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's not defeatist," Alia mumbled as James walked out. It wasn't like she had much of a choice in dying. She couldn't let the whole world burn just to save herself. What kind of heartless monster would do that? She began to text Garth. If she was going to did, then someone needed to keep an eye on James. Alia didn't bother filling in Garth on the details. All he had to know was that James needed to be kept safe. He owed her that much. She paid the tab and returned to the hotel room. While she'd rather scream at James for making his own deal and of being unable to get over her imminent death, she knew it would only serve to make him feel worse.

(Sorry for the slow reply. At work and it's been a long day.)

(It's okay!)

James sat on a bench. He looked to the sky. "God," he said " I don't talk to you that much. You know the reason why. You strapped the person I need to protect to a damn life clock!" He calmed down. "I want to talk this over with one of your associates. Not puriel, you know the reason for that. I want an explanation to it all. And if I can't get that, then to hell with you!" He waited for an answer. Anything.

(I got your IMs but I'm on mobile and it won't let me reply. Yep for both)

 

Rafael's words caused the air around James to ripple. "I do not know what sort of answer you are looking for. I will not even meet you on Earth for such a question." Rafael paused for a moment, but he knew his truthful answer would not be sufficient. "I do not know why this is happening, but it must. The apocalypse is meant to happen, and whatever actions you or any other hunters take as a result are planned. While I do not know how this will end, I promise you that any sacrifices made will not be in vain."

"Screw your plan!" He yelled to the angel. "I don't understand any of it! Why!" He " I wanted to protect her, save her, help her leave this business. She's become like a sister to me over the past two years, and now I gotta just watch her die! I know she's afraid of death, I see it. And me not being able to do anything to help her... It's just not fair!"

"It's not my plan. I understand as much as you do about what is occurring. But I know this is how things are meant to happen. If she is meant to die, she will. Fate has already been set. All humans die eventually. A premature death should not concern you. I should not have to lecture you on this. All creatures fear death, regardless of whether they will admit it or not. But it must happen, and you have no place changing the nature of the universe. These are facts you could have figured out yourself, and so I bid you adieu." 

---------------------------------------------------------

 

Alia didn't want to cry. Hunters didn't cry. She curled up on the uncomfortable hotel bed and stared out the window. The parking lot was deserted, but that was a good sign. She could see the world but it didn't see her. Alia would have liked to spend the day moping, but she didn't have that luxury. She unpacked the book and slowly paged through it. Though it had been translated into English, it didn't make any more sense than it had in Enochian. 

James opend the door, an sat next to Alia, peering at the book. "So, any ideas to where we go?" He hated that angel. He hated demons. He hated this situation. He couldn't express it. He didn't know what to express anymore. So he should just get it over it for now... And express it later.

"I don't have a clue. None of this makes any sense to me. I feel like there's some sort of point that I'm missing. It seems like a random jumble of poems and metaphors and blah blah blah that have nothing to do with the apocalypse. But, as shady as they are, demons can't break deals. That means what's in here is all the information we need. Now we just need to decipher it. And since neither of us has a soul to trade, we can't even get anyone to do it for us." Alia bit her lip. "I--I guess we should..." She trailed off. She had no idea what they should do. "Well, uh, study, I guess." 

He was going to kill that angel. Kill him slow. He made Alia trade her soul for this goddamn book, and for what? Nothing. "Call up one of your friends, maybey they have the answer. Sam and dean? They started the apocalypse, they could just backtrack?"

"As far as I know, Sam and Dean are still missing in action. Garth would have texted me, or one of the boys would have called me back. Something's really wrong. I don't know if they're dead or what, but they can't help us. At least not right now. I'll google some of these poems and phrases. Maybe that'll help us figure it all out." 

 

It took a lot of work for a little information, but at least it was something. Alia had deduced from three particularly cryptic poems that the apocalypse had been started by Sam and Dean. Lucifer had been let out of hell, and a final, Biblical showdown was supposed to occur. Sam and Dean would be possessed by Lucifer and Michael, and after a bloody war that would kill almost all life on earth, it would be over. Michael would be victorious, and supposedly, good would win. But there would be so much carnage. It wasn't like Alia hadn't been committed--hell, she'd traded her life to stop the apocalypse--but it steeled her resolve. If she couldn't think her way out of this, they'd all be dead. 

 

After explaining what'd she'd figured out to James, she offered a plan. "Well, risking the fate of humanity on a hunch is probably not the best idea, but it's all I've got. What if we get Dean to say yes? If he agrees and Sam doesn't, Michael can destroy Lucifer before he has the power his vessel will give him. That'll save people, won't it?" 

"It would..." James said. "But what's the aftermath? The angels come and rule us all, and kill anyone they don't like? " he thought about it. " what if we kill them? No, they'd just choose another vessel..." He looked at her. "Is there a way we can stop them from doing it? Like stop the horsemen, or something?"

"I don't know," Alia mumbled, scanning the book again. "I think this was almost made to be a perfect impossible puzzle. I wonder if there's not even a solution. What if it doesn't matter what we do? What if everything has to happen the way it's described here, no matter how we try to change things? What if we just make it worse and get everyone killed?" Voicing her doubts aloud didn't do anything to help, but it felt like she with lifting weight off her shoulders with each complaint. "And why does it even matter? Why do we have to be responsible for the entire world? Why isn't this someone else's job?" 

"It was Sam and Deans." James said. "Look what good that did.,.and heron lies the puzzle. We can just ask them to tell us their..." James thought " I could do dirty work for Vince! I'll figure out the tricks of the trade, an I could use them against him!"

"Oh my god, James. We've both just sold our damn souls to two of the filthiest species on Earth and you're looking to do more work for them? I don't care what kind of good cause it's for. Look where that's gotten us now! You're not talking to the damn demon again!" She laid back in exhaustion. "I don't--" the words "I don't know what to do" had almost escaped her lips. Alia hoped James hadn't figured out what she was about to say. She swallowed and started again. "Maybe, um, maybe the outcome would be different if Sam and Dean weren't the vessels. Think about it--the time and place would be different, and that could change everything. Maybe that could save us." 

"Like who, us?" He said quizzically. "And how would we do that... I don't know if we could time travel." He said "Or, are you insinuating we kill them?"

"I don't know. I'm throwing out ideas here. It's better than not thinking of anything. We wouldn't need to time travel anyway. The key would be getting Michael and/or Lucifer to use different vessels. That could change everything. It looks like Sam and Dean either can't or won't step up to the plate. I can send out a call to..." Alia trailed off mid-sentence. It wasn't well-thought out at all, but angels couldn't possess a person without their permission. So if they wanted to possess someone desperately enough, they'd have to do whatever that person said, right? But how was she going to get two angels to listen to her? Not only was the idea of them smiting her before she could speak a word terrifying, but even more chilling was the fact she was even entertaining the idea of offering herself as a vessel. She tried to justify it--she was already a goner, so why not do whatever she could to save James's soul and stop the apocalypse?

"Thats a good option. If you are Michael, maybey..." they could get her soul back. "That's a good plan for the time being..." He got up. He could save her yet. "Well, goodnight!" He went to his bed and slept. He wold make sure she became the vessel. He could let her kill him. His debt could be repaid. That would help him rest peacefully.

Michael? The symbol of light and goodness who would ultimately win? No. For this to work, she needed to be the loser in the fight. Alia needed to be Lucifer's vessel. Of course, that would only serve to upset James, so there was no point in correcting him. "Sleep tight. Don't let the vampires bite." 

 

Did she sleep? As Alia woke up, she wasn't really sure. It felt like she'd laid in the dark for hours and then suddenly it was morning. She rubbed her eyes, feeling no more rested than she'd felt before going to bed. James was still asleep, so Alia grabbed the book and poured over it once more. If she was going to make such a bold decision, she needed to have all her facts in order. 

James woke up. "I always wake up late, don't I?" He paused "unless I'm possessed, that is..." He looked at the book. " did The book change to help us?" He mutterd under his breath. " I wish..."

How did one go about getting an archangel to possess them for the final showdown that may or may not wipe out mankind? Alia, unfortunately, didn't know. She figured with Sam and Dean unable or unwilling to be the vessels, the angels would be open to other options. But how could she talk to them? How could she get them to listen to her? Surely, with all the religious nuts who had probably noticed the beginning of the apocalypse, at least a few had offered themselves as vessels. The angels had too many options to be willing to pick her. 

 

James was awake. "Hey, sleepyhead," She smiled encouragingly. 

He smiled. "Wow, your attitude...so different from the past couple of days..." He stammered " But in a good way... " He hugged her. He didn't know why, but it felt like it was needed. Like his heart wanted it. "Oh, sorry!"

Alia laughed. "You've seen me bleeding and at death's door. A hug doesn't bother me." She shoved the book Vince had given them back into her duffel bag. "I want some fresh air, so I'm going to go grab us some breakfast. Are you thinking Dunkin Donuts or McDonald's?" It was good to see that her half-faked cheery mood had boosted James's spirits. With what was about to happen, he was going to need at least one day of happiness. She shrugged on her coat and, when James wasn't looking, slid her knife inside. No point in reminding him that they were never safe. 

"Donuts, for sure. Burgers have gotten...bad for me..." He went to the door. "I'll get the car, be right back!"

Vince was in the car. "Well, you wanted me here. What do you want?"

"I want to be the vessel."

Vince was surprised. His fake smile dropped "you want to-"

" Yes. For lucifer. Now. Please."

"Why? I thought you hated-"

"I hate everything right now. The situation I'm in. The situation she's in. All of it. I want it to end. Now."

"You know you have nothing to bet, right?"

"I do."

"What?"

"I will work for you. After I kill her, of course. The angels are going to make Alia a vessel."

"You thin you are gonna win?"

"Yes. "

"I'll think about it." Vince stepped out of the car. He saw Alia walking toward him "hello miss."

Edited November 30, 201311 yr by DEADACCOUNT2333

Alia may not have been a pro at controlling her temper, but rage bubbled through her at the sight of Vince. She couldn't even think to reach for her knife. The rage consuming her prompted her to just strangle the hell out of him, but that wouldn't do any good. Alia gritted her teeth. "I told you to stay the hell away from us!" She yanked her knife out of her jacket and glanced over at James. He was too close to Vince. "James, get out of dodge!" 

Edited November 30, 201311 yr by Think Pink

"Oh, you can put that down, you know." He looked at James "We were having a little talk. No problem right?"

James didn't even flinch at that accusation. He just looked at Alia. "Get in the car, Alia. It's ok. He was just trying to provoke me ."

"Back off." Alia didn't dare put her knife away. No matter what James said, it was not safe to be anywhere near Vince. "James, drive away right now." The standoff was quickly drawing attention, and someone had probably already called the police. The last thing she needed was the two of them arrested. At least if James was free she'd have a means of escape. If he was out of harm's way, then she was free to do whatever the hell she wanted. So Alia lunged at Vince.