Night 58: Mission #3 [Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, and Ruby]

[kindalikedit]

Dean was convinced the universe had it out to bone any Winchesters it could.

He didn’t like getting wrangled into something and basically forced to do someone’s dirty work and being told that yeah, he better go on some half-cocked Rambo mission or the other patients would get hit with something didn’t exactly sit well with him. He didn’t care how they dressed it up. That was blackmail and hostages and he knew perfectly well that they could carry out that threat. The fact that Ruby was gonna be riding Sammy and him on this was just the bullshit cherry on a bullshit cake.

What he wouldn’t do for an excuse to exorcise her. Dean found his teeth grinding.

This was one of the times he started to regret making that crossroads deal. Not that he’d ever regret saving Sam. Totally worth it. But there was all the other mind-games with these demons and their friggen agendas and he wasn’t even sure what was up and down with the damn things anymore. So much for knowing that all he had to do was gank these things and that was it, end of story, possibly get a “thanks, you’re so awesome” screw, blow on out with the Impala and Sam. He kinda missed those days, even if they suddenly felt far away.

Dean was the first out the door without asking the others. The thing to do was insist Ruby take point, since she was, y’know, expendable (it wasn’t like she could die in the first place), but giving her a chance to scope things out before he did wasn’t an option.

He did that awkward half-trip as the environment changed on him. Star Trek totally had it wrong with the whole teleporting thing. It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t even cool looking. He guessed he was lucky he didn’t break his neck tripping over a rock or something, Dean catching himself against a tree and in the next instance righting himself, bringing up the sawed-off and going for cover, all in one smooth motion as if he’d done this before for a living. So far nothing came screaming bloody murder from the jungle. Big plus there.

Dean covered their little patch of jungle while he waited for the others to pop out behind him. No door he could see, no sign these “rebels” or whatever they were really called were onto them.

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[kindalikedit]

"Yeah, yeah," Dean lied, “I’m good.”

He stared right at Ruby, his teeth grinding.

A muscle in his jaw twitched. Dude, only he was allowed to call the kid "Sammy" and hearing it out of a demon's mouth and not in one of those I'm-fucking-with-you ways pissed him off more than it should. He knew he let it get to him. Didn't care either way, all he knew was it was a struggle not to go screw the mission and climb over Sam to get to Ruby.

Maybe this was like some demon passive-aggressive bitchfit 'cause Dean was skipping Hell or something. Make sure he had a demon hounding him while he was still breathing if they couldn't get him down there.

Once he was sure he wasn't gonna get tempted to circle back once Ruby was out of her body and blow her corpse's head off just to make him feel better, Dean nodded and took off, leaving Ruby the finger as he disappeared into the jungle. Leaving Sam with her didn’t sit right, but the fact was she had tons of chances to gun for his brother or him, so it wasn’t like she couldn’t have taken those. Dean resisted the urge to stomp through the jungle or kick a rock. Now wasn’t the time to get bitchy, not when there could be hostiles out there with him. Time and place and all that jazz.

It seemed to take forever making his way through the jungle. He’d opted for the crossbow, seeing as he didn’t make it a habit to go running around with silencers, and once he fired any of his guns, they were gonna know his position. Dean stepped over another one of those rotting logs, taking each step carefully and slow. Y’know, he would’ve thought a jungle would be kinda-sorta like the bogs he’d hunted in, but this was totally apples and oranges here. Made him wish Dad had gone over Anything Jungle in a lot more detail.

Probably hadn’t figured Sam would be on speaking terms with a demon, either. Probably didn’t figure a lot of things.

Dean had one of those moments where he thought he really got Dad.

Something cracked up ahead. Footsteps. Dean crouched down, flattening himself against a tree-trunk that smelled way funkier than he thought he should, and froze. Human shadow up ahead. Flashlight. Armed. Judging by the way he held that Glock, he didn’t know really how to use it. Maybe had a few point-and-shoot lessons at most. Dean waited until the sentry turned away before creeping forward. Nailing him with the crossbow might be too nosy if he started screaming on him so…yeah, probably gonna have to wing this close range. Dean kept his slow progress until he was basically right on top of the guy.

“Who – ”

Dean didn’t let him get that much out. The crossbow’s butt flashed out as he clocked the guy hard. There was a dull crack as the guard dropped to the ground in a heap, leaving Dean to blow out the breath he’d been holding without realizing it. Huh. First time he’d ever crossbow-whipped someone. Dean didn’t get to searching him immediately. So far no sign anyone was coming running. He glanced over his shoulder, listened, waited for a few minutes, and then went to work searching his pockets and clothes for anything he could use.

He came up with a grenade.

Oh, hell yes.

[thatdemonbitch.livejournal.com]

Ruby's arms crossed over her chest as she watched Dean walk away. There was a little triumph there, the kind that couldn't be stomped out by his adolescent gesture. In point of fact, him giving her the bird just meant she'd gotten under his skin. It made the win that much sweeter. And while he went off acting pissy, she got to head with Sam a little closer to camp.

She turned to the younger Winchester and nodded in an easterly direction, grabbing the gun and the gas can and starting off that way. It was a sizable trek, but not nearly the kind of distance she wanted it to be. She could have used the bonafide alone time to grill him while she had the chance. As it was, she was lookin' at a one question deal. Better make it count.

"You tell him what we're doing yet?" The tone of voice made it sound like she was prompting him for nothing more but smalltalk, but they both knew it was bigger than that. She navigated the wilderness with a certain amount of aptitude, ducking tree branches and dodging plants that looked a little more on the tropical, deadly side.

It wasn't long before they reached a nice hill with a view of the camp. Ruby stopped next to at tree with a hollow facing toward them that could keep her concealed while Sam watched the camp and got ready to sneak down. She cleared some brush away from the area before shooting him a narrow look.

"Do me a favor and while I'm gone? Think about how pissed I'll be if I come back to a viper on my ass." She set down the gasoline can and shoved the shotgun back into his hands. "Oh, and don't screw this up, either. But, no pressure, right?"

[boyking]

Dean walking off wasn't unexpected, but Sam still found himself frowning after his brother. When the three of them weren't together, it was easier to avoid thinking how complicated and completely screwed up this whole thing was.

He couldn't avoid it now.

Sam bit his lip, but followed beside Ruby, trying to shake away his distractions and focus. They had a job to do. Except that was the exact moment that Ruby decided to bring up the conversation he didn't want to ever have with Dean.

He snorted softly, suggesting that he'd be crazy to have talked to Dean about it this soon. "No. He barely wants you within a ten foot radius of me as it is."

He should. He knew he should because if he didn't, there would be hellfire to catch when Dean found out the full truth. And he knew there was no way Dean wouldn't ever find out given that Castiel had spilled the beans on almost everything, anyway. Hell, maybe the angel already had told Dean and Dean just hadn't confronted him about it yet. Patience wasn't his brother's strong suit, but neither was talking about crap he didn't want to talk about.

He didn't expand, though. He wasn't sure what else there was to say.

He took the shotgun and pursed his lips, but didn't let her go just yet. He caught her arm. "No one dies, Ruby. I mean it."

It was something he normally wouldn't have said—not after this long, not after five months with her, back home and in here—but Dean's presence and the building tension of their entire trek through the jungle made him feel like he had to put it out there. Even if he knew Ruby wouldn't appreciate it.

[kindalikedit]

Dean wasn't sure how long it would be before Ruby was ready. The thought of her running around possessing these rebels, possibly armed ones to make it even more awesome, was making him jittery all over again and while she hadn't actually done anything than be bitchy at him, he still couldn't find it in himself to trust her. Ingrained; he didn't even care what you wanted to call it. Just left a real gross taste in his mouth.

He tried to distract himself by scoping out the camp. It sat in whatever passed as a slight dip in the jungle floor, a bunch of those military style tents -- probably jacked -- sitting in messy rows and what looked like the beginnings of a main building, only half finished and looking like it was barely more permanent than the tents. Single mud road furthest away from him that led to who knew where and he probably wouldn't have seen it if he hadn't taken the sentry's position. A few trucks cut off his line of sight but they were close enough where Dean was starting to get an idea what he could do as a distraction.

Dean weighed the grenade in his hand.

He always wanted to go crazy with one of these bad boys.

Course if he wanted to get something big, he'd have to sneak in closer so he could roll into under the fuel line, not just lob it for shits and giggles. Dean turned to make sure the guard he'd knocked out was staying nice and quiet. Satisfied he wasn't going anywhere, Dean crept closer to the edge of the camp and one of the trucks. It looked almost military too, right up to the canvas top and he hoped to God that he wasn't gonna blow himself up if it was loaded with mmunitions. Okay. Do or die time. He banked on hopefully not dying, pulling the pin and rolling the grenade under the truck before scrambling up the small incline in the few seconds he had to get to some kind of cover.

He hauled ass back to where he'd been, just as the grenade went off. The explosion between the grenade and the truck's fuel line going at once knocked him on his ass, Dean watching as the fireball exploded outward with a boom. So he still had the BS with Ruby and the contract and that less-than-a-year left but right then that second?

Yeah, he could say this was one of the best things he'd seen in his life, Dean's face breaking out into a big grin.

[thatdemonbitch.livejournal.com]

When Sam's hand touched her arm, Ruby stopped in an instant. Like an obedient animal, she turned towards him, her eyes locking on his and seeking something out there. In a way, it hurt that he honestly thought he had to throw it out there -- she'd given up a hell of a lot for Sam, and not once asked for jack in return. And here he was, drawing all that into question.

The fact that it hurt bothered her. Enough to get a smarmy, defensive remark.

"And here I was, planning to go all Texas Chainsaw on whoever's around when I smoke in." She rolled her eyes at Sam's assumption, making her distaste for the warning clear. "A little trust goes a long way. Maybe sometime, you could try it on for size." There was toughness to her glare that covered up the way it stung, and she leveled it at him, then glanced back to the hollow of the tree.

Oh, what the hell. Sammy'd catch her. The smoke bubbled up in her throat as she pushed her way out of the body, causing coma girl's head to tip back and her mouth to open as the smoke poured out, rising high into the trees. Ruby was ditching this conversation and putting it behind her ASAP. Too much of the touchy feely involved, and she'd made her point. She didn't want to dwell on why she didn't like it.

[thatdemonbitch.livejournal.com]

Nah, it was much easier to just beeline for the camp. The big boss's quarters weren't too tough to pick out: the biggest tent around. Under most circumstances, he'd be the furthest thing from meeting her standard vessel requirements, but hey. Crisis means making sacrifices. So, she makes herself cozy in his body and blinks open her new eyes, pulling herself out of bed and shrugging on a uniform blouse over the stained undershirt he wore.

Just as she made her way out of the guy's tent, the explosion rocked the camp and smoke went up, light flickering as something caught fire from the combustion. Ruby started shouting -- in a gruffer, manlier voice than usual, but with her same demonic charm.

"Attack! We're under attack! Everybody who wants to live, ditch your gear and get the hell outta here before I make you get out!" Soldiers started peeking out from inside their tents, some carrying gear, some in the underwear, all moving in the opposite direction of the explosion. Ruby stood in the midst of the fray, watching the glow brighten and the smoke billow up toward the trees.

She began to run; headed for the edge of the camp nearest where the grenade had gone off and began checking bunks, making sure they were all clear, and that people had climbed outta their beds to save their asses. God, when did she start caring about this crap? They were inconsequential. Sam wouldn't know one way or another, but here she was, true to her word.

He'd made her this. And she hated it. She wanted to tear it out of herself, maybe rewind to where Dean was at. Must be nice. She pushed back those thoughts and began to hightail it towards the other end of the camp, joining the crowd as they moved away from the supposed assault. She waited until she was sure good ol' General Lane would figure his shit out once he was back at the wheel, far enough away that they'd be able to get started and know he was ahead of the flames, and released her hold on the body.

The good General slumped beneath her, temporarily shaken up by the experience -- but, he'd be fine. That fight or flight would kick in. The cloud of smoke moved up, invisible in the darkness through the trees, rustling them around Sam's head as she returned to where she'd left her body to rest. There was a gasp as her eyes snapped open, chest heaving as she sat up. Leaves fell away from where her body had slouched in the hollow of the trees as she reoriented herself, her eyes focusing on --

On the dead jungle cat staring into her eyes like she was its next meal. Ruby's lip curled into an automatic defensive snarl, and she reached up to shove it back, but found that its weight was dead. And then took in the bullet wound in its head. Her attention moved up to Sam as she shoved it off of her with no small effort. Few hundred pounds of dead predator, it was a wonder she could get it off at all. But, she got to her feet.

"Nice job holding down the fort, I can see five minutes alone really ends well for you. Five more, and I might not have had a body to come back to at all."

[boyking]

Yeah. That reaction was right about what he'd expected, although watching a demon smoke out of a body in a huff was...new. And really damn weird. And also completely fitting for Ruby.

He caught the body and tried not to think about everything that body meant. Talk about too frigging late. He was long past the point where he could worry about this crap. Christ, what the hell was he supposed to do with (it. her.)? Did it matter? The heat and humidity was kinda a problem for decomposition as it was and that was...really not a train of thought he wanted to keep to the tracks of.

In the end, he might as well have just let her drop. She basically ended up in the same spot, anyways, beneath a tree and under the cover of a dense thicket of ferns.

Without daylight or night vision, it was damn near impossible to keep track of Dean or Ruby. Once they were gone, they were gone, and Sam was left to sit and wait. The camp wasn't big, but the layout of the tents, the trucks, the sentries—it wasn't hard to see why the military wanted them taken out. Still obviously a ragtag bunch, but organized enough. Why here, though? Middle of the damn jungle? The institute wasn't anywhere near the tropical climate.

General Berg's home. Was this it? Or was it like Doyleton? Just another extension of whatever dimension they'd landed on. Or were they one and the same? Dammit.

He shook off the questions, drawing his focus back to what was going on. Explosions (Dean. Go figure), general chaos. When the trucks started moving, that was when Sam reached for the gasoline—then started and froze.

Oh, shit. Tell him that wasn't what he thought—

The pair of yellow eyes glinted in the moonlight. The first thought that struck Sam was that it was, for once, not an oversized zombie of an animal. The second thought was that it was right over Ruby. His third was that she was going to kill him if she came back to a body that'd been made into a freaking chewtoy by a jungle cat.

His reaction was instinctive. He didn't give a second thought to calling out, "Hey." The eyes whipped around to focus on him. To his three o'clock, he could hear the sound of something else exploding and the revving of engines, and that was exactly when he pulled the trigger. Double tap. Blood splattered.

Jesus Christ. He had enough time to let out a breath, stare at the cat for thirty seconds, and then look back over to the blazing but now empty camp before the familiar force of black smoke jammed itself back down Ruby's throat. The speed of events went faster than he could register and there was a good two seconds of silence.

He frowned, but after he shot her a look, he had the good grace to look slightly caught. "Yeah. Sorry about that." He put his gun away and grabbed the can of gasoline without bothering to ask her if everyone was clear. If she was back, then they were. Or as good as it was going to get anyway. Dean wasn't back yet, but he would be soon. His brother knew what was happening, anyway. He'd keep clear of the fire.

"We don't have a lot of time, come on." He didn't wait, jogging towards the camp and splashing the gasoline where it would catch the most damage: the tents, the remaining canvas-covered vehicles, making sure that he wasn't going to trap them inside a circle of fire. Since that...wouldn't be a good idea.

He paused halfway through his work, then glanced at Ruby. "Think they might've left anything important behind?"

What he meant was Go check. There might not be anything, but it wouldn't hurt to look. They'd already gotten this far. Taking something might not be possible, but if they could look at it while they were here...

He could let Ruby deal with it. She could handle what to do.

Sam emptied the last of the container over a tent in the far corner. And then he struck the match and dropped it.

[kindalikedit]

Dean wrote a mental note to himself that, assuming he ever survived Landels, he was sure as hell gonna start packing grenades. Nice, healthy, awesome fun. He’d even go so far as to say it was like some all-American thing you just had to try at least once.

At least there were some pluses about this whacked out field trip.

He booked it back the way he’d come, retracing his steps and catching glimpses of the spreading fire through the trees. If Ruby had done her job, she’d gotten everyone out of the way before Sam went pyro on the place. Looked like from here that Sam had done a pretty bang-up job on that front, Dean able to feel the heat washing against his face and arms despite the jungle’s humidity. He was sure some tree-hugger was probably having an ulcer over this. Dean shoved the thought out of his mind as he focused on getting back to the others. Pretty sure this was the right way. From what he’d seen, most of the rebels had beat a retreat down that mud road; still, he figured you never knew if some stragglers were still in the forest or circling around lost, and all it would take was one getting lucky and running into him. Dean kept his sawed-off pointed down, ready to use it if one of them came gunning for him.

He lost track of how long it took him to get back. Too much to hope that Ruby hadn’t made it back to her body, the demon wide awake with Sam and – and –

What the hell was that? Was that a friggen jaguar?

Dean stared. Holy crap. Did Sam just shank one in the face? He totally did. Despite how pissed and disappointed he was with the kid, Dean had to say that was kinda awesome. You could hunt all the chupacabras and wendigos you wanted. That was just part of the job. But Sam killing a jaguar was pretty badass, he had to give the kid some credit.

“Nice going, Tarzan.” Dean actually cracked a smile. He reached up to wipe the soot and grime from his cheek, still ogling that jaguar. Man, that was way, way cooler than anything he ever hunted. “C’mon, let’s head back before they start coming back to investigate.”

He didn’t think it was too likely, but hey, you never knew.

[thatdemonbitch.livejournal.com]

The excuse for an apology sounded real convincing. Ruby rolled her eyes and got to her feet, following after him promptly at a brisk jog. The camp would only be clear for so long before the troops started wondering what the deal was with the false alarm. Or, until Colonel Sanders got his act together and figured out he hadn't actually called the alarm that everyone seemed to think he had.

At Sam's prompt to dig around the camp, she stopped watching him spread the gasoline and glanced in the direction of the leader's tent, reorienting herself now that she was entering the camp from a different angle and in her own body. She gave a nod.

"If there's anything, I know where to find it." She moved quickly over there as Sam set the match, ready to duck in on her way out of the camp to grab anything that looked important -- but, by the time she reached the tent, the corner of it where his makeshift desk stood was in flames already, including a briefcase. She reached out to grab it at first, but when she pried it open, it was clear. The documents were unsalvageable.

She started coughing as the tent started to collapse and the flames really started to burn it, dropping the ruined briefcase full of documents and moving out of it, regaining her bearings and heading back up to where they'd come from, expecting Sam would have headed that way well before she managed to.

Seeing Dean already there caused her lips to purse in a sour look, but she didn't mention it. Just glanced at the jaguar that he seemed so fascinated with and raised an eyebrow, her expression subtly triumphant knowing what had caused it. Better than Dean did, anyway.

"Come back to what, a pile of ashes and some charcoal?" She glanced at the razing camp behind them. "I don't think anybody's interested in taking a second look at that place." All the same, she turned to start heading back the way they'd come as ordered -- it wasn't worth the fight. Sam would agree, anyway, better to beat him to the punch of following his orders. "Anything useful went up with the camp, that's for sure."