Fic: Crossover: Supernatural: Silent Hill: Dean and Cas (3/?)
Title: Supernatural: Silent Hill
Author: nicole9514
Rating: R
Chapters: 3/? (probably about 15)
Warnings: gore, blood, disturbing imagery, violence, language
Genre: Crossover/a bit AU
Spoilers: season five Supernatural, Silent Hill film, and Silent Hill 1 and 2 video games.
Characters: Focus on Dean and Castiel friendship or pre-slash depending on your preference, but some Sam and Bobby as well.
Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or Silent Hill, I'm only playing with them.
A/N: I blatantly steal elements/scenarios from the Silent Hill film, and Silent Hill 1 and 2 video games, but I've also created some of my own/expanded upon elements to create an insane trip to Silent Hill tailor made for Dean and Cas, hence the AU part of this fic.
Special Thanks: to my beta skylar_matthews
Summary: Dean and Cas get trapped in Silent Hill. Sam and Bobby are on the outside trying to find them - will they find a way out...
Word Count:3415 (total 22,435 so far)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
The four of them left within an hour. They didn’t know what was waiting for them down the road; so they’d brought supplies needed to hunt everything they knew existed. If the average person looked in Dean’s trunk right now, they’d probably crap themselves. Their arsenal made terrorists seem mellow.
They took two cars in case they needed to split up. Dean and Cas rode together in the Impala. Sam drove the van Bobby had installed a ramp in - it was convenient for hauling Bobby’s chair, and easy for the old hunter to get in and out of with only minimal assistance.
It was going to be a long haul - about twenty hours give or take. They planned to spend the night at a motel midway there.
Cas was quiet as Dean drove; he‘d never been big on small talk. Normally, this didn’t bother Dean. Today he wanted a distraction.
“Any luck on the God front?” Dean asked, turning down the radio.
Cas tensed, he turned his head towards Dean, his eyes flickered with frustration. “No. None.” The angel adjusted his coat. “And to be honest, I’m running low on ideas.”
Dean waited to see if he’d say more. When he didn’t Dean offered, “Maybe a break will do you some good. I know things are urgent, apocalypse and all.” Dean grinned, “but sometimes it helps to take a step back every now and then.”
Cas’s expression became one of curiosity. “How so?”
Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out a candy bar. “I remember losing a lot of stuff when I was younger - hell, I still do. My keys, one of our credit cards,” Dean chuckled. “I never did find the one with the name Bruce Wayne on it.”
Cas gave him a blank stare.
“That was Batman’s alter ego. One of these days Cas, when the world isn’t about to end, me and you are gonna have a long talk about,” Dean waved his hand in the air, “the finer things in life.”
Cas still looked lost.
Dean smiled. “Never mind. We’ll do a movie marathon instead.” He adjusted himself on the seat, squirming until he found a more comfortable position, took a bite from the chocolate bar, then said, “As I was saying, sometimes I’d look for something for days, never finding it. I’d be all out of ideas, and ready to through the towel in - but the moment I stopped looking for it.” Dean paused and met Cas‘s blue eyes briefly. “I’d find it. The thing would be laying right out in the open. I just overlooked it somehow.”
Cas looked contemplative, his head tilted slightly, his eyes unfocused. “You think if I stop looking for God, I might have more luck finding him?”
“Well, it sounds stupid when you say it like that,” Dean quipped.
Cas shook his head, and his lips twitched in the barest of smiles. “I suppose stranger things have happened to me lately.”
“You and me both.” Dean took another bite, chewed, and swallowed. “You never know Cas, you might trip over him or something.”
That got him a slightly bigger smile. “Perhaps.”
Dean drove another few miles. Neither of them spoke, but it was a comfortable silence. There were just some people you could sit with for hours without speaking, and have it not be weird. Dean had only a few individuals in his life that fit that bill. Spending your life on the road, killing things most people didn’t know existed, kind of put a crimp on your social life.
But he had enough. Sam, Bobby, and now Cas.
Dean crushed the finished candy bar wrapper and put it in the ashtray. He glanced at Cas, his friend was staring out the window watching the trees zip by. It was fall and even though Dean wasn’t a nature nut, he had to admit it was beautiful. Reds, browns, yellows, and some greens painted the landscape; it made for a pleasant drive.
“I thought I felt something when I touched your dad’s letter,” Cas said. His tone held all of the unease Dean had been trying to ignore in his own thoughts.
“Felt what?” Dean asked, his pulse quickened.
“It was probably nothing, but there was an odd energy around it.”
“Energy?”
“Perhaps aura would be a better word. It wasn’t something I’ve ever felt before from anything I’ve touched or witnessed. It vanished before I could make sense of it.”
That wasn’t good. Dean didn’t know exactly how long Castiel had been around, but he knew it was a long time. “Jesus Cas, that’s kind of an important detail. Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” Dean asked, annoyance creeping into his tone.
Cas rubbed his palms against his pants. “Because I’ve been off lately. You know I’ve been cut off from heaven. I thought it might just be me. I didn‘t want to alarm you because of my own...inadequacies.”
Cas looked down.
Dean felt his annoyance drift away as quickly as it had appeared. “Okay, I get that. So why tell me now? What changed?”
Cas lifted his head. “I can’t shake this sensation that something is wrong. I figured it would be best not to keep this to myself in case it actually does mean something.”
“In other words you’d rather be safe than sorry,” Dean summarized.
Cas nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, there’s one more thing to add to my list of shit that I don’t like about this situation.”
Cas grunted an agreement.
Dean tried to force his fingers to relax on the steering wheel. He hated touchy feely shit, but Cas was his friend, and now he had reason to worry. “You’re okay though right?” he blurted quickly, his eyes staying glued to the road.
“With what?” Cas seemed surprised.
Dean mentally groaned and glanced at Cas. “Your angel mojo. You said you were having some more problems…that you were off.”
“Oh.” Cas’s eyes softened. “Yes, I believe I’m okay. My grace is intact, just dampened. It‘s inconvenient, not dangerous to me.”
Dean felt his fingers finally unclench. “Awesome.”
Cas was staring at him with an intensity that made Dean feel he was literally taking a peek at his soul. It was kind of giving him the willies. “Cas - drop the stalker look.”
Cas’s blue orbs widened, he seemed to realize what he’d been doing, and looked away.
Dean had been working with him on the personal space issue, and Cas was getting better. It seemed they were going to have to work on the staring thing next. Angels, Cas in particular, seemed to lack certain social skills. It was more endearing than Dean would ever admit out loud, but still damn creepy at times.
****
After spending another night in a motel that looked like it rented rooms by the hour, they finally arrived in the town of Braham’s the following day. Dean’s ass was numb and he desperately needed to take a leak. His stomach was rumbling as well, and it was sick and tired of candy bars. That was saying something.
Dean phoned Sam, both he and Bobby agreed it was time to refuel and recharge their bodies and their cars.
Dean drove though the small town, keeping his eyes open for something edible. It was a typical, back water, country town. Old buildings, a lot of mom and pop stores, and rows of white picket fences.
Boring.
Dean saw a sign for what might have been heaven. Smitty’s Restaurant and Variety. A restaurant and gas station all in one. Perfect. Maybe this town wasn’t so bad after all.
He pulled in, lined up his car with the nearest gas pump, and turned off the engine. He checked his rearview mirror, Sam had taken the pump behind them.
“Don’t worry baby,” Dean said while stroking the Impala’s dashboard. “I’ll get you all filled up.”
Cas’s eyebrows knitted together. “You are aware that this vehicle is unable to understand you?”
Dean pressed his index finger to his lips and made a shushing sound. “Watch your mouth. You’ll hurt her feelings.”
Cas was looking at Dean as if he expected him to start running through the streets naked. “Are you feeling alright?”
Dean leaned his head back and let out a whoop of laughter. It was always an adventure having Cas around. “Cas, I have so much I need to teach you.” Dean opened his car door and stood. His back cracked, and his stiff muscles cried out in relief.
He heard Cas’s door open. Dean grabbed the pump and started refueling. Cas still eyed him with a mixture of confusion and wonder.
“You just don’t understand the bond between a man and his machine,” Dean added.
“You’re not torturing Cas with that damn Transformers film crap are you?” Sam asked as he started filling up Bobby’s van.
Dean spun, put on his most innocent expression, and said, “Of course not. I was simply trying to help our angelic friend understand me and,” Dean patted the top of his ride, “this sexy girl’s relationship.”
Sam snorted. Dean saw Bobby shaking his head from the passenger seat. His lips moved, Dean couldn’t hear what he said, but he was pretty sure there were some swear words in there.
“So you view your vehicle as female?” Cas still looked unconvinced.
“It's a guy thing,” Dean answered, managing to keep his tone deadly serious.
Sam laughed, clearly not in agreement.
“Except Sammy, I don’t think he’s old enough yet to have a babe like this of his own.”
“Hey, watch it,” Sam snapped.
Dean would have said something witty back, but he was too engrossed in watching the angel start to cope a feel on his car. Cas ran his long, elegant fingers over the top of the hood. His eyes tracing a path wherever he touched. His expression was one of someone trying to uncover one of life‘s greatest mysteries.
“Hey watch the hands. This car’s monogamous,” Dean grunted while fighting the grin that kept wanting to slip into place. Cas really was a strange dude sometimes. A strange dude that really needed to get laid. He still needed to work on that virgin thing. It was just wrong.
Cas mumbled an apology and pulled away.
The gas shut off; his car was now ready to take on the world.
“It’s alright. She’s almost as irresistible as me.” Dean beamed while he put the nozzle back in place.
Sam made a strangled sound as he screwed on the gas cap.
Dean ignored his brother.
Dean was convinced Cas’s eyebrows were magical. He watched as they crawled all the way up his forehead, almost reaching his hairline. “I was merely trying to understand your fascination with an inanimate object.”
“Sure you were Cas.” Dean got back inside and turned over the engine. “I’m gonna park her; I’ll meet you inside.”
****
The restaurant/gas station/tattoo parlor/body piercing joint was very interesting. They certainly got a diverse crowd for dinner time. This place might have been a small town, but it was more of melting pot than most cities Dean had visited. Bikers, tattoo artists, families with young kids, even a few that looked like they stepped right out of the seventies. Bell bottoms and all.
Between the teasing and the laughter outside Dean had relaxed. It felt good not to be tied up in knots. He inhaled the wonderful smell of beef and grease.
They were seated at a beat up red booth, the table was sticky, and it had coffee stains on it that were probably older than Dean. He looked out the large window that was to his right. The sun was starting to set.
Dean took a bite from his bacon burger. Flavor and juice exploded in his mouth, setting his taste buds on fire. “This is amazing,” Dean said, his mouth still half full.
Sam shot him a half-hearted glare. His brother hated it when he talked with food in his mouth.
Dean swallowed, grinned, then took another bite.
Cas who was sitting next to Dean, reached over and grabbed one of his fries.
It was Dean’s turn to look confused. “What are you doing? You never eat.”
“I’m just curious,” Cas said while he popped the fry into his mouth. Cas must have enjoyed it because he started to reach for another one.
Dean yanked his plate away. “Get your own. I’m starving and some of us actually need to eat,” he huffed.
Sam looked more than a little amused. “Aren‘t they just adorable, Bobby? Like an old married couple.”
Bobby kept right on eating.
Dean gave Sam his best screw you expression and ate another fry. He noticed Cas eyeballing his plate again. Dean ignored him.
“I think we should hit the Braham’s Archive first,” Sam was saying. “It’s only a few miles down the road. We passed it on our way here. We should be able to find out a lot more about that town. Maybe figure out why da-someone would want to bring us there.”
Dean cleared his throat. “Sounds like a good idea. I think you and Bobby should look into that.”
Both Bobby and Sam gave him pointed looks. “By we, I mean all of us,” Sam said his voice tense.
Dean got tired of ignoring Cas. He offered him another fry. The angel took it with a small smile.
“Research isn’t exactly my area of expertise. You and Bobby can handle that just fine, me and Cas would probably just get in your way. I thought we could scout ahead and try to find this damn town.” He held his hands up as he saw their anger start to rise. “We won’t go in, we’ll just find it, then come back. You and Bobby can bring us up to speed on whatever you discover. Once we’re prepared, we’ll all enter the town together. Sound reasonable?”
Sam and Bobby shared a wary glance before they both nodded slowly.
“See, sometimes I do use my brain.” Dean finished off his burger.
Cas snatched another fry; Dean let him.
“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid boy,” Bobby said while pulling out his wallet.
“Me- nah, besides Cas won’t let me do anything too crazy.” Dean smiled, and hoped it came off as reassuring.
*****
Silent Hill wasn’t on any map they’d been able to locate. It was one more thing on his ever growing list of oddities. Braham’s was supposedly very close to this phantom town that Dean was starting to think didn’t even exist. Which was one of the reasons he wanted to check it out sooner rather than later. If the town wasn’t real, this whole thing was a bust. Better to find out now.
Before leaving Dean approached the cashier. She was about twenty, with blond hair, and a blue headband that made her look even younger. He put on his most charming smile and asked her if he could get directions.
“Where to?” she had a slight southern drawl
“A place called Silent hill; I can’t seem to find it on the map.”
Her warm, friendly face shut down. “Why do you want to go there?” her tone grew suspicious.
It does exist. Interesting. “I’m looking for someone,” Dean kept his voice nonchalant.
“You’re not going to find anyone there. Place is deserted.” Her hands drummed on the register. “Besides, the road don’t go through no more,” her tone was brusque.
Dean bristled. What the hell is this girls problem? “Why - did somebody steal it?”
She seemed surprised by his sarcasm, maybe they didn‘t use it much around here. She shot him a glare that might have been fatal had he not broken eye contact.
“Whatever,” Dean muttered then motioned to the others he was ready to leave. This girl wasn’t going to be anymore help.
That’s when he noticed everyone in the room was watching him, their eyes solemn.
Dean felt the hairs on the nape of his neck prickle. This place was really starting to piss him off. He walked out the door, putting more force than necessary into his steps.
“What the hell is wrong with these people? You’d think they’ve never seen out-of-towner’s before,” Dean snapped as soon as they were outside.
“They were quite strange,” Cas agreed.
“We’ve met stranger,” Sam added.
That was true, but that unease that had left Dean briefly was back in full force.
“We’ll meet you guys at the archives in about an hour or two,” Dean called out while he and Cas got in the impala.
“Call if you have any problems and be careful,” Sam ordered.
“Stop worrying. We‘ll be fine.” Dean slammed his door shut and took two long, deep breaths.
Cas settled into his seat and waited.
“You ready to go exploring?” Dean asked.
“I am ready,” Cas replied, his steady voice calmed Dean’s nerves.
“Let’s get this party started then.” Dean turned over the engine.
******
Dean cruised along the dark highway, his eyes peeled for any sign of this elusive town. So far nothing, not even a single street sign.
His skin kept tingling, and not in a good way. The intense stares of all those people in the diner kept eating at him.
“Dean?”
It was amazing how much Cas could put into a single word. His tone asked a dozen questions, none of which Dean wanted to answer. Nothing derailed uncomfortable chick flick moments like a good dose of humor.
“Cas?” he drawled, smirking at his friend. “If you’re going to ask me if I’ve got any fries hidden in my pocket, the answer is no.”
Cas actually laughed, not a big one, but a laugh nonetheless.
“Sorry about that. I believe my vessel must have eaten when he got nervous,” Cas surprised him by admitting.
Dean got another surprise when, “I’m a bit nervous myself,” slipped out before he could stop it.
He felt the weight of his friends stare.
The Impala’s headlights illuminated a green street sign coming into view. “What do we have here? Signs of civilization?” Dean quipped, grateful for the change of subject.
He slowed down.
The sign read Silent Hill and had an arrow pointing to a narrow road that veered off to the left.
He glanced at Cas, “Looks like we found it.”
Cas simply nodded.
Dean turned and started down the road. The night seemed to grow darker, not a single street lamp lined the highway. Dean flipped on his high beams.
That bad feeling intensified Dean noticed Cas sitting up straighter, his expression tense. Dean’s foot pressed down harder on the gas pedal without him realizing it; nerves always gave him even more of a lead foot than normal.
“You getting any more funky sensations?” Dean asked, forcing his voice to stay light.
“I’m not su-”
The radio started screeching and wailing.
Dean jumped and a hiss escaped before he could bite it back. Cas’s head jerked in the sounds direction, his eyes wide. Considering, Dean had seen Cas face down far worse than a wonky radio and not even flinch, that was a pretty damn big reaction.
Dean fumbled with the button, managing to turn the power off, but the sound didn’t stop.
It got louder.
“What the hell?” he snapped, trying the button again.
Cas was holding his head in his hands.
“Cas you okay?” Dean’s pulse sped up as his eyes darted to the road, then back to Cas again.
“I don’t… feel right,” Cas words came out sluggish; his friend started to sway.
Dean grabbed Cas’s shoulder and tried to steady him. That damn sound continued to rise. Dean clenched his teeth.
He was about to say screw this, turn around, and get Cas out of dodge, when something flickered in his peripheral vision.
Dean yanked his attention back to the road. They were crossing over a bridge, Dean had been so distracted he hadn’t even noticed its approach.
A girl, her head down, dressed in dark clothing, sporting lanky black hair, had walked out right in front of them.
Fuck.
Dean slammed on the breaks; Cas made a strangled sound as the Impala went into a spin. Dean tried to regain control by turning into it; the tires screeched and they started skidding. Metal crunched as they hit the railing, a jolt of pain as his head slammed against the steering wheel - blackness.
Next Chapter
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Author: nicole9514
Rating: R
Chapters: 3/? (probably about 15)
Warnings: gore, blood, disturbing imagery, violence, language
Genre: Crossover/a bit AU
Spoilers: season five Supernatural, Silent Hill film, and Silent Hill 1 and 2 video games.
Characters: Focus on Dean and Castiel friendship or pre-slash depending on your preference, but some Sam and Bobby as well.
Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or Silent Hill, I'm only playing with them.
A/N: I blatantly steal elements/scenarios from the Silent Hill film, and Silent Hill 1 and 2 video games, but I've also created some of my own/expanded upon elements to create an insane trip to Silent Hill tailor made for Dean and Cas, hence the AU part of this fic.
Special Thanks: to my beta skylar_matthews
Summary: Dean and Cas get trapped in Silent Hill. Sam and Bobby are on the outside trying to find them - will they find a way out...
Word Count:3415 (total 22,435 so far)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
The four of them left within an hour. They didn’t know what was waiting for them down the road; so they’d brought supplies needed to hunt everything they knew existed. If the average person looked in Dean’s trunk right now, they’d probably crap themselves. Their arsenal made terrorists seem mellow.
They took two cars in case they needed to split up. Dean and Cas rode together in the Impala. Sam drove the van Bobby had installed a ramp in - it was convenient for hauling Bobby’s chair, and easy for the old hunter to get in and out of with only minimal assistance.
It was going to be a long haul - about twenty hours give or take. They planned to spend the night at a motel midway there.
Cas was quiet as Dean drove; he‘d never been big on small talk. Normally, this didn’t bother Dean. Today he wanted a distraction.
“Any luck on the God front?” Dean asked, turning down the radio.
Cas tensed, he turned his head towards Dean, his eyes flickered with frustration. “No. None.” The angel adjusted his coat. “And to be honest, I’m running low on ideas.”
Dean waited to see if he’d say more. When he didn’t Dean offered, “Maybe a break will do you some good. I know things are urgent, apocalypse and all.” Dean grinned, “but sometimes it helps to take a step back every now and then.”
Cas’s expression became one of curiosity. “How so?”
Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out a candy bar. “I remember losing a lot of stuff when I was younger - hell, I still do. My keys, one of our credit cards,” Dean chuckled. “I never did find the one with the name Bruce Wayne on it.”
Cas gave him a blank stare.
“That was Batman’s alter ego. One of these days Cas, when the world isn’t about to end, me and you are gonna have a long talk about,” Dean waved his hand in the air, “the finer things in life.”
Cas still looked lost.
Dean smiled. “Never mind. We’ll do a movie marathon instead.” He adjusted himself on the seat, squirming until he found a more comfortable position, took a bite from the chocolate bar, then said, “As I was saying, sometimes I’d look for something for days, never finding it. I’d be all out of ideas, and ready to through the towel in - but the moment I stopped looking for it.” Dean paused and met Cas‘s blue eyes briefly. “I’d find it. The thing would be laying right out in the open. I just overlooked it somehow.”
Cas looked contemplative, his head tilted slightly, his eyes unfocused. “You think if I stop looking for God, I might have more luck finding him?”
“Well, it sounds stupid when you say it like that,” Dean quipped.
Cas shook his head, and his lips twitched in the barest of smiles. “I suppose stranger things have happened to me lately.”
“You and me both.” Dean took another bite, chewed, and swallowed. “You never know Cas, you might trip over him or something.”
That got him a slightly bigger smile. “Perhaps.”
Dean drove another few miles. Neither of them spoke, but it was a comfortable silence. There were just some people you could sit with for hours without speaking, and have it not be weird. Dean had only a few individuals in his life that fit that bill. Spending your life on the road, killing things most people didn’t know existed, kind of put a crimp on your social life.
But he had enough. Sam, Bobby, and now Cas.
Dean crushed the finished candy bar wrapper and put it in the ashtray. He glanced at Cas, his friend was staring out the window watching the trees zip by. It was fall and even though Dean wasn’t a nature nut, he had to admit it was beautiful. Reds, browns, yellows, and some greens painted the landscape; it made for a pleasant drive.
“I thought I felt something when I touched your dad’s letter,” Cas said. His tone held all of the unease Dean had been trying to ignore in his own thoughts.
“Felt what?” Dean asked, his pulse quickened.
“It was probably nothing, but there was an odd energy around it.”
“Energy?”
“Perhaps aura would be a better word. It wasn’t something I’ve ever felt before from anything I’ve touched or witnessed. It vanished before I could make sense of it.”
That wasn’t good. Dean didn’t know exactly how long Castiel had been around, but he knew it was a long time. “Jesus Cas, that’s kind of an important detail. Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” Dean asked, annoyance creeping into his tone.
Cas rubbed his palms against his pants. “Because I’ve been off lately. You know I’ve been cut off from heaven. I thought it might just be me. I didn‘t want to alarm you because of my own...inadequacies.”
Cas looked down.
Dean felt his annoyance drift away as quickly as it had appeared. “Okay, I get that. So why tell me now? What changed?”
Cas lifted his head. “I can’t shake this sensation that something is wrong. I figured it would be best not to keep this to myself in case it actually does mean something.”
“In other words you’d rather be safe than sorry,” Dean summarized.
Cas nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, there’s one more thing to add to my list of shit that I don’t like about this situation.”
Cas grunted an agreement.
Dean tried to force his fingers to relax on the steering wheel. He hated touchy feely shit, but Cas was his friend, and now he had reason to worry. “You’re okay though right?” he blurted quickly, his eyes staying glued to the road.
“With what?” Cas seemed surprised.
Dean mentally groaned and glanced at Cas. “Your angel mojo. You said you were having some more problems…that you were off.”
“Oh.” Cas’s eyes softened. “Yes, I believe I’m okay. My grace is intact, just dampened. It‘s inconvenient, not dangerous to me.”
Dean felt his fingers finally unclench. “Awesome.”
Cas was staring at him with an intensity that made Dean feel he was literally taking a peek at his soul. It was kind of giving him the willies. “Cas - drop the stalker look.”
Cas’s blue orbs widened, he seemed to realize what he’d been doing, and looked away.
Dean had been working with him on the personal space issue, and Cas was getting better. It seemed they were going to have to work on the staring thing next. Angels, Cas in particular, seemed to lack certain social skills. It was more endearing than Dean would ever admit out loud, but still damn creepy at times.
****
After spending another night in a motel that looked like it rented rooms by the hour, they finally arrived in the town of Braham’s the following day. Dean’s ass was numb and he desperately needed to take a leak. His stomach was rumbling as well, and it was sick and tired of candy bars. That was saying something.
Dean phoned Sam, both he and Bobby agreed it was time to refuel and recharge their bodies and their cars.
Dean drove though the small town, keeping his eyes open for something edible. It was a typical, back water, country town. Old buildings, a lot of mom and pop stores, and rows of white picket fences.
Boring.
Dean saw a sign for what might have been heaven. Smitty’s Restaurant and Variety. A restaurant and gas station all in one. Perfect. Maybe this town wasn’t so bad after all.
He pulled in, lined up his car with the nearest gas pump, and turned off the engine. He checked his rearview mirror, Sam had taken the pump behind them.
“Don’t worry baby,” Dean said while stroking the Impala’s dashboard. “I’ll get you all filled up.”
Cas’s eyebrows knitted together. “You are aware that this vehicle is unable to understand you?”
Dean pressed his index finger to his lips and made a shushing sound. “Watch your mouth. You’ll hurt her feelings.”
Cas was looking at Dean as if he expected him to start running through the streets naked. “Are you feeling alright?”
Dean leaned his head back and let out a whoop of laughter. It was always an adventure having Cas around. “Cas, I have so much I need to teach you.” Dean opened his car door and stood. His back cracked, and his stiff muscles cried out in relief.
He heard Cas’s door open. Dean grabbed the pump and started refueling. Cas still eyed him with a mixture of confusion and wonder.
“You just don’t understand the bond between a man and his machine,” Dean added.
“You’re not torturing Cas with that damn Transformers film crap are you?” Sam asked as he started filling up Bobby’s van.
Dean spun, put on his most innocent expression, and said, “Of course not. I was simply trying to help our angelic friend understand me and,” Dean patted the top of his ride, “this sexy girl’s relationship.”
Sam snorted. Dean saw Bobby shaking his head from the passenger seat. His lips moved, Dean couldn’t hear what he said, but he was pretty sure there were some swear words in there.
“So you view your vehicle as female?” Cas still looked unconvinced.
“It's a guy thing,” Dean answered, managing to keep his tone deadly serious.
Sam laughed, clearly not in agreement.
“Except Sammy, I don’t think he’s old enough yet to have a babe like this of his own.”
“Hey, watch it,” Sam snapped.
Dean would have said something witty back, but he was too engrossed in watching the angel start to cope a feel on his car. Cas ran his long, elegant fingers over the top of the hood. His eyes tracing a path wherever he touched. His expression was one of someone trying to uncover one of life‘s greatest mysteries.
“Hey watch the hands. This car’s monogamous,” Dean grunted while fighting the grin that kept wanting to slip into place. Cas really was a strange dude sometimes. A strange dude that really needed to get laid. He still needed to work on that virgin thing. It was just wrong.
Cas mumbled an apology and pulled away.
The gas shut off; his car was now ready to take on the world.
“It’s alright. She’s almost as irresistible as me.” Dean beamed while he put the nozzle back in place.
Sam made a strangled sound as he screwed on the gas cap.
Dean ignored his brother.
Dean was convinced Cas’s eyebrows were magical. He watched as they crawled all the way up his forehead, almost reaching his hairline. “I was merely trying to understand your fascination with an inanimate object.”
“Sure you were Cas.” Dean got back inside and turned over the engine. “I’m gonna park her; I’ll meet you inside.”
****
The restaurant/gas station/tattoo parlor/body piercing joint was very interesting. They certainly got a diverse crowd for dinner time. This place might have been a small town, but it was more of melting pot than most cities Dean had visited. Bikers, tattoo artists, families with young kids, even a few that looked like they stepped right out of the seventies. Bell bottoms and all.
Between the teasing and the laughter outside Dean had relaxed. It felt good not to be tied up in knots. He inhaled the wonderful smell of beef and grease.
They were seated at a beat up red booth, the table was sticky, and it had coffee stains on it that were probably older than Dean. He looked out the large window that was to his right. The sun was starting to set.
Dean took a bite from his bacon burger. Flavor and juice exploded in his mouth, setting his taste buds on fire. “This is amazing,” Dean said, his mouth still half full.
Sam shot him a half-hearted glare. His brother hated it when he talked with food in his mouth.
Dean swallowed, grinned, then took another bite.
Cas who was sitting next to Dean, reached over and grabbed one of his fries.
It was Dean’s turn to look confused. “What are you doing? You never eat.”
“I’m just curious,” Cas said while he popped the fry into his mouth. Cas must have enjoyed it because he started to reach for another one.
Dean yanked his plate away. “Get your own. I’m starving and some of us actually need to eat,” he huffed.
Sam looked more than a little amused. “Aren‘t they just adorable, Bobby? Like an old married couple.”
Bobby kept right on eating.
Dean gave Sam his best screw you expression and ate another fry. He noticed Cas eyeballing his plate again. Dean ignored him.
“I think we should hit the Braham’s Archive first,” Sam was saying. “It’s only a few miles down the road. We passed it on our way here. We should be able to find out a lot more about that town. Maybe figure out why da-someone would want to bring us there.”
Dean cleared his throat. “Sounds like a good idea. I think you and Bobby should look into that.”
Both Bobby and Sam gave him pointed looks. “By we, I mean all of us,” Sam said his voice tense.
Dean got tired of ignoring Cas. He offered him another fry. The angel took it with a small smile.
“Research isn’t exactly my area of expertise. You and Bobby can handle that just fine, me and Cas would probably just get in your way. I thought we could scout ahead and try to find this damn town.” He held his hands up as he saw their anger start to rise. “We won’t go in, we’ll just find it, then come back. You and Bobby can bring us up to speed on whatever you discover. Once we’re prepared, we’ll all enter the town together. Sound reasonable?”
Sam and Bobby shared a wary glance before they both nodded slowly.
“See, sometimes I do use my brain.” Dean finished off his burger.
Cas snatched another fry; Dean let him.
“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid boy,” Bobby said while pulling out his wallet.
“Me- nah, besides Cas won’t let me do anything too crazy.” Dean smiled, and hoped it came off as reassuring.
*****
Silent Hill wasn’t on any map they’d been able to locate. It was one more thing on his ever growing list of oddities. Braham’s was supposedly very close to this phantom town that Dean was starting to think didn’t even exist. Which was one of the reasons he wanted to check it out sooner rather than later. If the town wasn’t real, this whole thing was a bust. Better to find out now.
Before leaving Dean approached the cashier. She was about twenty, with blond hair, and a blue headband that made her look even younger. He put on his most charming smile and asked her if he could get directions.
“Where to?” she had a slight southern drawl
“A place called Silent hill; I can’t seem to find it on the map.”
Her warm, friendly face shut down. “Why do you want to go there?” her tone grew suspicious.
It does exist. Interesting. “I’m looking for someone,” Dean kept his voice nonchalant.
“You’re not going to find anyone there. Place is deserted.” Her hands drummed on the register. “Besides, the road don’t go through no more,” her tone was brusque.
Dean bristled. What the hell is this girls problem? “Why - did somebody steal it?”
She seemed surprised by his sarcasm, maybe they didn‘t use it much around here. She shot him a glare that might have been fatal had he not broken eye contact.
“Whatever,” Dean muttered then motioned to the others he was ready to leave. This girl wasn’t going to be anymore help.
That’s when he noticed everyone in the room was watching him, their eyes solemn.
Dean felt the hairs on the nape of his neck prickle. This place was really starting to piss him off. He walked out the door, putting more force than necessary into his steps.
“What the hell is wrong with these people? You’d think they’ve never seen out-of-towner’s before,” Dean snapped as soon as they were outside.
“They were quite strange,” Cas agreed.
“We’ve met stranger,” Sam added.
That was true, but that unease that had left Dean briefly was back in full force.
“We’ll meet you guys at the archives in about an hour or two,” Dean called out while he and Cas got in the impala.
“Call if you have any problems and be careful,” Sam ordered.
“Stop worrying. We‘ll be fine.” Dean slammed his door shut and took two long, deep breaths.
Cas settled into his seat and waited.
“You ready to go exploring?” Dean asked.
“I am ready,” Cas replied, his steady voice calmed Dean’s nerves.
“Let’s get this party started then.” Dean turned over the engine.
******
Dean cruised along the dark highway, his eyes peeled for any sign of this elusive town. So far nothing, not even a single street sign.
His skin kept tingling, and not in a good way. The intense stares of all those people in the diner kept eating at him.
“Dean?”
It was amazing how much Cas could put into a single word. His tone asked a dozen questions, none of which Dean wanted to answer. Nothing derailed uncomfortable chick flick moments like a good dose of humor.
“Cas?” he drawled, smirking at his friend. “If you’re going to ask me if I’ve got any fries hidden in my pocket, the answer is no.”
Cas actually laughed, not a big one, but a laugh nonetheless.
“Sorry about that. I believe my vessel must have eaten when he got nervous,” Cas surprised him by admitting.
Dean got another surprise when, “I’m a bit nervous myself,” slipped out before he could stop it.
He felt the weight of his friends stare.
The Impala’s headlights illuminated a green street sign coming into view. “What do we have here? Signs of civilization?” Dean quipped, grateful for the change of subject.
He slowed down.
The sign read Silent Hill and had an arrow pointing to a narrow road that veered off to the left.
He glanced at Cas, “Looks like we found it.”
Cas simply nodded.
Dean turned and started down the road. The night seemed to grow darker, not a single street lamp lined the highway. Dean flipped on his high beams.
That bad feeling intensified Dean noticed Cas sitting up straighter, his expression tense. Dean’s foot pressed down harder on the gas pedal without him realizing it; nerves always gave him even more of a lead foot than normal.
“You getting any more funky sensations?” Dean asked, forcing his voice to stay light.
“I’m not su-”
The radio started screeching and wailing.
Dean jumped and a hiss escaped before he could bite it back. Cas’s head jerked in the sounds direction, his eyes wide. Considering, Dean had seen Cas face down far worse than a wonky radio and not even flinch, that was a pretty damn big reaction.
Dean fumbled with the button, managing to turn the power off, but the sound didn’t stop.
It got louder.
“What the hell?” he snapped, trying the button again.
Cas was holding his head in his hands.
“Cas you okay?” Dean’s pulse sped up as his eyes darted to the road, then back to Cas again.
“I don’t… feel right,” Cas words came out sluggish; his friend started to sway.
Dean grabbed Cas’s shoulder and tried to steady him. That damn sound continued to rise. Dean clenched his teeth.
He was about to say screw this, turn around, and get Cas out of dodge, when something flickered in his peripheral vision.
Dean yanked his attention back to the road. They were crossing over a bridge, Dean had been so distracted he hadn’t even noticed its approach.
A girl, her head down, dressed in dark clothing, sporting lanky black hair, had walked out right in front of them.
Fuck.
Dean slammed on the breaks; Cas made a strangled sound as the Impala went into a spin. Dean tried to regain control by turning into it; the tires screeched and they started skidding. Metal crunched as they hit the railing, a jolt of pain as his head slammed against the steering wheel - blackness.
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