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“So get this,” Sam said. It had been a peaceful morning until he opened his fat mouth – sunlight was streaming through the bunker, and Dean had been able to make bacon and potatoes, which turned out fantastic mind you.
“This better be good,” Dean grumbled into his coffee. He was having a nice week off. Cas was back in the bunker, and they had finally figured some shit out that was long overdue. They slept in the same bed and everything now.
Sam flipped his laptop around to show Dean the screen, which consisted of an overly-grainy picture of some emo looking kid. “Nico di Angelo,” Sam announced. “Killed at age ten alongside his mother and sister in a hotel fire in 1939 shortly after immigrating from Italy.”
“So?”
“So,” Sam drawled. “This picture is from last week. Charlie emailed it to me, along with a bunch of other sightings over the past few years. He doesn’t look any older than fifteen.”
“We thinking resurrection?” Dean asked, shoveling bacon into his mouth.
“Or worse,” Sam said, turning the laptop back towards himself. “Where he goes, destruction follows. Fires, people dying, on and on. There’s something weird about him.”
“Demon possession? Witches?”
“Could be either. I need more information.” Sam sighed. “It’s centered around New York, mostly. Feel up to a road trip?”
Dean took a moment to mourn his beautiful, free week. “Yeah, alright,” he said, downing the rest of his coffee like a shot and standing. “Let me tell Cas.”
Cas managed to bully Dean into taking Angel Express to New York, something Sam seemed grateful for. Dean didn’t see what the fuss was about – he and Cas’ PDA in the Impala wasn’t that bad. Sammy was just being a little bitch. They all packed quickly, more than used to the motions, and were on their way.
Cas had the foresight to fly them directly behind a motel, and Sam quickly went in to request two rooms.
“That’s that city air, baby,” Dean crowed when a faint waft of burning trash came by them. “Every time we come through here, something smells like ass.”
“I’m not sure I see the appeal,” Cas said, his eyebrows drawing together. “This place seems overcrowded and unsanitary. Why are there so many forms of media expressing its beauty?”
“Humans are delusional,” Dean said, and Cas nodded sagely as if those were words of vast wisdom.
Sam came out of the building again, tossing Dean a key, who fumbled it slightly before catching it with an air of triumph. Sam gave him a withering look. “Slick,” he said. “We’re next to each other, so try to keep it down when you guys are doing…whatever you do.”
“Bitch,” Dean said, but he was snickering.
“Jerk.”
“What information have you found on Nico di Angelo?” Cas interrupted. “Do you have a starting point?”
Sam winced slightly. “Not exactly,” he said. “Charlie called him a ghost – except for the pictures, there’s no record of him anywhere. I have no clue where to begin.”
Cas nodded again, frowning slightly. “I am unsure if I have any contacts who would be helpful here,” he said apologetically.
“Don’t worry, buddy,” Dean said, patting Cas’ shoulder. He left his hand there a little too long, if Sam’s rolled eyes were anything to go by. “We’ll do it the old-fashioned way.”
“I’ve got fuck-all,” Dean announced, slamming his laptop shut. “This kid just falls off the face of the earth when he’s not creating chaos. He’s nowhere, it’s insane.”
“Have you checked associates? Anyone he’s seen with?” Sam said, eyes squinted at his own screen.
“I thought you were doing that?”
“Yeah, and I’ve got some shit,” Sam said, looking up with a smug look when Dean groaned. “There are a few recurring faces in the photos. Will Solace, son of a famous country singer, Percy Jackson, who’s had
multiple
man hunts centered around him the past few years, and Jason Grace, son of a movie star who was said to be missing since he was two.”
Dean let out a low whistle. “Shit,” he said. “Band of weird frickin’ kids starting trouble. We’ve got our hands full.”
“I’m really thinking of a coven now,” Sam muttered. “Too many odd characters.”
“These names sound oddly familiar,” Cas said, staring at a blank wall with the sort of fascination one usually reserved for art or a loved one. “I can’t recall why.” He made a face. “It’s infuriating.”
Dean raised an eyebrow at him. “Is it something with Heaven?”
“No, that’s not it,” Cas said, his scowl deepening. “Something…what’s the phrase? Beyond my pay grade.”
Dean let out a startled laugh, and even Sam smiled. “Alright,” Sam said. “It’s something big, we can guess that much.” He scrolled a bit on his, before his face lit up. “Percy Jackson has a listed address. We could scope out the area.”
“Sounds good,” Dean agreed. His stomach let out a low, grumbled noise. He smiled sheepishly at Sam. “Lunch first?”
Sam sighed. “Fine. Lunch first.”
“I can’t believe we’re eating at fucking McDonalds,” Dean cursed under his breath as he glowered up at the menu.
“You’re allowed to say no to him,” Sam muttered back.
“And see his disappointed face? Absolutely fucking not.”
Cas looks fascinated with his surroundings, poking around at the playpen and Happy Meals toys for a bit before regarding the menu with his usual ridiculous amount of intensity. “Dean,” he said. “I think I want the Big Mac.”
“Go ahead and order two,” Dean said, pushing some bills into his hands. “Sammy, what do you want?”
Sam looked vaguely nauseous just from being in the restaurant at all. “I’ll eat later.”
“Suit yourself,” Dean snorted, turning back to Cas. He opened his mouth to deliver further instruction, before abruptly freezing, his eyes aimed somewhere over Cas’ shoulder. He stomped hard on Sam’s foot.
“Ow! What the fuck, Dean?” Sam hissed, before following Dean’s line of sight. “Holy shit, you’ve got to be kidding.”
There, entering McDonalds from the door situated behind Cas, were Nico di Angelo and Will Solace, seemingly mid-argument as they walked in. Di Angelo looked pale and drawn, walking like he was in pain, and Solace was gesturing wildly as he whisper-yelled at the other boy, his features twisted in irritation and blonde curls flopping ridiculously with every motion.
“This is way too easy,” Dean whispered. “We’re fucked.”
“So fucked,” Sam agreed, as the boys pushed to the counter and ordered five different Happy Meals.
“The hell?” Dean muttered.
Cas, who had turned to observe the boys, frowned deeply. “There is something very wrong here,” he said, his voice low and cautious. “We should leave.”
“What?”
“Dean, they reek of power. Something ancient,” Cas hissed. “We need more intel before we do anything rash.”
“He looks like a strong wind would knock him over,” Sam said doubtfully.
Dean watched di Angelo and Solace carefully. Solace looked normal, all freckled and tan, but there was definite strength in the lines of his shoulders and arms, as well as set to his posture that was in no way normal for a teenager. He almost seemed to glow in the shitty fluorescents. Di Angelo, on the other hand, was his opposite in every way. Small and slight, with inky-black hair falling in his face, di Angelo practically radiated this suffocating aura of death despite looking ready to succumb to it. His dark eyes, trained on Solace, seemed far too old for the youth of his face.
Then those eyes shifted to Dean.
Dean quickly looked away, turning to Cas and making some offhand comment on shitty movies they would have to watch later, hoping to look normal. It didn’t work – he could feel di Angelo’s stare boring into the side of his skull.
“We need to go,” Cas said, more firmly this time, tugging on Dean’s sleeve.
“We should,” Sam agreed, picking up on Dean’s accidental acquisition of di Angelo’s attention. “We can eat somewhere else.”
“Who are you?”
Dean did not jump as he was addressed, thank you. He turned to face di Angelo, who was standing a little too close and glaring like Dean had already shot him in the leg. Solace was behind him, holding a ridiculously large McDonalds bag and looking at the three of them warily.
“Sorry?” Dean forced out.
“Why were you looking at us?” di Angelo doubled down, squinting at him. It was kinda adorable, as well as fucking terrifying. “And why do you smell like that?”
“What?” Sam frowned. “What do we smell like?”
Di Angelo shifted his gaze to Sam, who looked like he wanted to take a step back. He held his ground, though. Go Sammy. “Death,” he said. “You reek of death.”
“As do you,” Cas said.
“You’ve all
died
,” di Angelo said, sounding frustrated. “It doesn’t make
sense
.”
Well. In for a penny, out for a pound. “What the hell are you?” Dean asked.
Solace looked baffled. “You mean you don’t know? Why the hell were you looking at us like that then?”
“You’re far from human,” Cas said.
“So are you,” di Angelo countered.
“And we’re all standing in the middle of a public McDonalds,” Sam said. “We need to go somewhere private.”
“So you can kill us?” di Angelo said.
“Maybe,” Dean said casually. “Haven’t decided yet.”
Solace snorted. “You wouldn’t get very far,” he said. He didn’t seem very threatened. “Fine. Let’s get out of here.”
They left as conspicuously as their odd group could, and di Angelo swiftly led them to an empty building in dead silence.
“So,” he said once they were inside. He looked at Cas. “You’re an angel.”
Cas remained impassive. “Yes,” he said. “How did you know?”
“I’ve met one before.”
“Hold up,” Solace said, blinking rapidly. “Angels? Like God and Heaven angels?”
“Yeah,” di Angelo said. “Father told me about them. I met one a while ago, he helped me out with some shit.”
“Angels aren’t usually all that helpful,” Dean said gruffly.
“What are you then?” Sam asked, crossing his arms. “Fair is fair.”
The two boys exchanged glances, but didn’t say a word.
“Demigods,” Cas said faintly. “Greek, if I’m not mistaken.”
“The fuck?” Dean asked, whipping towards him.
Cas held up in hand to quiet him. “It’s been some time since I’ve encountered one, so I couldn’t place the energy output at first, but it’s…distinctive.” He hit di Angelo and Solace with a hard stare. “Hades and Apollo.”
“You’re good,” Solace breathed.
Dean stared at him. “Y’all are walking stereotypes,” he said frankly.
“I have so many questions,” Sam tacked on. “Like, so many.”
“They’re killing people, Sammy.”
“We haven’t killed any mortals,” Nico snarled harshly. “We kill monsters, dumbass. Did you think we were just on a slaughtering kick?”
“Kinda,” Dean said, awkward and sheepish.
Sam’s face lit up. “You guys do the same thing we do.”
Solace blinked. “You guys…kill monsters? Aren’t you human?”
“Yup,” Dean said smugly. “We’re just damn good at what we do.”
Di Angelo didn’t look impressed.
“So, Percy Jackson and Jason Grace – also demigods?” Sam asked, and di Angelo’s face contorted in fury.
“Were you fucking stalking us?”
“They did think we were killing people, Nico,” Solace said fairly. “But yeah, Poseidon and Jupiter, respectively.”
“Roman gods.” Sam looked like he was having an existential crisis and enjoying every minute of it.
“You said you’ve worked with an angel,” Cas said, drawing di Angelo’s attention. “Who?”
Di Angelo blinked, the anger draining from his face. “Gabriel,” he said. “I just had to do him a favor or two in return.”
“Oh jeez,” Sam said. He looked at the kid with pity. “I’m sorry, but…you know he’s dead, don’t you?”
“Um…” di Angelo looked at Sam like he was crazy. “No?”
“No?” Sam echoed.
“I saw him like, yesterday, doing Diet Coke shots with Mr. D. Uh, Dionysus,” di Angelo said. “He’s very much alive.”
Sam blinked, then sighed. “I’m gonna kill him.”
“I’ll help,” Cas muttered.
“Right,” Solace was, looking amused. “You guys uh, go do that, I guess. We need to get going.” He nudged the other demigod. “We need to get going.”
“Right,” di Angelo muttered. He smiled blankly at Dean. It was worse than his glare. “Nice meeting you. Have fun killing some other monster.”
“Yeah, well, you too,” Dean said.
Di Angelo saluted, before grabbing onto Solace’s sleeve and waiting for the blonde to brace himself before they both melted into the shadows and vanished.
“Holy shit,” Sam said.
Cas stared at the empty space the boys once occupied. He looked at Dean. “Can we go home now?”
“I never got to ask them any questions,” Sam mourned.
“Yeah, we can go home,” Dean said, shaking his head.
Fucking Greek demigods.
And now they had to track down a particular annoying ass archangel.
Son of a bitch.