demons step away from the two, weirded out by Atticus'' actions


    Matthias stepped out from behind the tree and walked to them.


    "Who the hell are you?" One asked him.  The demons all scowled at Matthias, except for Atticus, who looked very afraid.


    Matthias said nothing but reached out his hand towards Atticus.  His hand burned with flames and the other demons backed away precociously.  Atticus backed away from Matthias but was caught in a fiery blaze.  Beneath him, a devil''s trap was seared into the ground.  The demon stood, frozen and angry.  Dean smiled in triumph and he and Sam joined Matthias.


    "Nice handiwork," Sam said to Matthias.  The three looked at the distraught demon.


    "Now what do we do?"  Matthias asked.


    "Now," Dean said, pulling out his knife and flipping it in his hand.  "We get some answers."


    (Scene Change) Crowley and Maxus'' demon are walking though Hell.  They seem to be in a large, dark corridor.  There are demons mulling about, not really paying the two any attention.


    "Why have you brought me down here?"  Crowley asked her.


    "When was the last time you spent anytime with your subjects?"  She asked him.  Crowley shrugged.  "Demons are just like anything else in the world.  They need guidance.  Leadership.  What have you done for Hell other than make it more efficient?"


    Crowley looked annoyed.  "You say that like efficiency is a bad thing."


    "It is if it costs you loyalty."


    They turned a corner and were now standing in Crowley''s throne room.  It was flooded with demons.  One demon stood at the steps of Crowley''s throne.  He spoke to everyone in the room.


    "Where is he now?"  No one responded.  "Huh?!  Where is that son of a bitch?!"  The demon paused.  "Exactly.  Ever since Lucifer, ever since Abaddon, Crowley hasn''t given a crap about us.  He''s too busy schmoozing it up with a couple of hunters.  That is not what we want from the king of Hell!"  demons in the crowd cheered him on.  "We need some who will take up back to the good days!  Where we were feared as demons!"  More cheering.  Crowley peered around nervously.


    (Scene Change)  Mallory and Cas are back at the bunker.  In his arms, Cas is holding Crowley''s limp meat suit.


    "You know, If I made a list of days that have sucked the most," Mallory said.  "This one would be pretty high up there."


    "We need a new course of action," Cas said.


    "Yeah.  If we''re not going to find anything here, we should see if Dean and Sam have made any progress."  They walk towards the infirmary where Dean and Sam are.


    (Scene Change)  The cheering is still going on in Hell.  Crowley slowly takes several steps back, trying to exit the room.  Suddenly the cheering stops.  All of the demons are frozen in place.  Crowley himself is fine as is Maxus'' demon.  She gives him a crooked smile.


    "What is this?" He demanded.


    "This is the beginning of the end!"  A voice said cheerfully from the front of the room.  Crowley peered around the frozen demons and saw Maxus lounging on his throne.


    "He is quite the actor, isn''t he?"  Maxus says, referring to the demon that was speaking earlier to the crowd.  "One of my best."


    "He-he was always so loyal to me..."  Crowley said.


    Maxus made a sour face.  "But was he?  Or was he just putting on a good show?  How do you know that any of your ''loyal'' subjects were actually loyal?"  Crowley didn''t say anything so Maxus continued gleefully.  "I am so glad that I made it in time for this next act."


    "What do you mean?"  Crowley asked slowly.  Maxus'' eyes twinkled with excitement.  Crowley suddenly hunched forward, choking.  His mouth opened and red smoke spewed out.


    (Scene Change to Cas and Mal)


    "Do you feel comfortable just leaving Crowley''s body here though?  We don''t want to be gone if he comes back."  Cas said, looking at Crowley''s body lying in a bed next to Dean.  Mallory was standing between Crowley and Dean. Cas is on the other side of Dean''s bed.


    Mallory thought for a moment.  "You''re right."  She stepped forward and Raised her hand to the ceiling.  A devil''s trap appeared above them, directly over Crowley.  "That way if he does come back while we''re gone, he won''t have anywhere to go," she smiled.  "Let''s go."


    She turned and they stepped towards Dean''s body and Cas placed his fingers on Dean''s forehead.


    "Mallory!" Castiel exclaimed.  Mallory spun around and saw that Crowley''s body was gone.


    (Scene Change) Back in Hell


    Crowley''s meat suit appeared at the step of his throne, crumpled in a heap.  Crowley''s red smoke filled his mouth and lungs.  His temporary meat suit fell to the ground and Maxus snapped his fingers, causing it to disappear.  Crowley lay lifeless on the ground for a moment then his eyes opened and he shakily sat up.  He looked at Maxus who was no longer sitting in his throne, but was now in the back of the room with his blonde demon.


    "Best of luck," Maxus said, sounding genuine.  They stepped back and the scene whirred to life again.  The demons in the room quickly spotted a confused looking Crowley still sitting on the ground.  They angrily gathered around him.  Crowley looked up as they closed in to see Maxus smiling down at him.


    (Scene Change) "What the Hell?!"  Mallory said, astounded.


    "Did Crowley do that?"


    "No- Maxus took him."


    "But how did he know he was here with us?"


    Mallory clenched her fists and her hand slowly inched towards the blade that was resting inside of her jacket.  "This whole time.  He''s been watching us."


    (Scene Change)  Cars go zooming by on a highway.  A body lies beneath a bridge, passed out.   A close up shows that it''s Crowley.  His clothes are torn and ragged.  His fine suit now ruined.  He slowly opens his eyes and drags himself onto his feet and looks around.  He spots a gas station a short distance away and makes his way towards it.


    (Scene Change) Now inside the gas station, he wanders to the counter.  The cashier eyes him, but asks, "You okay, man?"


    "Where am I?"  Crowley asked, voice ragged.


    "... Alva, Kentucky... Look, do you want to borrow a phone?  Maybe call someone?  You don''t look so good."


    "Umm..." Crowley starts but the cashier hands him an old landline anyway.  Crowley takes it.


    "Got a number I can dial for you?"


    "... No.  I don''t- remember any."


    The cashier looked concerned.  "What''s your name, sir?"


    Crowley looked at the young man with a blank stare.

 "Home Again, Home Again" Pt 1

    Atticus is tied to a tree.  His face is bloody and puffy and one of his eyes are swollen shut.  His head lolls forward but he slowly lifts it and glares at his tormentors.  Dean stands in front of him, holding the knife and breathing heavily.  Sam is leaned against another tree, trying to steady his breathing.  Matthias stands beside him, eyeing Dean almost apprehensively.


    Dean puts the knife away, and steps toward Atticus.  "Sorry, to mess up the nice suit," He says casually, brushing at it.  He suddenly grabs him and slams his head against the tree.  Atticus cries out in pain.


    "I''m ready to chat whenever you are!" He says, busting his head against the tree again.


    "Okay!" Atticus cries, nearly sobbing.  "Okay-stop! what do you want from me?!"


    "First, you''re gonna tell me if killing Azarias is gonna save Sam from this crap hole!"


    "Yes!"  Atticus nodded furiously.  "That''s how it works.  Killing me was just a way to get Mallory to use the blade; to start the cravings.  It was all part of Maxus'' plan.  If she had just killed Azarias, none of us would be here right now... well, except for you hotshot," he grinned slightly, looking at Matthias.  The phoenix glowered at him.


    Dean shoved him.  "And we''re supposed to believe you, because...?"


    "Because, believe it or not, Maxus is being pretty forthcoming with his plan," Atticus said, trying to catch his breath. " He wanted you to find me and he wants Mallory to find Azarias.  He''s making a hard bargain-  one that Mallory can''t refuse."


    Matthias spoke up.  "She would never play his vile game."


    Atticus gave him a wicked smile.  "Bitch is already playing it."  At those words, Matthias lunges forward with his own knife, plunging it into the demon''s throat.  He slumps forward, lifeless.


    Matthias sheathed the knife and looks at Dean apologetically.  "I''m sorry, there was probably more that you wanted from him."


    Dean sighed.  "Yeah, but don''t sweat it.  We''ll figure out how to take out Maxus some other way."  They looked at Sam who had slumped to the ground, curled in pain.  Dean rushed over to him.


    "Sammy! You okay?"


    "Yeah.." Sam said feebly.  "I''m just ready to go home.  I''m done with my vacation," he tried laughing, but it came out as ragged coughs instead.  Dean put Sam''s arm around shoulder and hoisted him up.


    "We need to keep moving," Dean said, but he looked rather ragged and worn himself.


    "Dean, stop."  Sam said.  "I can''t move right now, and you''re wearing down.  We need Mal and Cas here- Have Cas take your spot."


    "Well we don''t know when we''re gonna see them next,"  Dean huffed.


    "See who next?,"  Cas said in his monotone voice.  Dean and Matthias turned, knifes held aloft.  Dean sighed in relief when he saw it was Cas.


    "It''s about damn time," Dean said.  His face scrunched in confusion.  "Where''s Mallory?"


    *** cut to intro***


    A raggedy Crowley sits at a bus stop, still in his dirty clothes.  ("Mr. Lonely" by Bobby Vinton plays in the background).  A bus pulls up.  The door opens and the bus driver looks at him warily.  Crowley gets up and climbs aboard slowly.


    "You got money?"  The bus driver asks.  Crowley fumbles in pockets and pulls out some loose change.  He inserts the coins and takes a seat.  He reaches again in his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper.  Crowley unfolds it and reads it.  "Lebanon, Kansas" is the only thing written on it.  He looks at it in confusion and puts in back in his pocket.  He stares out the window blankly.  Across the aisle sits a young girl with her mother, the mother is on her cell phone talking.  The young girl stares at Crowley with innocent curiosity.


    "You''re dirty," She said with a smile.  Crowley looked down at her, a trace of disgust in his expression.


    "And what makes you any better, you grubby little brat?"


    The girl seemed unfazed by his insult.  "Are you going home to take a bath?"


    Crowley grumbled and turned away from the girl.  "I''m going to a birthday party!"  She continued excitedly.  "It''s for my friend Max.  He just turned nine."


    Something about what she said made Crowley sit up straight.  "What was his name?"  He asked.


    "Max.  He''s nine now."


    "Yes, I got that..."  Crowley paused, scrunching his nose, trying to remember why that name seemed so familiar to him.  He finally shook it off and sat back.


    "Where are you going?"  She asked again.


    "Kansas."


    "Why?"


    "I don''t know yet."


    (Scene Change)


    "Crowley is gone," Cas said, his stoic expression clouded with anger.


    "What do you mean?  What''s going on up there?"  Dean asked, trying to maintain composure.


    "Mallory and I have searched all of the crypts, but haven''t found anything of use.  Crowley told us that Maxus came and warned him that the demons would rise up against him and Maxus would have Hell, we think Maxus did something to him.  We''ve lost all contact with him.  Mallory is still at the bunker, in case something happens."


    "So what do we do?"  Sam asked.  His face was growing rapidly paler, and Matthias was sitting on the ground next to him.


    They stood around for a moment, no one coming up with any brilliant plans.


    "For now," Sam said, wincing.  "I think Dean should join Mallory."  Dean was about to protest, but Sam cut him off.  "You can''t last forever in here. I''ll be fine.  You need a break."


    "He''s right," Cas agreed.  "You''ve been in here too long.  We don''t know what the lasting effects of being in here will do to a human.  This isn''t like Purgatory.  We can''t take any chances."


    Dean grumbled.  "Fine.  Just try not to move Sam too much, he won''t be able to take much more."  Cas nodded.


    Matthias sprang up and pulled Dean aside.


    "Before you go," he said quietly, "Please don''t tell Mallory that I''m here.  I don''t want her to worry about one more thing."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Please," Matthias pleaded.  Dean nodded and squeezed Matthias'' shoulder reassuringly.


    dean then turned to Cas.  "Can you beam me up, Scotty?"


    (Scene Change)  Deans wakes up in the infirmary and Mallory is sitting on one of the beds, waiting for him.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Dean!"  Mallory hopped up from the bed and helped him sit up.  "How are you feeling?  How''s Sam?"


    "Gotta say I''m doing better than he is, but he''s alive, so that''s all that matters right now," Dean said.  "Cas said you lost contact with Crowley?"


    Mallory nodded.  "More than that.  We had his meat suit here with us," she pointed to the bed where Crowley''s body once lay.  "But Maxus got involved and it''s now gone.  Cas tried calling him but he won''t answer his phone, but we can summon him.  That''s our only option at this point."


    Dean ran his hand across his face, looking exhausted.  "Yeah, let''s try it... But Mal." He now looked concerned, and his eyes drifted to the blade.  "We need to be careful."


    "I know." Mallory said, her expression hard.  "But we''re also running out of time.  I''ll deal with Maxus any way I need to if it means Sam doesn''t die."


    (Scene Change) Cas is standing watch while Sam sits up against a tree with Matthias.  A ring of fire created by Matthias encircles them.  Cas is several feet away from them, looking pensively into the woods.


    "I heard what you said to Dean before he left," Sam said to Matthias.  "Why don''t you want Mallory to know that you''re here?"


    Matthias gave him a small, sad smile.  "She is already doing so much to help you, I cannot burden her even more."


    "Maxus is already pushing her into a corner by sticking me in here, and she doesn''t even know me that well... I can''t imagine what she would do if she knew you were here."


    Matthias nodded slowly.  "Surely, she would give up her powers if she knew she could see me once more,  but you must understand that she cannot do that.  You cannot allow Maxus to prevail, and you need Mallory to keep her powers in order to stop him."


    "I get that, but don''t you think she would want to see you?  She didn''t get closure when Maxus killed you all those years ago."


    "It''s been over a century," Matthias said, his voice tight.  "She needs to realize her greater purpose in this world.  I cannot hold her back."


    "This Mauxs," Castiel said, now standing over Sam and Matthias.  "What is he like?"


    "Pretty much like any other upper level Douche bag we''ve dealt with before," Sam said.  "But he actually seems to know his stuff.  I mean, he''s been waiting ages to take over Hell; he''s patient, and took over Hell without hardly lifting a finger."


    "Yes," Cas said.  "And unfortunately, we''re going right along with everything he wants.  I just worry that his ambitions may go beyond just Hell."


    Sam sat up a little, intrigued.  "You think he might go for heaven?"


    Cas'' face was grim.  "It''s a possibility.  We shouldn''t underestimate him."


    (Scene Change) Dean and Mallory are standing in the middle of a crossroads.


    "Daemon, esto subjecto voluntati meae," Dean said, stating the incantation required to summon Crowley.  Crowley appeared in front of them, a look of shock on his face.  He spun in a slow circle, dazed and confused at where he was.


    "He looks like crap," Dean stated, noticing Crowley''s tattered clothes.  "Crowley!" He yelled at Crowley, getting his attention.  Crowley turned and acknowledged Mallory and Dean, looking utterly bewildered.


    "How did I get here?"  Crowley asked, a slight tremor in his voice.


    "Cut the crap, man," Dean demanded.


    "... Who are you?"  Crowley asked.  He stepped away from them.  "I''m supposed to be on a bus, heading for Kansas."


    Mallory and Dean shared an uneasy look.  "You''re in Kansas," Mallory said.


    "What?!" Crowley cried.  "How?  Who are you people?!"


    "Great," Dean grumbled.  "He''s cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.  Let''s get him inside."


    (Scene Change)  Back in the bunker, Dean and Mallory are with Crowley in the kitchen.  Crowley sits at the kitchen island with a cup of tea across from Mallory and Dean, who are standing.


    "What do you mean I''m the bloody King of Hell?" Crowley asked.  "Look, I don''t know who you people are, I''m just trying to get to Lebanon, so please, just let me go."


    "Wow, this is a freakin'' disaster," Mallory said.  She rounded the island counter cautiously as Crowley glared at her.  "Look," she said, trying to be comforting.  "I''m just going to see how we can help you, okay?"


    Crowley still looked suspicious of her, but didn''t see anything.  Mallory raised two fingers and put them to his forehead.


    "Hey! What are you-" Crowley tried to pull away but his eyes closed and he slumped in his seat.  Mallory''s eyes glowed black and white for a moment, then returned to their normal blue.  she removed her hand from Crowley''s head and he abruptly sat up.


    "What the hell was that??" Crowley yelled.


    "Shut up," Dean snapped.  "What''d you see?" He asked Mallory.


    "There was a revolt in Hell against Crowley.  Maxus is now running things downstairs, and kicked Crowley out... So pretty much everything that we expected to happen, happened... and we can''t seem to do a damn thing about it!"


    "Crap..."Dean rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.  "For now, I say we forget about Hell and focus on Sam."


    "What about me, I can''t remember a blasted thing!" Crowley interjected.


    "I agree," Mallory said, ignoring Crowley.  "But focusing on Sam means that we''ll need to meet with Maxus again.  That could get messy."


    Dean nodded.  "He''s probably blocked access into Hell, where did you meet him last time?"


    "He owns a bar in Massachusetts; it''s a hopping place for demons and monsters alike.  Even if he''s not there, word will get to him fast."


    "Gotcha.  In the meantime, I guess we''ll just have to leave Sparky here... unless we want to send him over to Cas and Sam, so they can babysit him?"


    Mallory and Dean eyed Crowley, who was sitting in his seat, pouting.


    Mallory pursed her lips.  "Or we could just kill him?"


    Dean shrugged.  "That''s an option too."


    Crowley stood up in angry protest.  "What the hell is wrong with you people?!"


    Mallory gave him an evil grin.  "I don''t think Maxus has any more use for  him, we should be safe to leave him here.  Cas already has a lot of his plate taking care of Sam, we don''t want to burden him with this idiot."


    "Aren''t you a peach," Crowley glared at her.


    (Scene Change)  Maxus seated in a dim room that is lit with multiple candles.  He sits at a table across from the beautiful, blonde demon and they are enjoying a nice dinner and wine; wearing formal wear.  Another demon enters the room.


    "Sir?" The demon asked.


    Maxus looked at the young demon and smiled.  "Yes?"


    "Crowley was last seen at the border or Kansas, then he disappeared."


    Maxus looked pleased.  "Perfect!  Thank you, young man."  Maxus stood up from the table and kissed the blonde demon''s hand.  "Pardon my rudeness,"  he said.


    "You know where to find me," she said, giving him a sly smile.  Maxus beamed at her, then followed the young demon out of the room.  They walked down a hallway briskly.


    "I''ve burned through quite a few witches trying to find Mallory, but taking in Crowley gave her away in the end," Maxus said to the young demon.  "She''s too easy," he chuckled.


    "What do you want to do now?" The demon asked him.


    "Where is Azarias?"


    "He is at your bar still, like you requested."


    "Good.  It''s a shame that Azarias will have to miss out on the fun for a bit, especially once he''s killed, but he''s a good sport.  Until Mallory meets me and him in Massachusetts, let''s send some demons to catch Mallory''s attention.  It''s time we raise the stakes."

 "Home Again, Home Again" Pt 2

    (Scene Change) Mallory and Dean are still in the kitchen with Crowley.


    "If we''re going to Massachusetts, we should pop in and let Cas and Sam know." Dean suddenly looked a little anxious.


    "Uhh, why don''t you just send me in real fast?'' He said, trying to act nonchalant.


    "And leave me here with 50 First Dates, over here? Huh uh." Mallory said, starting to walk out of the kitchen. Dean scampered up behind her, moving to cut her off.


    "Come on, it will only take me a second."


    "Don''t leave me!" Crowley called behind them.


    "... Why are you acting weird?" Mallory asked Dean, pushing her way past him.


    Dean hurried after her as she made her way to the infirmary. "It''s just that... Sam feels awful about you seeing him like that," Dean lied. "He doesn''t want you to feel guilty about what''s happened."


    Mallory stopped and looked at him. "Really?" Her brows furrowed with concern. "I mean, I do feel awful, but I still want to see him and make sure he''s doing okay."


    "You can make sure he''s okay once we get him outta that hell hole," Dean said, giving her a slight smile. Mallory hesitated, then turned away from Dean.


    "I''m sorry I dragged you guys into this..." she said, refusing to looking at him. "Maxus knows my weaknesses too well... This is why I don''t stick around for too long."


    Dean took a few careful steps forward. "Mal, don''t beat yourself up over this..."


    "It''s just-" Mallory stopped abruptly, her body tensing. Her hand flew to the blade resting within her jacket.


    "What is it?" Dean asked, feeling on edge. He quickly noticed the knife in her hand and he frowned, but pulled out his own demon knife.


    "Demons are here," Mallory hissed.


    "In the bunker?" She gave him a curt nod.


    "Son of a bitch," Dean growled under his breath. "We''re like fish in a barrel. Mallory don''t be too quick to use that blade." he ordered.


    "I know," Mallory said through gritted teeth, but her grip only tightened on the hilt.


    Crowley waddled out of the kitchen, holding his cup of tea, and looking decidedly grumpy. "Some hospitality," he whined. "Are all you Americans this rude?"


    "Alright kids, come out and play!" Mallory yelled out. The bunker was uncomfortably quiet. "Dean, go to the infirmary." Dean nodded, grabbed Crowley by the scruff of the neck, much to Crowley''s protests, and rushed over to the infirmary.


    (Scene Change) Dean and Crowley stand in the infirmary, between Cas and Sam''s bodies. Dean looks up and notices that the devil''s crap Mallory put in place for Crowley has been burned away.


    "Damnit,"Dean said. He turned to Crowley. "Don''t leave this room." A confused ans terrified looking Crowley nodded quickly and sat on the edge of Sam''s bed.


    A demon suddenly appeared in front of Dean, giving him an impish grin. "It sucks that you guys put so much to keep us outta here," the demon said smugly. "A lot of good i-" Dean stuck his knife into the demon''s belly, sending it to the floor. As soon as the demon died, three more appeared in the infirmary, one of them grabbing Crowley by the neck and sending him flying over Sam''s body. Two demons rushed at Dean; he quickly turned, slashing one across the neck, but the other caught his chin, landing a punch. Dean stumbled back, allowing the demon to step forward and Dean sidestepped, grabbing the demon and bringing them both to the ground. With the knife still in his hand, he elbowed the demon in the head, then brought the knife across its chest.


    The demon that threw Crowley was now standing over him, eyes black, and hands squeezing at Crowley''s throat. Crowley clawed at the demon''s hands, but his face was quickly turning red.


    "It''s a pleasure to beat the crap out of you again, your highness," the demon smirked. Dean lunged at the demon over Crowley, stabbing him through the back. The demon slumped over Crowley, who pushed him off angrily.


    "Why is everyone so mean to me?!" Crowley cried, sitting on the floor. Dean glanced at him, trying to keep his cool, then scanned the room.


    (Scene Change) Mallory stands alert outside of the kitchen, surrounded by over a dozen demons. She has a hand on the blade, but has not taken it from her jacket.


    "You must be a real idiot to think that you could hide from Maxus forever," A young female demon said smugly.


    Mallory smirked at the demon. "I gotta ask, why are you red shirts so eager to get slaughtered? You may think he''s a good leader, but are you all really willing to get your asses handed to you?"


    "We play just a small role in a bigger picture," said another, older demon with a scruffy, white beard. "But we know your brother is capable and will deliver on what he promised us."


    "Demons," Mallory frowned. "Just sheep, following the next big baddie. Don''t you ever get tired of just following orders?"


    A loud crash erupted from the the direction of the infirmary and Mallory swiftly pulled the blade from her jacket. Most of the demons turned their heads to the noise, but the older demon and the young female demon both gave Mallory satisfied smiles.


    "Sounds like the others just got to your friends," The young demon mused, then she charged Mallory, flanked by two others. Mallory rushed at the female demon, sticking the blade through her stomach. She pulled it out and approached one of the flanking demons, grabbing their arm and flinging them back into the kitchen with ferocious strength. The third demon, she caught with the tip of the blade, slicing it across their face. She finished them by driving the blade through their chest. Mallory let the demon slump to the ground and she looked at the blade with a grave expression. She looked up at the remaining demons, anger in her eyes, and began to slash her way through them.


    (Scene Change) Maxus stands outside of the bunker, still in his suit, accompanied by the same young, male demon from hell; the young demon appears slightly anxious. Maxus, on the other hand, looks calm, his hands in his pockets.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Do you think sending in twenty was enough?" The demon asked.


    Maxus nodded, smiling. "I think it will get the job done. I saw the look in her eyes when she stabbed Atticus. Despite her annoyingly righteous intentions, Mallory can''t help but be drawn in by the blade. Hell, I haven''t even used it and I want to go on a murdering spree. I can''t imagine how it''s tearing her apart," he chuckled, then grew serious. "This should be enough to push her to come kill Azarias, at least. She''s running out of time."


    "And what of the Winchesters? What should we do about them?"


    "I personally have no quarrel them... I should be thanking them for clearing out some of the people in my way, even if they didn''t realize what they were doing. However, if they die in the line of fire, so be it. It only motivates Mallory to kill more if they are in danger."


    "But what if they survive and word gets out to other hunters?" The young demon asked nervously. "We''ve been doing a lot of this on the down low... plus, there''s that angel that''s always helping them out. That might bring us some publicity that we don''t want at this time... Word might get back to heaven."


    Maxus slapped the demon on the back playfully. "Caleb, you worry too much. Heaven''s got a lot on their plate at the moment, and I''ve already got the ball rolling on my next step, so I''m not too worried about Uncle Cas," Maxus grinned.


    "I''m sorry for doubting you, sir," Caleb said sheepishly.


    "Don''t be. It''s good to ask questions. I''m sorry that I don''t divulge everything to you guys; not even Azarias knows the full extent of my plans. I just want to see this threw to the end with minimal demon casualties, but I suppose that seems like I sacrifice some trust by keeping everything so close to my chest. There are some demons that I trust immensely, but even still. I have too many potential enemies to let my guard down. I hope you can understand that."


    "I understand," Caleb said. "And I don''t blame you. I trust you to lead us well."


    Maxus smiled. "Thank you. I hope I don''t disappoint."


    (Scene Change) Mallory is leaning over a dead demon, the blade in its chest. She pulls it out and clenches it in her fist, her eyes glowing black with white irises. She stands up, taking heavy breaths, taking a look around. Dead demons are strewn across the room. Dean runs into the room with a near hysterical Crowley.


    "Mallory!" Dean yelled. Mallory quickly turned away from him, her eyes returning to their natural blue. She looked down at the blade, panic etched in her face.


    Dean carefully stepped over the dead bodies to get to her. "Are you okay?" He asked in a worried tone.


    "I...she stopped herself. "... I heard you guys getting attacked in the other room and I snapped." She turned to face him, tears starting to form. "It was too easy, Dean. It was too easy to kill them." Mallory dropped the blade with disgust and started shaking. Dean walked to her and put reassuring hands on her shoulders.


    "We need to find Azasrias," Dean said with an uneasy look in his eyes. "We can worry about the blade later, okay? Let''s save Sam." Mallory stared at the scene before her, her expression distant.


    "Mal?" Dean shook her shoulders gently.


    "Right..." She said quietly.


    Dean looked to Crowley. "You wanna clean this up while we''re gone?"


    Crowley''s face was twisted in horror. "Excuse me? You''re just going to leave me here?! I could get killed if more of those things come back!"


    "You''re one of those things, Idiot!" Dean snapped. "Grow a pair and defend yourself!"


    Crowley then cowered slightly, now offended. "I... am not quite sure how to do that, yet."


    "Crowley does have a point though," Mallory said, regaining her composure. "If Maxus sends any demons through again, they could easily kill Cas and Sam. Someone needs to watch out for them. Someone who isn''t Crowley."


    "Rude," Crowley mumbled.


    Dean''s brow furrowed. "I know... But I don''t want you to go alone. What if we woke up Cas, just long enough to protect the bunker and Sam''s body?"


    "That''d be leaving Sam alone and vulnerable in Maxus'' purgatory."


    Dean opened his mouth to speak, but stopped to reconsider his words. "You''re right... I''ll stay. Just please," he squeezed her shoulders, then let go to retrieve the blade. "Be careful," he handed her the blade. "And go kick some ass." Mallory smiled and disappeared, leaving Dean and Crowley with the mess.


    (Scene Change) Azarias is sitting at a table in the bar, fidgeting with a glass of whiskey. the bar is full of people and music is playing loudly. Mallory appears beside him and takes a seat.


    "You look nervous," Mallory said. Azarias jolted at the sound of her voice, nearly dropping the glass.


    "Damn, Maxus is good," he said. "He has predicted everything perfectly... you must realize that you''re only causing yourself more grief by putting up a fight. Why do you do this Mallory? You let him play you; you''re so easily manipulated by him."


    Mallory scowled. "Maxus has always been clever, but I''m not giving up so easily. I''m just here to take care of Sam. He''s my first priority."


    "I get that. That''s why I''m here, after all." Azarias gave her a sickening smile. "But killing me just makes things harder for you in the end. How''s the blade treating you? Powerful, huh? You''ll go into a frenzy to protect the ones you care about, but what happens when you hurt one of them?"


    "You seem to know a lot about the blade," Mallory frowned. "You probably know how I can satisfy the blade''s bloodlust..."


    "I''m not here to negotiate. I''m here to die." Azarias said, setting the glass down.


    (Scene Change) Sam and Matthias are still sitting at the base of the tree, Cas standing over them.


    "What happens once Cas and I get out of here?" Sam asked Matthias. "Does that mean we no longer have a connection to this place? We''ll just lose you in here?"


    Matthias thought for a moment. "I suppose that would be the most logical explanation. I know too little of this place to make assumptions. But I do know you and Castiel are not bound to this place like myself and the other creatures here because you are not dead."


    "And this place is not like the actual Purgatory," Cas stated. "This reality is created completely on the whims on Maxus..."


    But what if Maxus dies? What would happen to everyone in here? What would happen to you?"


    Matthias gave him a concerned expression. "Now that you have freed me from torture, that is something I have been fretting over. I don''t want Mallory to know that I am in here, because I fear that it may prompt her to give up her powers to try and save me... but a part of me cannot help but to wish to be saved. I know that is impossible and a selfish thought. It''s foolish of me to even think it."


    Sam and Cas shared a knowing look. "To be honest, this isn''t the first time we''ve been in a bad situation like this. There may be hope for you," Sam said comfortingly. Matthias gave him a smile, but didn''t look completely convinced.


    "Thank you, Samuel."


    "No problem, and you can call me Sam- AH!" Sam cried grasping at his side.


    "Sam," Cas bent down to inspect his wound.


    "It''s burning!" Sam winced, moving his hand enough so Matthias and Cas could see the wound starting to close and mend itself. It started emitting a black light, glowing so intensely, that it cast the three men in shadow. Cas grabbed Sam''s arms, trying to calm him down. The shadow was replaced by a brief, blinding white flash. Once it had disappeared, Cas and Sam were gone. Matthias knelt on the ground, surprise on his face. He pulled himself up and looked at the spot where Sam was with a smile.


    "Good luck Sam. Take care of Mallory, please."


    (Scene Change) Sam and Cas sit up abruptly from their bed, relief on their faces.


    "We''re not dead," Sam smiled, feeling his stomach where the wound once was. Not even a scar was left on his body.


    "Sammy!" Dean sprang forward, hugging his brother. "You son of a bitch!" He laughed. "Glad to see you''re okay."


    "Yeah..." Sam looked around, almost in disbelief. He stopped when he saw Crowley moping on one of the beds.


    "Um... Why is he here?"


    "It''s a long story," Dean grumbled.


    "Where is Mallory?" Cas asked.


    Dean cleared his throat nervously. "She went to kill Azarias, and since you guys are up and kicking, she must have succeeded... But, we got attacked by demons, and she used the blade on them."


    "Why didn''t you go with her?" Cas asked angrily.


    "I couldn''t leave you guys and I couldn''t suggest she pull you out! She thought Sam would be alone in there. I made a promise to Matthias that I wouldn''t tell her he was there."


    Sam sighed. "Where is she?"


    "Massachusetts." Dean said, deflated.


    (Scene Change) Mallory is sitting next to a dead Azarias, who is slumped over the bar counter, blood seeping out from beneath him. She has the blade in her hand, the tip in the wood counter. She pulls the blade out and wipes it on Azarias'' suit. Music is still playing overhead, but everyone in the bar is lying on the floor, drenched in their own blood. With a look of disgust, she puts it back in her jacket and stands up from the bar.


    "It was too easy, Dean," she said quietly, walking out the door.