The Hunt
Near and Matt settled, wishing them good hunting before the group disappeared.
Dean wished L and Mello good luck when Cas left them at the rear entrance. Then the two of them disappeared. Cas let Dean off near the front entrance and disappeared. Dean looked up at the large black hole, took a deep breath, pulled a small flashlight out of his rear pocket, and stepped inside. It was black and damp inside, but the smell was almost overwhelming. It was rank like dead flesh. Dean gagged for a moment, let his eyes adjust and slowly moved forward.
The two geniuses headed towards their position, listening to Near's soft words as he guided the group towards their destination. Fortunately, the white haired teenager was able to keep his voice at a level and calm tone that helped any nervousness on their parts.
The smell of rotting flesh grew stronger as Dean made his way towards the main cavern in the mountain side. The odor was horrid and Dean was having trouble maintaining a calmness inside that he desperately needed. He whispered softly. “Near, I know and you know that under this situation I can't hear you, but I need someone to talk to so you're it, my friend. There's something really dead in here. The odor is worse then anything I've ever smelled. God, I hope it's not her. I hope the others are okay. I'm not sure where Cas has ended up. He dropped me off near the entrance and disappeared. Got to go. There's a light ahead. Wish me luck.” Dean doused the flashlight and put it back in his back pocket. He leaned close to the wall, and inched his way forward, hoping against hope, he'd find the queen, surprise her, decapitate her, and start on the rest, with no sex. At this point, he was on the verge of being sick again, hoping it wasn't her.
Mello made a low sound of displeasure which L silently agreed with. The stench was growing worse as they moved further in. Occasionally, they'd had to pause to ensure they hadn't been seen.
Dean was at the entrance to the cavern and saw...no one? He slowly entered the large room and glanced around. He saw a huge fire with a massive pot on it. He didn't even want to know what was in the pot.
“Near, I have no idea if you or any one else can hear me in here, but it's a massive cavern, with a huge fire and the biggest damn pot I've ever seen on it. There's several entrances and I guess I'm going to have to check them out to find her. I'm keeping my voice low, so I hope someone hears this. I'll start at the right entrance from me. Let you know.” Dean got close to the entrance, when ten people came out of the entrances surrounding the fire. He froze. “Sorry guys, big no on the right entrance. From what I can tell, I am being studied by ten people. Which meant there was six men and five women. L killed one male, so there are five couples here, so one is the queen and one of her companions was killed. Damn, I might be in for it over that. They are coming my way. To make this real, I'm gonna have to run. Gone for the moment, guys.” Dean turned back towards the tunnel, knowing he'd never make it. He got about thirty feet when he was tackled.
Near reported the issues to L and Mello, who were finally in position. Gray eyes stayed focused on the screens while Matt watched the outside.
Dean was dragged upright and held between two of the light green males. A female walked towards him and stared at him. She leaned in and sniffed him.
“You are nervous but not afraid. I find that remarkable in a human. The demon is right in one thing. I do find you to be attractive, but you are stronger then she said. The Dean Winchester she described would be frightened of us."
Dean kept his mouth shut and watched her. The two males did not loosen their grips on him. There were too many to try to take out on his own while the queen still lived. Her eyes were black like a demon’s but not the evil look he expected, and her hair was white. Her teeth were sharp and pointed. Dean winced at the thought of them touching him anywhere. Teeth that could shred, all canines, worried him. Her nails on her hands were quills. She reached out and ran one hand down his body and Dean inhaled sharply, a feeling of nausea coming over him. They all smelled rank.
L and Mello watched, ready to spring into action. The creatures were beyond revolting, and L had no idea how Dean was going to be able to perform here.
The queen rubbed her hands over Dean, settling in his crotch, and the hunter jerked. He was very pale. The filthy smell was overwhelming. She ran a long lizard-like tongue up his neck to his lips and he tried to clamp his mouth shut, afraid he'd vomit if she managed to get the tongue into his mouth. The queen grinned at his reaction. “Is the potion ready?”
A female voice responded, “Yes, my queen.”
“Then get it down him.” The males took him to his knees. Another male forced his head back and Dean began to struggle as one of the females, drove her quilled nails between his lips, prying them open. A male drove his fingers into the edges of his mouth, forcing it open. A black liquid was forced down his throat, and he choked on it, but swallowed as they held his nose closed. He closed his eyes, not wanting to look any further.
“Take him to my chamber and I will prepare. Since I have lost one of my companions to your people, Dean Winchester, I may decide keep you for a while, if you please me.
Dean was dragged to a chamber on the left and they removed his boots, threw him on a pile of stinking furs, and chained a foot to a manacle attached to the floor. He watched them leave and began to remove the machete sheathe and hide it under the furs where he could reach it and it would not be felt. He left the mike in the sheathe, but removed the ear phone. “Near, can you hear me? Can anyone hear me?”
"Near is here, Dean." The teen's voice was calm. "Near has Dean on visual."
"We're here too. The chamber does not have another entrance outside of the one you went through so we're holding position here." L's voice came as a near whispered monotone.
“It's been a long time since I've been in a situation I'm not in control of, don't know what I'm doing, and fighting down a sense of horror. Damn, she's fugly man. Looks I can deal with, though. It's the smell. These furs she's got me on reek. Oh, and I'm manacled to the floor, so I hope somebody's got something I can use to pick this damn lock when this is over. That's if I'm capable after this. Anyone heard from Cas? Please tell me someone has heard from him.”
Cas was busy. He'd found the demon camp, and found out that Ruby intended to watch, and had waged a one angel assault on the demons, not realizing that Ruby had gone down to the cave while he was taking on her minions. The noise was such that he could not hear much from the earphone, then it was ripped off in one blow. He was holding his own, but hurt and getting tired.
"Not yet. We'll douse you in vinegar later to cut the stench off of you." L's response was meant to help alleviate his fears.
Dean's sense of humor was still intact. “So I'm gonna smell like pickled dead people. Damn, I'll never get a real woman again.”
Ruby entered the main cavern. She walked up to the queen. They talked a bit and the two headed towards the queen's chamber with two of the men.
"Problem, Demon is in the cavern." Near's voice cut through the chatter before Ruby entered the queen's chamber.
“What the hell? Near, what demon? Damn it, what demon?”
"The one called Ruby," was the succinct answer. Mello cursed under his breath, and L shifted position slightly.
“She's in the cavern? Is she still in the cavern or with the damn queen? Where the hell is she now? Damn it, this can't happen.”
"Heading into the area where Dean is now," Near answered. L spoke up then. "Affirmative. I have a visual on her. She's speaking with the Queen."
“Cas still not responding? Damn it, Cas, you weren't supposed to let this happen. If they're heading here, I got to put the earphones up. That crap she forced down me is making me feel strange, guys. Got to go, I hear something.”
L spoke again. "What do you want us to do?"
“What we planned, L. It's too late to change the rules of the game right now. Until the queen is dead, there won't be enough of us to take them on. They draw their strength from each other and mainly from her. I got to get through this some how. Just hadn't planned on Ruby. What the hell does she want? Earphones are going back under the furs. Damn this stinks.”
The group waited tensely, L trying to figure out a way to handle the demon's arrival as well as the group of monsters they had to destroy.
Dean got the earphones under the furs when the two females and the Queen's escorts walked into the chamber. The hunter looked up at both of them. He shook his head when he saw the demon.
“Hello, Dean. Surprised to see me? Your angel is pretty good, but I had a large group with me, and I believe he is probably still fighting them. Did you honestly think I would miss this?”
“One can hope, Ruby. What do you want here? This is what you were waiting for, isn't it? Me out of the way?”
The detective and his heirs could hear this conversation, waiting for the signal to move.
“Well, the queen and I were talking, and I've been telling her how aggressive a lover Sam is, but I didn't think you would compare. Still, there are the stories about you. She wants to know, and you are pretty well drugged up now.”
Dean stared at her. “I don't want a word picture of how my brother is in bed. I damn well am not interested in comparisons. Get the hell out, Ruby.”
Matt wrinkled his nose. "Shit, I'm gonna puke. Sam screwed her knowing what she is? Serious issues." Near nodded, eyes wide as he continued to observe the situation.
Ruby started to remove clothing, and Dean's eyes widened in shock. He tugged on the manacle but it was embedded deep into the rock floor. He looked up, anger rising.
“Oh, hell no. This ain't gonna happen, Ruby.”
“Dean, the draught they gave you will make you very biddable. You will want it, enjoy it, and not feel any pain, anywhere during this. I want to see which brother is really better. And I want to punish you for your interference. I hope you like my little friend, here.”
The demon had a small black whip with a number of lashes of leather on it. Dean kept quiet. Near and the others were not going to hear this. He would not give the bitch the satisfaction. From the reactions he was getting from the liquid they'd poured down his throat, he knew she was right. He closed his eyes, and kept his mouth shut. Ruby told him to take his clothes off. When Dean didn't move fast enough, the demon had the two escorts cut them off him.
"What the hell, Ruby! I can't afford to replace those."
He willed the others to stay put til he could kill the queen.
Near twirled a lock of hair so tightly, it nearly cut circulation off in the finger. This was not in the plan.
There was the sound of the lashes striking but no sound escaped the hunter's lips. He closed his eyes and kept thinking, have to kill the queen. Get through this, cause I got to kill the queen.
The lashes stopped, everyone was listening and hearing very little. What Ruby and Dean did, no one knew, but they could hear her moans and queen saying , “Yes, he will do well.”
It was a while and Ruby's voice was heard, “Damn, he's good. Different from Sam, but you would expect that. I will leave you to your breeding and entertainment, I think, my queen.”
Ruby's boots could be heard as she left the chamber. Dean was still not talking.
L murmured an instruction to Matt, who quickly agreed. The demoness would not make it to see another sunrise if the group could help it.
The queen began to undress and Dean noticed the two guards still standing at the door, not realizing they'd stayed through Ruby's games.
“Aw, come on...give a guy a break.”
“The drug will keep you potent and agreeable for a few more hours, then the pain will set in and you will useless to me, I want to experience what you gave the demon, hunter. Yes, I know what you are. After your performance, I would love to keep you, but you are dangerous. It must not be allowed. I will enjoy your flesh in more ways then one tonight.”
Dean nodded towards the two men. "Get rid of them." the queen looked at both of her escorts and the beaten man on the furs. "Leave us."
“Well, come on then, bitch. I'm ready for you.”
Occasionally, Near gave status reports on the locations of the creatures, voice his usual monotone. For the first time, Mello was actually thankful for that. It helped keep his nerves settled while they waited for the word to move.
Sounds could be heard within the chamber, and they lasted a long time. The queen was rather vocal, but little was heard from Dean, other then a slight sob. The queen had marked him with her razor like teeth and her quilled nails clawed his beaten back. Dean was in a daze at this point but as he reached a point of no return and the queen's eyes were closed in ecstasy, he removed the machete from beneath the furs and with one swoop, her head was gone and blood was everywhere. Dean fought to back away from it but could not get completely clear.
He screamed, “Now!”
L and Mello sprang into action. The blond focused simply on his task, trying not to register the sickening sensation of metal hitting flesh, bone, then flesh before nothing.
The earphones and mike were destroyed by the acidic blood that drenched the furs and seeped onto the stone floor along with blood that sprayed. Dean had pulled as far away as he could from the scalding blood, knowing he would be hurting badly once the drug wore off. He knew his back was in bad shape from Ruby and the queen's claws, but he wouldn't even look at his crotch. He was hoping for Cas. He needed Cas. 'Be all right, Cas. Please.'
He crawled as far as he could go and vomited. The memories in his mind were making him nauseous. Of the two, Ruby, the unexpected one, did him in. He'd prepared for the queen, but the demon bitch? He vomited again, til nothing would come up.
A short time later, L picked the manacle's lock, lifted the hunter into his arms and carried him out, following Mello. The blond was listening to Near's directions, guiding them out into fresh air.
Dean struggled to get to his feet, but L refused The hunter was emotionally, mentally, and physically spent.
A slight murmur was heard only by L, “Did any of my clothes survive? My boots, my jacket?”
"Mello has the jacket. The rest will be replaced soon," he answered softly. "Quiet, rest. We will get you out and into a safe place to rest."
“They're all dead? Ten bodies? You counted them? There's ten?”
"All accounted for," he murmured.
Dean sighed, “Good, Couldn't do this again. Ruby?”
"A plan is being put together to capture her. Once you wake, you'll be able to help with that."
Dean winced. “Hell, out in the middle of nowhere with the Impala back at the cabin. No Cas. This damn drug is wearing off. We need to move fast. I got to get to my feet so we can get as far as we can before the drug completely wears off.”
"Barefoot and in the wilds, plus injured, you would only slow me down."
“I'm damned stark naked, too, L, but you can't see in front of you. One blasted misstep and we go over an edge, or scrape every ounce of hide I have left off of me. You are more likely to break something too. I might slow you down but we'll get there safer.”
Seconds later, they were all in the living room of the cabin. An injured angel was lying on the floor.
Mello gave a soft growl. "Damn it, I hate that teleporting thing."
Dean crawled on the floor towards the angel. "Cas? Damn it, Cas, what the hell did you do?"
Near went to get Watari, who came out with the first aid kits and began looking over the two injured parties.
Dean was starting to feel pain as he sat on the floor, naked, burned, bitten, clawed and beatened, next to an unconscious, badly beatened angel. Dean was starting to go into shock. He was shaking, and nauseated again, but there was nothing left to come up. He tried to get up, but fell to his knees.
“Damn it, Cas. You weren't supposed to do this, man. You were to keep them away from the entrance and then heal me. You stubborn....” Dean's head hung to his chest, and he began shaking harder.
Watari gently helped him to his feet. "It's time we got you clean and warm, Dean, so I can tend to your injuries. I will watch over Castiel and help him. For now, we need to get you taken care of." He guided him to the bathroom, helping him into a tub full of warm water. The heat would help with the shock. Near had been left to watch over him while Watari went to tend to the angel.
When Dean had entered the warm water, he inhaled sharply, and bit his lower lip so hard, he drew blood. The burns and the lacerations on his body stung badly. He hissed slowly and waited for the injuries to slowly get used to the water.
“Near, tell L that the bodies need to be collected, salted, and burned. All ten of them. Tell him to tell Bobby and show him where they are. He'll do it.” Dean laid his head back against the tub. “Near, I'm glad you had control of everything. I knew you were hearing everything when I couldn't listen. You were there, you were calm, and you were in control. I'm glad you were there.” The hunter's voice trailed off, and his eyes closed, his body going lax.
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