Fic: How about a little fire, Scarecrow? part 23/? in Oz
How about a little fire, Scarecrow?
1200 words, SPN Dean/Castiel slash. Spoilers for all of season 4.
zelda_zee is my beta and I love her. Additional thanks to fueledbyaudrey.
Continuing my Welcome to Oz series. Master post of links here.
“It’s good to see you again, Dean,” the Mayor says,
How about a little fire, Scarecrow?
Day 8
“It’s good to see you again, Dean,” the Mayor says, leaning back in his chair. Dean wants to reach across the desk and punch him in his smug, knowing face, or at least spit in his eye, but he's pretty sure that'd be counterproductive at this juncture. So instead, he stands across from the desk, crosses his arms and gives the man his best glare.
“Can’t say the same about you, Mayor,” Dean says. “Did you call me here to make my life worse than it already is? Want my house and my car? Maybe the clothes off my back?”
“And what use could I possibly have for your clothing?” the Mayor asks lightly. “I summoned you because I hear you’ve been causing quite the stir around town.”
“Yeah, well, apparently you’re the king of a mountain of dormice, so you don’t need to worry about that,” Dean mutters.
“You are persistent and surprisingly resourceful, I will give you that,” the Mayor says thoughtfully. “I can see why James likes you.”
“You leave him the hell out of this.” Dean takes a step forward angrily. “This shit is between you and me and it’s got nothing to do with him.”
“Is that why he’s not here with you today? Or is he still feeling under the weather?”
“Fuck you, you sadistic bastard,” Dean spits out contemptuously. “You proud of yourself? Preventing us from even getting some goddamn Tylenol?”
“I do not enjoy seeing James suffer,” the Mayor corrects sharply, straightening up in his chair. “That’s why I allowed Dr. Cordero to treat him.”
“What a convenient mindfuck. Like you give a rat’s ass about him.”
The Mayor’s expression hardens. “This would not have been an issue at all if you were simply more cooperative to begin with.”
“And maybe this wouldn’t have been an issue if you’d been honest with us from the beginning instead of screwing with our heads!”
“Everything I’ve done has been for the good of-of this community." The Mayor's voice escalates steadily higher as he speaks, face reddening. "You think this is easy? You think I enjoy any of this? I don't, Dean, and shockingly, none of this has anything to do with you!” Dean takes a step back, startled to see him finally lose his composure. After a minute, the Mayor closes his eyes and shakes his head. “But who am I talking to? Of course you wouldn’t understand that; you labor under the mistaken belief that the world revolves around you.”
“Is this why I’m here? So you can give me some sympathy for the devil crap?” Dean sneers.
The Mayor inhales deeply. “No. I requested your presence in order to call a truce. Let’s end this budding revolution of yours and sign an armistice.”
“You want to make a deal?” Dean asks suspiciously. “What terms?”
“I’ve spoken to my superiors and they’ve agreed to let you leave Mountaindale.”
“Just like that? I’m free to go?”
The Mayor chuckles darkly. “Well, I don’t know if ‘free’ is the right term for it, but yes. You will be transported out in six months time.”
“Six months!” Dean bursts out. “Are you kidding me? That’s your offer?”
“It’s the only offer you’re going to get,” the Mayor says coolly. “Six months or nothing.”
Six months in Mountaindale? It’s been barely over a week and Dean already hates it; he’s pretty sure six months will drive him nuts. On the other hand, the expression on the Mayor’s face makes clear that this is one term that is non-negotiable. “And they agreed to this? After all this national security spy shit?” Dean says, finally.
The Mayor shrugs. “I can be very persuasive when I want to be.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet.” Dean eyes him warily. “What’s the catch?”
“You must become a productive member of his community. Open your general store, run it, and contribute to the economy of Mountaindale. Provide your valuable goods and services five days a week, from 9am to 6pm.”
“That’s it?” Dean says. Now it definitely seems too good to be true. “No first-born child, left kidney, or soul selling?”
“I can assure you I have no interest in your soul,” the Mayor says. “All I care about is the overall well-being of this town. You are only a small, albeit disruptive, part of that.”
“And how do I know this is for real? That you’ll hold up your end of the bargain?”
“As a sign of good faith, I’ll issue the order allowing everyone in town to interact with you and James again as soon as this meeting is done. And I’ve also been permitted to relay to you some proof of life regarding anyone in the United States that you choose. Friends or family that you’d like to check in on.”
“Proof of life?” Dean repeats and Sam’s name leaps to his throat, but he chokes it back down. Even if the government could track Sam down-and that’s a big if-it’s practically painting a bull’s eye on his back as collateral if Dean ever pisses the Mayor off again. And that’s not a risk Dean’s willing to take. “What does that mean?”
“Video footage of them going about their daily lives that you could view from your computer. You’d receive it after you open up your store and start living up to your civic responsibilities, of course.”
Dean swallows, and the faces of people he’d want to see flashes through his mind’s eye: Sam, Bobby, Ellen, Jo... it’s a pathetically short list. “You guys gonna take who I ask to see hostage? Do a little detaining Gitmo-style?”
The Mayor smiles a little sadly. “We’re the good guys, Dean. I know you don’t believe that so I leave it up to you. You don’t have to take the offer, but if you miss someone and want to check in to see if they’re okay, well. You can.”
“And if I don’t take this chance of a lifetime, what happens?”
“Everything remains at the status quo. The prohibition on interacting with you or James will continue, and you can return to stirring dissension amongst the, as you referred to them, dormice masses. I expect you’ll run out of either food or medication long before you can capitalize on your efforts, but it’s really up to you.”
“You’d really let a sick man go without medication to make a point?” Dean asks.
“I’m not doing anything except dictating the terms, Dean,” the Mayor says. “His fate rests in your hands, not mine.”
Dean snorts bitterly. “Right. Funny how the terms dictate the outcome, isn’t it?” After a long moment spent staring at the eerily perfect sparkling lake outside the window, Dean looks at the Mayor’s impassive face again. “I’ll open the store. And I want-I want to see a man named Robert Singer. Last I heard he was living in South Dakota running a junkyard, but I don’t know if he’s taken off since then. It’s been a while.”
The Mayor smiles. “That can be arranged.” He stands and holds out his hand to shake, but retracts it after Dean just glowers at him. “It’s good doing business with you, Dean. Welcome to your new life in Mountaindale.”
Onto the next chapter: There's a storm blowin' up, a whopper
1200 words, SPN Dean/Castiel slash. Spoilers for all of season 4.
zelda_zee is my beta and I love her. Additional thanks to fueledbyaudrey.
Continuing my Welcome to Oz series. Master post of links here.
“It’s good to see you again, Dean,” the Mayor says,
How about a little fire, Scarecrow?
Day 8
“It’s good to see you again, Dean,” the Mayor says, leaning back in his chair. Dean wants to reach across the desk and punch him in his smug, knowing face, or at least spit in his eye, but he's pretty sure that'd be counterproductive at this juncture. So instead, he stands across from the desk, crosses his arms and gives the man his best glare.
“Can’t say the same about you, Mayor,” Dean says. “Did you call me here to make my life worse than it already is? Want my house and my car? Maybe the clothes off my back?”
“And what use could I possibly have for your clothing?” the Mayor asks lightly. “I summoned you because I hear you’ve been causing quite the stir around town.”
“Yeah, well, apparently you’re the king of a mountain of dormice, so you don’t need to worry about that,” Dean mutters.
“You are persistent and surprisingly resourceful, I will give you that,” the Mayor says thoughtfully. “I can see why James likes you.”
“You leave him the hell out of this.” Dean takes a step forward angrily. “This shit is between you and me and it’s got nothing to do with him.”
“Is that why he’s not here with you today? Or is he still feeling under the weather?”
“Fuck you, you sadistic bastard,” Dean spits out contemptuously. “You proud of yourself? Preventing us from even getting some goddamn Tylenol?”
“I do not enjoy seeing James suffer,” the Mayor corrects sharply, straightening up in his chair. “That’s why I allowed Dr. Cordero to treat him.”
“What a convenient mindfuck. Like you give a rat’s ass about him.”
The Mayor’s expression hardens. “This would not have been an issue at all if you were simply more cooperative to begin with.”
“And maybe this wouldn’t have been an issue if you’d been honest with us from the beginning instead of screwing with our heads!”
“Everything I’ve done has been for the good of-of this community." The Mayor's voice escalates steadily higher as he speaks, face reddening. "You think this is easy? You think I enjoy any of this? I don't, Dean, and shockingly, none of this has anything to do with you!” Dean takes a step back, startled to see him finally lose his composure. After a minute, the Mayor closes his eyes and shakes his head. “But who am I talking to? Of course you wouldn’t understand that; you labor under the mistaken belief that the world revolves around you.”
“Is this why I’m here? So you can give me some sympathy for the devil crap?” Dean sneers.
The Mayor inhales deeply. “No. I requested your presence in order to call a truce. Let’s end this budding revolution of yours and sign an armistice.”
“You want to make a deal?” Dean asks suspiciously. “What terms?”
“I’ve spoken to my superiors and they’ve agreed to let you leave Mountaindale.”
“Just like that? I’m free to go?”
The Mayor chuckles darkly. “Well, I don’t know if ‘free’ is the right term for it, but yes. You will be transported out in six months time.”
“Six months!” Dean bursts out. “Are you kidding me? That’s your offer?”
“It’s the only offer you’re going to get,” the Mayor says coolly. “Six months or nothing.”
Six months in Mountaindale? It’s been barely over a week and Dean already hates it; he’s pretty sure six months will drive him nuts. On the other hand, the expression on the Mayor’s face makes clear that this is one term that is non-negotiable. “And they agreed to this? After all this national security spy shit?” Dean says, finally.
The Mayor shrugs. “I can be very persuasive when I want to be.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet.” Dean eyes him warily. “What’s the catch?”
“You must become a productive member of his community. Open your general store, run it, and contribute to the economy of Mountaindale. Provide your valuable goods and services five days a week, from 9am to 6pm.”
“That’s it?” Dean says. Now it definitely seems too good to be true. “No first-born child, left kidney, or soul selling?”
“I can assure you I have no interest in your soul,” the Mayor says. “All I care about is the overall well-being of this town. You are only a small, albeit disruptive, part of that.”
“And how do I know this is for real? That you’ll hold up your end of the bargain?”
“As a sign of good faith, I’ll issue the order allowing everyone in town to interact with you and James again as soon as this meeting is done. And I’ve also been permitted to relay to you some proof of life regarding anyone in the United States that you choose. Friends or family that you’d like to check in on.”
“Proof of life?” Dean repeats and Sam’s name leaps to his throat, but he chokes it back down. Even if the government could track Sam down-and that’s a big if-it’s practically painting a bull’s eye on his back as collateral if Dean ever pisses the Mayor off again. And that’s not a risk Dean’s willing to take. “What does that mean?”
“Video footage of them going about their daily lives that you could view from your computer. You’d receive it after you open up your store and start living up to your civic responsibilities, of course.”
Dean swallows, and the faces of people he’d want to see flashes through his mind’s eye: Sam, Bobby, Ellen, Jo... it’s a pathetically short list. “You guys gonna take who I ask to see hostage? Do a little detaining Gitmo-style?”
The Mayor smiles a little sadly. “We’re the good guys, Dean. I know you don’t believe that so I leave it up to you. You don’t have to take the offer, but if you miss someone and want to check in to see if they’re okay, well. You can.”
“And if I don’t take this chance of a lifetime, what happens?”
“Everything remains at the status quo. The prohibition on interacting with you or James will continue, and you can return to stirring dissension amongst the, as you referred to them, dormice masses. I expect you’ll run out of either food or medication long before you can capitalize on your efforts, but it’s really up to you.”
“You’d really let a sick man go without medication to make a point?” Dean asks.
“I’m not doing anything except dictating the terms, Dean,” the Mayor says. “His fate rests in your hands, not mine.”
Dean snorts bitterly. “Right. Funny how the terms dictate the outcome, isn’t it?” After a long moment spent staring at the eerily perfect sparkling lake outside the window, Dean looks at the Mayor’s impassive face again. “I’ll open the store. And I want-I want to see a man named Robert Singer. Last I heard he was living in South Dakota running a junkyard, but I don’t know if he’s taken off since then. It’s been a while.”
The Mayor smiles. “That can be arranged.” He stands and holds out his hand to shake, but retracts it after Dean just glowers at him. “It’s good doing business with you, Dean. Welcome to your new life in Mountaindale.”
Onto the next chapter: There's a storm blowin' up, a whopper