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." 

It took Alia a moment to answer. Gasping for breath, she closed her eyes for a moment. She certainly wasn't religious, but all she could think was thank god. "Glad to have you back, James." She rubbed her throat, which was sore from the demon's stranglehold. Alia got to her feet slowly, careful not to lose her balance. She kicked the demon's lifeless head. "I guess we've got a body to hide. Any idea where we should stash this one?" 

"I'll take care of it." Vince said. "Free of charge!" Vince snapped his fingers, and the body was gone. "Oh, and by the way, your soul is in safe hands, James. Although, he is always complaining about how it's so hot down there." He walked away. "Good luck with trying to stop the apocalypse!"

Alia glanced around desperately for her knife. She would have loved to torture that demon until it returned James's soul, or at least to kill it. "Do you have a deadline? Like, I mean, did he give you the standard ten years or less?" Alia was almost afraid to hear the answer. Demons never cut hunters any slack, and admittedly with good reason. You didn't usually make things easy for the ones who devoted their lives to killing you. 

"Heh, yea" James said, while scratching his head. He gave Alia the knife back "Well, I screwed up, didn't I? But at least we got something useful, right?" He smiled. "Thanks, by the way."

Alia bit her lip. "Useful, maybe, but you dying really isn't worth some book." Alia got back in the passenger seat. "Well, I don't know about you, but it's been a long day for me. I'm exhausted, and I want out of here. I can find us a case in some other damn state. Maybe another country." She scrolled through recent news on her phone and demanded they set course for the first unusual article she saw. "Four deaths from implosion in Utah. Sounds like an angel kill to me." 

"Alright then, Utah bound!" He put on the gas and drove. "An angel, huh? This might be fun!"

"Angels are so not fun." Alia slumped in her seat. "Most of them suck, and you can only kill them with an angel blade. Which, as of right now, I don't have. I lost it on my last angel hunt. Actually, I don't think I'd even met you last time I killed an angel. I guess that's a good thing." She rummaged through her duffel bag and pulled out the book Vince had given them. She leafed through it, but quickly realized the entire thing was in a different language. She didn't even have the energy to complain about it. "Well, this is pretty useless right now. It's not in any language I recognize. I think it must be Enochian." 

"Eno-what?" James said. Man, he couldn't believe how little he knew about the world of the supernatural. " And wait, aren't angels supposed to be nice? Why would you want to kill them?" He saw a hotel in the distance.

"Enochian is a language spoken by angels. We're going to need to capture one and force it to translate the book for us. As far as I know, there aren't any humans who speak it." Alia almost laughed when she imagined angels being nice. "Nah, angels are dicks. They'll kill anyone, including each other, to get what they want. Now they're fighting for control in Heaven. There's a nasty war going down, and we shouldn't get involved with either side. I can't imagine anyone meeting an angel and liking them." Alia shook her head. "Anyway, how long of a ride is this going to be?" 

"Not long, considering I'm out of gas..." He said, while pulling over to the nearest gas station. " don't worry, get some shut eye, you deserve it, for what I did and all." He closed the door, and went inside to pay for the gas, and get some snacks. When he went inside, he saw vine was the cashier. "How's it feel to know you have a time limit, I wonder? "

"Screw you" said James "And I'm not killing her, you know that."

"Well, you don have a choice, remember?"

"You and your chorines can go F-" James stopped mid sentence, and started gasping. Vince had taken his ability to breath away.

"Now do you understand? I own you! You are ours! And you will do as we say! Until such time as we are done! Do you understand!"

"Y-yes..." He was controlling his voice, the sick bastard

"Yes what?" Said Vince. The boys suffering brought him so much ecstasy.

"Yes...M-master..." James kept the hatred in his face.

"Good, now that will be $12.50"

James gasped for air, and gave him the money, and walked out.

"You take care now!" Said Vince.

Alia couldn't sleep on car rides. There was something about the constant jostling and the hum of the engine that kept her awake. Regardless, she reclined her chair as far as it would go and closed her eyes. She'd retrieved her knife and shoved it back inside of her jacket. Even in the car she wouldn't dare be left weaponless. Monsters could strike at any time, which was a lesson she'd learned the hard way. She heard someone open the driver's side door, and she opened her eyes for a second, just to make sure it was James. "Did you grab any Cheetos?" 

"Of course..." He said. Funny, he didn't remember getting them. Vince must have given it to him. He drove away from that gas station. "We'll be in Utah In About 3 hours. Get comfortable." He drove, looking out, and wondering. How the hell is he gonna help Alia if he couldn't trust himself. About halfway through the trip, he asked "Alia, can I ask you something?"

Alia didn't bother opening her eyes when James began to speak. She'd snuck along a little flask of vodka, and despite the disgusting taste, she'd sipped it off and on. Maybe resorting to alcoholism in tough times wasn't the best solution, but it worked for Alia. She took another swig of vodka before answering. "Yeah, sure, James. I'm an open book." The last part was only half-sarcastic. 

"If I... Ever turned on you." James said "what would you do? I mean, we haven't been together long, but, you know..." He looked in the rear view mirror, and saw the beer. He didn't care for her drinking, but she probably deserved a drink or 2 in her life, considering all she'd been through. Her parents murder... He couldn't understand how that felt, even if he tried.

Alia hesitated for what felt like an eternity. "I don't--well, what do you mean, James? Like, betraying me to the demons or something?" He didn't answer immediately, so she continued. "What kind of question is that? I don't what the hell I'd do. I'd probably be pissed. Why would you even ask me that? Are you planning on betraying me? Because that's the only reason I can think of as to why you'd ask me that." 

"No...like... If demons had mind and body control or something like that." James laughed "I was just thinking about comic books. Reminiscing on the old days. Go back to sleep." There was an awkward silence. They stayed quite the rest of the way. They rented a hotel when they got to Utah. James fell on the bed and immediately passed out due to exhaustion.

James woke up. But something was wrong. The Fact that he wasn't in a hotel bed was a giveaway and the blood on his hands- and for some reason his business suit- was one . It was morning he guessed through the lights that came in through the windows. And was that? No way. He stepped outside. He was in a shed. In a field. In Utah. And he had killed someone? Or at least beaten the living daylight out of them...

He saw his car out in the front. Did he drive here? Why? He got in the car, and drove in the direction of the hotel.

Alia was surprised to wake up alone. She usually woke up long before James, and it was almost uncomfortable being alone. Assuming he was out getting breakfast, Alia took a quick shower and changed. She'd expected to exit the bathroom and see him waiting for her with a plate of food, but James still wasn't back yet. Should she call him, or was she just worrying too much? What if Vince had come for him? Alia checked her cell phone, but James hadn't messaged her. She dialed his number hesitantly. 

He heard his cellphone ring and picked it up. "Hello, boss? I think something's wrong with me... I'm on my way back. We need to talk in person." Oh my god, she was gonna kill him. How could he let this happen? He needed a solution. He needed that angel, if there was any.

Alia could only manage a sigh when she hung up. What the hell had James done? She was positive this had something to do with his deal and Vince, but she wasn't sure if he'd tell her. If only she'd stabbed that stupid demon in the neck before it had struck a bargain with James. Didn't he know to never make a deal? Hadn't she taught him well enough? "Idiot," Alia mumbled, though she wasn't sure whether she was referring to herself or James. Maybe both. She drew the curtains and flipped on the TV. He'd taken the car, so it wasn't like she had anywhere to go.

He saw the hotel after hours of driving. He snuck in through the window and stumbled onto the floor. He looked at Alia. "First time I wear formal clothes, and I murder someone."

Alia almost choked. "You--you," She stammered. He killed someone? "James, what the hell is going on? What happened? What makes you think you can just sneak out and do something like that? You know, I don't--I don't have many..." She swallowed. "I can't lose another friend, and it's definitely not going to be for some stupid reason like getting caught by the police. You sit your ass down and tell me who you killed and why. No excuses. Then we're going to kill the angel and blow town." 

"Well, in the gas station Vince told me he had control over my body. So I guess I'm his boy toy..." He thought about it " I don't remember anything from the point of going to sleep." He got up." Let's go find this angel. Maybe he can cure me. Holy trumps satan most of the time, right?" He switched back to his regular clothes.

"An angel won't be doing us any favors. They like hunters about as much as we like them. Assuming we're not killed on sight, to ask of a favor of an angel means we'd have to make a deal with them too. Vince has already got your soul, so there's nothing they'd want from you. And I'm sure as hell not giving up my soul too. Then we'd have two souls to worry about retrieving. And, uh, if Vince can control you, I guess we're going to have to..." She hesitated. "No offense, James, but I'm going to need all of your weapons. I can't let you near anything dangerous."