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scriveynerTitle: Untitled Nano 2008 - 7
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist, Supernatural
AU: Mashup
Characters/Pairing: Ed, Al, Cas
Rating: T
Length: 5227
Summary:
Ed took a deep breath, one hand on his face. He felt odd, jerked awake yet again. Al was gone for certain this time, he had taken the car the next town over because there was a book in that particular library's old reference section and it was just easier to go there then try to get a book transferred without a library card. He was gone a long time and he couldn't help but think maybe he had met up with the demon again, but Sam was a big boy.
The room was empty when Ed sat up. He still felt weird, and looked down at his hands. Something - something about his hands, about his arms and now that the dream had dissipated again he was left with the vague feeling like he was forgetting something vitally important.
No matter. He shuffled to the other side of the room, picking up a few of the books Bobby had shoved into his hands as they had piled out from his junkyard the last time. They were old, mostly, a couple were just general information on alchemy but two were ancient, yellowed journals. He didn't know why Bobby felt it so important he take the books, this whole random alchemy thing was just that, a thing tied in to the seal they were pursuing and it would dissipate just like his dreams as soon as they'd finished this hunt.
But still... he clicked on the desk lamp and leaned back in the chair, taking the top book off of the stack. It was one of the more general knowledge alchemy books, nothing seemed to pop out at him as he paged through it, although lots of the symbols seemed vaguely familiar. They'd run across a lot of them doing research before.
Ed sighed, about to close the book when a small symbol in the corner of the page caught his eye. It was familiar in a way he couldn't parse and abruptly it felt like his mouth was full of blood and dust. He slammed the book shut and gagged, staggering toward the bathroom and spitting in the sink.
He scrubbed the back of his hand over his mouth and gagged, glancing up in the mirror. He hadn't slapped the light on, but in the wan light his reflection was different again. It didn't even have the courtesy to be the SAME different reflection, this time his hair was shorter, his face different. Ed grabbed the first thing that came to hand, a glass sitting on the counter and flung it at the mirror.
The glass and mirror both shattered and Ed cursed as he stepped back blindly, his anger earning him dozens of tiny cuts and a bathroom full of broken glass. He staggered out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him and sliding down against it, knocking his head back into the door itself and closing his eyes.
Blood was trickling down his face from the cuts. Before he could lift a hand to swipe at them, a gentle hand wiped the trickle away. Ed's eyes snapped open and he looked up to see Castiel, entirely too close to him, very gently wiping the blood from his face.
Ed didn't have anywhere to go, the door was latched and solid behind him, but there was something calming about the methodical way Castiel was wiping each small cut. Ed watched him wordlessly, but Castiel did not meet his eyes, focusing instead on his wounds.
Wiping the last cut, Castiel's hand hovered on Ed's face for a second longer than necessary. The angel did not straighten from his crouch but he did move a little back, away from Ed.
"What was that for?" Ed murmured tiredly.
"You need to contain your anger, Dean." Castiel's voice was quiet.
Edward snorted, knocking his head back against the door again. "This is getting fucking ridiculous," he said. "Just, seriously. I can't look in the goddamn mirror anymore because it's an even bet I won't even see myself looking back."
"You are seeing yourself." Castiel straightened finally, turning and looking around the room. He hesitated, then looked back at Ed. "There are many more realities such as this," he touched the wall with one hand. "This is just one of many."
Ed blew out a breath in annoyance. "Yeah, sure." He shrugged his shoulders. "You mean to tell me that everything I've read in comic books is real?"
Castiel looked at him silently for a moment. Sadness haunted his eyes and Ed felt his stomach clench. "This is not going to be easy," he said. "This seal in particular. Everything will change and yet nothing will. Lilith cannot be permitted to break this seal."
The severity of his tone was not lost on Ed, nor was the feeling that the angel was leaving out something of great importance. "What's different about this seal?"
The angel turned his back on Ed. "Things are going to get harder for you in this next week. Do not lose your focus. I am here if you need me."
Before Ed could open his mouth, Castiel was gone.
He knocked his head back against the door again, then sighed. He'd have to clean up the glass before Al got back, otherwise Al would have kittens when he saw the bathroom. Ed got to his feet wearily, there were going to be questions about the state of his face anyway.
When he opened the door, Ed was nonplussed. The mirror and the glass were whole and unbroken, and upon inspection he could see that his face was completely unscarred. Not a single cut remained behind.
#
Al was back by mid-morning. Ed was sitting at the table, two of the alchemy books propped open, a sheaf of half-scrawled on paper in front of him and a half-eaten breakfast sandwich from the nearest fast food joint at his elbow.
"You look like you've been busy," Al said. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept since the day before. He dropped a few books on the dresser and dropped face-forward, fully clothed on his bed.
Ed watched him lay face-first on the comforter for a moment. "Find anything?"
Al groaned, and with effort turned his head to face Ed. "Got the book, spooked a spook, nearly burned the library down and had to outrun a cop," he said.
Now that he said it, Ed could detect the faint whiff of burning from Al and his clothes. "Why didn't you call me? I could’ve hot-wired something and helped."
"It wasn't anything difficult by our standards," Al said, his eyes shut. "I just need a few hours to recharge."
"Right," Ed said, standing up and stretching. "We're close to the seal."
Al made a mumbled noise of assent. "Do we know what it is?"
"No." Ed smacked Al's leg as he passed, his brother's feet stuck off the edge of the bed. "I'm gonna check that out today. Also I figure I'll visit our friend the mahr. She can't shapeshift in daylight, so I'll be fine."
There was another noise that could be assent or it could be the start of a snore that came from the bed. Ed shrugged on his coat and picked the keys up from the dresser. A smirk tugged at his face as he closed the door behind him.
#
Ed shuffled a bit on the porch as he waited in the silence after knocking. It was Al who had reservations about their continued impersonations of various members of the government, but Ed never had a problem with it. You had to do what you had to do to keep the civilians safe, and that was that.
The door cracked open, and a nicely-dressed woman in her late thirties opened the door. She eyed him. "Can I help you?"
"Sarah Mohr?" Ed asked, flipping his ID up so she could see it. "I'm Agent Martin. I have some questions for you."
She shut the door quickly. Ed blinked, that was not the usual response. "Miss Mohr," Ed called, knocking on the door again. "Just a few questions, ma'am."
"I don't have to talk to you!" the woman called through the door. "I was proved innocent, you can go to hell!"
Ed rocked back on his heels, returning his ID to his pocket. "I'm, well I'm here about that but you're not the suspect," he lied. "I need to know what happened that night."
There was a silence, and the door open again, just a crack so he could see one suspicious green eye. "It's all public record," she said, then slammed the door again.
Despite Ed knocking on the door again, Mohr wouldn't respond. Ed sighed and called through the door as a final resort, "we're trying to find the person responsible for your husband's death, as well as at least six other people."
No response. With a shrug of his shoulders, Ed trotted down the porch and headed back toward his car. So she wasn't a fan of authority. That was suspicious as well. Looked like they were going to have to go the b&e route this evening, and then beat a hasty retreat.
As Ed slid behind the wheel, his cell phone went off. He pulled it out and flipped it open, the ring tone alone let him know it was Bobby. "What's up?"
Silence. Ed looked at the cell phone and realized the call had dropped. The hairs pricked on the back of his neck, and he hit redial. The call went straight to voicemail. Ed cursed and flipped the phone closed, sometimes technology was more trouble than it was worth.
He glanced at his watch, Al had only a few hours to catch some sleep. He hated waking him, but this could be important. He dialed through to Al, and the call rang a few times before it went to voicemail. No real surprise, but he would stagger out of bed to check it and hopefully be able to get in touch with Bobby.
With no warning the driver's side window shattered inwards and Ed flinched as for the second time in less than a day he was peppered with broken glass. This time, however, a strong hand grabbed at him, gripping his shoulder firmly and trying to pull him through the broken window.
Ed twisted, struggling and reaching for the glove box. He hadn't a weapon on him, it was daylight and mahrs only came out at night. As he twisted, he got a look at his attacker's face and the eyes shuttered between normal and black.
Demon.
It was stronger than he was, they all were. Instead of trying to pull away Ed grabbed the door handle and slammed the door open. It wasn't enough to hurt the demon but it caught him off guard and he staggered backwards. Ed kicked the door again and it bounced off of the man and he went down. Ed didn't bother with a weapon or even the door, he twisted the key in the ignition and slammed the accelerator down, tearing out of his parking space and down the street, the door slamming as he took a turn.
#
Ed was in a foul mood as he slammed into the motel room. He still had glass in his hair, and the demon had almost twisted his left arm out of its socket. Al, who looked very little the worse for wear jumped to his feet. Ed bee-lined for the bathroom, running his hands gently through his hair and trying to comb the glass out without cutting his hands up more than they were already.
"You alright?" Al took up most of the space in the doorway, watching as Ed shook his head like a dog.
"Fucking, fucking demon did a number on my car, Al!" Ed slammed both of his hands down on the porcelain sink, anger bright in his eyes. "I'm going to send that freak back to the pit where it belongs, god damn it!"
Al grabbed Ed's arm before he slammed his hands against the sink again. "Ed!"
"Fuck," Ed muttered, but when Al released him he didn't hit the sink again.
"What happened?" Al watched, concerned, as Ed took off his suit coat and shook it out.
"I got attacked by a demon, that's what. Outside of Mohr's house." He gave the coat another shake for good measure. "Mohr wouldn't let me in the house, slammed the door in my face and gave me the finger, pretty much. Then, then Bobby-" he looked over to Al, and Al nodded. "You got a hold of Bobby, then?"
"He said he heard you answer the phone and the call ended, maybe it was interference from the demon?"
"Possible," Ed said. "But he punched out the window of my car."
"It's fixable," Al murmured. "Are you fine?"
"Fine?" Ed rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. "I'm peachy, let's go kill the fucking thing."
#
There was no sign of the demon as the two brothers stalked along the row of hedges separating the homes. They were both dressed for the road, their books and weapons packed in the Impala, safely parked a little up the block.
Al trotted up the back stairs, silent despite his size. Ed followed carefully, drawing his gun and keeping it at the ready, safety thumbed off. They were as prepared as they could be, Ed still had silver bullets from their last werewolf incident and Al had a knife made of iron. His younger brother picked the lock skillfully and stealthily, and the door swung quietly open.
"Home invasions'r'us," Ed muttered, double-checking the safety before entering behind Al.
Al had his own gun drawn, and they very carefully covered the inside of the house. Al was in the kitchen when he heard Ed go "ah, hell."
Ed had found the bedroom on the first floor and pushed the door open, to find Sarah Mohr lying dead in her bed, throat slit ear to ear and a branch of fir in each hand.
Al looked around, then tugged Ed's arm. "We've got to get out of here," he said quietly. Ed nodded and they fled the house quickly, making tracks to the Impala and sliding in to the car. Ed had knocked the remainder of the glass out of the driver's side window earlier, and it made the entire driving experience much chillier than usual.
The brothers looked at each other as they sat in silence. There were no sirens, no one had been tipped off yet but it was time to move on regardless. Ed started the car and they drove casually off.
#
Dawn found them on the road between towns. Ed had pulled off the side of the road around one a.m. to take a nap, and he woke up needing to take a piss. Al wasn't in the car, he was sitting on a fence on the side of the road, just looking at the sky.
Ed took care of business by a tree, then shuffled over to lean against the fence next to Al. They stood in comfortable silence for a long while. "Do you suppose that was the end of the mahr thing?" Al finally said.
"No telling," Ed said.
Al sighed out a breath and craned his neck upwards. The dark purple of the night sky was slowly being chased away by the emerging sun. "What now?"
"The seal, I guess," Ed leaned more on his elbows, looking up like Al was. "Castiel said we'd find it in Anson. Still don't know what 'it' is, but at least we've got a location now."聽
Ed stood up and stretched his arms out over his head, before rubbing the back of his neck irritably. "I've got such a crick in my neck," he complained. He scowled at the Impala, still missing her window. "I've got to get that fixed," he grunted. He stood beside the car, hands in his pockets, then looked back over at Al.
"Would you freak if I tried something?"
Al was watching Ed anyway. He frowned. "You're going to try alchemy again, aren't you?"
Ed shrugged loosely. "It's worth a shot. Nobody's threatened to end me if I use it, might as well make use of it while it's here." He started kicking the grass on the side of the road, hunting for litter.
"You expecting it to go somewhere?"
"I figure it will go away or something on its own." Ed found a discarded glass bottle, picking it up gingerly. "See if you can find me another bottle."
Al blinked at him, watching Ed search. "What do you need a glass bottle for?"
"Can't make something out of nothing now, can I?" Ed had come up with a second bottle on his own. He opened the door of the car, balancing both bottles on the ledge of it. He took a deep breath, one hand on the car itself for a second. Then he shut his eyes, clapped his hands together forcefully, and touched them to the door itself.
Al had to admit it was amazing to watch. Ed stood there, eyes closed and a look of concentration on his face as the bottles shed their shape and size, dissolving and congealing into a serviceable window. After a moment, the blue electrical spark faded out and Ed opened one eye cautiously before opening both of them. He blinked, and poked the window gently with one finger. "It worked," he said, sounding amazed. He looked up at Al and grinned. "It actually worked!"
Al slid off the fence and came over to inspect Ed's handiwork. "It did work," he said, pinging the glass softly with one finger. "It's not the right consistency for a windshield," he said, "but it's certainly do-able for the short term, before we can get back to Bobby's."
"Hell yeah," Ed crowed, then looked at his hands, curling them into fists. "This thing might be useful after all!"
"I wouldn't get too used to using it," Al said, opening the passenger side door and sliding in. "I just... dunno, it doesn't feel right, does it?"
Ed shrugged, getting in and closing his door carefully, so not to shatter the temporary window. "It feels like... I don't know, I'm not sure how to explain it. It doesn't feel bad or wrong or dangerous..." He trailed off, and then started the car.
"Just be careful, okay?" Al twisted around, shuffling through the crap they'd tossed in the back seat until he found a local map they'd picked up a few days earlier. "You said Anson, right?"
"Let's hit it," Ed said, turning the stereo on as they pulled on to the two-lane stretch of road, headed for Anson.
#
It was nearly dark by the time they rolled into town, which made the police lights cutting through the night all the more glaring. Ed slowed down the car, carefully rolling down his window. He was gratified it didn't break. "What's going on, officer?" he asked cheerfully as the cop eyed them both. A second cop walked around the car, taking note of the plates.
"You boys are a long way from Ohio," the second officer said.
"Road trip," Ed explained. "We're doing a driving tour, heading toward Nevada for the holidays." He flashed a grin at the cops, who exchanged looks.
"Together?" The first officer asked.
Ed looked at Al in confusion, and then Al said, "No, we're brothers."
Still confused, Ed looked back at the officer, who was considering them. "Y'all are clear to pass," the second officer said, with a nod. "We've had some trouble with college students and vandalism lately, so I wouldn't stick around if I were you," he said.
Ed nodded obediently and went the way the officer directed. He looked over at Al, who was shaking his head. Then it clicked and he slammed a hand on the wheel. "Why does that HAPPEN?" he complained, and Al burst into helpless laughter.
#
"You ever get the feeling he's just stringing us along?" Al said, poking at a soggy french fry with his fork.
Ed looked up, halfway through a burger. "Mfoo iz?" Al rolled his eyes and waited for Ed to finish chewing his mouthful. "Sorry," Ed said, swallowing. "Who is?"
"Castiel," Al said, putting his fork down.
"Stringing us along?"
"He just keeps dangling bits of information before us like carrots, waiting for us to move along to the next square before rewarding us with more information," Al pointed out.
Ed shrugged. "Maybe he's just relaying the information as he gets it?" He didn't like being on this side defending the angel. "Dunno, you could be right, though. I keep expecting him to show up and go "The seal is a rock in this park, deal with it."
"That would be the rub, wouldn't it?" Al leaned back on his bench and looked out the window of the diner. Anson was a small town but it was plenty busy. An inquiry of the waitress and they found out the police blockade was due to a wreck earlier the evening. 'Don't mind the cops here, sweetie,' the waitress had told them. 'They're all overprotective of this place, and some of'em are a little backwards-thinking.'
Ed had stared at the woman as she left. "Does she think we're gay too?"
Al chuckled under his breath and Ed made a curious noise from somewhere behind his burger. Al waved it off and watched the late-evening traffic pass by the window.
"I have no idea what we need to be doing," Ed announced, licking his fingers. "I mean, the seals are usually something to do with the paranormal, I suppose if we haven't heard from anyone we can go do the touristy thing tomorrow and see what we turn up."
"I wonder what counts for tourism in this town," Al said. The waitress overheard him as she was depositing their check on the table.
"There's a wax museum in town," she said cheerfully. "It's small, not anything huge like what you'd find in Vegas or anything; it's locally owned."
"A wax museum," Ed said flatly.
"Sounds interesting, thank you," Al said cheerfully. He put a credit card with the check and the waitress bustled off to run it.
"A wax museum," Ed repeated in the same tone of voice.
"What is your problem?" Al said.
"Those things are fuckin' bizarre, man. And creepy. I keep looking for the wicks in people's heads."
Al stared at Ed, who attempted to look innocent but failed as usual. He sighed, signed the slip when the check came back, and they headed out for the night.
Ed stood in front of the dusty homestead, his hands shoved deep in his pockets and said quite plainly "this is stupid."
Al quirked an eyebrow at him. There was a small stream of customers, a good mix of locals and out-of-towners wandering about. Ed stood stubbornly on the sidewalk, refusing to budge.
"You're afraid of mannequins."
"Those... they are not MANNEQUINS. They're unnatural."
"Because mannequins are entirely natural."
"I bet they have some clowns in there."
"Nice try."
"You go in without me, I'll stay out here and watch for, uh. Attorneys."
"Ed."
"There is no logical reason to go in there! It's just a wax museum. We don't have a hunt here."
"Did you forget already?"
"What are the odds the seal will be in there?"
"Not a clue, but according to the museum's website, they have a few ghosts wandering around."
"We'll come back later."
"So you'd rather stalk around this place in the middle of the night, with the lights off, then go right now when everything is brightly lit and cheery?"
"You can't make me go in there."
Al rolled his eyes heavenward. "My older brother is a pussy."
"What."
"You heard me."
Ed eyed the entrance, then glared at Al. Al raised both of his eyebrows. Ed groaned. "I'm going to regret this." Al smirked as Ed followed him grumpily. "I hope they have clowns. A whole clown EXHIBIT just waiting for you."
Al purchased their tickets while keeping an eye on Ed. He didn't really think Ed would bolt, but sometimes he couldn't be too sure. Ed didn't bolt, though, and they wandered through.
It was a fairly nice setup - a family-run museum, lots of celebrity figures, grouped together according to media and movie. It wasn't particularly large and was set up in small rooms that were easy to navigate.
Ed kept his hands in his pockets and his head ducked, not really looking at much but following Sam around grumpily. "Waste o'time," he muttered under his breath. He glared at his feet, at two little girls who ran through the room they were currently in, then his glare fell on a small doorway that stood open. Curiosity piqued, Ed walked over to the door, edging it open further. It led to another room with more figures, but it didn't seem like that room was open to the public.
Ed glanced over his shoulder, no one except Al in the room behind him, so he slipped into this room.
It was small, a dead-end room that looked out-of-use. The wax figures weren't anyone that Ed recognized off-hand, an old couple; a man and his wife he presumed, dressed in olden-time clothing. The woman was tending the hearth, and the man was seated at a table, books spread all about him and holding a strange-looking red rock in one hand.
Ed frowned and looked around. No other exhibits in this room. Strange. Something about the books...
He took a step closer to the display and all hell broke loose. It was like someone took a sledgehammer to his brain, screaming things he didn't entirely understand. He took a step backwards, staggered, and landed on his ass, both hands on his head to try to block out the voices. As he inched backwards the voices receded and Ed was left, panting, pushing his back against the far wall. The plain-looking figures suddenly seemed evil, mocking - and it looked like they were looking directly AT him.
Ed didn't bother to try to get his heart rate under control, he worked best under pressure anyway. He stood up and swallowed, taking several steps further. The closer he got to the display, the louder the voices and the sharper the pain. Ed reached out a hand to touch the rope that divided the room from the display and his hand went numb - Ed looked down at it in confusion, it was ... metal? Why was his hand covered in metal -?
"Ed?"
Al had stuck his head in the room and Ed squinted, Al - Al looked like two people? Was he getting sick, it looked like Al's hair had gotten darker and shaggier and his face fuller and was he being trailed by ... by a suit of armor?
"Ed, are you all right?" Al looked around the room and didn't see anything that would cause Ed's face to drain of all color like that. He resisted rolling his eyes again and grabbed Ed's arm, practically dragging him from the room. "Did you miss the big sign that said 'authorized personnel only,' or are we playing the 'hey, that must mean me!' game?"
The moment they stepped out of the room Ed could breathe again. He went slack against Al's grip and said weakly, "Let's get outta here."
Al looked questioningly at him, but didn't argue. As they moved away from the strange room, Ed's strength returned and he shrugged off Al's hand. He suddenly became aware of the fact that some of the other customers were looking at them, and he abruptly veered off into another room.
"Ed, what are you doing?" Al asked, exasperatedly, following his older brother on his divergent path.
"Too many eyes," Ed breathed, stopping in front of another exhibit and suddenly becoming enthralled in it. Al stopped beside him, tilting his head forward so they could talk quietly.
"You think we're being followed?"
"It's possible," Ed murmured. "Better play it safe. Anywhere else you want to visit when we get out of here? We should lead them on a merry chase."
Al quirked his mouth, then pulled out a brochure as a couple breezed into the room behind them. "There's always the mines," he said facetiously, pointing in the booklet. "Or maybe it's in the main shopping district, somewhere where there's a lot of people."
Ed gave Al a strange look, but shrugged, aware of the couple's eyes on them. "They better be demons," Ed muttered under his breath as they finally left the wax museum. He took a deep, calming breath, glad to be out in daylight again. "Because if they weren't, THEY probably think we're gay too. What is with this town?"
"Maybe," Al said thoughtfully.
"...'maybe?'" Ed repeated threateningly. "You got something you want to air out, lil' brother?"
Al blinked at him, unaware of Ed's train of thought. "What is WITH you? You're overly sensitive about that today."
"People are fuckin' crazy," Ed said as they headed up the sidewalk.
"You're sure you don't have something to tell ME?" Al said with a smirk.
"Yeah, sure, I've got something to tell you," Ed grunted. "Go fuck yourself, smartass."
Al quirked an eyebrow and Ed hissed at him. "What? I'm not fuckin' gay."
"I never said you were," Al said mildly. "Anyway. Notice that couple left about ten minutes after we did? They're half a block behind us."
Ed exhaled, then punched Al in the arm. "You're an ass," he said loudly.
"You're a freak of nature," Al responded, stopping on the sidewalk. "Where do you want to head to?"
"Bitch." Ed stopped a few paces past Al, then turned around. "I'm hungry, let's go find something to eat."
"You are a stomach on two legs," Al groaned. "We don't have a lot of cash, brother, and I don't like risking the card, we can't afford to get run out of this town too. Can't you wait until tonight? We can hit a bar, see if we can find a game of poker or pool to get in on."
"Well, if we hadn't spent my hard-earned-money on that stupid was mu-" Ed stopped abruptly. The smile that split his features made Al pause. "I. Think I might have just had the most brilliant idea I've ever had, Al."
That smile was rarely-seen and made all the hair on the back of Al's neck stand straight up. This never led to anything good. "Ed, Ed I don't like that smile. What are you plot- Ed, where are you going?"
Ed had already taken off up the street at a fast clip. "We have to go buy some paper," he called over his shoulder excitedly.
"This is not going to end well," Al groaned, shoving the brochure back into his pocket and taking off after his brother, keeping an eye on the demons who were still tailing them.
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist, Supernatural
AU: Mashup
Characters/Pairing: Ed, Al, Cas
Rating: T
Length: 5227
Summary:
Ed took a deep breath, one hand on his face. He felt odd, jerked awake yet again. Al was gone for certain this time, he had taken the car the next town over because there was a book in that particular library's old reference section and it was just easier to go there then try to get a book transferred without a library card. He was gone a long time and he couldn't help but think maybe he had met up with the demon again, but Sam was a big boy.
The room was empty when Ed sat up. He still felt weird, and looked down at his hands. Something - something about his hands, about his arms and now that the dream had dissipated again he was left with the vague feeling like he was forgetting something vitally important.
No matter. He shuffled to the other side of the room, picking up a few of the books Bobby had shoved into his hands as they had piled out from his junkyard the last time. They were old, mostly, a couple were just general information on alchemy but two were ancient, yellowed journals. He didn't know why Bobby felt it so important he take the books, this whole random alchemy thing was just that, a thing tied in to the seal they were pursuing and it would dissipate just like his dreams as soon as they'd finished this hunt.
But still... he clicked on the desk lamp and leaned back in the chair, taking the top book off of the stack. It was one of the more general knowledge alchemy books, nothing seemed to pop out at him as he paged through it, although lots of the symbols seemed vaguely familiar. They'd run across a lot of them doing research before.
Ed sighed, about to close the book when a small symbol in the corner of the page caught his eye. It was familiar in a way he couldn't parse and abruptly it felt like his mouth was full of blood and dust. He slammed the book shut and gagged, staggering toward the bathroom and spitting in the sink.
He scrubbed the back of his hand over his mouth and gagged, glancing up in the mirror. He hadn't slapped the light on, but in the wan light his reflection was different again. It didn't even have the courtesy to be the SAME different reflection, this time his hair was shorter, his face different. Ed grabbed the first thing that came to hand, a glass sitting on the counter and flung it at the mirror.
The glass and mirror both shattered and Ed cursed as he stepped back blindly, his anger earning him dozens of tiny cuts and a bathroom full of broken glass. He staggered out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him and sliding down against it, knocking his head back into the door itself and closing his eyes.
Blood was trickling down his face from the cuts. Before he could lift a hand to swipe at them, a gentle hand wiped the trickle away. Ed's eyes snapped open and he looked up to see Castiel, entirely too close to him, very gently wiping the blood from his face.
Ed didn't have anywhere to go, the door was latched and solid behind him, but there was something calming about the methodical way Castiel was wiping each small cut. Ed watched him wordlessly, but Castiel did not meet his eyes, focusing instead on his wounds.
Wiping the last cut, Castiel's hand hovered on Ed's face for a second longer than necessary. The angel did not straighten from his crouch but he did move a little back, away from Ed.
"What was that for?" Ed murmured tiredly.
"You need to contain your anger, Dean." Castiel's voice was quiet.
Edward snorted, knocking his head back against the door again. "This is getting fucking ridiculous," he said. "Just, seriously. I can't look in the goddamn mirror anymore because it's an even bet I won't even see myself looking back."
"You are seeing yourself." Castiel straightened finally, turning and looking around the room. He hesitated, then looked back at Ed. "There are many more realities such as this," he touched the wall with one hand. "This is just one of many."
Ed blew out a breath in annoyance. "Yeah, sure." He shrugged his shoulders. "You mean to tell me that everything I've read in comic books is real?"
Castiel looked at him silently for a moment. Sadness haunted his eyes and Ed felt his stomach clench. "This is not going to be easy," he said. "This seal in particular. Everything will change and yet nothing will. Lilith cannot be permitted to break this seal."
The severity of his tone was not lost on Ed, nor was the feeling that the angel was leaving out something of great importance. "What's different about this seal?"
The angel turned his back on Ed. "Things are going to get harder for you in this next week. Do not lose your focus. I am here if you need me."
Before Ed could open his mouth, Castiel was gone.
He knocked his head back against the door again, then sighed. He'd have to clean up the glass before Al got back, otherwise Al would have kittens when he saw the bathroom. Ed got to his feet wearily, there were going to be questions about the state of his face anyway.
When he opened the door, Ed was nonplussed. The mirror and the glass were whole and unbroken, and upon inspection he could see that his face was completely unscarred. Not a single cut remained behind.
Al was back by mid-morning. Ed was sitting at the table, two of the alchemy books propped open, a sheaf of half-scrawled on paper in front of him and a half-eaten breakfast sandwich from the nearest fast food joint at his elbow.
"You look like you've been busy," Al said. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept since the day before. He dropped a few books on the dresser and dropped face-forward, fully clothed on his bed.
Ed watched him lay face-first on the comforter for a moment. "Find anything?"
Al groaned, and with effort turned his head to face Ed. "Got the book, spooked a spook, nearly burned the library down and had to outrun a cop," he said.
Now that he said it, Ed could detect the faint whiff of burning from Al and his clothes. "Why didn't you call me? I could’ve hot-wired something and helped."
"It wasn't anything difficult by our standards," Al said, his eyes shut. "I just need a few hours to recharge."
"Right," Ed said, standing up and stretching. "We're close to the seal."
Al made a mumbled noise of assent. "Do we know what it is?"
"No." Ed smacked Al's leg as he passed, his brother's feet stuck off the edge of the bed. "I'm gonna check that out today. Also I figure I'll visit our friend the mahr. She can't shapeshift in daylight, so I'll be fine."
There was another noise that could be assent or it could be the start of a snore that came from the bed. Ed shrugged on his coat and picked the keys up from the dresser. A smirk tugged at his face as he closed the door behind him.
Ed shuffled a bit on the porch as he waited in the silence after knocking. It was Al who had reservations about their continued impersonations of various members of the government, but Ed never had a problem with it. You had to do what you had to do to keep the civilians safe, and that was that.
The door cracked open, and a nicely-dressed woman in her late thirties opened the door. She eyed him. "Can I help you?"
"Sarah Mohr?" Ed asked, flipping his ID up so she could see it. "I'm Agent Martin. I have some questions for you."
She shut the door quickly. Ed blinked, that was not the usual response. "Miss Mohr," Ed called, knocking on the door again. "Just a few questions, ma'am."
"I don't have to talk to you!" the woman called through the door. "I was proved innocent, you can go to hell!"
Ed rocked back on his heels, returning his ID to his pocket. "I'm, well I'm here about that but you're not the suspect," he lied. "I need to know what happened that night."
There was a silence, and the door open again, just a crack so he could see one suspicious green eye. "It's all public record," she said, then slammed the door again.
Despite Ed knocking on the door again, Mohr wouldn't respond. Ed sighed and called through the door as a final resort, "we're trying to find the person responsible for your husband's death, as well as at least six other people."
No response. With a shrug of his shoulders, Ed trotted down the porch and headed back toward his car. So she wasn't a fan of authority. That was suspicious as well. Looked like they were going to have to go the b&e route this evening, and then beat a hasty retreat.
As Ed slid behind the wheel, his cell phone went off. He pulled it out and flipped it open, the ring tone alone let him know it was Bobby. "What's up?"
Silence. Ed looked at the cell phone and realized the call had dropped. The hairs pricked on the back of his neck, and he hit redial. The call went straight to voicemail. Ed cursed and flipped the phone closed, sometimes technology was more trouble than it was worth.
He glanced at his watch, Al had only a few hours to catch some sleep. He hated waking him, but this could be important. He dialed through to Al, and the call rang a few times before it went to voicemail. No real surprise, but he would stagger out of bed to check it and hopefully be able to get in touch with Bobby.
With no warning the driver's side window shattered inwards and Ed flinched as for the second time in less than a day he was peppered with broken glass. This time, however, a strong hand grabbed at him, gripping his shoulder firmly and trying to pull him through the broken window.
Ed twisted, struggling and reaching for the glove box. He hadn't a weapon on him, it was daylight and mahrs only came out at night. As he twisted, he got a look at his attacker's face and the eyes shuttered between normal and black.
Demon.
It was stronger than he was, they all were. Instead of trying to pull away Ed grabbed the door handle and slammed the door open. It wasn't enough to hurt the demon but it caught him off guard and he staggered backwards. Ed kicked the door again and it bounced off of the man and he went down. Ed didn't bother with a weapon or even the door, he twisted the key in the ignition and slammed the accelerator down, tearing out of his parking space and down the street, the door slamming as he took a turn.
Ed was in a foul mood as he slammed into the motel room. He still had glass in his hair, and the demon had almost twisted his left arm out of its socket. Al, who looked very little the worse for wear jumped to his feet. Ed bee-lined for the bathroom, running his hands gently through his hair and trying to comb the glass out without cutting his hands up more than they were already.
"You alright?" Al took up most of the space in the doorway, watching as Ed shook his head like a dog.
"Fucking, fucking demon did a number on my car, Al!" Ed slammed both of his hands down on the porcelain sink, anger bright in his eyes. "I'm going to send that freak back to the pit where it belongs, god damn it!"
Al grabbed Ed's arm before he slammed his hands against the sink again. "Ed!"
"Fuck," Ed muttered, but when Al released him he didn't hit the sink again.
"What happened?" Al watched, concerned, as Ed took off his suit coat and shook it out.
"I got attacked by a demon, that's what. Outside of Mohr's house." He gave the coat another shake for good measure. "Mohr wouldn't let me in the house, slammed the door in my face and gave me the finger, pretty much. Then, then Bobby-" he looked over to Al, and Al nodded. "You got a hold of Bobby, then?"
"He said he heard you answer the phone and the call ended, maybe it was interference from the demon?"
"Possible," Ed said. "But he punched out the window of my car."
"It's fixable," Al murmured. "Are you fine?"
"Fine?" Ed rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. "I'm peachy, let's go kill the fucking thing."
There was no sign of the demon as the two brothers stalked along the row of hedges separating the homes. They were both dressed for the road, their books and weapons packed in the Impala, safely parked a little up the block.
Al trotted up the back stairs, silent despite his size. Ed followed carefully, drawing his gun and keeping it at the ready, safety thumbed off. They were as prepared as they could be, Ed still had silver bullets from their last werewolf incident and Al had a knife made of iron. His younger brother picked the lock skillfully and stealthily, and the door swung quietly open.
"Home invasions'r'us," Ed muttered, double-checking the safety before entering behind Al.
Al had his own gun drawn, and they very carefully covered the inside of the house. Al was in the kitchen when he heard Ed go "ah, hell."
Ed had found the bedroom on the first floor and pushed the door open, to find Sarah Mohr lying dead in her bed, throat slit ear to ear and a branch of fir in each hand.
Al looked around, then tugged Ed's arm. "We've got to get out of here," he said quietly. Ed nodded and they fled the house quickly, making tracks to the Impala and sliding in to the car. Ed had knocked the remainder of the glass out of the driver's side window earlier, and it made the entire driving experience much chillier than usual.
The brothers looked at each other as they sat in silence. There were no sirens, no one had been tipped off yet but it was time to move on regardless. Ed started the car and they drove casually off.
Dawn found them on the road between towns. Ed had pulled off the side of the road around one a.m. to take a nap, and he woke up needing to take a piss. Al wasn't in the car, he was sitting on a fence on the side of the road, just looking at the sky.
Ed took care of business by a tree, then shuffled over to lean against the fence next to Al. They stood in comfortable silence for a long while. "Do you suppose that was the end of the mahr thing?" Al finally said.
"No telling," Ed said.
Al sighed out a breath and craned his neck upwards. The dark purple of the night sky was slowly being chased away by the emerging sun. "What now?"
"The seal, I guess," Ed leaned more on his elbows, looking up like Al was. "Castiel said we'd find it in Anson. Still don't know what 'it' is, but at least we've got a location now."聽
Ed stood up and stretched his arms out over his head, before rubbing the back of his neck irritably. "I've got such a crick in my neck," he complained. He scowled at the Impala, still missing her window. "I've got to get that fixed," he grunted. He stood beside the car, hands in his pockets, then looked back over at Al.
"Would you freak if I tried something?"
Al was watching Ed anyway. He frowned. "You're going to try alchemy again, aren't you?"
Ed shrugged loosely. "It's worth a shot. Nobody's threatened to end me if I use it, might as well make use of it while it's here." He started kicking the grass on the side of the road, hunting for litter.
"You expecting it to go somewhere?"
"I figure it will go away or something on its own." Ed found a discarded glass bottle, picking it up gingerly. "See if you can find me another bottle."
Al blinked at him, watching Ed search. "What do you need a glass bottle for?"
"Can't make something out of nothing now, can I?" Ed had come up with a second bottle on his own. He opened the door of the car, balancing both bottles on the ledge of it. He took a deep breath, one hand on the car itself for a second. Then he shut his eyes, clapped his hands together forcefully, and touched them to the door itself.
Al had to admit it was amazing to watch. Ed stood there, eyes closed and a look of concentration on his face as the bottles shed their shape and size, dissolving and congealing into a serviceable window. After a moment, the blue electrical spark faded out and Ed opened one eye cautiously before opening both of them. He blinked, and poked the window gently with one finger. "It worked," he said, sounding amazed. He looked up at Al and grinned. "It actually worked!"
Al slid off the fence and came over to inspect Ed's handiwork. "It did work," he said, pinging the glass softly with one finger. "It's not the right consistency for a windshield," he said, "but it's certainly do-able for the short term, before we can get back to Bobby's."
"Hell yeah," Ed crowed, then looked at his hands, curling them into fists. "This thing might be useful after all!"
"I wouldn't get too used to using it," Al said, opening the passenger side door and sliding in. "I just... dunno, it doesn't feel right, does it?"
Ed shrugged, getting in and closing his door carefully, so not to shatter the temporary window. "It feels like... I don't know, I'm not sure how to explain it. It doesn't feel bad or wrong or dangerous..." He trailed off, and then started the car.
"Just be careful, okay?" Al twisted around, shuffling through the crap they'd tossed in the back seat until he found a local map they'd picked up a few days earlier. "You said Anson, right?"
"Let's hit it," Ed said, turning the stereo on as they pulled on to the two-lane stretch of road, headed for Anson.
It was nearly dark by the time they rolled into town, which made the police lights cutting through the night all the more glaring. Ed slowed down the car, carefully rolling down his window. He was gratified it didn't break. "What's going on, officer?" he asked cheerfully as the cop eyed them both. A second cop walked around the car, taking note of the plates.
"You boys are a long way from Ohio," the second officer said.
"Road trip," Ed explained. "We're doing a driving tour, heading toward Nevada for the holidays." He flashed a grin at the cops, who exchanged looks.
"Together?" The first officer asked.
Ed looked at Al in confusion, and then Al said, "No, we're brothers."
Still confused, Ed looked back at the officer, who was considering them. "Y'all are clear to pass," the second officer said, with a nod. "We've had some trouble with college students and vandalism lately, so I wouldn't stick around if I were you," he said.
Ed nodded obediently and went the way the officer directed. He looked over at Al, who was shaking his head. Then it clicked and he slammed a hand on the wheel. "Why does that HAPPEN?" he complained, and Al burst into helpless laughter.
"You ever get the feeling he's just stringing us along?" Al said, poking at a soggy french fry with his fork.
Ed looked up, halfway through a burger. "Mfoo iz?" Al rolled his eyes and waited for Ed to finish chewing his mouthful. "Sorry," Ed said, swallowing. "Who is?"
"Castiel," Al said, putting his fork down.
"Stringing us along?"
"He just keeps dangling bits of information before us like carrots, waiting for us to move along to the next square before rewarding us with more information," Al pointed out.
Ed shrugged. "Maybe he's just relaying the information as he gets it?" He didn't like being on this side defending the angel. "Dunno, you could be right, though. I keep expecting him to show up and go "The seal is a rock in this park, deal with it."
"That would be the rub, wouldn't it?" Al leaned back on his bench and looked out the window of the diner. Anson was a small town but it was plenty busy. An inquiry of the waitress and they found out the police blockade was due to a wreck earlier the evening. 'Don't mind the cops here, sweetie,' the waitress had told them. 'They're all overprotective of this place, and some of'em are a little backwards-thinking.'
Ed had stared at the woman as she left. "Does she think we're gay too?"
Al chuckled under his breath and Ed made a curious noise from somewhere behind his burger. Al waved it off and watched the late-evening traffic pass by the window.
"I have no idea what we need to be doing," Ed announced, licking his fingers. "I mean, the seals are usually something to do with the paranormal, I suppose if we haven't heard from anyone we can go do the touristy thing tomorrow and see what we turn up."
"I wonder what counts for tourism in this town," Al said. The waitress overheard him as she was depositing their check on the table.
"There's a wax museum in town," she said cheerfully. "It's small, not anything huge like what you'd find in Vegas or anything; it's locally owned."
"A wax museum," Ed said flatly.
"Sounds interesting, thank you," Al said cheerfully. He put a credit card with the check and the waitress bustled off to run it.
"A wax museum," Ed repeated in the same tone of voice.
"What is your problem?" Al said.
"Those things are fuckin' bizarre, man. And creepy. I keep looking for the wicks in people's heads."
Al stared at Ed, who attempted to look innocent but failed as usual. He sighed, signed the slip when the check came back, and they headed out for the night.
Ed stood in front of the dusty homestead, his hands shoved deep in his pockets and said quite plainly "this is stupid."
Al quirked an eyebrow at him. There was a small stream of customers, a good mix of locals and out-of-towners wandering about. Ed stood stubbornly on the sidewalk, refusing to budge.
"You're afraid of mannequins."
"Those... they are not MANNEQUINS. They're unnatural."
"Because mannequins are entirely natural."
"I bet they have some clowns in there."
"Nice try."
"You go in without me, I'll stay out here and watch for, uh. Attorneys."
"Ed."
"There is no logical reason to go in there! It's just a wax museum. We don't have a hunt here."
"Did you forget already?"
"What are the odds the seal will be in there?"
"Not a clue, but according to the museum's website, they have a few ghosts wandering around."
"We'll come back later."
"So you'd rather stalk around this place in the middle of the night, with the lights off, then go right now when everything is brightly lit and cheery?"
"You can't make me go in there."
Al rolled his eyes heavenward. "My older brother is a pussy."
"What."
"You heard me."
Ed eyed the entrance, then glared at Al. Al raised both of his eyebrows. Ed groaned. "I'm going to regret this." Al smirked as Ed followed him grumpily. "I hope they have clowns. A whole clown EXHIBIT just waiting for you."
Al purchased their tickets while keeping an eye on Ed. He didn't really think Ed would bolt, but sometimes he couldn't be too sure. Ed didn't bolt, though, and they wandered through.
It was a fairly nice setup - a family-run museum, lots of celebrity figures, grouped together according to media and movie. It wasn't particularly large and was set up in small rooms that were easy to navigate.
Ed kept his hands in his pockets and his head ducked, not really looking at much but following Sam around grumpily. "Waste o'time," he muttered under his breath. He glared at his feet, at two little girls who ran through the room they were currently in, then his glare fell on a small doorway that stood open. Curiosity piqued, Ed walked over to the door, edging it open further. It led to another room with more figures, but it didn't seem like that room was open to the public.
Ed glanced over his shoulder, no one except Al in the room behind him, so he slipped into this room.
It was small, a dead-end room that looked out-of-use. The wax figures weren't anyone that Ed recognized off-hand, an old couple; a man and his wife he presumed, dressed in olden-time clothing. The woman was tending the hearth, and the man was seated at a table, books spread all about him and holding a strange-looking red rock in one hand.
Ed frowned and looked around. No other exhibits in this room. Strange. Something about the books...
He took a step closer to the display and all hell broke loose. It was like someone took a sledgehammer to his brain, screaming things he didn't entirely understand. He took a step backwards, staggered, and landed on his ass, both hands on his head to try to block out the voices. As he inched backwards the voices receded and Ed was left, panting, pushing his back against the far wall. The plain-looking figures suddenly seemed evil, mocking - and it looked like they were looking directly AT him.
Ed didn't bother to try to get his heart rate under control, he worked best under pressure anyway. He stood up and swallowed, taking several steps further. The closer he got to the display, the louder the voices and the sharper the pain. Ed reached out a hand to touch the rope that divided the room from the display and his hand went numb - Ed looked down at it in confusion, it was ... metal? Why was his hand covered in metal -?
"Ed?"
Al had stuck his head in the room and Ed squinted, Al - Al looked like two people? Was he getting sick, it looked like Al's hair had gotten darker and shaggier and his face fuller and was he being trailed by ... by a suit of armor?
"Ed, are you all right?" Al looked around the room and didn't see anything that would cause Ed's face to drain of all color like that. He resisted rolling his eyes again and grabbed Ed's arm, practically dragging him from the room. "Did you miss the big sign that said 'authorized personnel only,' or are we playing the 'hey, that must mean me!' game?"
The moment they stepped out of the room Ed could breathe again. He went slack against Al's grip and said weakly, "Let's get outta here."
Al looked questioningly at him, but didn't argue. As they moved away from the strange room, Ed's strength returned and he shrugged off Al's hand. He suddenly became aware of the fact that some of the other customers were looking at them, and he abruptly veered off into another room.
"Ed, what are you doing?" Al asked, exasperatedly, following his older brother on his divergent path.
"Too many eyes," Ed breathed, stopping in front of another exhibit and suddenly becoming enthralled in it. Al stopped beside him, tilting his head forward so they could talk quietly.
"You think we're being followed?"
"It's possible," Ed murmured. "Better play it safe. Anywhere else you want to visit when we get out of here? We should lead them on a merry chase."
Al quirked his mouth, then pulled out a brochure as a couple breezed into the room behind them. "There's always the mines," he said facetiously, pointing in the booklet. "Or maybe it's in the main shopping district, somewhere where there's a lot of people."
Ed gave Al a strange look, but shrugged, aware of the couple's eyes on them. "They better be demons," Ed muttered under his breath as they finally left the wax museum. He took a deep, calming breath, glad to be out in daylight again. "Because if they weren't, THEY probably think we're gay too. What is with this town?"
"Maybe," Al said thoughtfully.
"...'maybe?'" Ed repeated threateningly. "You got something you want to air out, lil' brother?"
Al blinked at him, unaware of Ed's train of thought. "What is WITH you? You're overly sensitive about that today."
"People are fuckin' crazy," Ed said as they headed up the sidewalk.
"You're sure you don't have something to tell ME?" Al said with a smirk.
"Yeah, sure, I've got something to tell you," Ed grunted. "Go fuck yourself, smartass."
Al quirked an eyebrow and Ed hissed at him. "What? I'm not fuckin' gay."
"I never said you were," Al said mildly. "Anyway. Notice that couple left about ten minutes after we did? They're half a block behind us."
Ed exhaled, then punched Al in the arm. "You're an ass," he said loudly.
"You're a freak of nature," Al responded, stopping on the sidewalk. "Where do you want to head to?"
"Bitch." Ed stopped a few paces past Al, then turned around. "I'm hungry, let's go find something to eat."
"You are a stomach on two legs," Al groaned. "We don't have a lot of cash, brother, and I don't like risking the card, we can't afford to get run out of this town too. Can't you wait until tonight? We can hit a bar, see if we can find a game of poker or pool to get in on."
"Well, if we hadn't spent my hard-earned-money on that stupid was mu-" Ed stopped abruptly. The smile that split his features made Al pause. "I. Think I might have just had the most brilliant idea I've ever had, Al."
That smile was rarely-seen and made all the hair on the back of Al's neck stand straight up. This never led to anything good. "Ed, Ed I don't like that smile. What are you plot- Ed, where are you going?"
Ed had already taken off up the street at a fast clip. "We have to go buy some paper," he called over his shoulder excitedly.
"This is not going to end well," Al groaned, shoving the brochure back into his pocket and taking off after his brother, keeping an eye on the demons who were still tailing them.
