EMPTY · DEAN WINCHESTER [1]

Blade Runners - Part V

~*~

After giving herself a chance to calm down, Ashleigh walked into the library to find the three men, catching the tail end of a conversation.

"Like I said, rumor has it that a rogue member was tossed out on his arse. Does that make him active?" Crowley said looking between the two brothers. "Seriously boys, how did you two even function without me?" He then looks up at Ashleigh, a smile on his face "And the little birdy decides to grace us with her presence" he says, eyeing her.

Ashleigh exhaled as Dean and Sam exchanged looks before setting their folders of The Men of Letters' files down. Dean reaches down towards a briefcase.

Crowley opens up his magazine, lifting an eyebrow "Well hello Miss Ichigatsu" he chuckled.

"Infamati et obliterati" Dean reads.

"Dishonored and forgotten" Crowley translates as he smiles at the magazine. Ashleigh walks over and smacks it out of his hand to which he looks up at her and holds out his hands "Hey!" Ashleigh shook her head softly, pinching the bridge of her nose "Focus"

~*~

While the boys were researching about this Magnus person, Ashleigh had headed off to the kitchen, a beer in her hand. She couldn't stand being around Crowley right now, even more so than usual. Everytime she got close to him, she had this nagging feeling that she needed to get away.

She let out a sigh as she leaned her arms down against the counter, taking a sip of her beer, staring towards the wall. She'd been feeling strange ever since she had woken up from whatever the hell happened during those two blank weeks but the last day or so, it had gotten worse,more intense. She felt as though she wasn't in control of herself anymore and there was a bad feeling in her stomach that she just couldn't shake. She heard Dean call her name from the other room so she quickly finished off her beer and grabbed her jacket. It was time to go find this Magnus.

~*~

The four of them walked along a party in the woods that opened up into a clearing. Ashleigh looked around, her hands in her pockets, lifting an eyebrow in confusion "Here?"

"This is where your demons tracked him to?" Dean asked, glancing back towards Crowley before he looked back over at Ashleigh.

"Exact spot" Crowley confirmed, stepping forward as he observed the clearing. "My boys never could find him I'm sensing nothing, so if he's here, he's warded up to the gills."

"Well he was a genius at it, right?" Sam asked, looking around.

Ashleigh stepped forward ahead of the men, looking around quietly before she spoke "Yeah well, he sure as hell ain't gonna be found by a bunch of demons"

Crowley glared at her before glancing at the boys "Oh, like he's going to open his heart to you lot, because you're such prizes?"

Dean's jaw tightened "Better, me and Sam here, we're legacies"

Ashleigh rolled her eyes slightly before a smile appeared on her face as the two boys began walking closer to where she was in the clearing. She then turned to face the same direction they were.

"Alright, if he's so been of hiding, maybe he's watching." Dean spoke. "Give it a shot"

Sam looked around for a moment "Cuthbert Sinclair" he called out and Ashleigh eyes widened as she quietly covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing "No wonder he went by Magnus" she whispered to Dean who smirked as Sam nudged her in the shoulder "Ow" she groaned as Sam continued "Um, Magnus... Whatever. We're Sam and Dean Winchester, Henry Winchester's grandsons and this is our good friend Ashleigh Kimbrell."

"And Men of Letters ourselves" Dean called out.

"Sort of" Ashleigh smiled, rubbing the back of her neck.

"We know what happened back in the day. We don't necessarily agree with it. We figured... Maybe you want to tell your side of the story" Sam finished and the three of them began looking around. Ashleigh's eyes scanned the area before she looked up at them "Maybe he's not home?" She joked slightly just before a cloud of smoke and light began to come up from the ground, forming into the shape of a door. The three looked at one another before stepping through.

They found themselves in a hallway, the sound of a French woman singing on a tape coming from behind them. Ashleigh looked around with wide eyes "Holy shit.." she mumbled.

"Which way?" Sam asked, unsure. Dean looked in both directions before quietly choosing to head forward. They got to the end of the hall and walked past a staircase before finding themselves at yet another hallway. They continued forward just as a vampire jumped out from behind them with a growl. Another two dropping in front of them. Both Ashleigh and the boys instantly began fighting, Sam getting tackled and Dean getting pushed against the wall. Ashleigh already had her machete out, slicing it through the vamps neck, blood splattering on her face. Dean sliced through the vampires neck that was attacking him and Sam soon did the same.

The three of them looked at each other in confusion before their attention shifted to clapping over an intercom.

"Bravo! Well done."

~*~

"Sorry about all the theatricality." Magnus said as he turned away from the table he was standing in front of, a glass in his hands as he faced the hunters who were sitting on the couch "I just wanted to see what you three were made of."

"So what? Are we underground?" Ashleigh asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"No." Magnus spoke as he took a seat in the chair across from them. "No my fortress is right where you were standing. But it's invisible" he said with a sly smile.

"Then you must be Cuthbert Sinclair" Sam inquired, to which Ashleigh had to muffle yet another chuckle.

Magnus glanced at Ashleigh before he leaned his head back and groaned "Ugh. I haven't gone by that moniker in, oh... Fifty-seven years now."

"Well you're looking good for a guy pushing... Ninety?" Dean said, leaning forward slightly.

"Well thanks sport" Magnus grinned "there's a spell for damn near everything. I am impressed though. You did exactly what you should've done" he said, motioning his hands back out towards the hall. "Though I am gonna miss those three from my zoo." He said gloomily as he glanced away.

"Your zoo?" Sam lifted an eyebrow.

Ashleigh uncrossed her arms and tucked her hair behind her ears "Jeez, what else do you have around here?"

Magnus looked at the three of them and smirked "Oh gentleman.. Miss Kimbrell, you are in the midst of the greatest collection of supernatural rarities and antiquities on the planet" he leaned forward, stopping himself "I'm sorry. Did you say that you were Men of Letters'? Men used loosely of course" he said, winking at Ashleigh.