H U N T E R S

What if Sam and Dean had quit? What if they hadn't stopped the apocalypse? What if it was all up to you? 

 

based on the tv show Supernatural 

 a 1x1 with Josh wilson 

 

 

It wasn't that hunters were fearless. Alia couldn't deny the terror that caused her heart to beat frantically against her chest or the adrenaline coursing through her veins. What made hunters special was the ability to overcome that instinctive fear. She took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the demon-killing knife she'd secured on a recent hunt. A blur as she dove around the brick wall she'd concealed herself behind, Alia drove the knife into the demon's neck. Its eyes widened and flashed red for a moment before the life faded out of them. Breathing heavily, Alia yanked the knife out of the body and glanced around her. She was in someone's backyard, but luckily she hadn't woken the homeowner. The night was chilly, but the moon was full and they would have seen Alia standing in the yard. Though the demon had been chasing her first, it was kind of difficult to explain to a regular person why she had killed a man on their property. Alia wiped the blood onto her pants and shoved her knife back inside her jacket. After the demon had ambushed her, she'd ended up in an area she was unfamiliar with. She pulled out her cellphone and dialed a familiar number. He picked up on the first ring. "James, I'm gonna need a ride." Alia scanned the moonlit suburb for a street sign. "I'm on...Hayward Court." 

Alia was not a screamer, but she jumped instinctively at the voice. She didn't want to make any sudden movements, but she slowly unsheathed her knife from inside her jacket. James was closer to the window. A cramped hotel room wasn't the best place to fight with a demon, so Alia considered shoving James out the window and then jumping out after him and running like hell. The demon had to know it had the advantage. "We're not making any deals here today, but I'd be happy to torture some information out of you, if you've got it." 

Vince moved his glasses down with a concerning look. " I'm not that those 2-bit lackeys who call themselves demons..." He looked at Alia, then James "I've locked the windows and doors, you know. And even if you have some anti magic thing that I haven't seen yet... You wouldn't want this to happen would you?" Vince turned on the TV. The headline read: missing child culprit of murders and hit and run. It was filled with convincing videos and fake evidence. " I have friends in low places, and they can make and unmake this situation if I please it..."

Vince sat down in a chair. "So, let the bidding begin!" He said with a smile on his face.

It wasn't often that Alia felt stuck, but weighing her options, she couldn't find a winning scenario. She and James could lie low and escape demon and media attention, but not only would it be a pain, it would limit her library access. And as lame as it sounded, that may be a crucial part of stopping the apocalypse. Assuming it could be stopped. But demon deals were dangerous--usually they offered you ten years before dragging you to hell, but in the case of a hunter, Alia would probably only have a year at best. She wasn't going to die for some demon, so she was going to stall. "I have a pretty high price. First I'd like some cake and the end of the apocalypse and--oh, yeah, could you get me a dog? That's just for starters. I've got a whole list of useless crap I want." 

"You are a cheeky one..." Said Vince.

"Y-you'd really do it?" Said James. He believed a lead was as good as any. And he'd take anything at this point.

Vince laughed "would I lie?" With a wave of his hand, a book appeared. "In this book, all of the secrets of the apocalypse are laid bare. You have 10 minutes. Deal...or no deal..."

Alia couldn't say the deal wasn't tempting. Of course stopping the apocalypse (and getting the glory that comes with it) was a desirable prize, but it wasn't something to waste their lives on. Alia had no plans of going to hell, and she wasn't going to let James die either. "James, he's a demon. We don't trust demons, we don't work with demons, and we definitely don't make deals with them. We kill demons and that's what we're going to keep doing." 

James thought about it. He thought about if this demon was lying. He saw the headline, and thought of his parents. Would they want to see him like this? And the millions who would die if the apocalypse started... He was sorry for Alia. He had to take this chance. "Fine, I'll deal."

Vince was surprised at this corage in the boy. "Well... You've got stones, kid! What are you betting?"

James replied "Whatever you want. If it's for the sake of the world... Anything."

Vince chucked "Okay... Come here..." He outstretched his hand.

James slowly walked towards the demon, accepting of his fate. "Hey, if anything happens to me, you can handle yourself, right partner?" He smiled at Alia. Vince touched James's forehead, and smiled. James screamed in pain, and dropped to the floor.

Vince got up and tossed the book to Alia. "My work here is done. Pleasure doin bissnes with you." He disappeared in a flash. The book was filled with old English texts and riddles. They were a secret, after all. They just had to find them out.

Alia was frozen. Her arms were shaking and the book fell out of her weak grip. He had made a deal. The one forbidden move of hunters. Never. Make. A. Deal. Almost tripping over the book she'd dropped, Alia knelt beside James. She gently poked his shoulder with a quivering hand. "J-James? Hey, uh, the, uh, the demon's gone now. You can--you can be okay now. Okay? James?" 

The boy woke up. He heard the voice of a girl. She called him James... So that must be his name? He also noticed the talk of demons? "Where am I? What demons? What the hell are you talking about lady!?" He went to the door of the hotel room. He didn't know why he was there.Maybe somebody at the desk could help him get rid of this crazy chick!

What the hell? "James! Stop!" Alia yelled, but she didn't follow him. Her legs were too shaky to walk anyway.

 

She knew what had happened. She knew what price the demon had exacted, but she ignored the obvious and decided James was simply suffering a temporary case of amnesia. It couldn't be the demon's price, could it? Demons always wanted a soul. That was how deals worked. Vince couldn't just throw the rules out the window--could he? It was a misunderstanding. James would snap out of it and come back. Alia shoved the doubt out of her mind and waited, leaning against the bed, for him to return. She wouldn't dare imagine someone else leaving. 

Vince came and opened the door. He had a smile on his face. "Like what I did to him? No memories, no problem, right? He was holding you back anyways. Now here's the deal. I took your friends soul. But, sine I'm a nice guy, and I like you, I put a... Proxy soul in for you, no charge! Of course, there was that catch I mentioned... Among other things... You can thank me later. Best Check on your toy, he might cause a problem... "

Alia clenched her fists. Anger, hot and bubbling, shot through her veins. It replaced the shaking almost instantly. "That isn't how deals work. You can't just change everything and screw him over like that!" As much as she would have loved to stay and torture the demon, Alia knew that worrying about James was more important. She paused only long enough to throw her duffel bag over her shoulder before racing into the hallway after James. "James! James, slow down!" He wasn't anywhere in sight, but he would be disoriented and frustrated. That meant she had maybe a minute to find him before things got bad. 

" Oh, Don't forget your book!" Vince screamed with laughter.

James was tackled by the girl. "Get off me!" He screamed."I don't know who you are... Here, take my money... I just need to go-" wait, that's a good question... Where did he live? Was this girl a relative? Were they sister and brother? Where they boyfriend- no, she looked younger than him... Or was he into younger girls? Was he interested in girls at all?

"James, hey, calm down." Alia swallowed and desperately tried to think of a way to explain. She knew how crazy her life would sound to a normal person, and it looked like James had become one. "Uh, you know, maybe we should go somewhere else. We could go to, uh, I don't know. Let's just drive, okay? I have your extra set of keys." Alia dug them out of her bag. "You can get the car started. Or, uh, do you remember how to drive?" Alia had never learned, but she'd spent enough hours watching James drive that she figured she could pull it off. "I'll be right back. Wait here." She stole into their hotel room, knife drawn, but Vince was gone. She picked up the book and shoved in into her duffel before returning to James. She led him to his car and shoved the keys in the ignition. Which pedal was the gas? The skinny one or the big one? She stalled by adjusting her rearview mirror. "Do you, you know, um, remember anything, James?" 

"It's okay, I can drive..." Best to comply, wether she was a relative or a criminal, lest she get angry... "Where are we going...sis?"

"Nowhere, I guess, unless you have somewhere in mind." Alia retreated to the passenger seat. One of these days she'd have to learn how to drive. The sis comment was a little strange, but it wasn't like he had any idea who she really was. Maybe this was only a temporary punishment? There was still an apocalypse in need of stopping, but she'd need James's help to decipher the book Vince had given them. "What do you remember, James? Anything?" 

"I-I remember..." Silvia. He forgot about her. Was she okay? Her couldn't have left her? So he was into girls! "Where's Silvia! Where is she!" He remembered the times they had... Her presence made all his worries go away, as if he was in a trance.

"Um, I don't know, James. Keep your eyes on the road. Of all the ways to die, I'm pretty sure a car accident is the least dignified. We're supposed to go out fighting, right?" Alia smiled encouragingly, but James didn't return the grin. "Anyway..." She gulped. "Anything...weird? Something that seems like it might be from a movie? Vampires, demons, that sort of thing? Anything at all about me?" She was a little nervous about introducing the supernatural again, but it wasn't like she had much of a choice. James needed to recover quickly. 

"Movies? Yea, I've seen them!" He remembered the movie he saw with Silvia. It was a midevil movie, with demons. She always frowned when the demons came out, like they did some great wrong just by being there.

Vince watched from the top of a building, with James soul him his hand. " you know, that deal ain't too bad if you think about it. She still technically has you in her life, right big guy? Of course, I can control the proxy, from his memories to his body... And that will be the fun part." He smiled at the true soul of James "I said you'd kill her, right? So did I lie? No. Am I going to kill her today? Depends on how close she gets. She won't try to come after you, you know. You aren't special, like I said."

There wasn't much Alia could do for James. She'd realized that almost immediately. Maybe this was actually a blessing? If James didn't remember anything about hunting, then he could go live a normal life. He wouldn't worry that the monsters of his nightmares were really hiding in the shadows, he could get married and have kids and get a job and live an apple pie life. It sure beat life as a hunter. James was smart. If she left, he'd be able to figure things out. 

 

They weren't anywhere notable, but Alia reached for the door handle. "Stop the car. Here." 

This was a weird place to stop, James thought... " A-are you sure?" He didn't remember this place.... But then again, what could he remember?

Alia pushed the fear and reluctance bubbling up inside of her down. "Yeah, I'm sure. You have my cell phone number, still. If anything weird happens, give me a call, okay? You won't be bothering me." She slung her duffel bag over her shoulder and got out of the car. She forced a smile onto her face. "I guess this is goodbye. I, um, I really, really hope things work out for you, James." 

"W-what are you talking about?" James stammered, grabbing her hand. He didn't know her, but she was the only connection to what had transpired. "I- I can't let you go! You-you're my-"

Vince watched, out of sight. " Oh no, you aren't getting rid of my little tracker , missy!" He turned to one if his lackeys "He needs his 'memories' back. Jog it for him, would you?" The lackey disappeared to do what was commanded.

James was desperately trying to remember. Something deep down told him he couldn't leave this girl. " you're my-" it hurt to remember, to struggle for the clues of this girl.

The lackey attempted to strike the girl from behind. Why deal with the little fish, when you can get the prize winner?

James saw the attacker. "Boss, look out!"

Alia ducked instinctively, the demon's strike barely missing her. James without his memories wasn't helpful in a fight--he was a hazard. "Go! Drive!" Alia took a step away from the demon, fumbling for her knife. She yanked it out of her jacket and held it up defensively. "I don't recognize you. Is there any particular reason you felt like dropping in on me?"

The lackey didn't say anything. He lunged, and caught the girl. He realized that pain was the best way to jog the boys memory, and hey, what better way? Two birds, one stone. He grabbed the girls with his left hand, an a gut punch wit the right. She was a good hunter, but she was still young. The blow made the girl stagger, and drop the knife. A one-two combo follow up made her fall on the ground, and he kicked the knife away. He then grabbed her, and chocked her. He had gotten a boost of power from Vince.

 

James was dumbstruck by the sight he was seeing. He couldn't leave this girl alone. He couldn't leave A-

A? Her names started with an A! He remembered that! He then felt a feeling of... Protection.

He needed to protect-

Alia.

Because... She....she

She Was his boss, after all. He grabbed the knife,and stabbed the demon with it. The demon had been defeated, as his eyes lit up.

"Sorry about the inconvenience, boss. I'm back now."