Tech-World Domination

 Street Fighter/Final Fight characters(C) Capcom

By Elodie Kohler-Andrianos 

This story takes place on a plane,it was on its way to Greece from the U.S.. It was a really long flight,most people were either sleeping or watching movies on their personal screen (located on the back of the previous seat). A pair of headphones were in a small compartment under the small screen. Two travelers were not like the rest of the passengers. One was a black-haired,brown-eyed and he was wearing a sleeveless orange suit with orange sneakers. The other one was blonde,blue-eyed and he was wearing a long sleeve shirt,blue jeans and white sneakers with blue stripes. 

The dark-haired was called Guy and he was a ninja. The blonde one was called Cody,he was a former hero. Underneath his clothes,he was wearing his convict suit. They were old friends,skilled fighters and they had helped countless times to save people in need. A reliable source told them that M.Bison intended to steal the Antikythera mechanism. This said mechanism combined with Bison's powers would create a 'technological Big Bang' and reduce Humanity to its knees... Not a single country could defend itself. The whole world would belong to the evil leader...

Guy was reading a lot,he needed informations so he could plan their attacks. Cody,on the other hand, was dosing on and off from sleep. 

A voice was heard through the speakers: it was the pilot,informing the passengers that they had arrived in Greece and would be landing in ten minutes. 

- "Finally! I thought we'd never get there.". Hearing nothing from Cody,he turned around and saw...him sleeping. He rolled his eyes and nudged him. Cody woke up immediately:

- "Wha... Are we there yet?".                                                       

Guy nodded softly and waited patiently for the plane to land. 

They were both quite tall,Cody being the taller one. Fortunately,on the plane,they didn't attract attention. They'd have to be extra careful and not fight with any person they find,only when it'd be necessary. Guy kept reminding Cody before and after the flight. They got out of the airport before most of their fellow passengers,they didn't need to wait to get their stuff: they didn't bring any. Their weapons were their fighting skills. 

- "Where to,now? We need to get to the museum where this mechanism is stored...". Cody said,scratching his head,skeptical. 

- "Yeah. We gotta get there fast. Taxi!" Guy said waving his hand to stop the first taxi he saw. 

They hopped in and Guy gave the destination. The trip started well,Guy showed Cody some interesting sites from the window. Cody,who was feeling jetlagged,answered with 'Oh!' 'Okay.' and 'Uh-huh'.

But then the taxi driver took a sharp turn startling his passengers. They exchanged a knowing look. 

- "Sir! You're taking the wrong direction!" Guy said,tapping on the driver's shoulder. Both friends were shocked to hear the high-pitched voice of...

- "Vega!?" yelled in unison both warriors. 

- "Yes! And you'll never stop my Master!" said the masked assassin. He pulled off his mask and threw it away. He reached for his own mask and his claws. When he put them on,he jumped onto the backseat,attacking Cody.

- "Guy,get behind the wheel,I got this!". 

His friend did as he was told. The car was going fast and almost crossed the line,where a truck was speeding. Cody,lying on his back,headbutted Vega in the face. Vega laughed and used his claws to try and claw his eyes out. Cody kicked him right below his belt. The masked man let out a surprised cry. Cody chose this moment to kick him with all his might. He pulled out his chains and started to strangle Vega. 

Cody had scratches on his left cheek and his shirt was ripped because of the claws and of his struggles to get away. He turned Vega around,so that his back was against him. Guy managed to find a quiet,deserted place and stopped the car. He turned around managed to pull off the claws and mask,after a few more punches into Vega's face. His bloody nose was completely broken and his face was so swollen that you could barely recognize him. Guy took the claws with him and got out. Cody stayed until Vega was unconcious. He wanted to put a definite end to this but Guy didn't let him.

- "We're not murderers Cody. Where did you hide your chains?". 

- "Ya don't wanna know...".

- "You're right,I don't. Let's get back on the road.".

- "I was just messin' with ya. Had 'em in there. Just look how big these pockets are.".

Guy rolled his eyes: - "You'll never change,won't you?".

- "Nope! They might be useful,don't ya think?" Cody said,while getting off his ripped clothes,revealing his prison uniform.

They needed to get to the National Archeological museum,and fast. They had arrived at seven or eight in the morning. With all this,time passed very quickly: it was already afternoon... They had to wait some time until a taxi, (a real one this time), came by. They took this given time to plan their next move. 

- "Take us to the Archeological Museum." Cody said to the driver as they got inside.

They were in luck: their driver seemed to have noticed that they were in a hurry to get there,so he took them through the the fastest way. Their little road trip lasted two hours instead of the four hours it would have taken them. 

When they finally got there,they thanked him with a big,fat tip. 

- "Look! There it is,in one of the themed-rooms!" Guy said,as they climbed the small flight of stairs. 

- "Let me guess: we'll have to separate to cover more ground." Cody said,mimicking Guy's voice. "You take the right wing and I take the left.".

- "In fact,I was thinking that we should go together. A helping hand is always welcome.". He paused. "For old time's sake. Team work.".

- "Either way,I'm good." Cody replied, shrugging his shoulders. 

They opened slowly the door and got in. They entered the right wing. The whole place was full of treasures (for History lovers and Mankind.). They roamed the whole wing and they haven't located it yet. They were careful not to make any noise.

- "Have you noticed it? The doors were opened. They are supposed to be locked..." Guy whispered. 

- "Yeah... Now that you mentioned it... Kinda strange. Maybe a set-up...".

Guy was about to answer whe they heard a familiar female voice...

- "Once again you two?! You won't defeat my Master ever again!".

- "Cammy!? What the...!" cried in unison both fighters.

- "We found the mechanism. It's a matter of of time for it to work." Cammy said.

- "We'll see about that!" Guy said,getting in position. 

- "Let's get this fight started!" Cody added,cracking his knuckles. 

Cammy was about to attack when Cody jumped on her and tried to strangle her with his chain. She elbowed him in the stomach and he released her. Guy grabbed her shoulder and punched her in the face, breaking her nose and cutting her upper lip in the process. 

She freed herself,executed a salto and hit both her opponents with her legs as she opened them. She quickly got to her feet as they were about to attack. Guy jumped in the air and hit her in the head a few times,as he was swirling in the air.

Cody kicked her behind the knees to make her collapse to the ground. She fell down on her back but she got up quickly. Both Guy and Cody kicked her in the stomach. It was a hard blow,it cut her breath and Cody gave her the final touch: he held her head and he kneed her in the face. She was out cold. 

- "Well,that was a quick one..." Cody said,yawning and stretching himself. 

- "Yeah... Let's go check the other wing. Let's hope she was only bluffing." Guy added.

They walked until the other wing,they were on their guard,ready for anything.

They found the pedestal with the info card nailed on it but the mechanism was nowhere to be found...

- "We finally found the right themed room!... But where is it?" Guy said.

- "Bison took it! We're too late!" Cody spat,angrily,kicking the small pedestal where the mechanism should have been,out of rage

It fell on the floor with a loud 'bam'.

Just before Guy could say anything,a voice with a heavy German-American accent was heard...

- "Once again,you blew everything up... Why am I not surprised?".

- "Ain't ya tired of gettin' your ass kicked by us,Rolento?" Cody growled,raising his cuffed hands,ready to fight. 

Guy grabbed his shoulder: - "Hold it Cody! Maybe he can tell us anything useful.".

- "I can do more than that. I can help you fight Bison. Three against one is even better than two against one.".

- "We could use the extra help." Guy agreed. He whispered to Cody: "We can could still beat him up if he tries to double-cross us.".

Cody agreed with a nod. They walked until the spot where the two wings meet and got down the stairs. It didn't have almost anything,it was the Cafeteria. 

They stopped in the middle of the stairs when they heard a -oh so 

familiar- voice. They were still too far to listen clearly,they had to get closer and closer... It was much darker down here than it was in both wings. The small garden,with fake statues,was in the exact middle. 

They walked slowly and quietly,so they could have the advantage of surprise.

M.Bison was talking to one of the scientists: - "How much longer will it take to be ready?". His powerful voice echoed in the empty Cafeteria backroom. 

The scientist's answer wasn’t loud enough to be audible,but it sounded like 'not the right time yet' or something in the same vein... A long,heavy silence followed,only to be broken by Bison. 

- "I wonder why I haven't heard from Cammy... She was supposed to report to me every half-hour. Two hours have passed and nothing...".

Guy and Cody chose this exact moment to jump out of their hiding place. 

- "That's because we knocked her out unconcious." Guy said.

- "Yeah! She was crazily easy to beat." Cody added.

M.Bison looked at them and huffed in annoyment. 

- "That's the cavalry they're sending? A Bushin Ninja,a convict and a wannabe leader? Let me laugh! I am the Supreme Leader,you fools!".

- "Supreme Fat Head you mean." Guy said,getting in position. 

Cody made a 'Come On' gesture with both hands and resumed his position. 

- "Ready?" Rolento asked,with his Greman accent,holding his staff. 

The evil leader told his team to not interfere with the battle. He was certain he could beat the three of them in no time. After all,he was the leader of Shadaloo...

M.Bison attacked first,the three others were on defensive mode. He tried his powerful 'Psycho-Crusher'. His fists were glowing a purple-ish glow. Guy and Cody were ready: when he launched himself on them,fists first,they both jumped in the air,avoiding the attack. Rolento,however,was a little slow and it hit him. It sent him a few feet backwards and he landed on his back.

The evil man glared at them with hate. Guy jumped and as he was swirling in the air,he hit him hard,with all his might,on the chest,pushing him backwards.

- "You won't win,not this time!" Guy said,as he landed on his feet.

Bison let out a cry of fury and tried to conter-attack with kicks. Cody was waiting for it,he grabbed Bison's leg that was lifted up and pulled it towards him. That made Bison lose his balance and he fell flat on his back. 

- "Boring!" Cody said,yawning. 

Bison blushed in shame and he was boiling in rage. He tried to kick Cody and Guy,but they blocked his attacks with their arms.

Rolento was swirling his staff and he swiftly hit him multiple times. M.Bison let out an angry grunt,grabbed the staff and threw it away (along with Rolento). Both crashed into a nearby wall. He fell slowly to the floor,feeling groggy...

Guy and Cody came closer: Guy,who was standing up,used his fists,to get him some damages. Cody,who was crouching,stretched his leg out between Bison's feet. He moved his leg fast,Bison lost his balance and fell down on his back with a loud 'thud'. The combination of Guy's fists and the fall caused by Cody really messed him up. 

It was a rather hard hit on his head but he managed to get up. Still a little dizzy by the whole battle,he got up a little more slower than before. 

Guy and Cody jumped on the occasion,they kicked and punched him even harder than before. Cody punched him on the chest and face. Bison tried to block his attacks,a few were successful and a lot more weren't. Guy's turn came. He lifted his leg high,it hit Bison right under his chin,sending him back down. He fell backwards,letting out a strange pain filled cry...

Guy crossed his arms and looked at Bison: - "This'll teach him a lesson. If only he used his powers for good....".

Cody stretched himself and yawned: - "Well,that wasn't boring.". He paused and looked at his friend: "Let's get outta here.".

M.Bison was lying on the floor,unconcious. It had been a wonderful team work. The scientists were terrified,Guy and Cody had forbidden them to fo near their fallen leader and had ordered them to give then the Antikythera mechanism. 

While they were waiting Guy and Cody talked about their next move. The head scientist gave it to Rolento,since he was fighting along side the young warriors. 

He was about to leave,unnoticed,with the precious artifact but Cody spotted him. 

- "Hey! Where do ya think you're goin'?" Cody said. 

Both friends quickly got to the stairs,blocking him the exit. 

Guy crossed his arms on his chest: - "Were you planning to leave with it? Without telling us? Are you trying to double-cross us?".

Rolento said something unaudible. 

Cody was waiting impatiently: - "Can I beat him up now?".

- "He's all yours." Guy replied.

Cody cracked his knuckles with a satisfied smile and walked towards Rolento. 

Rolento,still holding the mechanism,took a few steps backwards and tried to reason with them.

- "Guys,wait... I helped you,didn't I?" he took a breath and waited. 

Cody stopped when he got close enough: - "Yeah. You're right. That's why I'll go easy on you.".

Rolento felt relaxed bit when he heard the rest,he freaked out. He tried to leave but Guy stopped him and took by force the mechanism,so it wouldn't be damaged in the fight. 

One of the scientists was told to bring Cammy down. Guy went with him,to make sure he wouldn't do anything stupid. After a few minutes,he came back,holding the defeated warrior and put her down,next to her Master.

Guy sat down to see the fight,the mechanism was next to him and he rested his hand on it. Bison's team was eager to see how it would end. Bison and Cammy were still unconcious,no-one cared about them now. Everyone was focused on the fight.

Cody was ready,his cuffed hands were up,Rolento had no choice but to fight back. He held his dark green staff and waited for his opponent to strike. Which didn't take long...

Cody jumped,stretched out his leg,trying to hit him in the head. Bit his attacks were stopped with the staff. Rolento tried to hit him,as if the staff was a kind of sword. Cody bent down and didn't get hurt. He got up,jumped and swirled around,kicking with one leg at a time the military freak. Rolento took two steps backwards,these kicks were really hard on his jaws. He wanted to take some elan to jump on the young convict.

Cody understood it and when Rolento was in the air,almost descending on him,he kicked him in the stomach. The blow was hard and sharp,he lost his breath for an instant. Cody didn't give him a chance,he kicked him again and again on his upper leg when he was bending down,to catch his breath. 

- "Joke's on you. I never go easy on anyone.".

The final blow was a double kick on the head. That sent him knocked out. 

Cody raised his cuffed hands,palms upwards,with an innocent smile. Guy nodded in approvement and got up. 

Cammy and her boss were still unconcious,and a few feet from them,Rolento was knocked out,his precious staff was lying close to him. They looked like broken toys... 

Cody started to climb the stairs,holding the antic mechanism. Guy stayed a little behind,so he could watch the scientists. 

- "Get going! We'll deliver you to the local authorities." Guy told the head scientist. 

The head scientist stared at Guy,full of hate. Guy glared at him. He shoved his assistants roughly and they followed Cody until the entrance of the Museum. 

Police cars were approaching fast. They stooped abruptly,breaks screeching. Officers rushed out of their cars,some were already holding their guns. 

Cody was feeling uneasy when he saw them and he was still holding the mechanism. 

Guy grabbed his friend by the arm: 

- "Relax,they're not here to arrest you.".

They passed close to them and they cuffed the three scientists. The chief walked towards Guy and Cody,to get some explanations. Guy and Cody took turns at explaining the whole situation. The chief listened patiently,he was a little amused by their strange outfits but they did a great job. 

One of his men came towards them: - "The head scientist confessed everything. He said his boss is still in the Museum's Cafe.".

- "We'll send some more men to bring him up. Get them to the station.".

He turned towards the young warriors: "Thank you very much! You've done a wonderful job.".

Cody gave the mechanism to the officer and advised him to store it in a more secured place. They would take it to a secret military base.

Two or three mini vans came at a terrific speed. Screeching tires and brakes,men armed like the Riot Police stormed into the Museum. They had helmets,bullet-proof equipment,shilds and guns. 

The three scientists were on their way to the station. They didn't have the time to say anything more,a loud explosion was heard. 

The floor was shaking wildly and soon after,smoke was escaping from the wide opened doors. 

Some came back,they had their gaz masks on. They were prepared for anything,except this... Bison and Cammy had recovered. They had fought vigorously and managed to get away,leaving most of them unconcious. The ones that were still conscious,brought Rolento with them. He played the victim,so they would help him. But as they reached the entrance and climbed down the stairs,as soon as he saw Guy and Cody,he tried to get away. 

The officers brought him to the chief. 

- "Back for more?" Cody whispered to Rolento,as he passed very close. 

The military freak looked at him with hate. Guy pushed his friend on his back and swiftly stomped on Rolento's foot. 

They gave their testimony to a young officer and waved them good-bye. 

- "Don't worry about them. We'll catch them soon." Guy said.

- "Yeah! We're gonna stop 'em once and for all." Cody added. 

On their way to the airport: - "Great adventure wasn't it? Kinda reminded me of the good old times..." Guy said,feeling nostalgic. 

- "Man,you're weird... I guess it wasn't boring." Cody said,smiling. 

Guy cracked up a rare smile: - "Glad to hear that,man.".

Not What You Expect

By Elodie Kohler-Andrianos 

Gotham City,around 9 pm. The Gothamites were celebrating the creation of their city. Things had been extraordinarily calm for Gotham,Batman had given Dick,Jason and Tim a day off. Barbara,Cassandra and Duke were on duty -not to mention Damian,who was on patrol in the South area of town-. 

It was still warm for this time of year... They were sitting in a pizzeria,in the back of the room,where they could eat without being disturbed. They knew Tim was a pizza addict and they decided to surprise him. They had fun and teased one another,just like brothers do. They ordered their pizzas and waited,looking at the other clients. Jason teased Tim about a girl who couldn't stop looking at him. Tim did the mature thing and stuck his tongue at Jason. 

That made Dick and Jason laugh, and the latter grabbed Tim's head in a headlock and ruffled his hair. Tim managed to get away and they started to eat with much appetite. Everything was perfect until...

- "Bliax!! Live worms in my steak!" a man's voice was heard throughout the restaurant. Lots of heads turned in the direction of the voice. Soon,all the customers started to complain...

- "Our pizzas are rotten! Mine has some kind of sticky green thingy." Dick said,loudly. 

Jason smirked and whispered:          - "Tim might've done it.". 

Dick hid his smile behind his hand.

- "I heard that,Jay. I'll get you for this!".

Word of the complaints arrived to the kitchen,the owner was also the kitchen chef. As soon as he finished washing his hands,he came to see what was all the commotion about.

When he reached the first tables, everything went back to normal.

- "I don't see anything! Were you all hit with mass hysteria?!?" asked the chef,hands resting on his hips. The chef was a 35 years old man,with short black hair(in a net) and black eyes. He inherited his parents' money (they were the owners of Gotham's Airport). He realized his biggest dream: to open a restaurant. 

On the rooftop of a building,opposite to the restaurant, was the Trickster! He knew the chef would go to check what it was all about,so he stopped his illusion spell. Thor had forbidden him to go to New York City,so he chose this town. He was wearing a yellow and green costume and a horned helmet. He was known as Loki Lauffeyson or the God of Mischief. He loved to play pranks on mortals, they were his favorite victims. That and Odin,to name a few, didn't know how to have fun. 

Back in the restaurant,the customers apologized to the owner and resumed their meals. Sounds of knives and forks hitting the plates were heard and they resumed their conversations. Even Dick,Jason and Tim continued their meals,but they were whispering about the whole situation.  

- "It couldn't be the Joker,doesn't seem to the kind of trick he would play..." Dick said,skeptical. Jason agreed by shaking his head.

- "Could be the Scarecrow's doings.  Sounds like his to play with fears..." Jason said,chewing on a piece of pizza. 

Tim rejected it with a wave of his hand,and added: - "Nah! It should have been the owner who should have seen this. A restaurant owner and cook's worst fears.". 

- "Okay then,nerd. Who did it?" Jason asked,still eating. 

- "Have you noticed that when the owner came out of the kitchen, everything stopped,magically?".

Both older teens agreed and decided they would investigate it. They drove back to Wayne Manor and snuck into the BatCave,to ask someone who knew about magic: Zatanna!

Tim was very good with technology and he was a great detective. He found her number and called her, to ask for advice and help. She was more than happy to help them. Tim told her everything,every little detail. She listened carefully and silently. 

- "It is pure evil magic. It's a Trickster you're up against. I know someone who can help you fight it.".

They thanked her for her precious help. They called the contact she gave them,he was eager to see what it was all about. 

This person weird and crazy but they liked it. He knew about magic (good and evil) and dark arts. He was wearing a trench coat and a suit. He swore a lot. He was an expert in dark arts and in everything supernatural. This time Jason and Dick explained the situation to their new friend: John Constantine!

- "I'll  help you lads with that Trickster! I'll tell and show you exactly what to do.".

Luckily for them,he decided to 'warm up' and attacked a restaurant,instead of the people who celebrated near the docks and the big square opposite the City Hall... Next time he'll hit,it'll be big: in a few days,the Museum will be hosting a foreign art collection. Lots of police officers (in political clothes and uniforms),Batman,Nightwing, Red Hood and Red Robin. Before the event,they would warn people. Tim, using the computer in the BatCave,sent e-mails to every citizen,from the GCPD. He hacked into it with Gordon's authorisation. In this mail,the Gothamites would be informed of a menace. They should remain at home and avoid to get out.

The Trickster wasn't so bothered,he didn't really 'spy' on anyone with his magic. He just wanted to cause chaos and mayhem. He just loved to play tricks,and if some mortals died, it wasn't the end of the world. For him. He loved to hear the terrified screams and to see them run, scared to death. He disguised himself as a middle-aged man, wearing a grey suit and hat. He was long gone from the roof. He walked up and down the streets,in hope of finding inspiration for new tricks. He had a feeling this town would be a great inspiration. 

Everyone received the mail and,for maybe the first time,the Gothamites really listened and stayed put. The dreaded day arrived,the only people allowed on the site were,of course the BatFamily and the best officers. They were told to obey to the Batman. Gordon was there, hidden in a camouflage van. He had an earpiece,to hear and communicate with the Bat and his helpers.

The Robins knew what to do,they were ready. Constantine trained them as good as he could. He didn't tell them that he was still there,he didn't want to disturb them with his presence. He would stay behind, hidden,until the end.

He had no doubt that they would make it. They were smart young fellows,especially that young lad Tim. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he couldn't wait to see them get rid of this Trickster! He was quite fond of them lads -another thing that he would never admit.

The Gothamites were safe and double locked their doors. Vicki Vale was always on the spot. She and her cameraman were extra careful. The Citizens were maybe locked in their homes but they were glued to their screens. They didn't want to miss a single thing. Either on their laptops or TV, they were addicted to the technology,just like the rest of the world. 

The D day arrived and everyone involved in it was more than ready. A few officers didn't really approve the cooperation with Vigilantes but it was very useful at times like these... Time passed by without incidents. Half-past eleven,an old man appeared from nowhere. He didn't try to hide,he wasn't even careful to appear secretly... The viewers in their homes gasped in fear of what that stranger could do... In the field,they were startled as well but they very quickly put themselves together and got ready. 

The newcomer raised his hands in a surrendering way. He looked at them,chuckled evily and slowly,his appearance started to change... The officers were standing in a defensive way,their guns locked on their target. They didn't do anything,they had to obey the Batman. He approached slowly the stranger: he was wearing a horned helmet and yellow-green costume. He looked at the man standing before him,he still was smiling ironically. 

- "I am Loki,I'm a God. Do you really think you can stop me from doing anything?".

- "We know who you are. You'll see...". Batman turned his head slightly and spoke to the policemen behind  him: "Let him through.".

They stepped back and moved out of the way,still holding their guns. It was all well orchestred:they let the God walk in. He couldn't read minds and he didn't really care if the  meaningless mortals would try to stop him... At the first sign of any suspect move,he would 'take care' of them. He climbed the few stairs and got inside the Museum. He was greeted by three youngsters in costumes. He tilted his head, intrigued. He was standing in the middle of the big hall and his 'welcoming party' was protected behind the reception desk...

He was smiling sarcastically. 

- "You're not scared of me?" asked the God,rather startled. "That's... unexpected.".

He tried to step closer to the teens bur he couldn't move. He felt like he was glued to the ground. His smirk quickly vanished from his face, replaced by a puzzled expression. 

- "How did you do that?" cried the God.

He was trapped in the middle of a circle. Its color was bright lime and on the inside of it,there were lots of complicated symbols. It was a complicated spell,to immobilize a Trickster. Courtesy of John Constantine! Tim executed it perfectly. He was very smart and brilliant student. Constantine was there,with them,in case something would go south. He put a cloaking spell on himself,so no one would notice him. He felt very proud of them lads! Until now,everything was going as planed. He heard all the exchange.

- "A close friend of ours taught us." Jason answered.

- "No need to struggle,we're gonna send you back where you belong." Dick added.

Tim started to chant a powerful spell in Latin,mixed with Ancient Greek. Loki tried to negotiate with Tim but it fell on deaf ears. As he was chanting,he made difficult gestures. 

- "Nnnnnooooo! I'll come back and you'll regret this!" Loki screamed, before he vanished from view. The three youngsters cheered and both older teens high-fived Tim. Constantine teleported back home. He never felt this proud,he hoped he would team up again with these lads; but he'll never admit it out loud. 

Back to Gotham,the three Robins got out of the Museum. They didn't need to explain,they all had earpieces and they all heard everything. Gordon got out of the van and congratulated them.

- "Bravo! You did an incredible job!".

Batman nodded in approvement and just before they could leave, Vicki Vale appeared before them. 

- "The entire city of Gotham is thankful to you. You stopped the wrongdoer! Can any of you tell our viewers what happened in there?".

They took turns to explain everything. 

- "One last question,if I may. Who taught you magic spells?" Vicki asked,eager to learn more and more about this event.

Tim,Dick and Jason exchanged a look and answered together: - "A close friend of ours. Good night everybody!".

They jumped into the Bat-Chopper and left before she could ask them more details. She froze for a spit moment and then pulled herself together. She turned towards the cameraman and continued, professional as always. 

- "You heard the Bat brothers. They had complete control on all this and the police was under Batman's orders.". She stopped,smiled at the viewers and continued : "Once again,the cooperation with the Batfamily was a success. Commissioner Gordon,a few words, please?" as she saw him approaching his officers. 

- "What more can I add? Everything went as planed. No casualties,no damages." he left as fast as he appeared. 

Vicki concluded her report. 

- "This was Vicki Vale,your favorite reporter,live from Gotham's Museum. Good night everyone.".

She smiled and,as the camera stopped,she lit a cigarette and they left. 

- "Vicki,you up for a drink? Beer's on me." said the cameraman. 

- "Sure thing,Mike.".

In Asgard,Odin was furious. Loki once again had managed to escape.  He was fighting with his son Thor. As Thor was about to leave the room,he heard Heimdall's voice.

- "Here comes Loki. He is sent back from Gotham.".

Thor and Odin exchanged a surprised look and went out of the room. They arrived as fast as they could to Heimdall's post on the Bifrost Bridge. 

Loki looked at them,humiliated and his ego hurt. Odin sent him to a prison tree,one that didn't have leaves. And isolated from everything. He would have to stay there until Odin would decide it fit to free him. The lonesome tree was located in a far,fat away desert. Only Odin knew the exact location -and maybe Thor-.

All he had to do to pass the time was to plot his revenge on his hated brother and father,and then against all mankind. He had all the time he needed to find a way to make it entertaining. 

Overlook Hotel: Neverending Curse

(C) inspired by The Shining & Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

~WARNING~ Don't read this story if you haven't read the books mentioned above. 

By Elodie Kohler-Andrianos 

This story is located in Boulder,Colorado, United States. High up in the mountains,an enormous hotel is fronting a big forest. Near the building stands a labyrinth created with trees (three-foot meters high), a kids playground and a field for sports. Near the park,some trees were trimmed in animals shapes. The hotel and its surroundings were destroyed on the 80's by the caretaker named Jack Torrance. It stayed that way many years,the town became a ghost town... Until now.

February 2030. It was a rather "hot" day for February,sunny with small white clouds 

-that looked like coton candy-.

After some years,the ghost town began to regain its life again little by little. That day,a couple arrived. They were quite tall: he was blond and had blue eyes,she was a brunette with grey/green eyes. They came a long way from Minnesota. They were architects and wanted to rebuild a building with history. They read -to the last detail- articles about buildings in ruins and that had a colorful history. They were disappointed by their fruitless research until one day they came across articles about a certain hotel that was built between 1907 and 1909. It was exactly what they were looking for. 

They packed everything up and started their long journey for Boulder,Colorado.

During their long trip,they stopped at motels and ate in fastfoods. Some motels they stopped at were in such miserable conditions:cheap doors and furniture, bathroom was common and dirty,no breakfast,no roomservice. When some others were the exact opposite:each room had bathroom and comfort of good hotels and the reception was great. The fastfoods were just the same everywhere they stopped,only the names -and sometimes the menu- changed.

No problems occurred on the road, sometimes it had more traffic and sometimes not at all. They stopped a few times for gas. No one asked them where they were heading and it was just fine with them. They enjoyed the landscapes:they passed sometimes through beautiful forests and typical west style little towns. 

When they arrived close to Boulder,it was time again to fill the tank. They found a small gas station,small but friendly -at first.

The owner,an old black man,chatted with them and asked what they were looking for up there in the mountains. The old man's name was Terry Hallorann,he was wearing an overall and a pullover and boots.

- "We're going to Boulder." answered the young man. "With my wife we're going to reopen the Overlook hotel,with the help of local workers.".

His wife nodded,with a big smile. The friendly attitude of the old man vanished as fast as the smiles on Tim's and Barbara's faces. 

- "You mustn't go there! This place is surely haunted,terrible things happened there." said Hallorann in a soft,shaking voice.

Tim and Barbara exchanged a disturbed look. 

- "We know its history,we checked articles on the Overlook. In libraries and on Internet." answered Barbara. "Your name,Hallorann,sounds familiar. An African American cook had the same name.".

Terry swallowed with difficulty and nodded: 

- "Yes,Dick Hallorann was my grandfather.".

He told the Tim and Barbara some stories that his father learned from his own father,about the strange happenings/ accidents that took place in the hotel and about the Shine that many people had and didn't know about it or tried to ignore. 

- "This hotel is an abomination. In the 80's, the last caretaker destroyed the hotel,he blew it up... ." Terry said. 

- "No one tried to repair or rebuild it?".

- "That's the problem,you see... After some years,when the people came back little by little,they wanted to give it back its prime look..." Hallorann said,hesitating to continue. 

- "What happened then? What did they see?" asked Tim,anxious to learn more.

Terry sighed in resignation and continued: - "You traveled that far,you deserve to know the truth... Here it goes: they came to the location,certains to find ruins. But they didn't! The hotel and its surroundings were as good as new. Like nothing ever happened.".

- "Don't tell me that they actually entered the hotel?" asked Tim,afraid of already knowing the answer. 

Terry nodded and continued: - "They came inside and what they saw and heard was unforgettable. They heard voices,laughter and music coming from the big living room -the one with the big fireplace-. As soon as they entered the room,everything stopped. The air was very cold even though a fire was lit and the radiators were working. Then the lights flickered on and off. They saw many ghosts dressed from the 20's, 30's and 80's fashion. Then a ghost,with blood trickling down his neck,raised his glass of wine and said "Nice party,isn't it?"."

Hallorann's voice broke down as he finished the story. His audience was shocked. After a little while,they decided that they wanted to see if all these were true and not a tourist attraction. 

He tried to change their minds,how dangerous it was to go up there. But they didn't listen to him... They made it this far,it would be foolish to to give up just now. As the Johnsons were ready to leave,he told them something that was quite shocking.  

- "If you enter the hotel,maybe you could try to find the bodies of my unfortunate friends and bring them back to their families,so they can at last rest in peace? If you make it out of there,that is.".

Tim and Barbara agreed but they froze when they heard the last sentence.

They left the gas station and for a long time they didn't speak,lost in their thoughts. After a while,Tim showed her something: - "Look Babs,here it is. The Overlook! What a beautiful building!".

She nodded and soon added : - " I can't wait to visit it!".

After a few minutes,they finally arrived. They stared at it in admiration. 

- "We'll start with the hotel. The surroundings can wait,don't you agree?" Tim said. 

His wife agreed and they pushed the doors to enter. As soon as they stepped inside,the lights were turned on,as well as the chimney. They looked around and called out,to see who was there... They didn't get no answer. They decided to go to explore and to find out by themselves. 

They started by the big living room. The lights were lit everywhere they went. They saw a long rectangular table and on it was standing a typewriter machine. A piece of paper was still in the machine,as if someone left in a hurry what he/she was writing... They took a look at the big pile of papers next to the machine. The same words were written on every page. They looked at each other,puzzled. Tim shrugged his shoulders,indifferent. As Martha was putting the paper down,she heard a voice. A male voice that didn't sound at all like her husband's... They turned around slowly to face... Jack Torrance! He was holding a mallet,blood was dripping little by little.. He had an evil smile and told them: - "Come here and take your medicine silly pup!".

They didn't waste time,they turned around and ran as fast as they could. Jack,of course,was running after them,laughing and menacing them with his bloody weapon. 

They ran up the stairs,tried to hide in a room but bo door was unlocked... They ran, ran and ran,tried to find their way in the labyrinth of corridors. At one turn,they were face to face with two little girls... They were too small to stop them but they managed to slow them down. The Johnsons heard the old elevator... Soon they heard the soft noise,indicating that the lift had reached its destination,and to their horror,they heard Jack's voice! They were paralyzed with fear but when Jack hit the wall close to Barbara with his mallet,it was the signal to move. They started to run,with Jack hot on their heels.

Soon enough,they arrived to the second floor. They tried to open doors to hide in one of the rooms. Fruitless effort...until they arrived to the room 237! They heard Jack's voice,knocking doors and demanding to be let in... They held their breath in and were relieved to hear him move away. 

- "Phew! We barely made it! Let's leave this place." Tim said,slowly. 

He tried to open the door but it didn't budge an inch.

- "Why don't you open the door? We must leave at once! Forget the promise we made to this Hallorann guy!" Barbara said,almost hysterical with fear.

Tim,who was having troubles opening the door,had to deal with his wife who was having some kind of hysterical shock. He tried to reason with her but it was useless. So he did the next best thing:he slapped her,to make her snap out of the state of hysteria she was stuck in. It seemed to have worked:her mouth was opened in shock,and she closed and opened her eyes, as if to clear up her mind. As he turned his back again to try again,he felt a cold,wet hand on his shoulder. 

Thinking it was his wife,he took it off his shoulder and turned towards her to comfort her. But to his surprise -and freight- that hand didn't belong to his wife. The skin was a kind of blue -like it has spent many years in water-,many spots on her naked body were marked with rot. The hair on his neck and forearm rose all at once. It was a vision of horror! He looked at the spot where his wife was standing and found her on the floor,unconcious. She had blue marks on her neck,as if somebody tried to strangle her. It took him a lot of courage but he managed to kick her with his right leg:he pressed his back to the door and gave her a good kick to the stomach. It threw her against the opposite wall,she hit it so hard that some rotten flesh was left on the wall,as she was slowly sliding down. He took the opportunity to try again the door,he managed to open it and he carefully looked out to check. No sign of Jack or any ghost- he quickly grabbed his wife and tried to find the stairs.

They passed the first floor and were about to reach the main floor,when they heard voices and laughter coming towards them! The ghosts were haunting them. Tim,in a state of panic,looked at his wife:she was still recovering from the shock but too slowly...

They turned around and ran as fast as they could. They tried helplessly to open a door. Fruitless,no door was opened. Barbara was, emotionally,a wreck:she was having a breakdown,she let herself slide down against the wall and began to cry. Tim was trying to keep it together and found an open door. She got up,followed him inside and little did they notice that a piece of on the right side up was broken! They were in the appartment that was given to the caretakers! They only noticed it when Barbara,who wanted to put some water on her face to calm herself down,let out a shriek of terror. 

- "Oh God,no! No,no,no,no!!".

He was sitting on a comfortable bed,trying to find a way to escape this nightmare, when he heard her shriek. He got up,went out of the sleeping room and,when he tried to speak,he saw what scared her:the broken door! He started to panic "Could they be in the appartment where the Terrances were?!?" he thought. He ran towards the entrance to check the door but he was stopped by an evil laughter. Jack positioned himself so that he could see from the hole he made decades ago...

Tom turned back and ran towards the bathroom to hide. Barbara was still in shock,unable to move. Jack came more and more close... Everything happened so fast: as Tim reached out to grab his wife's arm, Jack was faster and he threw his mallet;it hit Barbara between the eyes,killing her instantly. Tim put his hand over his mouth for not screaming. Jack took his mallet and as he lifted it,it made a disgusting sound of flesh being torn apart.. He locked the door and tried to escape from the window. In the meantime,Jack was hitting the dead body with his mallet like a madman: blood,flesh and bones were flying everywhere. He was laughing and hitting even harder the body -or what was left of it-. Tim,in the bathroom,made it out of the room and was running as fast as he could. He was going towards the animal shaped trees. 

Jack went out of the room and headed down to the lobby. They knew -felt- where Tim was going and they just had to wait. Tim just arrived to the garden where the big trees were. He thought that it would have been a great idea,but he would soon understand why it wasn't... As he was trying to process the fact that his wife was dead and never coming back -killed in front of him- it made him want to scream...

Suddenly,he felt like a heavy weight just fell on him and was now resting on his shoulders. He looked up and what he saw gave him grey hair: giant trees shapped like lions,dogs...

They tried to grab him with their claws or to bite him. Luckily for him,he was still fast and the trees were too big -and sometimes too slow at reacting-.

They followed him,ran after him,played with him like a cat plays with a mouse before killing it...

"They're playing with me,they want to exhaust me and then,they'll attack me." Tim thought. He had to think fast,to get away from that place. He hid behind a garage and saw them pass. He thought he had made it,he leaned to the corner of the wall to check if the coast was clear. He jumped when he felt something tickling his neck. He turned around and saw an eagle shapped tree. The eagle leaned over and took him in his beak. The distance was so small,flying wasn't needed. Most of the ghosts were waiting there,on the porch. In the small welcoming party,he recognized: Jack;a handsome middle aged man 

-probably his son,Daniel Anthony Torrance- and the most beautiful woman he ever saw,standing next to the previous owners of the hotel and some bar personnel. 

He couldn't escape: the other animal-trees blocked the back way,on either side not to think about it,they would jump on him before he could scream for help... He couldn't count on any help,except on this gas station worker,but very unlikely... He was alone. He didn't have nothing left -he was an orphan and none of his parents had any siblings,and he didn't have any child. Of course he and Barbara discussed about it but no more than that...-. 

In the nearest town,life was continuing it's way. Terry Hallorann was back home to his loving family but he couldn't help thinking about the couple. He felt that something went terribly wrong,he should have told them about his power... He felt that he had to do something to help them. He told his kids he was going for a walk,that he needed some fresh air but his wife knew the real reason. He was heading towards the hotel,the hideous haunted hotel,and he prayed that he wasn't too late.

Back at the Overlook. The ghosts and the animal-trees had a feeling of danger. They grabbed Tim and went inside. After all these years,they were hungry. This Tim was all they needed,he seemed to have the shine they needed. The beautiful woman was called Rose the Hat and she explained that they needed to make him suffer,it'll make the shine more pure,more tasty. 

Two ghosts held Tim down while the rest took some weapons (knives,axes,their own teeth,their nails...),anything that could hurt him badly.

He was full of shine and didn't know about it...

They jumped on him all at once,they cut him open. Tim screamed in pain,unbearable pain. They didn't stop,they cut so deep that stains of blood were everywhere. Soon enough,it was a bloodbath. The ghosts were so hungry,they sniffed the shine like they never sniffed before. They enjoyed hearing the screams of pain,the pleads.

In the woods,near the hotel,Terry's blood froze when he heard the screams of pain. He ran faster,he hoped and begged he was right on time,even though he knew deep in his guts that he was too late.

The animal-trees tried to catch him but he dodged them. He was faster than them and he reached the porch. He opened the door and saw Tim's lifeless body in a pool of blood. He looked around to see if the ghosts were still there. He too had in inherited the gift his grandfather had. He felt them,they were near. He knew he had to be fast. He went to the small office and found out some gas,he always carried matches on him. He had to set on fire the hotel,to purify -once again- the grounds. He poured gas all over the lobby and as he was ready to throw the lit match,ghosts dressed like in the 20's and 30's jumped from nowhere. They tackled him and they were rolling on the floor,fighting.

They didn't see that the match was already lit,the fire started immediately.

Soon,all the lobby was on fire. Terry was going to die but he hoped that the curse would be ended. Fast enough,the whole hotel was on fire. Everything was burning, without mercy:even the trees -they let out scary screams and growls,just like the ghosts,as they were burning.

On the wall,in the lobby,there were many framed pictures. In one of them,we could see Jack and his son Danny dressed in costumes and hugging each other. All around them people were dressed in 20's fashion. New Year's Eve 1925.

The fire burnt all night and everything was destroyed. When the fire brigade came to extinguish the fire,they only found three bodies:the Johnsons' and Terry's. They were so much destroyed that only with their teeth they could understand -more or less- who they were. It was Terry's wife who called them -as well as the police- when she saw that her husband didn't come back home and because of the note she had found.

*My love,I have to go to the hotel. I fear that something might have happened to the couple I told you about these past two weeks. I tried to ignore my power,tried ro be normal when I saw them... I told you how in the family we have this power of sending things for generations. I should never have let them go up there,it's my fault!! May God forgive me... I love you,

Terry.*

What If - Dad,Can You Hear Us?

 By Elodie Kohler-Andrianos:

Late night,in the cemetery. The Winchester brothers had by their side Ellen Harvelle and Bobby Singer. Since the Devil's Gate was opened,they had to kill lots and lots of Demons. They had a hard time trying to kill as many as they could,they were attacked from every direction... As things were looking bad for them,the Demons had surrounded them,the Yellow-eyed Demon told them to spread out. He wanted to be the one to kill them.

-" Such a shame,Sam! You have potential. You'd have been a he'll of a Demon.". Azazel said,sounding sad.

Sam looked at him,defiantly and Dean said angrily: 

-" He would never take your side,you evil son of a bitch!".

Azazel smirked evilly,and with a move of his hand,he sent Dean some pain. He had difficulties to breathe, and some blood trickled from his nose and mouth. Sam was about to scream to tell him to stop,when he saw... their father! He was standing right behind Azazel and he held him tight. The Yellow-eyed Demon was startled and he let Dean go but he couldn't escape. Dean grabbed the gun Sam threw him,and aimed at Azazel. John looked at them,smiling,mouthing 'I'm proud of you boys!'.

Dean shot the Demon in the head but as he was dying,his soul grabbed John's and they both fell into Hell. 

Bobby managed to close the Devil's Gate with Ellen's help.

They heard everything and they turned around at the moment where Azazel's soul grabbed John's and they both fell to their damnations... They watched the whole scene,petrified,as the brothers screamed helplessly...

Sam,was on his knees,hands resting on his legs,head bent down,with tears rolling down on his cheeks. Dean,had his back resting against a large tomb,his hands holding his head,he was screaming: -" Daaad! Nnnnoooo,dad!".

An idea started to grow in their heads: they'd bring back his soul from Hell. They continued hunting things and saving people,they thought they could find something to help them in their quest... Something that wouldn't include making a deal with a Crossroad Demon...

Castiel,up in Heaven,was following the (mis) adventures that were raining on the Winchesters... God wasn't around so he was taking his orders (same as all the other Angels), from Michael. He was told to go help them. 

He had come down on Earth some years ago,as a beautiful woman,to help the brothers and Bobby. Of course,they were young kids at that time,and he had to delete their memories. This beautiful woman had a son,now he was 18 years old. A few years had passed since he had last possessed him... He had used a couple times this boy,nothing dangerous. Routine visits mostly.

This young boy was named Tyler. He was tall,athletic. Hazel eyes and dark blond hair. He was very handsome. He found him very easily and he spoke to him. Castiel 

explained the young man the situation and he accepted. Cas came into his vessel and he left for the next State.

He knows someone who can help him help the Winchesters. He flew to Nebraska's Capital and he left the "rich" part of the town. His friend,Thanatiforos was a Reaper and he was very close to Tessa, another Reaper. He was guarding a portal to Hell,in an abandoned bar. Inside,everything was broken: windows were barred with planks,the mirror was broken in thousands of pieces, furnitures were broken or seemed to have been thrown across the room...

Not even the drug addicts didn't dare to come inside...

Lots of rumors,but none of them were true. It had never been haunted and it had never served as a satanic rituals place... Castiel entered the bar and he quickly found the door leading to the backroom. This backroom was used as a small and illegal casino. He knocked on the door:

- "Thanatiforos,it's me,Castiel. I came to ask a favor.".

The door opened and he saw a man in his early 30's. Black hair, dark eyes. He was a little shorter than Tyler. He was wearing a suit and he smiled widely when he saw his friend. Tyler was dressed more casual,with a t-shirt,blue jeans and sneakers. 

- "Cas! Long time no see. Sure,I'll be glad to help you.".

Cas,once again,explained the whole situation. Thanatiforos listened to his friend,and when he stopped,he agreed to help them.

- "Sure,I'll help you! Bring them here and I'll get you through the portal.".

Both friends shook hands and Cas left,he had to find the brothers and offer them his help. He closed his eyes and focused on the Winchesters. He spoke to them in their heads and told them he could help them.

He told them the address of the motel and that he would meet them there. He told them to tell the receptionist that they came to meet Tyler.

Both brothers were startled -to say the least- when they heard the voice in their head simultaneously. They were on the road when Cas called out to them. Dean was driving and Sam was looking for some clues on his laptop. 

- "Son of a...!" screamed Dean,surprised,as he stopped the car.

- "Jesus!" Sam said,while trying not to let go of his laptop. 

They listened to him silently and they accepted his offer. Dean started again the car and turned left for shortcut. Sam turned around,looked at his brother: - "You know that it can be a trap...!".

- "I know Sammy,I know. But right now,it's all we've got.".

He drove faster,to get answers as soon as possible... They traveled silently,not even Dean didn't want to listen to his favorite bands...

After what felt like a neverending trip,they finally arrived. From Wyoming to Nebraska,near the Iowa borders. They reached their destination: a crappy motel! Dean parked the Impala and they got out. From the outside,the motel seemed like abandoned and ready to fall apart with the next strong wind;the inside was very nice,freshly painted and everything was in order. They were tired by this long trip,after a few days' drive,they finally arrived. It was late night,passed midnight. 

As they opened the door,a bell (that was located above the door),rang. The receptionist was a young teen,red shoulder lenght hair and freckles. He was asleep and he woke up as he heard the bell. 

- "Welcome! Hope you had a nice trip. Single or double?" he asked,ready to write it down.

Dean exchanged a smile with Sam: - "Thanks. Yup,'t was quiet. We're here to see Tyler. We're Dean and Sam.".

The young teen didn't have the time to answer,another voice was heard. 

- "Tyler? Then you must be the ones that we were warned about their arrival.".

Through the opening of the half opened door,another teen appeared. He looked just like his brother,with shorter hair. Both of them were 16 or 18. 

- "You'll find him room 23,last door on the left.".

They were identical twins,Tim and Marc Turner. Tim was the long-haired teen and Mike was the short-haired one.

As the hunters turned around to leave,Mike softly elbowed Tim:

- "Next time pay more attention,you ass!" he said,with a smile.

Tim pushed him playfully: - "I ain't no ass,you are." and he stuck his tongue at Mike.

Sam and Dean smiled as they watched the whole scene. It reminded them their own antics.

They pushed the door and left. They walked in silence until they reached room 23.

When they reached their destination,Sam knocked on the door and Dean said: - "Tyler? We are Dean and Sam Winchester. You told us that you could help us...with our father.".

Sam was ready to leave and told Dean: - "This is stupid... Let's just leave,okay?".

Dean opened his mouth,bit before he could say a word,the door opened...

The door opened and the Winchesters were facing a smiling young man. He moved over to let them get inside. 

- "My name is Castiel. I'm your Guardian Angel. I observed you all this time..." Castiel started.

Dean cut him: - "Some Angel you are! Why didn't you do anything to save us? No offense.".

Cas let him speak and then he explained that he couldn't intervene if he wasn't summoned or if he wasn't ordered to get involved...

- "So,let me get this straight. God wanted this to happen? Why didn't he tell you help? How could we know that anyone would listen to us?" Sam asked.

- "God? Oh no,he has locked himself in his room or he has left... I take my orders from Micheal. We always listen,and God or Michael decide if it is worth to do anything.".

Sam was about to say something but Dean stepped on his foot and Sam shut his mouth. Castiel told them about his Reaper friend, Thanatiforos. 

- "He owns me a few favors,I helped him whenever he needed. He is a very good friend of mine.".

Both brothers exchanged a look,it'll be much more safe than to make a deal with a Crossroad Demon. Now,the Red-eyed Demons were ordered to never accept again a deal with a Winchester. Their boss was passed off,to say the least...

- "When is your friend expecting us?" Sam asked,still feeling a little skeptical.

- "We can go see him whenever you are ready.".

Dean asked him where the Reaper was. The portal he was guarding was located in an abandoned bar,in Nebraska's Capital. One hour drive from where they were now.

- "Let's take the car. I can drive.".

- "No need to. I can teleport and we'll get there in a matter of seconds." the Angel offered.

Dean continued: "Thank you but I feel more secure in my car.".

Cas didn't object,so they traveled by car and followed Cas' directions,for shortcuts. They arrived in half the time normally needed. Dean was driving,Cas was sitting shotgun and Sam was on the backseat. As they got out of the car,after Dean had parked the Impala,Cas explained that they shouldn't be afraid of his friend or himself. He knew that they went through a lot and he tried to ease them as he could.

- "There it is!" Cas said,showing the abandoned building. 

They needn't be afraid of being seen,nobody ever dared to come around. Fake rumors and urban legends were a real success. 

Cas noticed that Dean had his EMF counter. He smiled softly and told him it wouldn't be of no use,since the place wasn't haunted. Dean blushed a little and said: - "Sorry,force of habits.".

They followed Cas inside. Sam and Dean looked at the ruins of what seemed an elite bar... The Angel told them about some dark history: this bar had played a major role during the Prohibition years and that Bonny and Clyde liked to drink and have some fun there,before they began their life of crimes...

This said,they reached the backdoor,where Thanatiforos the Reaper was waiting for them. Cas knocked on the door and told his friend he brought the brothers. He opened the door and he introduced them to the Reaper.

He was very friendly,which surprised a bit the Winchesters. Castiel introduced them and they shook hands.

- "I heard lots of things about you. You go through real tough times..." Thanatiforos said,in a compassionate tone.

Dean shook his head affirmatively but didn't say anything. 

- "We try our best. Very hard and unfair...for us... But if... if people can live,then I...I guess it's worth it." Sam said.

They needed to act now,the sooner the better. Dean asked the Reaper how were they going to Hell,and Thanatiforos showed them the wall behind him.

- "You go through there." he said,with a big smile.

Before they had a chance to object,Thanatiforos rose his hand and as he was chanting a spell,he 'drew' strange symbols on the wall. The wall looked as if it was trembling and an opening appeared. Stairs going downwards and torches were hanging on both sides.

The brothers exchanged a look and Cas told them that he would be coming with them. Once there,they would need help for fighting lots of Demons. The three friends entered the torch-lit corridor and Cas turned to face Thanatiforos: - "Close the door behind us. I'll send you a telepathic message to open it back for us.".

- "Best of luck! With my long-time friend Castiel,you won't have to worry!".

As they were walking down the stairs,Thanatiforos closed the door and had nothing to do but wait.

Back to the 'stairway to Hell',Castiel was leading the way. The brothers were together and were careful,in case of Demon attack. Dean was about to ask something to their Angel friend,but as he opened his mouth,they heard terrible screams. 

- "Dad!!" the brothers said in unison 

They were about to start running,to try to find where their father was,and Cas held them back. 

- "You can't just run! This place I'd full of Demons! I can feel where he is. Follow me.".

They followed him,all three of them were ready to attack. Dean and Sam had their Demon Knives,while Cas had his Angel Blade. When they heard voices,they hid quickly in a dark corner and held their breaths...

Dean almost gave them away when they heard a Demon gloating to a small group of Demons about the torture of a certain John Winchester! Sam and Cas put their hands over Dean's mouth and held him back. It was hard as hell for Sam but for Dean it was even more painful... The Demon who spoke was dressed in a cheap but classy suit and he had dark short hair and dark brown eyes. They couldn't see his little group,they were too far and they were in a dark spot. The Demon who talked was called Aaron. He stopped talking,as if he had heard something and was trying to locate the sound. Since he couldn't hear no sound,he continued. 

- "I enjoyed every second I tortured this bastard! That will teach him.".

He stopped,looked at his watch and: "I better get going. That soul won't torture itself. Ha!".

The little group laughed at the last sentence,and they all separated. They all had a soul to torture... Sounds of opening and closing doors,followed by ear-piercing screams of pain.

Cas checked the corridor,to make sure that no Demons would bust them... 

- "The coast is clear,as you Humans would say." Cas said,in a rather amusing way,and that made the brothers chuckle (they couldn't resist). They followed him until the right cell/torture chamber. Cas raised his arm,his hand a few inches above the handle,his eyes turned electric blue and the door opened violently,startling the Demon. Aaron stopped skining John and looked at the visitors with a heinous look,but he was smiling evilly.

Cas,using his grace,immobilized Aaron;while the brothers freed their father. His nails were missing (from both hands and feet) and most of the skin was missing. On some parts of the body,you could almost see the bones. Everyday John had to suffer and to be tortured the same way... They 'gave' him a body,created by magic,and each day John went through the same ordeal.

Sam helped his father sit down,he had his arm around his waist and helped him. Tears were rolling down his cheeks,silently. Dean was crying as well,but from anger. He angrily wiped his tears and walked towards the Demon. 

- "I'm gonna kill you,you bastard!".

The Demon laughed and looked at him defiantly. 

- "I'd like to see you try,you're just a miserable Human! I'm Azazel's nephew. I'm much more powerful and important than any other Demon!".

Dean looked at the Demon and smiled evilly: - "Oh,so you are his nephew,huh? Well,I have some news for you,bitch! I'm gonna gank you,just like I ganked your uncle!".

He shoved his Demon Knife into Aaron's chest. A reddish-orange light trembled in his head and chest,and he fell on the floor. 

Castiel looked at Dean,lowered his hand,and nodded in approval. They had to hurry before the alarm was given.

Cas turned towards the Winchesters: - "We don't have lots of time. I have to take his soul and bring him to Heaven.".

Dean looked at Cas,hesitating. Sam and John were ready to accept. It seemed to be the only solution. 

- "Dean,your father's soul couldn't cross either Hell's borders nor teleport. I have to take the soul inside of me." Cas explained calmly to Dean,confirming what Sam was thinking.

Dean looked at Sam and their father. They both nodded,and John said,in a soft,tired voice: - "It's the only way,son. We have to try.".

John's soul jumped out of his mouth and Cas breathed him in. John's body fell on the floor with a strange noise,as if a pile of clothes was thrown on the floor... The three friends rushed out of the room and into the corridor,to climb up the stairs that had led them there. They were so close to reach them,when a bunch of Demons suddenly appeared and called out to them. The Winchester and the Angel turned around to face them, their weapons ready. Cas and Sam were fighting with two Demons each. Dean was as well,but he took them one at a time. He moved his fingers,as if to say 'come,come. I'm waiting.'.

The first Demon ran towards Dean and after some time,he stabbed him. Now,the second Demon attacked more viciously.

Dean,who was still pissed off at the Demons,pushed him with a strong kick of his right foot. The Demon hit the wall hard. Dean smiled and stabbed the Demon on his left side at least twenty times. Sam,Cas and the remaining two Demons stopped fighting and looked at the outburst. Sam and Cas shrugged their shoulders and resumed the fight.

Even though they were fighting,it was as graceful as a ballet. When they finally killed them,the three friends ran up the stairs. Cas sent a telepathic message to Thanatiforos,to open the door. They ran as fast as they could,the door was opened, and they were greeted by their Reaper friend. 

- "Welcome back! The mission was a success I presume.".

The brothers nodded affirmatively,they were panting heavily, but Cas didn't sweat once. Thanatiforos listened to their summary of the events.

- "Now I guess you'll have to go to the nearest Heaven Gate... You'll have to pass by Jophiel,if I'm not mistaken.".

- "Yes,but I'll find a way. Besides,he was always by my side in most missions I was sent to accomplish.".

Cas turned around to face the brothers:

- "I'll teleport us in Oregon. In a big public park,the sandbox is the Gate/portal to Heaven. We'll meet with Jophiel there. Sam,hol your brother's hand. We'll leave right away.".

Sam did as he was told,Cas put his hand on Dean's shoulder and after thanking Thanatiforos,they left.

In a blink of an eye,they appeared out of nowhere. Fortunately,the park was deserted. It was late afternoon and the weather was acting up:skies filled with gray clouds,the atmosphere was heavy,as if ready to rain anytime soon...

The sandbox was on front of them,close to it was a wooden slide. It looked like no kids has played there for a a very long time... Castiel was standing in front of the sandbox,looked at the small house on top of the slide and called Jophiel in Enochian. A soft voice was heard from the small house,and soon after he popped his head out:a middle-aged man,short blonde hair,light grey eyes and glasses. 

He got down by using the slide. He was wearing a sporty costume,without a tie. He had an undone bow around his neck.

Dean couldn't help but smile widely,Sam elbowed him and he quickly acted natural. The two Angels didn't seem to have noticed it. Cas was explaining the whole situation in Enochian. Then they turned around and Cas introduced the Winchesters to his long-time second-hand in misson.

- "I know I look like a need,Dean. My vessel is a banker." Jophiel said,with a mischievous smile. 

Cas hid his smile by covering his mouth with his hand. Dean blushed and Sam smirked.

- "I have inside me the soul of a very brave man. He sacrificed his life for the greater good. He has the right to rest in peace." Cas said.

Jophiel acquiesced and added: - "You've bent the rules sometimes but you've always had good reasons and instincts.". He opened the portal. "Go! Free him to his Personal Heaven,room 222. Scarlet District.".

Cas thanked him and told the brothers to follow him. They appeared in Heaven,in a big hall,all white. A big reception desk,no one was behind it. On the wall behind the desk,was a big black board with a map of Heaven. All in Enochian,Castiel translated it to them. The Scarlet District was located on the second floor. They teleported there. Sam was grabbing Dean's arm,while Cas had his hand resting on Dean's shoulder and he snapped his fingers. They had no troubles finding the door and releasing John's soul. Both brothers were very thankful and happy that they saved their father's soul. Cas teleported them out of Heaven and back to the old abandoned bar,where they had met Thanatiforos. 

- "Thank you for helping us so much Cas!" Dean said.

- "Yeah,we really appreciated it." Sam added.

Cas smiled softly and told them he had to erase from their memories their meeting. They would only remember their father's soul was saved,but they wouldn't remember either him nor Thanatiforos. With two fingers,he touched softly their forehead. They shook their heads,as if to clear their thoughts. Cas was nowhere to be seen.

- "What are we doing here?".

- "Don't know Sammy! All I know is that our father's soul is not in Hell anymore.". He looked at his brother,stopped him by raising a defensive hand. "Don't ask me,okay? I can feel he's at peace now.".

Sam smirked: - "Yeah,I know Dean. I mean... how did this happen?".

Dean started the car,Sam reached out his hand to turn on the radio.

Dean playfully slapped his little brother's hand and said, smiling: - "Driver picks the music. Shotgun shuts his piehole.".

- "Jerk!" Sam said,playfully. 

- "Bitch!" Dean answered,as he put a cassette in the slot.

Family Business

 By Elodie Kohler-Andrianos

Warning: Spoilers ahead!! Contains samples from the tv ending. Proceed with caution. If you didn't watch the final episode,please don't read the story. Part of the episode owned by script writer and Eric Kripke. 

Intro: 

In a small countryside house,Sam,his wife and their grown up son Dean,were relaxing. It was a rather hot Spring day. They were enjoying a small break after having "ganked" a whole Werewolf pack -with Garth's help. If his brother could have seen him now... Garth,the older he got,the wiser he became.

Mid afternoon,Sam was sitting on a wooden chair and he was slowly drinking a beer. His wife was sitting next to him,with a glass of iced tea. Dean,like his old man, was drinking a beer, and he was sitting on the stairs that led to the porch. 

Dean was 35 years old and he was like his father and his late uncle Dean,he was a great hunter and he had an enormous knowledge in lores. He had fluffy black hair and looked athletic. 

His mother was beautiful and she was a mute. Her hair was shoulder length and they were so soft. From dark brown,they were now light grey.

Sam's hair as well and he was wearing glasses (he was suffering from myopia). Even though he was old,he still had very quick reflexes and his aim was as good as ever. All his life he had been hunting things,saving people, that was the family business. 

Story:

That night,they had a barbecue. They invited some hunter friends and they reminisced the good old times, and of course,Dean. They shared their memories,had some laughs and got lost in their thoughts. 

After the feast was over,Sam was lying on his bed,awake. His wife was sleeping peacefully. He tossed about and turned around but he didn't wake his wife up.

He was trying to be as soft as could be. When he finally got to fall asleep,his slumber was somewhat strange: he saw himself younger and he saw his brother Dean. 

All he remembered when he woke up was what Dean had told him: - 《We'll meet again later Sammy. Please, don't be a bitch.》.

He said softly: - "We'll see,and shut up Jerk!".

His wife was already awake and she was getting ready to get up,when she heard her husband speak. He opened his eyes suddenly and he looked around,as if he was lost. She hugged and kissed him,trying to make him feel better.

- "Did you have another nightmare?" she asked softly,as she accompanied her talk with signs.

He shivered,and then answered: - "No,not a nightmare. I-I saw myself and I saw D-Dean. He was a ghost and he told me we'd meet again soon.".

Eileen shook her head,knowingly. She hugged him more tight: - "You saw him because yesterday we all remembered him and you miss him so much. We all do.".

Since Eileen was speaking in signs -sometimes-, she and Sam taught their son the sign language. It was hard but they managed to teach him. As their son grew up,they taught him to be a hunter and they let him have an education. A cousin of Eileen was a teacher and she taught him everything. 

She got up and left the room,she climbed down the stairs and entered the kitchen,ready to prepare the breakfast. But to her surprise,Dean jr. had already prepared it. Three burning hot coffees were on the table and he was making pancakes.

- "'Morning Ma! Call Father,I'm almost finished." he said,happily. 

Sam was out of bed and was about to get out of the room,when there was a knock on the door,and then it opened slowly. Eileen's face showed through the opening,and they smiled at each other. 

During breakfast,they spoke,laughed and joked -just like any normal family. In the living room,there were pictures of Sam,with his brother,his parents,and of course,with his wife and son.

The house was maybe small but it was warm and cozy, and most of all,it was isolated. Their lives were like ordinary hunters' lifes: dangerous.

They just finished their meal when they got a call. It was from Claire Novak,she was a middle aged woman by now. She was still living in Sioux-Falls,and she needed some help with a very powerful Demon.

They left right away for Sioux-Falls. They geared up and they had even more weapons (and ammunitions), including knives,in the Impala's trunk.

It was a 7 hours trip,fortunately they had their music and they talked. They had to stop twice for gas and to eat/drink something. Dean jr. was behind the wheel so his father could rest more. There wasn't so much traffic so they made it fast.  

Claire was living in Jody Mills' house. Judy had left it to her,she was a great Sheriff and an even greater hunter. The reunion was warm,a few years had passed since they last met. They spoke lots of times on the phone and exchanged cards on birthdays and holidays. She invited them inside,neither the house nor Claire had changed much through the years. She made them sit in the kitchen/living rooms told them everything while making coffee. 

They listened in silence,they heard about that kind of Demons. They were as powerful as the Knights of Hell,if not more. The Purple eyed Demons were known as The Magistrates of Hell (Lucifer created them as his Personal Guard). The only way to kill them was either an Archangel Blade or The Colt. That left them the Archangel Blade,since The Colt had been destroyed years ago. Little was known about them. 

- "Why manifest himself only now?" Dean asked. "It doesn't make any sense,especially now that Lucifer died so many years ago. When my uncle Dean was possessed by an Alternate Universe Michael...".

His parents and Claire agreed. 

The blonde woman added: - "Sonce when do Demons make sense? They just want to bring chaos...".

- "Show us where the Demon was last seen and let us do the rest,okay?" Sam said. He was rather calm in this dangerous situation. His father,John,and Bobby were great teachers. Maybe his father wouldn't have won the Father Of The Year prize but he taught his sons well about all kinds of Monsters and he did a hell of a job with his own son: he managed a perfect mix of educations.

- "Last time he was seen,it was in the now abandoned asylum. I was alone,Patience had to go to a meeting.".

- "Did you go there to investigate something?" Dean jr. asked,feeling suspicious but not knowing why.

The three older hunters didn't seem to have noticed... Claire agreed,nodding her head,and she continued: 

- "Lots of people complained of weird noises late at night and strange events occurred.".

She seemed lost in her thoughts for some time and then she snapped out of it,and the things she told them were a little disturbing...

- "Everything was okay but at one time,I felt like something had passed through me. Not like a Ghost,it felt darker,more bloodthirsty...".

She shook her head,tried to change her mind: "Whatever... It must have been because of the place,it was filled with darkness and suffering...".

Sam left with his son for the asylum. Eileen stayed with Claire,if she needed anything...

It was located behind a big supermarket. Not so far from Claire's house,they grabbed Demons Knives, Holy Water,EMF and they had an Archangel Blade (gift from Castiel,a few days before he sacrificed himself to the Empty. Jack resurected him and he was his Left Hand.).

They looked everywhere,checked each floor,room... Nothing to be found,there were Ghosts,yes,but they seemed lost. They weren't pissed off Ghosts,they were peaceful. They were about to leave,when something unnerving happened... They were in the lobby,and behind the administration desk,there was a black board... Dean jr. lost in his thoughts,was looking at it, when sudsuddenly a marker was lifted in the air...

He grabbed his father's arm and showed him the flying object. It wasn't thrown at them,the Ghost used it to write something down on the board. It was rather unsettling. The temperature was very cold and the lights flickered crazily,as if the Ghost was agitated, worried... What was written on the board gave them the chills: <<Beware the blonde woman!! Danger!>>.  

Sam and his son rushed out of the asylum. 

Back at Claire's house,everything seemed to be okay. The atmosphere was a little tense,because of the nature of the mission. The two hunters were running as fast as they could. Sam was rather fast for an old man, Dean was as fast as his late uncle. They were very close to the house.

Inside the house: Eileen was admiring some pictures hanging on the wall (Claire with her late parents,alone, with the Winchesters & the Wayward Sisters.). Claire came sneaking up behind her...

Eileen was startled,and as she looked at Claire,she saw something alarming: her eyes changed to purple... Her eyes bulged out in surprise,she tried to stay calm and to stall,but to no avail...

Claire,with a swift move of her right hand,immobilized Eileen. She was about to explain herself when the Winchesters burst through the door. They had their guns ready,as well as the Archangel Blade...

- "Eileen! Claire! I hope you didn't hurt them...!" Sam screamed,angrily. He rushed to the floor.

Dean ran towards the kitchen/living room and he found his mother in shock.  She was still tied up but she could more or less talk...

- "Dean,you and your father be careful! Claire,she is possessed by the Purple eyed Demon!".

Dean was kneeling next to his mother,who was sitting on the sofa... Dean called out to his father and he came as fast as possible.

- "Demon,leave my wife alone! Why are you possessing our friend?" Sam asked.

The Demon let out a frightening laugh,appeared in the room and said sarcastically: - "Nah,I didn't hurt your precious little wife,Sammy! In fact,I'll let her go." the Demon paused,smiled evilly and continued: "Why do I do this,you ask... Well,for starters,it's fun!".

The Demon started to laugh again,Dean and his father exchanged a look, and shook their heads in agreement. Sam helped his wife to leave the house,while Dean was distracting the Demon. Sam put Eileen in his car,it was so well protected that nothing 'supernatural' could get in -or out...

- "Whatever you hear,please,don't leave this car! You hear me?!?" Sam said. His tone was sharp but he softly brushed her hair. She nodded,her eyes full of tears.

He locked her inside and he got back inside the house quickly,as quietly as he could... He heard Dean and the Demon speak. They didn't seem to have noticed him. He pulled out of his pocket a can of paint,and he started to draw a Devil's Trap. It would hold the Demon long enough for their plan. 

The Demon let Claire speak to Dean. 

- "Explain why you accepted me to possess you!" he said,in a teasing voice. 

The Purple eyes changed to normal. 

- "I'm so sorry... I really wanted to believe that he would bring back my parents... I should have known... But I was so desperate... Please forgive me!".

It was all Claire was allowed to say,the Demon had returned. 

- "So? Was it enlightening? Was it entertaining?" asked the Creature,with an evil smile.

Dean decided not to answer and looked at the Magistrate of Hell with hate and anger.

A few minutes have passed and he was done. He called out to his son,and soon after came back to the room. The young Winchester turned around as soon as he heard his father's voice. The Demon looked at them with irony and sarcasm. 

Dean teased the Demon to come and follow him if he could. The two hunters shared a secret understanding, the Demon didn't seem to have seen it... They reached the hall. This paint was invisible and didn't have no smell,it turned invisible as soon as it was dry.

It dried faster than the other paints. It turned visible if a Demon stepped in it. A Devil's Trap wouldn't hold a Magistrate of Hell for long but it would last long enough for an exorcism and a stabbing with an Archangel Blade through the heart.

Both Winchesters were on the porch,waiting for the Demon. The Purple eyed evil Creature smirked evilly and as his vessel reached the right place,it couldn't move. The Devil's Trap on the ceiling illuminated the room. Claire raised her head,looked at it and laughed:

- "A Devil's Trap! It ain't gonna last very long!".

Dean started the exorcism.

- "Really,now?!? An exorcism?!? It tickles more than it hurts." the Demon said,laughing.

More and more,the Devil's Trap is starting to fade... Claire's nose had began to bleed... It was hurting them so much to see Claire being used by the Demon like that...

Soon enough,the circle on the ceiling was broken and the Demon broke free. Sam had the Archangel Blade in his right hand. The evil Creature saw it,hissed menacingly and walked towards him.

Sam was calmly waiting for his opponent to start the attack. The Purple eyed Creature hissed again and jumped on the old hunter. It was a strong attack and Sam wasn't young anymore. Still,he had very good reflexes and his aim was as good as ever.

Both of them fell on the floor,because of the strong hit... They rolled on the porch's floor fell down on the ground. Sam managed to stab the Demon in the chest, but the Blade wasn't as deep as it should have been...

- "Well,it was fun!! Now,I must punish you for trying to kill me." the Demon said.

With a move of the hand,the evil being started to chant something in Latin. Sam's expression changed,as of in unbearable pain and the Demon let out a sinister laugh.

The Purple eyed Demon cursed his father... Something incurable... Dean let out a scream,full of pain and helplessness... The Demon,still stabbed,got up fast,turned around to look at Dean and smiled in a sarcastic way. 

Dean let out an attack cry and jumped on Claire,making both of them fall down on the floor...

They battled furiously. After a few minutes, Dean won: the Demon was lying on his back and Dean was sitting on him,holding the Demon down. He pushed deeper the Blade and killed both the Demon and Claire.

An orange-reddish light flickered in the Creature's eyes and it was over.

Sam rushed to his father,he wanted to make sure he was okay. As he was helping his father to get up:

- "Help me give Claire a hunter's funeral...".

Dean shook his head in approval and they built it. They installed Claire's lifeless body and burnt it. Eileen was by their side,they were all so sad and Eileen let out a soft noise and cried silently. 

A few days had passed and Sam was getting more and more sick... His health was getting worse and worse. No doctor could explain the situation. Eileen was worried sick,her mental state was a mess but she tried her best not to show it...

They even asked Jack's help. He was as helpless than anyone,he felt so bad that he couldn't help... 

Sam was lying on his bed,he was wired to an oxygen machine. His respiration was raspy and painful. He didn't have the strength to get up nor to do anything... He was fed intravenously...

Dean came into the room,he saw his father. He smiled softly,but he was full of sadness... He walked over to his dad,took his hand gently. Sam opened his eyes and smiled. Dean returned the smile,his eyes were full of tears ready to roll down his cheeks.

- "It's okay,dad. You can go now." Dean said,his voice charged with emotions. 

Sam nodded,he started to let go. The machines were beeping,Sam's grip was losing its strength. He was leaving,he was on his way to meet his big brother.

His son was sitting on the edge of the bed,still holding his father's hand. He knew that now he was at peace.

Sam and Dean in Heaven: Dean was looking over the horizon,he smiled,as if he felt a presence:

- "Hey Sammy!! Told ya we would meet soon." he said, and then turned around to face his baby brother.

- "Dean." Sam replied.

The two brothers hugged and then looked at the peaceful and lovely landscape.