Into The Woods (2/3) - Immortal!Uncle Dean 'Verse
Title: Into The Woods - Immortal!Uncle Dean 'Verse
Author: strangevisitor7
Beta: Divas_Lament
Rated: PG
Fandom: Immortal!Dean Universe with a dash of Teen!Mag7 AU
Characters: The Spawn - JD Winchester, Mule Winchester. The Teen!Mag7 - Chris, Nate, Joey, Eddie and Vin. And a very special appearance by Dean Winchester & Richie Ryan
Prompt: Written for Spawnfic_tues
Disclaimer: The characters you know and love all belong to their respective creators. JD and Mule are mine.
A/N: JD’s friends are Teen version's of the Mag7 boys (sort of) introduced in Welcome to High School, Little Brother. And just to be clear my JD is not JD Dunne and there is no Teen!Buck.
A/N2: Other spawn adventures in the Immortal!Dean Universe can be found here
Summary: JD and his buddies go on a camping trip to celebrate High School Graduation. Things go south in a hurry.
Chapter list:
Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3
Chapter 2
Mule burst out of the woods to see his brother and Eddie sitting on the porch. As Vin had predicted, they were drinking, but both came to their feet as he rushed up the steps.
"What the hell!" JD said as he grabbed his brother by the shoulders before Mule could keel over from exhaustion.
Mule was breathing heavily and nearly frantic. "We've got a problem," he huffed out. "A big problem."
"What happened? Where's Vin?"
Mule took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure. He debated trying to talk to JD alone, but tossed that idea aside. They'd all know soon enough what had happened. "We need to call Uncle Dean. Vin's been taken. Wendigo."
JD's eyes went wide. "Shit! You sure?"
When Mule nodded, JD reached into his pocket for his cell phone, but suspected there'd be no reception. "Shit!" He said again as he was proven correct. He snapped the useless piece of technology shut.
"I think Chris has a sat phone inside," Eddie offered. "But why do you need to call your Uncle?" He paused and looked at Mule. "And what hell is a Wendigo?"
"No time for explanations," JD said and addressed his brother. "I’ll call UD. Can you - "
"I know the symbols," Mule said, already two steps ahead of his brother. "I'll need some things from the trunk to ward the place up." Mule wondered if JD would hesitate. Once they opened that Pandora's Box, there was no going back.
"No time for subtlety." JD conceded reluctantly as he tossed Mule the Impala keys. "Eddie stay with Mule; watch his back," he said and then ran into the cabin.
"What the hell is going on?" Eddie demanded.
Mule shook his head as he walked over to the Chevy and popped the trunk. "It's a long story." He lifted the false bottom revealing the arsenal that was the backbone of the family business.
Eddie let out a low whistle. "That's gotta be one hell of a story."
***********************************************
JD attempted to calm himself as he entered the cabin. Eddie was right - the sat phone was on the bookshelf in the living room. He moved quietly so as not to draw the attention of the others who were busy making lunch in the kitchen. He did not need to deal with Chris until after he talked to Uncle Dean.
He grabbed the phone and stepped into the bedroom, shutting the door. He dialed his uncle's cell, willing him to pick up as it began ringing.
"Winchester," Dean said.
"Uncle Dean, we need your help."
"JD? You didn't run out of beer already," he chuckled.
"No! UD this is serious. As in 'there's a Wendigo in the woods' serious."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then sound of mumbled cursing before he heard Dean call to his Uncle Richie: “Get the gear. We’re going camping.”
JD couldn't hear Richie's reply only Uncle Dean shouting instructions before he came back on the line. "You get your friends out of there," Dean commanded.
"Can't leave, UD. The creature took Chris' little brother. I'm going to have enough trouble trying to convince him not to go looking for Vin; there's no way I'll get him off the mountain."
"Damn! You know the symbols?"
"Mule's on it."
"That should keep you safe. No one goes out side. You hear me, JD? No heroics and no civilians in the woods."
"Yes sir," JD replied. He wanted to believe that he was telling the truth, but something told him he'd be chasing Chris through the woods no matter what he explained to his friend about the danger. Wendigo's didn't kill their prey right away; so hopefully Vin would be ok for the next few hours until Dean and Richie arrived, but he didn't like the odds and knew Chris wouldn't either.
"Good! Now, where the hell are you?"
****************************************
JD took a deep breath and let it out as he stepped into the kitchen. "Guys, we need to talk."
Chris, Nate and Joey turned to look at him. "What happened? We forget your favorite snack?" Nate teased.
"No!" JD glared at him. "We have a real problem." He really didn't have time for banter or games - people just needed to listen to him. He was struggling enough trying to tell them what happened without them playing around.
He was given a small reprieve as Mule and Eddie entered the cabin. He looked at his brother, who nodded that he'd finished the protections.
"Now, can you share why you have an arsenal in your trunk?" Eddie asked as they joined the others in the kitchen.
"What's Eddie talking about?" Chris asked. "Where's Vin, Mule?"
"Chris, don't go crazy or anything. I need to explain." JD held his hands out in front of him in a calming gesture. He knew that the minute he finished his exposition Chris was going to hit the roof. "There are things in this world that most people believe are myths like ghosts and werewolves -"
"What the hell are you talking about, Winchester? And where the hell is my brother?" Chris was glaring at him.
"There's a creature in this woods called a Wendigo and - " JD paused before plunging ahead, "-it's taken Vin."
Confusion mixed with anger warred across Chris' face. "That's not funny."
"It's not meant to be," JD said trying to convince Chris he was completely serious. "I have every reason to believe Vin's ok. We just have to wait for my Uncles to get here and they will track it, kill it and get your brother back. So let's just relax-"
"You're telling me that Bigfoot has kidnapped my brother." Chris was actually laughing and looked over at Mule whose serious face killed Chris' humor. "Ok, joke's over. Did Vin put you up to this, Mule? It's because I told him he had to do the dishes all week, isn't it?"
"There’s no such thing as Bigfoot," Mule deadpanned. "This creature is a Wendigo. It's real and it's taken Vin."
Chris snorted. "I know my brother, he's punking us and when I get my hands on him - "
"I don't think it's a joke," Eddie interrupted. "I just helped Mule put up all sorts of funky symbols around the cabin for protection and you have to see the trunk of JD's car. It's like he's prepared for an apocalypse."
"I'd like to think I am," JD quipped before taking a step toward Chris, capturing the other teens gaze with his. "I am not kidding and I swear to you this is not some elaborate prank. My family has been hunting the supernatural for generations."
Chris' mood blackened as he listened to JD share the briefest overview of the supernatural and the behavior of Wendigos specifically. Mule contributed a few bits of information about Vin's disappearance.
JD watched as the beginnings of belief crept onto each of his friends' faces.
"So, that's why you're gone most of last summer?" Nate asked. "Hunting these…" He waved a hand toward the woods outside unable to give voice to what JD had described.
JD nodded. "I know it's hard to accept - "
"I believe you," Joey interrupted and then chuckled. "The truth is out there, right?"
JD wasn't surprised that Joey had been the first to accept his story being a bit of a sci-fi geek. "Yeah, it is."
"Let's say I believe you and this isn't just some prank," Chris began, drawing their attention back to him. "You know how to find this thing and kill it?"
"Uncle Dean wants us to stay put," Mule said. "It's too dangerous out there and Vin should be fine for a couple hours until they can rescue him."
Chris ignored Mule and stepped forward to look JD in the eye. "You know how to kill this thing or not, Winchester?"
As JD had expected, even if Chris didn't believe the cause for his brother's disappearance, he wasn't going to sit around waiting for someone else to lead the rescue party. JD swallowed, not sure if he was ready to take the lead on the hunt, but figured answering Chris' questions couldn't hurt.
"Yeah, I do. Guns won't work," he explained. "They'll just piss it off. We need to burn the creature. I know dad used a flare gun that last time he faced one. You have anything like that in the cabin?"
Chris hesitated and then headed into the storeroom behind the kitchen. He returned with two flare guns and several cartridges. JD figured he would have those kinds of supplies around since the cabin was pretty remote.
"Good." JD took the weapons and set them on the table. "I've got one in the trunk."
"Are three flare guns gonna be enough?" Chris asked.
"It would be nice if we had more firepower," JD admitted. He'd never gone up against anything like a Wendigo and certainly not without Immortals leading the way.
Eddie cleared his throat. "How about some fireworks?"
They all turned to stare him.
"You didn't?" Joey laughed.
"It's the 4th on Thursday," Eddie reminded them before disappearing into the master bedroom. Returning with a large box, Eddie proceeded to pull out a 12" mortar launcher with about a dozen rounds, a full brick of firecrackers and a few boxes of novelty items like sparklers. "So, can we use any of this?"
JD looked over the odd assortment. "I've never been happier to have a pyro for a friend," he laughed, clapping a hand on Eddie's shoulder.
"Were you planning on burning down the forest?" Nate asked, disapproval in his tone. "This stuff is dangerous."
"And completely legal in the state of Washington," Eddie shot back. "I know how to use them - safely." He emphasized the last word.
"Nate, this stuff is going to up our chances of saving Vin's life." And our own, if I do decide to lead this crazy hunt. JD added silently. "You know as well as I do that Eddie knows what he's doing with them."
Last Fourth of July, Eddie had put on a hell of a show with JD and Joey's help. By the time the cops had figured out that the teens weren't exactly old enough to be running the neighborhood fireworks display, it was all over and they'd made their escape.
Eddie beamed smugly at Nate who chuckled reluctantly. "Yeah, guess I'm glad you're a pyro, too."
"Let's get going already," Chris barked. "We have weapons and we're wasting time."
"Hold on, Chris."
"No! I'm going to look for my brother with or with out your help."
His friends threw their support behind Chris and JD could tell by the grim determination on their faces that it was too late to talk them out of this suicidal plan. Well, if he was going to lead his friends into danger he was going to be prepared. "Fine, we'll do this, but we're not going to wander around the woods without a plan. We need to figure out where its lair is."
"I'm on it," Mule said and went to grab his lap top. For once, JD was glad his brother was a bit of a techno nerd and knew Mule would be able to get Internet out here with the way he'd pimped out his computer.
Mule set the lap top on the kitchen table as the others gathered around. Booting up, he began searching for maps of the area.
"Wouldn't it be better to just track it?" Chris asked. He was antsy to get moving, but understood the need for preparation.
JD shook his head. "It's not likely that it would leave reliable tracks." JD was trying to recall the details of his dad's first Wendigo hunt and found himself wishing that Vin had had a bag of peanut M&Ms to leave a useful trail like his Uncle Dean had done. "These things are smart, remember they used to be men, and can often lay down false trails. But they like caves, mine shafts - any place underground where they can hole up for years on end."
"Got something," Mule said as he swiveled the computer for everyone to see. "There's some cave's here," he pointed to the screen, "along the ridge about five miles to the north, but there's also an old silver mine a few miles east of the ruined camp site." Mule looked up at JD waiting for him to decide which way they went.
JD stared at the map, willing the right choice to make itself known. If he picked wrong - well he didn't want to think about that.
"The mine," Chris said preempting JD's decision.
"Any reason why?"
"You can't tell from this map but the only way to get to those caves it to repel down. Vin and I did it once with our dad," he paused, the reality of the situation worming its way under his stoic façade; collecting himself he continued. "Never saw any indication they were occupied."
JD smiled. "That's good enough for me. The mine it is. You know how to get there, Chris?"
"Yeah, but never went inside. It's all boarded up."
"Then were going to need something to unboard it and as many flashlights as we can find. We'll need to grab the 2-way radios out of the car since our phones won't work. Also some water and any kind of first aid kit." JD avoided looking at Chris. "We don’t know what kind of condition Vin'll be in, but he might be pretty banged up."
Without speaking the four teens moved off to fill the supplies list, leaving the brothers alone in the kitchen. JD slumped into the chair next to Mule.
"This is a bad idea," Mule said.
"Tell me about it, but I don't see an alternative." JD pointed a finger at his brother. "You're staying here and waiting for the uncles."
"No way, JD! I'm the only one with any kind of hunting experience."
"Hotel room sitting doesn't count, dude. Besides Dad'll kill me if he finds out I let you come along, right after Dean and Richie take their shot." JD glared at his brother trying to will him into obedience.
"Dad and the uncles'll kill you anyway for leaving the cabin, so you might as well let me come." Mule's face took on a serious cast. "You know I'm the best one to watch your back. I may not have hunted officially, but I know what I'm doing."
JD met his brother eyes and relented. "This is a cluster fuck either way, but you're right, we have a better chance of success with you along."
Mule broke out his biggest smile in spite of the dire situation. "Did you just say I was right?"
"Don't push it, twerp."
"I'm pretty sure you just said I was right." Mule laughed.
"Let's just hope I live to regret ever admitting it." JD gave Mule a friendly punch in the shoulder before going off to see what everyone had collected.
*********************************************************
"Pick up, JD!" Dean growled into the phone. He snapped it shut and tossed the cell at Richie as he concentrated on coaxing another five miles an hour out of the Impala.
"You sure you had the right number?" Richie asked.
Dean spared him a withering glance before focusing back on the road.
"JD knows better than to go after a Wendigo without us or to put Mule in danger." Richie tried to sound positive but he was just as worried as Dean by the silence on the other end of the phone.
"You know those friends of JD's. You really think they stayed put?"
"No I don't," Richie admitted. "But if it's any consolation, I'm guessing Chris didn't leave him much choice."
"Maybe Mule stopped them," Dean said hopefully. "That kid's not a rule breaker."
"Stand up to those five?" Richie shook his head. "Not a chance." Even if Mule could have convinced the others to stay in the cabin it still didn't explain why no one was answering the sat phone.
Dean slammed his hand against the steering wheel. "Damn it, JD! No hunting without Immortals! That's rule number one!" He shouted at the empty road in front of him as if he could reach his nephew through sheer force of will.
They descended into silence having both reached the same conclusion: either the kids were off hunting the Wendigo or …well… Richie tried not to let his thoughts drift that way.
"When I find him - " Dean left the threat hanging.
"Yeah and then I get a turn."
The two Immortals exchanged a quick look that spoke volumes about how much they hoped they'd have the chance to give JD and Mule hell.
*************************************
Chris and Mule led the way through the woods, each equipped with a flare gun. Nate, Joey and Eddie followed close behind carrying all their supplies. At the back of the group, JD held the third flare gun at the ready, while scanning the woods for the creature and keeping an eye on Mule at the front.
JD had wanted someone to stay behind to meet the uncles, but he needed Eddie to set up the fireworks and, of course, Chris was leading the charge to go after Vin. Nate, with all his years volunteering at the local hospital, had more first aid training the rest of them combined. Reluctantly JD admitted that they might need Nate's skills and JD sure didn't have them; it's not like he needed to know first aid while hunting with Immortals. That left Joey and he wasn't about to stay behind, not with the rest of his friends putting themselves in harm's way.
JD sighed as he heard Uncle Dean's voice in his headCivilians- more like pains in the ass.
They'd been hiking for almost an hour in silence, JD had insisted on that. Wendigo's preferred to hunt at night and in the early morning. Vin and Mule had stumbled upon the creature before lunch time. It was now late afternoon and JD hoped that if they were lucky maybe this might be when the creature was sleeping. He tried not to think about when the creature might like to eat.
Chris held up a hand and whispered, "We're here," just loud enough to bring them all to a halt.
Too soon JD thought. I need more time. He wasn't sure what he was going to do now that they'd arrived. A part of him had been hoping that they wouldn't find the mine. That his uncles would magically appear and save him from leading his untrained friends on this suicide mission.
JD pushed his way to the front of the group to study the entrance. It had been boarded up, but it looked as if it had been broken into, or more likely out of, recently.
Mule nudged him and pointed. "Claw marks."
"Looks like you were right about the mine, Chris," JD said, simultaneously relieved that they had guessed right and terrified of what they now faced. He needed to stall some more. His uncles might be at the cabin by now, knowing how Dean drove. Mule had left a very detailed map to the mine pinned to the door and they marked the trail as they'd hiked pretty clearly. If he could get Chris to wait an hour, they might have Immortals leading the way, which is truthfully how JD preferred it; how he was trained to approach a hunt.
"Let's go," Chris moved forward to step over the broken boards that had once served to block the entrance.
So much for stalling, JD thought. It was up to him, the Immortals were not going to get here before they faced the big bad. JD wanted to - no needed to - make sure everyone got through this alive. The alternative was unacceptable. His dad and Uncle Dean had hunted for years before Immortality became part of the picture, there was no reason, with his training and know how that he couldn't do the same.
JD took a deep breath and decided it was time he truly embraced his leadership position. He grabbed his friend's arm to stop his entrance into the mine. "Hold up, Chris. I'm taking point now."
Chris looked as if he wanted to protest but seeing the serious expression on JD's face thought better of it. "Right, you're the professional."
JD wanted to protest that moniker, but looking at his friends faces he knew they saw him that way. Thinking back on all the hunts with his Uncle Dean, JD tried to emulate the kind of steely determination he'd always seen in his uncle when laying out the plan. "When we get in there everyone does exactly what I tell them; no arguments. I say run, you run. I say stay, you stay."
Everyone nodded without comment.
"Mule, give everyone a flash light," JD continued. "I'll take one of the radios and Eddie you'll have the other one. Don’t use them unless it's an emergency. We don’t want to alert the Wendigo to our presence. So that means no talking; we move as quietly as possible. Stealth is more important than speed."
JD looked at each of his friends as he delivered his little speech and was relieved to see total acceptance of his leadership.
Mule reached into Joey's pack and began distributing flashlights. He walked over to JD to hand him one, but held onto the light as his brother tried to take it forcing JD to look at him.
"So what's the rest of the plan?" Mule whispered.
"Since stalling didn't work, I'm still working on Plan B." He looked into his brother's eyes seeing the same fears he was suppressing reflected there. The other boys really didn't understand the gravity of what they were facing and JD had no way to make the danger real for them, but Mule understood. "You don’t have to come any further, in fact, I'd prefer if you didn't."
"We've been over this," Mule shook his head, "I'm not letting you go in there without me."
"I figured you'd say that," JD threw him a sad smile. "But I needed to try."
Mule leaned in and whispered, "I know you can lead us through this, JD."
He looked down at his brother and was surprised to see he was sincere. Mule had faith in him and that was strangely comforting. He smiled and ruffled his brother's hair. "Thanks, twerp."
Mule ducked away from the contact. "Cut that out, jerk," he protested frowning, but Mule's eyes told JD a different story.
He was grateful for the vote of confidence along with Mule's ability to bring the chick flick moment to an end without having to actually acknowledge it.
******************************
"This must be the place," Dean said as he pulled the Impala to a stop next to JD's car.
Cautiously, the two Immortals exited the car, flare guns in hand, eyes scanning the woods for any unnatural activity.
Richie reached the door to the cabin first. "Shit!"
"What?"
He pulled the note off the cabin door and handed it to Dean.
"Son of a Bitch," Dean barked. "I told them to stay put." He looked at the note from Mule detailing the boys' destination.
Richie pushed the door open wanting to make sure there were no surprises inside. "Any body home?" He called into the empty cabin and waited a beat before swinging the door closed again. "Looks like they all went after Vin."
"Course they did and it looks like they left over an hour ago," Dean said pointing to the time on Mule's note.
"We may be able to catch up then. JD is smart enough to try and stall till we get there."
Dean snorted. "Sure he is," the sarcasm dripping from his voice, "Because he's used his head so far."
"You don't know for sure what's happened." Richie felt the need to defend his nephew. "Chris may have gone running off and JD had no choice."
"There's always a choice," Dean growled. "He could have tied the kid to a chair and waited for us."
"And if it was Mule out there in the woods, you think JD would have waited? Would you have waited for back-up to rescue Sam?"
Dean just glared at him. "Rule number one." He held up a finger to emphasize his statement, but he knew Richie was right. There was no way JD could have stopped Chris from going after his brother; family took care of its own.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Richie said sensing the hypocrisy in Dean's insistence.
Author: strangevisitor7
Beta: Divas_Lament
Rated: PG
Fandom: Immortal!Dean Universe with a dash of Teen!Mag7 AU
Characters: The Spawn - JD Winchester, Mule Winchester. The Teen!Mag7 - Chris, Nate, Joey, Eddie and Vin. And a very special appearance by Dean Winchester & Richie Ryan
Prompt: Written for Spawnfic_tues
Disclaimer: The characters you know and love all belong to their respective creators. JD and Mule are mine.
A/N: JD’s friends are Teen version's of the Mag7 boys (sort of) introduced in Welcome to High School, Little Brother. And just to be clear my JD is not JD Dunne and there is no Teen!Buck.
A/N2: Other spawn adventures in the Immortal!Dean Universe can be found here
Summary: JD and his buddies go on a camping trip to celebrate High School Graduation. Things go south in a hurry.
Chapter list:
Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3
Chapter 2
Mule burst out of the woods to see his brother and Eddie sitting on the porch. As Vin had predicted, they were drinking, but both came to their feet as he rushed up the steps.
"What the hell!" JD said as he grabbed his brother by the shoulders before Mule could keel over from exhaustion.
Mule was breathing heavily and nearly frantic. "We've got a problem," he huffed out. "A big problem."
"What happened? Where's Vin?"
Mule took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure. He debated trying to talk to JD alone, but tossed that idea aside. They'd all know soon enough what had happened. "We need to call Uncle Dean. Vin's been taken. Wendigo."
JD's eyes went wide. "Shit! You sure?"
When Mule nodded, JD reached into his pocket for his cell phone, but suspected there'd be no reception. "Shit!" He said again as he was proven correct. He snapped the useless piece of technology shut.
"I think Chris has a sat phone inside," Eddie offered. "But why do you need to call your Uncle?" He paused and looked at Mule. "And what hell is a Wendigo?"
"No time for explanations," JD said and addressed his brother. "I’ll call UD. Can you - "
"I know the symbols," Mule said, already two steps ahead of his brother. "I'll need some things from the trunk to ward the place up." Mule wondered if JD would hesitate. Once they opened that Pandora's Box, there was no going back.
"No time for subtlety." JD conceded reluctantly as he tossed Mule the Impala keys. "Eddie stay with Mule; watch his back," he said and then ran into the cabin.
"What the hell is going on?" Eddie demanded.
Mule shook his head as he walked over to the Chevy and popped the trunk. "It's a long story." He lifted the false bottom revealing the arsenal that was the backbone of the family business.
Eddie let out a low whistle. "That's gotta be one hell of a story."
***********************************************
JD attempted to calm himself as he entered the cabin. Eddie was right - the sat phone was on the bookshelf in the living room. He moved quietly so as not to draw the attention of the others who were busy making lunch in the kitchen. He did not need to deal with Chris until after he talked to Uncle Dean.
He grabbed the phone and stepped into the bedroom, shutting the door. He dialed his uncle's cell, willing him to pick up as it began ringing.
"Winchester," Dean said.
"Uncle Dean, we need your help."
"JD? You didn't run out of beer already," he chuckled.
"No! UD this is serious. As in 'there's a Wendigo in the woods' serious."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then sound of mumbled cursing before he heard Dean call to his Uncle Richie: “Get the gear. We’re going camping.”
JD couldn't hear Richie's reply only Uncle Dean shouting instructions before he came back on the line. "You get your friends out of there," Dean commanded.
"Can't leave, UD. The creature took Chris' little brother. I'm going to have enough trouble trying to convince him not to go looking for Vin; there's no way I'll get him off the mountain."
"Damn! You know the symbols?"
"Mule's on it."
"That should keep you safe. No one goes out side. You hear me, JD? No heroics and no civilians in the woods."
"Yes sir," JD replied. He wanted to believe that he was telling the truth, but something told him he'd be chasing Chris through the woods no matter what he explained to his friend about the danger. Wendigo's didn't kill their prey right away; so hopefully Vin would be ok for the next few hours until Dean and Richie arrived, but he didn't like the odds and knew Chris wouldn't either.
"Good! Now, where the hell are you?"
****************************************
JD took a deep breath and let it out as he stepped into the kitchen. "Guys, we need to talk."
Chris, Nate and Joey turned to look at him. "What happened? We forget your favorite snack?" Nate teased.
"No!" JD glared at him. "We have a real problem." He really didn't have time for banter or games - people just needed to listen to him. He was struggling enough trying to tell them what happened without them playing around.
He was given a small reprieve as Mule and Eddie entered the cabin. He looked at his brother, who nodded that he'd finished the protections.
"Now, can you share why you have an arsenal in your trunk?" Eddie asked as they joined the others in the kitchen.
"What's Eddie talking about?" Chris asked. "Where's Vin, Mule?"
"Chris, don't go crazy or anything. I need to explain." JD held his hands out in front of him in a calming gesture. He knew that the minute he finished his exposition Chris was going to hit the roof. "There are things in this world that most people believe are myths like ghosts and werewolves -"
"What the hell are you talking about, Winchester? And where the hell is my brother?" Chris was glaring at him.
"There's a creature in this woods called a Wendigo and - " JD paused before plunging ahead, "-it's taken Vin."
Confusion mixed with anger warred across Chris' face. "That's not funny."
"It's not meant to be," JD said trying to convince Chris he was completely serious. "I have every reason to believe Vin's ok. We just have to wait for my Uncles to get here and they will track it, kill it and get your brother back. So let's just relax-"
"You're telling me that Bigfoot has kidnapped my brother." Chris was actually laughing and looked over at Mule whose serious face killed Chris' humor. "Ok, joke's over. Did Vin put you up to this, Mule? It's because I told him he had to do the dishes all week, isn't it?"
"There’s no such thing as Bigfoot," Mule deadpanned. "This creature is a Wendigo. It's real and it's taken Vin."
Chris snorted. "I know my brother, he's punking us and when I get my hands on him - "
"I don't think it's a joke," Eddie interrupted. "I just helped Mule put up all sorts of funky symbols around the cabin for protection and you have to see the trunk of JD's car. It's like he's prepared for an apocalypse."
"I'd like to think I am," JD quipped before taking a step toward Chris, capturing the other teens gaze with his. "I am not kidding and I swear to you this is not some elaborate prank. My family has been hunting the supernatural for generations."
Chris' mood blackened as he listened to JD share the briefest overview of the supernatural and the behavior of Wendigos specifically. Mule contributed a few bits of information about Vin's disappearance.
JD watched as the beginnings of belief crept onto each of his friends' faces.
"So, that's why you're gone most of last summer?" Nate asked. "Hunting these…" He waved a hand toward the woods outside unable to give voice to what JD had described.
JD nodded. "I know it's hard to accept - "
"I believe you," Joey interrupted and then chuckled. "The truth is out there, right?"
JD wasn't surprised that Joey had been the first to accept his story being a bit of a sci-fi geek. "Yeah, it is."
"Let's say I believe you and this isn't just some prank," Chris began, drawing their attention back to him. "You know how to find this thing and kill it?"
"Uncle Dean wants us to stay put," Mule said. "It's too dangerous out there and Vin should be fine for a couple hours until they can rescue him."
Chris ignored Mule and stepped forward to look JD in the eye. "You know how to kill this thing or not, Winchester?"
As JD had expected, even if Chris didn't believe the cause for his brother's disappearance, he wasn't going to sit around waiting for someone else to lead the rescue party. JD swallowed, not sure if he was ready to take the lead on the hunt, but figured answering Chris' questions couldn't hurt.
"Yeah, I do. Guns won't work," he explained. "They'll just piss it off. We need to burn the creature. I know dad used a flare gun that last time he faced one. You have anything like that in the cabin?"
Chris hesitated and then headed into the storeroom behind the kitchen. He returned with two flare guns and several cartridges. JD figured he would have those kinds of supplies around since the cabin was pretty remote.
"Good." JD took the weapons and set them on the table. "I've got one in the trunk."
"Are three flare guns gonna be enough?" Chris asked.
"It would be nice if we had more firepower," JD admitted. He'd never gone up against anything like a Wendigo and certainly not without Immortals leading the way.
Eddie cleared his throat. "How about some fireworks?"
They all turned to stare him.
"You didn't?" Joey laughed.
"It's the 4th on Thursday," Eddie reminded them before disappearing into the master bedroom. Returning with a large box, Eddie proceeded to pull out a 12" mortar launcher with about a dozen rounds, a full brick of firecrackers and a few boxes of novelty items like sparklers. "So, can we use any of this?"
JD looked over the odd assortment. "I've never been happier to have a pyro for a friend," he laughed, clapping a hand on Eddie's shoulder.
"Were you planning on burning down the forest?" Nate asked, disapproval in his tone. "This stuff is dangerous."
"And completely legal in the state of Washington," Eddie shot back. "I know how to use them - safely." He emphasized the last word.
"Nate, this stuff is going to up our chances of saving Vin's life." And our own, if I do decide to lead this crazy hunt. JD added silently. "You know as well as I do that Eddie knows what he's doing with them."
Last Fourth of July, Eddie had put on a hell of a show with JD and Joey's help. By the time the cops had figured out that the teens weren't exactly old enough to be running the neighborhood fireworks display, it was all over and they'd made their escape.
Eddie beamed smugly at Nate who chuckled reluctantly. "Yeah, guess I'm glad you're a pyro, too."
"Let's get going already," Chris barked. "We have weapons and we're wasting time."
"Hold on, Chris."
"No! I'm going to look for my brother with or with out your help."
His friends threw their support behind Chris and JD could tell by the grim determination on their faces that it was too late to talk them out of this suicidal plan. Well, if he was going to lead his friends into danger he was going to be prepared. "Fine, we'll do this, but we're not going to wander around the woods without a plan. We need to figure out where its lair is."
"I'm on it," Mule said and went to grab his lap top. For once, JD was glad his brother was a bit of a techno nerd and knew Mule would be able to get Internet out here with the way he'd pimped out his computer.
Mule set the lap top on the kitchen table as the others gathered around. Booting up, he began searching for maps of the area.
"Wouldn't it be better to just track it?" Chris asked. He was antsy to get moving, but understood the need for preparation.
JD shook his head. "It's not likely that it would leave reliable tracks." JD was trying to recall the details of his dad's first Wendigo hunt and found himself wishing that Vin had had a bag of peanut M&Ms to leave a useful trail like his Uncle Dean had done. "These things are smart, remember they used to be men, and can often lay down false trails. But they like caves, mine shafts - any place underground where they can hole up for years on end."
"Got something," Mule said as he swiveled the computer for everyone to see. "There's some cave's here," he pointed to the screen, "along the ridge about five miles to the north, but there's also an old silver mine a few miles east of the ruined camp site." Mule looked up at JD waiting for him to decide which way they went.
JD stared at the map, willing the right choice to make itself known. If he picked wrong - well he didn't want to think about that.
"The mine," Chris said preempting JD's decision.
"Any reason why?"
"You can't tell from this map but the only way to get to those caves it to repel down. Vin and I did it once with our dad," he paused, the reality of the situation worming its way under his stoic façade; collecting himself he continued. "Never saw any indication they were occupied."
JD smiled. "That's good enough for me. The mine it is. You know how to get there, Chris?"
"Yeah, but never went inside. It's all boarded up."
"Then were going to need something to unboard it and as many flashlights as we can find. We'll need to grab the 2-way radios out of the car since our phones won't work. Also some water and any kind of first aid kit." JD avoided looking at Chris. "We don’t know what kind of condition Vin'll be in, but he might be pretty banged up."
Without speaking the four teens moved off to fill the supplies list, leaving the brothers alone in the kitchen. JD slumped into the chair next to Mule.
"This is a bad idea," Mule said.
"Tell me about it, but I don't see an alternative." JD pointed a finger at his brother. "You're staying here and waiting for the uncles."
"No way, JD! I'm the only one with any kind of hunting experience."
"Hotel room sitting doesn't count, dude. Besides Dad'll kill me if he finds out I let you come along, right after Dean and Richie take their shot." JD glared at his brother trying to will him into obedience.
"Dad and the uncles'll kill you anyway for leaving the cabin, so you might as well let me come." Mule's face took on a serious cast. "You know I'm the best one to watch your back. I may not have hunted officially, but I know what I'm doing."
JD met his brother eyes and relented. "This is a cluster fuck either way, but you're right, we have a better chance of success with you along."
Mule broke out his biggest smile in spite of the dire situation. "Did you just say I was right?"
"Don't push it, twerp."
"I'm pretty sure you just said I was right." Mule laughed.
"Let's just hope I live to regret ever admitting it." JD gave Mule a friendly punch in the shoulder before going off to see what everyone had collected.
*********************************************************
"Pick up, JD!" Dean growled into the phone. He snapped it shut and tossed the cell at Richie as he concentrated on coaxing another five miles an hour out of the Impala.
"You sure you had the right number?" Richie asked.
Dean spared him a withering glance before focusing back on the road.
"JD knows better than to go after a Wendigo without us or to put Mule in danger." Richie tried to sound positive but he was just as worried as Dean by the silence on the other end of the phone.
"You know those friends of JD's. You really think they stayed put?"
"No I don't," Richie admitted. "But if it's any consolation, I'm guessing Chris didn't leave him much choice."
"Maybe Mule stopped them," Dean said hopefully. "That kid's not a rule breaker."
"Stand up to those five?" Richie shook his head. "Not a chance." Even if Mule could have convinced the others to stay in the cabin it still didn't explain why no one was answering the sat phone.
Dean slammed his hand against the steering wheel. "Damn it, JD! No hunting without Immortals! That's rule number one!" He shouted at the empty road in front of him as if he could reach his nephew through sheer force of will.
They descended into silence having both reached the same conclusion: either the kids were off hunting the Wendigo or …well… Richie tried not to let his thoughts drift that way.
"When I find him - " Dean left the threat hanging.
"Yeah and then I get a turn."
The two Immortals exchanged a quick look that spoke volumes about how much they hoped they'd have the chance to give JD and Mule hell.
*************************************
Chris and Mule led the way through the woods, each equipped with a flare gun. Nate, Joey and Eddie followed close behind carrying all their supplies. At the back of the group, JD held the third flare gun at the ready, while scanning the woods for the creature and keeping an eye on Mule at the front.
JD had wanted someone to stay behind to meet the uncles, but he needed Eddie to set up the fireworks and, of course, Chris was leading the charge to go after Vin. Nate, with all his years volunteering at the local hospital, had more first aid training the rest of them combined. Reluctantly JD admitted that they might need Nate's skills and JD sure didn't have them; it's not like he needed to know first aid while hunting with Immortals. That left Joey and he wasn't about to stay behind, not with the rest of his friends putting themselves in harm's way.
JD sighed as he heard Uncle Dean's voice in his headCivilians- more like pains in the ass.
They'd been hiking for almost an hour in silence, JD had insisted on that. Wendigo's preferred to hunt at night and in the early morning. Vin and Mule had stumbled upon the creature before lunch time. It was now late afternoon and JD hoped that if they were lucky maybe this might be when the creature was sleeping. He tried not to think about when the creature might like to eat.
Chris held up a hand and whispered, "We're here," just loud enough to bring them all to a halt.
Too soon JD thought. I need more time. He wasn't sure what he was going to do now that they'd arrived. A part of him had been hoping that they wouldn't find the mine. That his uncles would magically appear and save him from leading his untrained friends on this suicide mission.
JD pushed his way to the front of the group to study the entrance. It had been boarded up, but it looked as if it had been broken into, or more likely out of, recently.
Mule nudged him and pointed. "Claw marks."
"Looks like you were right about the mine, Chris," JD said, simultaneously relieved that they had guessed right and terrified of what they now faced. He needed to stall some more. His uncles might be at the cabin by now, knowing how Dean drove. Mule had left a very detailed map to the mine pinned to the door and they marked the trail as they'd hiked pretty clearly. If he could get Chris to wait an hour, they might have Immortals leading the way, which is truthfully how JD preferred it; how he was trained to approach a hunt.
"Let's go," Chris moved forward to step over the broken boards that had once served to block the entrance.
So much for stalling, JD thought. It was up to him, the Immortals were not going to get here before they faced the big bad. JD wanted to - no needed to - make sure everyone got through this alive. The alternative was unacceptable. His dad and Uncle Dean had hunted for years before Immortality became part of the picture, there was no reason, with his training and know how that he couldn't do the same.
JD took a deep breath and decided it was time he truly embraced his leadership position. He grabbed his friend's arm to stop his entrance into the mine. "Hold up, Chris. I'm taking point now."
Chris looked as if he wanted to protest but seeing the serious expression on JD's face thought better of it. "Right, you're the professional."
JD wanted to protest that moniker, but looking at his friends faces he knew they saw him that way. Thinking back on all the hunts with his Uncle Dean, JD tried to emulate the kind of steely determination he'd always seen in his uncle when laying out the plan. "When we get in there everyone does exactly what I tell them; no arguments. I say run, you run. I say stay, you stay."
Everyone nodded without comment.
"Mule, give everyone a flash light," JD continued. "I'll take one of the radios and Eddie you'll have the other one. Don’t use them unless it's an emergency. We don’t want to alert the Wendigo to our presence. So that means no talking; we move as quietly as possible. Stealth is more important than speed."
JD looked at each of his friends as he delivered his little speech and was relieved to see total acceptance of his leadership.
Mule reached into Joey's pack and began distributing flashlights. He walked over to JD to hand him one, but held onto the light as his brother tried to take it forcing JD to look at him.
"So what's the rest of the plan?" Mule whispered.
"Since stalling didn't work, I'm still working on Plan B." He looked into his brother's eyes seeing the same fears he was suppressing reflected there. The other boys really didn't understand the gravity of what they were facing and JD had no way to make the danger real for them, but Mule understood. "You don’t have to come any further, in fact, I'd prefer if you didn't."
"We've been over this," Mule shook his head, "I'm not letting you go in there without me."
"I figured you'd say that," JD threw him a sad smile. "But I needed to try."
Mule leaned in and whispered, "I know you can lead us through this, JD."
He looked down at his brother and was surprised to see he was sincere. Mule had faith in him and that was strangely comforting. He smiled and ruffled his brother's hair. "Thanks, twerp."
Mule ducked away from the contact. "Cut that out, jerk," he protested frowning, but Mule's eyes told JD a different story.
He was grateful for the vote of confidence along with Mule's ability to bring the chick flick moment to an end without having to actually acknowledge it.
******************************
"This must be the place," Dean said as he pulled the Impala to a stop next to JD's car.
Cautiously, the two Immortals exited the car, flare guns in hand, eyes scanning the woods for any unnatural activity.
Richie reached the door to the cabin first. "Shit!"
"What?"
He pulled the note off the cabin door and handed it to Dean.
"Son of a Bitch," Dean barked. "I told them to stay put." He looked at the note from Mule detailing the boys' destination.
Richie pushed the door open wanting to make sure there were no surprises inside. "Any body home?" He called into the empty cabin and waited a beat before swinging the door closed again. "Looks like they all went after Vin."
"Course they did and it looks like they left over an hour ago," Dean said pointing to the time on Mule's note.
"We may be able to catch up then. JD is smart enough to try and stall till we get there."
Dean snorted. "Sure he is," the sarcasm dripping from his voice, "Because he's used his head so far."
"You don't know for sure what's happened." Richie felt the need to defend his nephew. "Chris may have gone running off and JD had no choice."
"There's always a choice," Dean growled. "He could have tied the kid to a chair and waited for us."
"And if it was Mule out there in the woods, you think JD would have waited? Would you have waited for back-up to rescue Sam?"
Dean just glared at him. "Rule number one." He held up a finger to emphasize his statement, but he knew Richie was right. There was no way JD could have stopped Chris from going after his brother; family took care of its own.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Richie said sensing the hypocrisy in Dean's insistence.