Then and now, a tale of two hunters.

[Dean Winchester]

Invest some of yourself in it, give it it's true value, this was all just a load of crap! Sadly they had no other options right now so Dean would have to try it. Though hopefully he could get it done sooner rather than later. The Winchester brother had no idea how long Sinestro could hold the attention of a Reaper before it got bored and came back for Dean. Dean pulled out a piece of that Omnilium and was about to try summoning the ritual pieces again but a stray thought crossed his mind.

They didn't NEED to summon her. She was right here in front of them! All Dean really needed was to get the trap to work! Dean's mind went racing. Could he summon paint with the need for it to trap people, or should he summon blood? Blood usually was very powerful for magic, though could he summon blood with the right intent or value? His thoughts kept on this path until a stray rock caught him in the mouth. Cursing Dean spat some blood onto the floor and looked at it for a moment, what if he used his own blood? Put his entire will, desire, or whatever you want to call it into the damn stuff and pinned that reaper bitch right to the ground?

It wasn't the worse plan he had right now.

Picking up a jagged piece of rubble Dean cut his hand and started to draw on the ground, tracing over the previous trap with his own blood. As Dean was drawing he was focusing on that little bit of demon inside him, the rage of the first mark, his desire to see this bitch dead, and trying to will it all into his blood. He noticed that as the blood touched the ground it started smoke a bit before finally settling into the materials of the floor.

Half way through Dean looked up to see the reaper staring at him while he was going about his work. He started to get up when Mary-Lou was football tackled by Sinestro into a pile of rubble.

”GET BACK TO WORK!” the deputy yelled at him as he rolled off the reaper and got up ready to continue his own battle with her. Dean just snarled and went back to the circle. Placing his hand down to continue he noticed no more blood was coming out.

SHIT, that's right. Healing. With a sigh Dean took the piece of rubble and dug it into his palm, ripping a large gash into it. There, that should give him enough blood to finish this.

This whole thing was taking way to long though and the only thought going through Deans' head was how Sammy or Bobby would have had his ass for this. Then again, fuck them. Dean was here and they weren't, plus you know with Bobby being dead and all. Dean shook the thoughts from out of his head and put the final touches on the trap and sighed, wiping his forehead and unintentionally getting it all bloody.

Now to deal with that damn Reaper.

Before Dean could even stand up though he was flung back into the wall behind him. Looking up Dean saw Sinestro laying on the ground, breathing at least, and the reaper locking eyes with the Winchester.

”Poor delusional Deany, don't you realise those won't work here?” Dean just snarled at her and spat on the ground.

”If that's so why don't you walk on over here and finish the job yourself.” Dean took on a more confident look, grinning at her. ”Or are you too scared, huh? Big bad Reaper afraid of a little drawings on the ground. Oh no! Can't step there, even though I know it won't work! God, what happened to the big bad Reaper bitch?”

”YOU INSOLENT WINCHESTER BRAT! I WILL STRANGLE THE LIFE OUT OF YOU WTH MY BARE HANDS!” Dean just grinned again, he had struck a nerve which meant she hopefully wasn't thinking to clearly. Now if the damn trap worked this time then all would be well.

The Reaper flung Dean down into the ground hard, dislocating his shoulder, before marching forward with nothing but murder showing in her eyes. Dean watched as she defiantly marched forward and into the circle, and then stopped dead in her tracks. The confusion on her face was enough to give Dean the warm and fuzzies. Standing up he forced his shoulder back into place with a loud snap and then walked toward the trap, then around it, only to stop by the first blade and pick it up. Walking back around he returned to the front of the trap and faced his now caught prey.

”What did you do?!” the furious reaper demanded. Dean just shruged and spat in her face.

”Trade secret, bitch.”

”So I guess you are going to kill me now?” At this Dean just burst out into laughter. It wasn't the funny Ha Ha kind either, more like the blood curdling 'I am in the room with a murderous psychopath' kind.

”You're gonna wish I had.” Dean slammed the hilt of the first blade into her face, causing her knees to crumple a bit, but somehow she managed to stay upright. So he did it again, and again, and again, making sure to only hit with the hilt and not the blade until she was laying on the ground, unconscious and barely breathing. Looking down at his other hand Dean saw that the palm had started to heal again, though he could still see the flesh and stuff on the inside move whenever he flexed it. Shrugging it off he went over to see how his partner was doing.

”You dead yet? Can I have your stuff?” Dean nudged Sinestro with his boot, which got him a groan from the deputy.

”What was it you said before? Right. Fuck you.” Dean couldn't help but chuckle at that. They had caught the bitch and that had put him in a good mood. Helping Sinestro to his feet Dean made sure he could stand before going back over to their captive.

”Is she dead?” Sinestro asked him, to which Dean just shook his head and tossed him the keys to the Impala.

”Not yet. Not here.” Dean pointed towards the front door before speaking again. ”Pull the car up as close as you can and open the trunk. We are getting out of town quick like.”

They deputy nodded and headed towards the door while Dean sat there watching the reaper. She wasn't going to die here, not after all the trouble she had put him through. Looking about Dean found an old rug and through it down beside Mary Lou before looking for something to tie her up with. He managed to find a small bit of rope to tire her hands together, but had to salvage the curtains to bind her feet and make an impromptu gag to keep her silent in case she woke up before they left. Rolling her onto the rug Dean rolled her up in it before making sure it was placed in the centre of the trap. She wasn't getting away this time.

Sitting down next to his prisoner Dean waited for Sinestro to get back, his mind wandering a bit. He was comparing this hunt to all his others. It seemed to him that this had made the rest look easy, even the ones that they had barely survived by the skin of their teeth. They had stopped the apocalypse and this had MADE THAT LOOK EASY. Fuck this place.

He was still brooding about this when the roar of an engine brought him back to reality. Checking to make sure Mary Lou was still out cold, he got up and went outside to find Sinestro there with his car. Dean walked over to the open trunk and before Sinestro said a thing he cut his hand again and started to redraw the trap on the inside of the hood.

”Ah, for ease of transport I take it?” Dean just nodded as he worked. When it was finished he motioned for his hunting partner to follow him back inside.

”I take this end and you take that one, then we stuff her in the trunk.” Dean bent down and took hold of her feet through the rug and Sinestro did the same with her shoulders, then they lifted her up. ”We go somewhere nice and private out in the sand box and we finish it.”

Making their way outside with the 'package' Dean was confronted by an old lady just staring at them.

”Uhhh, don't mind us. Just moving out some... er... furniture?” The lady just glanced at Dean and then stared long and hard at the carpet, finally her eyes moving towards Sinestro.

“Is that her? My daughters' killer?” Sinestro looked at the old woman and nodded.

”Yes ma'am. We are taking her away and making sure this never happens to anyone ever again.” The old lady just stood there and watched them for a moment before turning around and leaving.

“Good. Thank you.” Dean just sighed and nodded towards the trunk and they tossed the unconscious form into it before slamming the good down and activating the new trap.

”Whatever. Let's get out of here.” Getting into the drivers seat Dean opened the door for Sinestro to get in the other side. ”I'll bring you to your stupid smelly beast and you can follow me out.”

Dean started the motor and put the car into gear, peeling out of their and heading towards the stables.

'What about the local authorities?” Dean just looked over to Sinestro and shrugged.

”Hopefully we will be long gone before that becomes an issue.” Dean sat in silence for the rest of the short drive, pulling up to the stable doors so Sinestro could get his camel. Dean sat there, engine idling, until his partner show up riding that stupid thing. Dean just put a hand out the window and motioned forward, pushing on the gas pedal and kicking up dust before driving off. He made sure it was slow enough that Sinestro could keep up of course.

Dean was pulling up to the gate out when he realized that he still had a bit, well more like a lot, of blood on him. Shit shit shit shit, he was going to have to think fast here. The trooper at the gate motioned for him to come forward so he pulled up, Sinestro and the camel close behind.

“What in the underverse happened to you?” Dean just tried to look sheepish at the Troopers' question before holding up his palm, which had healed a bit more but still looked really nasty.

”Slight accident. Heading back to see my family doc back in the no name.” The trooper tilted his head to the side and Dean just shrugged. ”Hey, only person I'd trust with something like this! Just hoping we can get there before it gets infected!”

“Weren't you here hunting that singer? We saw you in the bar there before, right? At Rick's!” Dean nodded and this time changed to an expression of being slightly sad, but mostly just pissed off.

”She got away. Me and my partner here are going to go check the desert again.” Dean just shrugged and gave his best 'oh well' smile. ”Win some, lose some. This time we lost.”

The trooper just stared at Dean for a bit, though with those damn helmets it was hard to know what the man was thinking. Hopefully he wasn't on her payroll or something, that would put a damper on the whole situation. Maybe cops here weren't as easy to buy off though, at least Dean had that little shred of hope.

“Well I suggest you look out there for awhile. We don't want any trouble here.” Dean just nodded to the man.

”Of course, officer.” Rolling up the window Dean put the car into drive and started to pull away. Just as he got outside the gates he noticed another Trooper coming up to speak to the first. Did they find the mess they made already? Well, it wasn't like the fight had been quiet. With that Dean pressed down on the pedal and sped right the hell up. Hopefully that damn beast behind him could keep up!

.......


It took them awhile to find the perfect spot. A secluded area with a flat rock surface, something sturdy for Dean to draw on. Making a new trap Dean put the rug down on it, and then placed the still unconscious reaper on top of that. He then turned to Sinestro and nodded over to their modes of transportation.

”Go back and watch the stuff. I got this.” Sinestro stood there with his arms folded across his chest before sighing and heading towards their stuff. Dean noticed that when he got there the deputy got his rifle out and leaned against the Impala. If he wanted to watch this then he was more then welcome to.

Next item on the list though was waking the reaper up, so Dean knelt down beside her, just outside of the trap itself, and slapped her with enough force that the sound of it echoed through the area. Her eyes sprang open and she started to curse, or at least tried to through the gag. Dean brought a finger up to her mouth and pressed it against her lips while shushing her. The sounds eventually faded and the reapers eyes darted all over the place.

”Yeah, we're not in Kansas anymore bitch.” Dean took out the first blade and tapped it against her cheek. ”No one here but me, you, my friend back there, and this blade. So here is what is going to happen next. I am going to start cutting, then carving, then slicing, and it keeps going from there until you can't stand it anymore. That is when I am going to stop and ask a question, if you give the right answer you get a break! If not, well...” The last part was left hanging there as an implied threat. Moving the first blade under the fabric being used as a gag Dean cut the fabric away, making sure to take a nice slice out of her cheek. The wound flashed a bright blue-ish white light before settling into a normal bleeding cut.

”Do your worst you fucking son of a bi...” Dean stabbed the first blade into her shoulder, cutting of her words, and twisted it in place. Looking down at her the demon bared his teeth in a smile while his eyes went completely black.

”Oh, I plan on it sweet heart. I plan on it." With those words Dean began his work, taking every bit of knowledge he had gained from torturing souls in hell and applying it to his current goals.

He started first with small cuts in sensitive places, though the reaper was seemingly able to keep her screams in check through that. Next he started to carve chunks of flesh off her arms and legs, not large patches but he made sure the cuts were deep. This is how it went for awhile, starting off small and increasing over time. The blue-white light flashing out with every cut as the reaper's very essence was being bled away. Looking back once in awhile the hunter turned executioner saw that Sinestro had busied himself with his camel, taking it a little bit further away. Either the deputy was more squeamish then the Winchester had thought, or he was going for some sort of plausible denial or something. No matter which it was Dean just went back to work.

Dean wasn't sure exactly when it happened but after he had plunged the first blade into her side her façade broke and the Reaper started to scream. This didn't cause Dean to stop, no it caused he to keep going. Mary Lou's screams just seemed to prod him along and make him get meaner, and meaner. Finally he held the blade still when her screams had become a whimper, tears running down her eyes.

”Just... just ask your questions...” Dean just smiled at this, her words had been forced and her voice sounded broken. The best part to him was the fact that she could no longer even look him in the eyes. He had won.

”Oh, I don't actually care about that anymore.” The reapers' head snapped to the side and she stared at Dean wide eyed before she couldn't take it anymore and looked away. ”See you taunted me with Sammy, Cas, the whole shabang, but you made one mistake. You thought I still cared about that bull crap. They are on their own, and the only person here I have to look out for right now is me. So taunt me with your talk of deals and whatever other bullshit you can come up with. If there are more demons out their then they either fall in line and work for me, or they can join you.”

With that Dean plunged the first blade into her chest, piercing her heart. All that wondrous rage flowed over him, filled him to the point of exhilaration. This felt good, this felt right. This is how it was now, Dean would claw his way to the top of the food chain and leave a bloody path of those who stood in his way behind him. Looking down he saw the Reapers mouth moving, her eyes finally locked with his.

”Any last words?” he asked as he pulled the first blade out slowly