Lambs for Slaughter Part 2

Chapter 13

Aaron took in Dr. Banner's lab with wide, curious eyes. He'd never seen anything quite like it in all of his years at the bureau. The long, sleek countertops paired off across the lab all housed complicated experiments that Aaron knew his friend would be drawn to like a moth to a flame. As it was, Reid spun around to their host with an outstretched hand.

"Dr. Banner, thank you for allowing us to see your lab. I just wanted to say that I'm such a big fan of your work. Your paper on the effects of gamma radiation on cell structure is what inspired me to get my PhD in chemistry."

Dr. Banner shook the offered hand and his eyebrows shot up towards his hairline. "You have a PhD? How old are you?"

Aaron fought back a smile. People always thought Reid looked younger than he was due to his thin frame, but he'd grown up a lot while working with the BAU.

"I'm twenty-seven," Reid told him with a slight blush dusting his cheeks. "I also hold a PhD in Engineering and Mathematics, and BA's in Psychology, Sociology, and Philosophy. You and Tony Stark are two of my heroes."

Dr. Banner chuckled lightly and took off his glasses to clean them. "That's incredible, Dr. Reid. I'm flattered, and I know Tony will want to dig into that brain of yours. He has a talent for bringing out the best in bright young minds."

As they continued to talk about their fields of study, Wilson blew out a low whistle and shook his head, looking over at Aaron with a popped brow. "Didn't think we'd be adding another genius into our mix anytime soon. Peter and Strange already make me feel like a moron anytime they start a conversation with Banner or Stark."

"I'm glad that he's found someone on his level," Aaron began with a small grin. "Sometimes when Reid talks it sounds like he's speaking another language, which isn't a huge distinction considering he knows at least three."

Wilson snorted, covering it up with a cough. He eyed the two doctors before leaning over towards Aaron. "So uh, you really believe everything the boys up there were saying? About God and demons and curses?"

"I do," Aaron nodded solemnly. "I've seen angels and demons with my own eyes, and you weren't there at SHIELD, but Lucifer was very, very real."

"Shit, man." Wilson grimaced, running a hand over his face. "This is not something I thought I would be dealing with today. Can't imagine how the Winchesters have survived this long with everything they've been up against."

Aaron was silent for a few long moments, letting the quiet chatter wash over him as the familiar ache in his chest settled. "They haven't."

"What?" Wilson asked, fixing him with a frown and a furrowed brow.

"I said they haven't," Aaron repeated, not meeting the man's gaze. "Sam and Dean Winchester have been through more than anyone could even imagine in their most vivid nightmares. I know for a fact that there is a divine hand looking out for them on some level, because they've both come back from the dead enough times that they've lost track."

The veteran threw his hands out to the side. "Are you shitting me right now?"

He was loud enough to draw the attention of Dr. Banner and Reid, but Aaron simply shook his head in response. "Dr. Banner, do you have a whiteboard we can use? That might be the best place to start."

The doctor nodded, watching the interaction between Aaron and Wilson warily before leading them towards the north wall of the lab. Most of the white board was filled to the brim with red lettering that looked like hieroglyphics to Aaron, but Reid was reading them with fascination.

He held out a blue marker and gestured towards the clean portion. "Is this enough space?"

"That's fine," Aaron agreed, taking it and writing "AMARA" at the top. He turned around to the other three men and raised an eyebrow. "So, what do we know? Let's start at the beginning."