In Which Alloces Beats the Hell Out of Alec
"SAM!"
Sam was down. Sam was down and Sam wasn't moving, and he really needed to start doing that, or his brother was going to lose it. Dean's arms strained against the ropes holding him in place, rubbing the skin of his wrists raw as he tried to move, tried to do something so that he could get to his brother and get him to wake up. He was going to smack him later for not responding when he spoke to him, because there was no way that his brother was dead. Nope. Not happening. Not again.
"Sam, fucking answer me, damnit!" He continued to struggle against he binds that were holding him in place, and he began to feel less anger, and more full blown panic as he continued to struggle, feeling the burn of the rope and not caring. What was a little rope burn when his brother was lying on the ground and not moving. "Someone -- fuck, someone get me out of this goddamn fucking chair so I can get to my goddamn -- "
His voice trailed off when he spotted Alloces moving towards the two of them, and a whole new wave of rage flowed through him. "Don't you dare touch him you goddamn son of a bitch! This is your fucking fault! Why can't you just leave my fucking family alone and go crawl back into whatever slimy pit of Hell you crawled out of you egotistical sadistic son of a -- "
"He's alive." Alloces spoke calmly as he moved his fingers from Sam's pulse point. "The pulse is weak, but it's there." His hand then moved, shifting slightly to brush the young girl's hair away from her face as he spoke again. "But she's not."
"Well, that's too fucking bad," Dean growled. "Now get me out of this damn chair you fucking piece of shit or I swear to God when I finally get out of here, I'll tear you apart my fucking self."
Alec arrived in time to hear Alloces state that his uncle was still alive. Which he could see just fine as he took his glasses over and shoved them in their steel case. This? This was bad. Sam was all sorts of fucked up, his power flaring bright and then guttering unsteadily. Ruby's hold on the body was frayed, and he knew that she needed the body to use or she was rather ineffective. And his father. Flipping out.
And then there was Amy's boy-thing. Alec knew when he was outclassed by a more frightening predator. He knew it in the way his fur stood on end and in his bones. Jinx knew it too, his lip curled back and the way he slunk low to the floor defensive and threatening. Alec looked at Alloces for a long moment and knew that even though he was going to lose he couldn't back down now. Not if he wanted his family to live. If he could get them the time to get to the door Ben could get them out.
He stepped through the door calm as any cat surveying it's domain. "Go watch out for Ruby. Don't leave her." The order was directed at Jinx with a soft rub over his head. Jinx clearly didn't like it, but he knew when not to argue. Alec then made his way over to Dean and pulled his own knife from his back pocket to start cutting through the ropes. He didn't ask for permission or even act like he was worried about the demon at his back. Fear would only get him killed quicker.
Ruby's fingers tightened around Jinx's collar once he got close enough, pulling him in to her and keeping him close. She knew that Alloces wouldn't go for her again, not in that way, but she also knew that if Jinx tried to get in the way of whatever move Alloces may be making in Alec's direction, Alloces would kill him without a second thought -- and on the off chance that Alec survived this, Ruby wanted him to at least have his dog.
Dean on the other hand, looked over at Alec with confused eyes. While he really was grateful for being freed from the chair he was sitting in, this wasn't what he had in mind. Alloces just watched Alec from the distance, studying him for a moment as he worked, but making no move to interfere. Phoenix never said anything about Dean being untied -- just him leaving, and if the boy with the hellhound for a dog tried to get in the way of that, Alloces would do what he had to do to make sure that didn't happen.
He closed his eyes for a second before looking his father in the face. "Sam's power is fucked up seven ways from Sunday. Ben's outside. I'll buy you time." He was terrified, but it was buried so deep that he could barely feel it.
Dean looked from him to Alloces, then back to his son again, and started shaking his head vehemently. He'd seen what the son of a bitch did to Ruby. He wasn't going to watch him do the same thing to his son. "Hell no."
"Dean, don't be stupid," Ruby snapped. She didn't like it either, but if any of them had a chance of standing up to the demon right now, it was Alec. "Just do what he says and get Sam out of here."
Alloces just crossed his arms in front of his chest, pushing himself completely to his feet and watching the two of them closely, placing himself sturdily between them and Sam. This should be interesting to say the least -- provided Dean actually lets his son have his way.
Alec looked at his father flatly. Right now he was far more X5-494 than Alec Winchester. This was the person who led missions at the age of fifteen, who could walk head on into a fire fight and take out everyone in his way, who would get the job done because he knew what he was and exactly what he was good for. "This is my job. This is what I'm made to do. To stand up when others can't. Take the others and go. Give me a reason to walk away from this."
And Dean didn't have one. Not one that was good enough, nor that Alec would like. He knew Alec was right, and that this wasn't something he could handle, but that doesn't mean he didn't like it any less. He just glanced back at Ruby, and she nodded, before gesturing for Alec to come over to her. There was no way he could win, flat out, but there were ways that would keep him on his feet longer and buy them more time.
Alloces, on the other hand, just waited. He didn't stop Dean when he moved past the demon to get to his brother. Dean just crouched down next to Sam, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder lightly, and watching as the wide yellow eyes turned to look at him for a moment, before slipping closed again. Dean just fisted Sam's shirt tightly, before, starting to shift so that he could carry his brother's weight and get him out of there.
Alec looked over his shoulder at Alloces giving the man an assessing look and then went over to Ruby and crouched down next to her. His hand immediately went to Jinx to pet, but he was glad Ruby was holding him. "Tell them I mean to live not win. It's different."
Ruby nodded slowly, before taking a deep breath. "Alloces is fast, but you're faster. You can use that. Also, he's got some finesse, but just to enough to make him look smoother than a bulldozer or a wrecking ball. And if he throws you down and you can still get on your feet? Get. Up. He'll respect you more for it -- he won't go easier, but he'll respect you, and that's important."
"I guess if he has some respect he won’t actually play with me. No one ever likes to be the mouse." He drew in a deep breath. "Okay. " He gave Jinx one more pat. "You stay with her and the others." Jinx whined, low and unhappy.
Ruby moved her hand up to Jinx and starting to scratch him behind the ears. "Don't wait -- if you have a hit, you take it. You may not get another chance."
"Like another X5. Okay. Any other advice?" Because he'd take all he could get. "Besides don't get him, because he packs a punch."
Ruby wanted to give him her knife, but she knew that he'd lose it just as quickly. But still -- she flipped the blade around in her hand, holding it out to him handle out. "Don't use it as a main weapon -- you'll lose it as soon as he sees it in your hand. But if you have the opportunity -- it's you or him, Alec. If you pull your punches, he'll have no problem with killing you."
"Amy will be so pissed if I kill her boy-thing." But he noticeably wasn't refusing. It just made him a little sick to think about what it would do to her. He took the knife and weighted it to get a feel. He'd never actually handled it. It was a wicked thing. The power it carried far sharper than the physical blade.
"I think she'll understand why, though," Ruby said with a sigh. "She won't hold it against you."
"She'd have a right to. This is fucked up. Ben's waiting. I'll follow. Somehow." Alec only knew two ways to approach a fight. For fun or survival. And this was about survival. Survival said nothing about winning, just being able to walk away.
"Good luck," Ruby said with a nod, before looking over at Alloces. The other demon was starting to get bored.
"You all done having your little family moment, or are we going to actually get down to business now?"
Alec rolled his eyes, certain death or not, and stood. He turned and tucked the knife away. "You say it like you aren't enjoying the hell out of this."
At that, the demon arched an eyebrow before shaking his head slightly. "I don't like to wait. Either you take the challenge or you don't -- just pick one."
"You have any rules you'd like through toss out here before we try and beat the crap out of each other?" He circled away from Ruby and Jinx.
Alloces watched him as he moved, smirking slightly as he went. "Where's the fun if you have rules?"
"Hey, I'm with you on that one, but I'm never sure when I'll run into a party pooper." He might as well enjoy this while he could. His smirk was feral.
"Well, believe me -- I'm not," Alloces grinned, cracking his knuckles lightly.
He kept circling, making Alloces turn to follow, watching to see if there were any weakness he could exploit. If Ruby had gotten any solid hits in. "I'd say you should take up cage fighting as a hobby, but you'd think it was boring."
"Can't kill in cage fighting," Alloces replied. "I tend to like to tear things apart when I'm fighting for sport."
"You should have been born a cat. Me personally? I think tearing things apart is a little messy. I hate being sticky." Did this man have no weaknesses? Alec didn't want to make the first move. He hated making the first move.
Sure he did. There was your regular old exorcism, getting stuck in a Devil's trap -- if you could trap him, your job was half done. But that wasn't going to help Alec much at the moment. He just shrugged at the sticky comment. "Blood comes off. And I happen to like the mess."
"Dog then, not cat. Felines are prissy when it comes to a mess." Alloces wasn't Meg. He couldn't get a trap laid. Predators watched for traps. Alec didn't let his attention stray back to his family either. He trusted them to do what they were supposed to. He hoped that Alloces would get impatient and take the first shot. Then Alec could get a feel for how he moved.
Alloces was capable of making the first move, but it also required the right opportunity. And there was something about Alec that was -- different. He didn't know what he was dealing with, and he was a bit more willing to not strike right away -- but that didn't mean he wouldn't get close, moving in inches at a time as he and Alec continued to circle each other. Ruby watched this for a minute before rolling her eyes and speaking.
"Oh, come on -- are you guys going to dance or are you going to beat the crap out of each other? I feel like I'm watching two teenagers at the prom."
Alloces turned back to her, taking his eyes off Alec for the moment to look, raising an eyebrow in the other demon's direction.
Alec didn't like making the first move. But he could make an exception. He moved with all the speed and strength packed into his X5 body. He aimed straight for Alloces' solar plexus. He figured he might as well go for a potential kill shot. It would either disable the body, or at least get Alloces to focus on him. He moved back out of reach as quickly as he had slid in close. "Sorry. Guess I'm a crappy date."
Alloces doubled slightly from the force -- not much, as he could take it, but still he did. It was more force than he had been expecting -- which was good, he liked being surprised. He placed a hand over the area where the boy had hit, before looking up at him. "Not bad. My turn." And with that he moved, charging towards Alec, and aiming a fist for his face.
Ruby was right. He was fast, but he telegraphed. If he landed a hit Alec was in trouble. Alec spun, fast but still visible. Blurring could tire a person, best to save it for when he really needed it. Alloces fist whistled past his nose and Alec kept going hoping to get behind the man. They were still testing each other. Unfortunately Alec already knew he wasn't strong enough to get the job done.
Alloces watched him move, spinning around on the balls of his feet and slamming his arm back in attempt to clothesline him. He was moving quickly and if the other person could move fast enough, he could use the momentum to his advantage and catch him off guard. The demon wasn't expecting much, however, because the guy was fast, and he was good. Alloces just wanted to see if he could grab hold of him.
No such luck. The absolute last thing Alec wanted to happen was for Alloces to actually get a hold on him. There was a reason he still wore combat boots. And one of those reasons was the nice easy traction rubber soles. Alloces was right though. He couldn't stop the momentum. He slammed the breaks on and would have fallen except he grabbed Alloces wrist with both hands and used it as a pivot point and swung all the momentum into trying to yank Alloces off his feet and around. He could be any heavier than a normal human right? Even if he was stronger. Right?
True, he wasn't heavier. But if there was one thing he hated, it was being thrown. His body pitched forward, taking the momentum that Alec was forcing on him, and trying not to lose it, whipping her fingers around to match Alec's grip on his wrist and holding on tightly, channeling the momentum back and moved into the spin with him, before winding up and letting go, wanting to see how far, if at all Alec would fly.
"Fuck." Alec flew. He flew farther than he would like, but at least that gave him time to twist his body around. Like any good cat he landed on his feet this in a crouch with one hand touching down for balance. It hurt. All that force slamming up through his joint. He blinked at Alloces and stood.
Alloces smirked slightly, starting to move forward, still reeling slightly from the spinning. "I don't like being thrown."
"Then you shouldn't do things to get you thrown." Alec waited. That was how this fight was going to go. Most of his hits would do nothing unless he could get a joint, or wait for Alloces to lend the power.
"Mmm-hmmm," he said, before shifting his weight to one side, starting to charge him again and getting ready to aim his best hits for where he knew it would hurt.
Alec bit his lip as he waited. The timing had to be right. Because he'd be off balance and a sitting duck. The split second the other man was with in solid reach of Alec's leg he dropped low and aimed his heel at the other man's knee. And tried to brace himself for what ever was going to hit him instead.
When Alloces felt Alec hit his knee and he pitched forward. He twisted slightly, trying to conserve the momentum and throw his body in Alec's direction, fist raised high in the air to come across the man's face.
Alec forced himself to go limp. He couldn't escape and if he tensed up his neck would snap like a twig. Never the less his ears would be ringing from this.
The punch hit, and Alloces took them both to the ground, letting his side connect with the ground and he rolled away, not wanting to give Alec the advantage from the floor.
Alec heard more than felt his head connect with the floor. That was never good, when shock hit him before the pain could. But he took it, rolled other way and into a crouch. His head was ringing too hard for him to ever remember Ruby's advice. This was animal instinct. If he stayed down he was easy prey.
Alloces smiled slightly when he saw him get up and nodded slowly. "Good."
". . .I crunch a tendon in your knew and you say good?" Maybe he had blood in his ears?
"Your head hit the floor, and you still got up."
"What else was I going to do? Lay there and let you kill me?" He rubbed his head and came away with a little blood. His lip curled. "Sticky. Hate sticky remember?"
Alloces nodded slowly, before starting to advance towards him again. "Think it might be a little more than that."
"Not yet it ain't slick. So far all components are in their original carry case." Alec circled rather than let him get close, he was still trying to gain back his balance.
"No, not -- " A pause and a sigh, as he continued to advance, watching Alec with careful eyes. " -- Never mind."
"Hey, that's not fair." He actually sounded a bit affronted. "You can't just start saying something like that and then just stop. Uncool." He meant it to. He hated to be left hanging. He did a quick scan of his surroundings. Rafters. If he needed a real breather there was the place to get it.
"I wasn't talking about the blood," Alloces said slowly. "I was talking about your reasoning for getting up."
Was he limping? Jesus was the other man even limping? It was like dealing with a Familiar. Pain didn't seem to register. "It wasn't reasoning." Alec saw no reason to lie. "It's just what you do if you want to live."
Alloces considered that for a moment. "Everything is reasoning when it comes to humans. Even if it's unconscious, or instinct, it's still reasoning."
"Are you saying I don't know my own mind?" He raised an eyebrow. But the man had something of a point. If he went at this in to human like a fashion he was going to die here. He knew how to hunt like a cat, maybe he should try it.
"No -- I'm just saying you don't understand it the way a demon does," Alloces said with a nod, before starting to move closer to him again.
"Nope," He grinned and with no warning leapt straight for him. If he's actually had four paws and a set of claws and teeth to go with the in DNA the best to make a kill was to go for the neck, and either tear it out or break in and then roll clear while the animal died. And that was exactly what he indented to do. And if Alloces could track the move visually Alec would turn in his spots.
He couldn't track it -- that much was true. But he could grab hold when he went through his neck, manipulating the momentum as best he could. He could feel himself falling backwards under the force of the weight, but he grabbed whatever of Alec he could hold on to, twisted his body to angle him downwards, and slammed him down into the ground.
Alec hit hard and something cracked, but now he wanted the kill too badly to worry about it. He snarled and rolled them both still trying to good grip to break Alloces neck.
Alloces took the roll and one fist moved up, reaching up and slamming into his face. If Alec broke his neck, the body would be useless, and that wasn't what he needed right now. His other arm came up as well, starting to roll them again and continuing to slam the punches as he went.
Alec grit his teeth and clawed to keep hold but when he was rolled again and his head slammed into the floor again he wanted distance, he did his best to get his knees between them and kick up to peel the larger man off of him.
Alloces managed to get a few more good hits in before Alec pushed him back and he landed a bit further back on the floor. It wasn't a lot of distance, but it was some -- they both were going to have to get up again if they wanted to get anywhere near each other.
Alec rolled into a crouch, and used the back of his hand to wipe the blood off his face. He liked his lips and watched Alloces, waiting for another chance. Somewhere the human part of him tried to interject some reason and a tally list of injuries but he was not in the least mood to listen.
Alloces pushed himself up onto his feet, tilting his head to the side, watching Alec as he moved. Alec was tougher than he had been expecting, which was a good thing. It was always a good thing when things were more of a challenge. He started to circle slightly across the floor, rolling his shoulders to loosen them up again and keep them moving.
Alec watched, fingers flexing. He didn't move, knowing his body wouldn't stiffen up on him like a human's would. This was different than all the other's he hunted. This was another hunter. This was harder. His lip curled up and a growl rolled free.
Alloces just smirked, moving in closer to him. "You're not bad."
"I live to impress." If he couldn't get the man from the front Alec was willing to get him from behind. He watched Alloces move towards him, and was glade he had a perfect memory. Once more step was all Alec needed. As the demon's foot came down Alec shot up, in one of those spectacular X5 leaps. At the top of his arc he snagged the rafter beam and used it to reverse direction. He fully intended to slam himself into Alloces back from above and behind boots first. If he missed he was screwed.
Alloces watched him move, his body turning as he followed Alec mid-flight. When he started to come back down, the demon braced himself, reaching for the nearest body part he could grab, before slamming Alec down into the ground again, using all the force he could manage from that angle.
Alec hit the ground with an alarming whump, and one of the bones in his leg cracking under Alloces hand. Alec lay, stunned for a second, before instinct took over and he kicked free of the demon's grip and again rolled to his feet. The shock actually brought him back to himself a little. He was losing and he didn't even know if his family was safe. He swallowed blood and pulled himself up.
"STOP!"
Alloces was still moving, about to move in for another hit, but he stopped mid-motion and turned at the sound of the voice, stopping in his tracks. He always did what Amy said, and there she was, standing in the doorway of the barn, looking at both of them with a look of almost horror on her face. She was across the room in two seconds, placing a hand on his chest, and pushing him back slowly. "Not him."
He just watched her for a moment, and she gave him a small smile, before leaning in to kiss him lightly on the cheek. "Take care of Ruby. For me." He was quiet still, but nodded slowly, starting to make his way back across the room, and she turned around again, before moving towards Alec, hands coming up gently to support him. "Oh, God, honey -- "
He slipped an arm around her shoulder and then let his head rest on the other shoulder. "Just. . . just tell me their safe."
"They're fine, honey," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him loosely. "They're fine and they're waiting for you."
Ruby let Jinx go as soon as Alloces started heading over to them, shooing him in the direction of Alec and Amy. If Alloces was coming her way, and he wasn't charging to get there, he wasn't out to kill her.
Jinx looked from Alloces to Ruby, and since she seemed alright, at least as much as she could be he took off for Alec.
Alec hid his wince from her loose hug in her shirt, and curled his fingers in Jinx's fur and the dog slipped under his free hand. "Thank you. For. . .thank you." He swallowed hard and then pulled himself up. "We should go. Sam needs help."
Alloces watched the dog go, before reaching for Ruby and scooping her up. "Where are we going?"
"Seattle," she said softly, before leaning in closer to him as he disappeared from view.
Amy nodded, before turning out slightly, so she could walk him out. "Lean on me. Your dad wants you to call that doctor friend of yours?"
"Yeah." He used her to check his balance frequently but mostly supported his own weight. "My cell's in my bag." Which he had dropped by the chair Dean had been tied to. Jinx zipped off to grab it.
Amy nodded slowly. "Are you feeling okay? How badly did he push you around?"
"It certainly wasn't a back massage, but I'm pretty sure I've had worse." Right? He figured some of this would wear off as he shook of the blows to the head. He took his bag from Jinx to an appreciative smile.
"Well, just take it easy. He hits hard -- especially with the way he was coming at you," she sighed, reaching for the door of the barn as they finally reached the outside, where the cars were lined up and as soon as Dean spotted them, he was up on his feet, moving towards his son. Sam was already in the back seat of the Impala, ready to go.
"Jesus," Dean sighed, reaching for his shoulders gently as he looked him over. "You alright?"
Alec leaned into the contact. His dad, at least, was safe and sound. His shoulders were about the only things that didn't hurt from bruising. "Define alright? I'm a huge bruise, but I'm pretty sure I'll live."
Ben was against the car, looking very agitated. He couldn't feel Sam and that was worrying him. And not Alec felt hurt and Ben didn't know what to do or what he could do. "Get him in my car, I'll drive..." because yes, Ben could do that.
"Drive where?" Dean sighed. "Where's the nearest hospital?" He paused for a moment before starting to sound more frustrated. "Where the hell are we?"
Amy just nodded before starting to steer Alec in the direction of Ben's car, ready to head wherever they were going.
"Jersey." Alec answered his farther without thinking, then rattled his brain to shake loose the useful bit of info that was just out of reach. He had a headache like no one would believe. "Jersey. . . uh, Sam has a doctor here." He held still and closed his eyes pulling up the info. "Princeton Plainsboro."
"Isn't that where you guys went to meet Kutner for your checkups?" Ben asked, confused.
"Wait -- what?" Dean frowned, confused. Did he miss something?
"Yeah." Alec gave Ben a guilty look. "He didn't want me to say anything. I told him I wouldn't bring it up but I wouldn't lie for him either." He was miserable and dizzy and didn't want his brother angry with him.
"About how his powers were killing him?" Ben asked. He shook his head, trying not to be angry either. It seemed that he wasn't important enough to know about anything major in the family anymore. That he had to be protected. "Forget about it. Let's just get you guys there A.S.A.P."
Dean sighed slightly, running a hand over his face. "Look, you guys lead the way since I have no idea where we're going. And call Kutner -- let them know we're coming."
Yeah, Alec got the message that he had messed up. And Alec forgot nothing. He looked away from Ben and nodded to his father. It was a mistake and he had to lean against the car as he fumbled with his phone. He needed to rest and he couldn't yet. He forced his fingers to work.
Kutner was fortunately heading out of he clinic when he got Alec's call, straddling his motorcycle as he answered the phone, only pausing to glance at the caller ID briefly. "Hey, Alec, what's up?"
"Uh. . .I. . .think I may have a broken bone in my right leg." He says this like he's just sorted it out for himself. "Anyway. Um, we, the family got our collective asses handed to us by a demon and Sam's not doing to well. Help?"
"Alright, where are you guys?" Kutner said with a sigh, running a hand over his face lightly. "I'll try and get there as soon as I can."
"Jersey." He looked around trying to find a way to give a better answer. "Can you talk to Ben?" He gave his brother a look that asked to be saved, because his head hurt. He held out the phone.
Ben took the phone from his brother before opening the passenger's side door to let him get into the car. "We're in South Jersey, somewhere near the Pine Barrens. Middle of nowhere."
Kutner sighed slightly before nodding. "Okay. Get them to Princeton Plainsboro. I'll call Foreman and let him know you're on your way in. I'm in Seattle, but I'll get the closest flight I can get and I'll be there as soon as possible."
"Okay," Ben nodded back to his father, who started to get in the Impala and start her up. "We'll get them there as soon as we can. Is there anything Amy or I could do for them for the drive?"
"Considering Sam's condition last I saw him, probably not much. Is Alec bleeding at all, or is the incoherence mostly from being banged around?"
Ben moved for a minute before looking over at his brother. "He doesn't seem to be bleeding much -- just banged up."
"Okay, then he's probably got a concussion. Do your best to keep him awake for the drive, and then ask for a Doctor House when you get there. He's not Alec's favorite doctor in the world, but he can examine him and make sure he's not going to keel over dead. He can even do it without touching him, if Alec prefers."
"Which he probably will," Ben sighed before nodding. "Okay. We'll see you as soon as you get in."
"Yup. Talk to you later."
Kutner hung up, and Ben handed his brother back his phone as he climbed into the car. "Do your best to stay awake, okay? Kutner says you probably have a concussion."
"Okay." He nodded very seriously, and sank his fingers into Jinx's fur. The dog had settled in the foot well between Alec's legs and had his paws in Alec's lap.
"Okay," Ben nodded slowly, before starting the car and starting to pull out onto the highway, Dean following close behind him. The sooner they got to the hospital, the better.
Sam was down. Sam was down and Sam wasn't moving, and he really needed to start doing that, or his brother was going to lose it. Dean's arms strained against the ropes holding him in place, rubbing the skin of his wrists raw as he tried to move, tried to do something so that he could get to his brother and get him to wake up. He was going to smack him later for not responding when he spoke to him, because there was no way that his brother was dead. Nope. Not happening. Not again.
"Sam, fucking answer me, damnit!" He continued to struggle against he binds that were holding him in place, and he began to feel less anger, and more full blown panic as he continued to struggle, feeling the burn of the rope and not caring. What was a little rope burn when his brother was lying on the ground and not moving. "Someone -- fuck, someone get me out of this goddamn fucking chair so I can get to my goddamn -- "
His voice trailed off when he spotted Alloces moving towards the two of them, and a whole new wave of rage flowed through him. "Don't you dare touch him you goddamn son of a bitch! This is your fucking fault! Why can't you just leave my fucking family alone and go crawl back into whatever slimy pit of Hell you crawled out of you egotistical sadistic son of a -- "
"He's alive." Alloces spoke calmly as he moved his fingers from Sam's pulse point. "The pulse is weak, but it's there." His hand then moved, shifting slightly to brush the young girl's hair away from her face as he spoke again. "But she's not."
"Well, that's too fucking bad," Dean growled. "Now get me out of this damn chair you fucking piece of shit or I swear to God when I finally get out of here, I'll tear you apart my fucking self."
Alec arrived in time to hear Alloces state that his uncle was still alive. Which he could see just fine as he took his glasses over and shoved them in their steel case. This? This was bad. Sam was all sorts of fucked up, his power flaring bright and then guttering unsteadily. Ruby's hold on the body was frayed, and he knew that she needed the body to use or she was rather ineffective. And his father. Flipping out.
And then there was Amy's boy-thing. Alec knew when he was outclassed by a more frightening predator. He knew it in the way his fur stood on end and in his bones. Jinx knew it too, his lip curled back and the way he slunk low to the floor defensive and threatening. Alec looked at Alloces for a long moment and knew that even though he was going to lose he couldn't back down now. Not if he wanted his family to live. If he could get them the time to get to the door Ben could get them out.
He stepped through the door calm as any cat surveying it's domain. "Go watch out for Ruby. Don't leave her." The order was directed at Jinx with a soft rub over his head. Jinx clearly didn't like it, but he knew when not to argue. Alec then made his way over to Dean and pulled his own knife from his back pocket to start cutting through the ropes. He didn't ask for permission or even act like he was worried about the demon at his back. Fear would only get him killed quicker.
Ruby's fingers tightened around Jinx's collar once he got close enough, pulling him in to her and keeping him close. She knew that Alloces wouldn't go for her again, not in that way, but she also knew that if Jinx tried to get in the way of whatever move Alloces may be making in Alec's direction, Alloces would kill him without a second thought -- and on the off chance that Alec survived this, Ruby wanted him to at least have his dog.
Dean on the other hand, looked over at Alec with confused eyes. While he really was grateful for being freed from the chair he was sitting in, this wasn't what he had in mind. Alloces just watched Alec from the distance, studying him for a moment as he worked, but making no move to interfere. Phoenix never said anything about Dean being untied -- just him leaving, and if the boy with the hellhound for a dog tried to get in the way of that, Alloces would do what he had to do to make sure that didn't happen.
He closed his eyes for a second before looking his father in the face. "Sam's power is fucked up seven ways from Sunday. Ben's outside. I'll buy you time." He was terrified, but it was buried so deep that he could barely feel it.
Dean looked from him to Alloces, then back to his son again, and started shaking his head vehemently. He'd seen what the son of a bitch did to Ruby. He wasn't going to watch him do the same thing to his son. "Hell no."
"Dean, don't be stupid," Ruby snapped. She didn't like it either, but if any of them had a chance of standing up to the demon right now, it was Alec. "Just do what he says and get Sam out of here."
Alloces just crossed his arms in front of his chest, pushing himself completely to his feet and watching the two of them closely, placing himself sturdily between them and Sam. This should be interesting to say the least -- provided Dean actually lets his son have his way.
Alec looked at his father flatly. Right now he was far more X5-494 than Alec Winchester. This was the person who led missions at the age of fifteen, who could walk head on into a fire fight and take out everyone in his way, who would get the job done because he knew what he was and exactly what he was good for. "This is my job. This is what I'm made to do. To stand up when others can't. Take the others and go. Give me a reason to walk away from this."
And Dean didn't have one. Not one that was good enough, nor that Alec would like. He knew Alec was right, and that this wasn't something he could handle, but that doesn't mean he didn't like it any less. He just glanced back at Ruby, and she nodded, before gesturing for Alec to come over to her. There was no way he could win, flat out, but there were ways that would keep him on his feet longer and buy them more time.
Alloces, on the other hand, just waited. He didn't stop Dean when he moved past the demon to get to his brother. Dean just crouched down next to Sam, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder lightly, and watching as the wide yellow eyes turned to look at him for a moment, before slipping closed again. Dean just fisted Sam's shirt tightly, before, starting to shift so that he could carry his brother's weight and get him out of there.
Alec looked over his shoulder at Alloces giving the man an assessing look and then went over to Ruby and crouched down next to her. His hand immediately went to Jinx to pet, but he was glad Ruby was holding him. "Tell them I mean to live not win. It's different."
Ruby nodded slowly, before taking a deep breath. "Alloces is fast, but you're faster. You can use that. Also, he's got some finesse, but just to enough to make him look smoother than a bulldozer or a wrecking ball. And if he throws you down and you can still get on your feet? Get. Up. He'll respect you more for it -- he won't go easier, but he'll respect you, and that's important."
"I guess if he has some respect he won’t actually play with me. No one ever likes to be the mouse." He drew in a deep breath. "Okay. " He gave Jinx one more pat. "You stay with her and the others." Jinx whined, low and unhappy.
Ruby moved her hand up to Jinx and starting to scratch him behind the ears. "Don't wait -- if you have a hit, you take it. You may not get another chance."
"Like another X5. Okay. Any other advice?" Because he'd take all he could get. "Besides don't get him, because he packs a punch."
Ruby wanted to give him her knife, but she knew that he'd lose it just as quickly. But still -- she flipped the blade around in her hand, holding it out to him handle out. "Don't use it as a main weapon -- you'll lose it as soon as he sees it in your hand. But if you have the opportunity -- it's you or him, Alec. If you pull your punches, he'll have no problem with killing you."
"Amy will be so pissed if I kill her boy-thing." But he noticeably wasn't refusing. It just made him a little sick to think about what it would do to her. He took the knife and weighted it to get a feel. He'd never actually handled it. It was a wicked thing. The power it carried far sharper than the physical blade.
"I think she'll understand why, though," Ruby said with a sigh. "She won't hold it against you."
"She'd have a right to. This is fucked up. Ben's waiting. I'll follow. Somehow." Alec only knew two ways to approach a fight. For fun or survival. And this was about survival. Survival said nothing about winning, just being able to walk away.
"Good luck," Ruby said with a nod, before looking over at Alloces. The other demon was starting to get bored.
"You all done having your little family moment, or are we going to actually get down to business now?"
Alec rolled his eyes, certain death or not, and stood. He turned and tucked the knife away. "You say it like you aren't enjoying the hell out of this."
At that, the demon arched an eyebrow before shaking his head slightly. "I don't like to wait. Either you take the challenge or you don't -- just pick one."
"You have any rules you'd like through toss out here before we try and beat the crap out of each other?" He circled away from Ruby and Jinx.
Alloces watched him as he moved, smirking slightly as he went. "Where's the fun if you have rules?"
"Hey, I'm with you on that one, but I'm never sure when I'll run into a party pooper." He might as well enjoy this while he could. His smirk was feral.
"Well, believe me -- I'm not," Alloces grinned, cracking his knuckles lightly.
He kept circling, making Alloces turn to follow, watching to see if there were any weakness he could exploit. If Ruby had gotten any solid hits in. "I'd say you should take up cage fighting as a hobby, but you'd think it was boring."
"Can't kill in cage fighting," Alloces replied. "I tend to like to tear things apart when I'm fighting for sport."
"You should have been born a cat. Me personally? I think tearing things apart is a little messy. I hate being sticky." Did this man have no weaknesses? Alec didn't want to make the first move. He hated making the first move.
Sure he did. There was your regular old exorcism, getting stuck in a Devil's trap -- if you could trap him, your job was half done. But that wasn't going to help Alec much at the moment. He just shrugged at the sticky comment. "Blood comes off. And I happen to like the mess."
"Dog then, not cat. Felines are prissy when it comes to a mess." Alloces wasn't Meg. He couldn't get a trap laid. Predators watched for traps. Alec didn't let his attention stray back to his family either. He trusted them to do what they were supposed to. He hoped that Alloces would get impatient and take the first shot. Then Alec could get a feel for how he moved.
Alloces was capable of making the first move, but it also required the right opportunity. And there was something about Alec that was -- different. He didn't know what he was dealing with, and he was a bit more willing to not strike right away -- but that didn't mean he wouldn't get close, moving in inches at a time as he and Alec continued to circle each other. Ruby watched this for a minute before rolling her eyes and speaking.
"Oh, come on -- are you guys going to dance or are you going to beat the crap out of each other? I feel like I'm watching two teenagers at the prom."
Alloces turned back to her, taking his eyes off Alec for the moment to look, raising an eyebrow in the other demon's direction.
Alec didn't like making the first move. But he could make an exception. He moved with all the speed and strength packed into his X5 body. He aimed straight for Alloces' solar plexus. He figured he might as well go for a potential kill shot. It would either disable the body, or at least get Alloces to focus on him. He moved back out of reach as quickly as he had slid in close. "Sorry. Guess I'm a crappy date."
Alloces doubled slightly from the force -- not much, as he could take it, but still he did. It was more force than he had been expecting -- which was good, he liked being surprised. He placed a hand over the area where the boy had hit, before looking up at him. "Not bad. My turn." And with that he moved, charging towards Alec, and aiming a fist for his face.
Ruby was right. He was fast, but he telegraphed. If he landed a hit Alec was in trouble. Alec spun, fast but still visible. Blurring could tire a person, best to save it for when he really needed it. Alloces fist whistled past his nose and Alec kept going hoping to get behind the man. They were still testing each other. Unfortunately Alec already knew he wasn't strong enough to get the job done.
Alloces watched him move, spinning around on the balls of his feet and slamming his arm back in attempt to clothesline him. He was moving quickly and if the other person could move fast enough, he could use the momentum to his advantage and catch him off guard. The demon wasn't expecting much, however, because the guy was fast, and he was good. Alloces just wanted to see if he could grab hold of him.
No such luck. The absolute last thing Alec wanted to happen was for Alloces to actually get a hold on him. There was a reason he still wore combat boots. And one of those reasons was the nice easy traction rubber soles. Alloces was right though. He couldn't stop the momentum. He slammed the breaks on and would have fallen except he grabbed Alloces wrist with both hands and used it as a pivot point and swung all the momentum into trying to yank Alloces off his feet and around. He could be any heavier than a normal human right? Even if he was stronger. Right?
True, he wasn't heavier. But if there was one thing he hated, it was being thrown. His body pitched forward, taking the momentum that Alec was forcing on him, and trying not to lose it, whipping her fingers around to match Alec's grip on his wrist and holding on tightly, channeling the momentum back and moved into the spin with him, before winding up and letting go, wanting to see how far, if at all Alec would fly.
"Fuck." Alec flew. He flew farther than he would like, but at least that gave him time to twist his body around. Like any good cat he landed on his feet this in a crouch with one hand touching down for balance. It hurt. All that force slamming up through his joint. He blinked at Alloces and stood.
Alloces smirked slightly, starting to move forward, still reeling slightly from the spinning. "I don't like being thrown."
"Then you shouldn't do things to get you thrown." Alec waited. That was how this fight was going to go. Most of his hits would do nothing unless he could get a joint, or wait for Alloces to lend the power.
"Mmm-hmmm," he said, before shifting his weight to one side, starting to charge him again and getting ready to aim his best hits for where he knew it would hurt.
Alec bit his lip as he waited. The timing had to be right. Because he'd be off balance and a sitting duck. The split second the other man was with in solid reach of Alec's leg he dropped low and aimed his heel at the other man's knee. And tried to brace himself for what ever was going to hit him instead.
When Alloces felt Alec hit his knee and he pitched forward. He twisted slightly, trying to conserve the momentum and throw his body in Alec's direction, fist raised high in the air to come across the man's face.
Alec forced himself to go limp. He couldn't escape and if he tensed up his neck would snap like a twig. Never the less his ears would be ringing from this.
The punch hit, and Alloces took them both to the ground, letting his side connect with the ground and he rolled away, not wanting to give Alec the advantage from the floor.
Alec heard more than felt his head connect with the floor. That was never good, when shock hit him before the pain could. But he took it, rolled other way and into a crouch. His head was ringing too hard for him to ever remember Ruby's advice. This was animal instinct. If he stayed down he was easy prey.
Alloces smiled slightly when he saw him get up and nodded slowly. "Good."
". . .I crunch a tendon in your knew and you say good?" Maybe he had blood in his ears?
"Your head hit the floor, and you still got up."
"What else was I going to do? Lay there and let you kill me?" He rubbed his head and came away with a little blood. His lip curled. "Sticky. Hate sticky remember?"
Alloces nodded slowly, before starting to advance towards him again. "Think it might be a little more than that."
"Not yet it ain't slick. So far all components are in their original carry case." Alec circled rather than let him get close, he was still trying to gain back his balance.
"No, not -- " A pause and a sigh, as he continued to advance, watching Alec with careful eyes. " -- Never mind."
"Hey, that's not fair." He actually sounded a bit affronted. "You can't just start saying something like that and then just stop. Uncool." He meant it to. He hated to be left hanging. He did a quick scan of his surroundings. Rafters. If he needed a real breather there was the place to get it.
"I wasn't talking about the blood," Alloces said slowly. "I was talking about your reasoning for getting up."
Was he limping? Jesus was the other man even limping? It was like dealing with a Familiar. Pain didn't seem to register. "It wasn't reasoning." Alec saw no reason to lie. "It's just what you do if you want to live."
Alloces considered that for a moment. "Everything is reasoning when it comes to humans. Even if it's unconscious, or instinct, it's still reasoning."
"Are you saying I don't know my own mind?" He raised an eyebrow. But the man had something of a point. If he went at this in to human like a fashion he was going to die here. He knew how to hunt like a cat, maybe he should try it.
"No -- I'm just saying you don't understand it the way a demon does," Alloces said with a nod, before starting to move closer to him again.
"Nope," He grinned and with no warning leapt straight for him. If he's actually had four paws and a set of claws and teeth to go with the in DNA the best to make a kill was to go for the neck, and either tear it out or break in and then roll clear while the animal died. And that was exactly what he indented to do. And if Alloces could track the move visually Alec would turn in his spots.
He couldn't track it -- that much was true. But he could grab hold when he went through his neck, manipulating the momentum as best he could. He could feel himself falling backwards under the force of the weight, but he grabbed whatever of Alec he could hold on to, twisted his body to angle him downwards, and slammed him down into the ground.
Alec hit hard and something cracked, but now he wanted the kill too badly to worry about it. He snarled and rolled them both still trying to good grip to break Alloces neck.
Alloces took the roll and one fist moved up, reaching up and slamming into his face. If Alec broke his neck, the body would be useless, and that wasn't what he needed right now. His other arm came up as well, starting to roll them again and continuing to slam the punches as he went.
Alec grit his teeth and clawed to keep hold but when he was rolled again and his head slammed into the floor again he wanted distance, he did his best to get his knees between them and kick up to peel the larger man off of him.
Alloces managed to get a few more good hits in before Alec pushed him back and he landed a bit further back on the floor. It wasn't a lot of distance, but it was some -- they both were going to have to get up again if they wanted to get anywhere near each other.
Alec rolled into a crouch, and used the back of his hand to wipe the blood off his face. He liked his lips and watched Alloces, waiting for another chance. Somewhere the human part of him tried to interject some reason and a tally list of injuries but he was not in the least mood to listen.
Alloces pushed himself up onto his feet, tilting his head to the side, watching Alec as he moved. Alec was tougher than he had been expecting, which was a good thing. It was always a good thing when things were more of a challenge. He started to circle slightly across the floor, rolling his shoulders to loosen them up again and keep them moving.
Alec watched, fingers flexing. He didn't move, knowing his body wouldn't stiffen up on him like a human's would. This was different than all the other's he hunted. This was another hunter. This was harder. His lip curled up and a growl rolled free.
Alloces just smirked, moving in closer to him. "You're not bad."
"I live to impress." If he couldn't get the man from the front Alec was willing to get him from behind. He watched Alloces move towards him, and was glade he had a perfect memory. Once more step was all Alec needed. As the demon's foot came down Alec shot up, in one of those spectacular X5 leaps. At the top of his arc he snagged the rafter beam and used it to reverse direction. He fully intended to slam himself into Alloces back from above and behind boots first. If he missed he was screwed.
Alloces watched him move, his body turning as he followed Alec mid-flight. When he started to come back down, the demon braced himself, reaching for the nearest body part he could grab, before slamming Alec down into the ground again, using all the force he could manage from that angle.
Alec hit the ground with an alarming whump, and one of the bones in his leg cracking under Alloces hand. Alec lay, stunned for a second, before instinct took over and he kicked free of the demon's grip and again rolled to his feet. The shock actually brought him back to himself a little. He was losing and he didn't even know if his family was safe. He swallowed blood and pulled himself up.
"STOP!"
Alloces was still moving, about to move in for another hit, but he stopped mid-motion and turned at the sound of the voice, stopping in his tracks. He always did what Amy said, and there she was, standing in the doorway of the barn, looking at both of them with a look of almost horror on her face. She was across the room in two seconds, placing a hand on his chest, and pushing him back slowly. "Not him."
He just watched her for a moment, and she gave him a small smile, before leaning in to kiss him lightly on the cheek. "Take care of Ruby. For me." He was quiet still, but nodded slowly, starting to make his way back across the room, and she turned around again, before moving towards Alec, hands coming up gently to support him. "Oh, God, honey -- "
He slipped an arm around her shoulder and then let his head rest on the other shoulder. "Just. . . just tell me their safe."
"They're fine, honey," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him loosely. "They're fine and they're waiting for you."
Ruby let Jinx go as soon as Alloces started heading over to them, shooing him in the direction of Alec and Amy. If Alloces was coming her way, and he wasn't charging to get there, he wasn't out to kill her.
Jinx looked from Alloces to Ruby, and since she seemed alright, at least as much as she could be he took off for Alec.
Alec hid his wince from her loose hug in her shirt, and curled his fingers in Jinx's fur and the dog slipped under his free hand. "Thank you. For. . .thank you." He swallowed hard and then pulled himself up. "We should go. Sam needs help."
Alloces watched the dog go, before reaching for Ruby and scooping her up. "Where are we going?"
"Seattle," she said softly, before leaning in closer to him as he disappeared from view.
Amy nodded, before turning out slightly, so she could walk him out. "Lean on me. Your dad wants you to call that doctor friend of yours?"
"Yeah." He used her to check his balance frequently but mostly supported his own weight. "My cell's in my bag." Which he had dropped by the chair Dean had been tied to. Jinx zipped off to grab it.
Amy nodded slowly. "Are you feeling okay? How badly did he push you around?"
"It certainly wasn't a back massage, but I'm pretty sure I've had worse." Right? He figured some of this would wear off as he shook of the blows to the head. He took his bag from Jinx to an appreciative smile.
"Well, just take it easy. He hits hard -- especially with the way he was coming at you," she sighed, reaching for the door of the barn as they finally reached the outside, where the cars were lined up and as soon as Dean spotted them, he was up on his feet, moving towards his son. Sam was already in the back seat of the Impala, ready to go.
"Jesus," Dean sighed, reaching for his shoulders gently as he looked him over. "You alright?"
Alec leaned into the contact. His dad, at least, was safe and sound. His shoulders were about the only things that didn't hurt from bruising. "Define alright? I'm a huge bruise, but I'm pretty sure I'll live."
Ben was against the car, looking very agitated. He couldn't feel Sam and that was worrying him. And not Alec felt hurt and Ben didn't know what to do or what he could do. "Get him in my car, I'll drive..." because yes, Ben could do that.
"Drive where?" Dean sighed. "Where's the nearest hospital?" He paused for a moment before starting to sound more frustrated. "Where the hell are we?"
Amy just nodded before starting to steer Alec in the direction of Ben's car, ready to head wherever they were going.
"Jersey." Alec answered his farther without thinking, then rattled his brain to shake loose the useful bit of info that was just out of reach. He had a headache like no one would believe. "Jersey. . . uh, Sam has a doctor here." He held still and closed his eyes pulling up the info. "Princeton Plainsboro."
"Isn't that where you guys went to meet Kutner for your checkups?" Ben asked, confused.
"Wait -- what?" Dean frowned, confused. Did he miss something?
"Yeah." Alec gave Ben a guilty look. "He didn't want me to say anything. I told him I wouldn't bring it up but I wouldn't lie for him either." He was miserable and dizzy and didn't want his brother angry with him.
"About how his powers were killing him?" Ben asked. He shook his head, trying not to be angry either. It seemed that he wasn't important enough to know about anything major in the family anymore. That he had to be protected. "Forget about it. Let's just get you guys there A.S.A.P."
Dean sighed slightly, running a hand over his face. "Look, you guys lead the way since I have no idea where we're going. And call Kutner -- let them know we're coming."
Yeah, Alec got the message that he had messed up. And Alec forgot nothing. He looked away from Ben and nodded to his father. It was a mistake and he had to lean against the car as he fumbled with his phone. He needed to rest and he couldn't yet. He forced his fingers to work.
Kutner was fortunately heading out of he clinic when he got Alec's call, straddling his motorcycle as he answered the phone, only pausing to glance at the caller ID briefly. "Hey, Alec, what's up?"
"Uh. . .I. . .think I may have a broken bone in my right leg." He says this like he's just sorted it out for himself. "Anyway. Um, we, the family got our collective asses handed to us by a demon and Sam's not doing to well. Help?"
"Alright, where are you guys?" Kutner said with a sigh, running a hand over his face lightly. "I'll try and get there as soon as I can."
"Jersey." He looked around trying to find a way to give a better answer. "Can you talk to Ben?" He gave his brother a look that asked to be saved, because his head hurt. He held out the phone.
Ben took the phone from his brother before opening the passenger's side door to let him get into the car. "We're in South Jersey, somewhere near the Pine Barrens. Middle of nowhere."
Kutner sighed slightly before nodding. "Okay. Get them to Princeton Plainsboro. I'll call Foreman and let him know you're on your way in. I'm in Seattle, but I'll get the closest flight I can get and I'll be there as soon as possible."
"Okay," Ben nodded back to his father, who started to get in the Impala and start her up. "We'll get them there as soon as we can. Is there anything Amy or I could do for them for the drive?"
"Considering Sam's condition last I saw him, probably not much. Is Alec bleeding at all, or is the incoherence mostly from being banged around?"
Ben moved for a minute before looking over at his brother. "He doesn't seem to be bleeding much -- just banged up."
"Okay, then he's probably got a concussion. Do your best to keep him awake for the drive, and then ask for a Doctor House when you get there. He's not Alec's favorite doctor in the world, but he can examine him and make sure he's not going to keel over dead. He can even do it without touching him, if Alec prefers."
"Which he probably will," Ben sighed before nodding. "Okay. We'll see you as soon as you get in."
"Yup. Talk to you later."
Kutner hung up, and Ben handed his brother back his phone as he climbed into the car. "Do your best to stay awake, okay? Kutner says you probably have a concussion."
"Okay." He nodded very seriously, and sank his fingers into Jinx's fur. The dog had settled in the foot well between Alec's legs and had his paws in Alec's lap.
"Okay," Ben nodded slowly, before starting the car and starting to pull out onto the highway, Dean following close behind him. The sooner they got to the hospital, the better.