better man/worse than nicotine » arthur ketch

seven: brave, but sad.

"Jack...Jack! Jack, slow down!"

"We have to get out of here!" He shouts back.

"I know!" I yell, picking up speed to grab Jack's arm, yanking him backwards. "But just, slow down. Give me a second." I look around, the sky raging and lightning destroying the land everywhere we look.

"How far until we're safe?"

"Out here?" I shake my head. "I don't think there is such a thing as safe. Come on."

I begin walking, keeping Jack close by. Angels aren't exactly the good guys here. Their status here is almost equal to Demons in our universe. So, the last thing we need is someone finding out Jack is half-Archangel.

"Wait," I press a hand against Jack's chest. "There's someone over there," I murmur. "Here."

We duck down behind a what looks like an abandoned car, keeping our backs pressed against the door. I glance around the corner, seeing the two men advancing our way.

"Shit," I mutter. They look like they're Angels. But I can't really tell.

The next thing we know, there's rifles being pointed at our chests. We scramble to our feet, and I put myself forward in front of Jack.

"Are you Angel, Demon, or human?"

"Human," I answer. "We're human."

"Joy Winchester?" I furrow my eyebrows as the man moves the bandanna from around his mouth. "It's Bobby. Singer."

"Bobby?" I breathe. "My brothers. They told me you were here."

"Your brothers?"

"Dean and Sam."

"Oh, I remember," Bobby almost smiles. "The day trippers, right?"

"Do you...know me?"

"Knew you," he pauses to shrug. "The other you. She...Well, hell, I thought you were a damn ghost. Turns out you're just from a whole other world. Which is weirder...when you think about it. Who's the kid?"

"Uh..."

"I'm Jack."

"Friend of the family," I clarify, before he has any time to ask any more questions.

"Well," Bobby shakes his head. "Good enough for me. You better come with us."

Without giving it a second thought, we follow Bobby.

After what feels like hours of walking from dodging Angels – that Bobby and his friend shoot down without question – we make it to what Bobby is calling home base, for now.

"Well...welcome to home, sweet home," Bobby announces. He stops walking and turns around, giving us a look that just says this is it.

There are makeshift tents everywhere, hammocks tied to trees, people on crutches, some without the ability to move at all, so they're seated around various fires in pits scattered around. The trees surrounding us are taller than any I've had the pleasure of seeing in real life, so it already feels like we're pretty protected.

"What happened to them?" Jack asks suddenly.

"Angels happened," Bobby replies.

"Angels did this?"

Bobby shakes his head. "They've done worse. Two days ago, Angels dive-bombed a colony in San Antonio. 400 people. Not a soul left alive. This ain't a war...this is extermination."

I sigh. He needs to know...at least part of it. "Bobby...Michael, he'll be looking for us."

"Don't worry," Bobby smiles softly. "We got protocols protecting us. Wardings, lookouts in the trees, and a few other tricks up our sleeves. Besides. The Joy I knew saved my ass many times. It'd be rude not to return the favor."