this is me trying, spn [ 3 ]

023. the president

"So, find anything?" Dean asks. "Anyone powerful or respectable who suddenly changed... or exploded?"

"Well, this is pretty interesting." Sam says, turning his laptop around so Dean and Natalie can see. "This is the Archbishop of St. Louis with Wallace Parker."

"So?" Dean asks, looking at the picture.

"So, that was him three days ago." Sam says and he scrolls down to a different picture. "And this... is him last night at the opening of a food kitchen. Notice anything missing?"

"Yeah, the big mother of a cross around his neck." Dean says.

"Exactly. And this morning, his office canceled all further public appearances without comment." Sam says.

"Okay, so you're thinking that, uh, Lucifer blasted out of Parker and into his buddy the Archbishop here." Dean says.

"Worth a shot." Sam says.

+++

"It's awfully quiet." Dean comments.

"Yeah, I put in a dozen calls to the Chief of Staff. No one returned." Sam says.

"Well, we'll have a look around. If it is Lucifer, we'll call the rest of the Scooby Gang." Dean says.

Sam rings the doorbell, but it doesn't make a noise.

"Great." He huffs.

Dean uses the door knocker, but no one answers. They pick the lock and go inside, using flashlights to look around. Dean tries to turn the light on but it doesn't work. They walk into a room and sees the place a mess from a struggle. There's a priest on the floor, bloodied and injured.

"Father, hey." Dean says. "What happened?"

"We... knew something was wrong." He says. "He... he..."

"The Archbishop?" Dean asks.

"Uh-huh." The priest nods. "Senior staff decided... handle internally and intervene."

"An exorcism."

The three siblings continue through the house and find a nun with her throat slit, a priest impaled to a wall with a spear, and all of the inverted crosses. In another room, they find the Archbishop lying on the floor and his eyes are burnt out.

+++

"Ugh. These pictures..." Cas grimaces, looking through the pictures of the people Lucifer killed while in the Archbishop's body. "The level of violence, it's completely unnecessary."

"Lucifer doesn't like to get messed with. I guess when the Archbishop's priests figured out he was possessed, they tried to keep it quiet, do an exorcism. I mean, not that it would've worked. Lucifer blew town, but not before he slaughtered the entire staff."

"I don't know." Dean says, walking in with bags of food. "Who won the Nobel Peace Prize? Why don't we start there?"

+++

"Did the bunker's warding fail?" Cas asks as Dean walks into the library.

"I just powered it down." Dean says. "Crowley called, said he had some big news about Lucifer, whatever the hell that means."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait a second. So-So now Crowley can just... what, drop in whenever he feels like it?" Sam asks. "I-I prefer keeping Crowley at a distance. Long distance."

"Yeah, same." Natalie nods.

"I have to agree with them on that." Libby says.

"Not very charitable, Moose, Chipmunk, and Baby Moose." Crowley comments. Libby sighs, slouching in her chair. "Particularly since, once again, I'm saving both your asses. So, as you know, I'm temporarily persona non grata in my own palace."