Roads Untraveled ~ Sam Winchester

Chapter Ninety-Nine - Out Of Action

A week passed. No amount of blood seemed to be healing Eden's injuries. Typically, these superficial wounds would be dealt with by a bag of blood or two. But this wasn't exactly a typical injury - this was an Archangel hit; something her body had never experienced before.
Sam, Dean and Castiel grew increasingly more concerned for her. She spent most of the week on bedrest - as per the Winchesters orders - but, in the last twenty-four hours, she'd managed to persuade them that having a bit of a wander round the Bunker would be better.
They hadn't heard anything in relation to Lucifer and it was growing irritating. Every day, they scoured the internet, social media, newspapers and TV, but nothing seemed even remotely related.
But, eventually, that had to change.
Lucifer had burned through another vessel - some big shot CEO. So, whilst Eden was on lockdown, Sam and Dean went to investigate.
"Yeah, looks like Lucifer's sticking to powerful vessels." Sam told her on the phone.
"Sounds like he's got a taste for the spotlight and doesn't want to leave." Eden commented, sitting at the map tale, sipping her blood.
"Yeah. While we're on our way back would you mind-"
"Making a list of next possible temporary Devil houses? Not a problem." Eden cut him off with a smirk.
"You're the best." Sam smiled.
"I know. Love you."
"Love you too. Be back soon."
Eden hung up the phone and began her search through the internet, starting with any links to the most recent eye-scorched victim.

"Hey, you find anything?" Dean asked as he and Sam entered the Bunker a few hours later.
"How does the Archbishop of St Louis sound? Your vic was a hefty donor to the Archdiocese. If I know Lucifer and, unfortunately, I do, he'd see using the Archbishop as his next meat suit as some big joke. I wasn't sure at first, though. But I checked recent photos of him. Notice anything?" Eden passed Sam her phone.
He flicked back and forth between a few old photos one new one.
"The cross round his neck. It's gone." Sam's brows raised. "Need me to look into it further?"
"Not much to go on apart from that, obviously. His office just cancelled all public appearances until further notice - didn't say why." Eden shrugged.
"Sounds like it might be worth a shot. We'll check it out. You're pretty good at this research thing, Vampy Pants. Hey, Sam, I think you're out of a job." Dean smirked, patting his brother's shoulder.
"Hell no. Sam can keep his job. Get me back out in the field already." Eden retorted.
"Sorry, Vampy Pants, you're still not well enough." The older brother sighed.
"Any progress on your powers?" Sam asked.
"Nope. Tried zapping out, tried reviving one of the plants outside, tried a bit of everything, but still zip. I feel so impotent right now..." She huffed.
"You'll get there. Don't worry." Sam stroked his hand down her hair, leaning down to kiss her.

They ended up sending Eden pictures of the scene. Bodies of priests and nuns littered the halls of the Archdiocese, the crosses were turned upside down and the Archbishop was just another one on Lucifer's burned out vessel list.
Not long after they got back, Castiel stopped by, also flicking through the photos.
"Oh... These pictures... The level of violence is completely unnecessary." He commented.
Sam and Eden were sat in the library, separately roaming the internet in search for who Lucifer could possibly go after next. Castiel stood next to the table as he scanned the photos in Sam's phone.
"Lucifer doesn't like being messed with." The Winchester replied.
"You said he did that after they tried to exorcise him?" Eden frowned.
"Yeah. Clearly enacting punishment on the clergy burned him out faster than he would've liked." Sam said as Dean walked in from grabbing food. "But, we were on the right trail. We've just gotta find out where it goes now."
"I don't know, who won the Nobel Peace Prize? How 'bout we start there?" Dean commented.
"I know you're joking, but I can't help but wonder if that's an option." Eden frowned.

Twenty or so minutes later, Eden felt something like a weight being lifted off her chest. She looked over to Castiel, who clearly felt it too as he'd stopped flicking through newspapers opposite her.
"Did the Bunker's warding fail?" He asked in a rather annoyed tone.
"I just powered it down. Crowley called, said he had some big news about Lucifer, whatever the Hell that means." Dean replied, walking back into the library.
"Wait, so, what, Crowley can just drop in whenever he feels like it?" Sam protested, earning a shrug from his older brother. "I'd prefer keeping Crowley at a distance - long distance."
"Not very charitable, Moose." Crowley's voice came from behind him. He walked round, standing next to Eden. "Particularly since, once again, I'm saving your 'asses.' So, as you know, I'm temporarily persona non grata in my own palace."
"Palace?" The brothers repeated in unison.
"However..." Crowley gritted his teeth. "There are those I still control - operatives."
"Crowley, can we just get the damn news without the drama?" Sam huffed.
"Can I get you without the flannel? No." Crowley retorted. "Still, I endure."
Eden sniggered, quickly regretting it as a sharp pain stabbed through her ribs. She clutched them, giving shallow pants.
"Bag of dicks." She hissed. Sam and Dean narrowed their eyes at her choice in curse. "Continue."
Crowley leaned between Eden and Sam, who gave their protests as he overtook Sam's laptop.
"I did a little digging, acting on a tip, and I think I know the identity of Lucifer's newest vessel." The former King of Hell said, tapping away at the laptop keys.
"Oh, for God's sakes..." Dean mumbled, getting out his seat to walk over to the table.
"Ah-ha! Gentlemen, lady..." Crowley shuffled the laptop round so they could all see. "I give you one Jefferson Rooney, President of these United States."
Everyone's blood ran cold.
"Please tell me you're joking." Eden breathed.
"'Fraid not, little Bat."
"But... This is massive. If he's the President, he's not just untouchable in the Archangel sense. He could bring the whole world into nuclear winter before we even got close to D.C city lines." Eden's voice turned half an octave higher than usual in her disbelief.
"Less of the 'we', you're not doing anything." Sam told her, getting up from his seat. "Not until you're fully healed again." With that, he walked off.
"I'll talk to mother. She's got to have something up her sleeve that can help us." Crowley said before disappearing.
Dean sat down in Sam's seat, looking over a few things on his laptop.
"Even if Crowley does bring in Rowena, the problem remains." Cas spoke, beginning to pace the room. "Lucifer can't be returned to the Cage inside his vessel. His essence has to be extracted."
Sam walked back in and sat down in a chair by the Angel at the second table, digging through Dean's laptop.
"Yeah, and Lucifer has found the perfect safe house." He said, typing away. "I mean, like Eden said, how do we even start getting close to the President?"
"Well, it helps that he's not in D.C." Dean replied. "Rooney's actually on a fundraising swing through the Midwest."
"Yeah, right now, it looks like his whole party - aides, Secret Service, the whole circus - is staying at an estate owned by Ron Forester, the hedge fund zillionaire. It's right outside Indianapolis. But it is completely surrounded by walls, security, Secret Service, military... Plan B?" Sam looked up from his laptop to his brother, Eden and Castiel.
"He's got a Hell of a speaking schedule. He's averaging between three events a day and he's got a gala dinner on Friday night." Dean informed them.
"Well, at least he'll be outside of the mansion." Cas commented.
"Yeah, guarded like the Hope Diamond." Sam retorted. "Plan C?"
"Hope Crowley comes through on the Rowena front..." Eden sighed.