In which Alec and Dean are reaper-napped.
[Cowritten with smart_alec494. Set in the Reaper!Dean verse.]
Dean had seen it coming before it even happened.
He had a bit of a benefit that way. He'd seen it before, and knew what it looked like when a demon was coming for a reaper. But he also knew that even if you did see it coming, there was nothing you could do about it once it was already in motion. The black smoke wrapped around you far too quickly for you to react, and for the most part, it was smoke. What could you do to defend yourself against smoke, especially when you weren't even corporeal yourself?
He was kind of used to the whole kidnapping thing. It had happened to him quite a few times over his life and not life, but it was when demons did it to him now that pissed him off the most. Because he knew that most of the time, they didn't really need him for anything big. They usually came up with some bullshit excuse just to manipulate him for a while, but he knew that they were mostly trying to screw with Sam. It had mostly been a lot of low level rookies, trying to score big with the bosses, but they didn't know how to contain him, and he usually managed to slip away just as easily as he had gotten there. But as he came to this time around, he knew this was different.
His head was pounding, and the light in his eyes wasn't helping that by any means, but it was enough that he could make out the white lines surrounding him and holding him in place. He had an inkling of what it was and as he started to push himself up and look around, he could feel the panic starting to crawl inside him. He was trapped. Actually trapped, and that was never a good sign for anyone.
He glanced around, looking for any other sign of the demons, before his eyes fell on the unconscious form next to him. A whole new layer of guilt dropped into his stomach, and he sighed slightly, before reaching over and shaking Alec's shoulder lightly, hoping that whoever this was also hadn't managed to get a hold of Death's scythe. "Alec. Hey -- dude, wake up."
"Whu. . ?" Alec swam back awake confused. Confusion quickly rolled over into fear because he only ever felt confusion in waking if his nap had been less than voluntary. Without thinking he rolling into a defensive crouch and then swayed. "Shit."
"Whoa, take it easy," Dean said, reaching and placing his hand on his shoulder lightly, trying to steady him. "Sit. We're gonna be stuck here a while."
He put and hand out to the floor to steadying himself from the other side. "What happened?" He looked around trying to sort it out.
"We got grabbed by a demon," Dean said with a sigh. "Don't know who yet, but he's somebody with a pretty high pay grade."
"Like Bela?" That would explain the horrid shivery creeping feeling he had.
"Bigger than Bela," Dean said softly. Fallen. He could feel it in the air, but he wasn't sure which one, and more to the point -- he wasn't sure he wanted to know. "I don't see the scythe though, so odds are they're just trying to screw with my brother, and not actually intending to do us any major harm."
Alec's shoulders hunched in and the shivery feel pressed in. "But Sam doesn't even know you're walking around."
"Actually, he kinda does?" Dean said, glancing around again. "And the demons would probably taunt him with it anyway, so he'd find out."
"When did he find out? And has Tessa chewed you out yet?" Yeah he was trying to distract himself. "Also. . .am I here 'cause they can't tell us apart or should we be worried?" A hand slid out towards the chalk line. He knew instinctively that the line might as well have been a brick wall, but he still had to try.
"Remember that time a couple months back where I disappeared for a couple days, and Tessa was probably flipping her shit wondering where I was?"
"She was flipping her shit so bad she went all whispy. That woman could have used a drink." His hand makes contact with the chalk line and the solid wall that he can't see but can feel like cement under his fingers and static across his skin.
Dean snorted slightly at that, before continuing. "I was helping out my nephew. He had gotten himself into a really bad jam, and I was kinda making sure he didn't die on his dad. I pretty much got outted from there, and neither Tessa nor Castiel were all that happy about it."
"Cas could use a drink too. Your nephew okay?"
"Yeah, he's fine," Dean said with a nod. "Probably back on his feet again at this point. But -- that's probably where whatever demon this is caught my scent. Which isn't necessarily a good thing for us. He probably just grabbed you because he couldn't figure out which one of us was me."
"Joy." He stood then and prowled the edge of their prison. "I ever tell you how much I hate being in a cage?"
"The feeling is mutual," Dean said with a sigh, draping his arms across the top of his knees as he looked around. It was only a matter of time before the demon in question realized that his prisoners had awakened, but Dean didn't like the waiting. Dean just wanted for someone to come, break the trap, and get them the hell out of there. Because he didn't like being caged in like this. Not in the slightest. There was a bad feeling in his gut, and he wanted this resolved quickly and painlessly.
Eventually he folded down and matched Dean's pose without meaning to, but facing the opposite direction. At least this way no one could show without them seeing. He shivered. "Why's the demon creeping me out more than you?"
Dean thought for a minute, before shrugging slightly. "No idea. Maybe cuz I've been around them since I was four?"
"Ugh." Unfortunately there didn't seem to be much else to say.
"Tell me about it," Dean muttered, before his head snapped around. There was a crack of the door to the basement opening, and the sound of footsteps on the stairs. "About time," he shouted back at them. "Shouldn't you know by now not to keep me waiting."
"Your brother seems to think he's king of the world, Dean," Phoenix said as she arrived at the bottom of the stairs. "Don't tell me that even dead, you've got some of the ego as well."
Alec turned towards the sound but leaned in close to Dean to mutter, "Let's see if your right?" Then louder. "I figure I should get points for doing with well as a dead guy. Least I have my own body. Puts me ahead of you."
"And yet look at all the things you can't do," Phoenix replied, clucking her tongue lightly as she made her way along the edge of the trap. "You boys comfy? If not I could always bring down some throw pillows."
"Throw pillows would be a nice touch. Maybe a couple of beers and a deck of cards while you're at it."
"I'll see what we've got in storage," she said with a slight laugh, before moving to sit in one of the chairs, before leaning back with a slight smirk. "Dean and Alec. What are we going to do with you." It was more of a statement than a question, almost as though she already knew the answer and was just asking to tease them.
"Let us go? I'm a fan of that plan."
"Hmmmm," she sighed, before shaking her head. "Sorry. We've got plans for you boys."
"Plans," Dean grumbled, rolling his eyes. "I hate it when they have plans."
"Because not only is there 'the plan' but the taunting that comes with us not knowing it. Talk about ego. Have to wait for someone to be in a cage before poking them with a stick."
"Oh, but what's the fun with having a plan if we're just going to give it away -- "
" -- We?" Dean cut her off, giving her a bit of a look. "There's a 'we'?"
"Yes, Dean," Phoenix sighed. "All things come in threes these days, don't they? Stolas and Barbatos are upstairs, ironing out the last couple kinks in the plan."
"Well, they've go the bondage part down. But I think I'd like to skip the rest, really."
"And miss out on all the fun?" Phoenix said, giving him a look. "Well, aren't you a spoilsport."
"What can I, I just don't think I'm going to like your idea of fun."
"Mmmm -- you probably won't. To be honest, the fun's more for Sammy boy than you." Her eyes drifted back to Dean again, before smirking slightly. "You've been dead -- two hundred years, Dean. Still think brother dearest can pick you out of a line-up?"
"I've been here before. And I don't like this circle." His eyes narrowed. God he wanted to get free. This close the demon made him want to crawl out of his own skin just to get away.
"Well, get used to it, honey, you're going to be here for a while." Phoenix looked over at Dean before raising an eyebrow. "How long do you think it's going to take for them to notice that the two of you are gone? Few days? A week, maybe?"
Alec snorted. Tessa would be on to something when neither he nor Dean did anything to piss her off for 48 hours.
"Sooner they figure out you're gone and recruit Sam to save the day, the sooner you get out of here. End of story."
"On our own feet or in a metaphysical body bag?"
Phoenix shrugged slightly. "Depends."
Alec's eyes rolled. Possibly into the next state. "On what?"
"Don't know yet," she said, shrugging again. "Just depends."
"Whatever." Any amusement he may have gotten from talking to her was over now.
"Oh, bored already?" Phoenix said, giving him a look of fake concern. "I'm sorry."
Alec didn't feel like giving her the satisfaction of replying. She liked to hear herself talk, clearly. But Alec just didn't have anything to say.
"Fine," she sighed. "I'll leave you two alone. Enjoy your time on the floor."
Alec: 1, Demons: like forty bajillian, but hey, at least they didn't have to listen to her, right?
"Oh, this really isn't good," Dean groaned, burying his face in his hands.
". . .can they actually hurt us?"
"Only if they have Death's scythe," Dean replied. "But these aren't exactly your run of the mill demons here."
"Is that Dean Winchester for 'not to be an alarmist, but we be fucked.'?"
Dean ran a hand over his face before responding. "This is the Triad. All fallen angels, all not nice people, all of them kind of want my brother wiped off the map. Barbatos and Phoenix are both pretty high up on the demonic hierarchy, and Stolas? He's rumored to be the grandson of Lucifer himself."
"This is going to hurt." Once upon a time he'd had the training to sit still and silent through torture. He wasn't sure he still could.
"Thing is I don't know how much," Dean said with a sigh. "I don't know what they have and what they don't and that's not exactly making me feel warm and fuzzy."
"So now it's hurry up and wait." He sighed. "When I get out of here there is going to be some serious hardcore violence. Just sayin.'"
"Yeah, I don't blame you there," Dean said with a sigh, before tilting his head to the side slightly. "I wonder if I can exorcise in here."
"Oh, good thought." He looked around. "And is there something we can use to keep them out?"
"Nothing we can get to from here," Dean shook his head. "Rock salt or spray paint would be best, but -- I think it's all outta reach."
He slumps and bangs his head into the not!wall. "not that I'm knocking your expertise, dude, but rock salt and spray paint are pretty dissimilar."
"Rock salt keeps demons out," Dean said with a sigh. "Spray paint I could make a devil's trap for us to stand in that they wouldn't bother going near."
Alec banged his knuckles gently against the floor while he thought. He was trying to reach back past the reaper he was to the weapon he had been. He hit the floor harder and winced. Then paused. "Your devil’s trap thing. It take a lot of paint?"
"To make a decent enough sized one? Yeah."
Alec slumped. "Crap." He didn't have much else.
"Yeah," Dean said with a sigh, before looking back at him. "But hopefully Nancy or Tessa is quick on the uptake and goes for my brother?"
"Since that seems to be what they want, I don't know that I'm comfortable with that."
"Neither am I," Dean sighed. "But Sam's not stupid. He's gonna know it's a trap, and he's gonna come in prepared."
"Yeah. Napalm would be my advice. We'll live through it."
Dean chuckled slightly. "Yeah, that's true."
"Also," He grinned. "It would be kinda cool to watch."
"Yeah," Dean laughed. "Yeah, it probably would."
Dean had seen it coming before it even happened.
He had a bit of a benefit that way. He'd seen it before, and knew what it looked like when a demon was coming for a reaper. But he also knew that even if you did see it coming, there was nothing you could do about it once it was already in motion. The black smoke wrapped around you far too quickly for you to react, and for the most part, it was smoke. What could you do to defend yourself against smoke, especially when you weren't even corporeal yourself?
He was kind of used to the whole kidnapping thing. It had happened to him quite a few times over his life and not life, but it was when demons did it to him now that pissed him off the most. Because he knew that most of the time, they didn't really need him for anything big. They usually came up with some bullshit excuse just to manipulate him for a while, but he knew that they were mostly trying to screw with Sam. It had mostly been a lot of low level rookies, trying to score big with the bosses, but they didn't know how to contain him, and he usually managed to slip away just as easily as he had gotten there. But as he came to this time around, he knew this was different.
His head was pounding, and the light in his eyes wasn't helping that by any means, but it was enough that he could make out the white lines surrounding him and holding him in place. He had an inkling of what it was and as he started to push himself up and look around, he could feel the panic starting to crawl inside him. He was trapped. Actually trapped, and that was never a good sign for anyone.
He glanced around, looking for any other sign of the demons, before his eyes fell on the unconscious form next to him. A whole new layer of guilt dropped into his stomach, and he sighed slightly, before reaching over and shaking Alec's shoulder lightly, hoping that whoever this was also hadn't managed to get a hold of Death's scythe. "Alec. Hey -- dude, wake up."
"Whu. . ?" Alec swam back awake confused. Confusion quickly rolled over into fear because he only ever felt confusion in waking if his nap had been less than voluntary. Without thinking he rolling into a defensive crouch and then swayed. "Shit."
"Whoa, take it easy," Dean said, reaching and placing his hand on his shoulder lightly, trying to steady him. "Sit. We're gonna be stuck here a while."
He put and hand out to the floor to steadying himself from the other side. "What happened?" He looked around trying to sort it out.
"We got grabbed by a demon," Dean said with a sigh. "Don't know who yet, but he's somebody with a pretty high pay grade."
"Like Bela?" That would explain the horrid shivery creeping feeling he had.
"Bigger than Bela," Dean said softly. Fallen. He could feel it in the air, but he wasn't sure which one, and more to the point -- he wasn't sure he wanted to know. "I don't see the scythe though, so odds are they're just trying to screw with my brother, and not actually intending to do us any major harm."
Alec's shoulders hunched in and the shivery feel pressed in. "But Sam doesn't even know you're walking around."
"Actually, he kinda does?" Dean said, glancing around again. "And the demons would probably taunt him with it anyway, so he'd find out."
"When did he find out? And has Tessa chewed you out yet?" Yeah he was trying to distract himself. "Also. . .am I here 'cause they can't tell us apart or should we be worried?" A hand slid out towards the chalk line. He knew instinctively that the line might as well have been a brick wall, but he still had to try.
"Remember that time a couple months back where I disappeared for a couple days, and Tessa was probably flipping her shit wondering where I was?"
"She was flipping her shit so bad she went all whispy. That woman could have used a drink." His hand makes contact with the chalk line and the solid wall that he can't see but can feel like cement under his fingers and static across his skin.
Dean snorted slightly at that, before continuing. "I was helping out my nephew. He had gotten himself into a really bad jam, and I was kinda making sure he didn't die on his dad. I pretty much got outted from there, and neither Tessa nor Castiel were all that happy about it."
"Cas could use a drink too. Your nephew okay?"
"Yeah, he's fine," Dean said with a nod. "Probably back on his feet again at this point. But -- that's probably where whatever demon this is caught my scent. Which isn't necessarily a good thing for us. He probably just grabbed you because he couldn't figure out which one of us was me."
"Joy." He stood then and prowled the edge of their prison. "I ever tell you how much I hate being in a cage?"
"The feeling is mutual," Dean said with a sigh, draping his arms across the top of his knees as he looked around. It was only a matter of time before the demon in question realized that his prisoners had awakened, but Dean didn't like the waiting. Dean just wanted for someone to come, break the trap, and get them the hell out of there. Because he didn't like being caged in like this. Not in the slightest. There was a bad feeling in his gut, and he wanted this resolved quickly and painlessly.
Eventually he folded down and matched Dean's pose without meaning to, but facing the opposite direction. At least this way no one could show without them seeing. He shivered. "Why's the demon creeping me out more than you?"
Dean thought for a minute, before shrugging slightly. "No idea. Maybe cuz I've been around them since I was four?"
"Ugh." Unfortunately there didn't seem to be much else to say.
"Tell me about it," Dean muttered, before his head snapped around. There was a crack of the door to the basement opening, and the sound of footsteps on the stairs. "About time," he shouted back at them. "Shouldn't you know by now not to keep me waiting."
"Your brother seems to think he's king of the world, Dean," Phoenix said as she arrived at the bottom of the stairs. "Don't tell me that even dead, you've got some of the ego as well."
Alec turned towards the sound but leaned in close to Dean to mutter, "Let's see if your right?" Then louder. "I figure I should get points for doing with well as a dead guy. Least I have my own body. Puts me ahead of you."
"And yet look at all the things you can't do," Phoenix replied, clucking her tongue lightly as she made her way along the edge of the trap. "You boys comfy? If not I could always bring down some throw pillows."
"Throw pillows would be a nice touch. Maybe a couple of beers and a deck of cards while you're at it."
"I'll see what we've got in storage," she said with a slight laugh, before moving to sit in one of the chairs, before leaning back with a slight smirk. "Dean and Alec. What are we going to do with you." It was more of a statement than a question, almost as though she already knew the answer and was just asking to tease them.
"Let us go? I'm a fan of that plan."
"Hmmmm," she sighed, before shaking her head. "Sorry. We've got plans for you boys."
"Plans," Dean grumbled, rolling his eyes. "I hate it when they have plans."
"Because not only is there 'the plan' but the taunting that comes with us not knowing it. Talk about ego. Have to wait for someone to be in a cage before poking them with a stick."
"Oh, but what's the fun with having a plan if we're just going to give it away -- "
" -- We?" Dean cut her off, giving her a bit of a look. "There's a 'we'?"
"Yes, Dean," Phoenix sighed. "All things come in threes these days, don't they? Stolas and Barbatos are upstairs, ironing out the last couple kinks in the plan."
"Well, they've go the bondage part down. But I think I'd like to skip the rest, really."
"And miss out on all the fun?" Phoenix said, giving him a look. "Well, aren't you a spoilsport."
"What can I, I just don't think I'm going to like your idea of fun."
"Mmmm -- you probably won't. To be honest, the fun's more for Sammy boy than you." Her eyes drifted back to Dean again, before smirking slightly. "You've been dead -- two hundred years, Dean. Still think brother dearest can pick you out of a line-up?"
"I've been here before. And I don't like this circle." His eyes narrowed. God he wanted to get free. This close the demon made him want to crawl out of his own skin just to get away.
"Well, get used to it, honey, you're going to be here for a while." Phoenix looked over at Dean before raising an eyebrow. "How long do you think it's going to take for them to notice that the two of you are gone? Few days? A week, maybe?"
Alec snorted. Tessa would be on to something when neither he nor Dean did anything to piss her off for 48 hours.
"Sooner they figure out you're gone and recruit Sam to save the day, the sooner you get out of here. End of story."
"On our own feet or in a metaphysical body bag?"
Phoenix shrugged slightly. "Depends."
Alec's eyes rolled. Possibly into the next state. "On what?"
"Don't know yet," she said, shrugging again. "Just depends."
"Whatever." Any amusement he may have gotten from talking to her was over now.
"Oh, bored already?" Phoenix said, giving him a look of fake concern. "I'm sorry."
Alec didn't feel like giving her the satisfaction of replying. She liked to hear herself talk, clearly. But Alec just didn't have anything to say.
"Fine," she sighed. "I'll leave you two alone. Enjoy your time on the floor."
Alec: 1, Demons: like forty bajillian, but hey, at least they didn't have to listen to her, right?
"Oh, this really isn't good," Dean groaned, burying his face in his hands.
". . .can they actually hurt us?"
"Only if they have Death's scythe," Dean replied. "But these aren't exactly your run of the mill demons here."
"Is that Dean Winchester for 'not to be an alarmist, but we be fucked.'?"
Dean ran a hand over his face before responding. "This is the Triad. All fallen angels, all not nice people, all of them kind of want my brother wiped off the map. Barbatos and Phoenix are both pretty high up on the demonic hierarchy, and Stolas? He's rumored to be the grandson of Lucifer himself."
"This is going to hurt." Once upon a time he'd had the training to sit still and silent through torture. He wasn't sure he still could.
"Thing is I don't know how much," Dean said with a sigh. "I don't know what they have and what they don't and that's not exactly making me feel warm and fuzzy."
"So now it's hurry up and wait." He sighed. "When I get out of here there is going to be some serious hardcore violence. Just sayin.'"
"Yeah, I don't blame you there," Dean said with a sigh, before tilting his head to the side slightly. "I wonder if I can exorcise in here."
"Oh, good thought." He looked around. "And is there something we can use to keep them out?"
"Nothing we can get to from here," Dean shook his head. "Rock salt or spray paint would be best, but -- I think it's all outta reach."
He slumps and bangs his head into the not!wall. "not that I'm knocking your expertise, dude, but rock salt and spray paint are pretty dissimilar."
"Rock salt keeps demons out," Dean said with a sigh. "Spray paint I could make a devil's trap for us to stand in that they wouldn't bother going near."
Alec banged his knuckles gently against the floor while he thought. He was trying to reach back past the reaper he was to the weapon he had been. He hit the floor harder and winced. Then paused. "Your devil’s trap thing. It take a lot of paint?"
"To make a decent enough sized one? Yeah."
Alec slumped. "Crap." He didn't have much else.
"Yeah," Dean said with a sigh, before looking back at him. "But hopefully Nancy or Tessa is quick on the uptake and goes for my brother?"
"Since that seems to be what they want, I don't know that I'm comfortable with that."
"Neither am I," Dean sighed. "But Sam's not stupid. He's gonna know it's a trap, and he's gonna come in prepared."
"Yeah. Napalm would be my advice. We'll live through it."
Dean chuckled slightly. "Yeah, that's true."
"Also," He grinned. "It would be kinda cool to watch."
"Yeah," Dean laughed. "Yeah, it probably would."