Big Bang: One Man Band (3/7)
Title: One Man Band
Author: licklesoxy
Artist: sumer_starlight
Beta: erraticxthought
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Swearing. Violence.
Previous: 1 | 2
Next: 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
Summary: Superpower AU. The Winchesters have little interest in a petty thief who goes around stealing items of no street value. This changes, though, when they figure out that Gabriel isn't working alone. Who is he working for, and what interest do they have in a set of four, seemingly useless rings? The Winchesters are about to find out, the hard way.
-o-
Chapter Three
"Like hell I need to help you."
"Gabriel-"
"No!" Shouting out the word with a ferocious rage, Gabriel had to resist the desire to throw his brother back and through the wall behind him. The move would be satisfying, would definitely settle at least some of his built up anger, but what Michael would do in retaliation was not something Gabriel was willing to have happen. He was pissed, yes; that didn't mean he was in the mood to get his ass handed to him for losing his temper and lashing out in a childish fit.
Biting back on any remark he wanted to add on to the end of his yell, Gabriel lowered his head, effectively shifting his gaze to the floor. He needed to calm down. His face was flushed, his skin heated with a fire that wanted to be forced out, and under any other circumstance he could use it to his advantage. Fury wasn't a useful emotion, though, when dealing with either of his brothers - especially this particular one - and it would only serve to create more irritation in the long run. Michael would see right through him and use it to his own devices, taking control of Gabriel in a way that he wasn't prepared for, unless Gabriel put a stop to his growing anger.
Michael wasn't making it easy. Gabriel had already deserted his pagan family because his biological one had asked a favour of him. Having been made to drop his Loki persona by his older brothers, Gabriel had not been happy with how everything had turned out; yet, out of loyalty, or sheer idiocy, he'd stayed and gone around stealing for them. The problem was, his brothers knew he'd do almost anything for them. Sometimes, he truly hated his family.
What had possessed him to come back? All previous attempts to drive him home had failed in the past, so why had he changed his mind this time? Gabriel couldn't work it out. Either his gut was trying to tell him something that his mind hadn't quite figured out yet, or he was an ignoramus. To Gabriel's utter dismay, he realised that it was almost certainly the latter.
"Gabriel, you've already involved yourself by stealing the rings to break through the cage's defenses," Michael explained, his tone very close to being patronising. This only fueled Gabriel's rage. He didn't need Michael speaking to him as though he were a five year old.
"And it was off your own volition that you decided to help in the first place. You can't back out now the jobs require you to actually get your hands dirty."
Lifting his head back up, Gabriel sneered at his brother with utter contempt. "You don't own me. Just because I stole for you, doesn't me you get to order me around. Not anymore."
Michael's expression transformed into a look that Gabriel had seen far too many times. It was his least favourite of Michael's expressions, as it was full of an arrogance that could only be obtained when one was completely sure of his own power over people. Being the oldest, Michael had always been the superior, and he was not afraid to show it, nor was he scared to force his hand when it was needed.
"You'll go to the factory and speak with Azazel and Lilith. They'll tell you how to work the rings, and then you'll come back to me and relay the information."
Gabriel found his gaze once again moving from Michael's penetrating stare. He was practically shaking with rage, but he knew that he wouldn't say no. He couldn't, because that would only end up badly for him. Pulling in a deep, lungful of air to try and calm his nerves down, Gabriel ran his tongue over his lips.
"Fine."
-o-
Gabriel had incredibly shit luck. Either that, or someone, somewhere had decided it would be ridiculously fun to start screwing with him for kicks. Staring in utter disbelief at the two men sitting in the car that was parked in the shadows, Gabriel couldn't quite hold back the huff that passed through his lips. Did they have a death wish or something? Had his encounter with them when he'd gone after the fourth ring not scared them off? Surely they understood that he had killed before - the victims were always other criminals, yes, but that didn't mean he wouldn't kill a person who passed as a threat, if they decided to try and stop him from completing a job. Innocence or moral standings be damned, he would kill if attacked.
Despite his thoughts, he was unable to contain the tiny smile of appreciation that made its way onto his lips. Dean and Sam were huge morons, but he had to give them credit where it was due. No matter how stupid they were - they were both incredibly, stubbornly thick, in his opinion - they were persistent, and that was something he could openly admire. He'd congratulate them if it weren't for the fact that he didn't want them to know he'd spotted them.
It didn't mean he would hold back when they attempted to confront him. When they attacked, and they would, he'd beat the crap out of them. For now, though, he was content with letting them sit and wait, thinking they had the element of surprise on their hands.
Turning from the dark car, Gabriel rolled his shoulders, before strolling towards the factory without a care in the world.
As he entered, he wasn't all that surprised to find that Lilith was already inside, waiting. Walking up to her, Gabriel raised an eyebrow in question. He didn't need to voice what he obviously wanted to say.
"He's out back." The meaning behind the words was clear.
So, Gabriel wasn't the only one who'd spotted Dumb and Dumber outside. That wasn't unexpected - though he had never interacted with Azazel and Lilith on a personal level, he knew of their reputations. They were sticklers for knowing their surroundings and being prepared for any kind of ambush. In their line of work, it was guaranteed spies and the like would be lingering around at any given time.
"So, we going to get this out the way, or do you want to wait for the mooks to get their asses together and try and stop us?" Gabriel asked, an amused smile making its way onto his lips. Unexpectedly, Lilith returned the smile with one of her own, only hers was far more sinister. Gabriel mentally chuckled. It was nice to know he wasn't the only one who deliberately liked to cause havoc for the sake of it.
"Let them in. Might give us some new toys." Her glee was evident, as though she'd been anticipating, even waiting for Gabriel to make the suggestion of waiting. It appeared that this job wasn't going to be as wooden as he'd first thought.
"But first," Lilith added, reaching into the pocket of her dress, "take this. It's all the information that Michael of yours needs." Taking out a piece of folded paper, she handed it to him eagerly, before clasping her hands together and moving her gaze to the back entrance of the factory.
Pocketing the note, Gabriel followed her gaze. "Think Azazel will even let them in?"
Lilith's lips twitched in amusement. "Don't worry about him ruining our fun. He's under orders to move only when I say so."
That was excellent news. Closing his eyes and stretching his arms out in front of him, Gabriel curled his body into the shape of a much feared reptile. Giving Lilith a quick nod, he slithered away into the shadows to wait.
-o-
They'd waited an ample amount of time before moving into action. Getting out of the car and sneaking around the back, both Winchesters were pleasantly surprised to find no one guarding the place. Knowledge that an exchange of information was going on here hadn't come cheap - Crowley was a harsh dealer, and any intell from him always cost a fortune - but it had been worth the loss of money. Something big was going down. Neither brother had any idea as to what it was, exactly; they just knew that it needed to be stopped.
Making quick work of the lock to the back door, Dean turned to Sam to make sure that they were both still on the same page, happy to risk their well beings for this. Sam understood that they had a lot to lose here - Gabriel was dangerous, and from what Crowley had said, the two people he was meeting were no pushovers. One was apparently a telekinetic like Sam, whilst the other was able to do pyrokinesis. Both were powerful and capable of causing serious harm, even death, but the risk had been deemed acceptable.
People with powers working as criminals were dangerous things, and needed someone to put them behind bars. Normal cops couldn't do it, so it was up to them, despite the fact that this was the first set of criminals they'd gone up against that had possessed unnatural abilities.
Giving Dean the confirmation he desired, Sam waited as Dean drew out his gun and pushed the door open slowly, cautious of any attack that might come from inside. When no apparent blast of power came, Dean stepped inside, holding his hand up for Sam to wait a moment to keep an eye on any attempt to sneak up on them from behind.
Focus shifting to the greenery surrounding the factory's back, Sam scanned the area with all the concentration he could muster. Neither could afford to be half-assed with this, considering the types of criminals they were dealing with. Bushes lined the surrounding area, closing off what little light could be provided from the street lamps that lay behind them. Although the back wasn't fenced off, Sam could see that someone had taken the time to put up a warning sign, warning off anyone who dared trespass. The metal of the sign was worn and the paint peeling off, but the letters were still clear. Sam sighed. Glancing around, he took his focus off the smaller details so he could be open to spotting the bigger ones.
It took no more than a single sweep of the vicinity for Sam to locate someone. Eyes going wide as his gaze locked on to the man leaning casually against a tree off the far right, Sam felt a wash of horror fill him as he realised what had happened.
The guy with the yellow eyes, staring back at him with a knowing smile, was Azazel. He'd been watching them this whole time. It was a trap.
"Dean!"
He was too late.
Standing in the middle of the room was a woman wearing a smart, although dirty, white dress. She had a smile on her face, and was focused on something above her as she held a hand up in its direction. Gaze darting up, Sam let out a horrified gasp as he saw his brother's body pinned to the ceiling.
"Do you know what Azazel's favourite method of killing is?" Lilith asked, her tone light as she addressed him. Breaths becoming shaky, Sam lowered his gaze back to her.
"Let him go," he demanded, voice barely below a shout.
Lilith's smile widened. "He likes me to pin them to the ceiling. Then he burns them alive, preferably in front of someone who cares for them very much."
All the blood rushed from Sam's face. No. There was no way in Hell he was going to let that happen to Dean. He wouldn't allow it.
"Let him go." The words came out in a much calmer tone than Sam believed he was capable of. This couldn't be happening. Lilith wasn't a killer. Crowley had said she was a dealer, and nothing more. She wasn't a murderer. This was a bluff.
Seemingly aware of his thoughts, Lilith let out a joyous laugh, before dropping her hand back to her side. Dean dropped to the floor instantly.
"Dean!" Sam cried, panic flitting through his voice as Dean let out a yelp of pain as he hit the floor.
"This was fun; we should do it again." Ignoring Lilith's words, Sam ran over to Dean's form and knelt down, making sure he was still breathing. Relief washed through him immediately when Dean slapped his concerned hands away, letting out a grunt of 'I'm fine' as he did so.
"They're all yours, Gabriel."
That caught Sam's attention. Head snapping up, his eyes went wide when he realised Lilith was nowhere to be found. Where had she gone? What was the point of this, if she was just going to leave them there after hurting Dean? His confusion didn't last very long. Her final sentence had not been directed at them, since she'd addressed Gabriel specifically. That could only mean one thing: the shape-shifter was hidden somewhere in this room, and he could attack at any minute.
It seemed that Sam's assumption was correct when, not a second later, something darted out of the shadows and lunged at his neck. Shrieking in pain as the teeth plunged into soft flesh, Sam was only vaguely aware of Dean's cry of concern. As the snake slithered away, Sam's vision began going blurry as the pain shot through him. Clutching at the open wound in shock, Sam couldn't deny that, in some screwed up way, he should have expected this.
-o-
"Sam? Sammy!" Dean was upset. Any idiot could see his utter horror and worry as Sam lost consciousness. Holding Sam in his arms, Dean turned to glare at Gabriel with a vicious venom.
"You son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you!" The words were laced with hatred, and as Gabriel transformed back into his original form, he couldn't quite hide his amusement.
"How're you going to do that, Dean-o? Hm?"
If Dean could growl, that was what he did in response to Gabriel's words. Waggling his eyebrows, Gabriel lifted his head in triumph. This was definitely worth it.
"Call this payback for that little stunt you pulled back in Stockton," he said.
Dean's jaw clenched. "That wasn't Sam. I threw that glass at you, not him."
"And he threw me into a wall. Now we're all even," Gabriel commented, tone suddenly bored. When Dean's only reply was a sneer, Gabriel rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry, he's not going to die." Gabriel pursed his lips in pretend thought. "Not yet, anyway. Come at me again, and I won't be so generous."
Turning on the spot and not waiting for any comeback Dean might have, Gabriel stepped out into the cold air with a smug sense of victory. Perhaps now those idiots would heed his warning. Sniffing, ignoring the strong aroma of flowers wafting around the area, Gabriel turned to look at Azazel who was now standing around the front, watching him expectantly.
"Give them a minute, then burn the place," Gabriel said. He was pissed off all of a sudden, and he didn't know why. Those douchebags were becoming more of a nuisance than he'd initially thought they would, and they were getting to him despite his best efforts. That knowledge irked him.
Gabriel huffed. Lifting a hand, he snapped his fingers. There was no point in waiting around this dump any longer.
-o-
Author: licklesoxy
Artist: sumer_starlight
Beta: erraticxthought
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Swearing. Violence.
Previous: 1 | 2
Next: 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
Summary: Superpower AU. The Winchesters have little interest in a petty thief who goes around stealing items of no street value. This changes, though, when they figure out that Gabriel isn't working alone. Who is he working for, and what interest do they have in a set of four, seemingly useless rings? The Winchesters are about to find out, the hard way.
-o-
Chapter Three
"Like hell I need to help you."
"Gabriel-"
"No!" Shouting out the word with a ferocious rage, Gabriel had to resist the desire to throw his brother back and through the wall behind him. The move would be satisfying, would definitely settle at least some of his built up anger, but what Michael would do in retaliation was not something Gabriel was willing to have happen. He was pissed, yes; that didn't mean he was in the mood to get his ass handed to him for losing his temper and lashing out in a childish fit.
Biting back on any remark he wanted to add on to the end of his yell, Gabriel lowered his head, effectively shifting his gaze to the floor. He needed to calm down. His face was flushed, his skin heated with a fire that wanted to be forced out, and under any other circumstance he could use it to his advantage. Fury wasn't a useful emotion, though, when dealing with either of his brothers - especially this particular one - and it would only serve to create more irritation in the long run. Michael would see right through him and use it to his own devices, taking control of Gabriel in a way that he wasn't prepared for, unless Gabriel put a stop to his growing anger.
Michael wasn't making it easy. Gabriel had already deserted his pagan family because his biological one had asked a favour of him. Having been made to drop his Loki persona by his older brothers, Gabriel had not been happy with how everything had turned out; yet, out of loyalty, or sheer idiocy, he'd stayed and gone around stealing for them. The problem was, his brothers knew he'd do almost anything for them. Sometimes, he truly hated his family.
What had possessed him to come back? All previous attempts to drive him home had failed in the past, so why had he changed his mind this time? Gabriel couldn't work it out. Either his gut was trying to tell him something that his mind hadn't quite figured out yet, or he was an ignoramus. To Gabriel's utter dismay, he realised that it was almost certainly the latter.
"Gabriel, you've already involved yourself by stealing the rings to break through the cage's defenses," Michael explained, his tone very close to being patronising. This only fueled Gabriel's rage. He didn't need Michael speaking to him as though he were a five year old.
"And it was off your own volition that you decided to help in the first place. You can't back out now the jobs require you to actually get your hands dirty."
Lifting his head back up, Gabriel sneered at his brother with utter contempt. "You don't own me. Just because I stole for you, doesn't me you get to order me around. Not anymore."
Michael's expression transformed into a look that Gabriel had seen far too many times. It was his least favourite of Michael's expressions, as it was full of an arrogance that could only be obtained when one was completely sure of his own power over people. Being the oldest, Michael had always been the superior, and he was not afraid to show it, nor was he scared to force his hand when it was needed.
"You'll go to the factory and speak with Azazel and Lilith. They'll tell you how to work the rings, and then you'll come back to me and relay the information."
Gabriel found his gaze once again moving from Michael's penetrating stare. He was practically shaking with rage, but he knew that he wouldn't say no. He couldn't, because that would only end up badly for him. Pulling in a deep, lungful of air to try and calm his nerves down, Gabriel ran his tongue over his lips.
"Fine."
-o-
Gabriel had incredibly shit luck. Either that, or someone, somewhere had decided it would be ridiculously fun to start screwing with him for kicks. Staring in utter disbelief at the two men sitting in the car that was parked in the shadows, Gabriel couldn't quite hold back the huff that passed through his lips. Did they have a death wish or something? Had his encounter with them when he'd gone after the fourth ring not scared them off? Surely they understood that he had killed before - the victims were always other criminals, yes, but that didn't mean he wouldn't kill a person who passed as a threat, if they decided to try and stop him from completing a job. Innocence or moral standings be damned, he would kill if attacked.
Despite his thoughts, he was unable to contain the tiny smile of appreciation that made its way onto his lips. Dean and Sam were huge morons, but he had to give them credit where it was due. No matter how stupid they were - they were both incredibly, stubbornly thick, in his opinion - they were persistent, and that was something he could openly admire. He'd congratulate them if it weren't for the fact that he didn't want them to know he'd spotted them.
It didn't mean he would hold back when they attempted to confront him. When they attacked, and they would, he'd beat the crap out of them. For now, though, he was content with letting them sit and wait, thinking they had the element of surprise on their hands.
Turning from the dark car, Gabriel rolled his shoulders, before strolling towards the factory without a care in the world.
As he entered, he wasn't all that surprised to find that Lilith was already inside, waiting. Walking up to her, Gabriel raised an eyebrow in question. He didn't need to voice what he obviously wanted to say.
"He's out back." The meaning behind the words was clear.
So, Gabriel wasn't the only one who'd spotted Dumb and Dumber outside. That wasn't unexpected - though he had never interacted with Azazel and Lilith on a personal level, he knew of their reputations. They were sticklers for knowing their surroundings and being prepared for any kind of ambush. In their line of work, it was guaranteed spies and the like would be lingering around at any given time.
"So, we going to get this out the way, or do you want to wait for the mooks to get their asses together and try and stop us?" Gabriel asked, an amused smile making its way onto his lips. Unexpectedly, Lilith returned the smile with one of her own, only hers was far more sinister. Gabriel mentally chuckled. It was nice to know he wasn't the only one who deliberately liked to cause havoc for the sake of it.
"Let them in. Might give us some new toys." Her glee was evident, as though she'd been anticipating, even waiting for Gabriel to make the suggestion of waiting. It appeared that this job wasn't going to be as wooden as he'd first thought.
"But first," Lilith added, reaching into the pocket of her dress, "take this. It's all the information that Michael of yours needs." Taking out a piece of folded paper, she handed it to him eagerly, before clasping her hands together and moving her gaze to the back entrance of the factory.
Pocketing the note, Gabriel followed her gaze. "Think Azazel will even let them in?"
Lilith's lips twitched in amusement. "Don't worry about him ruining our fun. He's under orders to move only when I say so."
That was excellent news. Closing his eyes and stretching his arms out in front of him, Gabriel curled his body into the shape of a much feared reptile. Giving Lilith a quick nod, he slithered away into the shadows to wait.
-o-
They'd waited an ample amount of time before moving into action. Getting out of the car and sneaking around the back, both Winchesters were pleasantly surprised to find no one guarding the place. Knowledge that an exchange of information was going on here hadn't come cheap - Crowley was a harsh dealer, and any intell from him always cost a fortune - but it had been worth the loss of money. Something big was going down. Neither brother had any idea as to what it was, exactly; they just knew that it needed to be stopped.
Making quick work of the lock to the back door, Dean turned to Sam to make sure that they were both still on the same page, happy to risk their well beings for this. Sam understood that they had a lot to lose here - Gabriel was dangerous, and from what Crowley had said, the two people he was meeting were no pushovers. One was apparently a telekinetic like Sam, whilst the other was able to do pyrokinesis. Both were powerful and capable of causing serious harm, even death, but the risk had been deemed acceptable.
People with powers working as criminals were dangerous things, and needed someone to put them behind bars. Normal cops couldn't do it, so it was up to them, despite the fact that this was the first set of criminals they'd gone up against that had possessed unnatural abilities.
Giving Dean the confirmation he desired, Sam waited as Dean drew out his gun and pushed the door open slowly, cautious of any attack that might come from inside. When no apparent blast of power came, Dean stepped inside, holding his hand up for Sam to wait a moment to keep an eye on any attempt to sneak up on them from behind.
Focus shifting to the greenery surrounding the factory's back, Sam scanned the area with all the concentration he could muster. Neither could afford to be half-assed with this, considering the types of criminals they were dealing with. Bushes lined the surrounding area, closing off what little light could be provided from the street lamps that lay behind them. Although the back wasn't fenced off, Sam could see that someone had taken the time to put up a warning sign, warning off anyone who dared trespass. The metal of the sign was worn and the paint peeling off, but the letters were still clear. Sam sighed. Glancing around, he took his focus off the smaller details so he could be open to spotting the bigger ones.
It took no more than a single sweep of the vicinity for Sam to locate someone. Eyes going wide as his gaze locked on to the man leaning casually against a tree off the far right, Sam felt a wash of horror fill him as he realised what had happened.
The guy with the yellow eyes, staring back at him with a knowing smile, was Azazel. He'd been watching them this whole time. It was a trap.
"Dean!"
He was too late.
Standing in the middle of the room was a woman wearing a smart, although dirty, white dress. She had a smile on her face, and was focused on something above her as she held a hand up in its direction. Gaze darting up, Sam let out a horrified gasp as he saw his brother's body pinned to the ceiling.
"Do you know what Azazel's favourite method of killing is?" Lilith asked, her tone light as she addressed him. Breaths becoming shaky, Sam lowered his gaze back to her.
"Let him go," he demanded, voice barely below a shout.
Lilith's smile widened. "He likes me to pin them to the ceiling. Then he burns them alive, preferably in front of someone who cares for them very much."
All the blood rushed from Sam's face. No. There was no way in Hell he was going to let that happen to Dean. He wouldn't allow it.
"Let him go." The words came out in a much calmer tone than Sam believed he was capable of. This couldn't be happening. Lilith wasn't a killer. Crowley had said she was a dealer, and nothing more. She wasn't a murderer. This was a bluff.
Seemingly aware of his thoughts, Lilith let out a joyous laugh, before dropping her hand back to her side. Dean dropped to the floor instantly.
"Dean!" Sam cried, panic flitting through his voice as Dean let out a yelp of pain as he hit the floor.
"This was fun; we should do it again." Ignoring Lilith's words, Sam ran over to Dean's form and knelt down, making sure he was still breathing. Relief washed through him immediately when Dean slapped his concerned hands away, letting out a grunt of 'I'm fine' as he did so.
"They're all yours, Gabriel."
That caught Sam's attention. Head snapping up, his eyes went wide when he realised Lilith was nowhere to be found. Where had she gone? What was the point of this, if she was just going to leave them there after hurting Dean? His confusion didn't last very long. Her final sentence had not been directed at them, since she'd addressed Gabriel specifically. That could only mean one thing: the shape-shifter was hidden somewhere in this room, and he could attack at any minute.
It seemed that Sam's assumption was correct when, not a second later, something darted out of the shadows and lunged at his neck. Shrieking in pain as the teeth plunged into soft flesh, Sam was only vaguely aware of Dean's cry of concern. As the snake slithered away, Sam's vision began going blurry as the pain shot through him. Clutching at the open wound in shock, Sam couldn't deny that, in some screwed up way, he should have expected this.
-o-
"Sam? Sammy!" Dean was upset. Any idiot could see his utter horror and worry as Sam lost consciousness. Holding Sam in his arms, Dean turned to glare at Gabriel with a vicious venom.
"You son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you!" The words were laced with hatred, and as Gabriel transformed back into his original form, he couldn't quite hide his amusement.
"How're you going to do that, Dean-o? Hm?"
If Dean could growl, that was what he did in response to Gabriel's words. Waggling his eyebrows, Gabriel lifted his head in triumph. This was definitely worth it.
"Call this payback for that little stunt you pulled back in Stockton," he said.
Dean's jaw clenched. "That wasn't Sam. I threw that glass at you, not him."
"And he threw me into a wall. Now we're all even," Gabriel commented, tone suddenly bored. When Dean's only reply was a sneer, Gabriel rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry, he's not going to die." Gabriel pursed his lips in pretend thought. "Not yet, anyway. Come at me again, and I won't be so generous."
Turning on the spot and not waiting for any comeback Dean might have, Gabriel stepped out into the cold air with a smug sense of victory. Perhaps now those idiots would heed his warning. Sniffing, ignoring the strong aroma of flowers wafting around the area, Gabriel turned to look at Azazel who was now standing around the front, watching him expectantly.
"Give them a minute, then burn the place," Gabriel said. He was pissed off all of a sudden, and he didn't know why. Those douchebags were becoming more of a nuisance than he'd initially thought they would, and they were getting to him despite his best efforts. That knowledge irked him.
Gabriel huffed. Lifting a hand, he snapped his fingers. There was no point in waiting around this dump any longer.
-o-