Fic-Crossover-Supernatural:Aliens-Dean,Cas,Sam - (3/?)
Title: Supernatural: Aliens
Author: nicole9514
Chapter: 3/?
Rating: R
Genre: AU/horror/action/crossover - Dean/Castiel pre-slash or friendship depending on preference
Characters: Dean Winchester,Castiel, Sam Winchester, and OC's
Warnings: Violence,language, gore, scary imagery, blood, death
Disclaimer: Only written for fun. I own nothing but the errors and OC's.
A/N: Goes AU after episode 5 X 18 - Team free will fic, but with a heavy focus on Dean/Cas friendship/strong bond, so if you don't like their dynamic you probably won't enjoy this fic.
Special Thanks: To my beta skylar_matthews. To jedakin for reading this fic and encouraging/motivating me to keep writing it.
Summary:Takes place after the events of Season five's Point of No return - Dean, Cas, and Sam investigate a case different than anything they've ever seen before in Gunnison, Colorado.
Wordcount: 4,068 (total so far 37,000)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
Dean’s eyes flew open, he shot forward in his seat, and panted. His heart was crashing against his chest, and it echoed in his skull, while his upper arm exploded with a sensation of electricity right where a certain angel had left his mark. Dean’s hand covered it, as the waves of panic refused to melt away.
“Dean, what the hell?”
Sam’s startled words penetrated the haze of fear that had fallen upon the hunter.
Dean blinked, rubbed at his shoulder, and slanted his gaze towards Sam.
“Bad dream,” Dean murmured, his mouth was dry and tasted of bile.
“You don’t sound like you believe that.” Sam kept glancing over at him, his knuckles white over the wheel.
Dean grabbed his now warm can of pop and took a swig, swishing it in his mouth a few times.
He tried to tell himself that was all it had been, but images of Cas’s terrified blue orbs, and unseen monsters haunted him. It had felt so real. The sick feeling in his gut telling him that Cas was in danger refused to fade, instead his worry kept growing while he watched the world whirl by outside the Impala. Cas’s handprint was practically sizzling with nervous energy.
This shit was weird. It was like he was connected to Cas. There had been slight indications over the past year. A few fleeting moments where he was certain he’d felt Castiel’s presence, usually right before he appeared in front of them; but nothing like this.
“Dean,” Sam’s voice took on that bitchy tone he seemed to favor when his older sibling was frustrating him.
Oddly enough, Sam’s annoyance calmed him. Bickering with his brother was normal, familiar. He focused on that instead of his freaky link to Cas that had suddenly been jump-started.
“It’s nothing, Sam. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”
Sam pursed his lips, and Dean thought he could see steam coming out of his ears.
“Look, I just can’t shake this…vibe that Cas is in trouble. That’s all.”
“Vibe?” Sam repeated, tension surrounding the word.
Dean didn’t elaborate, instead electing to go with an old stand by for getting out of uncomfortable conversations - change the subject. “How much further?” Dean asked, trying to act relaxed when in reality he was edgy, and that damn handprint was still tingling.
Sam sighed, and judging by the knowing look he was wearing, he wasn’t buying it. “About two more hours.”
Dean suppressed a growl, he’d never get back to sleep now. He took a peek at the speedometer; Sam wasn’t going nearly fast enough.
“Pull over. I’m driving.”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “You sure you don’t want to sleep anymore?”
“I’m sure.”
Sam pulled off to the side of the road and they swapped places. The moment Sam was buckled in, Dean floored it.
He could feel Sam watching him. Dean popped in some music, cranked the volume up, and tried not to imagine Cas being slaughtered by some creature from the black lagoon.
You better not being doing anything stupid, Cas.
*****
It was a blur, moving so fast, the former angel couldn’t make out any details. The touch of grace he had left gave him just enough added speed in his reactions to save his life.
Cas’s arms shot up, forming an X, blocking the creature as it crashed into his forearms. The thing was stronger than it looked, hitting him so hard he stumbled, and fell backwards, vaguely aware that his back had sunk into the cold mud while the creature was flailing wildly in his face. It was the size of a large cat, with four bony finger-like legs protruding from each side of its body. The thing was cream colored, and resembled a cross between a spider and a horseshoe crab. Its skin was cold and hard, and Cas dug his fingers into it, pushing his arms forward away from his face.
The muscles in his biceps and shoulder strained as the thing struggled to get closer, he wasn’t going to be able to hold it off for long.
There was a smacking sound and a long, damp tail wrapped around his throat, squeezing, making it harder to breath.
Castiel was terrified, his adrenaline pumping, his breathing coming out in harsh pants. There was no way he could remove the tail and keep the thing away from his face, which it seemed obsessed with reaching.
In the center of the creatures body, a small, long, appendage was stretching towards his mouth, poking in between the space his arms left. It wiggled and probed, making Cas’s insides squirm; he had no idea what it was trying to do, but he knew he had to keep that away from him; all of his senses were screaming at him not to let this thing get closer.
His tiring muscles strained as the thing hissed, and its legs raked against his arms, trying to overpower him.
His pulse was so loud he could hear it pounding in his skull. Cas snarled; clinging to the rage that started to form at this creature that had most likely killed that man in the clearing, rage at his inability to smite it with a single blow. He held onto it. Anger was better than fear; he embraced it, using it to hold the thing at bay.
Sweat was dripping into his eyes as he resisted. The thing fought dirty; tightened its tail even more, digging into his throat.
“What the fucking hell?” A startled female voice, that was vaguely familiar came from somewhere to his right.
Cas glanced over; the officer from the hospital was standing several feet away, her gun drawn, her eyes tight. Cas opened his mouth to ask for help, but she was already moving towards him.
“Son of bitch,” she growled, and knelt down at his side.
“Can‘t hold… much longer,” Cas rasped, his arms burning with exhaustion.
She reached towards his throat, and clenched her teeth while her fingers worked on the tail. Cas almost cried with relief as he she began to unwrap it from around his neck, muttering curses the entire time.
He took huge, gulping breaths, relishing the feeling of filling his lungs with oxygen.
Considering this woman had probably never seen anything like this before, she was remarkably calm. “Hang on,” she said, her southern accent heavy in her words as she helped him hold it back, one hand gripping the tail, the other holding its torso. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her forehead scrunched, her breathing harsh, mirroring his own.
The terrified part of him that just wanted this creature dead, wished she would shoot it. The smarter more rational part of him recognized that it was hovering inches from his head and was glad she was holding back.
“Sir,” she hissed. “On the count of three I want you throw this thing forward as hard as you can, and I’m going to do the same.”
Cas nodded his understanding.
“I’ll shoot it once it’s clear.”
He nodded again.
She counted. Tendrils of black hair had come free from her ponytail, and were sticking to her face.
When she hit three, Cas used all the strength he had left to shove it away, and she flung it at the same time. Together they were strong enough to send it crashing against a tree about six feet away. It hit the ground, landed on its back, and flipped over in a frenzy of motion. Before it could leap back at them, the officer fired her weapon, pumping two rounds into its body.
It fell still, but a strange sizzling sound, similar to when Dean fried eggs filled the clearing.
They exchanged strained glances, and she crept forward, her weapon pointed at the creature. Cas managed to get to his feet, even though his muscles were weak, and his arms shaking from exertion. The pack he’d found, hung heavy at his side. Cas gripped the strap, his fingers digging into the denim.
“Now what,” he heard her murmur.
Cas came up behind her, she was short, her head only reaching his shoulders, but when she put her hand up and her honey brown eyes gave him a warning glance - he froze. Her skin was pale, and she couldn’t have weighed more than one-hundred and twenty pounds, but something about her expression gave him pause. This woman was not to be trifled with; Cas felt a respect for this human being that had run to his aid, not flinching even in the presence of a strange creature. She had saved his life; he would abide by her wishes.
Besides she was the one with the gun.
The smell of something burning flooded Cas’s nostrils, and he was close enough to see what had the officer’s eyebrows crawling up her forehead.
The arachnid type creature was bleeding.
But it wasn’t any type of blood Cas had ever seen before. Its carcass had landed on a massive tree root. The yellowish fluid seeping from its now lifeless corpse was eating through the wood at an impressive rate.
“Acid,” he heard her whisper, her voice quavered slightly on the last syllable.
Cas felt sick. That thing bled acid.
Even seeing it himself, it was hard to believe that a life form could survive with something so toxic and powerful flowing through its body.
It was the perfect defense mechanism. You didn’t dare kill it for fear of its blood getting on you.
Cas broke out in a cold sweat; he wiped it off his brow with shaking hands.
If she had fired on it while it had been over his face… Cas clutched his hands to his stomach, trying not to imagine what it would feel like to have your flesh and bone eaten away by that substance.
The officer bent over and picked up a branch, poking the corpse with it. The smell of charred wood tickled his nose hair. The creature didn’t stir; at least bullets seemed to do the trick.
She turned towards him, her eyes haunted, but also flickering with something he couldn’t place. Regret, or perhaps sadness. He had trouble judging human emotions, especially on strangers. Then it was gone and she quipped, “Guess I’m not baggin’ and taggin’ that,” as her face twisted into a strained smile.
Cas absently realized she was trying to put him at ease.
“You okay, sir?” she added, giving him an assessing once over. “Are you injured?”
Cas blinked, licked his lips, and managed a short nod. “Nothing serious…thank you for saving my life,” he whispered, his voice more gravely than normal. He rubbed at his sore throat, wincing slightly.
Her eyes locked onto the movement, he got the impression this officer didn’t miss much. She stepped closer, her expression going dark as she studied his neck. She licked her lips, met his eyes, and he knew she was making the same connection he already had. Cas was guessing the marks on his throat bore a remarkable resemblance to the man she had restrained at the hospital. The bruising around the throat made sense now, that thing's tail had clearly been the culprit. And that man had most likely been attacked by the same type of creature.
She brushed her hair away from her face, gave him a quick smile, and said, “No problem, just doing my job. Now let’s get you out of here,” as she glanced back at the monster, her jaw tensing.
Castiel wondered what she was thinking, she seemed calm, but there was a tightness around her eyes, and she hadn‘t holstered her sidearm yet. What did a regular, small town sheriff do when confronted by the supernatural? And why had she been out here in the first place? Not that he wasn’t grateful for her stumbling across him.
Probably following a lead just like you. Looking for evidence that the man at the hospital had murdered or injured his missing friend.
An image of the dead man’s torn up chest, and exposed ribs flashed in front of Cas’s eyes, making him queasy.
“I’ll radio for back-up, get this area sealed off until we can figure out what the hell just happened.” She checked her clip. “Stay close to me, and stay quiet. There could be more of…them.”
Cas allowed her to start to lead him out, forcing all his questions down, this was not the time or place to press this woman for information. The officer had her gun pointed straight ahead, it was reassuring.
They moved very slowly, the officer checking all directions, and pausing periodically to listen for any movement.
While they pressed forward, his brain kept trying to process everything that he’d seen. Could that creature have been what killed that man he‘d found? It had been trying to reach his face, maybe to attach itself. But for what purpose? To suffocate him - but that wouldn’t explain the hole in that man’s body.
He needed to figure out what made that wound. There was a possibility the creature that had attacked him had also done the damage to the man’s chest, but that didn’t add up. It would have had to come out of his body, not burrow into it.
Cas sighed, none of this made sense.
One thing was for sure, he had to get back to the hospital. He was even more positive the man with the bloody face was in danger.
He squinted, hoping to see some sign that they were almost there, and saw nothing but trees. He hadn’t realized how deep he'd wandered into the woods.
Cas suppressed a sigh and wondered how much he should tell her. She seemed to be taking this better than most would, but he knew a thing or two from watching a few crime drama’s with Dean at his insistence. He had found the mutilated body, he had touched it, that would make him a prime suspect.
That was just not something he could afford right now, so he kept his mouth shut about the victim in the woods. The man was dead; there was nothing he could do for him now except try and stop whatever had murdered him.
And the next best lead he had was back at Gunnison Valley Hospital - which was a long way on foot. He didn’t have a watch, and he wasn’t sure exactly how long it had taken him to reach the forest but it had been awhile. Between the journey here, the hospital staff’s surprise appearance, his adventures getting clothed, and the hardware store employee who had loved to chat, he wondered how much time had passed.
When they finally stepped outside the tree line, Cas felt his muscles relax, the sun on his skin was like a touch of heaven. He decided he really hated the woods. Open spaces where he could see what was coming at him were much more preferable.
A police cruiser sat nearby and she led him over to it. She left him standing next to her car, then she got in, and radioed for back-up. She was speaking softly; Cas only caught bits and pieces.
“Keep this quiet…quarantine…dangerous.”
He found himself getting nervous, impatient. Not being able to get where he needed to be within seconds was incredibly frustrating. As she tried to institute some type of control over an unpredictable and dangerous situation Cas wracked his brain trying to figure out how to either excuse himself and run to the hospital, or get the sheriff to drive him there. Option two was preferable, he still felt shaky and she could get him there a lot faster.
She rose, stepped out of the drivers seat, and faced him, extending her hand. “I’m Sheriff Robin Blalock.”
Cas took her hand; she had a firm grip. He squeezed back.
He thought about giving her a fake name, but it didn’t feel right, lying to someone who had just saved your ass, as Dean would put it.
“Castiel,” he replied.
She let go of his hand and grinned, even though her body was radiating tension. “That’s different; I like it.” Robin rubbed at the back of her neck, her eyes distracted. “I’d like to take you to the hospital. I know you said your fine, but I’d feel better having you checked out. Besides, I have something to follow-up with there anyway.”
Cas felt a surge of gratitude that something had gone right today. “I would appreciate that.”
“Good. We’ll leave as soon as my back-up arrives.”
She wrinkled her nose, and tapped her chin, leaning against the side the vehicle. Cas decided to take a chance and see if he could learn anything more. “I take it this isn‘t a normal day around here?” He tired to inject some levity into his tone, he‘d noticed that Sam and Dean seemed to have some success with this, making light of a dark situation.
She chuckled. “I sure as hell hope not.” Robin crossed her arms across her chest.
“That thing out there, could it have hurt someone else?”
Sheriff Blalock pressed her lips into a thin line. “I can’t really comment on that Castiel.”
Cas ducked his head. “I understand.”
He heard her sigh. “I know you’re scared, hell, so am I.” She turned towards him. “It was probably just some irradiated centipede, like the kind you see in those low budget horror films with giant bugs.” She patted her gun. “Freak of nature, probably the only one of its kind. Nothing to worry about.”
Cas knew she didn’t believe that any more than he did - but he managed a quick, weak smile as he scanned the tree line, hating the way his skin tingled anytime he thought about the way that thing's hard, skin had felt as it had thrashed over top of him.
He forced himself to think about the case, shoving down his own anxiety and fear. Cas thought back to the overheard conversation. Mainly the man’s friend; he had insisted he’d been taken by something. But there was no way a creature that small could carry a full grown man anywhere. Could it?
There was more to this than they had seen in that woods.
Cas felt his stomach twist into a pretzel. He didn’t have enough of the puzzle pieces to understand the whole picture and that scared him. Not knowing what you were dealing with was dangerous - it got you killed.
“Why don’t you go sit down Castiel; we’ll get this all straightened out.” She gave him an encouraging smile that wasn’t convincing when he could see the turmoil behind it.
Cas grit his teeth, and sat down in the car, his fingers drumming against the stolen backpack, as he tried not to show his impatience.
Robin walked out of earshot and pulled out a cell phone. She spoke to someone for about five minutes, her body language screaming anger, her face hard as she snapped something then hung up, frustration in her tight eyes.
Cas wanted to ask what was wrong but another cruiser pulled up. She jogged over to them, spouting off instructions. The conversation was over quickly, the two men in uniform were taping off the area as they pulled out and headed towards the hospital.
“So,” she said after they’d been driving in silence for a few minutes. “What’s your name’s origin?”
He peered at her back of her head through the grating of the car that was used to protect her from criminals.
“Biblical,” he deadpanned, answering honestly.
Robin‘s tone became inquisitive. “Religious family?”
Cas felt his lips twitch. “You could say that.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” she mused.
Cas didn’t respond, he had loved his brothers and sisters, in many ways he still did. But they were on opposite sides now. It was hard to talk about them.
She cleared her throat. “You mind me asking what you were doing out in those woods all alone, with no hunting gear, in street clothes?”
Cas kept his face blank, and forced a casual shrug. “I was going for a hike. I have some friends arriving soon. I wanted to check out the terrain before they got here.”
He could see her watching him off and on in the rear view mirror. Judging by the narrowing of her eyes, he wasn’t entirely sure she believed him. Cas swallowed, he really needed a fake ID that showed he was with the FBI or some other law enforcement agency, it seemed to make things much easier.
Cas found himself asking, “do you have any family?” Curiosity and the desire to steer the conversation in a different direction made the question fall easily from his lips.
After a few moments she quietly replied. “A sister.”
There was something in her tone of voice that struck him as odd. Genuine love and affection, but something else, grief or pain perhaps. There were so many verbal nuances human’s used; it was a constant struggle to decipher them all.
They both fell quiet, Castiel stared at the window as she drove. It was a pleasant town, clean, nice homes, and plenty of green to stare at. He might even enjoy himself if the situation weren’t so dire.
“We’re here,” she announced later as they pulled into the hospital drive.
Cas just hoped they weren’t too late.
*****
Dean stepped through the doors of Gunnison Valley hospital and marched straight to the front desk, asking where he could find his friend, a coma victim that had recently woken up and was in room number 202.
They gave him and Sam directions and they boarded the elevator. Dean hit floor two, and leaned back against the wall. Sam kept shooting him odd, worried looks. Dean ignored him.
The hunter could have given any Nascar driver a run for his money today. He’d managed to shave off almost hour from their drive time; but it still hadn’t been fast enough. Until he actually saw Cas safe and sound he wasn’t going to be able to relax.
They got off on their floor, and Dean located a sign guiding them to rooms 200 - 250. He took a right, then a left, went through a set of double doors, trying not to run. Cas was fine, he was going to be in his room, and Dean was going to feel like an idiot for acting like a moron, and relying on bad feelings to guide his actions.
A scream that reeked of agony came from somewhere nearby; for one horrifying second Dean thought it was Cas. His feet were already taking him in the direction of the noise before he realized it wasn’t his friend. It sounded nothing like him. Dean felt relief, then guilt over being happy for someone else’s suffering.
Sam was hot on his heels as they burst into a room and found a man who was about a month overdue for bath, strapped to a bed, screaming bloody murder. A police officer was holding him down as the man thrashed, his gaze shot to them.
“Sorry man, wrong room,” Dean started to back out when he noticed something beyond fucked up.
The man was sporting a ratty t-shirt, and something was moving underneath it. The shirt was tenting in the center of his chest.
The officer, a young man with blonde close cropped hair, had an expression that told Dean he was way out of his league. The boy was about to piss himself.
Dean glanced at Sam, mirroring each others what the fuck expressions briefly before darting forward to help the cop.
Before they could do more than reach the bedside, the door flew open again and a Doctor and a nurse came flooding inside, dragging a crash cart. Dean and Sam both moved out of the way, hugging the wall behind them.
The man was thrashing, screaming, sobbing, and begging for help.
The Doctor cut his shirt open and stared down in horror; his expression confused and terrified at the same time. The nurse backed up a step, her hands went flying to her mouth.
The man’s skin was still stretching upward, something was pulsing underneath. Dean swore he could see the outline of a tiny head through the distorted skin.
There was something inside of him and it wanted out.
Next Chapter
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Author: nicole9514
Chapter: 3/?
Rating: R
Genre: AU/horror/action/crossover - Dean/Castiel pre-slash or friendship depending on preference
Characters: Dean Winchester,Castiel, Sam Winchester, and OC's
Warnings: Violence,language, gore, scary imagery, blood, death
Disclaimer: Only written for fun. I own nothing but the errors and OC's.
A/N: Goes AU after episode 5 X 18 - Team free will fic, but with a heavy focus on Dean/Cas friendship/strong bond, so if you don't like their dynamic you probably won't enjoy this fic.
Special Thanks: To my beta skylar_matthews. To jedakin for reading this fic and encouraging/motivating me to keep writing it.
Summary:Takes place after the events of Season five's Point of No return - Dean, Cas, and Sam investigate a case different than anything they've ever seen before in Gunnison, Colorado.
Wordcount: 4,068 (total so far 37,000)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
Dean’s eyes flew open, he shot forward in his seat, and panted. His heart was crashing against his chest, and it echoed in his skull, while his upper arm exploded with a sensation of electricity right where a certain angel had left his mark. Dean’s hand covered it, as the waves of panic refused to melt away.
“Dean, what the hell?”
Sam’s startled words penetrated the haze of fear that had fallen upon the hunter.
Dean blinked, rubbed at his shoulder, and slanted his gaze towards Sam.
“Bad dream,” Dean murmured, his mouth was dry and tasted of bile.
“You don’t sound like you believe that.” Sam kept glancing over at him, his knuckles white over the wheel.
Dean grabbed his now warm can of pop and took a swig, swishing it in his mouth a few times.
He tried to tell himself that was all it had been, but images of Cas’s terrified blue orbs, and unseen monsters haunted him. It had felt so real. The sick feeling in his gut telling him that Cas was in danger refused to fade, instead his worry kept growing while he watched the world whirl by outside the Impala. Cas’s handprint was practically sizzling with nervous energy.
This shit was weird. It was like he was connected to Cas. There had been slight indications over the past year. A few fleeting moments where he was certain he’d felt Castiel’s presence, usually right before he appeared in front of them; but nothing like this.
“Dean,” Sam’s voice took on that bitchy tone he seemed to favor when his older sibling was frustrating him.
Oddly enough, Sam’s annoyance calmed him. Bickering with his brother was normal, familiar. He focused on that instead of his freaky link to Cas that had suddenly been jump-started.
“It’s nothing, Sam. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”
Sam pursed his lips, and Dean thought he could see steam coming out of his ears.
“Look, I just can’t shake this…vibe that Cas is in trouble. That’s all.”
“Vibe?” Sam repeated, tension surrounding the word.
Dean didn’t elaborate, instead electing to go with an old stand by for getting out of uncomfortable conversations - change the subject. “How much further?” Dean asked, trying to act relaxed when in reality he was edgy, and that damn handprint was still tingling.
Sam sighed, and judging by the knowing look he was wearing, he wasn’t buying it. “About two more hours.”
Dean suppressed a growl, he’d never get back to sleep now. He took a peek at the speedometer; Sam wasn’t going nearly fast enough.
“Pull over. I’m driving.”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “You sure you don’t want to sleep anymore?”
“I’m sure.”
Sam pulled off to the side of the road and they swapped places. The moment Sam was buckled in, Dean floored it.
He could feel Sam watching him. Dean popped in some music, cranked the volume up, and tried not to imagine Cas being slaughtered by some creature from the black lagoon.
You better not being doing anything stupid, Cas.
*****
It was a blur, moving so fast, the former angel couldn’t make out any details. The touch of grace he had left gave him just enough added speed in his reactions to save his life.
Cas’s arms shot up, forming an X, blocking the creature as it crashed into his forearms. The thing was stronger than it looked, hitting him so hard he stumbled, and fell backwards, vaguely aware that his back had sunk into the cold mud while the creature was flailing wildly in his face. It was the size of a large cat, with four bony finger-like legs protruding from each side of its body. The thing was cream colored, and resembled a cross between a spider and a horseshoe crab. Its skin was cold and hard, and Cas dug his fingers into it, pushing his arms forward away from his face.
The muscles in his biceps and shoulder strained as the thing struggled to get closer, he wasn’t going to be able to hold it off for long.
There was a smacking sound and a long, damp tail wrapped around his throat, squeezing, making it harder to breath.
Castiel was terrified, his adrenaline pumping, his breathing coming out in harsh pants. There was no way he could remove the tail and keep the thing away from his face, which it seemed obsessed with reaching.
In the center of the creatures body, a small, long, appendage was stretching towards his mouth, poking in between the space his arms left. It wiggled and probed, making Cas’s insides squirm; he had no idea what it was trying to do, but he knew he had to keep that away from him; all of his senses were screaming at him not to let this thing get closer.
His tiring muscles strained as the thing hissed, and its legs raked against his arms, trying to overpower him.
His pulse was so loud he could hear it pounding in his skull. Cas snarled; clinging to the rage that started to form at this creature that had most likely killed that man in the clearing, rage at his inability to smite it with a single blow. He held onto it. Anger was better than fear; he embraced it, using it to hold the thing at bay.
Sweat was dripping into his eyes as he resisted. The thing fought dirty; tightened its tail even more, digging into his throat.
“What the fucking hell?” A startled female voice, that was vaguely familiar came from somewhere to his right.
Cas glanced over; the officer from the hospital was standing several feet away, her gun drawn, her eyes tight. Cas opened his mouth to ask for help, but she was already moving towards him.
“Son of bitch,” she growled, and knelt down at his side.
“Can‘t hold… much longer,” Cas rasped, his arms burning with exhaustion.
She reached towards his throat, and clenched her teeth while her fingers worked on the tail. Cas almost cried with relief as he she began to unwrap it from around his neck, muttering curses the entire time.
He took huge, gulping breaths, relishing the feeling of filling his lungs with oxygen.
Considering this woman had probably never seen anything like this before, she was remarkably calm. “Hang on,” she said, her southern accent heavy in her words as she helped him hold it back, one hand gripping the tail, the other holding its torso. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her forehead scrunched, her breathing harsh, mirroring his own.
The terrified part of him that just wanted this creature dead, wished she would shoot it. The smarter more rational part of him recognized that it was hovering inches from his head and was glad she was holding back.
“Sir,” she hissed. “On the count of three I want you throw this thing forward as hard as you can, and I’m going to do the same.”
Cas nodded his understanding.
“I’ll shoot it once it’s clear.”
He nodded again.
She counted. Tendrils of black hair had come free from her ponytail, and were sticking to her face.
When she hit three, Cas used all the strength he had left to shove it away, and she flung it at the same time. Together they were strong enough to send it crashing against a tree about six feet away. It hit the ground, landed on its back, and flipped over in a frenzy of motion. Before it could leap back at them, the officer fired her weapon, pumping two rounds into its body.
It fell still, but a strange sizzling sound, similar to when Dean fried eggs filled the clearing.
They exchanged strained glances, and she crept forward, her weapon pointed at the creature. Cas managed to get to his feet, even though his muscles were weak, and his arms shaking from exertion. The pack he’d found, hung heavy at his side. Cas gripped the strap, his fingers digging into the denim.
“Now what,” he heard her murmur.
Cas came up behind her, she was short, her head only reaching his shoulders, but when she put her hand up and her honey brown eyes gave him a warning glance - he froze. Her skin was pale, and she couldn’t have weighed more than one-hundred and twenty pounds, but something about her expression gave him pause. This woman was not to be trifled with; Cas felt a respect for this human being that had run to his aid, not flinching even in the presence of a strange creature. She had saved his life; he would abide by her wishes.
Besides she was the one with the gun.
The smell of something burning flooded Cas’s nostrils, and he was close enough to see what had the officer’s eyebrows crawling up her forehead.
The arachnid type creature was bleeding.
But it wasn’t any type of blood Cas had ever seen before. Its carcass had landed on a massive tree root. The yellowish fluid seeping from its now lifeless corpse was eating through the wood at an impressive rate.
“Acid,” he heard her whisper, her voice quavered slightly on the last syllable.
Cas felt sick. That thing bled acid.
Even seeing it himself, it was hard to believe that a life form could survive with something so toxic and powerful flowing through its body.
It was the perfect defense mechanism. You didn’t dare kill it for fear of its blood getting on you.
Cas broke out in a cold sweat; he wiped it off his brow with shaking hands.
If she had fired on it while it had been over his face… Cas clutched his hands to his stomach, trying not to imagine what it would feel like to have your flesh and bone eaten away by that substance.
The officer bent over and picked up a branch, poking the corpse with it. The smell of charred wood tickled his nose hair. The creature didn’t stir; at least bullets seemed to do the trick.
She turned towards him, her eyes haunted, but also flickering with something he couldn’t place. Regret, or perhaps sadness. He had trouble judging human emotions, especially on strangers. Then it was gone and she quipped, “Guess I’m not baggin’ and taggin’ that,” as her face twisted into a strained smile.
Cas absently realized she was trying to put him at ease.
“You okay, sir?” she added, giving him an assessing once over. “Are you injured?”
Cas blinked, licked his lips, and managed a short nod. “Nothing serious…thank you for saving my life,” he whispered, his voice more gravely than normal. He rubbed at his sore throat, wincing slightly.
Her eyes locked onto the movement, he got the impression this officer didn’t miss much. She stepped closer, her expression going dark as she studied his neck. She licked her lips, met his eyes, and he knew she was making the same connection he already had. Cas was guessing the marks on his throat bore a remarkable resemblance to the man she had restrained at the hospital. The bruising around the throat made sense now, that thing's tail had clearly been the culprit. And that man had most likely been attacked by the same type of creature.
She brushed her hair away from her face, gave him a quick smile, and said, “No problem, just doing my job. Now let’s get you out of here,” as she glanced back at the monster, her jaw tensing.
Castiel wondered what she was thinking, she seemed calm, but there was a tightness around her eyes, and she hadn‘t holstered her sidearm yet. What did a regular, small town sheriff do when confronted by the supernatural? And why had she been out here in the first place? Not that he wasn’t grateful for her stumbling across him.
Probably following a lead just like you. Looking for evidence that the man at the hospital had murdered or injured his missing friend.
An image of the dead man’s torn up chest, and exposed ribs flashed in front of Cas’s eyes, making him queasy.
“I’ll radio for back-up, get this area sealed off until we can figure out what the hell just happened.” She checked her clip. “Stay close to me, and stay quiet. There could be more of…them.”
Cas allowed her to start to lead him out, forcing all his questions down, this was not the time or place to press this woman for information. The officer had her gun pointed straight ahead, it was reassuring.
They moved very slowly, the officer checking all directions, and pausing periodically to listen for any movement.
While they pressed forward, his brain kept trying to process everything that he’d seen. Could that creature have been what killed that man he‘d found? It had been trying to reach his face, maybe to attach itself. But for what purpose? To suffocate him - but that wouldn’t explain the hole in that man’s body.
He needed to figure out what made that wound. There was a possibility the creature that had attacked him had also done the damage to the man’s chest, but that didn’t add up. It would have had to come out of his body, not burrow into it.
Cas sighed, none of this made sense.
One thing was for sure, he had to get back to the hospital. He was even more positive the man with the bloody face was in danger.
He squinted, hoping to see some sign that they were almost there, and saw nothing but trees. He hadn’t realized how deep he'd wandered into the woods.
Cas suppressed a sigh and wondered how much he should tell her. She seemed to be taking this better than most would, but he knew a thing or two from watching a few crime drama’s with Dean at his insistence. He had found the mutilated body, he had touched it, that would make him a prime suspect.
That was just not something he could afford right now, so he kept his mouth shut about the victim in the woods. The man was dead; there was nothing he could do for him now except try and stop whatever had murdered him.
And the next best lead he had was back at Gunnison Valley Hospital - which was a long way on foot. He didn’t have a watch, and he wasn’t sure exactly how long it had taken him to reach the forest but it had been awhile. Between the journey here, the hospital staff’s surprise appearance, his adventures getting clothed, and the hardware store employee who had loved to chat, he wondered how much time had passed.
When they finally stepped outside the tree line, Cas felt his muscles relax, the sun on his skin was like a touch of heaven. He decided he really hated the woods. Open spaces where he could see what was coming at him were much more preferable.
A police cruiser sat nearby and she led him over to it. She left him standing next to her car, then she got in, and radioed for back-up. She was speaking softly; Cas only caught bits and pieces.
“Keep this quiet…quarantine…dangerous.”
He found himself getting nervous, impatient. Not being able to get where he needed to be within seconds was incredibly frustrating. As she tried to institute some type of control over an unpredictable and dangerous situation Cas wracked his brain trying to figure out how to either excuse himself and run to the hospital, or get the sheriff to drive him there. Option two was preferable, he still felt shaky and she could get him there a lot faster.
She rose, stepped out of the drivers seat, and faced him, extending her hand. “I’m Sheriff Robin Blalock.”
Cas took her hand; she had a firm grip. He squeezed back.
He thought about giving her a fake name, but it didn’t feel right, lying to someone who had just saved your ass, as Dean would put it.
“Castiel,” he replied.
She let go of his hand and grinned, even though her body was radiating tension. “That’s different; I like it.” Robin rubbed at the back of her neck, her eyes distracted. “I’d like to take you to the hospital. I know you said your fine, but I’d feel better having you checked out. Besides, I have something to follow-up with there anyway.”
Cas felt a surge of gratitude that something had gone right today. “I would appreciate that.”
“Good. We’ll leave as soon as my back-up arrives.”
She wrinkled her nose, and tapped her chin, leaning against the side the vehicle. Cas decided to take a chance and see if he could learn anything more. “I take it this isn‘t a normal day around here?” He tired to inject some levity into his tone, he‘d noticed that Sam and Dean seemed to have some success with this, making light of a dark situation.
She chuckled. “I sure as hell hope not.” Robin crossed her arms across her chest.
“That thing out there, could it have hurt someone else?”
Sheriff Blalock pressed her lips into a thin line. “I can’t really comment on that Castiel.”
Cas ducked his head. “I understand.”
He heard her sigh. “I know you’re scared, hell, so am I.” She turned towards him. “It was probably just some irradiated centipede, like the kind you see in those low budget horror films with giant bugs.” She patted her gun. “Freak of nature, probably the only one of its kind. Nothing to worry about.”
Cas knew she didn’t believe that any more than he did - but he managed a quick, weak smile as he scanned the tree line, hating the way his skin tingled anytime he thought about the way that thing's hard, skin had felt as it had thrashed over top of him.
He forced himself to think about the case, shoving down his own anxiety and fear. Cas thought back to the overheard conversation. Mainly the man’s friend; he had insisted he’d been taken by something. But there was no way a creature that small could carry a full grown man anywhere. Could it?
There was more to this than they had seen in that woods.
Cas felt his stomach twist into a pretzel. He didn’t have enough of the puzzle pieces to understand the whole picture and that scared him. Not knowing what you were dealing with was dangerous - it got you killed.
“Why don’t you go sit down Castiel; we’ll get this all straightened out.” She gave him an encouraging smile that wasn’t convincing when he could see the turmoil behind it.
Cas grit his teeth, and sat down in the car, his fingers drumming against the stolen backpack, as he tried not to show his impatience.
Robin walked out of earshot and pulled out a cell phone. She spoke to someone for about five minutes, her body language screaming anger, her face hard as she snapped something then hung up, frustration in her tight eyes.
Cas wanted to ask what was wrong but another cruiser pulled up. She jogged over to them, spouting off instructions. The conversation was over quickly, the two men in uniform were taping off the area as they pulled out and headed towards the hospital.
“So,” she said after they’d been driving in silence for a few minutes. “What’s your name’s origin?”
He peered at her back of her head through the grating of the car that was used to protect her from criminals.
“Biblical,” he deadpanned, answering honestly.
Robin‘s tone became inquisitive. “Religious family?”
Cas felt his lips twitch. “You could say that.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” she mused.
Cas didn’t respond, he had loved his brothers and sisters, in many ways he still did. But they were on opposite sides now. It was hard to talk about them.
She cleared her throat. “You mind me asking what you were doing out in those woods all alone, with no hunting gear, in street clothes?”
Cas kept his face blank, and forced a casual shrug. “I was going for a hike. I have some friends arriving soon. I wanted to check out the terrain before they got here.”
He could see her watching him off and on in the rear view mirror. Judging by the narrowing of her eyes, he wasn’t entirely sure she believed him. Cas swallowed, he really needed a fake ID that showed he was with the FBI or some other law enforcement agency, it seemed to make things much easier.
Cas found himself asking, “do you have any family?” Curiosity and the desire to steer the conversation in a different direction made the question fall easily from his lips.
After a few moments she quietly replied. “A sister.”
There was something in her tone of voice that struck him as odd. Genuine love and affection, but something else, grief or pain perhaps. There were so many verbal nuances human’s used; it was a constant struggle to decipher them all.
They both fell quiet, Castiel stared at the window as she drove. It was a pleasant town, clean, nice homes, and plenty of green to stare at. He might even enjoy himself if the situation weren’t so dire.
“We’re here,” she announced later as they pulled into the hospital drive.
Cas just hoped they weren’t too late.
*****
Dean stepped through the doors of Gunnison Valley hospital and marched straight to the front desk, asking where he could find his friend, a coma victim that had recently woken up and was in room number 202.
They gave him and Sam directions and they boarded the elevator. Dean hit floor two, and leaned back against the wall. Sam kept shooting him odd, worried looks. Dean ignored him.
The hunter could have given any Nascar driver a run for his money today. He’d managed to shave off almost hour from their drive time; but it still hadn’t been fast enough. Until he actually saw Cas safe and sound he wasn’t going to be able to relax.
They got off on their floor, and Dean located a sign guiding them to rooms 200 - 250. He took a right, then a left, went through a set of double doors, trying not to run. Cas was fine, he was going to be in his room, and Dean was going to feel like an idiot for acting like a moron, and relying on bad feelings to guide his actions.
A scream that reeked of agony came from somewhere nearby; for one horrifying second Dean thought it was Cas. His feet were already taking him in the direction of the noise before he realized it wasn’t his friend. It sounded nothing like him. Dean felt relief, then guilt over being happy for someone else’s suffering.
Sam was hot on his heels as they burst into a room and found a man who was about a month overdue for bath, strapped to a bed, screaming bloody murder. A police officer was holding him down as the man thrashed, his gaze shot to them.
“Sorry man, wrong room,” Dean started to back out when he noticed something beyond fucked up.
The man was sporting a ratty t-shirt, and something was moving underneath it. The shirt was tenting in the center of his chest.
The officer, a young man with blonde close cropped hair, had an expression that told Dean he was way out of his league. The boy was about to piss himself.
Dean glanced at Sam, mirroring each others what the fuck expressions briefly before darting forward to help the cop.
Before they could do more than reach the bedside, the door flew open again and a Doctor and a nurse came flooding inside, dragging a crash cart. Dean and Sam both moved out of the way, hugging the wall behind them.
The man was thrashing, screaming, sobbing, and begging for help.
The Doctor cut his shirt open and stared down in horror; his expression confused and terrified at the same time. The nurse backed up a step, her hands went flying to her mouth.
The man’s skin was still stretching upward, something was pulsing underneath. Dean swore he could see the outline of a tiny head through the distorted skin.
There was something inside of him and it wanted out.
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