Fic: The Second-Best Rank (5/?)
Dark, square shapes appeared through the falling water. Dean adjusted his course for the armory, the second to last cabin on the row, beside the storeroom. The lights in both buildings, distant but bright, acted like beacons.
A burst of wind bowled into him and sent him staggering, again. A pine tree above him let out a moan. He scrambled out of the way and got splashed as a branch that was as big as him dropped into a puddle.
This was tropical storm weather or worse. Everyone was in danger, no matter if they were outside or inside. Dean had been caught in a tornado once or twice in his life, and the last time a hurricane had been headed to the coast at the same time he was in its path, he’d watched through a motel window as the wind had flipped over a truck in the parking lot.
He needed to get everyone to safety, but there was nowhere to go. This area of the country shouldn’t have tropical storms or tornadoes. With demons hovering on the horizon, Dean was willing to bet they had some influence on the storm. The demons had known just what to do, too, and he cursed his lack of foresight. The camp had no storm cellars and every structure was made of wood or flimsy tin.
“Cas.” He couldn’t hear himself speak. “Anytime you wanna drop in.”
He burst up the steps of the armory and through the door. Yasmine and Vince immediately trained guns on him, so he held up his hands. “Stand down!”
They lowered their arms. They were just as drenched as he was, but he was the only one still dripping water on the floor. Risa, Chuck and Jahanyar were at the farther side of the room, standing around the table. Shelves and a couple of cabinets along the walls held various weapons.
Dean started talking before they could say a word. “We’ve got demons to the southeast. So far, they aren’t doing anything, but we’re going to be ready in case they do. Risa, Chuck, I want you to go to every cabin and do a headcount, make sure we’re not missing anyone. Take some guns and medkits with you. Tell anyone who’s able to come here and get armed. Be careful; tree branches and who knows what else are falling all over the place. Yasmine, you’ll hand out guns and ammo when people get here. Chuck, Risa, get anyone who can’t fight into one cabin as close to the center of camp as possible and let me know which one; maybe all the cabins around it will offer some wind protection. I’ll send a few people to keep guard. Vince, I need you to go to all the towers and tell everyone to get their asses back here.”
He wasn’t happy with a single word coming out of his mouth. He wished they could all just stay in the relative safety of the cabins and ride out the storm. If this were just an ordinary storm, sending his people into it would lead to more broken bones and scrapes than he’d care to count. With demons on the horizon, though, his orders were necessary.
The door burst open and slapped against the wall. Nate, so drenched that Dean could see the logo on his undershirt, stopped inside, panting heavily. Yasmine, the closest to the door, caught a bottle of water Risa tossed to her and handed it to Nate. He gratefully chugged it down.
Dean’s stomach sank. “What’d they see?” He thought of Jackie and Violet, stationed in the south tower; Nate wouldn’t have come here if they’d given him no news.
“Demons,” Nate said. “More of them, not just the same cloud we saw but another patch to the southwest.”
“Shit!” said Yasmine. Dean silently echoed the sentiment.
“Why are they coming now?” Risa looked around the table at faces that seemed to be wondering the same thing.
Chuck sank against a wall and squeezed his stomach. “They’re not supposed to be able to find us. Not with all the mojo protecting this place.”
“Oh, don’t get all gloomy on us, Chuck.” Yasmine scowled at him.
“Are the walls holding?” Dean asked Nate.
Nate shrugged. “Yeah, but they’re swaying like crazy. And a few boards were tearing loose as I passed ‘em.”
Shit, shit, and double fuck. “All right. The walls aren’t going to make it in this weather.” Chuck closed his eyes, but the rest remained tense and alert. “That means all those demons are going to find us really soon. We’ll launch a defensive from the cabins. Risa, Chuck, get going and round up everyone. Yasmine, go with them.”
Risa grabbed guns, Chuck tucked a pad and pen into a pants pocket and Yasmine held the door for them as they crossed the cabin. The three ran out into the rain.
Jahanyar, Vince and Nate moved closer to the table. “Nate, I want you to get back to Patrick and tell him to get back here. Then I want you to spread the word to the other towers. Get Jackie to do the circuit with you. Watch each other’s backs.”
Nate nodded, took another swig of water, did a few stretches and left. The wind shot rain water into the cabin, spraying Dean, Vince and Jahanyar. Vince latched the door shut to keep it closed, just to bring them a moment’s reprieve.
“All right.” Dean leaned on the table. “Let’s get to work on how we’re going to do this.”
*****
The vessel was too small. He squeezed into it and felt ready to burst. Taking a vessel felt…unnatural. Unreal. He’d gotten a taste of true corporeality, and this was not it, this sliding into human skin and peering out, an observer more than anything.
The building stilled around him, no longer affected by his Grace. He lifted his vessel’s hands, and it took conscious thought to do it; the movement would have been fluent to human eyes, but it took a split second too long from Castiel’s perspective. Likely, over time, he’d be able to move without consciously willing to do it; in the meantime, he’d have to be careful.
He was naked. Goosebumps formed on his skin, but he didn’t feel cold. He was fully aware of every inch of this body, but without that extra sensitivity, he felt numb.
If he’d more time to become accustomed to the perspective of an angel again and more time to distance himself from his human life, this would not be so strange, so awkward. Castiel got to his feet, sending split-second commands to each muscle, aware of how imperfect his control was and aware that Lucifer probably knew it.
You are such an odd creature, Lucifer said.
Tell me why you have reconstructed my vessel. What have you done to my friends?
Yes, it would be your vessel now. Lucifer sounded thoughtful. Castiel tried not to growl from frustration. Only a week ago, it had been your true form. Tell me: what is it like to become an invader in your own skin?
An imagined shiver passed up his spine. He waited.
He sensed Lucifer’s smile. No matter. We can talk more later. Right now, you’ve got a camp to save.
What have you done?
I’ve found your pets’ hideaway. The flare of your Grace made it so easy, too. You have my gratitude for that.
No. He’d been a fool in so many ways; why hadn’t he thought of that? Of course Lucifer would be able to detect an angel’s return. Castiel’s carelessness had put not only himself in danger but also the lives of every human he held dear-Dean, Chuck, Giddy Thompson, Vince, Grace, a hundred others. Call off your attack.
Consider this a test, brother. We’re the only angels left on Earth. I want to see what you’re capable of with a fully intact Grace.
You- His hands clenched into fists.
You’re free to go, remember? Go save your humans. Go save Dean. We’ll meet again…if you survive.
Part Six
A burst of wind bowled into him and sent him staggering, again. A pine tree above him let out a moan. He scrambled out of the way and got splashed as a branch that was as big as him dropped into a puddle.
This was tropical storm weather or worse. Everyone was in danger, no matter if they were outside or inside. Dean had been caught in a tornado once or twice in his life, and the last time a hurricane had been headed to the coast at the same time he was in its path, he’d watched through a motel window as the wind had flipped over a truck in the parking lot.
He needed to get everyone to safety, but there was nowhere to go. This area of the country shouldn’t have tropical storms or tornadoes. With demons hovering on the horizon, Dean was willing to bet they had some influence on the storm. The demons had known just what to do, too, and he cursed his lack of foresight. The camp had no storm cellars and every structure was made of wood or flimsy tin.
“Cas.” He couldn’t hear himself speak. “Anytime you wanna drop in.”
He burst up the steps of the armory and through the door. Yasmine and Vince immediately trained guns on him, so he held up his hands. “Stand down!”
They lowered their arms. They were just as drenched as he was, but he was the only one still dripping water on the floor. Risa, Chuck and Jahanyar were at the farther side of the room, standing around the table. Shelves and a couple of cabinets along the walls held various weapons.
Dean started talking before they could say a word. “We’ve got demons to the southeast. So far, they aren’t doing anything, but we’re going to be ready in case they do. Risa, Chuck, I want you to go to every cabin and do a headcount, make sure we’re not missing anyone. Take some guns and medkits with you. Tell anyone who’s able to come here and get armed. Be careful; tree branches and who knows what else are falling all over the place. Yasmine, you’ll hand out guns and ammo when people get here. Chuck, Risa, get anyone who can’t fight into one cabin as close to the center of camp as possible and let me know which one; maybe all the cabins around it will offer some wind protection. I’ll send a few people to keep guard. Vince, I need you to go to all the towers and tell everyone to get their asses back here.”
He wasn’t happy with a single word coming out of his mouth. He wished they could all just stay in the relative safety of the cabins and ride out the storm. If this were just an ordinary storm, sending his people into it would lead to more broken bones and scrapes than he’d care to count. With demons on the horizon, though, his orders were necessary.
The door burst open and slapped against the wall. Nate, so drenched that Dean could see the logo on his undershirt, stopped inside, panting heavily. Yasmine, the closest to the door, caught a bottle of water Risa tossed to her and handed it to Nate. He gratefully chugged it down.
Dean’s stomach sank. “What’d they see?” He thought of Jackie and Violet, stationed in the south tower; Nate wouldn’t have come here if they’d given him no news.
“Demons,” Nate said. “More of them, not just the same cloud we saw but another patch to the southwest.”
“Shit!” said Yasmine. Dean silently echoed the sentiment.
“Why are they coming now?” Risa looked around the table at faces that seemed to be wondering the same thing.
Chuck sank against a wall and squeezed his stomach. “They’re not supposed to be able to find us. Not with all the mojo protecting this place.”
“Oh, don’t get all gloomy on us, Chuck.” Yasmine scowled at him.
“Are the walls holding?” Dean asked Nate.
Nate shrugged. “Yeah, but they’re swaying like crazy. And a few boards were tearing loose as I passed ‘em.”
Shit, shit, and double fuck. “All right. The walls aren’t going to make it in this weather.” Chuck closed his eyes, but the rest remained tense and alert. “That means all those demons are going to find us really soon. We’ll launch a defensive from the cabins. Risa, Chuck, get going and round up everyone. Yasmine, go with them.”
Risa grabbed guns, Chuck tucked a pad and pen into a pants pocket and Yasmine held the door for them as they crossed the cabin. The three ran out into the rain.
Jahanyar, Vince and Nate moved closer to the table. “Nate, I want you to get back to Patrick and tell him to get back here. Then I want you to spread the word to the other towers. Get Jackie to do the circuit with you. Watch each other’s backs.”
Nate nodded, took another swig of water, did a few stretches and left. The wind shot rain water into the cabin, spraying Dean, Vince and Jahanyar. Vince latched the door shut to keep it closed, just to bring them a moment’s reprieve.
“All right.” Dean leaned on the table. “Let’s get to work on how we’re going to do this.”
*****
The vessel was too small. He squeezed into it and felt ready to burst. Taking a vessel felt…unnatural. Unreal. He’d gotten a taste of true corporeality, and this was not it, this sliding into human skin and peering out, an observer more than anything.
The building stilled around him, no longer affected by his Grace. He lifted his vessel’s hands, and it took conscious thought to do it; the movement would have been fluent to human eyes, but it took a split second too long from Castiel’s perspective. Likely, over time, he’d be able to move without consciously willing to do it; in the meantime, he’d have to be careful.
He was naked. Goosebumps formed on his skin, but he didn’t feel cold. He was fully aware of every inch of this body, but without that extra sensitivity, he felt numb.
If he’d more time to become accustomed to the perspective of an angel again and more time to distance himself from his human life, this would not be so strange, so awkward. Castiel got to his feet, sending split-second commands to each muscle, aware of how imperfect his control was and aware that Lucifer probably knew it.
You are such an odd creature, Lucifer said.
Tell me why you have reconstructed my vessel. What have you done to my friends?
Yes, it would be your vessel now. Lucifer sounded thoughtful. Castiel tried not to growl from frustration. Only a week ago, it had been your true form. Tell me: what is it like to become an invader in your own skin?
An imagined shiver passed up his spine. He waited.
He sensed Lucifer’s smile. No matter. We can talk more later. Right now, you’ve got a camp to save.
What have you done?
I’ve found your pets’ hideaway. The flare of your Grace made it so easy, too. You have my gratitude for that.
No. He’d been a fool in so many ways; why hadn’t he thought of that? Of course Lucifer would be able to detect an angel’s return. Castiel’s carelessness had put not only himself in danger but also the lives of every human he held dear-Dean, Chuck, Giddy Thompson, Vince, Grace, a hundred others. Call off your attack.
Consider this a test, brother. We’re the only angels left on Earth. I want to see what you’re capable of with a fully intact Grace.
You- His hands clenched into fists.
You’re free to go, remember? Go save your humans. Go save Dean. We’ll meet again…if you survive.
Part Six