The End | {BOOK 5}

51| The Equalizer

"There. That's better. So... how's things?"

We all just glared at Chuck, not saying anything, and he sighed.

"Okay, look," he began. "I get it. Alright, I'm from the deus from the machina, and you have questions. So, great. Go."

"Yeah, like Dean said," Sam stated, "where have you been?"

"It's hard to explain. Um... everywhere and nowhere, to the edge of the universe and beyond. I saw Springsteen on Broadway. Man's a genius."

"What about Amos?" I asked.

"He's been with me," Chuck nodded. "Yeah, it's been nice reconnecting after the whole 'trying to murder me and end all existence' thing."

"Where is he now?" Cass queried.

"Reno. Turns out, he loves keno," Chuck wrinkled his nose.

"And you're here because..." Dean trailed off.

"Because of Jack," Cass responded and Chuck pointed at him in confirmation, taking a seat at the map table.

"Listen, you guys know me. I'm hands off. I built the sandbox- you play in it. You want to fight Leviathans. Cool. You got that. You want to go up against- what was it?- the 'British Men of Letters'? Okay. Little weak, but okay. But when things get really bad, like the apocalypse or the other apocalypse, that's when I have to step in."

"So you're saying Jack is the apocalypse?" Sam asked.

"The kids said, 'Stop lying', and I don't know if you noticed, but the world kinda went insane."

To prove his point, Chuck flicked his hand and turned on the radio by the wall. As he twisted his finger, it tuned in to different stations.

"... rioting on the streets as the Dow drops nearly 15,000 points."

"The purge is real."

"Stay in your homes! I repeat! It's too dangerous!"

"The state is a lie."

"And it's been confirmed- the Queen of England is, in fact, a lizard."

"Inside-" 

He flicked his hand again, shutting it off before we could hear more.

"See," he sighed defeatedly.

"Can you fix it?" Cass asked him.

"Fine," Chuck snapped his fingers. "Fixed."

"Really?" Sam stammered.

"I'm God, Sam. Yeah, really. Go ahead. Try it out."

"Celine Dion rocks," Dean said. "Yeah. Yeah, we can lie again."

I shook my head, rolling my eyes as Cass continued to question Chuck.

"And the rioting?"

"Like it never happened. You're welcome."

Chuck cleared his throat then, standing up.

"Look, the point is, the kid did all that with two words. What's next? He sneezes and- whoops- there goes India? I don't know. Maybe. But this is bad- like Me level bad."

"Can you stop him?" Sam spoke.

"Not exactly. But you can. With that."

He gestured behind us and we all turned to see a gun sitting on the table.

"What is that?" Cass asked.

"I'm thinking of calling it... the Equalizer. Or... the Hammurabi."

There was a moment of awkward silence after Chuck's words as we turned our gaze from the gun to him.