Armonía Torres's Story

Dean still wasn't speaking to his brother. Every now and again he would just look at him. He wasn't just mad at Sam, though. He was mad at himself. His brother needed his help and he caved. It should never be too much for family. He should have fought harder. But he was still mad at Sam for choosing a demon over his own brother. Trusting a demon to help a hunter. How stupid could he be?!! Hell! Sam was the one who went to college. Dean chalked it up to being a better hunter than Sam. He still loved his brother but right now he just couldn't stand his presence. Ruby was a demon and demons could sell sins to saints. Still... His mind kept wandering back to that church in Ilchester. Who saved them and how? They had tried calling Castiel but he wasn't answering and it was really starting to bug Dean. Lucifer was walking the earth and the only angel they were on good terms with was MIA. It still didn't explain how they were zapped from the church to a plane overhead. He and his brother immediately sought out a motel and a rental car as soon as they landed. Bobby still wasn't talking... Everything was just a mess.

Luckily, Ellen had called them with a job nearby. Initially, Dean had refused and told her that they had something a bit bigger to handle but resolved that they might as well take it since it was so close by. According to Ellen, two people had gone missing in Clear Spring, Maryland and nine had been committed to a mental institute after claiming that they had been attacked by a creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man in the nearby forest while camping or hiking. They all said that they had been killed and brought back to life by a young woman. They didn't have any marks on their bodies though. The police said that they thought they might have been experimenting with some drug that couldn't be traced in their system. That still didn't explain the two missing people though. So, Sam and Dean were on the case! Piling on to the weirdness, they picked up a hitchhiker on the way who was a bit...strange.

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Flashback

Dean rolled down his window to as Sam began to slow down the crappy rental to match the pace of what they assumed was female (He was going to have to punch himself if he was checking out a dude's ass) and called out through the pouring rain. “Hey! You need a lift?” He was a bit taken aback when she stopped suddenly and turned to look at them with eyes that were two different colors and wide open. She approached the car slowly and Dean began to pull back in as she stuck her head through the window and whispered under her breath. “You guys...Can see me?” She blinked slowly with a look of genuine shock gracing her visage. Dean was getting pretty creeped out already and his immediate thought was Ghost. Quickly, he reached behind him where he had a .45 tucked into the waist of his jeans. “I'm just fucking with ya!” She finally gave a soft laugh and moved to the side, pulling open the back door and sliding in with her things. Dean heaved a sigh of relief and gave Sam his trademark What the fuck? look. As the brawny big brother parted his lips while his brother began to resume the normal speed limit, his train of thought was interrupted by the raven haired female in the backseat. “Armonía Róza Torres . I wasn't really sure where I was going, honestly. You can drop me off wherever you stop next. I have money to pay for the ride and gas. And because I thought it was pretty hilarious. If it wasn't raining, I would have taken a picture. Because your faces...

She answered pretty much every question Dean was about to ask, warranting another What the fuck look from Dean to Sam as she gave a soft giggle. If this wasn't a good distraction, he didn't know what was. He glanced into the rear view mirror to get a better look at their passenger and let his lower lip poke out a little as he gave the usual facial expression for acknowledging that someone was attractive. A pretty girl was always something that he welcomed; Her raven waves didn't seem to have an end to them as it looked like she was sitting on a lot of it, and it contrasted perfectly with her bright blue eyes and caramel complexion. He couldn't see much else from the huge jacket she was wearing. Shaking off how pretty she was, he turned his head some and gave an upward nod. “You read minds or something?” Creepy chick was creepy as she turned her head slowly from looking at the rivulets of rain going down the window to look at Dean. “Nope. But it isn't too hard to guess the questions people are going to ask a hitchhiker. It's usually the same thing.” She gave a shrug before looking back out the window. “What's your name? Where're ya from? Where ya headed? Why're you walking down a highway all by your lonesome?” Dean blinked slowly before realizing that she was right.

Apparently she hitchhiked a lot. Well, he was just assuming. Before he could ask if she was worried that she might end up getting killed or raped by some psycho, she did that creepy look again, this time catching his direct gaze. “If you two are some kind of psychos and have any plans of so much as breathing on me the wrong way, I'll have you know that my father is a Marine and I can take care of myself.” Again, her gaze went back to the window and Sam got another look. Dean scratched his headed, unsure of what to make of this girl. “We're not psychos, cupcake. So you can slow your roll.” He was about to tell her that she didn't look like she could pick up a cinder block without dislocating a shoulder when he gave it a second thought. She might be tougher than she looked. And she could be a psycho. Best not to bother her. Still, he was thankful for the distraction and gave Sam a look as if they could read each others minds.

He wanted to drop this broad off as soon as they hit town.

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And they did drop her off.

As soon as they arrived in Clear Spring they stopped at a gas station and let her out, baffled when she gave them a wad of cash that turned out to be five hundred dollars and then snapped their pictures, proclaiming them to be the hottest and seemingly most sane guys to have picked her up so far, congratulating them before leaving on foot with her guitar case and backpack. Where was Dean right now? With his brother in the middle of the woods as they hunted down what Sam had announced was a Minotaur from Greek mythology. Dean thought it was pretty creepy and a bit strange that one would be in the States. He almost threw up his dinner of two greasy bacon cheeseburgers when Sam read the story of how the first Minotaur came to be. It confirmed his belief that supernatural creatures were freaks in more ways than just one or two.

He was crouched down in the bushes when he heard a branch snap and turned his bluegreen gaze upwards to see the creature in question lying itself down by the small creek, seeming to be washing itself. It was massive and had to be at least seven feet tall, built like an ox – No pun intended – With horns that added on at least another foot and a half. The dark-furred creature was packed with muscle that suddenly made Dean feel just a little bit unsure of whether or not they'd be able to take it down. They had never come across one before and didn't know anyone else who had. Nothing of it could be found in their father's journal. If Bobby knew anything, he wasn't saying so. He closed his eyes before looking to Sam and giving a nod as he stood and approached the creature, gun raised. “Here goes nothin'.” The flannel wearing man aimed right for the beast's head, his eyes squinting a bit to improve his chance of getting a head shot. But with how big the thing was, it would be hard to miss. His finger began to squeeze the trigger...

“Wait!”

A female's voice cried out and startled both him and the beast. His shot went awry and caught the Minotaur in the shoulder rather than the head, angering the monster. Dean's eyes went wide as he turned around and called out for his brother so they could bolt as the creature charged.

“Sam! Move it!”



Armonía had left the two rather attractive men at the gas station, shoving the rest of her money into her backpack. They had been baffled at the amount of money she had, sure that a traveling entertainer couldn't possibly make that much money. She justified their response with her own of “I'm a penny pincher. So sue me.” They were sweet boys, those Winchesters. Even if they didn't introduce themselves to her. She already knew who they were – She was more into the hunter social circle than they were so she had the one up on information. What was she doing? She was doing what she had been doing for ages: Exploring. Well, that and she had heard about what sounded like Minotaur attacks in the small town and decided to check it out. What she had found was a frightened and wounded creature fighting for his safety in his home. She had come across the creature hiding in a ditch just as a few people were passing by, cowering like a child in a closet when a burglar invaded their home. She immediately felt sympathy and pulled out her pan flute to soothe him. She was able to get him to be still long enough for her to recite a spell that enabled her to understand him.

He hadn't been doing anything but trying to eat when campers spotted him and freaked out. They were college students, drunk off of their asses and proceeded to shoot at him with a gun one of them had probably stolen from his father, throwing rocks at him and trying to poke him with a stick, forming a circle around him and calling him names. The poor thing! He didn't want to hurt anybody, he just wanted to eat. But he got angry and couldn't control himself. He killed them. He didn't know how they came back to life though. It happened a few other times and he just tried to hide. They just kept bothering him! Armonía petted him and checked out his wounds before asking him if he could go to the creek and wash himself up so she could fix up his wounds. She would be right back! The creature obliged as she went back into town and broke into a local store to steal a few medical supplies. It was much to her horror when she returned that she found Dean Winchester aiming a rifle at the poor thing. She had decided to call him “Pepeo”. Forgetting Sarah Marshall was one of her favorite romantic comedies and she adored Paul Rudd. Pepeo seemed fine with it. She almost passed out when she saw the shotgun aimed at him. How dare Dean! How dare he try to shoot this victimized and wounded creature in the back of its head! “Wait!, she had screamed. Dean didn't see her approach and was startled, shooting Pepeo in his shoulder.

Pepeo was (understandably) pissed and moved to charge at Dean and Sam (whom she was assuming was hiding in the bushes for backup). Her hand flew to her waist and she grabbed her pan flute and brought it to her lips. A soft lullaby filled the air as she inched towards Pepeo cautiously, trying to keep her heart from racing. She felt as though it were going to jump right out of her chest! Pepeo had skidded to a halt, the sound of his heavy breathing filling the chilly, midnight air as he let Armonía get close enough to place a hand against the side of his head (face?), petting him gently. Dean stared on in wonder and confusion as she stopped playing and the creature simply...plopped down onto the damp earth. She turned her eyes to the brothers (mainly Dean) and glared at them both. “Really?!! What is wrong with you?!” She kept up her glare as Pepeo basked in the calm that had suddenly washed over him and Dean simply stared with a slack jaw, too stunned to form a sentence.

Azeneth Quibilah found herself in a country that she'd never thought she'd visit in her lifetime. The United States was quite different from Egypt and she was still trying to get used to it. Currently, she found herself in the small town of Clear Spring. She had no idea why she'd even stopped in the small town. All she knew was that something had compelled her to do so. When she'd first arrived, she rented a small room. At first she'd only planned on staying a short while. A day or two at most. However, when she began hearing tales of something killing people in the woods, Azeneth decided that perhaps she needed to stick around for some time longer.

She began spending more and more time out in the woods. It didn't take her long to find the creature. She felt terrible for him. Though she could not communicate with him, she could sense that he meant no harm to anyone. The killings had been all accidents. She felt terrible for this creature. It was then that she began following him..at a distance. When he would kill someone and had left the area, Az would approach the corpse and deem if the person was deserving of a second chance. She had saved several people and she knew that if she stayed much longer that she would soon be discovered and that..wouldn't be a good thing.

Currently, Az was hiding up in one of the tall trees. That morning she'd gone back to her hotel, showered, pulled her hair up and then changed her clothes. She'd not spent much time away from the creature, not wanting to miss out on anything. She'd found where the creature was and that was how she'd ended up in the tree. As she looked down at the ground, she watched as the commotion began. The men trying to kill the creature and then the woman that wanted to save it. She was silent as they spoke. They'd not noticed her yet. She could have easily gotten away but..something held her there.

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After they'd reached Clear Spring, Armonía had left them. Sam still couldn't believe the amount of money that she'd given them just for the ride. It didn't seem..normal that she should even have that much money on her. He tried not to dwell on the thought, trying to concentrate on the case at hand. They were able to check into a local hotel and they put their things in the room. Dean was still not talking to him. He wanted to talk to him but decided against it. He couldn't see it ending well. He would give his brother the space that he needed. Dean would speak with him when he was ready.

When they were settled in, they immediately got to work. They'd gone to a local restaurant and grabbed a bite to eat. As they ingested their meal, Sam had gone over with Dean about how the first Minotaur came to be. It was a gruesome story, one that Sam did not wish to ever read again. Currently, they were out in the woods, looking for the creature. Suddenly, Dean was crouched down after hearing the branch snap and Sam followed the action immediately. He remained close to his brother, not wanting to get too far from his brother. They'd never gone up against such a creature before and quite honestly, he was a bit worried.

Dean quietly lined up a shot, aiming for the creature's head. Sam merely watched, unsure of what else could be done a the current moment. Before Dean was able to follow through with his shot, a voice was heard. “Wait!" He knew that voice. It was the woman from earlier. However, he was unable to dwell on that thought as Dean was now yelling at him. “Sam! Move it!” Sam listened to his brother, quickly moving to get out of the way.

Sam suddenly heard a soft melody coming from the direction of Armonía. He peered through the bushes and saw her playing on a flute of some sorts. Sam's eyes locked onto the young woman as she played her song. He was entranced. When she actually began petting him, Sam was sure that he was seeing things. There was no way that she could have calmed the creature. Was there? She turned her eyes to Sam and his brother, glaring. “Really?!! What is wrong with you?!”

Sam was silent, allowing his brother to speak first. "How did you do that?" he asked Armonía. He watched her closely. He still couldn't believe what he'd seen. He took a breath, his eyes still watching the young woman. "Armonía, that's just..amazing. You saved our lives. Thank you." Though he did not understand what had happened, they still owed the woman their gratitude.

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Azeneth ignored the men after a while. She became more focused on the young woman. She could sense the power that was radiating off of her. Which meant that they were similar. Perhaps this other woman had a parentage similar to her own. However, she would not know unless she asked her. She silently cursed her luck. She knew of the Winchesters..there really wasn't all that many people that didn't know of them..at least amongst those that knew of the true nature of the world. She hadn't been planning on getting mixed up with them.

She sighed silently before quickly dropping down through the tree. When her feet touched the ground, she turned her eyes to the young woman. "Sorry to cut in on your little pow wow..but I felt compelled to do so. Being able to calm this creature..to see that his intentions were not evil, is not something that everyone can do. Thank you for showing these idiots that they do not need to kill first and then ask questions." Azeneth could see the taller man eyeing her strangely. "And who are you? Why are you out here with him? Are..you his master?" Az laughed before speaking. "My name..is Azeneth Quibilah and I am the daughter of Anubis. I am not this creature's master however I have been following him for some time, cleaning up after him. He killed several that deserved death..and several that did not. I gifted those that deserved it a second chance."

Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're Anubis's daughter? Anubis, as in the Egyptian god that watches over the souls of the dead?" Az merely smirked before answering the young man. "Anubis does so much more than that. He is the ruler of the Underworld. He deals with all things relating to death. His power is great." Sam raked his brain for any information on Anubis. Honestly, he didn't know much. "I thought that Osiris was the ruler of the Underworld." Azeneth tilted her head, regarding the man for a moment. "Silly man. Osiris is nothing but a image that my people worship. He is not a true god. Osiris is merely a legend that never faded from memory. My father is the ruler of the Underworld."

Suddenly, her gaze turned back to the woman. She knew better than to ask the woman about the ability that she'd seen. "Who are you? You don't seem like you really know these fools."

Dean was finally able to find his words after Az's quick exchange with Sam and Creepy Chick, immediately jumping up. How did Creepy Chick (It was his secret nickname for the woman) stop that thing? He turned to Sam with bulging eyes, his voice filled with confusion, a bit of anger, and some bewilderment. “Woah! Woah! You're thanking her? She could be that... thing's creator or master or something! Y'know, because she tried to save it and didn't even flex to stop it?” Who the hell were these women, really? He didn't know where to aim his gun, deciding to shuffle every few seconds between the Minotaur pressing his head against Creepy Chick's hand like it was her dog or something, Creepy Chick who still looked pissed, and Creepy Chick Number Two. So now it was a three on two? Hell, with Sam's current track record it could end up being four on one. That was fine – He could take 'em. If not, he'd go down fucking swinging. “What the fuck is going on here?!! Someone better start explaining some shit, right now!” He raised his voice, caught in an unexpected situation and unsure of how to proceed. He had way too much shit on his plate to be dealing with this right now.

Dean opened his mouth to rant again, but Armonía held her hand up, her lips still fixed into a frown and her normally sweet voice taking on a sassy attitude. “Uh – Yeah. You're welcome. For saving your life. No sweat. Jeez. I give you five hundred bucks and save your life in a twelve hour time span and what thanks do I get? A gun in my face.” She put away her flute and kneeled down next to Pepeo as she continued speaking, doing her best to address the flurry of questions and comments that had been thrown into the air amidst the commotion. “I did it by playing music. Ever hear the saying Music soothes the savage beast? Try it some time. Instead of busting in and trying to shoot everything non-human.”, she cut her eyes towards the brothers and issued her words in a hiss before pulling bandages and some tubes and long tweezers from her backpack. “Thank you, Azeneth. For treating him kindly. At least someone did. And no, neither of us is his master and he's not a 'thing' or an 'it'. He is a he. And his name is Pepeo. He was up here. Mind his own business. Just trying to eat when he was brutally attacked. He had to defend himself!” As she spoke, Dean was shocked to watch her removing the bullets from his body and treating his wounds. What amazed him more was that he was simply sitting there. A lot of things weren't really making sense to him at this point.

Creepy Chick Number Two was... What? A Demigoddess? Creepy Chick was just... Well. A creepy chick that happened to be good with animals? He frowned as she chastised he and Sam as though they were the bad guys in the situation, but seeing how docile and almost frightened the creature appeared, he couldn't help but to feel a little bit bad. But why? That creature wasn't natural! It was a product of bestiality and had killed people! Which reminded him.... “You can bring people back to life...?” His gaze fell to Azeneth as he took a few steps back and found his breath catching in his throat. If her father really was Anubis, lord of the Egyptian Underworld or whatever... Did that mean she could kill people...? Like Hades in Hercules? It was a pretty childish reference, but it was the best comparison he had. He wanted to say something about her repeatedly referring to he and Sam as fools and idiots, but he wasn't sure what the hell these two were capable of. “My name is Armonía and I know who they are; Sam and Dean Winchester, sons of Mary and John Winchester. Both Hunters and frequents of Harvelle's Roadhouse. They picked me up on the highway and gave me a ride, but I do not know them personally.” She gave a very precise answer, though her words made Dean immediately swivel the gun her way.

“How do you know that?!!” She seemed to ignore him as he yelled, patting Pepeo on his head and whispering something into his ear before watching him rise and amble away. The entire situation was just a huge mindfuck for Dean. He kept his .22 trained on Armonía as she packed her things back up and rose before walking towards Dean, her eyes never leaving his. She stopped when the barrel of the gun pressed against her chest, her one icy blue eye and other golden hazel one unsettling Dean even more. “Oh, so now you want to ask questions before you start shooting. Or are you just waiting for me to turn my back?” Her tone was condescending as she taunted him, two seconds away from sneering. Dean shoved the gun a little harder against her. He wasn't against killing women – He would killed anything and anyone that presented a threat and right now, he was freaked out. “Answer the fucking question!” And that was it. Armonía moved faster than Dean could process at the moment and he soon found himself disarmed when she grabbed the gun and yanked it away from him, throwing it into the bushes before getting in his face. Or as much in his face as she could being as short as she was. She had to stand on the tips of her toes and even then, her face came up to his chin. “Don't. Yell. At. Me. I know you because Ellen and Jo and Bobby and Rufus are all good friends of mine and my dad's. He's a hunter too and I am when I want to be. The difference between me and you, dodo brain, is that I question first and shoot after. Innocent until proven guilty doesn't apply to just humans.” It looked like she was trying to give him a cold look, but at the same time it looked as though she were about to cry.

She walked away from him, quickly ducking under a tree and heading away from the group. She was frustrated and annoyed and she just really wanted to punch him in his damn face! Idiot! Dean watched, still unsure of what to do as Azeneth and Sam both just...watched. He finally pulled out his phone and dialed for Ellen.

“How'd it go?” Ellen had been waiting up for Dean and Sam, knowing that they would be be calling soon. Dean took a few moments to find the right words, his stomach turning as he finally found the ability to speak with confidence. “Do you know an Armonía Róza Torres? Short. Witch-eyed. Tan. Annoying.” He would have said “pretty”, but he didn't want to compliment her right now. Ellen's voice immediately perked up and Dean could tell she was smiling on the other end of the phone. “Gypsy? Yeah! Is she there? How's she doing?” Dean gave a light growl of frustration, his free hand curling into a fist. “Oh, she's just peachy. She just stopped us from hunting the Minotaur. In fact, she was bandaging it! Knowing that it killed people!” He was about to continue his rant but Ellen cut him off, her voice taking a matter-of-fact tone. “Did she say it was innocent? Dean couldn't believe this!

“Excuse me?

“Did. She say. It was innocent? Am I not speaking English, Dean?”

“Yeah, but -”

“But nothing. I trust her Dean. I've known her since she was little and she's a damn good hunter with a good heart. She does things a little bit differently but she means well and she does a damn good job. Goodnight, Dean.

As Ellen hung up the phone, Dean struggled not to throw his own. “I'm leaving. I'm going back to the car. Then I'm going to get some bacon cheeseburgers. And I'm going back to the motel. I'm going to have a nice fucking night of sleep. And when we leave tomorrow... We don't talk about this anymore.” Unconcerned for the welfare of the two women in the woods, he went and picked up his gun before leaving at a face pace back towards the trail that would lead to their shitty rental car.

“You can bring people back to life...?” Azeneth turned her gaze to Dean, debating on what she should say. She smirked upon realizing that he was backing away from her. Was he frightened? "I can do much more than simply bring someone back to life." She fell silent, watching him closely. However, before Dean could say anything further, Armonía spoke. “My name is Armonía and I know who they are; Sam and Dean Winchester, sons of Mary and John Winchester. Both Hunters and frequents of Harvelle's Roadhouse. They picked me up on the highway and gave me a ride, but I do not know them personally.” Az watched as Dean turned his gun to the other woman. She could have stopped him though decided to see how this turned out.

As she watched, Azeneth went over what Armonía had said about the men. She'd known their last names..their reputation was ever growing around the world. However, the other woman had referred to them as 'hunters'. She was unfamiliar with the term. She'd found that the goings on of most of the supernatural world generally had nothing to do with her. She was usually only interested in what directly involved her. She would have to research later about what these Winchesters truly did.

At last, Armonía left the small group, ducking under a tree. Az decided to wait a moment to see what the two men decided to do. She was actually surprised that Dean seemed more worried about the other woman than her. He had to at least suspect that she could kill people if she wanted. He was most likely ruffled by the fact that Armonía had stopped him from killing the creature. Suddenly, she realized that Sam was watching her intently. She returned his stare and smirked as he quickly averted his eyes. She smirked before turning to face the direction that Armonía had headed. "Well, it's been fun boys. But..I've got some important business to take care of. See you around." she waved to Sam as Dean was busy talking on the phone.

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After Azeneth had left them, Sam turned his attention back to his brother. He could easily see that Dean wasn't happy at all. After another minute, Dean was done talking on the phone. “I'm leaving. I'm going back to the car. Then I'm going to get some bacon cheeseburgers. And I'm going back to the motel. I'm going to have a nice fucking night of sleep. And when we leave tomorrow... We don't talk about this anymore.” Then, the other man picked up his gun and then began making his way back towards their rental car. Sam quickly caught up to his brother and fell into pace next to him. He was silent for a few moments, allowing the older man to calm down.

When they finally reached the car, Sam spoke. "Dean..are you sure that we shouldn't go after them? If not Armonía then definitely Azeneth. I mean..she could be a threat. She's a wild card, Dean. If what she was saying was the truth, being the daughter of Anubis..I'm sure that she is capable of some terrible things.." He followed his brother into the car and buckled in. He wasn't quite sure if he should have said anything or not. He just felt like leaving both women alone was not a good thing. There was definitely something off with both of them. "Forget it, Dean. Lets just get some dinner and head back to the motel. I'm beat."

He fell silent, merely watching the road as his brother drove. He was a bit angry with his brother..he could not deny that. Letting at least one being go without checking them out was something that he was not used to doing. "Look, Dean..maybe during our down time I can try to find some information on Azeneth. It won't interfere with out work. I just can't shake the feeling that she's bad news." He looked over to his brother, hoping that Dean wouldn't get angry with him for what he'd just said.

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After Az was out of sight of the Winchesters, she began looking for Armonía. It really didn't take her long at all to catch up to her. She called out to the other woman, slowing her pace slightly. "You may have been able to fool the boys..but I know that you are different. You're like me." She slowly approached the other woman, her pale eyes never leaving the other woman. "I..have a proposition for you. We obviously are similar..to a point. I'm not from here and I could use a traveling companion that knows their way around. We could travel together..do some good here. We met for a reason..though it is still unclear right now. I'm only here because my mother sent me from my home. I need something to occupy my time with."

She watched the other woman closely, wondering what she would say. She could only imagine what she thought of her. She'd appeared almost out of nowhere and was now asking her to travel with her. "Well..what do you say?" Azeneth came to a stop, waiting for a answer. Her face was blank, her eyes completely focused. She was not used to asking people to join her. She often preferred to travel alone. However, she did need someone that knew this country. Az would stand out if she did not begin learning about their ways.

Unhappy. That's what Dean was when he got back to the motel with Sam after failing to find somewhere in town that was open and offered food. He didn't answer anything his brother had said, ignoring his questions. Was it the apocalypse that was turning the world to madness? He didn't know. All he knew was that he had a ton of shit on his plate – His demon blood addict of a brother, Satan walking the earth, Castiel possibly missing, and now apparently Anubis' daughter and a creepy chick that knew more about them than they knew about her. It was making his head spin and his gut turn over. All he could think was What would dad do?, wondering what the late John Winchester would do in this particular position. Hell if he knew.

Dean emerged from the shower after thinking long and hard about everything, feeling confident enough to finally address his brother without wanting to punch him in the face. Towel around his waist, he stood in front of Sam as the younger brother sat hunkered over a laptop, unsuccessful in his search for information on Azeneth. “Whatever happens to those two – It ain't our problem. They're big girls and apparently they can handle themselves. What you do in your spare time... I don't care as long as you aren't behind my back fucking demon broads and choking down their blood.” He was sure that his words had cut his brother deep and he really didn't care. Sam needed some tough love right now and Dean wasn't really the “nurturing” type. He shrugged his broad shoulders in a nonchalant manner to show that he had washed his hands of the situation with the two girls before moving towards his bed to get dry and dressed. “We're getting up early for Kripke's Hollow.” He wanted to go see Chuck, Prophet of the Lord (No matter how many times you said it, it was always funny) and see if he knew anything about Cass' whereabouts or what the future held. He gave his brother a light wave before turning out his lamp and flopping into bed, passing out without a second thought.

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Dean had packed his few things into the rental car at six in the morning, still not speaking to Sam. As they drove down the road, he caught sight of both of the women they met the previous night. They were walking down the highway together, seeming to be having a good ole time as they chatted away about God knows what. He could see Armonía turn her head and throw a wink their way but he didn't bother slowing down, instead moving into the left lane and speeding up until they were no longer in his rear view mirror. They had a four hour drive ahead of them and he wasn't about to pick up Armonía, Azeneth, or any other hitchhiker no matter how gorgeous they were. It really did fucking suck how all the hot ones tended to turn out to be crazy or murderous. Or demonic. Like Ruby. It was a sad time indeed when a man couldn't find a beautiful girl who was... Normal.

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Dean and Sam finally arrive in front of Chuck's house to find it looking rather... Dilapidated. Looking at Sam, Dean gives a nod and pulls out his gun before edging up the walkway and entering through the open door. At a noise similar to scuffling, Dean immediately assumes it to be a rat but turns and looks around anyways. Finding nothing there, he continues to look around with his .45 swiveling at every turn. As they round the corner leading from the living room, a bewildered looking man with poorly groomed facial hair and even wilder hair atop his head jumped from around the corner with a plunger and brought it down on Sam's head with a loud “Hiyah!”, as if that were going to bring down anyone or anything expect maybe an infant.

~~~~~~~

Armonía had barely turned around the previous night when Azeneth had approached her, having pulled out her pan flute and begun to play a soothing song to calm her nerves. She did listen to the other young woman as she spoke before putting away her instrument and speaking her own piece. “Uh – I don't really think that I'm... Well... A Demigoddess. Or whatever. I'm just a Witch. But I do understand your plight. I was the same way when my father was stationed in Japan. Drove him nuts that I was out late running around with ninjas. They weren't really ninjas. But they had skills.” Many would have been put off by Azeneth's mention of fate, but Nía had been raised on the belief of destiny as well. “I don't mind, really. I'm mostly just going where my Tarots taking me. Which at the moment are leading me to River Pass. In Colorado. I don't really know what's going on there, but I do know it's bad and my friends will be in danger. And sometimes I go home to see my dad.” She was relatively cheerful as she spoke, deciding to head back to the motel where she had checked in for the night. When they headed out that morning after a night of barely speaking to one another, Armonía caught sight of Dean and Sam driving by, throwing a wink in Sam's direction.

At least he had said thank you.

~~~~~~~

Between running, walking, and catching rides, the two young women had made it to Cedar Rapids in Iowa where Armonía had said her friend Ellen sent her for a case about people being found mangled in alley ways, the city declaring a serial killer to be on the loose. But Nía knew that it wasn't who or what they were looking for – It was a Red Cap. She was lucky enough that they didn't bother her. Considering she traveled so much, she often found herself in their territories and had been attacked quite a few times. She was very familiar with Fairy banishing spells and always carried sugar with her. She would recite the spell while they counted two pounds worth of sugar grains. She never had to buy anymore sugar because she would always pick it back up. Clever girl. But, here they were in Cedar Rapids, checking into a motel after a very nice elderly couple had dropped them off. Stella and Monty were so sweet even though they went on and on for twenty miles, telling the two young women in their backseat how they were very progressive and supported the right for lesbians and gays to get married. Azeneth and Armonía both insisted that they weren't lesbians, just friends. But they didn't believe the girls.

“The last victim was found two blocks from here about four days ago. All them have been found in that neighborhood so I'm thinking that he has a portal nearby. Probably in the woods.” Armonía pulled on a black leather coat after buckling her Frankenstein's monster boots. All dressed up and ready to go, she pulled the straps of her backpack over her shoulders and checked her watch before bringing her father's dogtags to her lips and whispering a soft prayer. Her gaze fell to Azeneth and she gave a bright, unwavering smile before snapping her fingers. A small sack of sugar appeared sitting in her hands and she headed for the door. “When we get there, I'll draw him – or her – out with some music and when you see it, dump out the sugar.”

Azeneth had questioned Armonía a bit about her powers and why she didn't use them quite as much as most people would. Sure, Armonía could have teleported them to Cedar Rapids and then to River Pass. But it took the fun out of exploring. She enjoyed taking life at a human pace and experiencing everything that came with it. She could heal herself if she scraped her knee or sprained her ankle. But that wouldn't be much fun. Azeneth had just shaken her head at the girl. Armonía just smiled. That was back when they were on the road. Right now, Armonía was vaulting herself over the third floor railing of the hotel and down to the ground below. She was thinking about buying a car before they left. But cars were too easy for people to track and got in the way. They took the fun out of getting to explore. You didn't get to see the world or meet new people in the same way as you did when you were walking. No. She would stick to walking and hitchhiking.

As Dean drove, Sam was silent. If all that Dean was going to do was be rude towards him..well, then he wasn't going to speak with him unless he had to. Sam knew that this was a childish approach to take..but he couldn't help it. They spent the entire road trip not speaking with each other. After what had seemed like a lifetime to Sam, they arrived at Chuck's house. The first thing that Sam noticed was how run down the building now looked. Both men got out of the car and Sam merely followed his brother. He'd noticed the nod and followed suit, pulling out his own gun. He followed Dean into the house, watching his brother's back. They made their way slowly through the house, looking for Chuck..or anything else that was in the house.

Suddenly, Sam felt a pain burst through his skull. A voice sounded. “Hiyah!” Sam turned his blackened gaze to the man that had attacked him. He was not happy to have the shorter man attacking him with a plunger. As quickly as it had happened, Sam's eyes returned to normal and honestly..he'd not even noticed the change. "What the hell?!" Sam said, continuing to eye Chuck. He just wanted to find out where Castiel was..so that they could get back to focusing on other things. He refocused on what was being said. Dean had asked Chuck something and the look on the prophet's face meant that his answer hadn't been a good one. Sam turned his gaze to his brother, a slight look of confusion on his face. "I'm sorry..what?" Dean had been looking at him as if waiting for him to say something. He'd been found out that he'd been spacing out once again. He frowned slightly at the other two men. He'd been spacing out more and more lately and honestly..he had no idea why he was doing it.

---

---

Azeneth had been rather glad that Armonía had decided to join her in traveling. At least now she would hopefully be able to blend in much better. They had reached Cedar Rapids and after having dealt with the couple that thought that they were lovers, they were in their motel room. “The last victim was found two blocks from here about four days ago. All them have been found in that neighborhood so I'm thinking that he has a portal nearby. Probably in the woods.” Armonía said, finishing getting ready. Azeneth had been ready for some time, having gotten ready as soon as she'd been able. She'd kept her hair up the way that she normally kept it. Currently, she was sitting on one of the beds simply watching her new..friend. “When we get there, I'll draw him – or her – out with some music and when you see it, dump out the sugar." Az was silent for a moment before she replied. "Sounds like a plan. Although..I can't say that I've much experience doing this sort of thing."

She rose from the bed and grabbed her bag, slinging it across her chest. She then moved to follow the other woman. She exited the room and immediately noted her friend making her way down the three floors..without using the stairs. She merely shook her head. Though Az could have easily followed suit, she did not. She took the stairs. She found it beneath her to show off like that. Back in Egypt, she'd been seen as a goddess..but here she was a freak. Someone that was so very different from everyone around her. As she reached the ground floor, Azeneth's eyes found her friend's. "Armonía, must you show off like that? It will only draw attention to us. Not everyone is tolerant of those that are different. Now, let's get going. The longer we take, the more people that will be hurt by this creature."

Azeneth allowed the other woman to lead the way. This was her case, after all. She was at least learning quite a bit from the other woman even though they'd not been traveling together for very long. She had a small smile on her face. Perhaps her father had led her to this woman..knowing that they'd be able to help each other? Regardless, Az would prove that their powers were a gift..something that they should take full advantage of.

Chuck quickly apologized to Sam for smacking him over the head with a plunger and Dean gave a half-hearted grin. “Hey Chuck.” He gave the man a quick upwards nod and the shaken prophet, shakily retracted his plunger, having it pressed against his chest as he did the same. “So... You guys are okay?” He seemed almost in disbelief and wonder that the Winchesters were standing before him, having his hand smacked away as he reached out and mushed Dean's cheek with his fingers. “Yeah, besides Sam's head probably hurting. Stop that.” What the hell was with him? Chuck shook his head and took a step back before clearing his throat and reaching for a bottle of vodka nearby. “No, I mean. My... My last vision. You went like... Full on Vader. Your body temperature was one-fifty, your heart rate was two-hundred. Your eyes went black.” The last part caught Dean by surprise and he turned to Sam as Chuck had, narrowing his eyes and taking a half step forward with his left foot. “Your eyes went black?” Sam had turned around and looked at the pair of them with a confused and startled look on his face as he spoke. “I didn't know.” Dean shook his head and turned back to Chuck. “Where's Cass?” That's what they had come there for, it was better to get back on track. Or else he would just get pissed at Sam all over again.

“He's dead... Or gone. The archangel smote the shit out of him. … I'm sorry, guys.” Chuck looked crestfallen as his gaze fell to the floor below them, lowering his plunger before tilting his head back and taking a swig of the alcohol. Being a Prophet of the Lord was not good for someone's health.

Dean refused to believe this, shaking his head as he scrambled for an explanation. Anything but that. Cass couldn't be gone. “Are you sure, Chuck? I mean, maybe he just vanished into the light or something.” But it wasn't so. Chuck shook his head with wide eyes as he looked at the brothers, his voice filled with certainty now. “Oh, no. He like, exploded. … Like a water baloon of chunky soup.” His hands moved in the gesture of something exploding, making Dean move his hand to his mouth and turn around with anger in his eyes. Fucking angels! He moved his other hand and used both hands to cover his face before turning back to Chuck. Sam had finally decided to step forward towards Chuck, waving a hand over his own left ear with a strange look on his face. “You got a – ” Chuck moved his hand towards his right ear. “Here?” But Sam shook his head, looking a bit disgusted as if he had just stepped in vomit. Uh, the other – ” He indicated the other ear and watched as Chuck's hand moved where his hair touched the top of his ear, pulling something out that was white and red.

“Is that a molar?” He inspected it further and seemed to have vomited in his mouth for a brief moment before nodding repeatedly. “It is. I just pulled a molar from my hair... This has been a stressful day...”

Off in his own world, Dean was shaking his head, muttering under his breath. “Cass. You stupid bastard.”

“Stupid? He was trying to help us.

“Yeah, exactly.”

“So, what now?

“I don't know.”

“Oh, shit.

“What?” Sam and Dean had both turned their attention to Chuck as he began to step backwards, shaking his head some more. “I can feel them.”

~~~~~~~

Armonía rolled her eyes at Azeneth's words and gave a soft laugh of teasing and assurance. “Showing off? Who am I showing off for? The empty cars or you? Don't worry about me. Parkour isn't really out of the ordinary. It's actually a professional sport here in the States. We have the Ultimate Parkour Challenge every year in California. I won last year.” She had begun to walk backwards, her smile ever present. “Just because a person does things like dancing and singing in public, walking on their hands in public, or performing various acrobatic and gymnastic feats in public doesn't mean it's for the public. Being one's self is not tantamount to being a show pony. You can quote me on that one.” She gave another soft laugh before turning back around just in time to catch the street light. While she waited for it to read “Walk”, she turned to Azeneth, whom she had decided to call “Azzy”, and held her right index finger up as Professors in television shows did when making a point. “Fairies mostly come from Avalon and their King and creator is Oberon. I only know of two types; Tinks. They are very tiny, able to fit in your hand. They appear as naked women and they glow. But don't ever point out that they're naked or they get suuuuuuper pissed off. And you don't want to do that. Why? Because they're tiny, they're fast, and they can throw a grown man across a room without even trying. And Redcaps. That's what we're going after now. They are all psychos.”

The light had turned green and signaled for them to cross the street. There weren't very many people out, many locked in for the evening with fear of a homicidal serial killer on the loose. “I was raised to never pass judgment on someone based on their heritgae or anything, but it is a proven fact that Redcaps are indeed psychos. There are quite a few of them in this realm and they claim territories. Any travelers who pass through their territory are stalked and killed mercilessly. Their hats are always red and moist because they soak them in the blood of their victims. They'll die if the blood ever dries, so they have to kill constantly. I wouldn't mind if they killed criminals or other scum, y'know? But they kill random people just trying to get somewhere. They're also very strong and can teleport. Which really sucks.” She huffed softly as they quickened their pace, keeping their heads down as a police car passed by. “Now. Fairies are weak against Iron. Cream gets them drunk. There's also banishing spells for them. Or for the ones summoned from spell books, you just have to destroy the book they were summoned from. Fun fact: Never hunt a Fairy of any kind without salt or sugar and a lot of it. If you pour out salt or sugar in front of them, it's like they have to count every single grain. It's a must. I don't know why. Scattering it gives you a lot of time to figure out how to get rid of them.”

Armonía was spouting out facts as though she were reading it from a book. She had been raised by two seasoned hunters and went on plenty of hunts with them – The girl knew her shit and she never forgot. She seemed unfazed by anything as they traveled towards the area where the bodies had been found.

Suddenly, three men appeared in the home. The man that was at the front of the group was obviously the leader. The vessel that the Angel had chosen was that of a older male who was balding and grey. All three of them were silent for a moment before the older man took a few steps towards the other men in the room. Zachariah eyed the three Humans before his eyes fell onto the Winchesters, focusing on them. He then took a step towards Dean. "Playtime's over, Dean. Time to come with us." Dean's face became rather stern as soon at the two sentences had come out of Zachariah's mouth. "You just keep your distance, asshat." Dean raised a finger threateningly.

Zachariah was almost..surprised at the action and the words that came from Dean's mouth. "You're upset." he said, a confused looking crossing his features for a mere moment.

Dean spoke once again. "Yeah, a little. You sons of bitches jump started Judgement Day."

"Maybe we let it happen, but we didn't start it. Right Sammy?" Zachariah winked at Sam, smiling. "You had a chance to stop your brother and you couldn't. So, let's not quibble over who started what. Let's just say it was all our faults and move on." He paused for a moment, looking over to the side, a finger gently touching the back of a chair. "Cause like it or not it's Apocalypse now." Zachariah gave a shake of his head and then a slight smirk crossed his features. "And..we're back on the same team again."

"Oh..is that so?"

"You want to kill the Devil. We want you to kill the Devil. It's...synergy."

"I'm just supposed to trust you? Cram it with walnuts, Ugly."

"This isn't a game, son. Lucifer is powerful in ways that defies description. We need to strike now. Hard and fast."

Sam merely watched the entire exchange, deciding that it was best to remain silent. He didn't like where this meeting was heading.

---

---

It was obvious that Azeneth did not quite understand her companion..or her ways. As they walked, Az listened to Armonía as she spoke. She'd never been up against such creatures before. However, she was confident that Armonía knew what she was doing. "That's interesting. I can't say that I've ever been around such creatures. They sound annoying as fuck. On the bright side, you've got me with you. If there are any freshly killed I can see if it is the gods' wishes for them to remain in the realm of the dead. I can do quite a bit more than simply raise the dead."

She continued to follow Armonía. Her eyes were ever watchful as the continued on. "So..do you have any idea how this Red Cap came to be here? I mean, that would give us an idea as to how to get rid of it."

Though they'd talked quite a bit as they'd been together, Az had refrained from telling Armonía much of her powers. She'd felt no need to. However, if her new friend were to ask so supposed that she would gladly tell her. It was just something that she normally didn't talk about. She at least knew that most in the States did not believe in such things and only thought it make believe. "Look, Armonía..I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I..am unused to being around others. In Egypt, I spent all of my time learning to control my powers. I did not have time to spend with others. If I ever say anything that offends you..please don't hesitate to tell me. I do not mean things as they often come out." Having been kept upon a pedestal for much of her life, Az tended to treat people as if they were below her. She didn't mean to..it just always seemed like that was how things would come out.

At this point, Sam glanced over with a confused look on his face, holding his hands out as if to gather attention while he got his two cents in. “His vessel? Lucifer needs a meat suit?” Why would Lucifer, King of Hell and Creator of Demons need a vessel? Zachariah gave Sam a Duh look as he held out his own hands with his usual smirk. “He is an Angel. Them's the rules. And when he touches down, we're talking Four Horsemen, red oceans, fiery skies – the greatest hits. You can stop him, Dean, but you need our help. Zachariah had stepped towards the elder brother, making him angrier with each passing second. “You listen to me, you two-faced douche: After what you did, I don't want jack shit from you!” Dean raised his voice, his fist uncurling slowly as he stepped backwards. Zachariah wasn't in the mood to put up with the broad-shouldered hunter's diva fit and took an angry step towards him, raising a finger at him threateningly. “You listen to me, boy! You think you can rebel against us?” He gave a soft and condescending laugh as he moved closer. “Like Lucifer did?” There was silence as everyone looked between Dean and Zachariah before Zachariah's gaze fell and he noticed the blood dripping from Dean's hand to the carpet. His face flashed genuine concern as he pointed towards the bleeding hand and nodded his head. “Dean. You're bleeding.” Dean gave a light nod and a smirk with a shrug. “Oh, yeah – A little insurance policy in case you dicks showed up.” Before anyone could do anything, Dean pushed back the curtain over the sliding door to reveal an Angel Banishing sigil drawn in blood on the glass door, his bloody hand slamming against it. “No!!” Zachariah cried out as Sam and Chuck flinched, but he and the God Squad were gone in a bright flash of light, Dean standing and breathing heavily before wiping blood against his denim pants.

“Learned that from my friend Cass, you son of a bitch.”

---

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Sam closed the door to the motel room and pulled something out of his jacket pocket, tossing it over to Dean. His brother caught it and examined it closely before looking at Sam, waiting for an explanation. “Hex bags. No way the angels will find us with those. Demons, either, for that matter.”

“Where'd you get 'em?”

“I made them.”

“How?”

Sam hesitated long enough for Dean to glance up from the hex bag to his brother, again waiting for an explanation. “I... I learned it from Ruby.” Dean gave a nod and set down his gun and the hex bag before approaching Sam, invading his brother's personal space. “Speaking of. How you doing? Are you jonesing for another hit of bitch blood or what?” Sam shook his head and held his hands up. “I- it's weird. Uh, tell you the truth, I'm fine. No shakes, no fever. It's like whoever...put me on that plane cleaned me right up.”

“Supernatural methadone.”

“Yeah, I guess.... Dean –”

“Sam... It's okay. You don't have to say anything.”

“Well. That's good. Because what can I even say? I'm sorry? I screwed up? Doesn't really do it justice, you know? Look, there's nothing I can do or say that will ever make this right – ”

“So why do you keep bringing it up?! … Look, all I'm saying is, why do we have to put this under a microscope? We made a mess. We clean it up. That's it. All right. So, say this is just any other hunt. You know? What do we do first?”

“We'd, uh, figure out where the thing is.”

“All right. So we just got to find...the devil.”

As the two agreed, there was a knock at the door. Dean pulled his gun out and moved as Sam opened the door to reveal a short young woman who looked as though she were about to pass out at any given second, breathing heavily through her mouth.

“Uh, you okay, lady?”

“Sam...is it really you?” Sam didn't answer the woman, instead looking back at Dean for help. As he did, the woman stepped closer and placed a hand against his chest, whispering in a creepy way that reminded them both of their first meeting Armonía minus the sexual harassment. “And you're so firm...Just like I knew you'd be.”

“Excuse me, do I know you?” He and Dean both looked at her in bewilderment as she pulled her hand back and gave a smile so big that they thought her face might start to crack. “No, but I know you. You're Sam Winchester. And you're -”, she paused to peek around at Dean, disappoinment washing over her face. “-not exactly what I pictured, Dean. I'm Becky.”

---

And from there, it went. Becky had arrived with a message from Chuck for the brothers. He had a vision of the location of the Michael Sword, lifting the boys' hopes just a little even though they had no damn idea where to find it. Funny thing about prophets was that they didn't always make sense. Sam was all too eager to send Becky away, as the girl was unable stop staring at him, breathing on him, and touching him. His mind kept wandering back to two women while she was there: Azeneth and Armonía. Dean had been thinking about them as well, but Dean was moreso thinking about banging them if they weren't so creepy. Sam kept wondering whether or not Azeneth was a threat to them and why her mother would send her over now of all times. Armonía... He just couldn't get over her eyes. She was beautiful and intriguing. By the time Becky had left, Bobby had arrived to help them out, bringing the Impala with him. Dean was relieved to be reunited with his baby and Sam was wondering whether or not he was about to start making love to the vehicle. Sam had left, Bobby having told him that once it was all over, he never wanted to see the younger Winchester again. Bobby then proceeded to help Dean while assuring him that their father had been right – If they couldn't save Sam, they'd have to kill him. Before the older man could push the conversation further, Dean announced that he had found the location of the Michael Sword.

Bobby attacked.

It was revealed soon enough that it wasn't Bobby, but a demon who had possessed him in order to find out what the Winchesters were up to and see what they could do to keep the brothers and the angels out of their father's way. Meg, a demon from their past, came along with her own demon muscle and a fight ensued that soon proved to cost Bobby his ability to walk again in an attempt to save Dean, having mustered the strength to take his mind back from the demon long enough to stab himself with Ruby's knife. The boys had to drop him off at the ER once the demons were all gone, reluctant to leave him alone. But the demons knew where the Michael Sword was and they had to beat them there. But when they arrived at their father's old storage lock-up, all they found were dead demons and that son of a bitch, Zachariah. With his little God Squad again. Zachariah informed them that they had planted the vision in Chuck's head to get the boys where they wanted them in order to explain what Zach had tried to explain before Dean so rudely banished them. Dean was the Michael Sword. The chosen one. The vessel. Michael's vessel. When Dean refused, Zachariah simply broke Sam's legs without breaking a sweat, a simple flex of his thumb. They offered to heal Sam and Bobby if Dean would say yes. At his brother's prompting and knowing that Bobby would agree, he declined once more. So they gave him stage four stomach cancer. The boys were really taking a beating as Zachariah removed Sam's lungs, threatening to continue until Dean accepted Michael as his vessel.

Their saviour arrived in the form of their favorite angel, Castiel. The rogue angel killed the two backup angels, Zachariah clearly surprised that Castiel was still around. He had been smote. By an archangel. Castiel assured the older angel that it was not another angel who had brought him back, implying that God was still around. He threatened to bring in holy backup that Zachariah couldn't handle if he didn't make the boys whole and leave. The angel complied before vanishing. In order to help the boys, Castiel managed to work some angel magic and carve an Enochian sigil into their rib bones before disappearing, not explaining how he was alive after Chuck watched him explode. The brothers rush back to the hospital where Bobby's chased out the doctor before promising Sam that the demon had him when he said those hurtful things, assuring him that he would never cut the boy out of his life. He was like a son to Bobby. They both were.

---

Back to the girls – Their own hunting expeditions went very well and they had found themselves forming an unlikely friendship as they traveled across the states. They soon arrived in River Pass where they met up with Rufus, an eldery African-American man. He was in town investigating omens and the girls decided to stay a while and help before they ended up getting separated from him, ending up with a group in the church after it seemed like everyone in town had gotten black eyes, and not the type from getting hit in the face with a brick. Armonía immediately went into lockdown mode and began to take in those that passed the salt and holy water test while doing frequent supply runs. She supplied everyone with knowledge, guns, holy water, and salt while they tried to figure out what was going on. It didn't take long before Ellen and Jo showed up, but only Ellen made it to the church with them. Of course, the Winchesters weren't far behind...

---

Dean and Sam got out of the Impala and looked around at the seemingly deserted town, dead bodies littering parts of the sidewalk and cars parked wildly. It was a mess. The two exchanged glances before arming themselves and taking off up the street, checking inside and under cars that they passed until the sound of a shotgun being cocked caught their attention. They turned around slowly to come face-to-face with Ellen Harvelle, immediately being splashed in the face with holy water. Upon seeing that they weren't burning from it, she wrapped the two in a tight hug and began to fill them in while taking off at a brisk pace towards the church. “Pretty much the whole damn town minus the dead people and everyone in the church are possessed by demons. Rufus called. Said he was in town investigating omens. All of a sudden, the whole town was possessed. Me and Jo were nearby and we got there as soon as we could. When we did... Well. It was how you see it now. Couldn't find Rufus and then me and Jo got separated and I made it to the church. I was looking out when I found you boys.”

Dean gave a nod as he listened, immediately empathizing for Ellen's missing daughter and suddenly curious as they stood at the church doors, glancing at Ellen and then to the Devil's Trap drawn over the door and the line of salt that outlined the whole building. “So – Who turned this place into a shelter if it wasn't Jo, Rufus, or you?” Ellen didn't say anything as the doors swung open and there stood Armonía. Dean immediately took on a frown and looked at Ellen with a glare before walking in past Armonía. “Well, hello to you too, Sunshine.” She gave a soft laugh before welcoming Ellen back with a hug and turning to Sam. “Fancy running into you boys again.”

Sam was more than surprised to see Armonía. He was glad, however. "Hey, Armonía. What are you doing here?" he asked. Sam was sure that Dean was fuming. For some reason he couldn't stand the young woman..at least from what he could tell. Sam offered Armonía a small smile, hoping that Dean wouldn't notice it. He had enough to deal with other than his brother asking him why he was being nice to the woman. Suddenly, Azeneth was there, standing behind the other woman. Sam's eyes flicked to the other woman. He was uncertain about her. From the research that he'd been able to do on her..there really wasn't a whole lot on her. He'd found out who her mother was..that she had no father from what he could tell. Was she possibly crazy? Was she just imagining that she was a demigoddess?

Sam gave a small shake of his head. He doubted that was it. She'd seemed dead set on her parentage. Regarding Anubis..Sam had found very little on him as well. Just the basics..the things that everyone knew. Perhaps, if they had some downtime, he'd be able to speak with her further. They needed to make sure that she wasn't a threat. However, how could she be if she was traveling around with Armonía? Surely the other woman wouldn't travel with someone evil.

---

Azenteth eyed Sam and Dean closely. She still wasn't sure about them. Sam seemed much more kinder than his brother. She didn't like the way that the other man eyed them..like they were the enemy. She returned his glare, not caring that he surely saw it.

When they'd first arrived, Azeneth had not liked the feeling that she'd immediately gotten. There was something strange going on there. They had then run into Ellen, a friend of Armonía's. Azeneth had to admit that she rather liked the older woman. She reminded her of her own mother. Azeneth suddenly felt a ping of sadness run through her. She missed her home. How she wished that she could simply return home, however..that was not a option. She had a purpose and she intended to find out exactly what that was.

She tried to focus on what was being said now. Sam and Dean were deciding on what to do. "All right. You all stay. We'll go." Ellen didn't seem happy about being left behind. "What about.." Sam spoke up. "If Jo and Rufus are out there, we'll bring them back." Azeneth hesitated for only a moment. "You shouldn't go alone. Take me with you." As soon as the words left her mouth, she could see the men trying to argue with her. "Even if there are Demons or whatever out there..they'd never be able to get the drop on me. I can control any being that has thought..like we do. I would be useful." She held Dean's eyes, then, determined to be allowed to go.

---

Sam couldn't believe that Azeneth wanted to go with them. "She has a point, Dean. Plus..she can raise the dead. I think that it would be a good idea for her to come with us." Same knew that his brother wouldn't like him suggesting that the demigoddess going with them. Sam could think of no better way to see if she was the real deal, however. From what he could tell of her, she wanted to help. He turned his eyes to Armonía, almost as if he was asking her to help him to convince his brother.

---

Azeneth could see their hesitation though was surprised when Sam said that she should go with them. She just felt so useless right then. She wanted to help. Az looked to Armonía. She wondered if her friend would try to go as well. They stood a better chance together than alone and Az only hoped that Dean could see that. As she stood, waiting for the verdict, she couldn't help but notice the looks that her friend was receiving from Sam. Odd. Why would he look at her like that? She'd never seen it before and she didn't quite understand it. Perhaps when they were alone she could ask her friend about it. "Well?" she asked turning back to Dean. She wondered if he could trust them enough to let them come along.

Armonía grinned as Dean dismissed she and Azeneth, making a fishy face at his back as he moved on to speak with Ellen. Her two-colored gaze fell upon Sam and she returned his small smile with a more bashful one of her own, tucking a curl behind her ear. She looked a bit ragged with what looked like oil and spray paint and dirt smudged on her pink ensemble. Even her hair had been drowned in pink and shades of blue and violet. “I was just passing through and saw they needed some help. I have a knack for being in the right place at the right time.” She gave a wink before spinning around to go and help a teenager put together his gun. She wasn't a fan of guns herself, but it made the others feel comfortable. Behind her, Dean had left his glaredown with Azeneth to speak with Sam and Ellen, coming to the conclusion that they needed to find whatever demon was in charge as well as perform a search and rescue for Jo and Rufus. Azeneth was insisting that she would be useful and Sam seemed to think the same. As did Ellen. Dean felt like he was being ganged up on, his fists clenching. “Uh – How about I go and look for Rufus and Jo. Grab some supplies on the way back. Sam, you can stay here with Creepy Chick Number Two. Ellen – Don't worry, I got this.” Knowing that Azeneth could control people like demons did only made him want her around even less than he already did. For all he knew, she was a demon herself. That was his current theory. He didn't want Sam going with him either. His brother was a recovering demon blood addict in a town filled with demons. Dean didn't trust him. He hated that it was true, but it was. He was only trying to do what was best for Sam.

Armonía glanced over to see Sam throwing a glance her way along with Ellen, reading them like books. She could feel the mistrust radiating from Dean, directed towards Sam, herself, and Azeneth. A sigh escaped her as she grabbed a bow and strapped a quiver to her back, putting on her happy face as she came up beside Dean and clasped her hands together. “How about Sam, myself, Azeneth, and you – Dean – all go out and look for Rufus and Jo while grabbing some supplies? Sounds like a plan to me.” She gave a polite smile, biting down on her bottom lip as she looked to Sam with a Hope this works expression. But Dean wasn't biting. He shook his head and opened his mouth to protest but quickly took a step back when Armonía stepped forward. “I was being polite when I asked, but the fact of the matter is that Azeneth and I are the ones that set up fort here and saved all these people. We're the ones that have been running out for supplies, comforting these people, and filling them in on what's going on and how to defend themselves. So, she and I are going. Sam can come too. If anyone around here has the right to say who goes where, it's Azzy and I. But we could use a few extra hands. And besides.” Dean frowned as she lectured him like a child, his green eyes flashing with annoyance as she finished her words. “You're not the boss of us.” She stuck her tongue out at him as her voice came out like a nine year old's. Dean was absolutely baffled, his face turning red as he looked at Ellen. “I'm sure you can already tell why I like her so much. Now, go get 'em.” She patted him on the back and made her way past him to go and comfort the other people.

---

“Alright – Sam, you take Witch Eyes and go grab some supplies and head to that Costco. I'm taking Zombie and we'll hit Jerry's Groceries. See a demon, shoot it. Capische?” Dean used a lot of hand gestures and Armonía fought back a grin at him because she knew he was annoyed. Instead, she pushed his annoyance further and tipped a salute and issued a sincere “Yes, sir!” before turning around and heading out with Sam into the rather small Costco, Dean walking off with Azeneth to the grocery store of about the same size. As Armonía grabbed a buggy and began to pile in salt, food, and water, she looked over at Sam with a light smile. “So – First question. Can I touch your hair? It's amazing.” She let her smile grow wider before shrugging and reaching out, running her fingers through his hair regardless of what he would answer. It was soft on her flesh and it seemed so well taken care of. She didn't know a lot of male Hunters who bothered to have great hair. Most of the ones she knew just cared about their muscles. “Absolutely amazing. Garnier?”, she joked with a laugh before stepping back and returning to pushing the buggy and grabbing food. “I've got to ask, though. … What's with you and Trigger-Happy Tommy back there? I mean... Is it always shoot first, question never with you guys? I mean, of course unless it's human, right?” Her voice came out a bit condescending, almost as though she were scorning them. She realized this and gave a light cringe. “Sorry. I didn't mean for that to come out so... Rudely. Or sanctimonious. Or condescending.”

Over at Jerry's, Dean walked behind Azeneth the whole time and kept himself ready to shoot her at any given time as they loaded a buggy with things. He finally mustered up the courage to speak to her and edged up beside her, keeping his green eyes on her. “So... You're really Anubis' daughter? Why are you here in the States instead of Egypt?” He let his eyes deviate from her towards a mirror up ahead on the ceiling where he caught sight of a teenager grabbing things from a shelf. Food. As the teen's eyes glanced upwards, Dean noticed the black. That's all it took for him. He let go of the buggy and took off in the same direction as the teenager, catching him as he exited the aisle and tackling him to the ground with a knife to his throat. “I'm sending you back to hell, you sorry son of a bitch! Who's in charge around here?! Huh?!!” He didn't stop to think about the last time he saw a demon cried or ate as the teen with Cheeto stained fingers cried underneath him and begged him not to hurt him and to spare his life.

“Uh – How about I go and look for Rufus and Jo. Grab some supplies on the way back. Sam, you can stay here with Creepy Chick Number Two. Ellen – Don't worry, I got this.” Dean said, trying to head out by himself. Azeneth was silent, for once not arguing. Dean was too hardheaded for her to get through to him like that. Her pale gaze turned to Armonía, watching her for a moment. The other woman sighed and then placed a bow and quiver upon her back. She then made her way over to Dean, standing beside him. “How about Sam, myself, Azeneth, and you – Dean – all go out and look for Rufus and Jo while grabbing some supplies? Sounds like a plan to me....I was being polite when I asked, but the fact of the matter is that Azeneth and I are the ones that set up fort here and saved all these people. We're the ones that have been running out for supplies, comforting these people, and filling them in on what's going on and how to defend themselves. So, she and I are going. Sam can come too. If anyone around here has the right to say who goes where, it's Azzy and I. But we could use a few extra hands. And besides, you're not the boss of us.” Sam nodded as Ellen said that she agreed with Armonía.

Azeneth and Sam both couldn't help but be impressed with the way that Armonía seemed to be able to put Dean in his place. Sam sent a small smile her way before looking away. His brother was already pissed at him..didn't need him thinking that he didn't hate the strange young woman. The fact was..he actually liked her. She'd done nothing to warrant Dean's anger. He saw no reason that they couldn't all work together. Plus, if they could get close to at least one of the girls..then perhaps they could find out more on Azeneth and her parentage. They at least needed to know what they were up against in case Azeneth was in fact evil. However, he doubted that seeing as how Armonía seemed to think so highly of the other woman.

---

Sam was walking with Armonía, heading to get some supplies. He was silent, not quite knowing what to say to her. It didn't take them long to reach the Costco. They entered and the young woman began piling things into the buggy. As they slowly made their way through the store, Armonía smiled at him and then spoke. “So – First question. Can I touch your hair? It's amazing.” The woman didn't wait for him to answer, her smile growing wider as she ran her fingers through his hair. He was dumbfounded. He wasn't used to someone like her..but it was..refreshing, to say the least. “Absolutely amazing. Garnier?” He merely laughed at her, choosing not to answer, a smile on his face. Sam followed her as she began walking once again, filling up their buggy. “I've got to ask, though. … What's with you and Trigger-Happy Tommy back there? I mean... Is it always shoot first, question never with you guys? I mean, of course unless it's human, right? Sorry. I didn't mean for that to come out so... Rudely. Or sanctimonious. Or condescending.”

He thought for a moment before answering her. "With Dean, yes. He's always been like that, though and I doubt that he'll ever change. But..I can see where you're coming from. It's just hard for us..after everything that we've been through. Generally, we've found that if you don't act first, you die." He paused for a moment, his eyes looking to Armonía. "What about you? Why is it you prefer to allow them the chance at you before acting?" He was not opposed to her ways, they were just foreign to him. Dean would never allow him to act in such a way.

Azeneth and Dean walked into Jerry's and then began loading a buggy, and she could sense his unease with having to be so close to her. After a while, Dean must have decided to brave talking with her. “So... You're really Anubis' daughter? Why are you here in the States instead of Egypt?” Before she was able to answer him, Dean let go of the buggy and took off in a direction. Azeneth followed closely behind the man, not letting him out of her sight. What she saw, was a teenager, Dean caught him as he exited the aisle and tackled him to the ground with a knife to his throat. “I'm sending you back to hell, you sorry son of a bitch! Who's in charge around here?! Huh?!!” Azeneth couldn't believe what Dean was doing. The teen was not a Demon so why was he acting as if he was? She acted immediately, her right hand flying out towards Dean. "STOP, Dean! He's not a Demon!" Her powers caused the young man to freeze and she did not release him for fear that he would not listen to her. "If you would stop for two seconds to think..you would see this child is not what we are after." She forced his body to get off of the child and take a few steps away from him, closer to Azeneth. Her eyes were hard, almost glaring at the man. "Dean, you need to calm down. This child, nor I for that matter are your enemies. I'm merely trying to help you. I will release your body when you swear you will not harm this child."

Armonía nodded as she threw some beef jerky into the buggy and listened to Sam. She couldn't entirely blame the brothers. She couldn't say that she wasn't aware of his past – Carver Edlund had done a good job of turning them into celebrities. She was so sorry for them if they knew about the Wincest forums. Just in case, she wasn't going to bring it up. She turned her gaze towards Sam and gave a shrug, pushing a few stray hairs out of her face. “I'm like you and Dean: Raised by Hunters. But... My mother was a Witch. My parents taught me that different is not tantamount to evil. Honestly, most of the Hunters I come across... Protecting people is the second thing on their mind when they hunt. Most of them are just out to satiate their revenge.”

She reached in front of him to grab candy from the shelf, remembering that some of the kids were craving some and a couple of the people there were diabetics. “My parents taught me that being a Hunter isn't just about going out and shooting everything that's not human. It's about protecting everyone. I mean – Not all Vampires are misunderstood like Bill Compton, but some of them are as vegetarian as it gets. It's just... Hard to explain.”

It really was hard for her to really explain. She sighed and popped a stick of gum in her mouth before shoving the pack into her pocket. It was then that she finally paused long enough to close her eyes and...feel. She felt a wave of fear run over her that made her shudder. She pulled her finger to her lips to indicate to Sam to be quiet. They had already been speaking in hushed tones, but right now they needed to be silent. With him right behind her, she crept down the aisle and around the corner before pointing out a middle-aged man coming out of a bathroom, pulling his pants up with the faint sound of flushing behind him.

“When's the last time you met a demon that had to take a piss?” Trick question – When Demons and Angels possessed people, they didn't eat, sleep, drink, or go to the bathroom. They didn't have a need to. Yet this man had just went to the bathroom, returning with black eyes. She watched further to see him pull some Cheese Nips from a nearby shelf, chowing down on them messily. “Demons don't eat.”, she stated plainly as she stepped out from the aisle and approached the man. “Sir, are you alright?”

The man glanced up and immediately froze with fear. “Am I alright? The entire town has gone crazy, out on the streets screaming and killing each other!” He was hysterical before he actually saw Nía's eyes. “Why... Why are your eyes black? Why does everyone have black eyes?!!” This cause Armonía to look at Sam, confusion flashing across her face before she looked back to the man and spoke in soft, soothing tones that visibly relaxed him as he allowed her to get closer. “My name is Armonía and I don't know what's going on. That's what we're trying to find out. I'm here with my friends Sam and Azeneth and Dean. I think that there's a Demon... Or something. It's here and making people hallucinate into believing everyone else is a Demon so they'll kill each other. I need you to stay here. Take food and drink, hide in the bathroom and line the bathroom with salt against each wall. Just trust me, okay?”

She placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled as he nodded, slowly doing as she said. She looked up to Sam and gave her usual, bashfully adorable smile. “Hunting isn't just about executing. It's about judging. You've got to investigate more than just one side of the story.”



An hour later...



Sam and Armonía had found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, tied to chairs and placed within Devil's Traps. Jo, Rufus, and some other Hunter had come across them after they scouted out a house that had been giving off smoke from the chimney. After knocking them out, they began trying to exorcise them while drowning them in salt and holy water in between beating the shit out of them. Their pleas fell on deaf ears as they begged them to listen. That they were making a huge mistake. But they just looked confused and assumed they were some other kind of monster and resumed beating them. When they finally took a break when they couldn't get the information they wanted to hear, Armonía was slumped over in her chair, giving labored breaths.

Something was off here and she couldn't use her powers. Not with how weak she already was with night falling. She always did feel a bit...less whenever night came around. Not to mention that the Hunters would definitely drive a knife through her as soon as she exhibited any sign of being more than human. For now, she just coughed up some blood and let her chin press against her chest, closing her eyes.



Back with Dean and the others, he had left Azeneth at the grocery store and had the teen help him take the supplies back to the church where he conferred with Ellen about how weird everything was. With the help of the Priest, he was able to figure out that War was in town. That meant that the other three Horsemen were on earth as well. Azeneth had trailed Sam and Armonía, making it in time to see them get captured. Rather than heading in with guns blazing against something that she didn't know anything about, the young woman booked it back to Dean. But she found more than just him. Cas was there – In the same Duster as usual.

Cas's hazel eyes fell on Azeneth. Was this the one that Dean had spoken of? “She's not a Demon, Dean. But she is a demigoddess.” His voice was matter-of-factly as usual before he turned back to Dean. “The Four Horsemen draw their power from their rings. Get the rings from their fingers and they have no power.” Dean nodded before looking back at Azeneth, still understandably pissed off that she used her powers on him. “Right – First we find Sammy, then we find War, then we cut his fucking finger from his hand.” Cass nodded, knowing that it was bothering Dean that Sam hadn't shown up yet. It had been an hour and there was no word from his brother...



Armonía looked up as the door opened, Roger walking in and closing it behind him. “Wh-Who are you...? What are you?”, she managed to sputter out, her mouth dry from the last dose of salt shoved down her throat. The man took off his glasses and laughed, moving close to Armonía's face. “Oh, no. My beautiful little treat. The question is: What are you?” He gave a smile as he cupped her face in his hands and turned her head from side to side as if inspecting her before she spit blood in his face. He gave a laugh before turning to Sam, wiping the blood from his face. “Fiesty. I like it. Nice new girlfriend, Sammy. Oh, yeah. I know who you are. Thanks for letting me out, by the way. I've got some demons 'round here somewhere. But you can't slurp them down. Sorry for tricking you with the others.” He teased Sam about his addiction, causing Armonía to look over at him curiously through swollen eyes.

As Azenth entered the room where Dean was, her eyes fell onto a new person. She was silent for a moment, listening to their exchange. However, she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him. He..intrigued her. He somehow knew exactly what she was..but..she had no idea about him. The only thing that she knew was that he was not Human. Her pale gaze remained on him for some time before turning to Dean as he spoke. “Right – First we find Sammy, then we find War, then we cut his fucking finger from his hand.” Azeneth frowned slightly. "Do not forget about Armonía. She is still missing as well." With that, Azeneth moved a bit closer to the two men. "Do you have a plan? Other than getting these rings that you spoke of?" she asked, eyeing them closely.

She wanted to get going. The longer that Sam and Armonía were away from them, the more likely it was that something bad was going to happen to them. She'd never dealt with anything like this and she honestly had no idea what they could do to help their friends. Azeneth found her gaze slowly finding its way back to the man that she did not know. He was rather strange and that made her want to know him better. However, that was just not something that could happen. No good would ever come out of that. She was doing rather good letting Armonía so close to her. It was just something that she wasn't used to. "Don't you dare ask me to stay here, Dean. I'm going. One way or another." Her eyes flicked back to Dean, glaring at him.

---

Sam heard someone enter the room that they were in. “Wh-Who are you...? What are you?” Sam remained silent, listening to what the man, Roger, was saying to them. He glared at the being. Who the hell are you?" he asked. "You're obviously not Roger." The 'man' pulled his glasses off and took a few steps away from the pair. You caught me. Popped in to watch. I can hustle like that." Sam narrowed his eyes slightly. "So, the Roger everyone around here knows, the real Roger?" The being answered quickly. "Buried in a ditch." 'Roger' closed the door and then moved a chair close to the pair and sat down.

"So who are you?" Sam asked.

"Here's a hint. I was in Germany. Then in Germany. Then in the Middle East. I was in Darfur when my beeper went off. I'm waiting to hook up with my siblings. I've got three. We're going to have so much fun together." Sam nodded, suddenly realizing exactly who they were dealing with. The spoke for a bit longer before War brought up his addiction..again. "You haven't told her..have you. She has no idea that you can't stop thinking about it, ever since you saw it dripping off the blade of that knife." Sam began breathing heavily. "You're wrong."

"Save your protests for your brother. I can see inside your head. And man, it is one-track city in there. Blood, blood, blood. Lust for power. Same as always. You want to be strong again. But not just strong. Stronger than everybody. Good intentions—quick slide to hell, buddy boy. You feel bad now? Wait till you're thigh deep in warm corpses. Because, my friend, I'm just getting started."

War stood and then placed his glasses back onto his face. "Showtime for the meatsuits. Watch this." War twisted his ring and suddenly blood was flowing down his forehead. He then kicked over the chair that he'd been sitting in and fell to the floor, screaming. Rufus and Jo are suddenly in the room, looking around wildly. War looks up at them. "They did this!" he said, pointing towards both Sam and Armonía. Sam quickly looked to Rufus and Jo. "No!"

"They said they're coming! They said they're coming to get us!"[/color]

"No, stop! Jo, Rufus, he's lying! No!"

Rufus spoke, eyeing Sam as if he was the lowest person in the world. [b]"You shut your mouth!"

"Please! Jo! He's lying!" Suddenly, without warning, Rufus backhanded him. Sam fell silent, feeling the sting of the hit.