Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was late in the evening when John Winchester knocked on Bobby Singer’s door. It was a light knock, being that his hands were full with the twin’s car seats, and he’d allowed his oldest to do the honors. Dean did so hesitantly, unsure of the door to the strange house. John had nodded encouragingly, so Dean puffed up his cheeks before knocking as hard as his five-year-old fist allowed. Which, in the end wasn’t that loud. Luckily Bobby was already in the living room, so he heard it none-the-less.

“That you John?” A gruff voice called through the door.

“It’s me Bobby.”

A series of locks could be heard clicking, and Dean looked questioningly up at John who gave a small shrug in response. Finally, the last lock clicked and the door swung open.

Bobby stepped aside letting the group inside his aging home.

“Well what do we have here?” Bobby questioned, closing the door behind him, before squatting down in front of the five-year-old.

Dean looked to John, but he was turned around setting the car seats on the desktop in a corner.

“Um...” Dean murmured unsure.

“Go on introduce yourself.” John urged, still situating the twins.

“I’m Dean, Dean Winchester.” He said, offering his tiny hand hesitantly.

“Bobby Singer, it’s a pleasure to meet you Dean.” Bobby greeted with a smile.

Dean returned it hesitantly before a yawn stretched across his face.

“How long ya’ll been travelin?” Bobby asked.

“Forever!” Dean huffed, making Bobby chuckle.

Bobby walked towards John finally getting a clear look at the one-year-old sleeping twins. One was a boy with brown hair, and the other to Bobby’s surprise was a girl, with soft baby blonde hair.

Bobby looked to John with a puzzled look.

He only shrugged in response. “Doctors said it happens sometimes with fraternal twins.”

“That’s baby Sammy, and baby Darcy, they’re my little brother and sister.” Dean interjected.

“Can you keep an eye on them while I talk to Bobby in the kitchen?” John questioned.

Bobby observed the two, watching Dean nod.

“Here, you can see if you can find some cartoons to watch.” Bobby offered, pointing to the T.V in the corner.

Dean watched them leave before turning to his brother and sister. Sam was still asleep, but Darcy’s eyes had popped open as soon as the adults had left, like she’d been waiting for it. Dean quickly climbed into the chair beside the desk propping himself up in front of Darcy, Blue eyes met green ones. Another oddity of the twins, Sammy’s eyes were the same color as Dean’s a trait they shared with John. Whilst Darcy’s eyes were a stormy blue, like Mary’s.  Dean didn’t mind though, he loved them both the same.

The hushed voices from the kitchen stopped and John along with Bobby emerged. The latter looking a little lost for words, whilst John had a determined look set to his face. He crouched down in front of Dean’s chair.

“Uncle Bobby here is going to look over you three for the night. I’ll be back in a little while.”

Dean stayed quiet, tucking his chin into his chest as a few sniffles escaped.

“Hey, hey soldier. No tears alright? You’ve got to be strong. I promise I’ll be back, and you can watch over Sammy and Darcy while I’m gone Alright?”

Dean nodded, and John ruffled his hair. “There’s my tough soldier, you be good for Uncle Bobby, stay out of his way. Okay?”

Dean nodded again his eyes watery but no tears falling as he watched John walk out the door.

He watched Bobby turn all the locks before he turned to him with a huff.

“It’s pretty late, you must be tired.” Bobby tried, unsure of what to do with his new charges.

Dean shook his head, even as another yawn stretched across his face.

Bobby didn’t push it, instead choosing to look over the things John had left with them. Two diaper bags, and a back pack for Dean. Hell, Bobby had never changed a diaper before, what was John thinking. The man had been looking for answers, and Bobby had offered all he knew, best defenses and all. Where ever they’d been staying John said he couldn’t stay there anymore, the place being so close to their destroyed home. And the people he’d been staying with were getting wary, insisting he go see a shrink, instead of staying away from his kids for so long. But John needed more answers, and he was finding them, but he needed someone to watch the kids while he did. Someone who understood what he was actually doing. So Bobby settled on to the couch for the night as the two watched TV.

As promised John returned the next day, before taking off again two days later. Days turning into weeks. Fed up Bobby called him one night to voice his opinion, and the next day John packed up the kids and left. It wasn’t what he’d intended. He just hated seeing what it was doing to Dean. Bobby hated to admit it but he’d grown attached to them, and now he’d probably never see them again. He was never sure if he’d wanted kids, not with his abusive father tainting his genetic code; and after his wife had passed it just wasn’t an option anymore. He threw himself into hunting, regrouping with his friends for six years. Six years before things went wrong. He’d been reckless. And it had cost them. Bobby easily slipped back into himself, the towns drunken recluse, having more knowledge then he knew what to do with.

 Somewhere along the way he’d become the man that hunters called when they needed information. So he threw himself into that. Reinforced his home, occasionally hunting alone. Until one-day John showed up on his door step again. He was taken aback prepared to throw him out on his ass, until he looked behind him, finally noticing the kids sat in the car. Two of them with noses pushed up against the glass and the other in the front seat playing indifferent. Bobby huffed before nodding his head, and John brought the group in.

“You remember Uncle Bobby, don’t you Dean?” John questioned, looking worse for wear.

Sam and Darcy looked to him, and Dean shrugged.

“Good okay. I’ll be back soon, alright you three be good for Uncle Bobby okay.” And then he was off.

Bobby and the kids seemed to have a stare off, no one really knowing what to say, fortunately Darcy broke the silence.

“Are you really our uncle?” She questioned, blue eyes bright and inquiring.

Bobby grimaced. “I’m an old friend of you fathers. I’ve known you lot since you were in diapers.”

She nodded as she began to tour the room.

“Don’t touch nothin Darce.” Dean warned.

“I won’t.” she returned, tucking a stray strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.

“Are you kids hungry?” Bobby questioned.

“Starving!” Darcy said with a grin.

“Darce!” Dean hissed.

“What?! You gave me and Sammy most of your food from breakfast. So I know you’re hungry!” she challenged.

Before he could protest a rumble echoed, and a blush crossed his face.

“See! S’ides he offered!” Darcy said with a smirk.

“It’s alright, I can whip something up.” Bobby said before things could escalate.

Bobby strode into the kitchen searching his meager cabinets for anything to cook. Finding a few cans of soup he grabbed a pot before putting it on the stove, when he turned around Sam and Darcy were behind him in the kitchen.

“umm, so how old are you guys now?” Bobby questioned.

“We’re seven, Deans twelve.” Sam supplied, the first words he’d spoken since they’d step through the door.

“Seven? Has it been that long?” Bobby questioned.

The two shrugged, before taking seats at the kitchen table. Eventually Dean joined them, and the group struck up conversation, the kids regaling the last few years to him.

“So what do you like to do for fun?” Bobby asked.

The three looked up at him thoughtfully.

“Mostly we watch TV, Dad sometimes teaches us things but...” Sam trailed off with a shrug.

“Oh like how to ride a bike?” Bobby offered, hoping to keep the conversation up.

“How to shoot.” Dean corrected.

Bobby nearly spit out his water. “What?”

The three looked up at him with a puzzled look.

“You know bottles and stuff.” Dean supplied, with a shrug.

Bobby looked skyward, “Well I’ve got a few bikes in the house I’m sure you three can ride around in the yard.”

“Um they don’t know how to ride a bike.” Dean explained.

“Neither can you!” Darcy reminded him.

“So what!” Dean shot back.

“Well it seems we’ve got work to do!” Bobby cut in. “That is if you want to learn.”

“I’d like to!” Sam said happily.

Darcy and Dean seemed to be waiting for the other to agree, before Dean stood. “Fine.”

Darcy quickly bounced after them.

“Aren’t you kids supposed to be in school?” Bobby questioned, later in the day.

“Dad enrolls us whenever he gets the chance. But never for more than a week.” Sam explained.

When John called the next day Bobby broached the subject.

“Well, enroll them in the nearest school.” He returned.

“Wait what?” Bobby gaped.

“Look Bobby, you’re right, they do need to go to school, I just don’t have the time to keep them there. So if its ok with you, put them in school.” John said simply.

So, he did. They’d built up somewhat of a routine. It wasn’t easy, but Bobby found he didn’t mind. Waking the kids up in the morning, dropping them off at school, picking them up. For six months.

Of course, John showed up to shatter that.

“Don’t do this John!” Bobby hissed.

“They were never meant to stay this long in the first place Bobby.” John returned. “All right boys get your things!” he called. And minutes later three footsteps sounded down the stairs.

One a bit slower than the others.

“Dean help your brother get his stuff in the car.” John ordered.

With a nod, Dean and Sam trudged out the door.

Darcy made to follow, but John stepped out in front of her.

“Darce we need to talk” he announced, picking her up and sitting her on the couch

“What’s up?” She asked, bouncing in the seat.

“I need you to stay here, with Uncle bobby.” John said quickly.

“Very funny Daddy.” She said with a chuckle moving to stand up.

“I’m serious Darcy.” John returned.

Darcy froze. “What? What do you mean?”

“Just what I said, you’re going to stay here with Uncle Bobby. Now be good alright.” He warned before walking away.

“Dad?” Darcy murmured, following him to the door.

He continued his stride.

“Daddy?!” she cried out. “Wait please! I’ll be good! I promise” She called out running after him.

She watched him climb into the car in a slight daze, the sound of the door shutting drawing her back out.

“Daddy!” She looked to Dean and Sam who were already sitting in the car.

Sam looking confused and Dean looked stricken.

Seeing them a new wave of tears came on. “Dean! Sammy! Please don’t leave me!” She wailed.

“Dad? Why isn’t Darcy getting in the car?” Sam questioned.

“Put your seat belt on.” John said instead.

“Dean!” She sobbed as the car pulled away.

Sam turned around as the car pulled off. Darcy reached out as if she could grab him. “Sammy!!” She cried out one last time, before the Impala reached the end of the junk yard, disappearing around the bend.

She stayed outside crying in the drive way until Bobby carried her inside. He held her until she fell asleep that night, cursing John for leaving her like this.

Chapter Text

She stayed outside crying in the drive way until Bobby carried her inside. He held her until she fell asleep that night, cursing John for leaving her like this.

Darcy was quiet, pushing her cereal around without actually eating it. When she heard Bobby sigh she finally looked up.

“Is there something else you want to eat?” he questioned.

She only shook her head, her gaze drifting back down to her bowl.

“Talk to me darling.” Bobby pleaded.

“I..” she paused but Bobby waited. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Yes you do.” He pushed.

“Why?” She questioned, her eyes watering. “Why doesn’t he want me.” she questioned as the tears slid down her cheek.

“Your dad is a strange man, but you wanna know what I think?”

Darcy shrugged.

“I’ve never met your mom, but from her pictures? You look just like her.”

Darcy looked up at him slowly.

“I think, your dad thinks so too, and he’d give anything to have been able to keep her safe. So maybe now, he thinks he can do that for you.”

“Yeah but he took Sammy and Dean.” She sobbed.

“I know, and that was wrong of him.”

“So!? He still did it. He left me, and now I’m alone!” She cried.

“I’m still here darlin. For as long as you need me.” Bobby insisted.

“You promise?” she questioned.

“I promise.” He swore.

Darcy nodded, before scooping up a bit of cereal she frowned when she realized it was soggy.

“How about we get you a fresh bowl?” Bobby offered with a grimace.

Darcy began talking again but something was still missing, she hadn’t smiled since that day and Bobby was going to change that. Friday when she got home from school he was waiting for her.

“Change out of your school clothes and meet me out back” Bobby ordered before going out the back door.

Confused but curious she did as she was told before heading outside with her blonde hair tied back, dressed in a dark pair of overalls. What she found was not what she’d been expecting. The garage wall was covered with a tarp, and littered with different colored water balloons. Bobby stood off to the side in a clear rain poncho. He motioned for her to put one on before moving her in front of the wall.

“What is all this?” she questioned.

“Well I’ve heard you got good aim.” Bobby offered.

Darcy shrugged. “I’m okay.”

“Prove it.” Bobby challenged he motioned towards a pail of darts he’d gathered. She noticed he already had a few in his hands so she slowly grabbed her own handful.

“Good girl. Now let’s see who can pop the most.” Bobby announced.

She looked at him hesitantly and it made him want to shoot John in his left foot.

“Go on, it’ll be harder to see once the sun sets.” He coaxed.

Darcy huffed once and took aim, she lined up her target, the pink balloon at the top she decided before letting it fly. She watched the balloon pop, and to her dismay pink paint splattered everywhere, she let out a shriek as some splattered onto her.

Bobby chuckled, and Darcy glared as it turned into full blown laughter, she found herself joining in when paint splattered into his beard when he popped a blue balloon. He glared before popping a balloon closer to her, sending paint splatters over her face.

“Oh it is on!” she shrieked with laughter. The two turning the game into an all-out war, their laughter echoing throughout the junkyard. By the time they finished the two were covered in paint, and night was beginning to fall. Bobby had to use the garden hose to get most of it off before they could even think of going into the house.

“Hey Uncle Bobby?” she questioned once she was wrapped in a towel.

“Hmm?”

“Can you teach me?”

“Teach you what darlin.” Bobby queried absentmindedly.

“Ya know...” She pushed.

Bobby stiffened.

Darcy pushed forward. “I know he hunts and stuff, and I don’t really wanna do that, but he always taught Dean and Sammy stuff. He used to teach me but then he just… Stopped. Dean tried to show me but… never mind it’s stupid.” She huffed.

“No you can tell me.” he urged.

Darcy worried her bottom lip.

“What do you want to learn?” Bobby questioned when she didn’t continue.

“Whatever he’s teaching them, I guess. I just don’t like bein left out.” She admitted.

Bobby hummed thoughtfully. “Well what do you already know?”

“Not much I guess, Dad just says there are things out there, and then taught us how to shoot a gun,”

“I don’t know if I’m comfortable letting you shoot a gun, just yet.” He said with a chuckle.

“But…” Darcy tried.

“However I think I can show you something else. Follow me.” he said before heading to the basement.

Darcy followed watching as he turned on a light. “Why’s your basement so creepy!” Darcy said with a shiver.

“It’s a basement, whad’ja expect?” he said with a chuckle.

“Flowers, maybe a couch? How should I know?” Darcy grumbled.

Bobby stopped at a wall, she watched him pull down a lever and a portion of the wall flipped over.

“I’ll teach you what you wanna know, only because your dad already started, and I don’t like half assed jobs.” Bobby gruffed.

Darcy giggled at that before gasping. The wall was littered with weapons she paused at a bow and arrow and looked questioningly at Bobby.

“That’s a compound bow.” He told her.

“it’s pretty.” She said.

“I can teach ya, if you’d like.”

“Really?” she asked a spark of that glow appearing in her eyes.

“Sure! Kids learn archery all the time. But we’re gonna start you off with something a little more basic.”

“Basic how?” she questioned.

Bobby pointed a finger at another Bow and arrow set at the end of the wall.

Darcy frowned when she saw it.

“That doesn’t look nearly as cool.”

“Yeah, but the Longbow is difficult. Takes you back to skill. But if you don’t think you can handle it?” Bobby said getting ready to close up the wall.

“No! no. I’ll do it!” Darcy corrected.

Bobby nodded. “Okay, lucky for you it’s the weekend and once you finish your homework, we’ll get to it.”

“What about the other stuff?” she questioned hesitantly.

“Tell me why you want to learn all that. Honestly Darcy.” Bobby said with a sigh.

“Well, all this time Dad said he was a traveling salesman.” She started.

Bobby couldn’t hold back his snort, but Darcy continued.

“I think Dean figured it out first, or maybe Dad told him about it, and then Sam got suspicious, but he asked Dean about it, while I was supposed to be asleep. And Dean told him stuff to scare him I think, but when I asked Dad he got this pinched looked on his face like when he accidentally lets his coffee get cold.” She babbled.

“Are you scared Darcy.” Bobby questioned.

Darcy froze at that, looking down before nodding.

“Good. Fear keeps you alert, never forget that.”

“But you don’t seem scared uncle Bobby.” She mumbled.

“I must be hiding it well, listen darlin just because people seem strong or brave that don’t mean they ain’t scared, it just means they do it despite the fear. That’s what makes a person!”

Darcy frowned at the logic but nodded, none-the-less.

“Now come on its getting late” Bobby announced closing the wall before heading back upstairs.

As promised Bobby taught her, hesitantly at first, unsure of what was appropriate to teach to a child. None of it, he thought with a huff. But would she really be better off not knowing? Bobby wasn’t sure. But he knew he couldn’t leave her terrified of things going bump in the night. Especially since she already knew there were actually things out there. So he started with myths and lures, before debunking them with the creatures that had started them. But mainly, he taught her protection. Sigils, essence, and lastly how to fight, how to throw a punch. He showed her how to use her size to her advantage.

“I’m too little.” She’d whined to Bobby.

“Exactly, and that’s how you’ll win. Us bigger people, you need to step into our space, be quick on your feet so they can’t catch you. You bid your time, until you find your opening, and then bring em down when they least expect it. Get you on a team, that’ll keep you in shape, lord knows I’m not!” he said with a chuckle.

“Which one?” she questioned.

“Something you’ll like, something you’ll have fun with.”

A few days later when they’d gone out grocery shopping Darcy saw a flyer for a local soccer team.

A few calls later and she had practice three days a week, and she loved it.

Of course as everything seemed to be going well, they got turned upside down.

She heard the car before she saw it, she looked up at Bobby with a petrified look.

“Now just calm down.” He started calmly, as if talking to a startled animal.

Too late. She ran up the stairs as fast as her eight-year-old legs could carry her. It had been going on eight months, since that day. She slammed the door the reverberations echoing through the house. Quickly closing the blinds, she threw her blankets over her head before going still. She felt a little stupid, hiding from her family, but couldn’t bring herself to come out.

Downstairs Bobby let out a sigh, scratching at his head. All too soon the Impala engine cut off, and a knock sounded on the door. He opened it to John, Dean and Sam. The latter smiling brightly up at him.

“Hey Uncle Bobby!” Sam said engulfing him in a hug.

“Hey, boy have you gotten bigger?” Bobby gruffed, Sam had to be at least a head taller than Darcy was.

“Nah you’re just shrinking!” Dean snarked, still standing outside.

Bobby, noticing his hesitation, brought him in for a hug before ruffling his hair.

“Bobby.” John said with a nod.

Bobby returned it with one of his own, stepping aside to let them in

“Where’s Darcy?” Sam questioned

“Uh, well she’s in her room.” He said hesitantly. “Just wait here, I’ll see if I can get her to come down.”

“Why wouldn’t she want to come down?” Sam questioned looking hurt.

“I’m sure she does, just give me a minute.” He returned, before trudging up the stairs.

He knocked twice “Darcy it’s me.”

He waited patiently and slowly the door crept open, only to be greeted by a blanket covered Darcy.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

She didn’t answer, just trudged back to her bed before curling up.

Bobby took a look around the room he’d given her free reign over. Together they’d painted the walls lavender, a few floor rugs littered the hard wood, and pushed against the wall was her queen bed, dozens of pillows scattered around.

“Your dad and brothers are downstairs.”

“I know.” She mumbled

“Don’t you want to go see them?” a dumb question, he already knew the answer to.

“No”

Bobby let out another sigh.

“Sam and Dean seemed real excited to see you. And I know you don’t want to, but your dad would love to see you too, I’m sure.

“He left me!” Darcy reminded him in hushed tones.

“Yeah, but you’ve settled in nicely got yourself some friends, a team, your grades could be better.” Bobby joked.

“What’s better than straight A’s” She challenged and bobby laughed.

“Do you think I should go down there?” she asked after a minute.

“I think it’s something you should decide for yourself. And if you don’t want to I won’t force you to.” He said with a shrug

Darcy huffed throwing off the covers.

“There she is!” Bobby cooed ruffling her baby blonde hair.

She swatted his hand away with a giggle, before fixing her hair.

“So what do you say Darlin?”

“Lead the way Uncle Bobby” She said with a sigh

She trudged down behind him a bit slower. As she came down she tried to stay angry, but Sam was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs and she couldn’t help but throw her arms around his neck, the two holding each other tight.

“Hey I thought I was your favorite.” Dean said from his position leant up against the wall.

When Sam released her Dean was waiting and she threw herself into his arms giggling when he spun her around.

She smiled happily up at him ready to talk, but John cleared his throat.

“Um why don’t you boys come with me into the kitchen we’ve got some leftovers if you’re hungry.”

Sam looked ready to disagree but Dean dragged him along.

Darcy threw Bobby a betrayed look, and he grimaced in response.

“You’ll thank me later.” he mouthed. Or not, he thought to himself.

Darcy kept her gaze on the floor picking at the lint at the end of her sweater.

“Hey.” John tried.

“Hi.”

“I heard you joined a soccer team. Are you any good?” He tried.

“I’m okay, I guess.” Darcy murmured.

“Guess I’ll have to see for myself.” John suggested.

“You mean you’d come to one of my games?” she asked, confused.

“I’d like to, sure, that is if you’d want me there.” John said with a hesitant smile.

Darcy worried her lip. “Yeah.” She returned before running towards him. Surprised John caught her picking her up as she clung to him like a monkey. “I’d really like that.” She said into his jacketed shoulder.

John let out a sigh of relief as he hugged her just as tight.

The three stayed over the weekend. John left on Monday returning Wednesday before taking the boys with him on Thursday. Darcy tried to pretend it didn’t hurt. Even if it did, just as much as the first time. She threw herself into archery lessons, and even more so into soccer. Bobby was just glad aggression seemed to be a common place there.

Chapter Text

Darcy ran to Bobby excitedly as he picked her up from soccer practice.

“Where’s the fire?” He said with a chuckle.

She quickly shoved a green paper under his nose. “Can I go? Please!” Darcy begged.

Bobby grabbed the paper, before reading it over. The soccer team was having a campout, and the girls each needed a parent/guardians’ permission. He eyed the line at the bottom where his signature would go.

Bobby ushered her into the car. “We’ll see darlin.” He managed to say.

At dinner Darcy was bubbling with nervous energy.

“So what do you say?”

“I don’t know Darcy. Camping in the woods?” Bobby returned.

“There’ll be adults and everything, the whole teams going.” Darcy contributed

“Yeah, but none of them know what’s out there Darce.”  He reminded

Darcy frowned. “I’m going to go do my homework.” She announced quietly, pushing away from the table.

Bobby didn’t stop her. He stayed and thought on it. He didn’t want to keep her from her first group outing. Why couldn’t it have been a sleepover. Or the movies. Camping? What kind of nature freaks were these people?

When he found Darcy in her room she was in fact doing her homework, situated at the desk against her wall.

He knocked twice even though he was already in the room.

Darcy looked up.

“Hey.” He said sitting down on her bed.

She swiveled her chair to face him. “Hi.”

“I want you to be able to go Darcy. I really do.” Bobby assured her.

“I get it.” Darcy said with a sullen sigh.

Bobby stood with a groan. “You’ll need to take a communicator. You’ll need an anti-possession amulet. And you’d need to take your Swiss army knife. Vials of holy water! You’re not going anywhere without a container of salt, you circle it around your tent, I don’t care what your friends think, tell em it’s part of your religion. Or it keeps ants out.” Bobby listed off.

“Wait you mean I can go?” Darcy said hesitantly.

“You’d need to be careful. You hear anything amiss you call me.” he warned.

“Thank you, thank you!” She shrieked, squeezing Bobby tight.

Two weeks later Bobby drove her to the campsite, an agreement they’d come to, so he’d know how to get there.

“Remember everything I said Darcy.” He warned.

She nodded seriously, and with one last hug trekked over to her team.

Darcy found her friends quickly. With fifteen kids, they were three to a tent. She got grouped with a girl named Emily. She’d lost her hearing in a freak accident, but she never let that stop her from playing. And Melanie usually got put as the goalie during games. The three got along well enough so Darcy didn’t mind the pairing.

Emily had taught the team sign language, when they’d all shown interest in actually communicating with her, besides lip reading, so with no issues the girls chose a spot.

“Let’s get started.” Emily announced before pointing to the tent they had to pitch.

They finished second to last, because they kept giggling at the other girls struggling.

The group gathered for games, and after they sat by the fire roasting hotdogs, then s’mores before the leaders called it a night, apparently they’d be staying in the cabin two feet away. The girls trudged to their tents changing into their pjs, the tent lit only by their flashlights. Darcy sighed at her next task, pulling out her container of salt.

“What are you going to do with that?” Emily asked with a giggle.

Darcy sat it down to sign. “My uncle says it keeps bugs out.” She explained.

Emily and Melanie nodded before continuing to get ready for bed.

Darcy huffed relieved before drawing a salt circle around the tent. She checked her work before heading inside thankful there wasn’t a breeze in the eerie night.

Lights out happened twenty minutes later and Darcy settled in to sleep.

She didn’t know what time it was, when Melanie began to rustle in her sleep. Darcy didn’t wake up until her foot was stepped on, popping up with a startled yelp. Emily groaned when her fingers were stepped on and they both turned to glare at Melanie who was struggling to unzip the tent.

“What the heck!” Darcy hissed.

Melanie didn’t respond.

“Where are you going?” Darcy groaned flicking on her flashlight, Emily doing the same.

 Melanie didn’t answer, and it was then that Darcy heard a melody carry into the tent.

She looked at Emily, signing to grab Melanie. The two did so hesitantly, then more firmly when the girl started to resist.

“Is she sleep walking?” Emily tried to mouth, Darcy picked up on it easy enough.

“I don’t think so!” Darcy returned. “Hold her down! I’ll try and wake her.”

Darcy wanted to yell at her friend to snap out of it, but she was unsure of how close whatever was doing this was. So she dug through her bag, settling on her vial of holy water.

“Here goes nothing.” She murmured before pouring the contents onto Melanie’s face.

She came to with a startled gasp, sputtering and moving to sit up. Emily and Darcy watched her hesitantly.

“What did you pour on me?” she questioned wiping her eyes.

“Did it burn?” Darcy questioned suspiciously.

“No. it was cold though!” Melanie said with a glare.

Darcy didn’t see any signs of burns on her face so she nodded. “It was water, we thought you were sleep walking or something.”

“I’ve never done that before.” She replied, wiping water from her eyes.

Darcy heard a rustle outside, and she quickly shushed the two. She unzipped the tent a peep, searching for the noise. She watched as girl after girl climbed from their tent and into the woods. She zipped up theirs with a jerk and fell backwards.

“What did you see?” Melanie questioned.

“Can you hear that?” she questioned instead.

Emily sent her a look, but Melanie listened before nodding.

“It’s kind of nice, like a flute or something.” She returned closing her eye as she listened.

“Do not! Here put this in your ears!” Darcy hissed handing her a pair of earplugs.

“Why?” she questioned.

“Because our whole team just followed it into the woods.” She warned.

Melanie quickly plopped them into place.

“What about you?” Emily signed

“I’ll be fine.” Darcy assured her, for whatever reason she felt no pull to follow the melody anywhere, so she assumed one of Bobby’s charms had done the trick. She quickly searched through her bag before pulling out her communicator, sending an alert out to Bobby. “Pick up, pick up!” Darcy murmured.

Bobby had been a nervous wreck all night, going out of his mind. Letting Darcy camp out in the woods, when he knew something could be out there. Was that considered negligence? Bobby huffed, sitting up with his shot gun. He’d forgone the whiskey wanting to stay sharp if she needed him, but couldn’t stop his foot from tapping on the hardwood. He fell asleep in the kitchen like that, the communicator clutched in one hand and a shotgun held in the other.

He startled at an incessant beeping sound before realizing what it was. He jerked up before responding.

“Darcy?! What’s wrong?” he questioned.

“I don’t know!! There was this music, and Melanie tried to leave but me and Em woke her up. The other girls… Uncle Bobby they’re gone!” Darcy said, her voice trembling.

“Gone how, Darcy?” Bobby inquired.

“They followed the music. Melanie was basically a zombie before we woke her up.”

“How’d you wake her up?” Bobby quizzed, already flipping through a book.

“I poured the holy water on her face, she snapped right out of it.” She answered.

“What kind of music?” he barked

“It sounds like a flute.” She returned.

Bobby flipped to another page of his journal, releasing a few curses at what he found

“It’s the Pied Piper Darcy! Did you draw a salt circle?” Bobby questioned.

“Yeah.” She assured him.

“Stay there, keep your friends in the tent. I’m on my way.” Bobby gruffed.

Silver bullets would kill the thing, so he grabbed his shot gun, and Darcy’s bow with silver tipped arrows on a whim. Climbing into his car the engine roared to life and he shot off towards his destination.

“Shouldn’t we tell the adults?” Melanie signed over her flashlight

“We can tell them when the suns up, and whatever’s luring little girls into the woods is gone.” Darcy signed back. The two looked at her with wide eyes. “What?”

“I didn’t think of it like that.” Emily signed with a grimace.

Darcy huffed at that. “Don’t worry my Uncle’s on his way.”

The three huddled closer, knowing they should turn out their flashlights but couldn’t bring themselves to cut off their only form of communication.

“Did you hear that?” Darcy signed to the two.

The two shook their heads no, Melanie pointing to the tuffs of cotton sticking out her ears, Darcy let out a huff.

Something was whispering outside.

“It sounds like my name!” Darcy signed.

Emily gasped looking to Darcy.

Darcy held up a finger to her mouth, quietly unzipping the tent.

“Darcy no!” Melanie hissed.

Darcy held her hands to her mouth before making a bird call. Something she and Bobby had taken to. She sent out the sound of a robin and then waited.

The mourning Dove responded and she sagged in relief.

Bobby’s footsteps grew closer before he came into view.

“Darcy thank God; I knew watching all those nature shows would rub off on you.” he said with a chuckle.

Darcy giggled wrapping Bobby in a hug.

“Which way did your friends go?” Bobby questioned.

Darcy pointed in the direction. “I can still hear the song.” She said.

Bobby looked at her and then the two girls huddled behind her.

“Stay here.” Bobby said.

“Uncle Bobby I can still hear the music. Can you?” she asked.

Bobby didn’t answer, so she nodded.

“Wait, Darcy you can’t just leave us here!” Melanie hissed.

“You two are safer here, the circle will keep anything out.” Bobby quipped. “Darcy you really should stay here.”

“There’s no time Uncle Bobby the Music is fading!” Darcy urged, slipping on her shoes.

“Fine, stay close and do what I say.” He said before reaching into the bag he was carrying.

He quickly handed her the bow and arrows before loading his shot gun.

“Stay here.” He warned the other two as he zipped the tent closed. “Which way Darcy?”

Darcy stayed quiet listening to the pull of the melody but not completely enveloped by it. “This way.” She pointed before creeping beside Bobby.

She followed Bobby’s path as he avoided branches and leaf piles, occasionally pointing to show the way. They moved as fast as possible through the woods before they came to a clearing.

He saw the figure and the trail of Darcy’s teammates and quickly tried to go through a plan of action, but all of them would risk the kids. He’d have to get closer.

“Uncle bobby, I think I can get him from here.” Darcy offered.

Bobby looked to her. Ready to say no when the Piper took his first step into the water, the girls dazedly following along. “He’s fast Darcy. Really fast, don’t let him fool ya.” Bobby warned. “I’ll distract him; you take the first shot you get. Here climb into the tree.” He said boosting her up for a more secluded cover.

Bobby ran a few feet away before stepping into the clearing. He fired off two warning shots and the Piper looked over to him. Bobby walked closer Firing off two more shots. He froze when all the girls turned around, before running towards him. “Aw balls.” Bobby groaned before pulling out a spray bottle of Holy water. He switched the Nozzle to spray before taking aim.

Darcy took a deep breath, trying to find a shot without hitting her teammates. She heard the melody change and with no way to warn Bobby, she watched as the girls switched course towards him. Darcy nocked an arrow, not sure whether to aim for the heart or the head. In a split decision she went for his heart. Only slightly off as it went too far left. The pied piper’s head whipped around in her direction before he strode towards her.  Darcy quickly fired off two more arrows both going into his chest but not quite his heart.

Darcy’s hands shook as he drew closer finally getting a better look at the creature. He’d seemed like a shadow before, and now she saw why; he was draped in a black cloak, a pointed hat on his head. He was getting closer, Darcy tried to nock another arrow with shaking hands, dropping two in the process.

She finally freed one before loosing it into his heart. The figure froze trying to step forward again, before two gunshots rang clear in the night and the figure crumpled to the ground. Darcy peered down at the two bullet holes in his back hesitantly.

“Darcy!” Bobby called.

She turned to look at him, finding her friends collapsed on the ground. She dropped into Bobby’s outstretched arms careful of her bow.

“Shoulda told you he had two hearts.” Bobby murmured into her hair.

Darcy groaned at that. “Two hearts? That’s just excessive.”

Bobby chuckled pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Bobby glanced over at the team as some of them started to move.

“I gotta go Darcy.”

“What why?”

“Strange man in the woods with kids? No thank you. You were with them the whole time get em all back to camp. I’ll get you in the morning.” He said

Darcy nodded looking down at the Pied Piper. “What about…” She pointed towards his prone form.

“The sun will disintegrate it.” Bobby reassured her.

She nodded handing off her bow and arrows.

“Thanks for coming Uncle Bobby!” Darcy said with one last hug before running over to the girls. She quickly dropped to the ground beside them, waiting until half of them woke up before coming to with a fake groan, Bobby already disappearing into the woods. She kept the girls far away from the piper. Pretending to be just as confused as the rest at how they’d gotten out there. They seemed to be too tired to question much else and willingly followed her back to camp.

She climbed into the tent and found Melanie and Emily waiting for her.

“Darcy!” They shrieked tackling her into a hug.

She sank into it with a sigh.

“Where’s your Uncle?” Emily signed once they settled in.

“He went home.” Darcy signed back, before slipping off her shoes.

“What why? What about that thing?” Melanie questioned with wide eyes.

“It’s dead, don’t worry.” Darcy reassured them.

“Don’t worry? Darcy what was that?” Melanie questioned.

Darcy hesitated unsure of what to say. “I don’t want to scare you.”

“We’re already scared.” Emily reminded her.

Darcy worried her bottom lip before signing. “It was a thing that goes after kids. It’s gone now.”

“What about the others?” Emily questioned.

“Safe. They don’t remember anything, they’re probably sleeping and will say it was a bad dream.” Darcy said with a frown.

“What? We have to tell the counselors.” Emily signed furiously.

“They won’t believe us, that’s why my Uncle had to leave, they would have blamed him.” Darcy returned with pleading eyes.

Emily paused at that before signing hesitantly. “But he saved them.”

“I know that, and you two know that, but they have no clue. If we bring it up they’ll want to blame someone, and that thing is already gone, if you mention my Uncle…” Darcy trailed off dropping her gaze to the ground.

Emily huffed before climbing into her sleeping bag.

Melanie grudgingly climbed into hers clicking off the flash light once she was situated.

Darcy sighed before climbing into her own though she didn’t sleep the rest of the night. Instead she watched over her friends, listening to the crickets croak their symphony.  That night Darcy decided she hated camping, vowing never to go again.

Bobby arrived after three other parents and Darcy said her goodbyes before climbing into the car. “Go ahead.” Darcy huffed once they were on the road.

“Go ahead and what?” Bobby questioned.

“Say I told you so. You were right.” Darcy grumbled.

“I didn’t want to be right Darlin, I wanted you to have fun.” Bobby explained. “I didn’t want you to live your life in fear.”

Darcy thought on that before letting the conversation drop. “What was he going to do to them?” Darcy asked once they were half way home.

Bobby peered at her out the corner of his eye, searching her face for something. When he didn’t find it he said. “The pied piper is an old spirit. The lure says, that he was hired by a village to lead away rats that were infesting the village. Using his pipe, he led the rats to a lake where he drowned them. He came back for his pay, but the head of the village didn’t want to give him his full price, sayin he’d probably brought the rats there in the first place. That didn’t sit well with the Piper so he returned in the night, playing his flute and luring the towns children to the lake…” Bobby trailed off.

Darcy nodded in understanding staying quiet the rest of the ride. When she got into the house she pulled out her journal, something Bobby had gotten her. It came with a lock and key meant to be a cute diary, with it purple fuzz and rhinestones on it. She turned to a blank page before writing down the events she witnessed. Bobby noticed and gave her tips on what to write down, part of the lore, and lastly how they destroyed it. She locked it with the key before hiding it between her mattress.

She plopped on top of the bed, barely curling up to her pillow before sleep finally claimed her.

Chapter Text

Bobby chuckled as the excited girl pulled him through the carnival. He finished a job for them and had gotten tickets to attend their circus. Weaving through the crowd Bobby let out a sigh of relief as they reached their destination.

"Uncle Bobby, can we play that one?" She asked, pointing to a booth where a young man, in his late teens was grudgingly standing. He'd warned her that they couldn't stay long, so she'd searched for a stand with no line.

"I don't know darlin.” Bobby said eyeing her warily.

"Please Uncle Bobby? Please" She begged.

She let out a "whoop!" As he dug into his pocket for some cash.

"Go on." He urged pushing her forward, with a smile.

She quickly darted to the stand, bouncing happily up to the man, and sending him a bright smile.

"Well what do we have here?" He questioned, mustering strength to match the girls excitement. "Land an arrow on a mark, each one wins a prize!" He explained.

"I want the pink dragon!" Darcy explained.

The young man chuckled.

"You'll need a bulls-eye for that." He returned.

Darcy looked back at Uncle Bobby who was on the phone but still watching her. He gave her an encouraging nod before going back to his conversation.

Darcy turned around, her face set with determination.

"Two arrows please." She ordered.

The man looked a little skeptical. "How bout three?"

“Two’s good" She assured him.

He huffed before handing over the bow and two arrows before stepping back.

Darcy picked up the Longbow, drawing it back experimentally, she let the string go with a snap. She shrugged non-committedly and picked up an arrow.

"Have you done this before?" He questioned, while she fiddled with the arrow

"I dabble" She said with a shrug. "But I saw your show and I think I can do it."

"It really isn't that easy, I've be-" He cut off when her arrow flew hitting one of the outer rings of the board. His eyes were a bit wide but then he chuckled. "See not so easy."

Darcy ignored him. She was going home with that Pink dragon. Picking up the last arrow she took a deep breath. The bow was a little off, shooting too far to the left. She'd adjust this time. There was a slight breeze too, not enough to make a big difference but it was accounted for. Slowly she knocked the arrow.

"Hey Mister, what's your name." She asked, gaze not leaving her mark.

"Names Clinton."

"Well Mr. Clinton. That pink dragon is mine. I shall call her Davina." She announced before letting the arrow soar.  It whistled before landing with a thunk.

Clint let out a whistle of his own.

"Beginners luck." Someone scoffed as Clinton pulled down the dragon.

"Think so?" Darcy asked, wide eyed.

Clinton could have sworn there was a gleam in her eye. But it was gone before his next breath.

"Ain't no way you could do that again." The man said.

Darcy eyed him from the top of his balding head down to his nice shoes.

"How much?" She questioned.

"S'cuse me? " He questioned.

"How much you wanna bet?" She asked bluntly.

The man laughed. "Alright twenty bucks."

"Thirty." Darcy returned.

"Fine, three arrows all have to be Bullseyes, 30 bucks." He accepted.

Darcy smirked.

"Uncle Bobby?" She called.

"Yes Darlin? Oh look you got the dragon! Can we leave?" he queried.

"I think Sam and Dean would like the octopus and the bulldog, don’t ya think?" She told him with a pout.

Bobby let out a chuckle before reaching for his wallet.

"Thanks uncle Bobby, I'll be real quick." She affirmed.

She walked back over to the stand handing Clinton the money. She happily picked up the first arrow before sinking it into the bullseye.

Clint raised an eyebrow "That's one. " He quickly pulled it out before moving out of the way.

Darcy nocked the next arrow and took a deep breath before shooting the target.

“That’s two.” Clinton said with a chuckle.

Darcy waited until Clinton was out of the way, before picking up the next arrow and sending it flying into the target. Clinton dutifully got down her two new prizes half in disbelief.

“Wait a minute how do I know this isn’t rigged?” The man questioned.

Darcy sent him a perplexed look. “Rigged how?” she questioned sitting the Longbow onto the counter

“You could be cheating.” He insisted

“Fine then you shoot it.” She huffed.

The man looked to her and then to Clinton, who had a thoughtful look on his face.

“Fine.” He hissed before slapping five dollars on the counter and picking up the Longbow. He held out a hand for an arrow, and Clinton put one in his hand, what did he care, more business for him.

The man fumbled with the arrow trying to get it to stay in the bow.

“If you jus-“ Clinton offered

“Quiet.” He grumbled.

Clinton gritted his teeth, staying silent as he watched the man continue to struggle

They watched him finally get it before drawing back the bow. As he released it the arrow went flying in the other direction, shouts of dismay following in its wake.

Darcy winced, while Clinton bit back a chuckle,

“Is that proof enough?” She questioned.

The man grumbled before fishing into his pocket. He slapped a ten and a twenty into her waiting palm, before turning on his heels.

The two watched him walk away.

“How long you been shootin?” Clinton questioned.

Darcy looked up at him with a sheepish smile.

“Two years, my Uncles been teaching me.”

“Darcy come on! it’s getting late.” Bobby called

“speaking of...” Darcy gathered up the large animals before trekking towards Bobby.

“Those things are bigger that you.” Bobby mused taking the larger two off her hands.

“Did you finish up?” Darcy questioned.

“Yep.”

“Good because I’m hungry.” Darcy said with a giggle.

“Your treat?” Bobby teased.

Darcy giggled holding up the money.

“That is a bad habit young lady.” He warned.

“What? He started it!” Darcy proclaimed.

Bobby huffed. “Save it, you keep your money, might need it someday.”

A knock on the door drew Darcy’s attention. She watched as Uncle Bobby, shot gun in hand, peered through the peephole before letting out a string of curses. Darcy, now completely curious continued to watch as he unlocked the many locks on the door before throwing the door open with a bang.

“What do you want?” Bobby gruffed.

“Don’t be like that Bobby, I need your help.” Said a deeper voice. The man pushed passed Bobby to enter the room

Darcy watched as a dark skinned man followed by a kid who looked to be her age stepped fully in the entry way.

“Who’s this?”

“My nephew.” He growled, sending Bobby a look.

“Your Nephew…Rufus What are you talking about.”

“Sam meet Bobby.” Rufus introduced before storming into the kitchen.

Darcy quickly jumped back into her seat, making herself look busy with her homework.

The man paused in his stride to the refrigerator. “Bobby? Who the hell is this? I know you ain’t got no family.”

Darcy frowned at that before looking to Bobby.

“Why don’t you mind your own business you old coot and tell me what the hell you want?”

As the two began to argue Darcy snuck from the kitchen pulling the doors shut behind her. Only to meet the confused look of the boy who’d come in with the grumpy stranger.

“Oh, Hi” Darcy greeted, with a friendly smile.

“Hey.” He returned.

The boy seemed Sad Darcy decided. “I’m Darcy” she offered.

“Sam.”

“I have a brother named Sam.”

“That’s cool I guess.”

Darcy rolled her eyes before taking a seat on the couch.

“You want to watch TV?”

Sam shrugged, looking around Bobby’s eclectic living room

“you might as well sit down. I haven’t seen bobby this worked up since… well I’ve never seen him this worked up. Who’s that guy again?”

“My uncle. My mom asked him to watch me for the weekend, but get this, I’ve only met the dude one other time, at a funeral.” Sam explained, obviously still flummoxed at his situation

“Oh, that bites.” Darcy huffed, unsure of what to say to that. Her Dad had dropped her off with someone she’d only met when she was a baby. Though she couldn’t say she minded anymore. “I barely knew Uncle Bobby when my Dad dropped me off, now I live with him.” Darcy said with a shrug before clicking on the T.V.

Bobby and Rufus chose that moment to come back into the room.

“Um Darcy, Rufus and I are gonna go take care of a…” Bobby glanced at Sam before continuing. “an infestation. Call me if you need anything, and don’t forget to finish your homework.”

“Right now?” Darcy asked wide eyed, as she jumped to her feet.

Bobby nodded.

“I could help…” Darcy offered sullenly.

“I know you could Darce, but I need you to keep an eye on Sam.” Bobby tried.

Darcy looked over at the boy who was watching them all wearily, before she let out a sigh. “Be careful.” Darcy turned to Rufus with a scrutinizing look. “You bring my Uncle back in one piece.”

Rufus nodded. “Sure kid, Bobby I’ll be in the Truck.”

“You two behave, I should be back later in the evening.”

Darcy watched Bobby leave, before locking the door behind him, all twelve of them.

“That’s excessive!” Sam intoned.

“I know.” Darcy chuckled. “You want to play cards?”

Sam, she decided, was cool. She’d learned that his dad had been in the military, and that he wanted to follow in his footstep. He was pretty good at poker, but sucked at Rummy. By the time Bobby and Rufus returned, a little wary but in one piece, the two were friends. When it was time for him to go they separated not knowing if they’d see each other again, but knowing they’d always share a sort of kinship.

Chapter Text

Darcy stared at herself in the mirror, a grimace taking over her twelve year old face. A knock on the door had her darting to her bed, diving beneath the covers she deepened her voice.

“Come in!” she called gruffly.

Bobby opened the door slowly, “is everything alright? You’ll be late for school if you don’t hurry.”

“I’m, I’m not feeling well.” Darcy whispered, coughing for added effect.

Bobby’s eyes narrowed at the voice, before sighing. “I can grab the thermometer, or take you to the doctor?” he offered.

Darcy sighed, peeling back the covers to her neck. “That’s not… I just, maybe I can stay home today?” She asked quietly.

“Whatever problem you’re having Darce, it’ll still be there.”

Darcy felt her eyes begin to tear.

“Balls” Bobby huffed, taking up position beside her. She scooted over to make room resting her head on his beer belly. “Feel like talkin.”

Darcy stayed quiet, and Bobby was prepared to not receive an answer, but then Darcy spoke, so quietly he had to strain to hear.

“The other kids, they’ve been… teasing me..”

Bobby looked to her confused. Darcy had plenty of friends she was a sweet kid, but kids… kids were cruel. “What did they say.”

Darcy shook her head burying herself beneath the covers again.

Muffled words rose up to him and he frowned. “What was that?”

Darcy huffed before popping out from beneath the blanket. Her cheeks a brilliant shade of red.

“I Said, I need a Bra!! It’s like one second I’m as flat chested as the other girls and then like overnight I’ve get ten added pounds! Yesterday the boys wouldn’t stop staring and the girls ugh they treat me like an alien!”

Bobby froze panic clear in his eyes and as Darcy’s face began to reflect his own he knew that this conversation they were about to have would either go one of a few ways depending on his next reation. “Okay.” He said as calmly as possible.

Darcy sighed relief evident in her face, as the red slowly faded.

“I’ll call up Emily’s mom, Tracey, and see if she can take you.”

Darcy nodded Emily’s mom was nice, she’d bring snacks and Gatorade to Soccer practice. And at their sleepovers she was always quick to make them feel comfortable.

“Okay?” Bobby asked.

Darcy nodded. “Okay. I just…” Darcy trailed off there were times, like this. where she wished her own Mom was here.

Bobby saw the frown on her face and had a small inkling as to what she might be thinking. “It’s okay to miss her you know.”

Darcy sniffled at that. “Even if… Even if I never knew her?”

“Especially!” Bobby offered. “Missing someone who should have been a big part of your life… that’s normal.”

Darcy nodded as a few more tears slipped down her cheek. “Thanks Uncle Bobby.”

Darcy sat perched on a junk car beside the one Bobby was working on.

“Pass me the Torque wrench.”

Darcy looked into the tool box beside her before grabbing the tool, instead of handing it to him she slid off the hood of the car before coming to standi beside him.

Bobby looked to her confused and Darcy smiled.

“What next?”

Bobby chuckled before hoisting the girl onto the bumper of the car.

“See that cap…” Bobby began. Showing Darcy where to put the wrench and how to turn it. he continued allowing her to do most of the work as he offered guidance. Darcy eagerly paid attention asking the occasional question, when she needed to.

“Alright give her a start.”

Darcy looked up excitedly before running around to the driver’s side of the car. Key already in the ignition she gave it a jerk and the car began to sputter.

“Give it some gas.” He called.

Darcy had to strain to reach the pedal just barely able to push down on it. the car let out a groan before roaring to life.

“Whoop!” She cheered before stepping out to rejoin Bobby.

“That was… fun.” Darcy provided.

Bobby grinned at that before looking around his yard.

“Pick one.” He offered.

Darcy gasped, eyes wide.

“Pick a car, well fix it up and it’s yours.” Bobby reiterated.

Darcy let out a squeal before taking off.

Bobby watched her, amused, as she inspected each of the cars before moving on. He was getting ready to offer his assistance before Darcy called him over.

“This one!”

Bobby grimaced at the choice, a 67 ford mustang Shelby GT500. It would be a bad ass car if it wasn’t nearly down to frame. The owner had nearly wrapped it around a tree when he’d crashed it.

“Can we fix it?” she asked, noticing his face.

“It’s gonna take time, and Money,”

“oh… well I could help you in the Salvage yard? Maybe?”

“We’ll figure something out. Let’s take a look at her, shall we?”

“He.” Darcy corrected. “My car is a boy. And he’s going to beautiful, isn’t that right honey.” Darcy cooed rubbing the hood lovingly, only to come up with dust. “We’ll work on that.” She grimaced.

They were on their way from a hunt, the road slick as rain obscured their vision, so when  a figure came into view Bobby slammed on the break.

“What? What is it!” Darcy jerked, having drifted off to sleep. Darcy eyed Bobby as he seemed to mull over something. She followed his gaze seeing a red-haired feminine figure trekking along the side of the road.

“We have to help her!” Darcy whispered.

Bobby sighed. “she could be dangerous.” He reminded her.

Darcy pointed to the supplies sitting between her legs, the assorted knives and repellents. “I think we can handle it.”

Bobby released another breath of air before driving the car forward. After a moment’s hesitation he rolled down the window. “Everything okay?” He called “Looks like you could use a ride?”

The woman stiffened in her movements before slowly turning to look at them. She seemed to assess them before shrugging.

“I… I’m meeting someone a few miles down the road.”

Bobby nodded. “Need a ride.”

She frowned, a slew of emotions crossing her features before she went blank.

Bobby tried not to frown at that.

“I… Yes … Please.”

Bobby popped the lock and the woman quickly climbed into the backseat sliding her bag into her lap as they continued down the road.

“Some pretty bad weather you got caught in,”

The woman stayed silent seeming to clutch her bag tighter.

Darcy turned in her seat. “where were you headed?”

“There’s a um, shopping center farther down.”

“Oh, yeah Talley corner, there’s a diner down there, we could grab you something to eat?” Darcy offered. Bobby glanced to Darcy before watching the woman’s face.

“I shouldn’t.”

Darcy scrutinized the woman her dripping red hair hung limp but even sopping she could see the hint of curls beginning to form, she had to be in her early twenties her cheeks still full with no wrinkle in sight. Noticing her pallid skin color and her repressed shivers. Darcy shook off her jacket, the young woman was small, and after her own… growth spurt she figured it should fit.

“Here,” she offered handing her the jacket.

Slowly she took it before easing out of her own jacket, Darcy noticed the wince, and her labored breathing but didn’t comment just turning in her seat as they continued down the road.

Ignoring the woman’s protest, they led her into the diner where she finally relented and ordered a Waffle platter

Darcy grinned ordering the same. “Normal rules don’t apply at diners, you can eat breakfast whenever!!” She explained excitedly.

Bobby chuckled, the woman smiling slightly.

As their food arrived Darcy nor Bobby commented as she dug in as if it were her first meal in days. They just dove into their own food, hungry themselves after the energy they spent helping a nearby hunter.

Check paid Darcy and Bobby stood to leave, unsure of the woman.

“I’ll stay here and wait for my… friend. Thank you for this.”

Darcy beamed, the small smile she received in turn making her feel warm inside. “It was our pleasure, Good luck!” Darcy called following Bobby back to the car.

Chapter Text

As she grew older Darcy began to resent her Dad, and if he didn’t want her because she looked like a woman she barely remembered, well Darcy would fix that. She came home one evening from a friend’s house with brunette hair when she was fifteen.

Bobby stared, before chuckling. “I’m gonna miss the blonde, but you look nice Darcy.” He’d said before getting started on dinner.

Darcy liked that about Bobby, he was easy to talk to, and he was there when she need him. John, Sam and Dean stopped by occasionally always unannounced. But Darcy took that with a grain of salt. The boys would call when they could, and she learned it was better to hear from them then not at all.

Soon enough she was worrying about going off to college, and after encouragement from her councilor, she decided it couldn’t hurt to send out applications. She applied to three nearby colleges and on a whim an out of state school in west Virginia. 

A few weeks later she found Bobby sitting at the table with the mail and she froze.

“Darcy is that you?” he called.

“Yeah uncle Bobby” she answered shuffling into the kitchen.

“You got some mail.” He told her, motioning towards the table.

“I was going to tell you Uncle Bobby, I just I…”

“You don’t have to worry kid, I’m proud of you either way.” Bobby said with a smile.

“You are?” she questioned.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” he challenged.

“Because we’re Hunters! I thought you’d be upset about me wanting to do something else.” She mumbled.

“Upset? Darcy I never wanted this life for you, so if you want to continue your education, I’ll be here to support you.”

Darcy nodded with a sniffle before picking up the mail.

“What are the contenders?” he asked.

“We’ve got South Dakota State, University of south Dakota, Augustana University, and Culver University.”

“I’m guessing Culver is the dream school.” He surmised.

Darcy nodded hesitantly.

“Should we do that one first or last?”

“Last.” She said quickly. “I don’t want to jinx it.”

He motioned for her to open the others.

“Two acceptances and one no.” Bobby said with a grin once the table littered with the letters and torn envelopes.

Darcy huffed eyeing the unopened Culver envelope in the center. “Can you open it?” Darcy asked quietly.

Bobby nodded before gently opening the letter, keeping his face blank as he read through it. Slowly he looked up to her.

“It’s fine, it’s kind of far anyway. I mean Augustana is here in Sioux falls, it was the second best anyway. I could just commute, save some money, and I could still help you out.” She babbled.

“Darcy.” Bobby cut in. “You got in!” he chuckled in disbelief.

Darcy froze. “I what?”

Bobby let out another chuckle. “You got in Darlin.”

“I got in?” she whispered. “I got in!” She shrieked happily, throwing herself into Bobby’s arms.

“You got in.” he mumbled into her hair.

She took a step back with a wet chuckle wiping the tears from her eyes.

“We should celebrate. How bout we go out to your favorite diner tonight?” Bobby offered.

Darcy could only nod as her mind raced. “Do you think we should tell...” she trailed off looking to Bobby.

“You’ll have to tell him at some point.” Bobby reminded her before grabbing the car keys.

That night she got a call from an unknown number. Already guessing who it could be she picked  up.

“Darcy?” a familiar voice questioned.

“Hey Sammy!” Darcy said with a smile, she heard Sam’s sigh of relief through the line and she tensed. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”

“What? Yeah everything’s fine!” he assured her with a nervous chuckle.

“Jesus you scared me!” she hissed, flopping onto her pillow.

“Can’t your brother call you at 12 am from an unknown number just to talk?” he teased with a chuckle.

“Actually it’s three am here.” She said with a yawn.

“Jesus, I’m sorry Darce I completely forgot! I can let you go back to sleep.”

“No it’s okay, what did you need.”

“Someone to talk to.” He said with a huff.

“I’m all ears.”

“Well I technically graduated a few weeks ago.” He began.

“What! That’s awesome Sammy.” Darcy cheered.

“Thanks, so I applied to some colleges, just to see if I could get in.” Sam added.

But Darcy knew better, Sam wanted more out of life, so if he did this? He’d thought hard about it. She held her breath.

“And?”

“Darcy I got into Stanford.” He said sounding in awe.

“That is amazing! What! Stanford?! I always knew you were a genius.”

Sam preened over the line. “Thanks, I… I really needed to hear that.” He said quietly.

“What do you mean?” she questioned.

“I don’t know how to tell Dean, or Dad for that matter.”

Darcy felt her heart break.

“What do you think they’ll say.” She murmured.

“I’m not sure. But I’m kind of nervous.” Sam whispered.

“Wait where are you now.”

 “Washington, we had a hunt nearby.”

“I mean right now Sam. This isn’t one of the regular phone lines.” She chided.

“It’s a payphone.” He mumbled.

“That bad?” she whispered.

“I’m not sure.”

“Well if it is we can be disappointments together.” She reassured him

“What do you mean?” he questioned suspiciously.

“I got into Culver.” Darcy returned.

“Culver?! Holy shit Darce, that’s amazing! I guess genius runs in the family.” He said pride clear in his voice.

“Thanks Sammy.”

“You shouldn’t worry though, Dad will be proud of you.” he said pointedly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she questioned, feeling a bit ruffled.

“Darce, I’m the one he expects to keep hunting with him and Dean until one of us slips up. You? He’s only ever wanted to keep you safe, hell he’ll probably be relieved.” He said bitterness twinging his voice.

Darcy huffed. “Well he can take his safety and shove it!” Darcy hissed.

Sam chuckled. “It’s what we all want for you Darcy.”

She stayed quiet, an automated female voice warning them of the end of the call.

“I gotta go Darce, I’m real proud of you.”

“Proud of you too Sammy, no matter what.”

“Thanks, Talk to you later.”

“I love you Sammy!” Darcy cooed over the phone.

Sam chuckled. “You too Darcy.”

Darcy didn’t hear from Sam again until he showed up on Bobby’s doorstep.

His eyes were red rimmed, and Darcy quickly brought his large form in for a hug.

“Darcy? Who was at the door…” Bobby trailed off when he came around the corner.

“Should I put on some soup?” he said awkwardly, before moving into the kitchen.

The two sat down on the couch, and Darcy stayed silent as Sam sat in thought.

“Tell me what happened.” She said gently when the silence got to be too much.

“He, they...” Sam huffed burying his face into his hands.

Darcy rubbed his back soothingly waiting for him to continue. “He completely flipped out Darce, he… we got into an argument and then he said…”

“What did he say?” Bobby said from the kitchen.

“He told me to never come back. If I walked out the door.”

Darcy huffed.

“And I did, I left, took a bus... but I didn’t know where else to go.” Sam said eyes pleading down at her.

Something broke in the kitchen, Darcy and Sam jerked at the noise only to find Bobby cursing up a storm.

“That Damn John! Don’t got the good sense God gave him! I swear next time I see him I’ll, I’ll!” Bobby trailed off rummaging through the kitchen for something to clean up his mess.

Darcy and Sam chuckled, before it broke off into Sam groaning.

“I messed up, maybe I should go back.”

Darcy’s eyes widened in shock. “No!”

“No?”

“No.” she said firmly. “you’ve been working hard for this Sam! You’ll regret it if you don’t go.”

“Yeah but what about Dad and Dean! They’ll never talk to me again!”

“Dad can suck it, and Dean, he’ll get over it! Somewhere deep down, I know he’s happy for you.” she said assuredly.

Sam looked to her still unsure.

Darcy smiled before looking to Bobby. “Tell him Uncle Bobby.”

“Uhm. Well look son. You gotta do what’s best for you, because if you stay knowin you want to go. You’ll hate them for it…” Bobby offered.

Sam nodded.

“Also we might have to order a pizza. I dropped most of the soup on the floor.”

Sam stayed with them until both his and Darcy’s orientation days grew closer. A teary eyed Bobby dropping them off at the airport.

“Are you sure you don’t want to drive? You’d be able to take all your supplies with you, and you’d be able to keep the car.” Bobby reminded.

“Freshmen can’t have cars Uncle bobby, and I really don’t want to have to explain my supplies to my roommate, she seems like a nice girl.”

Bobby chuckled at that. “Well, don’t stay unprepared ya idjits, I don’t care if you swear off the hunting life, don’t forget to protect yourselves.” He warned.

“We will Bobby. And thanks again. For everything.” Sam replied.

“Anytime boy. Anytime. You better get going I’d hate for you to miss your flight.”

“I’ll call you when I land, Uncle Bobby.” Darcy assured, giving him one more hug.

It wasn’t until they passed security that Darcy and Sam had to separate. Sam stood there awkwardly, making Darcy laugh, she quickly brought him into a hug. “You can call anytime Sam, I’m going home for the holidays so don’t think you can’t! And you have no reason not to keep in touch.” She hissed pinching his side.

“Ow! I’ll call I swear. Jeez your bossy for a midget!” he said with a wince

Darcy laughed, before going in for another hug. “Aww Sammy! Where going to opposite sides of the States.”

“I know Darce. I know.”

“Maybe we can visit each other?” she asked hopefully.

“Of course we can. How else will I scare off all the boys who think they can talk to you.”

Darcy glared. “I changed my mind, you’re only aloud to send letters, I’m unfriending you on Myspace.” She warned before the two fell into a fit of laughter.

“I’m going to miss you Darcy.” He said ruffling her brunette hair.

“Yeah, yeah. Now get out of here ya giant! I’d hate for a beanstalk to fall on ya!” she said with a chuckle.

“I am not that tall!” Sam denied.

“I barely come to your waist!” She taunted.

“That’s cause you’re a midget Darce!” Sam teased.

“I’m not gonna miss you one bit. In fact, I can’t wait for you to leave.” She grumbled

“Aw Darce, not even a little.” He said inflicting his puppy dog eyes.

“Ugh stop, you look like I killed your dog! Geez yes, I’ll miss my overgrown twin brother!” She chuckled. “A man of your size should not be able to make that face.”

Sam laughed hard and Darcy smiled at the sight.

“Alright. See ya around Darcy.”

“See ya around Sammy.” She returned before picking up her backpack and suitcase, the two finally taking off to their separate ends of the airport.

Four hours and a cab ride later Darcy stepped into her dorm room, she noticed one side was already filled and called out hesitantly.

“Hello is anybody home?”

“Darcy?!” a girl shrieked, her head popping out of the opened bathroom door.

“Skye?!” Darcy cried out. The two ran to the other engulfing each other in a hug.

“It’s nice to finally meet you!” Skye returned.

“Same!! Oh my god you’re so cute!” Darcy announced in a mock southern accent.

“And look at you, just a peach you are, I could just eat you up.” Skye praised.

The two fell into a fit of giggles, before breathing a sigh of relief.

“Oh, man we are gonna have so much fun.” Skye promised.

Darcy quickly got used to Skye, when she noticed the girl’s skill with a computer Darcy had wondered if she would share the knowledge. Apparently she did so out loud.

“I’m sure I could.” Skye said bringing Darcy out of her reverie.

“hmmm. Oh. Would you?”

“Sure.”

“What is it that you do all the time?” Darcy queried.

“It’s better if you don’t know.” Skye said with a grimace.

“Hey it’s fine, I get it we all got our secrets.” Darcy placated. Skye nodded before diving into the basics, Darcy catching on fast to the upbeat way Skye taught.

Darcy’s Chest came a week later and she had Skye help her bring it upstairs, just fitting it beneath the bed thanks to the risers.

“So what’s in it?” Skye questioned.

Darcy gave her a look. “Just some stuff from home.” She said with a shrug.

Skye nodded before going back to her computer.

After Skye went to sleep she quickly began sorting through everything. Pulling out her Journal she opened it for reference before decorating the room with sigils and wards, finally breathing easily, after a week without them. Before she closed it she noticed something wrapped up. She found a note taped to it, reading it with a chuckle.

“Hey Darce, in all my teachings I never mentioned boys, how could I forget. They can be just as cruel as the monsters we hunt, and I don’t know if you kept it well hidden or if you never dated, either way I’m thankful. But should a boy go too far in his… endeavors. Use this. It’ll help me sleep easier at night. -Uncle Bobby.”

She unwrapped the item with glee upon realizing he’d smuggled her a tazer. Being that they were illegal on campus she kept it hidden, but it was always on her person.

Chapter Text

She settled in nicely made a few friends, and got along with most of her professors.

It wasn’t until two months in when Darcy was walking down the empty hall when that changed. She’d forgotten a text book in her locker and had to come back. Night was falling as she moved quickly through the empty halls.

As she turned a corner one of the florescent lights above began to flicker.

Darcy bit back a shudder before continuing her stride. Two steps later she realized the shudder hadn’t been voluntary, her next breath she saw in wisps finally realizing what she’d tried to deny. There was a ghost nearby. And then she heard a scream

“Shit!” she hissed running towards the sound to a classroom. Inside she found a professor being backed into a corner, an eerie figure the culprit. Darcy looked around the room for something to use before remembering her iron knuckles. She quickly dug them out fitting them onto her fingers.

“Well here goes nothing! Hey asshole!” She cried out, and the ghost turned before flying towards her. She threw out a punch and the ghost vanished at the impact.

“Professor! Get up we have to go!” Darcy warned

“What was that?” the woman asked in a daze.

“No time to explain we need to-” Darcy cut off when the door slammed shut behind her.

“Oh come on! Are you kidding me?” Darcy huffed, watching as the professor ran to try and open the door.

“It’s locked!” she cried out in disbelief.

“No shit.” Darcy murmured.

Darcy once again surveyed her surroundings. “Science lab? I can work with that. Professor, got any Salt laying around by any chance.”

“Salt? Why would you nee-

“For reasons! Yes, or no!?” Darcy urged cutting her off.

“There should be some in the cabinets.”

Darcy dove for it coming up with two containers. “Awesome! Here take this close the window and then pour down the salt!”

“What?”

“Please! I’ll explain later.” Preferably never, Darcy added mentally.

Pouring the salt in front of the doors threshold she moved quickly, helping the professor close the many window around them before pouring down the salt.

The professor who had been holding it together so far, finally crumbled.

“This can’t be happening; I don’t even know what’s happening.”

“Hey, hey, not yet not now. Tell me what’s your name.’

“I’m Betty, Dr. Betty Ross.”

“Hey Dr. Ross, I know that name. My roommate has you for science.”

Dr. Ross gave her a deadpan look.

“Right, you wouldn’t happen to have known who that was?” Darcy asked hopefully.

“It’s impossible.” Dr. Ross mumbled.

“Really is that what you’re going with.”

“Well what do you want me to say! That our schools dead founder attacked me!” she hissed.

Darcy smirked. “Well actually it’s a start.”

Betty let out a huff. “That’s impossible.”

“Well okay sure, but hypothetically speaking where would I find more information on our dead school founder.”

“Hypothetically speaking? The school library.” Betty answered, playing along.

“I was hoping you’d say something more convenient like this textbook.” Darcy whined.

“That’s a biology textbook.” Betty said with a grimace.

“Then we can’t stay in here, unfortunately.” Darcy announced.

“What why not?” Betty groaned

“Because if you want to end this I need more information.” Darcy explained

“Can’t we use a computer?” Betty suggested

“Sure you got one?” She asked hopefully.

Betty pouted. “I left it in my car.”

“Well the library it is.” Darcy reiterated.

She grabbed her forgotten backpack from its position between the desks before heading back to the cabinet. She shoved in a few more containers of salt, before continuing her search.

“Is there any iron in here?” Darcy questioned

The professor looked at her confused.

Darcy continued to fling open the drawers to the cabinet.

“Ooh what’s this made of?” Darcy questioned holding up a metal Bunsen burner lighter.

“Iron, I think.” Betty said slowly.

“hmm that’ll do.” Darcy announced before emptying the drawer of them into her backpack, stuffing a few into her pockets and holding four in her hand.

“What are you doing! Those are school property.”

“And we’re on school property! Oh come on, I’ll put them back!” Darcy promised.

“Fine, but what’s all this for.”

Darcy peered over her shoulder. “Hypothetically speaking?”

Dr. Ross nodded hesitantly.

“Well. Hypothetically speaking, we are dealing with a Ghost, Salt barriers will keep it out, Iron gives us a weapon against them, at least temporarily.”

“Can’t we just call the police?” Betty questioned.

“Sure, do you wanna make that call? Because I have no intention of ending up in the looney bin.” Darcy proclaimed.

Dr. Ross stayed quiet.

“Well then. You stay here, I’m going to run to the library and do some research.”

“What?! You can’t just leave me in here! With a Ghost!” she hissed.

“You’re safe here. We’ve salted the room. He can’t get in. once I go into the hall I’m fair game and will be running for my life trying to make it to the library.”

“I really don’t want to stay here.” The Professor whispered.

Darcy sighed sending a silent prayer to whoever was listening.

“Fine, take some of these, you see a translucent figure throw it right at him. And keep running.” Darcy warned.

Betty nodded taking five of the lighters from the backpack.  “The library is two levels down, make a run for the stairs.”

“Why not the elevator?” Betty asked confused.

“I have no clue how strong this ghost is, so I will give it no power over a giant metal box of doom.” Darcy returned.

“Right.” Betty affirmed

The two walked to the door.

“On the count of three, I’m going to open the door and you are going to run like hell is on your heels.”

“what about you?”

“I will also be running like hell is in fact on my heels. Any more questions?”

Betty shook her head.

“Good. One two three!” she whispered throwing the door open.

The two took off down the hall, nearly passing the stairs in their rush.

They made it down the first flight with no problem, as they rounded the corner the founder rose up to meet them.

Betty screamed, throwing her lighter at him in the process.

Darcy bit back a chuckle grabbing Betty’s hand as they rounded the next turn. She threw herself into the door, barely breaking stride as she dragged Betty behind her.

They rounded another corner before the library came into view.

Darcy continued her trek pulling on the handle of the door, only to find it locked.

“Oh for crying out loud” Darcy hissed crouching down and pulling out her pick from her sock. “Keep watch!” Darcy ordered before starting on the lock.

Betty stood vigil as Darcy made quick work of the lock. “Tada!!” she cheered before pulling Betty into the room with her. She drew a salt line against the door before sighing in relief.

She quickly found the computers and drew a large salt circle around her work area, enough for both her and Betty to sit down.

“Pull up a chair Doc we got some work to do.” Darcy told her.

“What am I looking for?” Betty queried

“Family life, history, Ohhh like it says here that Henry Culver founded the school in 1894. He died ten years after the school opened. But where was he buried.” She questioned reading through the article.

“Says here he was cremated.” Betty answered after a minute.

“Why?!” Darcy wailed glaring at the time in the corner of the monitor.

“What?” Betty asked startled.

“Well usually to get rid of the ghost you’d salt and burn the body. It’s what ties them to the earth.”

“Then why is he bothering us now!” Betty hissed.

“Well if there’s no body to burn there has to be an item, an object that was his that’s giving him a foothold.”

“So you burn that?” Betty questioned.

“If we can figure out what it is! It could literally be anything.” Darcy explained.

She looked back up to the monitor, studying the picture of Henry Culver.

“How about a monocle?” Betty offered.

“No thank you I’m underage.” Darcy denied.

Betty chuckled. “No, look! He’s wearing a monocle.”

“Oh. Where would that even be?” Darcy questioned.

“Actually they keep it in the main hall. There’s a display case with the schools prized possessions. I remember there being a monocle in there.” Betty explained.

“Meh, it’s worth a shot.” Darcy returned.

“We’re going to have to run again aren’t we?” Betty said with a huff.

“We could walk, but it makes me feel like I’m waiting to be attacked, I like to already be running.”

“Your logic astounds me.” Betty proclaimed.

“Thank you!” Darcy said with a grin.

The two left the library like they arrived, as fast as possible. As they came to the display case Ghost Henry appeared before them. Without hesitation Darcy threw her Bunsen lighter at him. As he faded her lighter continued to fly smashing through the case.

“Convenient!” Darcy shrieked happily.

“Could we avoid destroying school property.” Betty groaned.

“Sure right after we burn this monocle.” Darcy said reaching through the glass to open the door. It did so with a click and she quickly grabbed the monocle. Before she could get a grip on it she went soaring backwards, slamming into a wall.

“Son of a bitch.” She groaned, her head swimming as she fixed her glasses.

“Darcy!” Betty yelled.

“I’m okay! I’ll keep him busy you pour salt on the monocle, and then burn it!”

“With what?” Betty shrieked.

Darcy threw her backpack to Betty, but not before taking out a few more burners. “Lighters are in the side pocket. Break one of them open pour the lighter fluid on it, Salt, then burn it. And hurry” she added when Henry appeared three feet away.

“Let’s do this!” She roared throwing another Bunsen lighter.

He managed to dodge that one, but got clipped by the second one she threw. He reappeared closer with a vengeance and she threw a punch with the iron Knuckles. Again he vanished, before reappearing behind Betty.

“Shit! Duck!” Betty threw herself to the floor as Darcy’s Bunsen lighter hurled passed her head.

Darcy whirled when she felt the need to turn around only to come face to face with the ghostly figure.

Before she could move he lit up in flames, a scream of outrage slipping past his lips as he burned into embers.

Darcy sagged in relief. She turned around and found Betty slouched on the floor, next to the quickly disintegrating monocle.

“Well as fun as this was, I’m going to head out. I’ve got a test tomorrow, and-”

“That’s it?” Betty whispered, cutting her off.

“Uh, I hope so.” Darcy returned.

“That was… how did you know to do all that?” Betty questioned running a hand through her hair.

“Umm, can’t I just say you’re welcome and we go our separate ways?” Darcy pleaded.

Betty eyed her. “I wouldn’t tell anyone. Darcy you saved my life. I just… Thank you!” She shrieked throwing her arms around Darcy who was a head shorter.

Darcy patted her back awkwardly “Anytime Doc.”

“What should we do about all this?” Betty questioned motioning to the broken display case.

“Well I threw our last Bunsen lighter over there and it looks like the salt spilled in my bag. Sooo, nothing? They’ll figure something out, call it a vandalism or something.”

Betty nodded numbly.

“Do you need me to walk you somewhere?”

“My cars on the other side of campus.” Betty told her.

“Come on, you can give me a ride to my dorm?” Darcy questioned.

Betty sagged in relief. “It would be my pleasure.”

“Hopefully Skye is sleeping.”

“Skye’s your roommate?” Betty questioned as the two trekked down the hall.

“Yep.” She said popping the P.

“Sweet girl, but she’s always going on about conspiracy theories.”

“You get used to it honestly.” Darcy said with a chuckle.

By the time Darcy got back to her dorm room it was two am, she immediately climbed into bed, slipping out of her pants and bra, before promptly falling asleep.

She ignored the gossip about the school vandalism, as she quickly made her way through the mess hall. She plopped down next to Skye, shoving an apple into her mouth.

“Where were you last night?” Skye questioned.

“Studying. I’ve got that test today.”

“Oh. Good luck.” Skye huffed stealing a sip of Darcy’s apple juice.

She didn’t see Dr. Ross until a week later, when she ran into her in the hall, literally.

“I am so sorry!” Betty grumbled,

“No problem.” She reassured

“Darcy?” Betty questioned glancing up

“Oh hey Dr. Ross, fancy meeting you here.” She returned

Betty rolled her eyes.

“Where are you headed?” Darcy questioned.

“The lab, I’ve been working with Dr. Banner on a project.”

Darcy wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Betty blushed, before playfully shoving her.

“You’re ridiculous.” Betty chuckled.

Darcy only shrugged. “It’s good to see you Doc.”

“It’s good to see you Darcy, I really owe you one, if you need anything don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Good to know. See you around Doc!” she said waving jauntily as she walked down the hall.

Chapter Text

Sophomore year she and Skye moved onto off campus housing, with the addition of two other girls.

Darcy met Kate after she realized she missed archery, she found out there was an archery club which gave her the perfect excuse she needed to keep her bow and arrow on campus.

She quickly fell into the swing of things, usually keeping to herself, until she got partnered with one Kathryn Bishop.

The two started the group warily but by the end had exchanged numbers. Hence convincing Kate to move in with her and Skye.

Skye came across Sharon in the midst of freshman year, the girl often joining her and Darcy on their outings as well as when they went to parties.

The girls excitedly walked up to their new place of residence, a dark blue two story house with a cute front porch. Looking up Darcy admired the patios she assumed lead from two of the four bedrooms. She began to have doubts about the place, it was nice… too nice for the price they’d gotten for it.

“Skye?” she asked turning to the girl beside her.

“Hm?”

“Did the owner tell you why he was selling this place so … cheap?”

“oh, get this.” She began, pulling Sharon and Kate closer into the conversation as she whispered. “He says it’s haunted.”

Darcy paused in her stride. “We bought a haunted house?”

Skye frowned at her tone. “Yeah but…. Darcy there’s no such thing. We’ll be fine.” She insisted before climbing up the white painted stairs to the front door.

Darcy took a moment to clamp down on her annoyance to spare Kate a glance. She hadn’t moved since Skye uttered the heinous words, and frankly she looked as pale as a ghost.

“I um... I didn’t sign up for ghost Darcy.”

“No one ever does.” Darcy returned solemnly “look I know it’s a little late, but maybe… I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to find another place to stay… we”

“It’s fine. It’s like Skye said, there’s no such thing as ghost.” The girl didn’t seem convinced herself but she took a deep breath, before continuing her stride forward.

Darcy let out a sigh. “I really wish you hadn’t said that.”

After dragging all of her things into her room she decided it was time for a shower. She’d only been in the shower for a minute before the screams started.

Still soapy in some places Darcy darted from the shower, having the state of mind to grab a towel before running down the stairs, careful of her suds.

What she walked in on was not a ghostly figure, but a rat. Her roommates both chasing and running from the rodent. Skye being the latter. Too late Darcy realized the rat was headed straight for her. She’d like to say that she kept her head, but as she watched the rat move with unnerving speed, she screamed. Jumping over the rails of the wooden railing she fought for purchase on the love seat as she landed shakily on its cushions.

“Darcy!” Sharon and Kate shrieked.

Sharon took a running start before reversing Darcy’s movements, leaping from the love seat and over the railing to cut off the Rat with a strong sweep of her broom. The rat tumbled back down the stairs landing with a thud on each step it hit. “Kate the door!” Sharon ordered.

Kate flung the door open with a bang, but the rat had other plans as he made a mad dash for the next room.

“Darcy!” Sharon called.

Darcy had a moment of confusion as the broom was suddenly tossed to her before instinct took over. She leapt to the coffee table a few feet away, and just as the Rat ran to pass, Darcy swung sweeping the broom like a gulf club. The rat went soaring through the air and out the front door. Kate slammed it shut after it with a grunt.

The four took a minute to catch their breath before a hysterical giggle escaped Skye. All eyes swiveled to the girl curled up in the corner of the opposite sofa. Darcy couldn’t help it, a giggle bubbling up before it turned into full on laughter quickly joined by Kate and Sharon.

“Why are you naked?” Sharon gasped out.

“I was in the shower!”

“I can still see the soap!” Skye breathed out before laughing harder.

“Whatever, I’m pretty sure it was your scream that I heard!” Darcy giggled out. She left the room still giggling, relieved that her friends weren’t being attacked by ghost. With that in mind she decided she needed to proof the house… right after she finished getting the soap out of her hair.

The four fit together like a puzzle piece and they enjoyed every minute of it, even if they were all hiding their own secrets.

Darcy’s, unfortunately coming to light at break neck speed.

She was in her room studying under the lamp by her desk when the light flickered. Darcy frowned, reaching to twist and untwist the bulb, She’d just replaced the last one. The sound of glass breaking down the hall, had her on her feet.  She walked down the hall the chandelier above her flickering ominously. Pausing in her movements she reached into her pocket pulling out the iron knuckles and slipping them into place. Darcy did a mental list of her roommates currently home, Skye had a night class, Sharon was out with a class mate. Shit. “Kate?” she called.

A choked out “Darcy!” Had her beelining for Kate’s room, she kicked open the door with a bang, the figure who currently had her ghostly fingers wrapped around Kate’s throat vanished at her entrance.

Kate dropped to the floor gasping for air.

Darcy rushed forward “Kate are you okay?”

“What was that?” Kate returned eyes wide as she massaged her throat.

Darcy bit her lip nervously. “Not here.” She whispered, pulling Kate behind her, the two retreated to her room where Darcy finished the protective salt barrier at the lining of her door.

“I just.. was that a?” Kate sputtered.

“A ghost? It would seem so.” Darcy returned. Pulling out her chest she dug through it until she found a folder. Of course, she’d done recon on the house, but after nothing happened she’d figured they’d been in the clear. She flipped through the pages before handing Kate one lined with pictures.

“I need you to look through these and tell me who you saw.”

Kate frowned at that before looking down at the paper. Darcy watched as her eyes flitted down the page until her eyes widened in recognition. “Who is it?” she urged

Kate pointed to a smiling woman with brown hair. “That one.”

Darcy frowned, it was the owner from nineteen fifty-three. “Are you sure?”

“It’s kind of hard to forget someone who tried to choke you to death. Even if she is less bloody and angry…”

“True.” Darcy hummed.

Kate startled at the sound of the front door opening.

“Hello?”

“Darcy? Kate?”

Darcy bit back a curse as both Sharon and Skye made themselves known in the house.

“Listen, we need to get out of here. That woman is the one who’s been haunting the house, and she will kill us. Go to your room and grab a bag, we’ll stay in a motel tonight.”

“and after?” Kate questioned grabbing her wrist as she turned away.

“I’m going to handle it.” Darcy promised

Kate’s eyes widened at the determination in her voice “Darcy?”

She shook her head “Not now, we need to leave.”

Kate nodded, before following her.

Darcy grabbed her own go bag stuffing her laptop inside before grabbing her journal and a few weapons from her Chest.

Together they headed back to Kate’s room, where the girl moved faster than Darcy had ever seen. They were even able to head off Sharon and Skye at the top of the stairs.

“Hey where’s the fire?” Sharon chuckled.

“No fire, we need to go, grab an overnight bag and I’ll explain on the way.”

Sharon’s eyes hardened, a switch flipping that Darcy hadn’t realized she had. Skye didn’t seem to get the memo.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“There’s no time to explain, we’ve gotta” Darcy broke off when the lights shut off.

“Is anybody suddenly really cold?” Sharon whispered.

“Too late, My room now!” Darcy called , just as the figure manifested.

Darcy gripped the iron baseball bat in her hand. Not hearing the sound of her roommates dashing to her room she peaked behind her and groaned.

“Darcy.. is that a… a..a” Skye sputtered.

“Run now!” Darcy ordered, swinging the bat at the woman, before spinning and pushing her roommates forward. They collapsed in her room and Darcy was quick to fix the salt line in front of the door before pulling a box from beneath her bed. “Open the door to the patio.”

Kate threw the sliding door open and the four piled onto the terrace. Darcy revealed her rope ladder strapping it to the railing before motioning for them to move. She went last, and when her feet touched down on the wet grass she bustled them to her car, the Gt500 she and Bobby had been working on and only recently had it brought up. As the girls piled inside she threw her bags in before driving to the nearest motel.

Situated in the room with two double beds Darcy let herself relax.

“What was that Darce?” Sharon asked, breaking the silence.

“It was a ghost!” Kate cut in, eying Skye pointedly.

“Be serious.” Skye snapped.

“I am serious, you just had to go and buy a haunted house.”

Skye gaped “You’re serious.”

“of course I’m serious! You saw it!” Kate hissed.

Skye frowned “Yeah but.”

“Marilyn Basset.” Darcy announced.

“Who.” Sharon asked, speaking her first words since they’d left the house.

“She was the previous owner of the house back in nineteen fifty-three. From the research, I gathered her husband cheated on her, sooo she killed him, and then herself. I guess having women in the house isn’t something she can tolerate.”

The three girls stared at her as if she were a puzzle. Kate seemed to break out of her stupor first, Darcy’s words from earlier coming back to her.

“What are we going to do?” She asked.

Darcy snorted. “We? No, I am going to look up where she’s buried, and I’m going to give her a proper send off.”

“I’ll help you.” Sharon announced.

“Me too.” Kate decided.

Skye eyed the two of them as they sent her pointed looks. “fine I’ll help too.”

“That’s nice guys but…”

“No buts, we got this house together, we handle that bitch of a ghost together. After all she did try to choke me to death.” Kate declared.

Skye gasped “She what? Ghost can choke people?” 

“It depends on how long they’ve been ghost, the longer they stay here the angrier they become, and by default the stronger.”

“How do you know?” Sharon asked, not rudely but Darcy could feel her eyes searching her face.

“It’s kind of a thing my family does, we’re called hunters.”

“Hunters?” Sharon repeated.

Darcy nodded. “We hunt supernatural creatures. Like ghost.”

Sharon nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

Sharon shrugged. “It makes sense, I always wondered about all the markings around the house. Please tell me the red stuff isn’t human blood.”

Of course, Sharon noticed the sparsely hidden sigils around the house. “Most of it is lamb blood.” Darcy turned to her laptop searching their ghost’s name, and finding her burial site. Skye sat beside her offering advice on finding nonpublic records, much to Sharon’s chagrin.

With a location, the girls piled back into Darcy’s car, driving in the night to a cemetery about thirty minutes from their motel. As they got out, Darcy went to the back pulling up the second bottom to her trunk, there were two sets of gasps behind her. Ignoring them she grabbed two shovels, a crow bar, salt, and two bottles of lighter fluid. She handed each off until she had everything she needed.

Skye and Sharon eyed their shovels before turning back to Darcy.

“Please tell me you aren’t going to dig up some old grave.” Skye pleaded.

Darcy huffed. “fine, I won’t” she returned before leading them further into the cemetery. “Marilyn Basset 1923 to 1953 start searching ladies.”

Twenty minutes of searching the dark cemetery later, Skye called them over.

“Guys over here!”

Darcy eyed the grave, the name, and the aging gravestone. “Looks right to me.” she huffed. “Skye and I will dig first, and then we can switch off.”

By the time, they hit the casket they were all sweating bullets.

“Oh God, why? That was like thee most difficult thing I’ve ever done.” Kate breathed.

Darcy bent down to pull off the casket lid revealing bones and cobwebs in a decaying gown.

“oh gross, I had my mouth open.” Kate gagged from beside her.

A scream from above had the two scrambling to climb out of the grave. Skye was being backed into a tree by the ghost, and with a shrill whistle Darcy grabbed her attention.

“Salt, lighter fluid, fire.” Darcy listed before picking up her bat. She went to swing it but the ghost disappeared before reappearing behind her. Darcy spun in time to see Sharon swing a crow bar through the ghost. The two sharing a silent agreement, distraction. The two turned back to back the ghost appearing back on Sharon’s side with a shrill yell.

“Any day now!” She called, slashing through the figure.

Darcy felt the air shift in front of her and swung just as the ghost reappeared.

When the ghost didn’t reappear the girls quickly turned only to find Kate once again in its clutches.

Darcy and Sharon darted forward and the ghost took no hesitation in throwing Kate at them.

They all groaned on impact as they hit the ground. Darcy struggled to reach her bat with Kate’s foot in her stomach, and as she looked up at the looming figure she had a momentary flash of panic before Marilyn went up in flames.

Darcy collapsed to the ground with a groan.

“Oh, thank god!” Kate breathed.

Skye approached her three friends laying in the dirt. “In lieu of recent events, I feel like I owe everyone an apology.”

Darcy couldn’t help it, she laughed. “I don’t know about you guys, but I need a hot shower and a bed, and that motel is still ours for the night.”

Darcy and Skye sat on their bed, while Kate and Sharon sat on theirs. The four chatting and munching on the pizza they ordered,

“I don’t know how anyone can do that for a living.” Kate huffed.

Darcy shrugged. “You don’t really choose the hunting life, you kind of get shoved into it head first.” She didn’t further elaborate and the girls seemed to accept that as they turned in for the night.

Kate groaned from her side of the bed. “You guys are not easy to land on, I think I sprained my spine.”

“yeah well having you hurled at us was no walk in the park either.” Sharon grumbled.0

Chapter Text

Things stayed quite for approximately one month, when Darcy walked in on Sharon and Skye arguing.

She quietly tried to ease up the stairs, but the two turned to her as soon as her foot creaked on the first step.

“Darcy, please tell Sharon I’m not some two-bit hacker and that I know what I’m doing!”

Darcy opened her mouth.

“Darcy, please tell Skye that hacking into government files is illegal and she could get us all in trouble.”

Darcy tried to speak but was once again cut off by Skye.

“Darcy, please tell Sharon, that I’ve done this before and the government won’t know what hit them”

Darcy tried again.

“Darcy, pleas-“

“Enough!! Sharon if Skye wants big brother breathing down her neck that’s up to her. Draw up a roommate agreement and rat her out when the time comes if it bothers you.”

“Hey!” Skye shrieked.

“What? I never said I would rat you out! I got your back” Darcy reassured her.

“Sweet.” Skye said with a smirk.

“I wouldn’t rat you out either. Just please be careful, those Agencies are crazy!” Sharon warned.

Darcy and Skye sent each other looks before deciding not to question it, adding it to the list of secrets and questions they swept under the rug for each other.

Oddly enough it wasn’t Skye’s hacking that brought the government down on Culver University.

The four were eating lunch in the quad, a greenery area with picnic tables the students frequented, when a tremor shook the ground.

“Did you guys feel that?” Skye questioned.

Before anyone could answer, four large tanks rolled around the corner, men in tactical gear pouring out of them.

“Holy..” Kate began

And then the wall across the yard exploded; a green giant emerging out of the rubble.

“Holy shit!” Darcy yelled, as it let out a roar.

A camera materialized in Sky’s hand while the three leapt from the table.

“Are you kidding me right now?” Sharon hissed.

The four watched as the tanks stopped around the yard.

“Oh man, Oh man!” Kate cried.

“Reporting for the Rising Tide, this is a live exclusive as a Green man rampages through Culver university.”

Darcy grabbed Skye pulling her out of the way as debris fell around them.

she heard a familiar scream across the yard, as Dr. Ross emerged from the hole after the giant.

“BRUCE!” Betty called over the roar of the Green man. “BRUCE!”

The Tanks opened fire on the roaring creature and Darcy rammed Skye to the ground as bullets whizzed past their heads. The quad filled with screams as students scrambled for safety.

“Ow Darce, you’re ruining my shot!” Skye hissed.

“Unbelievable!” Darcy hissed back rolling off of her and taking shelter under the table with Kate and Sharon, dragging Skye with her.

They watched the green man take out the men and two of the tanks. When a student let out a shrill yell he whirled, seeming to just realize there were people behind him.

“BRUCE!” Dr. Ross yelled again.

Darcy watched in horror as the giant scooped Betty up before knocking another tank out of the way, and then he ran. More specifically he jumped. And the group could only watch as he disappeared down the road.

“What the Hell was that?” Kate gaped.

“I don’t know but we need to get away from here.” Sharon whispered grabbing her bag and pulling Kate to her feet.

“My car’s around the block.” Kate offered.

“Good, let’s go!” Sharon returned.

The four snuck out of the quad moments before the agents could begin to rope it off.

Skye slammed the door to their home behind them, thankful for all the locks Darcy had installed in her paranoia.

She plopped onto the couch beside Kate with a huff.

“That was…. What the heck was that?” Skye questioned.

“Did I hear you say the Rising Tide?” Sharon questioned.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Skye quickly denied.

“Well since Classes are probably canceled, I’m going to take a nap.” Darcy announced as she stood.

“How can you sleep after that?” Kate questioned.

“What? We all cope in different ways. My adrenaline is wearing off; I could be going into shock!” Darcy defended, making the group chuckle, as she disappeared upstairs.

She locked the door to her room before whipping out her phone.

Bobby picked up on the third ring.

“Hey Darlin” he greeted.

“Uncle Bobby!” she huffed.

“What’s wrong you sound shaken?”

“Do you have any knowledge on Giant green man?”

“You mean like the jolly green giant?” Bobby queried, with a chuckle.

“Sure, only buffer and more naked?” Darcy offered.

“Have you been out partying?” he questioned suspiciously.

“It’s barely four o’clock here!” Darcy hissed.

“Just checking. Tell me what happened.” He ordered

 As she did Bobby grew quiet.

“I don’t know Uncle Bobby, try turning on the TV?” She added when Bobby began to ask more questions.

She heard him raise the volume of the TV, and then his mumbled curses as he came back on the line

“They’re calling him the Hulk. Looks like a Science experiment gone wrong. Nothing Supernatural.” Bobby said after a minute.

“Oddly enough that doesn’t make me feel better.” Darcy groaned burying her face into her pillow.

“Do you want me to come out there, or you can come home early, Winter break will be here soon.”

“Nah I’ll be okay.” She returned

“Well just let me know.”

“Thanks Uncle Bobby.” She said before hanging up.

Later that night she got a call from Sam, it took her an hour to reassure him she was fine. And that yes, she was still coming home for break.

Too her utter surprise the familiar roar of a car engine had her bolting from her room the next morning.

She threw open the door just as the engine cut off, and, surprisingly, Dean stepped out of the driver’s side.

“Darcy!” Dean called out relieved, catching her in a hug.

She pulled back enough to punch him in the arm.

“Why haven’t you been answering my calls you dick!” she chided.

“Ow!!” he shrieked. “New phones!”

“Unbelievable.” Darcy groaned before falling back into the hug.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Dean said after a minute.

“You just want to meet my roommates.” Darcy snarked.

“Well, I wouldn’t say no to that.”  He said with a smirk.

Darcy chuckled. “You are unbearable.” She said, turning back to the house.

“I think you mean adorable!” Dean called, following behind her.

She gave him a quick tour before settling on the couch.

“So, what brings you to Virginia?” she questioned.

“Something about a Hulk terrorizing your campus? How you holding up?” Dean asked.

Darcy huffed, “I still can’t believe that happened.”

 Dean laughed at that.

“How long you staying?” She asked quietly.

“No more than a few days.” He said with a shrug

“Wait, where’s Dad?” she questioned finally bringing up the absent figure.

“He went off on his own a few days ago,” Dean offered, looking pained.

“You’re by yourself?” She questioned worry tinging her voice

“Oh, don’t give me that look, he even left me the Impala.” He defended.

Darcy ignored it. “Have you talked to Sammy.”

“Don’t start that.” Dean groaned.

“What? He misses you guys!” she said exasperated.

“He should’ve never left!” he argued.

“Oh please!” Darcy huffed.

“Darcy is everything okay?” Skye questioned coming down the stairs.

“Everything’s fine.” Darcy grumbled

Skye stepped fully into the room “Who’s this?” she questioned catching sight of Dean on the ottoman.

“My brother. Skye meet Dean, Dean this is one of my roommates Skye.”

Dean stood with a smirk. “Pleasure.” he greeted with a head nod.

“Mhm.” Skye managed to squeak before squeezing in beside Darcy on the loveseat.

“Remember how I put that clause in our rooming agreement.” Darcy reminded

“About overnight guest?” Skye said absentmindedly.

“Yeah, this is one of ‘em. Come on Dean.” She said before heading up the stairs.

She slid the trundle out from beneath her bed glad she’d gotten the deal.

“I’m sure you’re tired after driving all night. Get some sleep.” She insisted before shutting him into the room.

Darcy was cooking in the kitchen surrounded by her roommates, when they suddenly went silent. Immediately suspicious Darcy turned around to find Dean pulling his shirt on over his head.

“Here we go.” Darcy mumbled.

“Who is that?” Kate gawked.

“Pick your mouth up off the floor Kitten, your drooling on the hardwood.” Darcy snarked.

Three jaws snapped simultaneously.

“Dean these are my roommates, you’ve met Skye, this is Sharon, and this is Kate. Girls meet my brother Dean.”

“Hi.” he said with a wave.

“Hi!” They parroted.

“Made you some breakfast. Have a seat.”

Darcy looked back at the still gawking girls.

“Don’t you three have classes to get to?” Darcy urged when they continued to gape at her brother.

“Canceled!” they chorused.

“Of course they are.” She drawled.

“Still dying your hair?” Dean questioned casually, too casually.

“Wait what?” Sharon blurted.

“She’s a blonde, almost as pretty as yours.” Dean said with a wink.

“I knew it!” Skye whispered.

“You knew nothing.” Darcy accused, pointing her spatula at the girl.

As promised, Dean didn’t stay long, in part because towards the end of the weekend John called him to meet up, but Darcy still made the most of their weekend. Showing him around, they even made it to a few parties, and Dean managed to stay away from her roommates, much to their chagrin.

He looked over her room, checking the seals she’d etched. He nodded appreciatively at the bow, before insisting she take a shot gun.

“Salt in the shells.”

“Nice.” Darcy said with a grin before locking it away in her Chest.

“Take care of it, clean it regularly the whole nine, it should last you.” Dean assured. “Have you been hunting?” he questioned.

“Not really, but I’ve stumbled on a few cases.” Darcy down played as she followed him out to the impala. She ignored the feeling of once again being cast aside.

“Call me if you ever need back up Darce.” He offered, tossing his duffle bag into the trunk.

Darcy nodded, before walking him to the driver’s side. She turned around when Dean waved behind her, finding her roommates peeking out of the door.

She rolled her eyes before bringing Dean into a hug. “Be safe.” She warned.

 “Come back soon!” Skye called.

They both chuckled at that. 

Darcy waved goodbye as he took off, watching the Impala disappear down the road.

When classes started up again she stopped by Dr. Ross’ room before her lunch break

The woman looked a bit frazzled, but seemed to be on the mend. Betty looked up at her entrance, motioning for her to close the door behind her.

“Is everything okay?” Darcy questioned.

Betty shrugged, pushing her loose hair behind her ear.

Darcy sighed before pulling a chair up to Betty’s desk.

“What are you doing?” Betty questioned when Darcy began to pull out her lunch.

“What? It looks like you could use a friend, or a student friend.” Darcy offered.

Betty nodded and the two sat in silence before Betty spoke again.

“it’s just my Dad he’s so.” Betty threw her hands up in exasperation.

“Join the club.” Darcy added, receiving a look from Betty.

The two shared the look a moment longer before Betty looked away.

Darcy huffed before offering Betty a slice of her sandwich.

“Thanks.” Betty said, taking it when she realized how hungry she was.

The rest of Darcy’s college experience stayed uneventful, though she did stumble across a few more hunts in the area. She and Sam visited home a few more times, one of those times she'd even dragged Skye along. Unable to stand the thought of the girl alone for the holidays. She'd been hilariously nervous about it until Darcy had cornered her.

**********************

"Okay what's your deal?" Darcy had asked. 

"Deal? I'm sure i don't know what you're talking about, you told me to never make deals, don't be ridiculous."

Darcy sent her another look and Skye deflated, but was still unable to voice her concerns. Luckily Sharon came to her aid. 

"She thinks your house is haunted." Sharon chimed before striding out the door. 

Skye's eyes widened comically. Darcy couldn't help it she laughed, hard clutching her sides as Skye frowned at her. 

"Skye, I come from a family of hunters, why would my own house be haunted."

Skye blushed. "You just seem so used to being near them."

"Ghost scare the shit out of me dude, but it's like my Uncle says It's the fear that keeps you alert, and it's the fear that'll keep you alive."

Skye seemed to finally relax, and Darcy could only smile at the girl. 

The break had been uneventful, even if Skye did spend half of it hoping Dean would show up. 

**********************************

It wasn’t until the last semester of her senior year that she encountered a real problem.

Betty continued her work as Darcy ranted.

“How was I supposed to know he was a professor? The dude walks into the room and starts talking like a Pigheaded misogynist.”

“He was standing behind the desk.” Betty reminded.

“Well now I don’t have the science credits I need to graduate.” She whined.

Betty finally looked up from her paper, a slight gleam in her eye.

“You’ve got that look in your eye, the one that you get when you finally figure out a formula.” Darcy noticed, eyeing the Professor warily.

“What about an internship?” Betty countered.

“Go on.” Darcy urged, suspiciously.

“A friend of mine, needs an intern, She’s a brilliant Astrophysicist.” Betty described.

“But?” Darcy challenged.

“But… she can get lost in her work.” Betty returned with a shrug.

“Astrophysics, that’s a science…” Darcy thought it over. she didn’t actually have any other options. So, Darcy left with an email address to make contact with this Brilliant, astrophysicist.   

After two weeks of not hearing back, Darcy figured she should keep looking. It wasn’t until she and Betty had another after class chat that Betty mentioned the elusive astrophysicist.

“Jane says she’s glad I sent you her way.” She threw out casually.

“What? Who?” Darcy questioned in confusion.

“Dr. Jane foster? The internship?” Betty reminded.

“I emailed her, but I never got a reply” Darcy said with a shrug. “Guess she found someone else.”

“That’s weird, she told me…” Betty jumped up, rummaging through her purse until she found her cellphone.

“Wait... Betty, No!” Darcy shrieked as Betty dialed out a number.

Betty ignored her protest, before handing her the phone.

“Um hello?” A distracted voice questioned.

“Hi this is Darcy?” She greeted.

“Darcy Lewis, my new intern?” The voice asked confused.

 “Wait you mean...” Darcy gaped.

“Are you still interested in the intern position?” she asked hesitantly, finally sounding focused on the phone call.

“Uh yeah!” Darcy nearly shouted.

“Good we leave in two days.” Jane replied relieved

“Two days?” Darcy shrieked.

“Sorry!” Dr. Foster apologized and then the line went dead.

“TWO Days?” Darcy yelled again.

“You better get packing?” Betty offered sheepishly.

Darcy groaned before stuffing everything in her bag. “I don’t even know where I’m Going!” she yelled behind her as she fled the room.

Chapter Text

New Mexico. Darcy looked around their current place of residence. A revamped Gas station In the middle of the desert.

“Jane!!” Darcy called

“What?” The woman called out.

“We’re in the middle of nowhere!!” She whined

“That is the third time you have said that.” Jane huffed as she dragged another box inside.

“I keep hoping it’s a bad dream.” Darcy said with a pout.

“Well it’s not, and it’d be really helpful if you helped me unpack.”

“Intern duties don’t officially start until tomorrow.” Darcy reminded her.

“What if I buy dinner.” Jane offered.

Darcy scoffed “Since this isn’t a paid internship, you’ll already be paying.”

Jane nodded. “And dessert?”

“Okay fine.” Darcy huffed. “but we are getting drunk. That was a twenty-five-hour car ride and only a shower and tequila can fix me.”

“Tequila?”

“We’re in Mexico Jane. It’s necessary.”

Jane nodded. “Technically it’s New Mexico.”

Darcy shrugged. “Do you want my help or not?”

After the two had unpacked all of Jane’s equipment out of a large Pingauzer, Jane somehow managed to get the funding for, the girls laid slumped on the couch.

“That was exhausting.” Darcy grumbled.

“At least now we can get food.” Jane returned helpfully.

At that Darcy jumped up dragging Jane with her. “To Food!” she cheered.

Jane giggled, allowing her new intern to lead her to the door, nearly bumping into her when the girl came to a sudden stop.

“Geez Darcy, warn me next time.” Jane grumbled out.

“How do you feel about delivery?” Darcy questioned.

“What why?’ Jane asked stepping around her.

“Because the town looks deserted.”

“What? How? There were plenty of people earlier.” Jane queried.

Which was true, but now that night had fallen the place was reminiscent of a ghost town.

Darcy shivered once before pulling Jane back into their new residence.

“We can check the town out tomorrow, I refuse to do any wandering tonight.”

“It’s not wandering Darcy. I saw a diner on our way in, and where else are we going to get your tequila.”

“Janey, my friend, look at the town, all the lights are out, and it’s only eight. Are you not getting any alarm bells?”

Jane rolled her eyes before throwing open the door. “You’re being ridiculous.” She returned before striding out the door.

Darcy watched her leave a moment before groaning, she quickly grabbed her purse before following after.

“Jane wait for me!”

As the two walked through the deserted town Jane slowly drew closer and closer to Darcy.

“Maybe you were right.” Jane whispered.

“Oh, no don’t you start.” Darcy hissed clenching her fist. “I told you I didn’t want to walk through the creepy dark town, but nooo, you just had to tempt me with your talk of tequila and food.”

“Do you feel like someone’s watching us?” Jane asked hesitantly.

Darcy pinched the bridge of her nose. “That is paranoia, however we are going to pretend that it isn’t and run back to our gas station home as fast as possible.”

“I don’t think” Jane cut off when the sound of a shutter banging against the wall echoed in the night. The two screamed ridiculously before they turned tail and ran.

Darcy paced her breathing like she’d learned to do in soccer, pulling Jane along with her. The whole time feeling as if something was just behind her. As their home came into view Darcy picked up speed, nearly dragging Jane behind her. She quickly unlocked the door before throwing herself and Jane through the threshold. She bolted the single lock on the door, making a mental note to add more later, before falling next to Jane on the floor to catch her breath.

Making eye contact the two bursted into laughter as they clutched each other on the floor.

“Oh man you should have seen your face.” Darcy giggled wiping a stray tear.

Jane managed to roll over through her peals of laughter. “You should have heard your scream!” Jane gasped.

Neither moved as they finally caught their breath.

“So… delivery?” Darcy questioned.

 Darcy plugged in her last cord with a relieved huff before standing.

“Try it now.” She called to Jane.

She waited with baited breath, until Jane let out a loud “whoop!”

She sighed before joining her in the lab.

“I don’t know how you managed to get a connection out here, but you are a godsend.” Jane cheered.

Darcy only laughed, all those lessons with Skye must have actually paid off, if she was able to manage an internet connection in the middle of nowhere. 

“You do your sciencing, I’m going to make us a shopping list, and then… ugh... go shopping.” Darcy huffed.

“Oh, I can go with you.” Jane offered, absently.

“Uh huh sure.” Darcy placated as she settled down at the table in the kitchen in front of her laptop. As it came online she finished her list of groceries, before diving into some research of their new town of Puente Antiguo. After a fruitless search, she powered it down, before calling out to Jane.

“Hey I’m headed to the store” she called.

Jane glanced up from her work still scribbling away on the sheet of paper.

“hmm oh, did you still want some company?” She asked.

“That would be nice, I’d hate to walk around this creepy town alone.” Darcy pouted.

Jane let out a snort before finishing off her equation with a flourish. “And done.” She smiled, looking down at her work, the smile slowly slid off her face as she checked it over “that can’t be right.” Jane grumbled before she was yanked from her desk by Darcy.

“Come on boss lady, I’d hate to have a repeat of last night.” She remined.

As they checked out, Darcy realized Jane managed to sneak four boxes of pop tart into the cart. Jane smile sheepishly, as she paid with her budget money.

“You’re lucky strawberry is my favorite, because they were not on the list.”

As Darcy and Jane started the trek back home, Darcy eyed the bustling town.

“That is so weird.”

“What’s weird?”

“Well last night this place was deserted, but now...” Darcy waved to encompass all of the town, which was currently bustling with life, well bustling for a town in the middle of the desert.

“Maybe there’s a curfew.” Jane offered.

Darcy nodded absentmindedly, as she continued to survey the town.

At the opposite end of the street Darcy noticed an abandoned home, marked by the broken woodwork and fixtures. She quickly looked away lest she invite unwanted thoughts.

Once the food and Jane were situated Darcy got to work.

The locks and equipment she’d picked up at the store were easy enough to install. As well as the security system she bought on a whim.

Surveying the floor to ceiling windows Darcy let out a sigh. They were completely exposed, and that just wouldn’t do. The next day she installed a shatter proof film over the windows, along with an added tint to keep people from seeing inside. Satisfied with her success, she began work on protection from the other kind of danger. The windows had a deep enough base that she could pour salt into them without Jane noticing. Using a liquid laundry detergent to keep them concealed, she marked the place with the sigils and pentagrams Bobby had taught her from a young age. Occasionally checking her work under a black light keychain that doubled as a flashlight.

Checking the time, she set to work on making food for dinner, before slipping it under Jane’s nose to draw her from sciencing.

“Oh, that smells good.” Jane hummed as she came out of her science haze.

“Mhm, and it’s all yours if you come eat at the table.” Darcy taunted.

Jane rolled her eyes, before joining the intern at the table.

“So, what were you working on?” Darcy queried.

Jane eyed her specutively. “I’m Studying atmospheric anomaly’s, I picked up some readings a few weeks ago, and they led me here. Do you know anything about Aurora borealis?”

Darcy thought on the name a minute before speaking. “Like the northern lights, because I’ve always wanted to see them.”

Jane smiled “Exactly, well sort of. You see these anomaly’s, they light up the sky and give off these readings. My machines are able to track them as well as measure them. I think they could further my research on Einstein Rosen bridges.”

“On what?” Darcy questioned, fork half way to her mouth.

“The Einstein Rosenbridge, theoretically they’re capable of being a bridge to a different world.”

Darcy blanched, “You mean aliens?” she already had to deal with the supernatural on earth, did she really have to involve herself with the one person actively seeking out the ones from space.

“What’s an alien but a foreigner. Don’t you see Darcy? They could change everything.” Jane defended before taking another bite of her food.

“Sure, but what if they’re way out of our league?” Darcy, challenged. “have you ever considered the implications of building a bridge to a different world?

Jane paused her eating to stare at Darcy unabashedly.

“What? Political Science major, remember?”

Jane nodded. “It’s not like I’ve actually constructed the bridge, no one actually believes me anyway.

“They’re small minded. Naïve. We’ve barely discovered our own planet” Darcy said with a shrug. “Keep at it Janey, you’ll show em.

Jane smirked before clearing her throat. “Speaking of, we’re heading out tonight.”

“What?” Darcy choked. “Why night?”

“The borealis can only be seen at night, we’ll take the Pinzgauer to carry all the equipment.”

Darcy eyed the Pinzgauer specutively, Jane paused in her trek to watch her.

“I think she needs a name.”

“What, why?” Jane asked.

“Every great vehicle needs an equally great name Jane, it’s science.” Darcy said matter of factly.

Jane rolled her eyes before packing up the last of what they needed.

“Aurora!” Darcy cheered.

Jane smirked. “Like the lights.”

“Or the princess.”

Jane chuckled. “I’m okay with either.”

“Awesome.” Darcy returned before heading to the passenger side.

“What are you doing? I need you to drive.” Jane interrupted, face half buried in notes.

Darcy stopped “Jane this thing is huge!”

Jane sent her a look. “It’s not like you’ll hit anything, there’s nothing out the way were going for miles.”

Parked beneath the night sky, Darcy stared up in awe at the many Stars she could see.

“Darcy a little help.” Jane called.

Jane went slowly through her setup so Darcy would later be able to assemble the duct taped equipment on her own.

“And this is the Phase meter.” She named.

“Got it.” Darcy said seriously.

“Alright, well that’s about it.” Jane announced.

“What do we do now?”

“We wait.” Jane returned.

“I knew I should have brought snacks.” Darcy grumbled as she followed Jane to the roof of the Van.

As time slowly went by Jane began to point out all the constellations to Darcy, who listened raptly.

“I’m sorry, I’m probably boring you.” Jane murmured sheepishly.

“What? No, Jane this is awesome. I mean I really don’t know what you’re talking about when you get into the science of it, but what you’re doing? It’s amazing. Everyone looks up at the night sky and wonders if there’s something else, something more out there. You’re actually researching it.” Darcy said, eyes tilted to the night sky, when she heard a sniffle she looked over at Jane alarmed.

“What? I’m so sorry, did I say something wrong? I didn’t mean to offend you!” Darcy babbled, only to cut off when Jane brought her in for a hug.

“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me, most of the science community thinks I’m a joke.”

“Well they’re all Mouth breathers who don’t know what they’re talking about, because your science Rocks!” Darcy returned adamantly.

Jane eyed her with watery eyes before nodding with a sniffle. “Thank you.”

“Anytime boss.”

“So, how’d you end up on a science internship.” Jane asked, changing the subject.

“Ugh you tase a professor one time and you get knocked off his roster.” Darcy shrieked, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

“You tased your professor.” Jane blurted.

“Dude! He was a straight up misogynist! He basically implied women belong at home, as baby breeders.”

Jane eyed Darcy silently.

“What?” Darcy challenged.

“I’m glad I found you.” Jane confessed with a soft smile.

“Aww Jane, that’s so sweet. But technically Betty found me.” she chirped.

“But your MY intern.” Jane boasted.

“That I am.” Darcy conceded.

The two found themselves situated under the stars quite frequently, but it wouldn’t be for another three weeks that they finally picked up on something.

“So, Donald gets increasingly distant, more and more until finally I just barely recognized him.”

“What a Dick, I completely agree with your decision to dump him, however Janey, something amazing is happening and I think it’s your borealis thing.” Darcy said in awe.

“What?” Jane’s head quickly jerked to the sky in the direction Darcy was looking. “Oh. My. God. Darcy grab the phase meter!” she yelled before diving into the van. Darcy ended up driving full speed after the lights, whilst Jane half hung out the window to pick up the readings, Darcy occasionally yanking her up when she’d lean too far out.

Chapter Text

Jane darted around the lab as she deciphered her readings, Darcy could only stand back and watch, occasionally replacing her pen with a granola bar or in desperate times a pop tart. But she could only watch for so long before she declared herself bored.

“I’m going exploring.” She called, before heading out the door, backpack on with a cap pulled down to help shield her from the sun and a pair of sunglasses. As Darcy came upon the abandoned house, she took a precautionary step back. She’d developed a slight fear over the years, of abandoned places, the eerie feeling they gave off. She hated it, the need to jump at every noise usually had her bolting. She couldn’t seem to draw her eyes away from the house and she found herself lost to her surroundings. visions of children at play a husband and wife, watching from the porch. The house was pristine, not the way she’d just seen it, the brown wood with oak window panes. Darcy blinked and it was gone, she stumbled back with a gasp as the sights and sounds around her flooded her senses. She pushed herself forward continuing her trek for something of interest, unable to stop herself from glancing back at the house. 

After thirty minutes Darcy declared her trek over, heading back to the gas station turned living space. Taking a roundabout way from the abandoned house, she had no interest in experiencing whatever that was again.

Two days later Darcy was jolted from deciphering Jane’s notes with a knock on the door.

“Jane, are you expecting anyone?” she called out as she stood, cracking her back from her prolonged slouched position.

After not receiving an answer, she peeked into the lab only to find Jane asleep at her desk.

“Well it’s about time.” Darcy huffed, before grabbing her taser from her purse. Looking at the security footage Darcy watched a man in slacks and a button up eye their gas station warily. His graying white hair sticking up at odds.

“This guy is screaming scientist.” Darcy concluded, but kept her taser on her person. Through the windows, she noticed a large RV parked out front as she unlocked her many dead bolts.

“Who goes there?” Darcy called.

The man frowned. “I’m Dr. Erik Selvig. I’m looking for Dr. Jane Foster?”

“Oh! Jane’s mentor! She’s told me so much about you!” Darcy chimed pulling the man through the door.

“I’m Darcy, Jane’s Intern.” She greeted.

Erik nodded before looking around.

“Where’s Jane?” he questioned after a minute of silence.

“Oh right! Well Jane’s kind of been on a science bender for the last two days, I’ve finally gotten her to sleep, so when she wakes she’s all yours until then, can I get you something to eat?” Darcy questioned.

Jane stumbled into the kitchen four hours later as Erik and Darcy conversed over cups of coffee.

“Darcy? Who are you talking to?” Jane questioned.

“Oh hey, I think you forgot to mention that your mentor was stopping by.”

Jane blinked at that before blushing.

“Jane.” Erik greeted.

“Erik!” Jane cheered, hugging the older man. “I guess you’ve met my intern.”

“Yes she seems…. Nice.”

Darcy isn’t sure when it happened but somewhere along the line the two scientists became her people. And she made sure they ate.

The three made their way into town, as Darcy took the two on a much-needed science break.

Coming across Isabel’s Diner, the three picked a booth to settle into. The diner was quaint with a bar adjacent from the door, and the assortment of booths and high raised tables, it didn’t take long for the waitress to take their orders. Before long their food was brought out and devoured.

 As Erik and Jane talked science Darcy let her mind wander as she watched the town slowly empty out as night drew near.

When their waitress, Corinne, came back with the bill, Darcy drew up the courage to ask about it.

“So is there a curfew or something?”

Corinne frowned as she surveyed the group, “That’s right you three are new around here.” She said thoughtfully. “Well, sort of?” she finally answered.

“A sort of curfew?” Darcy pushed.

“Well, it’s nothing official everyone just knows that when the lights go out, it’s time to head back in. To many folk have gone missing, to do anything else.” Corinne explained.

“Missing?” Jane questioned, her conversation with Erik on hold.

“Look, if you three new what was best, you’d head in and lock your doors before La Llorona makes an appearance.” She cautioned

Darcy wracked her brain for the meager Spanish she’d learned in high school but came up short.

“Corrinne! It’s time to head out, lock up behind the customers and I’ll give you a ride home.” A man called from the back.

“All right!” She returned, before turning back to the group. “Look I don’t mean to be rude, and I hope to see you all again soon but it’s time to go.” Corrinne told them, her tone taking on a slight pleading note.

The three nodded before following Corrinne to the door, the woman murmured a “be safe.” before closing the door behind them.

Situated back at the station Darcy did one more check on her scientist before settling in front of her laptop with a cup of tea.

She quickly did a search on La Llorona into the search engine. Multiple sites popped up, and with a huff she settled on a forum.

“La Llorona, the weeping woman.” Darcy recited. “A woman, Maria,” Darcy located, “who drowned her children in a river after her husband cheated on her? Talk about overkill.” Darcy huffed, taking a sip of her tea she continued. “When she realized her children were dead she drowned herself.”

“So, she gets denied entry into the afterlife when she can’t verify where her children are, and she can’t pass on until she finds them.” She repeated to Bobby over the line the next day.

She heard him sigh.

“Well Darce looks like you’ve got yourself a wandering spirit, says she takes children who resemble her kids and drowns them to take the place of her own. Must not be working if kids are still missing. Doesn’t explain why the adults are going missing too though… you be safe I’ll keep searching.”

“Thanks Uncle Bobby.” Darcy said before hanging up.

“Hey Jane, Erik, I’m headed out, Lunch is in the microwave.”

Darcy went in search of the closest river. She found one just a mile outside of the town, and with a huff of annoyance at not finding anything she went back into town where she noticed a missing person poster posted on a pole.

She made a quick stop at the store before heading to the address on the poster. Flowers and a tin of cookies in hand she rapped twice on the door.

After a second she heard the sound of boots shuffling on the floorboards before the sound of a clicking lock sounded. The door cracked open to reveal a man in his thirties with tired eyes staring down at her. “What do you want?”

“I um, I saw your poster hanging in town, and I just wanted to apologize for your loss. And, well here.” Darcy added, holding up her gifts with a shrug.

“You must be new around here.” The man gruffed.

“Yeah, I live down the road.” She said with an open smile.

The man stepped out the door before closing it behind him. He stood in fraying jeans and a loose black t-shirt, a baseball cap snug on his head.

“What do you really want?” he asked.

“Honestly? To hear your story. I tried asking someone else and they were kind of tight lipped. Figure you might want to tell someone who wouldn’t judge you.”

The man stared off down the street in silence before motioning to the two chairs on his porch.

Darcy quickly joined. “Can you tell me about her?”

“My wife? She was the best thing to ever happen to me. We met on the day I came to this town, and we married a few years later. She miscarried, three times before finally we  just gave up. She wasn’t really the same after that. She was still kind, just sad. About a month ago, she said she heard crying coming from the room we’d set up for the last baby. But every time we checked, it was empty. And then one day she was gone. Nothing, no missing shoes, no missing keys. Just gone.”

“Do you think it was La Llorona?” Darcy questioned.

“I would of, if she hadn’t said she saw three kids wandering outside two days before.”

“Kids?” Darcy asked, her mind flashing back to the vision of the children at the abandoned home.

“Yeah, she said they were dripping wet, and crying. She said they were always reaching out for her. She thought they were our kids, and I just, I didn’t know how to help her.” He said with a helpless sigh.

Darcy frowned. “I’m sorry that happened to you. Thanks for talking to me though.”

The man nodded, she could feel his eyes on her as she made rushed down the stairs.

Darcy regaled the story to Uncle Bobby on her walk home. “Maybe the kids are looking for their mom?” She tried, not mentioning what she’d seen at the abandoned house. Every time she thought of bringing it up her throat went dry, leaving her tongue feeling heavy in her mouth.

“Well that could account for the adults going missing.” Bobby agreed, bringing her out of her reverie.

Darcy looked around the town shielding her eyes from the sunlight, catching sight of a figure she froze as she looked through the glass of the only bar town.

“Bobby when was the last time you talked to John?”

“He was somewhere in Oklahoma, I think? Why what’s wrong?”

“I’m pretty sure I’m looking at him?”

“In New Mexico?”

“No Oklahoma, Of Course New Mexico!” she hissed. As if he heard her, John’s eyes’ locked with hers as she stared in shock through the window.

John’s eyes seemed to bug, as he took her in. He quickly turned his head to say something to the bartender and Darcy took her chance to flee.

“DARCY!” he called after her.

“Talk to your dad, Darlin.” Bobby tried.

Darcy nearly stumbled, forgetting that Uncle bobby had been on the line. Which gave John his chance to catch up.

“Hi Daddy.” Darcy said with a grimace. “What brings you to this tiny town of Puente Antiguo?”

John let out a huff. “I could ask you the same thing?”

“I live here.” Darcy said with a frown.

“I thought you were still in school?”

“I am. I’m on an internship.” She clarified.

John nodded slowly.

“And you’re here because?” the words coming out with more bite then she intended.

“I’m on a job. People mysteriously going missing.” He returned.

“Doesn’t sound mysterious.” Darcy piped.

John scrutinized her, making Darcy fight the need to fidget.

“What do you know?” he challenged.

“Nothing.” She said with a shrug.

“Darcy?”

“What, I don’t! I’m just plain old Darcy, no hunting for me, now if you’ll excuse me my scientist need to be watered and fed.”

“Darcy, Please. People are dying.” John added.

Darcy huffed, the flame of anger simpering out at his words.

“La Llorona, the weeping woman. She” Darcy paused as she looked up at the darkening sky. “Look, we need to get inside, if you want, you can come see where I’m staying?” Darcy added. “I can tell you more there.”

John nodded. “Sure, my trucks parked around the corner, come on I’ll give you a ride, and you can show me the way.”

Darcy fought the urge to whine as she followed him.

As they pulled up to the station, she saw his eyes catch on the tarp covering her car.

“That you?” he asked.

Darcy smiled, leading him over to it. “Sands harsh out here, so I keep him covered most of the time.” Darcy returned, before pulling the tarp off.

John whistled beside her. “Where the hell did you find this.”

“Uncle Bobby’s junk yard, took us years to get him up and running. It was worth it though.”

“You built this with Bobby?” John asked, something like longing in his eyes.

Darcy nodded. “Nearly gave up a few times, help me with the tarp?” she asked.

“You might give the Impala a run for its money.”

Darcy snorted. “Honey, could beat the Impala any day, Dad, don’t kid yourself.”

“Those are some big words, might have to put it to the test one of these days.”

Darcy couldn’t help the smile on her face as she tied off the edge of the tarp.

As she unlatched all the locks she looked around for her scientist.

“Jane? Erik?” she called out holding the door open behind her for John.

He raised an eyebrow when she didn’t receive an answer.

“Scientist.” Darcy said with a shrug, before leading him into the kitchen.

She did a quick check of the microwave, confirming the food was untouched.

“One second.” She said with a sigh.

Sandwiches in hand she did a lap around the lab, switching out papers or a pen for the food. As she came back into the kitchen a shout of “Thanks Darcy!” followed after her.

“Yeah, yeah.” She huffed before sitting down.

John sent her a perplexed look, which she ignored in favor of telling him what she’d found out.

“And there’s a river nearby?” John reiterated

“Just a mile out yeah.”

John stood at that, “Thanks Darcy, I’ll take it from here.”

“Did you want any help?” she tried.

“I can handle it; besides it looks like you got your hands full.” He returned.

“Seriously dad, it’s no problem, I’ll just let Jane and Erik know”

“I said I got it Darcy.” He interrupted.

Darcy bit back a flinch, god why did that still hurt so much.

“Fine see you around.” She muttered, striding to the door, she held it open for him impatiently, refusing to make eye contact.

Before leaving John placed a kiss on the top of her head, a murmured “see you later” as she closed the door behind him.

Darcy wanted to scream, but managed only a sniffle as she got herself together.

“Is everything okay?” Jane questioned behind her.

Darcy whirled around “Christ, Jane you nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Sorry.” She said with a grimace. “Who was that?”

“My dad.”

“Your Dad? What’s he doing in New Mexico? Are you okay?” she questioned, noticing the glisten in Darcy’s eyes.

“I’m fine. Did you need anything?”

Jane shook her head.

“Then I’ll be out back.” Darcy returned before heading to her room.

Darcy huffed out a breath, the night goggles Bobby had gotten her a few birthday’s ago nestled over her eyes.  With the Targets set up around her, she pulled back on the bow string before letting the arrow fly. She didn’t wait to see where it landed. She took aim again, before she drew back and released. This time the thunk reverberated through the night.

She could follow him.

Thunk.

She was better at long distance anyway, he’d never see her.

Thunk.

 But she stayed, some part of her still unable to disobey John.

She continued shooting until her arms felt like jelly. Pushing her goggles to her forehead Darcy followed the blinking lights at the end of her arrows to retrieve them, collecting the targets as she went.

“I didn’t know you could shoot a bow and arrow?” Jane called out.

Darcy sighed, “My Uncle taught me when I was younger.”

Jane nodded. “Do you want to talk?”

Darcy thought on it a moment, did she really want to discuss the years of insecurities she had from a man who didn’t want her around?

“What’s there to talk about. I’ve told you how my dad is… doesn’t matter if it’s protection or neglection, either way it’s still” Darcy broke off when Erik crashed through the door. Both Darcy and Jane Spun around at his entry.

“There’s a man bleeding at the front door.” He rasped.

Darcy and Jane spared each other a look before running inside.

“Oh my god!” Jane cried, as the man came into view.

He was slouched against the door frame clutching a bloody sleeve.

“Dad?!” Darcy shouted before pulling the man inside.

“Easy Darce...” John groaned.

“Oh pipe it!” Darcy huffed. “Jane a little help here?”

“What do you need.” Jane questioned helping the man to the table.

“Hot water and the med kit from my bathroom” turning to John she said. “Take off your Jacket.”

By the time she helped him out the jacket, Jane returned with a bucket of water and her first aid kit.

Darcy inspected the wound, before deciding it would need stitching.

“Jane grab the whisky from the top counter.”

“That bad?” John groaned.

“What happened?” Darcy asked by way of an answer.

John looked pass her to the two-scientist standing behind her.

Darcy let out a huff.  “Dad, meet Dr. Jane foster and Dr. Erik Selvig, Jane believes there’s life in other dimensions. Jane Erik meet John Winchester, he hunts supernatural creatures.”

“What?” the three shouted.

“I’ll explain later. Here.” she said offering John the bottle.

“There was no body to burn of that woman, so I searched around. Found her, well she found me. Threw me clear across that river. I guess she’d never crossed over it before, cause the second she appeared, her kids showed up. And then they…” John trailed off.

“Did you find any of the towns people?”

John shook his head. “Probably at the bottom of  that river.”

Darcy nodded as she finished her last stitch. “And done.” She said with a flourish, covering it with a thin layer of ointment and wrapping a bandage around it.

“Thanks.” He hummed moving to shrug back on his coat.

“Ah ah, are you trying to undo my hard work?”

“I’ve got to keep moving.” John insisted.

“He can stay on the couch” Jane offered already moving to grab extra blankets.

“Thanks Jane. You can leave in the morning, I’ve got left overs in the fridge, sleep a little and then you can go traipse to the next city.”

John let out a huff before nodding. “So Aliens?”

“Don’t start.” Darcy sighed out.

Once John was situated on the couch he immediately nodded off.

 Darcy found Erik and Jane waiting for her in the lab.

“Don’t look at me like that”

“Supernatural?” Jane began.

“It’s kind of the family business, well it would be if I were included.”

Jane’s frown seemed to soften at that. “when you said, he wanted to keep you protected...”

“I meant from the supernatural world.” She confirmed.

“Supernatural like Vampires?” Erik questioned.

“Vampires, werewolves, Demons, the whole nine.” Darcy added.

“That’s impossible.” Erik returned dubiously.

Darcy only shrugged, before turning to Jane, she loved Erik but there wasn’t a way to prove her point besides summoning a demon, and she was not about to bring that in here. “Are you mad at me? Because I wanted to tell you, but no one really believes me until we’re actually being chased down by a ghost.”

“Has that happened before?” Jane queried.

Darcy nodded. “It’s actually how I met Dr. Ross.”

“Will you tell me the story?” Jane asked.

Darcy hesitated before she nodded. “Tomorrow night though. I’m going to go clean up the kitchen and probably crash.”

“what about…” Jane motioned to the other room where John slept.

“He’ll be gone before we wake up.” Darcy grumbled as she headed into the kitchen.

 As she suspected John was gone by the time they all stumbled into the kitchen for breakfast, Erik joining them instead of staying in the RV parked out front.

Darcy eyed the Blankets folded at the edge of the couch with mixed feelings. She’d known he’d leave without a word. All of her locks still latched in place. Choosing not to dwell on it, she packed up the sheets and blanket before starting on food.

After breakfast Darcy cleared the table and Jane washed the dishes as Erik dried.

“Usually I go by Darcy Lewis, Darcy Singer if I’m with my uncle, but legally I’m Darcy Winchester.” She began. “I’ve told you about my brothers Dean, and my twin Sam.”

Jane nodded along at the names.

“Remember I told you my mom died when our house caught on fire? Well… that was technically true…” Darcy said, clutching her mug of coffee as she continued. “She heard a noise or something coming from Sam’s room, so she went to check on him. Mom was pinned to the ceiling when Dad found her and then the room was on fire… she was on fire… He grabbed me and Sam from the crib, he barely made it to Dean before the fire spread through the upstairs. And… Dad barely managed to get us all out before the whole thing was engulfed in flames.” Darcy released a shuddering breath. “I’m told I look like her, blonde hair blue eyes. The whole deal. I guess it was too much for him because first chance he got he dropped me off at Uncle Bobby’s. Took my brothers with him, it was just me he left behind.”

Darcy looked up when Jane engulfed her into a hug, Erik following soon after.

“I’m sorry Darcy, I had no idea. And you have no idea what killed her?”

Darcy shook her head. She didn’t mind telling the story to Jane but dredging up the past left her feeling drained.

“So, Blonde?” Jane questioned after they’d separated.

“Yes blonde, is that so hard to believe?” Darcy said with a wet chuckle.

Chapter Text

Tonight was the first night they’d be bringing Erik out into the desert at night. Darcy sat in the driver’s seat as both scientist sat on the roof. The silence had never been so loud, her thoughts had been all over the place since she’d gotten a call from Dean asking if she’d heard from Dad. She’d told him about how two weeks prior John had showed up and then promptly left. Darcy had tried John’s phone after the conversation, only for it to go to voicemail. That had been a week ago, and now in the silence all she could do was worry.

“Can I at least turn on the radio?” She called.

“No!” Erik and Jane shouted simultaneously.

“Sheesh.” She huffed, letting her head fall back against the headrest.

Sam hadn’t been answering his phone either, she’d even tried Jessica’s phone. Sam had introduced them during one of their weekly phone calls and the girl had seemed nice enough, apparently she and Sam had been dating for a year and a half. Darcy tried not to dwell on that fact, just happy to hear that he was happy. But now she couldn’t help but feel like shit was about to hit the fan. Darcy let out another sigh as she eyed the radio longingly. Jane had made her leave her IPod back at the house, she’d said it messed with her data. Darcy hadn’t argued, she and Skye had made so many modifications to the thing it was a wonder it still played music. Above she heard the beginnings of an argument.

“Maybe it’s time to...”

“To what? This is.. somethings wrong! The last seventeen anomalies have been predictable by the second, Right darce?”

“Yup, that being said why are we still out here?” Darcy didn’t mean to sound crabby, but well it was late, and clearly the borealis wasn’t going to appear to tonight.

“You’re an astrophysicist not some storm chaser.” Erik began

“I’m telling you there’s a connection between these anomalies and my research I just” Jane released a frustrated groan.

“Hey Jane, you might want to take a look at this.” Darcy called as lights began to swirl in the night sky.

Jane and Erik spun in the direction she pointed, there was an audible gasp from Jane, as the sky continued to light up with color.

“I thought you said it was a subtle aurora?” Erik asked in awe.

“Darcy! Go!”

Darcy sent her a look, and the two scientist quickly sat down.

“Thank you.” she said before pulling off.

The changes in the sky became more noticeable as colors began to draw closer to the ground, sending up tufts of dust in the dry desert.

“We need to get closer!” Jane called out.

Darcy eyed the swirling sky before letting out a snort. “Good one.”

Between her next breath, a swirling tornado of color and New Mexico sand touched down, sending up even more sand to the point of zero visibility.

Darcy quickly jerked the wheel to the left, aiming to make a u turn.

“What are you doing?” Jane cried.

“We are not dying in the name of science!” She hissed.

Jane quickly jerked the wheel back sending them careening into a tail spin.

Darcy continued to fight for control of the wheel as the outline of a man appeared through the storm. She attempted to maneuver around the man but only succeeded in not running him over, a loud thunk reverberating through the van as he smacked into it’s side.

Darcy winced as she slammed on the break. The three shared a moment of surprise before springing into action.

“Legally that was your fault!” Darcy called out as she rushed towards the downed man, Erik and Jane on her heels.

“Please don’t be dead!” Jane pleaded as she crouched beside the man.

Miraculously, he took a shuddering breath before rolling onto his side.

Jane seemed to leap back as Erik lost interest in the not dead man.

Confusion seemed to cross the man’s features as he looked around.

“Woah, does he need CPR? Because I totally know CPR!” She heard herself saying.

In a move that seemed to swift for a man of his size he stumbled to his feet.

Darcy jumped back, ready to tell her group to get back in the van.

“Hammer! Hammer?” He bellowed into the night.

Darcy’s flight or fight instincts were going wild as Jane and Erik kneeled in the sand to study the markings.

Darcy kept her eyes on the large man, who Jane had just hit with a van, stumbling around the middle of the desert.

“Yeah we can tell, you are definitely hammered.” She returned, if she could convince Jane and Erik to run she could attempt to hold him off, he seemed about Sam’s size.

“We have to move quickly, before this all changes!” Jane yelled.

Darcy was inclined to disagree.

“Jane we have to take him to a hospital!” Erik argued finally taking notice to the large man stumbling around.

The man began to regain balance taking stock of the group before him “What realm is this?!”

Nope. Darcy decided as she reached into her pocket. She’d only used it two other times on campus, and now as she sized up the clearly crazed man and raised it to the maximum level she prayed it would be enough.

“You dare point so puny a weapon at me, Thor?” he questioned moving to step towards her.

She didn’t let him finish his stride as she fired her taser. “Mhm” Darcy hummed.

The man crumpled to the ground and Darcy let out a breath of relief, feeling eyes on her she turned only to meet the flabbergasted stares of Erik and Jane. Oh now they paid attention.

“What? He was freaking me out!” Darcy defended.

Darcy turned ready to get back in the van.

“Help me get him in the van, he’ll definitely need medical attention.”

Darcy blanched “But what if he’s” Darcy made an exaggerated motion that Jane seemed to pick up on.

“You think he’s supernatural?” she asked.

“We’ll he’s definitely not natural!” Darcy argued.

“Just get him into the van” Erik interrupted trying, and failing to lift the man. “Next time make sure the person is in the Van before you Taser them!”

“Fine but if he wakes up yelling for Hammer and his Dad I’m tasing him again!” she huffed before grabbing an arm.

They were just parking when he woke up with a yell. Darcy didn’t hesitate as she whipped around Taser in hand. With a clear line of sight she fired off the taser. The man trembled before passing out again.

The two looked at her pointedly.

“I told you! Besides he’s in the van this time!”

Jane ran inside to call for emergency help as Darcy and Erik kept an eye on their passenger.

Once inside the group checked the stranger into the hospital before leaving.

Darcy called Bobby as soon as Jane and Erik went off on their tangents.

“Darce?” Bobby greeted.

“Hey Uncle Bobby!”

“What’s wrong?” He guessed.

Darcy didn’t bother denying anything instead choosing to jump right in. “So I tasered a guy today.”

“what did he do?”

“Well he was large and drunk and yelling at the sky!”

Bobby choked on a laugh “So you tased him?”

“You didn’t see him Uncle Bobby.”

“fine, but why’s that bothering you?”

“because we hit him with the van first?”

“You… What?” he breathed

“Uncle Bobby, we hit him with the Pingauzer.”

Bobby went silent for a moment.

“And he got up?” He asked, sounding dazed.

“Yes.”

Darcy could hear the frown in his voice as he spoke. “Did he look possessed?”

“Aside from the obvious? No. but he called himself Thor… and he was yelling for a hammer?”

“Maybe he’s a Carpenter?”

“Uncle Bobby.”

“I’m just saying.” Bobby defended.

“He freaked me out.”

“Do you need me to come down there?” he asked.

And she knew he would, he’d take the drive or fly, if she asked and felt herself go quiet as emotion clouded her.

“I don’t know.” She said quietly.

“Trust your instincts Darce, if something smells fishy it usually is.”

Darcy sighed. Aside from being freakishly huge, and the yelling he seemed pretty normal, even a bit upset.

“Well we dropped him at the hospital, he’s not our problem anymore.”

“How you doing darce?”

“Well besides you, no one is answering their phone. Last I checked Dad was M.I.A. and Dean was looking for him.”

Bobby stayed silent over the line, making Darcy want to groan.

“What just tell me?” she huffed, slouching onto her bed.

“Sam’s searching with Dean.”

“What? Is it that serious?”

“it’s just for the weekend. Sam’s going back to school on Monday.”

Darcy let out a deep sigh. “keep me posted?”

“Of course, now get some sleep.”

Darcy felt a pang of frustration that Dean would drag Sam away from school, rather than ask her for help. He knew where she was, knew she could help. And yet. Darcy pushed down the frustration, locking it away with all the other unwanted emotion thoughts of her family dredged up. It was brimming she knew, but it didn’t stop her from forcing that lid closed.

The next day Erik and Jane were a flurry of movement around the lab, Darcy did her best to keep up, but ended up looking over some of the heat signatures where she noticed an odd humanoid shaped figure. Jane decided they weren’t quite as done with Thor as Darcy had suspected.

Darcy gave out a breathe of relief when it turned out he was no longer at the hospital only to let out a groan when Jane once a again hit him with the van. She wasn’t sure if that made him their responsibility, but from the look jane was giving him, it did.

Sitting in Isabel’s Darcy fought the urge to gape as Thor threw back pancake after pancake. There was only one thing to do.

“This is so going on Facebook!” she cheered, holding up her cellphone camera. “Say cheese.” Darcy couldn’t fight the smile that tugged at her lips as he did just that. She quickly sent the picture to Bobby, and after swearing her to roommate level secrecy Skye, before turning back to the conversation.

“Sorry about tasing you!” Darcy chimed. “Twice.” She definitely wasn’t, but it seemed polite to say.

He sent her another beaming smile. “All is well. You have bested me in battle with my own element.” He returned before shoveling another forkful of pancake into his mouth. Darcy watched him chug his cup of coffee, not sure whether to feel relieved or on edge that he didn’t react to the holy water she’d slipped into it. And by the looks of the amount of salt he was pouring on his eggs, it was clear demonic possession was out of the question.

Before she could question him, talk of an immovable satellite drew him from the Diner. Erik managed to convince Jane not follow the stranger, but as they neared their home it was clear that was the least of their worries.

Men in black suits, toted all of their equipment away. And Darcy fought the urge to run upstairs and check her chest.

Before she could blink everything was gone, she did a quick recon and yup her IPod was no longer in the shop. Damn she’d just worked out a new tracking algorithm too.

When Jane disappeared Darcy sent another call out to Bobby letting him know about the turn of events, but still urging him to stay away.

When Erik received a panicked voicemail from Jane he was adamant in going alone to get her. Darcy tried not to be hurt and instead handed him the forged I.D. of one Donald Blake, the picture replaced with the one she’d taken of Thor earlier.

Darcy was beginning to worry when they all returned by nightfall. Stressed out from the night she turned in early. After confirming her chest was untouched in far reaches of the closest she checked all of her sigils before finally going to sleep.

The next day proved eventful when Thor’s buddies strode into town.

“Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three. Frandral,  Hogun, and Volstogg meet Jane foster, Erik Selvig and Darcy Lewis.” Thor introduced.

The three caught him up to speed, and Darcy watched as the sky began to open up again.

“Were you guys expecting anyone else?” she tried to ask as casually as possible.

It became apparent as they all piled into the pinzgauer that they weren’t. Darcy parked around the block. And as they all piled out Darcy weighed the benefits of fighting versus fleeing. In the end she chose neither as she realized posted at the top of the buildings on each block were what she assumed were agents. So when the giant death robot opened its face to spew fire, Darcy chose to evacuate. As a particularly blazing fire started she realized it was the town pet shop. Without another thought she raced inside, opening all of the cages in hopes that they’d run out. Most did, but there were a few she had to carry out. When she noticed another truck piling the animals in she breathed a sigh of relief before handing off her load and running back towards the fight. Only to find Thor Unconscious on the ground.

“What I miss?”

Jane darted towards him, checking for any signs of life as the giant robot turned and walked away.

A low-pitched hum drew their attention into the sky and Erik quickly dragged Jane away from Thor’s still form.  In a flash of brilliant light Thor stood in his blazing glory.

He made quick work of the Fire breathing death Robot. When he finished there wasn’t much left of it in whole pieces. As Jane ran towards Thor, Darcy switched her gaze to the four warriors beside her, it quickly returned back to Jane when Thor took off with her into the sky.

“Where is he taking her?” Erik questioned.

“he’s probably returning to the bifrost sight.”

“I’m guessing none of you can fly.”

They each shook their head.

“Lucky I parked Aurora away from all this. Come on I’ll give you a ride. Lady Sif can give directions.” She added when Frandal opened his mouth, it closed with an audible snap after her words.

They arrived just in time to see Thor once again yelling at the sky.

“Heimdell!” he bellowed.

“Who’s Heimlich?”

“Heimdell. He’s the gate keeper, as well as the reason we were able to get here.” Sif supplied.

The group looked up to the sky expectantly, and just when Darcy was beginning to doubt his existence the prism of light from the night they’d been researching appeared in the sky.

They watched the group step into the light, and as Thor promised Jane to return he turned in his stride to Darcy, he clasped her by the forearm, in a way she’d only seen happen in those warrior movies.

“Lady Darcy, Huntress of Midgard, I would ask that you keep watch over Jane until my return.” He finished with a knowing gleam in his eyes.

Darcy fought down the bubble of excitement in her chest, returning his arm shake grasp thing.

“You don’t even have to ask bro.” she said with a smile

He beamed down at her before stepping back into the shimmering light of the rainbow, disappearing and leaving behind an intricate scorch mark.

Darcy talked Jane into going back after it was clear Thor wasn’t going to return that day. She watched her throw herself into her work, after everything was returned.

Darcy knew they were being watched and without much else to do, she grabbed her soccer ball and went out back. She was in her second round of drills when she felt eyes on her again, she tried to ignore it as she forced herself to focus on the ball.

She feigned a fall, and instead of getting up she laid there. It took a minute but eventually she could hear the sound of someone making their way over.

“Shit, You okay?” the man asked.

“Yeah, I’m good.” She chuckled, before looking over at her stalker and his large biceps “So, Arms, any reason you’re stalking me?”

“Stalking? It’s called surveillance.” He huffed.

“Did you take pictures?” she prodded, sitting up.

When he didn’t answer, she laughed.

“Stalker.” She sang.

“This is what I get for checking to make sure you were okay?”

Darcy laughed before standing to her feet. As she dusted herself off she turned to fully face the man. Something was familiar about the man, and when she noticed the bow and a quiver of arrows on his back she laughed. “NO way!”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked, taking a slight step back.

“The Amazing Hawkeye!” She cheered.

The man looked startled, a slight flush coating his exposed neck. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh please, I’d recognize that mug anywhere! Um, let’s see... do you remember a show out in south Dakota? I think I was like nine…”

“You!! You hustled that prick, got three stuffed animals and thirty dollars.!” He accused.

“Yes, I did.” Darcy smiled.

“Are you still good with a bow?” he questioned.

“You didn’t notice the targets?” she questioned. Pointing to the set up pushed farther back around them. “Why did they call you Hawkeye again?”

“They still do.” he said with a smirk.

“Care to make a wager?” she returned with a grin.

Clint eyed her specutively “What do you want?”

“My IPod.” She said without hesitation.

“I don’t” he began.

“I don’t care who has it, but I need it back.”

“And what do I get?” he questioned.

“I guess that depends on what you want.” Darcy asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

He eyed her up and down.

Darcy sent him a smile, fighting down the flare of excitement his gaze ruffled inside her.

Since the day, her Ipod had gone missing Darcy made it her personal mission to locate any listening device in their home and at random intervals she’d casually walk by yelling. “Where’s my Ipod!” Before continuing on with her day. Jane thought it was hilarious.

Clint seemed to mull it over, before agreeing.

Jane came out just before they started, before coming towards Darcy.

“The guy’s name is Hawkeye, are you sure you want to do this?”

Darcy watched as Clint Pulled out his Bow.

“Definitely. Yo Hawkniss! What do you think you’re doing?”

He paused in his movements “Grabbing my bow?”

Darcy snorted. “YeaNo.. Jane?” Darcy called.

Jane huffed before pulling out the Longbow Darcy had asked her to grab from the closet.

“Where the hell did you get that?” Clint squawked.

“Did you think I’d let you use that high tech looking thing?”

Clint frowned before stashing his bow. “Fine.”

Darcy handed him the bow with a shark like grin.

He scratched the back of his head, eyeing the wooden contraption. “Do I get to test it first?”

“Nope.” Darcy returned popping the ‘p’

“How is that fair? You probably grew up with this thing.”

“Who’s the professional here?” Darcy challenged.

Clint let out a huff, before taking up position.

The first two shots were just outside of the bullseye, and Darcy smirked. By the last four he’d hit dead center, smirking he turned to her. “If you let me do those again, I’d hit it dead on!” he argued.

Darcy took the bow from him as Jane measured each arrows distance from the center before grabbing them. “Don’t be such a Hawkbaby.”

Clint glared down at her “You can’t just add words to the end! It doesn’t make sense!”

“Did it hurt?”

Clint narrowed his eyes. “A little.”

“Then it worked.” She snorted, before taking aim. She rolled her shoulder before drawing the bow back taught. As she eyed the target she took a second to wink at Jane before letting it fly. She got within the black dot but was just short of dead center. She tsked before aiming for the next target. Bullseye. She continued that way until she finished before turning to Clint who was glaring at her.

She held out her hand expectantly.

“I told you I don’t have it.”

Darcy sent him a look and he huffed.

Reaching into his pocket he brought out her prize before dropping it into her palm.

Clint was still watching her “How did you know?”

“I saw you listening to it from your perch.”

“You didn’t actually trip…” he surmised.

“You’re just figuring that out?” Darcy asked blinking owlishly.

“I can’t believe you hustled me.”

“Just like old times!” Darcy returned chuckling. “Come on Hawkguy, let’s get you something to drink, you looked like you were dying out in this heat.”

It didn’t take long before he was called back to base, leaving with a promise to keep in touch.

Darcy shrugged, she’d heard that before.

Chapter Text

At four am Jane was occupied with science so she turned in for the night, she’d get started on cataloging their data in the morning.

Darcy woke with a groan, rolling over her blankets as her hand shot out trying to find the source of the ringing that had awoken her.

 She quickly dragged it under the covers before flipping it open.

"lo" she murmured.

"Darling Darcy!" Sam said with a chuckle.

"Sammy? Why are you calling so late... Early?"  She corrected after glancing at the clock.

Sam scoffed "Darce it’s two in the evening."

"I'm sorry did your astrophysicist go on a two-day science bender?" She quipped.

Darcy listened as a distorted argument began over the line before Dean’s voice rang clear. "Let me talk, give me the phone Sam!"

"Darce you’re on speaker, because your brother’s a three-year-old with no patience." Sam, gibed.

Dean snorted "Bitch!"

"Jerk"

"Assholes! Hey is there a reason or can I go?"

"Well aren't you a bundle of daisies?" Dean said with a chuckle.

"The freshest. Wait you two are still together?" She returned, her brain finally catching up.

There was a moment of silence over the line before Sam spoke. “Um yeah, we still can’t find Dad.”

“What about Law school…” Darcy began.

“I’ll get back to it once we find him, I won’t be able to go back until we do.”

Darcy sighed, Sam sounded, different sad even.

“Oh okay, how did Jessica take it? She hasn’t been answering her phone.” Darcy asked, turning over in her bed

Another pregnant pause.

She sat up, immediately on edge “Sam?”

“She, um, she died.” He choked back.

Darcy ran over the last few days in her head, “She.. what?”

“Same way as Mom.” Sam mumbled.

“Jesus. I’m so sorry Sam. Do you guys need any help.”

Another muffled argument before Dean spoke.

“We’ve got this Darce, just stay put. Please.”

Darcy bit her lip to keep from blurting out what she wanted to say, remembering they had called her for a reason. “So what did you want?” she asked keeping her breathing even, years of practice falling into place as she fought to keep her voice from breaking.

"Look Bobby's on a case and we need someone to hold the phone lines."

Darcy sighed. She needed to go into town, pick up somethings from the store and she had a slew of Jane’s data to input. But if there was one thing uncle Bobby had taught her, it was to multitask.

"I got it."

Dean let out a chuckle "See this is why she's my favorite."

"Hey!" Sam squawked indignantly,

"Can I go back to sleep now?" she hissed.

"Aww Darce don't cha miss us?" Dean chimed.

"Like the flu." Darcy said with a chuckle.

"Alright we'll call you later" Sam offered.

Trying to end the call on a good note she huffed. "Be safe!"

Dean let out a snort. "Always am."

"Lies!" She roared as the line disconnected.

Sam and Dean were together on a wild search for Dad… and they wanted her to sit out? Likely.

Rolling over with a huff she reached beneath her bed, pulling out a shoebox. She flipped open the lid revealing an array of cellphones with tiny labels on them. Unsure of which she'd need she grabbed all six before getting ready for the day. It wasn't until she'd gotten back from the store that one of the phones rang. She only took a second to glance at the label before answering. The algorithm she was running was cross matching on the screen, a bunch of negatives popping up as it searched for the trucks license plate she’d last seen her Dad in.

"This is the Bureau of criminal investigation; how may I assist you?"

"This is officer Langley with the Minnesota police department I'm looking for Agent Ludgate?"

Darcy bit back a snort. "This is she."

" Oh!"

"Oh?" Darcy questioned.

" I just wasn't expecting a um" the man trailed off.

"A woman? Well you got her is there something I can help you with?"

" Right, my apologies I have here two agents under your bureau, Agents Haverford and Swanson."

" And?" She questioned sounding impatient.

"Well we didn't realize the Bureau was sending men down here."

"Would you have preferred women?” She snarked.

"Uh no sir, Ma'am. I just meant the case was closed yesterday, I just don't see why there'd be more investigating."

"I see."

"You do?" he blurted

"Clearly you don't think we're competent here at the bureau,"

The agent sputtered over the line. "That's not, I wasn't !

"Look officer Langley, my agents were sent there for a reason, do you plan to disrupt my investigation.

"No ma'am !"

"So we're good here?" She questioned.

“Yes Ma'am !"

Darcy barely held back a chuckle at the honorific “Good enjoy the rest of your day then" she returned before hanging up the phone.

She looked down at her place in the data before sighing. "Back to work Agent Ludgate."

Darcy sat in the containment room. Arms cuffed behind her back. It wasn’t to uncomfortable but it was annoying. Apparently shield had found one of her stashes. Well then.

They’d cornered her at the grocery store, and had brought her to their base of operations for questioning.

She looked around the room. In front of her was a table, the only other item in the room besides the chair she was sitting on and the lamp.  A black window sat in one of the walls, two way clearly.  She wasn't sure how long she'd been in this room, but if she didn't get out soon, her scientist would probably worry.  Luckily whoever was holding her chose that moment to enter the room. He dropped a file on the table, the slap echoing around the room. She glanced at the thin file realizing it was hers. Darcy showed no expression.

"Darcy Lewis" the bald agent announced. "No known relatives."

"It's not as lonely as you'd think" she said with a shrug.

"You want to tell me why a political science undergrad has shot guns stored in a secret compartment in her trunk?"

"You want the truth?" She questioned

"Usually yes"

"I’m not so sure you'd believe me." She admonished.

"Try me."

"Fine, I dabble in the art of hunting."

"See I could have believed that, but your shot guns shells, they weren't loaded with bullets."

Darcy laughed, the agent sending a glance at the mirror behind him.

"Now I know you definitely won't believe me.. Look Mr..."

"Agent."

"Oh. Fancy. Mr. Agent. That file? Open it. I mean I'd do it myself but," She shrugged. " my hands are tied."

The agent scoffed, opening the file before crossing his arms.

Darcy bit back a snort as the name Darcy Lewis, greeted her.

"You like that? Stick around I'm chalked full of ‘em... That file doesn't look like you've got anything, so how about you let me go, I've got a test tomorrow, that I'm not nearly as prepared for as I should be."

"The guns?"

"No bullets, but if you must know? I've got a permit." She said with a shrug. " and now your holding me without a cause. So tick tock, you're running out of time. "

"Until?"

"Give it a second."

Not even a minute later there was a knock on the door.

Darcy relaxed into her chair. "You better get that. I'll wait here."

The agent straightened his tie before going to the door.  A hushed conversation happened before he stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Darcy debated getting out of the handcuffs, but decided against it. Less they add that to her file.

The door opened and the Agent stepped back into the room. He walked towards her never once breaking eye contact.

She sent him a look in return. "Mr. Agent, at least by me dinner first, I mean I don't usually go for bald heads, but I could get use to the glasses."

He jerked her handcuffs as he undid them, Darcy had to bite back a snarl.

"Kinky!" She huffed, rolling her wrist and wincing as they cracked. "I'd say it was a pleasure, but it wasn't."

Before she could make it to her car a call made her glance back. Turning she saw the agent from before, the one who was stealing their equipment.

“Well, if it isn’t my second favorite Jack booted thug.”

“Second?” he challenged.

Darcy pointed to the earphones poking out of her pocket.

“Barton.”

Darcy shrugged. “What’s up son of Coul?”

“I’d like to formally offer you a” he started.

“No thanks.” Darcy cut off.

“I think you’d be a great fit.”

“Look I work for Jane, and wherever she goes, I’ll go, But I want nothing to do with this sketchy agency.”

Coulson nodded. “well if you ever need anything.” He announced holding out a business card for her.

After a moment, Darcy took it. “Thanks. I guess.”

Climbing into her car she quickly drove away grumbling all the way back to the gas station.

“What’s wrong with you?” Jane questioned, after her mumbling became louder.

“Jackbooted thugs are hiring.” She chimed.

“What? You mean they?”

“Offered me a job. Yeah”

 After a moments pause Jane eyed her nervously “And?”

“Obviously, I said no, unless you don’t want me anymore… I mean schools kind of out. I figured I could stay with you?”

“Darcy! You mean that?” Jane asked her eyes wide.

“Where else would I go?” she literally had no life plan.

Jane’s eyes seemed to water before she nodded.

Chapter Text

Darcy groaned awake from her mid-afternoon nap. Searching for the sound that had drawn her from sleep. A knock at the door, she realized getting up with a groan. Darcy debated the merits of pants before grabbing the pair she’d lazily thrown onto the floor. Checking her security feed, she groaned before unlocking the locks, that she’d had to replace thanks to a certain sketchy agency. She’d gone for reinforced steel this time.

“Son of Coul, what draws you out at this ungodly hour?” Darcy chirped.

Coulson frowned. “It’s two in the afternoon.”

“Semantics.” Darcy said with a stretch. The agent’s eyes didn’t waiver from her face, and she smiled.

The agent wisely decided not to argue his point, quickly getting to his reason for waking her. “Have you noticed any suspicious activity in the area?”

“Besides the slew of Agents you had lurking around us at all hours of the day? No. I see you’ve called them off, I gotta say I’m going to miss them.”

Something seemed to shutter in his eyes but it was well concealed. Had they not called their agents back? Darcy recalled the night everything had gone silent, the unusual stillness of the night alerting her to a difference in her surroundings. She’d shouted down one of the listening device, and after not hearing any thumps or muffled curses she’d assumed they’d gone.

Coulson nodded, seeming to find what he was looking for in her answer. He pulled out a business card, offering it to her, “See something, say something.” he said with a stiff smile. Before he turned to leave he seemed to make a split second decision. “We didn’t by the way, call off the agents I mean. You were issued a set team.” He informed her before heading to his vehicle.

Darcy could only watch as he drove off down the road before shutting the door. It wasn’t until she’d gotten to the last lock that she cursed.

Jane, just coming down the stairs, changed directions towards her. “Everything okay? Is Shield bothering you again?”

“Whole team of agents missing.” She mused, pacing the length of the lab.

Jane gasped “What?”

Darcy only spared her glance, surprised at the woman’s reaction, before continuing her thought process.

“And they tell me, why?” Darcy asked, searching Jane’s face as if the answer was waiting there.

“I’m not following.”

“You think Shield… knows…” Darcy cut off her line of thinking. “Impossible.”

Jane shrugged before turning away, “You can tell me later.”

Darcy hummed her agreement before setting up her laptop in the kitchen.

She quickly got into the local police reports for missing persons. Within the last three nights four people had gone missing, Police had no leads and were calling them run-aways. She did a search of abandoned buildings in the area. Printing out the sheet, she grabbed her map of the town and marked down each location.

Refolding the map, she pushed away from the table stuffing it in her pocket as she went.

“Hey Jane? Can I have the night off?”

“Uh I guess? I’ll just be running through some theories.”

Darcy narrowed her eyes at the woman “Remember the system Jane.”

“Green for break throughs, purple for formulas, blue for physics.” Jane parroted.

“And?”

“No mixing colors on the same page of notes.” Jane huffed.

“Good girl.” Darcy chimed, patting her scientist lovingly on the head. “See you tomorrow… hopefully.”

Jane looked up at that. “Where are you going?”

Darcy hesitated, “Um hunting.”

Jane nodded. “Do you need me to do anything?”

“Just stay in and keep your phone on please.”

Jane nodded, and Darcy quickly made her escape to her room.

Checking her chest she grabbed an array of weapons and bullets. She hesitated over the vials of Deadman’s blood before deciding to add it to her pack. You could never be too careful. If she needed it she would also need the crossbow she’d gotten as a gift for her fourteenth birthday from Bobby; it was easier to shoot darts of blood from a distance she’d learned. She took the time to fill seven darts with the blood before adding it to her pack. She did a quick mental checklist before hoisting the bag onto her leather clad shoulder.

Her car sat parked on the side of the building and she tussled with the tarp stuffing it in the trunk before dropping her bag into the backseat amd climbing into the front. Her Honey had come a long way from the junkyard. She and Bobby had it up and running looking shiny and new by her seventeenth birthday. Now her Shelby Gt500 could give any car a run for its money.

Darcy parked three blocks away from the sight most of the people had been disappearing from, and with her night vision goggles in place she settled in for a good old fashioned stake out. Snacks provided. It wasn’t until two am that she noticed the man being lured into the alleyway.

With lighting speed the woman had him pinned to the wall before she, seemingly lovingly, began to nuzzle his neck. But from his muffled cries, it was anything but.

Vampires. Darcy bit back a groan sliding farther down in her seat. She’d need an actual plan now. Letting her head drop back on the seat she took two deep breaths before she pushed on.

 Vampires usually had a nest nearby, and from the map she’d printed out it could be one of four places luckily, they were all in different directions with masses of land, so it was just a matter of watching which way the vamp took its victim. And as the Vamp dragged the man down the empty street she headed left before disappearing.

Left. Towards the barn shrouded in woods.

If she was going to do this, she was going to need all the possible advantages. Clearly the Vamp was going back to a nest, where she assumed the four missing people and the Shield agents had been taken. Three going on four days the agents had been gone, and they’d either been turned or were being kept alive as a food source. Darcy would have to prepare for either alternative. Pulling her pack into the front seat she dug through it looking for her vampire hunting supplies.

She’d only made the seven darts but she’d also brought extra vials, three to be exact, she carefully loaded seven more darts as a precaution. With a sigh Darcy closed her hand around a jar of ashes, taking off the lid she could only be thankful that burning the trillium, saffron and skunk cabbage, had dimmed it’s horrid smell, but as she grabbed a paint brush and began to dust herself with the scent masking mixture, she knew she’d be washing down her car for weeks to come. Scent masked and darts set up she headed off into the direction the Vamp had gone.

It wasn’t long before she came to a stop outside the outskirts of the abandoned barn. She killed the engine before rolling forward in neutral parking at the very edge of the forest of the property. It was time to go to work. Most hunters found themselves diving into the thick of the hunt, whereas Darcy preferred a more traditional hunting approach. You didn’t run into a den, you drew your hunt out. It required patients and a good vantage point.

She was just getting ready to climb into her chosen tree, when the sound of an approach gave her pause. Darcy held the cross bow at the ready as she crouched down, her night vision goggles showing the approach of a single figure, but it was coming from the road not the barn, and as it continued to move at humane speeds Darcy dropped the bow, before pulling out a small pistol and knife. She edged around it, him she decided, as he continued forward until she was behind him. And as he paused in his movements Darcy had to do a double take, before lifting off her goggles. The man was in a dark tactical suit and boots, but she still had to confirm, if Bobby had taught her anything. So with silent breaths, she closed in the distance, holding the knife to his throat with her gun at his back.

“Please tell me you aren’t this stupid.” She hissed.

“Ah Miss Lewis, lovely night where having.”

“Don’t move.” She hissed.

“Is this really necessary?”

“It is if you’d like to keep your head.” She offered casually.

Coulson froze. “Threatening a Shield Ag-“

Darcy held back an eye roll, before cutting him off. “Above you is a trap I set, an upside down bear trap, if you trip that cord it will drop, on your head, and it will decapitate you”

Coulson swallowed thickly. “As you were.”

 Darcy crouched beside him to check his foot placement before standing,

“I’m going to grab your waist and I need you to follow me backwards.” She whispered.

The agent nodded, and as Darcy pulled him gently backwards he followed her movements.

It wasn’t until they were a safe distance that Darcy finally chewed him out.

“Are you crazy! Do you even know what I’m up against! You almost ruined everything.”

Coulson huffed.  “My agents are in there and I gave you that business card for a reason. Whoever is in there means business, and you can’t go in alone.”

“I wasn’t even going in! I’m not crazy enough to take on a nest of vampires.” Darcy hissed, too loud as a figure emerged in the door way.

Darcy bit back a curse before pushing her body against the agents until he was pressed up against a tree. Hoping the Skunk Cabbage was doing its job.

“Vampires? “

“Shhh.” She hissed, bringing up her crossbow as he entered the forest. He was quick and as he searched for their location, Darcy watched him stop just outside of her trap.  She tried no to pout as she shot him with a dart.

A startled cry left his lips and Darcy new she only had seconds. Pushing off of the agent she rushed forward, a hard kick to his chest had him on the ground groaning, weakened from the Deadman’s blood. She didn’t hesitate to pull out her machete, bringing it down on his neck in a swift movement. Coulson came to a stop beside her with wide eyes.

“I think you should reconsider my offer.”

Darcy smirked before picking up the head. “It’s time to play.”

She found a low hanging branch, setting the head there before heading back to her tree, she’d ordered Coulson to move back, his scent too strong to get too close, but enough to draw the vamps in his direction, against Darcy’s better judgement he’d insisted. So, as she sat in her tree and three more vamps came out, she watched them head in Coulson’s direction where they’d find the-

“Brad!” one of them shouted, just as the snap of a bear’s trap echoed through the night. Darcy fired off two more darts from her tree perch before listening to the telltale thunk of a blade through flesh.

Hearing them Darcy released a breath listening as Coulson made his way to the second trap she’d told him about. Four more Vamps emerged and Darcy grimaced, they were pushing it. She quickly climbed hire in her tree before leaping to the next one to get a better line of sight. The bark of the wood leaving tiny scrapes on her palm. She stopped two trees away from Coulson and six trees away from the Vamps, entering the woods.

As they approached she fired off four darts, each one hitting its mark. One stumbled back on impact, stepping into her trap. And as the bear trap dropped down and the group looking slightly dazed and gaping at their disfigured comrade; she dropped down, switching the Cross-bow cartridges from the blood darts to its normal ammo. She fired one clean through the firsts neck and he dropped with a thunk.

The last two, females, separated trapping her on either side.

“Bitch!” one snarled, before they lunged.

Darcy smirked hitting a button on the bow, sending the double head of the bow into opposite directions as it automatically fired. Both went down with a gurgled shout and Coulson was quick to finish the three off.

He turned to her with a hint of amazement in his eyes, but before she could say anything a flash of movement drew her attention. And then she was flying, she groaned as she smacked into a tree, a slight crack resounding. She could feel an ache at the base of her spine and a slight trickle of blood at her hairline where she’d been hit. The Vamp came into view and she struggled to get a grip on her bow.

The Vamp smiled, before sniffing the air, a strange look crossing his face. “Winchester... but female. You’re like an infestation.” it hissed, it’s eyes growing menacing as it approached. He dropped into a crouch in front of her and Darcy kicked out, hitting him in the balls.

He fell back with a groan and Darcy, finding her grip on the trigger, fired off two more blood darts. He choked off with another groan as its effects bled into him. She used the base of the tree to stand up. Coulson came into view at the tree line and Darcy watched as he decapitated the monster with his already bloodied machete.

Darcy bit back a sigh of relief before trekking back to her perch.

“Where are you going?” Coulson asked, as she trudged through the thicket.

“That was a nest and I have no idea how many vamps they’re actually are. I counted nine, but some of the older ones leave the dirty work to the younger ones. I’m assuming that was their leader, but better be safe then dead, my uncle always says.”

“Smart man.” Coulson agreed climbing into the tree beside her.

“Soo, you hunt Vampires.” He began, not so casually.

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Among other things.”

Coulson was silent for a moment before, to Darcy’s chagrin, he spoke again.

“We could really use someone who knows about all this.”

“Really Coulson, that’s it? No surprise at finding out about the supernatural world?”

“I tend to go with the flow, more often than not. And it’s Phil.” He added.

Darcy nodded at that. “Winchester.”

He frowned before nodding. “What the vamp said, how did he know.”

“My scent I guess, can’t really hide your bloodlines from a vamp, I guess, but how he knew?”

He nodded. “Unless it’s common place for a vampire to pick profiles based off of blood scents.”

Darcy snorted. “No, my family they’re more… active than I am, sometimes the hunt gets away, or you barely make it away from the hunt. It’s more than likely their paths crossed. Vamps don’t forget a scent. Which is why, I’m taking no chances.”

As the first beginnings of sunlight began to filter over the horizon. Darcy saw movement at the door of the Barn.

Coulson stiffened, but Darcy quickly drew out her binoculars. Vamps didn’t usually come out in the sun.

The male stood with a gun positioned at the ready as he searched his surroundings. He motioned behind him before moving forward, four men surrounding a group of people at his back

“Clint!” they both said at the same time.

Coulson sent her a strange look, but she was already moving.

She lent against a tree, mindful of her aching back, as Clint entered the forest.

A second later he noticed her, his gun taking up aim.

“Easy their Hawkguy, your safe now.”

A strange look crossed his features. “Darcy?”

“Stand down Barton.” Coulson called a second later.

“Sir?” the “look” changing to outright shock.

“Well, if we are done with the formalities, how many were in there.” Darcy asked pushing off the tree.

Clint sent Coulson a look, who in turn nodded. “Nine, when none of them came back last night I figured they’d moved on. Still kept quiet just in case.”

Darcy gaped. “Are you serious? Did you hear none of what happened.”

Clint frowned. “I lost my hearing aid. And this lot, were passed out up until an hour ago.”

Darcy sent a look skyward. “You, damsels in distress. Me, Knight and shining armor. Coulson? Let’s call him the noble steed.”

Coulson sent her a look as Clint’s eyes widened. “You mean you… killed those….?”

“Vampires.” Coulson supplied.

“Aww no..” Clint whined. “Vampires?”

Darcy snorted, before patting him on the shoulder as she passed him to the barn.

“Miss Lewis?” Coulson called, his question clear.

“I need to check around, make sure there’s nothing else to be found.”

Coulson nodded before leading the group to whatever vehicle he’d come in.

“Permission to stay behind.” Clint called.

“Debrief when your back.”

“Off the record.” Darcy called.

Clint raised a brow.

“Agreed.” Coulson returned.

Clint watched them go before catching up with Darcy.

“So vampires?” he started.

Darcy sighed. “yup.”

“And you kill them.”

 It wasn’t a question. So, she shrugged, stopping just at the door of the barn. With light filtering in, she did a check of the premises before continuing in. “Anybody die in here?” she signed turning slightly so he could see.

Clint frowned before pointing to a pile of bodies in the corner.

“You know asl?”

She hummed before realizing what she’d done and adding a nod

Darcy drew closer before bringing out a pack of needles. Clint was quick to grab her wrist as she aimed for a vein and she fought back the urge to defend herself.

“What are you doing?” She hissed.

“What are you doing?”

“The bodies are mostly drained, but some could have died before the vamp could have finished them.”

“And?”

“Deadman’s blood! It doesn’t kill them but it does weaken them. My supply is low after saving your ass.”

Slowly Clint released her, and she resumed her work. She filled about five vials, before the smell got to be too much. She did another check of the barn before leaving, Clint falling into step beside her. “Did they bleed on any of you, like in the mouth or an open wound?” She asked.

Clint shook his head.

 Darcy continued the trek back to her car. As Darcy unlocked her door to climb in Clint paused minutely to let out a whistle. “I think I’m in love.” Clint whispered.

Darcy pretended not to hear him, and as he climbed in she turned so he could read her lips. “You need to get back or you got time for food?”

Clint nodded. “I can eat.”

Darcy smirked “Awesome.”

Darcy and Clint stopped at the Isabelle’s diner, for an early morning breakfast. As they waited for food he made her recount the events that preceded his rescue. He seemed to take it all at face value, before they moved onto light subjects, favorite shows, music they listened to.

Darcy didn’t make it back to the lab until lunch, once she’d dropped Clint off a short distance from the base.

As the final lock clicked, she shouldered open the door with a groan. In a blur, she had her arms full of tiny scientist.

“Hey Janey, I’m home!” she managed.

“Darcy! I was so worried! I left my phone on, like you asked, but then you never called. and you said Vampires didn’t like sunlight but you didn’t call when it came up, and... and...” Jane sniffed, before releasing her. “What’s that smell?”

“Probably the skunk cabbage.” Darcy shrugged. “You were worried about me boss lady?”

Jane huffed wiping at her eyes “You’re my only Intern, but I think it’s probably the Skunk cabbage. What did you do roll in it?”

Darcy rolled her eyes fondly before trekking to the stairs. “Sure, sure. I’m going to shower and then sleep for and obscene amount of time. Don’t science too hard without me.” she called behind her. 

Chapter Text

Jane had decided that staying in New Mexico was their best option, so that’s where she was when Sam called her in the dead of night. Jane was on the verge of some sort of break through and Darcy was just making sure she stayed hydrated. “Yo Sammy!” she cheered over the line.

“Darce?” he questioned, a slight edge to his tone.

“Second all-nigther in forty eight hours. “ she offered. “What’s wrong Sam?”

He seemed to hesitate over the line “It’s Dean.”

“What’s wrong with Dean?” she asked sitting up in her chair.

“We were hunting a Rawhead” he began

Darcy shivered at the thought of the creature with no skin, and too many jaws to count that used human bodies to keep itself alive.

“When Dean electrocuted it, there was a puddle and he got hit too.” Sam rushed out.

“How is he?” Darcy breathed.

“Doctors say he only has a few weeks to live with the way his heart was damaged.”

Darcy felt her heart stutter, as her eyes began to water. “Where are you?” she asked already on her feet.

“Wait, there’s this Healing convent that I’m taking him to, it’s our last resort Darcy.” Sam placated.

“Where is it?” She asked still moving around the lab

“Darcy..."

“Where is it Sam I’ll meet you there.” She said leaving no room for him to push her out.

Sam stayed silent.

“You listen to me Sam Winchester, If this plan of yours doesn’t work this could be the last time I see my brother. Where are you taking him.” She barked.

Address in hand she loaded up her Mustang.

“When will you be back?” Jane asked handing off one of the large duffel bags.

Darcy eyed the woman hesitating in her plan to leave the woman, Erik had left a week ago. Apparently shield had managed to bring him into the fold as some sort of consultant.

“Shouldn’t be more than a week, you think you can survive that long without me?” she asked only part serious as she eyed her friend in her wrinkled shirt. Her hair pulled into a messy bun on top of her head. She spied a pencil holding it in place and had to fight the urge to cry.

Jane huffed. “I survived before you, ya know.”

“I don’t know how.” Darcy breathed, pulling the woman into a hug.

“I hope your brother will be okay.”

Darcy nodded. “Sam thinks this place can heal him.”

Jane pulled back with a frown “Do you?”

“Gotta have faith, don’t I Janey?” She smiled, pulling a pair of sunglasses on. “I meal prepped for you, if at least five of the ten aren’t gone by the time I get back, and I will check the trash can, I’ll make sure to hide all your pens.”

“You wouldn’t”

“Don’t test me Jane.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll eat.” Jane said before the two broke into giggles.  

Darcy was geared up for her eleven hour drive to Ford City Nebraska. She ended up beating the boys by a few hours, according to Sam's eta. She'd driven straight through and decided to sleep until they arrived. She still had the tracking algorithm running a search for John’s truck. So far it had three matches, but damned if the man was moving, he was tailing something.

A knock at her door startled her awake, she grabbed the knife from her pocket sheath before edging to the window. Sam and Dean were standing there, Sam looking nervous while Dean just looked confused.

“I don’t see why we have to stop here.” Dean huffed, his muffled voice reaching her through the glass. “Who is this guy anyway.”

Darcy jetted to the door, before yanking it open. “Wow dean, you’re getting Whiney.”

Sam pulled her into a hug as she let them both into the room.

“Darcy?!” Dean looked incredulous. “You called Darcy?”

“You’re dying Dean, your sister deserves to know.” Sam intoned, clearly disgruntled at having to argue the statement.

“Yeah but, you didn’t have to drag her all the way from Nebraska. Dad doesn’t”

“Dad Can Suck it, and you can to for that matter, if you think for a second I’m going to stay in New Mexico while you’re dying.” She huffed, cursing the sting in her eyes. Thankfully her eyes stayed dry as she fixed him with a hard stare.

Dean winced as he shuffled over, wrapping her in a hug. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Good, so when do we go see this Jesus wanna be?”

“Darcy!” Sam huffed.

“See even she thinks this is ridiculous.”

Darcy shrugged. “Ridiculous enough to work.”

Sam and Dean checked in to the motel before they all took off together in the Impala. Darcy couldn’t help breathing in the scent of the warm leather as she sat in the back seat. Her seat was usually behind the passenger’s seat she recalled, Dean had always rode shot gun while she and Sam took the back.

Her thoughts cut off as the road changed to gravel. It was foggy outside as the many cars parked between the large house and the white tent set up in its yard. Sam came around to help Dean out of the car, and she snorted as he waived him off with a glare. The siblings trekked up to the large tent only to stop at a man shouting about how the whole thing was a fraud, he even had flyers.

“Man you are a lying bastard.” Dean huffed. “I though you said we were going to see a Doctor.”

“I believe I  said specialist.” Sam returned.

Dean’s face didn’t change and Sam surged ahead.

“Look, Dean, this guy is supposed to be the real deal.”

“I can’t believe you took me to see some guy that heals people out of a tent.” Dean hissed.

Darcy could feel a headache brewing as they continued.

A woman stopped beside them, “Reverend LeGrange is great man.” she insisted to her feuding brothers.

“Yeah that’s nice.” She and Dean chimed.

Sam looked skyward as if he was the one suffering.

The protestants shouts grew louder. “This man is a fraud!”

Sam and Dean fell into another argument, and finally Darcy snapped.

“Death doesn’t happen to you,” she hissed a Dean. “It happens to the people around you, your family. So shut your pie hole and get in the Tent Dean Winchester or so help me God.”

Sam and Dean were staring at her.

“Get!” she huffed, biting back a chuckle at sounding like Bobby, and how Sam and Dean moved.

She followed them into the Tent where they found their seats toward the front of the congregation, Dean situated between them.

“I’ve seen what evil does to good people Sam.” Dean tried.

“Maybe God works in mysterious ways.” Someone trilled from behind them.

“Yeah maybe he does.” Dean smirked, as he took in the woman behind him. “I think you just turned me around on the subject.”

Darcy and Sam shared a glanced.

“I’m Dean, this is Sam and this is Darcy my Sister.”

Darcy rolled her eyes at the additive. Even faced with death he found time to flirt.

“I’m Layla.” She greeted with a soft smile, before perplexity marred her features. “So, if you’re not a believer then why are you here?”

“Apparently these two believe enough for all of us.” He muttered.

“Layla, It’s about to start.” An older woman chimed from beside Layla, grabbing her hand. Her mother maybe.

The girl sent them a smile before drawing her eyes to the stage.

The Reverend began his sermon and Darcy looked around at all the people watching him with rapt attention. On the other side of Dean, Sam seemed to be drawn in as well.

“Who does the healing here friends?” The Reverend paused before continuing “The Lord, who guides me in choosing who to heal by helping me see into peoples’ heart’s.”

“Yeah or into their wallets.” Dean huffed beside her.

Darcy choked back a laugh.

“You think so young man?” The Reverend asked in their general direction.

Darcy’s eyes widened, at the reverend.

“Sorry.” Dean called, clearly as befuddled as she at the reverends ability to hear them. Sure they were in the front row but…

“No, no don’t be.” He smiled, his black sunglasses glinting in the light. “Just watch what you say around a blind man, We’ve got real sharp ears.”

Darcy nodded at the explanation though the man’s attention still seemed to be on her brother.

“What’s your name son?”

Dean stayed silent, and both she and Sam nudged him.

“Dean” He blurted.

“Dean, I want you to come up here.” He called. Around them the crowd began to clap.

“No, no. That’s alright.” Dean huffed.

Darcy turned an incredulous look on her brother, he was kidding right.

“What are you doing?” Sam whispered.

On stage the man’s brow knitted together in confusion, “You’ve come to be healed haven’t you?”

Dean let out a panicked laugh. “Well yeah but, maybe you should just pick someone else.”

Darcy was going to kill him. There was no way her brother could be this stupid.

“Oh no, I didn’t pick you.” The reverend explained before pointing a hand skyward. “The Lord did.”

Darcy and Sam shared a look before grabbing each of his arms, gently pulling him into the isle.

“Look no disrespect but I’m not really a believer.” He managed to get out as they brought him to the alter. It was a testament to how weak he was the he wasn’t fighting them.

“You will be, son.” The woman, his wife she remembered from the beginning of his sermon, said from beside the Reverend. “You will be.”

Darcy fought the urge to step back as the Reverend placed a hand on Deans head, his other hand held aloft. She expected some sort of chant or prayer, but the reverend was mostly silent murmuring a quiet “alright”, as the mood saw fit.

Darcy’s eyes stayed on Dean as her brother kneeled frozen beneath the reverends hold, and then his eyes rolled back and he was falling to the floor. She and Sam rushed forward to catch him before he could hit the floor.

“Dean!” she called, checking his pulse, she was getting ready to yell at the reverend when Dean gasped in a breath of air.

“Say something?” Sam begged.

Dean only looked up at something beside the Reverend, but when Darcy followed his gaze the space was empty.

They made a hasty retreat as she and Sam helped him to the car, having to force him into the passenger seat when he headed to the Drivers side.

“I feel fine.” He grumbled.

“You, fainted.” Darcy trilled.

“I did not faint.” He huffed, dropping into the seat like a petulant child. “Where are you taking me?” he asked as Sam started the car.

“To the Doctor.” Sam stated before pulling off.

 Darcy sat off to the side as she watched with her brothers and the Doctor with baited breath. They'd taken Dean to whatever hospital Sam had taken him to for his incident. the nurse had recognized them so it hadn't been long before the Nurse had taken Dean into the back. She herself still wasn't sure if she'd witnessed a miracle healing.

“So you really feel okay?” Sam asked for the thousandth time.

Darcy shifted in her chair as the doctor reentered the room.

“I feel fine, Sam.” Dean bit out.

“Well according to your test.” The doctor began. “There’s nothing wrong with your heart.”

Darcy released a huff of air she hadn’t realized she was holding before standing from the chair. She scooted onto the bed with Dean to rest against his side and he dropped an arm over her shoulder as the doctor continued.

“No sign there ever was, not that a man your age should be having heart trouble.” The doctor shook his head. “Still is strange, but it does happen.”

Dean stiffened beside her. “What do you mean strange?”

“Well just yesterday, a young man like you twenty-seven, athletic, out of nowhere he had a heart attack."

“Thanks Doc.” Darcy chimed.

The man nodded before leaving the room

“People have heart attacks all the time.” Sam intoned.

“No, they don’t Sam.” Dean argued.

Sam frowned “Maybe it’s a coincidence. I mean, do we really have to question this? Why can’t we just take a win.” He retorted.

Darcy found herself frowning as she let her brother’s words sink in, a win? Had they been losing?

“Because I can’t shake this feeling.” Dean barked.

“What feeling?” Darcy cut in.

His throat bobbed before he spoke “When I was healed, I just felt… wrong... and cold. And for a second I saw an old man.”

Darcy thought on his gaze back on the church stage, he was definitely staring as if someone were standing where the reverends free hand was hovering.

“I’m telling you Sam, it was a spirit.” Dean insisted, his eyes begging Sam to understand.

“But if someone was there, I think I would’ve seen it.” Sam scoffed lightly.

Darcy eyed her brother.

“Well excuse me psychic wonder.” Dean gibed.

Darcy shook her head. “What are you two talking about?”

Sam and Dean shared a look.

“I had this vision a few weeks back of people in our old house, the mom was going to die. I convinced Dean to check it out, and I was right, there was poltergeist in the house, and when things got rough, and I didn’t think we’d make it mom’s ghost saved us.”

Darcy pushed down her own thoughts of visions before latching on to the ending. “Your shitting me, right? Mom saved you?”

They both nodded.

Darcy couldn’t hold back the tears that were falling, God that stupid lid. “And you guys just decided not to tell me? Any of it? God, are you two so far up Dad’s ass that you can’t seem to think for yourselves?” She let out a wet chuckle as she took in their faces of disbelief. “Jesus, it’s like no matter what, you guys find ways to leave me out of shit.”

“Darcy.” Sam tried.

“I’m out of here, I’m glad you’re feeling better Dean, but I’ve got a scientist to water.” She huffed pushing from the room.

Darcy noticed too late that she hadn’t driven, but instead of going back inside she took a bus to the motel. She curled her knees to her chest as she peered out the window from her seat, the hospital disappearing from her sight as she rounded the bend.

Chapter Text

“I’m out of here, I’m glad you’re feeling better Dean, but I’ve got a scientist to water.” She huffed pushing from the room. Darcy noticed too late that she hadn’t driven, but instead of going back she took a bus to the motel.

As she laid on the bed, she’d decided to get some sleep before the long drive home. She was just drifting off when her laptop alert trilled. She let out a groan before pulling herself out of bed. Opening her laptop to see what her tracker had found. It had pinged a location, Darcy’s eyes widened at how close he was. Sam had mentioned leaving him a message. She knew she had to be quick. She threw all of her stuff into her duffel before rushing out the door, she tossed the key to the room into the deposit box before taking off down the road.

The truck was parked outside of a diner pit stop. She’d barely parked before she was rushing inside.

John was sitting in a booth alone, looking tired, and Darcy had half a state of mind to take it easy on him.

She slipped into the both seat across from him.

John looked up with a jolt. “Shit, Darcy? You scared the hell out of me.”

 “Father.” She huffed.

John looked her over, noticing her distress.  “What’s wrong? Is Dean...” he hesitated on the words.

Darcy’s glare softened. “Dean’s fine, Dad. We took him to a healer in Nebraska. It worked.”

“And you came all the way here to tell me that? Thank you.” he breathed.

Darcy felt herself frown, “No. Well Yes. but no. I wanted to talk to you.” 

He nodded before scooting out of the booth, leaving a twenty on the table as he went.

Darcy straightened out her thoughts as he stopped beside her car.

“What did you want to talk about?” he asked turning to face her

“Why you left me?” She blurted.

John’s eyes shuttered as he shook his head. “I didn’t”

“You did!” Darcy huffed trying and failing to keep the childish whine out of her voice. “You dropped me off at a stranger’s house, and you left me. You took Sam. You took Dean. And You. Left. Me.” Darcy’s eyes blurred as tears filled her vision.

John moved to step forward but she shook her head and he froze.

“You had to know. You had to know what that would do to me, how it would feel to be torn out of your life! Out of Sam and Dean’s life! You preach about family sticking together, and then you went and kicked me to the curb.”

“I didn’t… Hunting was no life for you.” he gruffed.

Darcy released a humorless chuckle “That’s a double standard you prick.”

“Darcy.” He chided.

“No!” she shrieked. “No, Sam and I are twins, the same age Dad, how can it be okay for them and not for me?” she hissed.

He stayed silent.

“We’ll I learned to hunt Dad, And I’m Damned good at it. I’ve taken out a pied piper at the age of eight, I’ve hunted ghost, I’ve killed skin walkers. I’ve taken out a nest of vampires.”

John’s eyes widened at that. “You what?”

“A nest of Vampires, and for that matter one recognized I was a Winchester either you or one of your Perfect Sons let it get away. Well you're welcome for finishing your shoddy ass hunting Job.” She chuckled again. “So tell me Dad, the truth not a bullshit excuse, none of that run around shit you string Dean along with, because I deserve to know why no one in this god forsaken family gives a shit about me.”

John dropped his chin to his chest before looking up at her, his years clear in his eyes. “You remind me so much of her.”

Darcy shook her head.

“You can deny it all you want, but your mom was a spit fire, she took no one’s shit, not even mine. And that might not be something you want to hear, but when I see your blue eyes, I see her looking at me in that fire, I couldn’t save her Darcy and she knew that, with those same blue eyes! She just wanted me to save you three. And it tore at me more and more, every time you asked me something the boys wouldn’t or the time you punched Sam’s bully in the nose and you’d gotten suspended. You're so smart and beautiful and so un-apologetically you, Darcy, that yeah I wanted to keep you safe, some part of me unable to watch as you pulled the trigger on a shot gun for the first time. But don’t for a second think we don’t care about you Darcy.”

Darcy forced herself to look up even as the tears continued to stream down her face. “It was lonely you know.” she whispered. “knowing you three were together while I had to sit around for a random phone call or for a drive by just to see you. That wasn’t fair to me, and some ridiculous part of me is still waiting for you to pick up that little girl you left behind in the junkyard.”

John opened his mouth but Darcy pushed forward.

“But then there’s the other part, who moved on. Who has a life, and still does what she can to keep wherever she is safe.”

John sent her a sardonic smile “You always had that balance in you, I was consumed, Darcy, with the hunting life, still am. So, do what you need to do Darce, take care of people like you do. And don’t let my mistakes hold you back, from life or your brothers.”

“I may have done that well enough of my own,” She breathed, wiping at the tears on her cheeks.

“What do you mean.” John asked warily.

“Sam and Dean just have years of secrets and jokes between them. I kind of snapped back at the hospital when Dean said he saw some old man when he was healed.”

John sent her a look. “What kind of old man?”

Darcy shrugged. “The Reverend that was healing him, Dean said there was someone behind him.” Darcy continued her thoughts out loud. “and then the Doctor said a twenty-seven-year-old died of a heart attack.”

John frowned at that. “Why’s that weird.”

“Because Dean was having heart problems.” Darcy said confused. “Sam didn’t tell you that?”

Slowly he began to shake his head.“They’ve got no idea what they’re dealing with.”

Darcy wiped her eyes on the edge of her sleeve. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“Did Bobby teach you anything about reapers?”

Darcy ran through her lessons of the creatures “Every culture has a different name for them but they all do the same thing, deliver souls to the afterlife. You can’t see them coming unless…” Darcy huffed.

“unless it’s coming for you.” he finished. 

“Yeah but what’s that got to do with healing?” She asked, confusion clear on her face.

“It’s not healing.” John returned.

“Death transferal.” Darcy breathed. “But the reverend wasn’t using any spells or anything I watched, I was there.”

John pursed his lips in thought “Then you missed something, someone else must be doing the spell.”

That's when she remembered the reverends wife, the way she’d reassured Dean that he’d "believe" by the end. “The wife.”

John sent her a questioning look.

“The reverends wife, she disappeared while the “healing” happened. I’d bet the phase meter it’s her.”

He raised a brow “The what?”

Darcy shook her head. “But Sam and Dean will figure that out.” She reassured herself.

“Doesn’t mean they couldn’t use some cover.” He huffed.

Darcy glared up at him. “I’m getting the strange urge to hug you.” she hissed.

John laughed before opening his arms.

Darcy folded herself into his arms with a sniffle. “I’m still angry with you.”

“I deserve that.” He returned.

She pulled back a second later to look him in the eyes. “You do know Sam and Dean are looking for you.”

“I’ll call them, I’m closing in on this thing.” And then his gaze shifted. “How did you find me?”

Darcy smirked. “Girls got to have her secrets. You coming?” she asked.

John shook his head adamantly “I can’t lose this thing.”

“Have you figured out what IT is?”

John hesitated momentarily before sighing. “All I know is it’s a Demon.”

Darcy frowned at that. “What would a demon want with Mom?”

He sent her shrug. “It’s something big, so I need you three to stay clear.”

Years of practice had Darcy nodding instead of complaining. She reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a amulet. “Anti-possession amulet. Me and Bobby keep a few around.” She trilled holding it out.

John smiled before slipping it around his neck. “Thank you.”

Darcy couldn’t help her own smile. “I’ll see you around Dad, stay safe. And for the love of God if you need help. Fucking call me.”

“If I think it’s dangerous. “ he began.

“You will call me.” she hissed.

John just nodded. “You better hurry.”

Darcy nodded before giving him one more hug and then she was climbing into the mustang, back tracking to return to her brothers. She brought out her iPod before setting up an internet connection to use for her laptop, within minutes she pinged there location at the church. Darcy took off down the stretch of road.

She rolled to a stop in the yard, pulling her bow and arrows from their holder before climbing the highest thing in the yard. Which was a nearby tree. As she situated herself she noticed Dean running. But nothing was behind him, that she could see. Dean tripped and Darcy cursed as her brother stayed down. She forced her eyes to focus. To see where Dean was looking. Her eyes burned as she focused on the spot as it seemed to close in on him. Her heart beat seemed to thud against her chest, slowly a figure materialized, a decrepit man in an old suit. The reaper.

Darcy didn’t hesitate to fire off three arrows. She didn’t know how to kill a reaper, but distract it she could. The thing looked up at her slowly and she fired off another barrage of arrows as Dean scooted away looking for the source. And then as if bored, his head tilted into a different direction, as if something else had his attention, before he vanished. Darcy didn’t move for a few seconds.

She’d seen it, she’d seen through whatever kept them hidden…

She began her descent in a slight daze and it wasn’t until she’d gotten to the bottom that she called out to her brother. His head whipped around to her, and then he was striding towards her.

“Darcy? You…. You came back” he asked.

Darcy didn’t hesitate to pull him into a hug. “Of course I came back, Reapers are no joke.”

“How’d you know?”

Darcy decided having her own secret wasn’t too bad. “Because I’m smarter than the two of you.” she joked.

“Shut up.” Dean huffed. "Nice aim, by the way."

She released a snort "Didn't do much good." 

“Dean!” Sam called

They both turned at the call, Sam's eyes widened as they took her in. “Darcy? I thought you’d left, the office said you checked out of your room and all your stuff was gone.”

“Changed my mind. Is the reverend okay?" 

“Roy’s fine, his wife on the other hand…”

Darcy nodded. “I’d have been pissed to, some woman chaining me too her like a lap dog. So you destroyed the alter that was binding him then.” She deduced returning her bow to its sheath over her shoulder."

Sam nodded, eyeing her arrows "That thing is archaic."

Darcy shoved him playfully as they headed to their cars. "Saved his ass."

"That makes us two for two in one day." Same teased.

"Shut up." Dean grumbled.

Darcy followed them back to their motel room, before saying her good byes. As quickly as she’d left them before, there was a part of her now that wanted to stay with them even just a few minutes longer.

“What you said earlier.” Sam began as she stood to leave. “I didn’t mean to keep anything from you it just. I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

Darcy sighed. “We all have secrets some requiring a multitude of NDAs, so I get it”

“NDA’s? What did go down in New Mexico?” Dean asked standing from his seat.

“Freak storm.” Darcy smirked. “It’s called a Non- disclosure agreement for a reason.”

“Really” they huffed.

“Which is why I told Uncle Bobby before I signed them.” She sent them a smile. “I need to get back to Jane, so this is where I bid you adieu and a sayonara” she announced giving each of them a hug. “Oh, and Sam, you’re not alone in your visions. I had one too.” Darcy blurted. “Okay bye!” she called before racing out the door.

She could hear their shouts behind her as she raced for the car, and as she slid into the driver’s seat an idea formed.

“Darcy wait!” Dean called, and then the Impala rumbled to life.

“If you can catch me.” She chortled, before speeding off.  

The road was clear for the night, and Darcy slowed to a stop at the red-light. Dean rolled to a stop beside her.

“When that light changes green, it’s you and me, the Impala against my Shelby. You win, I’ll tell you what I can about the visions.”

“And if you win?” Dean said with a grin.

“I’m out of here, on the fast track back to Science.”

Dean didn’t hesitate “Deal.”

She heard Sam mumble something but ignored him in favor of watching the cross light. She watched as it switched to yellow, revving her engine. A hiss pattered in her engine similar to a rattle snake about to strike. As the light changed green, she took off, her tires screeching on the asphalt. The impala was neck and neck with the Shelby, but she knew that car, knew that Dean was already pushing it, and she was barely in Third.

She up-shifted and the car hissed as it sprung forward leaving the Impala in her rear view mirror. She pulled over on the side of the road the Impala following before parking behind her.

 Darcy stepped out of the driver’s seat with a smile as she took in their faces.

Dean was glaring and Sam was grinning.

“What the hell is in that thing.” He huffed, pointing at Honey as if he were a menace.

“This is my Honey and he has a Cobra Le Mans Engine.” Darcy laughed patting the blue hood.

“Well I guess we’ll see you around.” Sam chortled.

Darcy chuckled. “The vision, I was looking at this abandoned house when it hit me, I thought I’d imagined it. But the hunt kept lining up with it, until Dad took over, she and the kids were the family in my vision. And then when that reaper was going for Dean, I couldn't see it at first, but then like I'd hit a switch he was there.” Darcy shrugged. "I don't know if the two are connected."

“Why’d you make me race if you were going to tell us either way?” Dean grumbled.

“That was between me and Dad, he issued a challenge back in New Mexico and...” Darcy held up a camera. “I’ll be sending him video evidence that he lost. I just needed to get you riled up.”

Dean chuckled “You mind if I look under the hood?”

Darcy reached in through the window before pulling the latch. The hood clicked, and Dean was quick to prop it up.

“This is the car you and Bobby worked on?” Dean asked.

She sent him a grin “Yup.”

Dean whistled. “It may be fast…”

Her grin turned into a glare “He is, and he's a classic, so keep your negative comments to yourself, he’s been through a lot.”

Sam pulled her to the side as Dean looked over the car. "Thank you."

Darcy sent him a raised brow in question.

"For coming back, and for telling us about the visions. I've been feeling like a freak, and it's nice to know I'm not alone in this."

"Sammy!" Darcy trilled. "You were never alone! Any distance you perceived was self imposed. I'm always here if you guys need me."

Darcy squeaked as Sam suddenly pulled her into a fierce hug, but she was quick to return it. Rubbing his back soothingly until he was ready to let go.

"Hey! What's this? Is this that twin thing you're always telling me about? Stop hogging her Sam, I almost died." Dean called, as he closed the hood of the car. 

The two chuckled as Sam released her. She turned before running to her brother, throwing her arms around his neck as they collided, he was quick to twirl them like he'd done so many times when they were kids.

Slowly he came to a stop "Thanks for having our backs Darce." 

Darcy grinned. "Mention it, to like everyone. I can call Uncle Bobby now if you want."

Dean laughed as he released. 

Sam snorted beside her "Didn't you say something about the fast track to science." 

Darcy's eyes widened at that. "Hopefully the place is still there when I get back."

With one last wave she climbed into the mustang, watching the boys grow smaller as she continued down the road. 

Chapter Text

She was driving on a back road through Ottero County Colorado when a figure flew across her field of vision. It slammed into a tree a few feet ahead of her. She cursed as she slammed on the breaks. She tracked where he was thrown from to a growling figure coming out of the woods. Darcy slowly reached behind her seat reaching for her shot gun, she didn’t breathe when her fingers closed around it or when she pulled the pack of silver bullets out of the dashboard. She loaded it with steady fingers and the werewolf ignored her completely as he stalked his prey. She cocked the gun, and it whirled around with a roar. She fired off four silver bullets into its chest before it dropped to the ground.

She closed the door to her car before approaching the man lying on the side of the road, gun still raised as he groaned into consciousness.

He looked at her before groaning as he stood. “Won’t do you much good.”

“Not even silver?” she asked, emphasizing her words with the cocking the shot gun.

“Nope.” He huffed.

Darcy rationalized shooting him just to find out when the “snikt” sound of a knife being drawn drew her attention. She watched as three blades unsheathed themselves from his knuckles on each hand.

“Holy shit!” she breathed eyes wide as he touched the right set to the left, a spark lighting with each touch. “That is awesome… disgusting… but awesome… Disgustingly awesome.” She rattled.

She continued to watch as he retracted them, dusting off his pants but still staying in place.

“You gonna put that thing away.” He asked with a pointed look at her still raised shot gun.

Darcy eyed him dubiously “Are you some weird supernatural hybrid thing?”

The man snorted running a hand along the hair at his jaw “I’m a mutant.”

Darcy nodded, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever met a person who was mutant, it was naïve to think she hadn’t, but they tended to keep themselves a secret this day and age. With good reason, she reminded herself. But if he was telling her outright he must be confident in his abilities. Darcy found herself eying his knuckles before slowly lowering her gun, hitting the safety catch as she did.

She turned around striding toward the prone form on the ground. she hummed thoughtfully, her eyes wandering to the woods. Throwing her jacket through the window of the car she pulled her hair into a high bun as she headed to the trunk to grab a shovel.

She peered around at the man carefully “Feel like helping me bury a body?”

The man let out a huff of air through his nose.

“I mean, we could leave it here. On the side of the road. Where anyone can find it.” She reasoned.

He raised a brow “Sounds like a good plan to me.”

Darcy nodded. “Right.”

She reached into the trunk to grab the spare tarp. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d dragged a dead body into the woods. She eyed the werewolf, he was at least twice her size. She pulled on a pair of gloves before lining the tarp up against the body. Positioning herself on his other side she released a grunt as she flipped him over onto the tarp. “Woo! Hey don’t just watch either help or scram.”

The man snorted before helping her tie up the ends. She was about to help lift when he hoisted it over his shoulder.

Darcy let out a whistle. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself, making me struggle when you could have just He-manned him,”

He sent her a look “I’m helping now, aren’t I?”

Darcy continued to grumble as she grabbed the shovel, leading the stranger into the woods. “Was he with anyone when you found him?”

The man shook his head.

“No pack then. Well you know what they say about the lone wolf.” She breathed.

“They don’t make it on their own.” he finished.

Darcy slow blinked. She dropped the shovel into the ground as she started the task, on her fourth dig the shovel was plucked from her fingers. “Hey!”

“You want to be out here all night.”

“No” she pouted, before taking a step back.

He shook off his jacket before tossing it to her.

“You do this often?” he asked.

Darcy bit her lip, “It comes with the job.”

He eyed her specutively before starting to dig.

He had a hole ready in less than an hour. He made quick work of dropping the creature in before burying it. They were back at her car in no time. “Need a ride?” she asked throwing her gloves into the back seat.

“You’re just going to offer a random stranger with adamantium claws, a ride.”

Darcy shrugged. “I’m feeling adventurous. Plus you helped me hide a body, that definitely puts us on hitchhiking terms. Or is it the opposite?” She asked with a small frown.

The man snorted. “Name's Logan.”

“Darcy.” She returned, placing the shot gun into the backseat.

“Where you headed Darcy.” He asked as he pulled on his jacket.

“New Mexico.”

“Never been.”

She climbed into the front seat, watching as he mulled over his decision. Finally he shrugged, before climbing into the passenger seat.

“You’ve got a nice ride.” He hummed.

“That I do.” Darcy smirked, before peeling off.

“What was that thing.” Logan asked as they drove.

“You were fighting a werewolf and didn’t know you were fighting a werewolf?” Darcy asked dubiously.

“A werewolf? Shit, I thought he was mutant or something, a feral like me.”

“A feral?” she asked, her brow drawing together in confusion.

“Animal instinct. I must have crossed into his territory.”

“Territorial a werewolf can be. But it looked like you were holding your own.” she teased.

Logan snorted “He caught me by surprise.”

“Mhm...” Darcy hummed, turning up American woman as it queued from her iPod dock.

“Here’s good,” Logan chimed.

They were back in the town Darcy had somehow grown used to. She looked around at the bustling town, before her eyes landed on the bar. She sent him a knowing smirk before pulling over. “If you need me, I’ll be around.” She called after him as he got out.

“Back at you, I owe you one.”

Darcy smiled, before nodding. “No problem dude.” And then she took off down the sandy road, straight for home base. She had half a mind to pull the tarp over the car before she was headed toward the station, the lights were off inside, but there was daylight streaming in so she let it slide.

“Jane?” She called pushing open the door. Darcy sniffed before grimacing, following the smell to the lab “oh gross.” She huffed.

The food she’d left for Jane was in various half eaten states around the room, as if she’d been eating it when science called, went to resume eating only to find it had spoiled.

“Jane?”

Still no answer. Darcy was just starting to feel the prick of worry when she noticed a pair of legs beneath one of the larger machines. She came to a stop beside it, before lightly nudging the leg with her foot.

The legs flinched and then the sound of metal clanging sounded as Jane inevitably bumped her head. “Shit!”

Darcy chuckled. “Good to know your still alive.”

“Darcy!” Jane chimed rolling from beneath the machine. She leapt to her feet before pulling her intern into a hug.

Darcy squeezed her back catching a whiff of the woman. “Okay wow, Janie. Shower, we clean this mess and then we are getting food.

“I ate!” Jane interjected.

“Yeah obviously.” Darcy said motioning to all the half-eaten food laying around the lab.

Jane blushed, and Darcy smiled. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too! Um how’d it go? Is your brother okay?” she asked tentatively.

“He’s fine, turns out the healer wasn’t really a healer though. After he saved Dean we found out his wife was using a Reaper to transfer the death to someone else.”

“Wow that rough.” Jane managed, running her hand through her hair only to pause at the feel of the oily mess it was. “Shower right.” Jane breathed, before striding from the room.

Darcy chuckled, before grabbing a trash bag to begin cleaning up the mess of a lab. By the time Jane came down, Darcy had thrown away most of the trash, she had Jane order her notes by subject, and it wasn’t long before they were headed into town.

“Isabel’s?” Darcy asked.

Jane shook her head. “I’m kind of in the mood for bar food.”

“A woman after my own heart.” Darcy piped, before switching directions.

Darcy found herself searching the bar for a familiar face, she found him at a table in the back. She grabbed Jane’s hand before pulling her along.

He looked up just as they reached his table.

Logan looked up at her with a smirk “Couldn’t stay away could you?”

“You mind if we join you?” She asked.

Jane looked puzzled between them. “I think I missed something.”

“Logan, meet Jane, Jane meet Logan. I found him on the side of the road.” Darcy beamed happily.

Jane sent her a look. “And you brought him with you?”

“He was tugging at my heart strings Jane, look at his mutton chops.”

Jane eyed them specutively, “He is giving off lost wild animal vibes.”

Darcy beamed at the woman, and Logan rolled his eyes in exasperation.

“oh hush you, have you eaten anything yet?”

Logan huffed before shaking his head.

“Cool, they’ve got the best chicken wings.” She announced, pulling Jane into the other side of the booth seat.

As they finished up she placed two twenties on the table. “You find a place to stay yet?” she asked hesitating in her movements to leave.

Logan nodded. “There was a motel around the corner.”

Darcy nodded. “Cool, then I’ll see you around. Take care of yourself.” She called as she dragged Jane from the booth.

Chapter Text

Darcy had seen a lot of things in her days, so when on a stormy night there’s a knock at the door she’s quick to bring up her security feed to their New Mexico station. What she saw was not what she’d been expecting and it took her less than a second to come to terms with what she was looking at.

She pushed a button on her keypad and the screen zoomed in. A feminine voice trilling as she did a cross match of the face.

“State your business.”

The red woman looked up, her brilliant yellow eyes wide as she stared into the camera. “Darcy? It’s me Betty.” The woman stated, and Darcy frowned ready to challenge the statement when her screen chimed, confirming the match.  

She sat back with a huff. What the Hell? Betty had seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. No amount of tracking had found a trace of the woman.

The woman fidgeted nervously, “I know, this is strange to say the least and with what you do, I understand; but I’m scared Darcy. I didn’t know who else to go to.” Her yellow eyes open and honest stared in the camera lens.

A trick, her mind supplied. But what if it wasn’t, what if that was her friend on her doorstep begging for help.

She was out of her seat in seconds as she darted to the door. She flung it open and barely had time to blink as she came face to face with her now six foot seven, and blood red friend.

“Christo.” she blurted.

Betty’s eyes widened slightly, startled, but no flinching, as a demon would at the Holy word.

She kept her face blank holding out a bottle of water.

Betty dropped her gaze to the offering. Telegraphing her movements, she slowly took the bottle before unscrewing the lid. She didn’t hesitate to gulp it down.

Darcy produced a silver dagger before offering it. Betty gulped nervously, before holding out her arm.

Darcy hesitated to cut the smooth skin, instead she pressed the blade to her outstretched arm. No smoke, no sizzling. This was Betty.

 She noted the light tremor to the woman’s hand and she quickly brought her in out of the rain.

“Betty what happened? I’ve been looking for you for months.” The woman had missed three scheduled video calls in a row.

Betty shook her head shakily and Darcy muted her questions in favor of getting the woman fresh clothes and a warm drink. The clothes were a tight fit, and Darcy had a fight with her gaze as her eyes took in the mass amount of cleavage she was sporting.

Blushing slightly, she offered her the cup of hot tea. Betty took it only for it to shatter in her hand as she gripped it too tight.

“Shit.” Betty huffed, dropping her face into her hands. A sob racked the woman’s frame and weirdness aside, Darcy didn’t hesitate to bring her into a hug.

“It’s going to be okay.” She reasoned leading Betty to her room, the bed just barely fit them both, but Darcy wasn’t willing to leave her alone just yet. Though large and imposing the woman curled inward as if to make herself smaller, and Darcy found herself spooning her as she rubbed a hand along her arm, murmuring soothing words to the scientist.

Darcy woke up to find herself wrapped around Betty, confusion marring her sleep addled brain. Because gone was the red hulking woman and in her place, was the woman Darcy previously associated with Betty Ross. Betty had turned in her sleep and was currently using Darcy’s chest as a preferred pillow.

She forced herself to relax idly running her fingers through the woman’s dark hair as she mulled over what she remembered from last night.

Betty blinked awake, only to come up confused as she took in her position.

“Darcy?” she asked as a yawn stretched across her face.

“What’s up Doc?” Darcy grinned.

Betty let out a sleepy laugh before sitting up. “Is it bad that I have no idea how I got here?”

Darcy’s eyes widened at the admission, before nodding. “Breakfast first, we’ll talk later, I’m sure Jane will be excited you’re here.” Darcy trilled climbing from the bed.

 Jane was already in the lab and she paused minutely to look at them before she hustled over to bring the woman into a hug. “Betty!”

Darcy backed away to the kitchen as the two women begin to chat. She brought up the feed from last night as she cooked, just to confirm she wasn’t in fact going insane. But even as she confirmed the red woman it didn’t ease her worry.

She called her two friends to breakfast and it wasn’t until they finished that Darcy bit the bullet.

“You said you don’t remember how you got here?” Darcy started.

Betty shook her head with a sad frown “I remember I was taken captive about a month ago, and well, I’m not sure how exactly I escaped just that I woke up on a shore line… and then I was being chased, and… then I’m here.”

Darcy nodded at the admission. “What do you know about alter egos?”

Betty paused mid sip of her coffee. “What do you mean?”

“You know… people growing larger in form, changing colors… an increase in strength.” Darcy rattled off casually.  

“You mean like Hulk.” Betty breathed.

Darcy nodded, grabbing her tablet “Right, sure… or someone.. hm I don’t know more feminine, and red.” she said as she showed the feed from the front porch.

Betty and Jane gasped as they watched it, and then again at the telltale voice that answered the security system.

“Darcy it’s me, Betty.” The red woman answered.

Betty shook her head, and Darcy was quick to grab her hand in comfort.

She tried not to sound too relieved when Jane spoke.

“We can run some test? Make sure you’re okay, see what they did to you.”

Betty nodded shakily.

It took them a while to build the machine, but when it was finished Darcy had let out a whistle at the pure creativity they poured into it. The machine was large enough to sit on the floor on its own. Numerous colored wires were hanging from it. She even had the foresight to make sure it was compatible with their printer.

Jane situated Betty on the couch as she hooked the wires onto various parts of her body. Two at her temple, three at the back of her head, and two at her chest. Darcy sat on the floor, tablet in hand as she watched the readings. She scribbled Betty’s heart rate and body temperature into the journal beside her.

“Ready when you are.” She called.

Betty nodded at Jane and the woman began her testing. Everything seemed to be coming back normal. But anytime Jane mentioned the other form, something seemed to spike in the recess of her brain.

“We can stop if you want, or we can attempt a transformation.” Jane stated gently.

Darcy looked up at that to watch Betty’s face.

The woman shrugged, her posture stiff. “I don’t really know how?”

“Well you’ve been up and close with hulk. Have you seen what happens to him?” Jane supplied.

Betty frowned. “I think it’s different, from what you said I’m relatively me when I change, I just don’t remember it happening. Hulk is a completely other being, he and Dr. Banner are completely different.”

“Wait Dr. Banner?” Darcy asked.

Betty’s eyes widened at that. “I’m sure I told you it was Bruce, Darcy.”

She shook her head at that “I’m sure I would have remembered you telling me, but okay, what triggers his change.”

“Fear mostly? I mean I wasn’t around him long before he ran. It was at the school, someone had told Bruce my Father was bringing tanks up to the school to bring him in. His breathing pattern changed, and then he just” Betty made an explosion motion with her hands. “I tried to get through to him but the tanks started firing, and there were students everywhere. Next thing I know I’m being flung through the air. He didn’t say much, kind of cave man dialect.”

Darcy nodded “No, you are definitely you, when you change. Tell me about what happened on the beach.”

“They were keeping me on an island. Whatever happened I managed to escape, I woke up on the beach.”

“You mean you don’t remember actually escaping?” Jane quizzed.

Betty nodded “Alarms were blaring, and I panicked? I ran, and then this group in tactical gear were headed straight for me, I thought I was cornered, but then…” Betty frowned, scratching her arm nervously.

Darcy’s eyes dropped to the screen of her tablet as Betty’s heart rate began to spike. She quickly jotted it down, her eyes widened as she looked back up at her friend.

“I jumped into the water, it was rough at first with the current, but then the farther I swam the easier it got, so I kept going until I saw land again. I hid out until night fell and then I ran, it was easier to get across the border than I thought it would be. When I got to New Mexico I hoped you guys were still here, and you were.”

Darcy was staring she knew, but other than an elevated heart rate there had been nothing to signal Betty’s change.

“Um Betty?” Jane trilled.

Betty looked to Jane finding her eyes wide, then she looked to Darcy before her gaze dropped to her red hands. “Did I miss something?”

“Did you feel anything?” Darcy asked.

Betty was about to shake her head when she stopped. “My skin, it felt tingly, itchy almost.”

“You were scratching your arm.” Jane said with a nod.

Darcy wrote that down.

Betty wiggled her fingers experimentally. “I still feel like me though.”

Darcy suddenly stood. “Yesterday you accidentally broke a mug.” She looked around the room before her eyes landed on a stack of phone books, they’d been using them to prop up a machine in the corner that was missing a leg. She carefully removed one eyeing the machine as it wobbled slightly before going still.  Turning around she handed it to Betty.

The woman eyed it in confusion. “What do you want me to do?”

Darcy shrugged casually “Tear it in half.”

Betty sent her a dubious look.

“Humor me.” she huffed.

She dropped her gaze to the book before holding it aloft, Darcy watched carefully as she gripped the sides before she tore it in half with ease.

“Holy shit!” Jane breathed.

“You made that look so easy!” Darcy trilled running to grab another phone book. She attempted to tear with little effect.

“Holy shit!” Betty murmured, she carefully placed the torn book beside her, before placing her hands in her lap. “Does this make me a monster?”

Jane and Darcy quickly rushed over bringing her into a group hug “No, it doesn’t.” Jane placated

Darcy pulled back slightly “Do you have any strange urges?”

“What?” Betty asked.

“Blood drinking? Uncontrollable need to cause damage.” She clarified.

Betty let out a nervous laugh “Um no more than usual.”

Darcy snickered at that before she sobered. “Do you want to look? See yourself, I mean?”

Betty dropped her gaze back to her lap “Is it bad?”

“Not really, I mean you’re taller, and pretty red. Oh you’ve got red highlights, I didn’t notice that yesterday.” Darcy described.

“No offense but your kind of hot?” Jane said with a giggle. “Even with the yellow eyes.”

Betty was up in a second, nearly tripping as she went.

“Wait the wires!”  Jane called.

Betty froze, they’d all worked hard on that machine and on such a small budget. She detached the wires from her person before heading to the bathroom.

When Darcy and Jane found her, she was staring at herself in the mirror; occasionally patting a place on her body.

Darcy broke the silence “So, what do you think?”

“Well I’m no Hulk?” she said with a shaky smile.

Darcy nodded at that.

Betty pulled her gaze from the mirror to look at her friends. “Do you think there’s a way to undo it?”

Jane shrugged. “Who’s to say? I’m sure we’ll figure something out though.”

Betty nodded.

“If you want that to be our goal we can make sure it happens.” Darcy grabbed her hand reassuringly.

Betty grimaced. “We should at least try, right?”

Chapter Text

Darcy groaned as she was dragged into consciousness by an incessant beeping.

“Why?” She whined into the phone.

“Ms. Lewis, I need you and Dr. Foster on a plane in an hour.” Phil announced over the line, not sounding surprised at all by Darcy’s greeting.

“No can do J.B.T. Jane’s got The Dragon running a test that I need to check on in an hour.” She checked the time with a sigh, he was ruining her only scheduled nap for the next twelve hours.

Phil let out a heavy sigh. “The Dragon?”

Darcy tried not cackle at the fact that she was able to confuse the usually unflappable agent so early in the day. “It catches on fire if you leave it on too long. I’m still working on it.”

He didn’t dignify her answer with acknowledgement “This is an urgent matter, Ms. Lewis. Your attendant will let you know your destination, accommodations have already been prepared.”

“Phil, what’s going on?” Darcy asked sitting up in bed.

“It’s a matter of national security, we’ll send for the two of you when the issue has been neutralized.”

Darcy rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Three. Or no dice.”

“Who’s your third.” He asked.

“No one you need to concern yourself with.” She stated blandly, she’d been practicing.

“Just get on the plane Ms. Lewis.”

Darcy heaved out a sigh as she ended the call. Dragging herself from the bed, she shuffled down the hall to Jane’s room

“Jane we’ve got a code 34.” Darcy huffed, kicking the door with the heel of her foot when she didn’t hear movement. “Jane!” she called.

There was a thump, and a few mumbled curses before the door was jerked open. “What?”

“Code 34. Grab your bag.”

Jane’s eyes widened before she nodded.

She trekked downstairs to Betty where she found the woman asleep on the pullout couch.

Darcy gently shook the woman, less she startle her.

Betty rolled over with a grumble before peaking an eye open. “What?” she grumbled.

“We’re being moved to an undisclosed location, grab some clothes.”

She sat up with a jerk “Oh, should I, should I leave?”

Darcy shook her head in confusion. “You’re coming with us. Come on I’ve got an extra bag upstairs, you can borrow some clothes.”

She was just grabbing their Science!Go bag when a knock sounded on the door. She checked the feed on her tablet. “Show me some Badge.”

The agent looked up startled before digging into his suit pocket, he held up the badge to the camera and Darcy made quick work of authenticating it.

“Let’s go ladies! We’ve got a plane to catch!” she called to the other room.

She handed of the Science bag to Jane in favor of grabbing her Hunting duffel before opening the door.

The agent cleared his throat. “I’m Agent Blaire, from shield. I’ve been tasked with”

“We know, let’s get this over with.” Darcy trilled, striding past him.

They packed themselves into the black sedan and it wasn’t long before they approached the hangar. Darcy breathed a sigh of relief at the private plane she hadn’t wanted to try and get their bags through customs.

It wasn’t until they were in the air that their escort told them where they were going and Darcy hesitated.

“Tromso, Norway?” Darcy asked.

The agent nodded.

Darcy did a mental checklist of supplies. “You have coats for us, right?”

Darcy was freezing, but Jane and Betty seemed happy enough at the observatory they’d been sent to. But she couldn’t shake the paranoid feeling. She was well versed in hunting in the states but around the world? Darcy was currently reading through an archive of myths and legends specific to the Scandinavians, half wondering if Thor would recognize any of the tales.

Back at their accommodations, which was a quaint place, and by quaint she meant deliriously small.

It was a one bedroom with two double beds stuffed into a room with a dresser. They’d pushed the beds the rest of the way together to fit all three of them. There was a small condensed kitchen and a bathroom nook.

Darcy woke with a groan on their second night to an incessant meowing drawing her from sleep. She looked to the noise coming from beside her, only to find a ghostly grey cat sitting on Jane’s chest.

“Shoo!” Darcy hissed.

But the cat paid her no heed as it continued its vigilance over Jane.

Darcy looked closer, noticing how Jane’s complexion was turning a deathly shade. Her eyes widened in realization before she reached beneath the mattress. Her loaded shot gun with salt shell rounds gripped in her hand. She pointed it at the cat who seemed to glare at her with eerie eyes. She fired of two shots, and it vanished in a shrieking haze.

Betty jolted from her sleep, her eyes a dangerous yellow.

“Betty we have to go.” Darcy said calmly, crawling over the woman to get a look at Jane.

She pressed a hand to Jane’s cold neck to find a pulse. It was slow but steady. She held back a curse as she looked down at her boss.

She glanced over at Betty “Help me grab our stuff?” she turned back to try and wake up her boss. “Jane! Jane! Shit.” Darcy breathed, pushing her hair behind her ears.

“Betty? Can we get a code Red?” she asked.

They’d been practicing. They had come up blank on a way to reverse her condition so they’d erred on the side of caution. Thankfully her alter ego was of sound mind, so still Betty just Redder.

The woman looked to Darcy then to Jane in her pale state before nodding. Betty’s alter ego materialized, her heavier stature had the bed groaning in protest with the added weight.

Darcy moved around the room, throwing their meager belongings into the waiting arms of Red. It wasn’t a creative name, but it worked. She grabbed Jane’s coat, hurriedly stuffing her arms through the it’s sleeves and zipping her in before motioning for Red to carry her.

The woman nodded before hoisting Jane over her shoulder.

“I’m going to need my hands free, for this.” Darcy huffed.

“What happened?” Red questioned, as she followed Darcy into the hall.

“I checked up on the mythology here and there’s this thing called a Draugr. It’s like a ghost but with an actual body.” Darcy checked the hall before leading them across the way to their escorts room.

Darcy rapt on the door twice, before continuing. “For some reason, this one chose Jane. It was sitting, as a cat, on her chest. The Myth says they make themselves heavier until it suffocates its victim.”

Red loosed a growl just as the door opened.

“Miss Lewis?” The agent asked in confusion.

“Get us out of here.” She ordered.

His eyes widened “I have orders to.”

Darcy cut him off “I’ll Call Coulson, you grab your stuff, we can’t stay here.”

She didn’t have time to stick around and hunt, not if she wanted to save Jane.

He seemed to just notice the red woman beside her and he took a step back before taking notice of Jane slumped over her shoulder.

His eyes widened. “Is she..”

“Now, Agent Blair.” She barked pulling out her cell phone.

Coulson picked up on the second ring. “Ms. Lewis, now isn’t really”

“We’re getting out of here, tell your minions to get a plane fired up.”

“Ms. Lewis? I don’t” he tried.

Darcy barreled on “Have a medical team ready when we get there, I don’t think she has long.” She said before hanging up.

Red looked at her in alarm.

“She’ll be fine, if, we get out of here but that thing will be back.”

Red nodded, just as Agent Blair came back.

“Coulson said the plane will be ready when we get there.” He announced closing the door to his room.

“Let’s go then.” She huffed, leading them down the hall. They reached the front door and Darcy paused in her movement holding up a hand as she did.

“Holy shit!” The agent breathed, pulling out his gun.

Darcy held the shot gun ready, finding the blue gray form of an angry man standing on the other side of the glass. She wondered idly if George RR. Martin had come into contact with the creature, the Draugr looking much like the white walkers in his show.

She spared a glance at Red. “Don’t let him touch her.” she ordered, before kicking open the door.

The man yelled before charging and Darcy fired off the shot gun. The sound strange with all the snow surrounding them. She led them into a sprint to the car, allowing Agent Blair to drive, as she checked on Jane in the back. She was still cold. “Red, try and warm her up?” The woman’s body temperature was way above average and she took no time in curling Jane into her lap, tucking her beneath her chin.

They were headed to a strange shaped plane, and she raised a brow at Blair.

“It’s a quinjet.” He offered.

“Is it fast?” Darcy asked.

He nodded. He pulled parked in one of the spot closest to the plane, Darcy fought back an eye roll at that.

“It’s protocol.” He defended.

They were just stepping out of the car, the back flap of the quinjet lowering when Red let out a surprised shout.

“Fire it up!” Darcy called, before doubling back.

She fired off a shot, but the Draugr only turned to her.

“Get her on the plane.” She ordered, facing the creature. She handed off the shot gun to Red as she passed, pulling out her silver tipped dagger, an old thing Bobby had given her when she was thirteen. She flipped it in her hand before pulling out a flask, the creature was watching her, and Darcy held back the urge to thank him for waiting. If she ran, she knew she wouldn’t make it to the jet.

She took a sip of the liquid, wincing at the taste and fighting the urge to swallow or spit it, instead she filled her cheeks with it. She carefully took a breath through her nose as she slipped it back into her pocket, a smaller item replacing it in her hand.

She prayed her plan would work as she ran for the creature.

It met her head on and she slid beneath his wide and bulky steps on the cold snow. She sliced at his instep as she went.

The Dragur’s face contorted has he cried in outrage.

She was on her feet before the creature could finish its roar, slicing deeper and deeper into any spot she could. Her back was to the jet as the creature made a desperate lunge for her. She could feel the heat as the engine fired up.

She held the small lighter a good distance away from her mouth before spewing a slew of the contents in her mouth. The fire was hot as it blew forward, and she dropped the lighter as it exploded. The wind was in her favor as the fire blew away from her, engulfing the draugr in flames. She bolted as his screams pierced the cold night.

“Close the Back!” she coughed.

Thankfully someone must have heard her, because no sooner had she spoken had the door begun to rise.

She pushed herself faster diving for the edge of the door. She nearly whimpered in relief when her palm slapped the edge. She grabbed a hold before springing her herself forward through the quickly decreasing crevice.

Her body rolled down the ramp sloppily as she coughed, gagging on the fluid. She smacked the ground hard, and she gagged on the word “Go!” as she threw up onto the floor. The jet rose smoothly into the air and she grabbed onto the nearest stationary object as it flew forward.

She wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her jacket, staggering to a standing positon. She looked up to see Betty was back, she and Jane strapped into seats.

“Water!” she rasped as she staggered forward.

Betty tossed her a bottle and Darcy was quick to gargle the liquid before spitting it out. She poured it over her lips to ease the tingling before, after sufficiently being rinsed, she drank the water.

She rasped out a breath before taking the co-pilot seat, grabbing the headset. She was just buckling herself in when she felt eyes on her.

She looked over at Agent Blair, finding him glancing between her and the clear sky nervously.

“What?” she rasped, her throat aching with the single word.

“You can.. I saw you breathe Fire!” he sputtered.

Darcy grinned at him “Better stay on my good side then.” At the sentence, she fell into another coughing fit.

The agent’s throat bobbed audibly and Darcy would have laughed if her throat didn’t hurt so much. As it got to be too much she turned to Betty, “Can you find me some albuterol” She rasped.

She could here Betty shuffling around before she was handed a mask, she breathed in the small flumes of smoke, her enflamed throat easing with each breath.

Betty patted her head soothingly “That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen you do.”

“Admit it, it was bad ass.” Darcy huffed.

“Don’t talk yet. And it could have killed you.” She said pointedly.

Darcy sent her a look, brows knotted together dubiously.

“We’ll find out.” Betty huffed before returning to Jane’s side.

By the time they landed on a large boat in the middle of the ocean, Darcy had been sworn into silence. She was finding it quite difficult. In the end Betty found a roll of duct tape, not hesitating in slapping a piece over Darcy’s mouth.

Darcy looked up incredulously, and Betty glared. “Stop Talking!”

Darcy dropped her head solemnly before nodding. She still had the tape on when they entered what Agent Blair had labeled a Helicarrier. And who was naming these things? Darcy wondered as they boarded the deck.

Darcy's Journal entry 35:

On an Impromptu trip (read relocation) Jane, Betty, and I stayed in Tromso, Never again, Norway in the name of freezing our ass off science. Somehow Jane managed to piss off a Draugr or Aptrgangr (Which in old norse means Again-walker, like seriously George RR. Martin knew what he was talking about. Fucking white walkers.) In appearance they are blue skinned assholes who kill their victim in variously creative ways. In Jane's case, it came in the form of a creepy cat. (I'll never try to pet an alley cat again I swear... Maybe)

After realizing the creepy cat wasn't looking for a late night cuddle session, and was in fact, slowly crushing my unassuming scientist in her sleep I was able to shoot off a round of salt rounds into the bastard. We made a run for our extraction plane, or quinjet whatever Coulson, only to run into the white walker form of our dear Draugr. Again Salt shell rounds seemed to fend him off. As we made another run on fucking Norwegian  ice, blue and pale made another appearance. Silver tipped daggers do well in annoying the bastard, but i wouldn't recommend it as a long term plan. With everyone on the jet, I breathed a fire concoction of my own making on the bastard that even Drogon would have been proud of. Do Not Attempt again, shit hurts later.  

Hunt Status: Due to an inability to stick around, I have no fucking clue. 

Chapter Text

A med team met them in the hangar, and she followed them as they wheeled Jane off.

Darcy stood to the side as they hooked her friend up to a monitor, a breathing mask hooked over the lower half of her face as it pumped oxygen.  She watched as Jane’s heart monitor held steady before she went in search of her victim.

She found him surrounded by a slew of agents, and as she stormed up they backed away from her.

The movement gave her pause as she took in the tinge of weariness in the agents.

“They heard about your fire breathing tendencies," Phil announced leading her away. “Half of them are under the belief that you’re a dragon.”

Darcy’s shoulders shook with repressed laughter at the thought.

“When they asked about the tape, someone mentioned the word unstable and now they’re under the belief that you spew fire spontaneously.” he added.

Darcy huffed at that, before pointing an accusing finger at him.

“How was I supposed to know?” he challenged.

 Darcy pointed an angry finger at herself.

“Fine, we’ll get together to decide on a few locations for the future.”

Darcy nodded.

“If we live that long,” He told her, before turning down a hall.

Darcy looked skyward before, following after him.

“A few nights ago, a being from another world broke in and stole an item Shields been studying. He took it along with a few of our people.”

Darcy looked up at him in question.

“Dr. Selvig was among them and Agent Barton,” He admitted.

Someone took Erik and she was just finding out? They'd sent them off to Norway at the first sign of danger, which must've been when Erik had been taken. Darcy sent him a furious glare.

“We have people working to rectify the situation. We’ve brought together a team, of sorts, to handle the situation.” Coulson stopped on the main of the ship's deck before motioning towards the room of agents and a small group of people sat at a round table off to the side.

She looked at the curious eyes staring back at her and she sent them all a slow smirk, though it was dimmed by the tape over her lips it still managed to send them on their away.

Coulson huffed beside her, and Darcy knew the man was fighting to hold back laughter.

She followed him to the group at the table, who were the only ones still watching her.

“Miss Lewis, let me introduce you to the team, agent Romanov,” he motioned towards a slim woman in a black cat suit, her wavy red hair cut just to her chin, her greens eyes watching Darcy with speculation.

Darcy blinked before squinting at the woman.

Coulson dragged her from her thoughts as he introduced Dr. Bruce Banner.

Darcy paused on the name, before discreetly slipping a hand into her pocket and firing off a text message as she was introduced to the last person seated at the table, a Captain Steve Rogers.

Darcy only started at the name because of the slight tone of reverence in Coulson’s voice. She looked to the agent then back at the Captain. Blue eyes stared back in confusion, and Darcy gasped before looking up at Phil, the man gave an indiscernible nod, and Darcy had to tamp down on her inner fan girl. Sam was going to be so jealous.

“Meet Darcy Lewis, She’s Dr. Fosters… Intern, and a friend of Thor’s.”

“Loki’s brother?” Banner asked.

 Darcy’s eyes shot to him again, she began to fidget as she looked to the door. Right on cue her brunette friend stormed around the corner.

“Bruce Banner!” She called from across the room, and Darcy grinned as the man seemed to freeze.

Phil looked down at her giddiness, before watching as the woman stormed up to Dr. Banner sitting in the seat closest to where she stood.

“Betty?” he sputtered.

She was fighting back giggles, and Betty turned to her before ripping off the tape.

“Oh oww!!!” she shrieked clutching her lips. “Am I bleeding.”

“You’re free to talk.” She said with a nod.

Darcy licked her lips, pursing them to make sure nothing was damaged before sending the table a bright smile.

“That is the last time I ever try to breathe fire, let me tell you kerosene is killer on the throat.”

“You weren’t supposed to swallow it!” Betty reminded her unhelpfully, before dragging Dr. Banner from the room.

“I didn’t mean to!” she defended.

Natasha nodded from her seat. “That explains the dragon rumor.”

“Let’s keep that a secret shall we,” Darcy returned. “Do I know you?” she asked after a second.

Natasha eyed her, before someone called from behind them. “Sir, Director Fury would like to speak with Ms. Lewis in his office.”

Disgruntled, Darcy turned to the man. “Me? Why?”

The agent looked to Coulson nervously.

“You’re dismissed agent,” He said before turning to Darcy.

The man seemed to sigh in relief before walking away.

“If you’ll excuse us,” he stated to the table before leading her away. They came to a stop in front of a large metal door where he knocked twice.

“Come in,” a stern voice called.

Darcy pushed the door open, taking in the man behind the desk dressed in all black with an eye patch covering his left eye.

The door behind her closed and she realized Phil hadn't staid.

“Miss Lewis please have a seat." The Director stated.

“I’ll stand, thank you.” she returned.

The Director nodded, “I’d like to know what really went down in Tromso.”

Darcy let out a whoosh of air, “You mean Phil hasn’t already told you?”

“Coulson has been busy these last few days, and I’m more of a, from the horse’s mouth, kind of guy.”

“Okay, One? I’m not a horse, and two.” She leaned against the desk with a grin, “do you believe in ghost stories?”

The director snorted, “Ms. Lewis, in my position, I have to believe in everything.”

She nodded before going into detail about the events in Norway.

The director sat back in his chair, “I’m assuming agent Coulson has updated you on our current circumstance.”

“Thor’s little bro has gone bat shit, and wants to rule the world.” she said with shrug.

Fury sent her an unimpressed look and Darcy smirked, finally dropping into a chair in front of his desk.

“Has Dr. Foster made any break throughs with the Einstein Rosenbridge? We could use Thor’s input on this.”

She cocked her head to the side, “you don’t have to worry about that.”

Fury steepled his fingers before leaning forward, “and why is that.”

“Heimdell is watching, which means Thor knows, which means…” she trailed off.

“You think he’ll come on his own,” he finished.

“He swore to protect the earth, and even if he didn’t, the last I heard Loki was on his shit list.” Darcy stood from the chair, making her way to the door, “Don’t worry patchy, Thor will be here.”

The Director nodded even as his brow twitched, “Can we expect any assistance from your group.”

“Betty’s already with Dr. Banner, and when Jane wakes up I’m sure she’ll jump right in.” she offered before slipping through the door.

******************************************

Sitting back in Jane’s med bay room she watched the rise and fall of her best friend’s chest. She couldn’t help the guilt settling inside her. She’d come so close to losing her, and she’d been sleeping right beside the woman.

Darcy quickly banished that thought. She’d woken up. She didn’t lose her best friend. They were fine. Jane would wake up at any moment, she hoped.

A knock at the door drew her attention away, and she found Betty idling in the door way.

Darcy sent her a smile, “Hey, how’d it go?”

Betty shrugged, pulling the door shut behind her before coming to sit down beside her.

“About as well as you’d think,” She said with a sardonic smile. “Man still thinks he’s too dangerous to be around.”

Darcy arched a brow in surprise, “You didn’t tell him?”

Betty shook her head with a surly frown. “Why should I? He’d probably find a way to blame himself.”

Darcy nodded and they lapsed into a companionable silence, Jane's heart monitor the only sound in the small room.

“How’s your throat?” Betty asked, drawing Darcy from her thoughts.

“Better, but I think my fire breathing days are over,” she said with a chuckle.

“Your what?” Jane voiced with a groan, startling her two friends.

“Jane!” they gasped rushing to her side.

She let out another groan as she tried to sit up.

“Take it slow,” Betty warned, propping a pillow up behind her.

Jane looked to her two friends in confusion, “Why does it feel like someone dropped a boulder on my chest?”

Darcy and Betty shared a look.

“Close, but think more supernatural in cat form” Darcy offered.

Jane’s confusion only deepened, “Okay what?”

The two quickly caught their friend up on the happenings of Norway.

“You actually called shield?” she asked with a chuckle.

Darcy sent her a lazy grin, “Well they sent us, I figured they could get us out?”

“Where is here, exactly?” Jane asked looking around the small but well-equipped room.

“In their crazy boat plane over the ocean somewhere? I don’t know Jane they were being really secretive.”

Jane sent her a dubious look, “Boat plane?”

“It’s called a helicarrier.” Betty supplied.

“A helicarrier?” she repeated.

“Yeah apparently Shields in full on panic mode since Loki stole the blue cube of doom.” Darcy hesitated before continuing, “and he has Erik.”

Jane blinked, “Erik?”  She began to struggle to get out of bed.

Darcy and Betty gently pushed her back down.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Betty huffed.

“We need to find him,” Jane gritted out, but finally stopped struggling against them.

Darcy let out a sigh “Normally I’d be all for a jail break but, you almost died… maybe you should take it easy?”

Jane sent her a pleading look, “He’s all I have left.”

Darcy blinked at that, ignoring the pang of hurt at her words. She searched the room before her eyes landed on a wheel chair in the corner. “Fine, under one condition.”

Jane had her face buried in her hands as they made their way to the lab, “I feel ridiculous.”

“You’d look even worse dead.” Darcy grumbled.

Jane frowned but stayed silent as they came to the glass encased lab.

Bruce looked up as the door slid open. “Dr. Foster, it’s good to see you awake.” he said with a small smile

Jane sent him a sardonic smile in return, “apparently I missed a lot. Mind catching us up?”

Bruce quickly ran through his update, as the three listened raptly.

 Darcy let out a groan before dropping onto a nearby stool. “How is this my life?”

Jane and Betty sent her varying looks of incredulity.

She stuck her tongue out at the both of them, Norse Gods and supernatural creatures were on two different levels of weird.

 “So is Shield searching for Loki or the Tesseract?” Darcy asked.

“Both.” Bruce supplied, with a small shrug.

“And how’s that going?” Jane huffed.

Bruce adjusted the glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, “The tesseract search is moving pretty slow, even with Dr. Selvig’s notes, it’s hard to track something I’ve never encountered.”

Darcy nodded, “And the Loki search?”

Bruce grimaced, “Only slightly faster in that at they know what he looks like.”

Darcy hummed thoughtfully, Jane’s face had become more down trodden the more Dr. Banner spoke. “Let’s see if we can fix that?”

Jane looked up as Darcy sat herself in front of one of the holo-screens, bringing up Shields’ tracking process. She dug through her pocket for her iPod, she slipped the ear buds in as she scrolled through the algorithms disguised as playlist until she found the one she used to track John.

“What’s she doing?” Bruce asked across from her

“Darcy has a knack for finding people, she created a tracking algorithm that does most of the leg work once it’s activated.” Jane supplied in a whisper.

Darcy drowned them out as she looked through Shields files for an image of Loki, slipping through their back doors, like a worm. When she found the picture, she hit next on her playlist, her fingers flying across the keyboard as code after code was belayed to her. she applied Loki’s image to the epicenter of the search, small green crosses appearing over Loki's main features as the program created a 3-d render of him before weaving her coding seamlessly with Shields.

“There. We should have a lock on him hopefully within two hours. Maybe less.”

She pushed the screen away, as Dr. Banner eyed her work. “How did you come up with this?”

“Desperate times, Dr. B. Though that time it took a week, it was more of a trial run, but I’ve worked out a few bugs in the coding., I was tapping into public technology, street camera’s payphones. Shield has access to people’s cell phones, laptops, I just boosted their output." Darcy slipped her IPod back into her pocket, "Let’s just keep it between us though.”

“Your secret genius is safe with me.” he returned.

“I’m not a genius, just determined," she denied. "Now you all can focus on tracking the doom cube.”

"Right." Betty huffed.

Darcy did what she did best when faced with scientist on a mission. She wrangled, pushing snacks into empty hands, transcribing any data that came through that could directly correlate with Erik’s notes. She may have gotten slightly teary eyed over the familiar scrawl, but as she glanced up at the three in their elements, she knew they’d find Loki.

The door slid open to the lab, and the four looked over as Coulson and the red head, Natasha her brain supplied, stepped into the room.

“It seems we have a lock on Loki and the scepter, still no sign of the tesseract.” He turned to face her, “Ms. Lewis, Director Fury has requested for you to go along with the retrieval team.”

Darcy frowned, eyeing Jane as she wheeled herself around the lab. “Betty?”

“I’ve got it,” she chimed with a smile.

She returned it before following Phil and Natasha out of the room, as she passed Jane she patted her shoulder lightly, before continuing passed noticing her right pocket was slightly heavier than it had been seconds ago.

“Is there a specific reason he wants me to go?” she asked as they lead her down the hall

“He’s under the impression that Thor will be making an appearance, a friendly face couldn’t hurt.” Coulson explained.

Darcy hummed thoughtfully as she did a mental checklist of all the weapons she had on her person. Uncle Bobby’s over-sized jacket providing enough room for her to comfortably store a large machete, which it was along with two guns and her trusty knife.

“Let’s do it then,” Darcy trilled.

Chapter Text

“Let’s do it then.” Darcy trilled.

Darcy slowed her pace as they entered the hangar finding Steve already decked out on in his Captain America regalia. Her eyes widened slightly at the form fitting uniform, the stars and stripes a bit different to what she remembered of the tact suit he wore in her middle school textbook. The cowl hung limply from his collar as he spoke off to the side with an agent.

 Natasha sent her a conspiring grin before climbing onto the jet, much like the one they’d flown in to get there.

 “I call shot gun!” she trilled following after the red head.

“Is Fury sure about bringing a civilian on this trip?” Steve asked as he stepped inside the jet.

Darcy snorted at the word, but didn’t respond.

Natasha belayed nothing as she did her pre-flight checks, “Director Fury usually knows what he’s doing.”

Darcy watched her with rapt attention as her fingers flew over the controls deftly while Steve stood behind the pit, a heavy frown marring his features.

“Lighten up spangles, I heard you punched out Hitler over two hundred times,” Darcy said with a smirk.

She could practically hear Steve’s eye roll, she glanced over in time to glimpse the amusement that flashed across his face before he settled back in to his all business persona.

Natasha speaking over the intercoms drew their attention and soon a hatch opened at the rear of the hangar and they were flying off into the night to find Loki.

Darcy just hoped there’d be less chaos then there’d been in New Mexico, despite what she'd said, she didn’t know if Captain America could match up to the destroyer.

 **************

It didn’t take long to locate Loki, it wasn’t like he was hiding, they just followed the sound of screams echoing in the streets.

Darcy watched Steve twitch anxiously, his body already prepared for what was sure to be a hard fight, he’d barely strapped on his parachute before he was dropping from the jet.

Darcy tsked, eyeing the figure draped in green and gold with a frown, “So, this is the guy who took Erik and Clint?”

She missed the side long glance Natasha sent her watching Steve deflect a blast from the scepter with his shield, the metallic clang reverberating through their comm.

Natasha pressed down on a button above their heads and the speaker crackled slightly before she spoke. “Loki, Drop the scepter!”

Darcy sent her a quirked brow, “In my experience that never works.”

“Was worth a shot,” Natasha returned with a grim grin as she dodged a bright blue blast aimed for the jet before returning fire.

Darcy shook her head watching the fight below. “Somethings not right about this,” she mused, wincing as Loki continued to toss the captain around.

Natasha’s face was unreadable as she spoke, “You mean beating a god isn’t as easy as punching Hitler in the face?”

Darcy narrowed her eyes at the woman. “You I like.”

Natasha’s lip twitched slightly before they focused on the battle, before she could fire off another barrage of bullets, the intercom crackled again.

Natasha’s brow drew together slightly at the sound as she began to push buttons furiously in an attempt to figure out the problem.

Darcy eyed the red lit button, “Looks like you’ve been hi-jacked.”

Natasha frowned as a voice spoke over the intercom, “Agent Romanoff, you miss me?”

Darcy startled at the abrupt noise watching an emotion flit over the woman’s face, too fast for her too read as shoot to thrill blared over the speaker. 

Something about the concealment niggled at the back of her mind. “Friend of yours?” Darcy asked.

Natasha pointed to the side as a red blur shot to the ground before shooting a bright light at Loki.

“Iron Man, holy shit,” Darcy trilled.

Loki flew backwards before landing in a heap on the stairs, slowly he righted himself before holding his hands up in surrender.

Darcy let out an impressed hum, “Effective.”

Natasha efficiently landed the jet to allow the three on before taking off for the helicarrier.

Darcy slipped into the room where Loki’s scepter was being held.

Pulling the device Jane had handed off to her as she’d been leaving, she scanned the eerily lit device. She was just finishing up when it seemed to pulse with barely contained power.

“That can’t be good,” she grumbled taking a step back as static thrummed through the air. A tingling sensation at the base of her neck had her turning for the door, her hair standing on end against her skin as she hastily grabbed the metal handle.

She jolted as a shock went through her.

“Son of a Bitch!” she hissed, jerking her hand back.

The tingling at the tip of her spine grew, migrating to the forefront of her temple as a full-on headache. She clutched at her head as her breathing became labored, a whimper slipping past her lips as the headache throbbed.

The sound of a woman’s scream for help pierced the room, nearly sending her to her knees. She stumbled into a nearby wall as the scream grew louder, an intense heat coming on as if the room were engulfed in flames.

Darcy focused back on the door, sweat beading at her forehead with the effort it took to open her eyes. Using the edge of her jacket she pushed through the door before slamming it behind her.

She took in a ragged breath of air as one by one her senses toned down, the blaring headache leaving her with the slamming of the door.

When her heart stopped its impression of a leaping frog she retraced her steps down the hallway, the sound of voices growing clearer the closer she grew.

She ignored the phantom echo of screams still ringing in her ears as she rounded the bend, taking a second to take in the scene around her. Loki strapped into a seat off to the side of the jet while Iron man and Captain Rogers had a not so quiet conversation, which she dutifully ignored while she strode up to Loki, Jane’s device still clutched in hand.

Loki sent her a glare that she once again ignored in favor of running the device over him.

Steve cleared his throat behind her, “Um Miss Lewis is that necessary?”

“Jane wanted to know if the Scepter would radiate onto other specimens, I mean technically we’ll be locking ourselves inside Fort Knox with the enemy. I myself would like to know if I’ll end up growing an extra boob,” She stated clicking a button on the device as she backed away from Loki before turning around, but not before he sent her a mischievous smile.

“Don’t do that,” she chastised before walking away.

As she moved to return to the cock pit, the two large men didn’t budge.

Darcy came to a stop in front of them, dropping her hands to her hips, “What is it with you heroes and your heights, I mean would it kill any of you to be under six foot.”

“Who are you again?” The man she presumed to be Tony Stark asked.

Darcy sent Steve a disbelieving look. “Who am I?” she mock scoffed. “Please, like you don’t know.”

Tony sent her a raised eyebrow. “I don’t,” he deadpanned.

She chuckled at that. “Darcy Lewis, Scientist wrangler,” she stated, adjusting her hold on Jane’s device as she offered him a hand.

He looked down at it, and she shrugged before putting it back to her hip.

He sent her a small smirk. “You say that like you have business cards.”

Darcy grinned, “I should, shouldn’t I.”

“You are one of that oaf’s mortal pets,” Loki sneered behind her. “The one he calls The Midgardian Huntress?”

Darcy turned lazily back to him. “So, someone has heard of me? I was actually pretty worried there for a second,” She huffed, sending a wink to the metal armored man behind her.

“Huntress?” Steve asked.

Darcy waived him off in favor of watching Loki, “What exactly happened that day Thor returned?”

Loki’s eye twitched slightly, but he stayed silent.

She shrugged, knowing it had been a shot in the dark asking. She returned her gaze to the two men behind her, they seemed to have traded glaring at each other to watching her.

She eyed the two wearily, “What?”

Before either of them could speak, lightning and thunder crackled around them shaking the jet slightly. She reached out for the closest thing to stabilize herself, which turned out to be Stark’s metal encased arm.

She had the sudden weightless feeling that she was falling, her vision clouding with a still darkness that seemed to steal her breath away.

She blinked, finding herself still on the quinjet her hand still clutching metal, a strong metal arm at her waist holding her up right.

“You alright, short stack?” Stark asked, his voice casual, but when Darcy looked up she found genuine concern in his eyes.

“Sorry,” she breathed, releasing his arm.

In turn he carefully released her, making sure she was stable before dropping his arm completely.

“Where’s this coming from?” she heard Natasha mumble.

 Loki’s casual façade faded as his face paled.

“What? Afraid of a little lightning?” The Captain jeered.

Loki let out a sigh, “I’m not overly fond of what follows.”

Darcy grinned, “Speak of the devil.”

She sat down one seat away from Loki, buckling herself in as turbulence continued to rock the jet. “You’re gonna want to brace yourselves,” She called out just as the jet jolted with an audible thunk.

Eyes glanced skyward as they took in the newly indented ceiling.

“Great,” Stark grumbled, the Iron man mask encasing his face as he strode to the back of the hatch.

She watched as he pushed a button, the back hatch lowering on the jet as he did.

Wind whipped around them before a figure landed on the hatch with a thump.

Tony may have spoken but it was lost to her on the wind.

Thor angrily looked up at Iron man’s approach sending Mjolnir crashing into him.

Stark flew backwards barreling into Captain Rogers as they landed in a heap on the floor of the quinjet.

He strode menacingly toward Loki before pausing, his eyes tracking to her as confusion marred his features. “Lady Darcy? Have you been captured as well?”                             

“Nah, they sent me as an emissary, what’s up big guy,” She said with a grin.

When the hatch closed Darcy unbuckled herself, before catching Thor in a hug. He caught her easily with a slightly confused smile.

As she pulled back, ignoring the looks she was receiving, she punched Thor lightly on the arm, acutely aware of the pain she could inflict on herself with the movement. “Dude what the hell? We waited all night for you!” she asked

Thor’s smile turned grim, “We destroyed the Bifrost during our confrontation, I was unable to return.”

“You destroyed the Bifrost. I meant to use it to return Asgard to its former glory,” Loki returned.

And wasn’t he being chatty? Darcy could feel her nose wrinkling, “Do I even want to know?”

Thor grimaced, “He means to say he would have destroyed Jotunheim using the concentrated power of the Bifrost.”

Darcy shook her head, before turning to the still tense heroes who’d picked themselves off the floor after Thor recalled Mjolnir.

“Right. Thor meet Iron man and Captain America.”

“Are these not strange names for Midgardians?” He stage whispered.

Darcy sent him a grin, before schooling her features, “Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. They’re a part of the warrior end of the search for Loki and the tesseract.”  

Thor nodded. “These are your chosen brothers in arms for the battle?” he asked.

Darcy frowned, “Well I didn’t choose them specifically, but I guess? Wait did you say battle?”

“Aye.” He returned before turning to Stark and Rogers. “Man, of Iron, America’s Captain, I was rash in my entrance. Lady Darcy has explained to me your roles.”

The face plate lifted and Stark stepped forward. “I don’t know about roles, but we do need to find where Loki stashed the tesseract.”

The group turned to Loki who grinned, “I’ve sent it off I know not where.”

“Where is it?” Thor hissed, stepping towards him.

Loki rolled his eyes, “I missed you too.”

“Do I look to be in a gaming mood!” Thor growled.

Loki dropped his gaze and Thor’s face seemed to soften as he took him in, “I thought you dead.”

Loki scoffed. “Did you mourn?”

“We all did,” Thor stated quietly. “Our father--”

“Your Father!” Loki hissed. “He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?”

Darcy felt herself grimace as they’re conversation grew personal.

“So this guys a friendly?” Steve asked.

She turned to him with a nod. “Yeah, Thor’s on our side.”

“Even though Loki’s his brother?” Stark asked dubiously.

Darcy thought on it, if it were Sam or Dean would she be able to do what was necessary?

“Do not doubt me, Man of Iron, I was sent here to put a stop to Loki’s schemes.” Thor spoke behind her.

The quinjet swooped slightly and Darcy glanced through the window to watch as they returned to the hangar.

Chapter Text

The quinjet swooped slightly and Darcy glanced through the window to watch as they returned to the hangar.

The jets hatch lowered and agents filed into the space to surrounded Loki.

Thor moved to intervene when Darcy placed a hand on his bicep, the god stopped to glance down at her. “Where are they taking him?”

“Fury has a cell prepared for him, he’ll be kept there until we can figure out where he’s taken the tesseract,” Coulson announced from the bottom of the jet. “It good to see you again Donald.”

“Son of Coul, well met.” Thor returned, striding forward to clap the man on the shoulder.

Darcy bit back a chuckle at Coulson’s suppressed wince.

“Darcy!” Jane called.

Darcy grinned before stepping down the ramp finding Jane walking towards her, most of the color had returned to her cheeks, Darcy noticed, but still. “You promised you’d stay in the wheelchair!”

Jane grimaced. “I was cleared.”

Darcy’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly. “By who?”

“Betty,” she stated.

Darcy sent her a dubious look and Jane cleared her throat. “Did you get the data?”

“Jane?” Thor called from behind them.

Jane’s eyes lit up with excitement as Thor strode down the ramp, she closed the distance between them, the sound of her slap echoing in the hangar. “Where were you!”

Darcy winced as all eyes went to the two and she turned with a glare “Alright people, nothing to see here!”

The agents startled before going back to work.

 She bit back a smile, turning around to find Jane and Thor attached at the lips. “Oh boy.”

“I take it that’s Dr. Foster?” Tony asked still in the armor.

“The one and only,” Darcy returned.

"Guess I'll meet her when she's not other wise occupied." He murmured before heading down a secluded corridor.

Darcy shrugged before turning back to the couple. “Yo, Juliet!”

Jane pulled back with a sheepish smile.

“The readings?” she asked, holding up the device.

Jane’s eyes widened. “Right.”

They were just exiting the hangar when Betty and Bruce intercepted them.

“Oh hey, they called us all to the main deck.” Betty trilled leading them in the opposite direction.

 Darcy pursued her lips. “Data later then.”

“You mean you got it?” Betty asked.

“Of course, I got it, did you think I wouldn’t get it?”

Betty shrugged.

“What data?” Bruce asked.

“Janey here had the brilliant idea to see if Loki showed any signs of radiation from being close with the tesseract. I also managed to get readings from the scepter,” Darcy added holding back a wince as she remembered what had followed.

Jane’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “I have the best assistant.”

She sent her friend a small grin. “That you do.”

Darcy handed off the Machine to Jane as they stepped onto the main deck, finding Natasha already seated at a table along with captain Rogers. They took up seats around it as a video of Loki in a glass encased cell played soundlessly.

“Is that live?” Bruce wondered aloud.

Natasha sent him a nod before continuing to watch.

Beside her Jane began to fiddle with the phase meter. “That’s strange...”

“What’s strange?” Darcy asked absently.

“There’s this huge energy spike in the data, did something happen?”

“I got shocked by the door handle, must have been static,” Darcy murmured. “Is the data ruined?”

Jane shook her head. “No, it’s just… I don’t think static would affect the read out this way Darcy.”

“What do you want me to say Jane, it was a crazy shock,” she confessed.

Jane narrowed her eyes, “What happened.”

Darcy shrugged. “I told you.”

“Yeah but you’re leaving something out,” Jane hissed.

Darcy let out a sigh, “If I was, I wouldn’t tell you while we’re surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D.”’

Jane nodded, turning her head to the live feed. “Later then.”

“Whatever you say boss lady,” Darcy returned. “Is there volume on this thing? Subtitles?”

Natasha pressed a button on the table and Fury’s voice sounded from a hidden speaker at the center of the table. “You might not be glad you did.”

“Ooh, it burns you to have come so close. To have the tesseract, to have power, unlimited power and you would use it for a warm light for all mankind to share?” Loki let out a dark chuckle. “And then, to be reminded what real power is.”

The Director hit a button on the console he stood in front of and the gaping hole in the floor beneath the glass cell closed. “Well, let me know if real power needs a magazine.”

“He really grows on you, doesn’t he?” Bruce huffed.

Captain Rogers sighed from across the table. “Loki’s gonna drag this out, Thor, what’s his play.”

Perched behind Jane, Thor looked up as if not expecting to be addressed. “He has an army called the Chitauri, he means to lead them against your people, they will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the tesseract.”

The captain’s voice sounded strangled as he spoke, “an Army, From outer space?”

Darcy held back the urge to bang her head against the table, an alien army, of course because her life wasn’t weird enough.

“So he’s building another Portal,” Betty guessed.

“That’s what he needs Erik Selvig for,” Bruce added thoughtfully.

“Selvig?” Thor turned his gaze to Jane and Darcy.

“He’s an astrophysicist,” Agent Hill supplied as she approached the table.

Thor placed a comforting hand on Jane’s shoulder. “He is a friend.”

Natasha nodded. “Loki has him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours”

“What I want to know is, why Loki let us take him.” Darcy announced, reclining in her chair.

All eyes turned to her.

 “You all saw him in Stuttgart, one second he’s kicking ass and the next he just surrenders?”

“I don’t think we should be focusing on Loki, that guys brain is a bag full of cats.” Bruce supplied with the shake of his head. “You can smell the crazy on him.”

She could practically feel Thor bristle behind her.

“Have care how you speak. He may be beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and my brother.”

“He killed eighty people, in two days,” Natasha reminded unhelpfully.

Thor grimaced. “He is adopted.”

Darcy’s eyes widened as she glanced up. “Adopted? As in..”

“Loki’s origin is of Jotunheim, my father stole him away as a babe to raise him on Asgard,” Thor offered.

Darcy let out a small hum. “I’ve heard of horror stories of finding out your adopted, but this one may take the cake.”

“It has to be about the mechanics, he has to have a plan to be here.” Bruce trilled, trying to get them back on track.

“What did he need Schafer for?” Betty wondered aloud.

“The device he used created a 3d render of his eye. They used it to steal from Schafer's reserve.” Agent Hill announced as an agent came around the table handing out files.

Darcy read through it quickly her eyes catching on single word. “Iridium?” she murmured.

“Iridium?” Dr. Banner repeated.

“While Loki played distraction, someone broke into Schafer’s warehouse where he kept a collection of iridium,” she read from the file.

 “Why would he need iridium?” Bruce asked thoughtfully.

“It’s a stabilizing agent,” Tony called finally joining the group. “Means it won’t collapse on itself like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“And it’ll stay open as long as Loki wants,” Betty added,.

Tony pointed to an agent on the deck. “That man is Playing galaga, thought we wouldn’t notice, but we did.”

Darcy followed his gaze her eyes catching on a familiar head of blonde hair among the ranks. “No way,” she whispered. “Save my seat,” she hissed to Jane before leaving the table while the group was distracted by Stark.

She snuck around the rows of computers before sneaking up on the unassuming blond, as she closed the distance a stiffening of her spine was the only warning Darcy got before she whipped around with a punch.

Darcy broke her momentum with a block at her wrist.

“Darcy?” Sharon gasped, rubbing the now red spot on her wrist.

She sent her friend a smile “I knew it was you!”

“Darcy!” Sharon huffed.

“Oh my God! Shield? Sharon, you sold your soul to the government?”

“Darcy,” she groaned.

“Skye would be so disappointed!”

Sharon grimaced. “She would, wouldn’t she?”

“You stopped answering our calls!” Darcy accused, pouting at the girl.

“I was in training!”

Darcy sent her a grin. “That punch! You’re probably a certified bad ass now.”

Sharon returned her grin. “Had to keep up with you somehow!”

Darcy engulfed the girl in a hug. “I’ve missed you so much!”

Sharon pulled back to look Darcy in the eye. “Wait how’d you get dragged into this?”

“That’s classified.” Darcy practically sing songed.

Sharon scoffed. “Shut up”

Sitting down in the empty chair beside her friend Darcy let out a sigh.

“Seriously though Darce, Gods?” Sharon exclaimed.

“Technically Thor isn’t a God, he’s Asgardian, I don’t even think he’s considered an immortal.” Darcy supplied.

Sharon sent her a raised brow. “Oh, so now you’re an expert.”

“If you think about it, it does fall with in my weird spectrum.”

“You’re right.” Sharon eyed something over her shoulder before turning back to her computer. “You should go.”

Darcy shook her head adamantly “No way Share.” Glancing behind her she searched for the source of Sharon’s nerves, she found Coulson talking to the agent Stark had called out. “Son of Coul!” She called. 

Sharon whirled in her chair, eyes wide. “Darcy no!”

“Shh, I got this. Coulson hey!” She said with a smile as said agent came to a stop in front of them.

“Ms. Lewis, please stop harassing agent Thirteen.”

Darcy mock gasped. “Shut up! You have a number? That is so bad ass.”

Sharon face palmed as Darcy’s grin widened before she put on her business face. “I need Agent Thirteen on my team.”

Coulson eyed her dubiously. “Why is that?”

“She knows my brand of crazy,” Darcy hinted.

Coulson nodded slowly. “I wasn’t aware you two knew each other.”

“Darcy and I were roommates in college,” Sharon supplied.

Coulson nodded at that, “My apologies, I did read that somewhere. Agent thirteen you’ve been reassigned to the Huntress’ task force.”

Sharon’s eyes widened. “The Huntress?”

Darcy turned to her with smirk.

“No! you?…” Sharon let out a small chuckle. “I’m not really surprised, Thank you Agent Coulson.”

Darcy grabbed Sharon’s hand excitedly. “Come on!”

She dragged her over to the table where Jane and Betty were chatting quietly, Darcy cleared her throat as they approached,

Betty and Jane looked up startled, before Betty’s eyes widened. “Sharon?”

“Hi Dr. Ross, it’s good to see you again.”

“You work for Shield now?”

Sharon let out a nervous laugh. “Guilty.”

Darcy turned to her still distracted scientist with a grin. “Jane, meet my old roommate Sharon, Sharon meet Dr. Jane Foster.”

Jane looked up from the phase meter. “Sharon Carter? Oh, Darcy told me about you! It’s nice to meet you.”

Sharon sent Darcy a bland look before smiling at Jane. “All good things I hope.”

“Only the best,” Darcy returned, making the group laugh.

Darcy's already wide grin widened as she noticed Thor approaching the group. “Thor, buddy, I’d like you to meet a close friend of mine, Sharon Carter. Sharon, meet the Prince of Asgard, Thor Odinson.”

Sharon froze beside her as Thor’s gaze turned to her, he sent her a smile. “Any friend of Darcy’s is a friend of mine.”

Darcy nudged Sharon in the side.

“Pleasure.” She blurted.

Darcy snickered beside her, earning a jab to her side for her troubles. “Where’d Dr. banner go?”

“He and Stark went to the lab, we were waiting for you,” Betty supplied.

“Cool, then let’s roll.”

Jane rolled her eyes fondly before leading them out of the room, Betty at her side with Darcy, Thor and Sharon bringing up the rear.

“Seriously Darcy how’d you get tied up with shield?” Sharon inquired.

“I was in New Mexico when the big guy landed,” Darcy said with a grin up at Thor. “First contact and all that.”

“New Mexico was so redacted, I couldn’t even breath on the file without a firewall popping up, They gave snippets of all the files for this mission, but even then I didn’t know you were there. The Huntress on the other hand, real name redacted, was there.”

Darcy sent her a smirk. “You’re just jealous I have cooler code names then you.”

Sharon paused in her movements. “Code names, plural?”

“You haven’t heard the rumors of a dragon on board.”

Sharon let out an exasperated sigh, “What did you do?”

“Darcy has already promised to share the tale over the fire,” Thor broke in with a smile.

“Like a campfire? Oh sweet, we are definitely roasting smores.” Sharon grinned.

Chapter Text

“Like a campfire? Oh sweet, we are definitely roasting smores.” Sharon grinned.

The three stepped through the doors of the lab, already finding the scientist at work. Tony looked up at their entrance his eyes flitting over she and Thor before settling on Sharon.

“Agent Carter,” he greeted with a smirk

Sharon sent the man a grin. “Mr. Stark.” She glanced over at Darcy with a sheepish grin. “Remember that eccentric cousin I use to tell you all about.”

Darcy squinted at Sharon. “The one who gets the manic grin when his projects explode?’”

Sharon sent a pointed glance at Stark, before striding into the room.

 Darcy let out a small chuckle. “Of course Tony Stark is her cousin, because why wouldn’t he be,” she murmured heading over to where Jane was sitting in front of a holo-screen.

“How you feeling, boss?”

“Better, the readings you got were a big help, but do you want to tell me about the spike.”

Darcy sat down in the stool beside her with a huff, busying her hands with the papers laid out on the table. “I’m not really sure how to explain it, but,” she added when Jane opened her mouth to interrupt. “The scepter did this super ominous pulsing thing, and then…”

Darcy frowned as she though on how to explain. “You know how when Zeus gets angry it shocks anything that touches it.”

Zeus was a microwave sized device that Jane had made and Darcy had duck taped together. She wasn’t sure exactly what it did, but the shocks were not to be trifled with.

Jane nodded, rubbing her hip where she’d bumped the machine. 

“Well when I tried to leave the room I got the static shock of my life.” Darcy let out a sigh. “I think I had a vision.”

Jane stared blankly at her. “A vision,” she repeated.

Darcy blinked as she realized she hadn’t told Jane about her visions. “I, yeah? Okay don’t get mad, but back when we first moved to New Mexico, when the town was still haunted. I had an honest to god psychic vision about the family, turns out Sam gets them too.”

“Ok more on that later,” Jane huffed, motioning for her to continue.

 “But this one? It was different, no images, just this sound of a woman screaming, and the heat, god Jane it felt like I was burning.” Darcy hesitated before continuing, “I think it was my mom, screaming I mean. when she was being…”

A hand at her cheek made her look up, and she realized, as Jane wiped away a tear, that she’d started crying. She quickly scrubbed her sleeve over her eyes.

“Have you had anymore?”  Jane whispered.

Darcy was about to shake her head, when she glanced over at Tony and Sharon. “I did, yeah, I touched Tony’s arm and it felt like I was falling, I couldn’t breathe. It happened so fast I almost forgot.”

“What do you think it means?” she asked, glancing down at her notes.

Darcy let out an exasperated noise, “I don’t know Jane! The vision was pretty vague.”

“We can run some test later if you’d like?”

Darcy let out a frustrated sigh. “Later when? It could happen at any time. Should I warn him?”

Picking up her pencil Jane began to fiddle with it. “Warn him how?”

“I don’t know, but that vision, the darkness?” Darcy repressed a shiver, “I don’t like this Jane. This whole thing seems fishy. Shield working with the doom cube? Who does that? Sketchy government agents that’s who. And why didn’t they call you in? why just Erik? They inadvertently created the thing you’re trying to recreate!”

“S.H.I.E.L.D didn’t technically create the portal, from Erik’s notes they were trying to find a way to use it as a power source."

“But they did Jane, Loki was able to create a bridge because they tampered with it! You should have been there! Not in bumble fuck Norway! They’re hiding something.”

Jane blew out a breath. “That might be true Darcy, but what do you want to do about it? We ended up here on a fluke.”

“They brought them here last minute to,” Darcy stated thoughtfully.

Bruce’s shout from across the lab drew their attention. The two looked over as Stark fiddled with a prod in his hand.

“Wow, you’ve really got a lid on it.” he said, leaning in closer to Bruce.

“That man is crazy.” Jane whispered.

Darcy only smiled.

“Are you nuts?” Steve growled, startling them all at his unnoticed entry.

“Jury’s out!” Tony shrugged, looking around the room, before turning to Bruce. “You need to strut big guy.”

Darcy found her way to Betty’s side, as the atmosphere grew tense.

“Is everything a joke to you?” Steve hissed.

Deliberately, Tony moved around the table. “Funny things are.”

Steve bristled. “Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn’t funny.” He glanced over at Bruce, “No offense, Doctor.”

Bruce shook his head, “No it’s alright, I wouldn’t have come aboard if I couldn’t handle pointy things.”

Betty pinched at the bridge of her nose, and Darcy felt a hint of anger at her previous idol. “I on the other hand am full on offended, on his behalf," she stated casually. “I mean you can’t imply one without the other Cap, you should have just said full offense.”

“He’s right, I’m a monster,” Bruce stated as if it were common knowledge.

Darcy sent the Captain a look. “Now look what you’ve done.”

“You’re not a monster Bruce.” Betty gritted out.

Bruce opened his mouth to protest.

“No, she’s right," Darcy cut in. "I’ve met Monsters, and you ain’t it Dr. B."

“I think we need to focus on the problem,” Captain Rogers stated.

Darcy frowned. “What exactly do you think four people with Doctorates are doing in this glass encased laboratory ?”

“That sounds like the beginning of a bad joke,” Tony trilled.

Darcy scoffed. “It would have been an awesome joke, tell him Sharon.”

“Queen of Jokes that one,” Sharon offered absently.

“Why are you like this?” Darcy hissed.

“You love me,” Sharon quipped.

Steve cleared his throat. “The problem?”

“Maybe you’re focusing on the wrong problem,” Tony huffed.

“Am I?” Steve challenged.

“Why did Fury call us in, and Why now? Why not before?” Tony began.

Darcy sent Jane a look across the room at his words.

Tony shrugged. “I can’t do the equation if I don’t have all the variables”

“You think Fury’s hiding something?”  Steve asked with a frown.

Tony looked perturbed. “He’s a spy. Captain, he’s The spy, his secrets have secrets.” He clicked his pen idily, before using it to point at Bruce, “It’s bothering him too, isn’t it?”

Bruce had the distinct look of a deer caught in the bright flash of headlights. “Um, I just want to finish my work here and…”

“Doctor?” Steve cut in.

Bruce let out a loud sigh before removing his glasses to fiddle with its arms. “A warm light for all mankind? Loki’s jab at Fury?”

Steve gave a terse nod, “I caught it.”

“I think that was meant for him,” he stated, pointing to Tony. “If they were going to use the Cube as an energy source, why wouldn’t they bring him in?”

Steve only looked puzzled.

“Stark Tower is run solely by Tony’s self- sustaining energy source,” Sharon explained.

“I’m kind of the only name in clean energy,” Tony added.

Bruce nodded along as they spoke. “Right, and what’s S.H.I.E.L.D doing in the energy business anyway?” 

“That is the question, Captain." Tony divulged, waving his pen with a flourish. "And I’ll have the answer as soon as I’m done decrypting their files.”

“Tony!” Sharon chided, sending the man the look Darcy had previously associated with Skye.

“Did you just say..” Captain Rogers sputtered.

Tony only shrugged. “Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge, soon I’ll know every dirty Secret S.H.I.E.L.D has tried to hide.”

Steve glared at the inventor. “Yet you’re confused about why they didn’t want you around.”

Darcy took in Steve’s angry blue eyes, the color niggling at the back of her memory, slipping away she  made a beeline for Thor where he stood staring out the window. “Hey you got a second?”

Thor gave her a nod.

“So your brothers adopted.”

“Aye, he found out just before my return to Asgard. I dare say it could have been handled better on both ends.”

Darcy held back her 'You think?' admirably. “What happened when you went back, aside from destroying the rainbow bridge?”

Thor returned his gaze to the window. “Loki fell from the Bifrost into the void below, how he escaped…” Thor shook his head in disbelief. “I did not believe my father when he spoke of Loki being on Midgard, to conquer it no less.”

“Yeah, about that. I took some readings on Loki to see if he was affected by the scepter at all.”

Thor turned to her intrigued. “and?”

“Well Jane’s still looking over the data.”

Thor deflated slightly.

“You love him?” Darcy asked.

“Loki has done terrible things here, sending the destroyer, trying to kill me… and yet.”

Darcy nodded in understanding. “He’s still your brother.”

Thor sent her a pained look. “Is it wrong of me to want redemption for him.”

Darcy shook her head, “It’s not, but he has to want it, do you think he wants it?”

Thor frowned, “As he is now, I do not believe he would.”

“As he is now?” Darcy asked with a frown.

“I do not believe my brother is of sound mind. I mentioned before that he was beyond reason,” he began.

“Okay?” she prompted.

“My brother is the most logical person I know, he has never been one for outright battle, he plans and tricks, he is known as a wordsmith on Asgard, or more unkindly a liesmith. Bringing the Chituari here to wreak havoc, it is not his way,” he explained.

Darcy could feel her nose wrinkle. “You think someone else is behind this, Loki’s plan?”

“I do.” Thor stated adamantly,

Darcy huffed. “It’s all kind of crazy to think about, I mean did you see the look in his eyes? Blue never looked so terrifying.”

Thor nodded along. “Yes, the blue of the scepter is quite menacing.”

“Well yeah, but I meant Loki’s eyes. They were almost unhinged.” Darcy repressed a shiver.

Thor shook his head. “Loki’s eyes are of jade coloring.”

“Jade? Like green?” At Thor’s nod Darcy huffed. “Well I’ll be damned.”

The lab doors opening drew their attention, Fury stalking through with intent. “Mr. Stark, what do you think you’re doing?”

“Kind of been wondering the same thing about you,” Tony returned barely acknowledging the man.

“You’re all supposed to be locating the tesseract,” Fury retorted.

Dr. Banner stepped up beside Tony. “We are. We’re sweeping for the signature, when we get a hit we’ll have a location within half a mile.”

“Don’t worry Nick, you’ll have your toy back in no time, in the meantime.” Tony grabbed one of the floating monitors before dragging it over to the director. “What is phase two?”

A loud clang reverberated through the room, and Darcy turned to find the captain had slammed a large weapon onto the table.

“Phase two is shield uses the cube to build weapons.” The captain seethed, his gaze never leaving Fury. “I was wrong, Director, nothing’s changed.”

Thor strode forward and Darcy stepped closer to Jane as the room once again grew tense.

A vein bulged on the Director's forehead. “Rogers, we gathered everything related to the tesseract, that doesn’t mean we-”

“I’m sorry, Nick.” Tony cut in, sounding anything but. “Were you going to lie?”

Schematics for weapons were listed down the screen, blue prints and a clear-cut picture of the tesseract as their power source.

 “An energy source for weapons?” Jane blurted.

Natasha joined the already bickering group, and Darcy forced herself to take a step back as she was hit with a full-blown migraine.

Behind her the screen was letting out an annoyingly shrill beep. The arguing continued on and she let out a frustrated groan as she positioned herself in front of the monitor.

The location of the tesseract locked, she eyed it with a frown. Pulling Jane to her side, the woman let out a surprised ‘oh’ just as an explosion went off, blowing out the wall behind them.

Darcy had just enough time to shove Jane into someone’s arms before she was pulled backwards through the gaping hole; Jane shouting her name lost in the wind.

Air whipped around her as her screams pierced the open sky.

Her scream cut off as her throat became raw and she forced her next scream down, even as the wind stung her tear streaked eyes and her insides churned.

She was going to die.

A whimper slipped past her lips, she was falling through the air, her back to the rapidly approaching ground.

She wondered if facing the ground would be worse, Wondered if they’d be able to find her body.

She couldn’t see the helicarrier anymore, but she wondered if that had more to do with the reflective panels.

She closed her eyes as she continued to fall, the faces of her brothers flashing across her vision along with Bobby’s Jane’s and John’s. A woman Darcy new from pictures seemed to smile down at her.

Her breathing became ragged as the unyielding ground drew nearer.

The feeling of branches slicing through her clothes, her hair, tearing at her skin, before the sound of her own neck snapping shrouded her world in darkness.

Chapter Text

The feeling of branches slicing through her clothes, her hair, tearing at her skin, before the sound of her own neck snapping shrouded her world in darkness.

Floating with no corporeal form was odd. Without her permission, her form began to move upwards, a brilliant light seeming to beckon to her.

 A burning sensation seared threw her.

Oh god. She was falling again. She wanted to cry, to whimper, to scream.

No.

She was being pulled?

The burning intensified, and finally she let out a cry of pain before her world went quiet.

She woke up with a gasp, blinking at the light filtering in from the canopy of trees above her.

Darcy let out a whimper as her hand cupped the back of her neck, wincing as she remembered it’s previous state.

“Christ on a cracker.” She pushed herself into a seated position as she took in the forest around her. “Ah, what the hell?”

She was still fully clothed she realized as she searched her over sized jacket and found all of her things in their place.

Was she dead? A burning on her left ass cheek said otherwise.

Bile began to rise in throat and she surged onto her hands and knees as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the dead grass beneath her.

Could ghost throw up?

She scooted back against a broken tree for support as she dug through her pocket for her phone, adjusting her positioning slightly as it irritated her ass. She let out a sigh of relief when her hand closed around the device, only to groan at the tiny x in the left corner.

“Figures,” She huffed, returning it to her pocket.

Pushing off the ground and leaning heavily on the tree, she stood on shaky legs, resting her forehead against the unyielding bark as she tried to get a grip.

“Easy there, luv. Take it slow.” A distinctly male voice stated.

Darcy did just the opposite as she whirled around, knife in hand as she faced the newcomer.

“Who’re you?” she managed to grit out as her world spun.

“Balthazar, Angel of the lord, I’ve been tasked with keeping you alive,” he stated from where he was leant casually against a moss-covered tree.

Darcy scoffed as she eyed him dressed in a pair of jeans and a black overcoat. “Pretty sure I died, buddy. So, stop fucking around and tell me who you are.”

The man rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. “Well aren’t you a pleasant one.”

Reaching into her jacket she un-holstered her pistol before aiming.

He rolled his eyes with the movement. “Won’t do you any good, but you will put a hole in this gent’s shirt. So kindly lower you weapon.”

The safety unlatched with an audible click.

Balthazar sent her a slightly amused look. “Is this the thanks I get for bringing you back to life.”

Darcy frowned, her brows pinching together in confusion. “I’m not dead?”

“Congratulations,” He cheered with mock enthusiasm. “Now.” The man glanced down at the watch strapped to his wrist. “We’re already running a bit late, and this vessel is starting to chafe,” he remarked.

“I’m not dead,” Darcy repeated, a bubble of laughter escaping. “I died.” She held a hand up at the man. “But I’m not dead.”

He seemed to mull if over before speaking. “I had to find a Vessel before I could come to you, so yes you died, but I was able to grab your soul before it left this plane, a little chiropracting to the spinal cord and you're good as new. Again, we should get moving.”

Darcy frowned in distaste. “You grabbed my soul?”

“Lovely one at that, hard to hold onto, sorry about the burn.” He said with a wink.

Darcy froze. “The burn? You grabbed my ass,” she shrieked pointing a finger at him accusingly.

The man shrugged, “I could try and heal it for you,” he offered wiggling his eyebrows.

She took a cautious step back. “I’m good.”

“Suit yourself, I for one wouldn’t want a hand print etched into my ass, but too each their own I suppose.”

Darcy fixed him with a glare. “You said you’re an Angel but your kind of coming off as a dick.”

“So, I have personality, better than some of my brothers. Honestly bland looks, all around,” he stated seriously, though it was diminished slightly by his exaggerated hand movements.

“Angels don’t exist,” Darcy found herself saying.

“Of course we do, don’t be daft. Now am I taking you to the battle or not?” he asked, tapping his foot on the ground.

“Battle?” Darcy asked, before freezing “Oh shit, Manhattan.”

“Hold tight.” Balthazar strode forward his steps silent on the forest floor.

“Wait! I don’t have my bow, my shot gun! I can’t just go into an alien invasion with a pistol and a machete.”

The Angel snapped, and her bag appeared beside her.

“Better?” he asked smugly.

“Much,” she breathed, unzipping it to find all of her things. She quickly pulled off her jacket switching her belt for the utility belt in the bag along with her strap for her arrows. She quickly braided back her hair before strapping on her various holsters. Weapons in place, and feeling like a walking armory she turned to the impatiently waiting angel. “All set.”

“Finally,” he huffed, pressing two fingers to her forehead.

Darcy blinked, and her world shifted as she stumbled forward. “Dude, what the Hell.”

“No time, looks like your friend is in quite the pickle,” he warned.

Darcy followed Balthazar’s gaze to Sharon holding her own, off to her left a greyish-purple creature took aim with its scepter.

Darcy cursed, swinging her bow around before firing off two arrows into what she hoped was a soft spot in the creature’s armor. It let out a strangled cry before collapsing to the ground, Sharon none the wiser.

“You sticking around, Angel?” she asked sparing him glance as she breathed through her adrenaline spike.

Balthazar scoffed. “Not likely, this vessel won’t hold much longer.”

Darcy nodded, before pausing his words finally catching up to her. "Wait, Vessel? as in possess-"she looked back to find the alley empty. "Well then." she huffed, spotting a fire escape she swiftly climbed it before taking in the scene from the roof top.

The word apocalyptic came to mind as she watched debris fall as aliens zipped through the sky, explosions sounding in the distance.

Another explosion sounded, rocking her building slightly with its reverberations. She glanced out finding a flying squadron getting ready to pass by. Backing farther into the shadows of the two taller buildings on her sides she readied another arrow. A second later the whir of the flying chariots sounded just before they appeared. She fired off in quick succession, the chariots crashing in loud fiery explosions one after the other.

She ducked farther into the alcove, catching her breath as she did a head count on her arrows. She’d need to play this smart if she wanted her ammo to last.

Her building shifted again, continuing to wobble as it began to crumble under the stress.

Darcy let out a startled yelp before making a run for the open air ahead of her. The sound of an approaching chariot urged her forward and she lept from the edge of the building.

She slammed into the creature perched at the rear, burying her knife into its exposed neck with her momentum. It let out a choked off cry and she shoved him off the rapidly moving chariot before clutching at a bar in the vehicle as it wobbled at the loss of weight.

A roar made her look up as the second creature pulled away from his steering to approach her. Her pistol was in hand before it could make its second step. She fired twice and the creature let out a shriek before crumpling.

The chariot jolted as it scraped against a building and Darcy stumbled as she approached the controls.

“Well shit,” She huffed, taking in the foreign console. She glanced up again to find she was approaching a building head on. Eyeing the ground below with trepidation the looming building spurred her on as she jumped.

Wind whipped around her, and Darcy’s breath left her in a rush as panic ebbed its way inside of her.

She tumbled into a roll as she crashed landed onto another chariot. She let out a relieved breath, pulling herself into a standing position when the creature stationed there let out an ear-piercing yell before shoving her off.

“Son of a bitch!” she hissed, firing off her pistol out of spite.

The creature cried out in pain as it disappeared from her view.

She landed ungracefully on the hood of a car on her back, the alarm blaring on impact.

She let out a low groan wiggling her toes and fingers before easing off the vehicle. She steadied herself before glancing down the street.

At the obnoxious sound of the alarm ten creatures turned to her, letting out battle cries before charging towards her.

Darcy tsked as she pulled out her shot gun from its strap, she dodged a beam of blue light before taking aim.

Picking them off one by one her shots echoed in the street, none of the creatures having the good sense to try and dodge.

Ten for ten, she reloaded her rounds before making her way back to the sounds of war.

As she rounded the corner her eyes beelined to the gaping hole in the sky; a seemingly endless darkness. Battle cries sounded around her before one deeper, more guttural, overpowered them all.

Darcy frowned as she tried to place the familiar sound.

Hulk. Her brain supplied.

Without thinking she ran to the sound, dodging fallen debris in the street.

Idly she remembered this was her first trip to Manhattan, not quite what she’d imagined.

Another roar and she turned a corner, only to stop cold. The street was crawling with aliens, where ever she’d been it hadn’t been the thick of it she realized. Large whale like creatures swam through the sky on phantom waves alongside the Chitauri driven Chariots. Foot soldiers wreaked havoc in the streets in great numbers.

Her heart thudded in her chest and she took a gasping breath as her eyes darted from Chitauri to Chitauri for any sign of someone, anyone, fighting back.

Clearly the hulk was around, his battle cries still sounding through the streets.

She blinked as she tracked a red and gold figure zooming around the bend tailed by a cluster of Chitauri on chariots.

As if on autopilot she drew her bow.

He was headed straight for her.

Before she realized she’d knocked an arrow she let it soar, knocking another one; one after one.

Iron man seemed to pause as the sound of his pursuers crashing reached him before he searched the ground. His L.E.D lit eyes landed on her before he flew down to her.

Darcy frowned when she realized he wasn’t slowing down, taking an unconscious step back when he raised his armored fist.

Darcy flinched as tiny missiles glided out as he continued his path to her.

They broke off around her at the last minute, hitting something just behind her before she was engulfed in a metallic hug and shot into the sky.

Explosions sounded below them, along with a startled shriek.

“Jesus, for a dead woman, you sure have a set of lungs.”

The noise broke off as Darcy snapped her mouth shut. “Oh god!”

“You should really watch you back.” Tony’s automated voice sounded.

Darcy scoffed indignantly. “Like your one to talk.”

“As much as I’d love to discuss the physics of your survival, I-”

Darcy frowned as he cut off.

“How long?” he asked.

Darcy frowned, “How long till-”

They jolted as he dropped her to the ground.

“Jarvis put all we've got into the thrusters!” he shouted, before jetting off.

Darcy watched slightly in awe, before the sound of her name being called had her turning around.

“Darcy!”

She whirled around, finding Sharon running towards her. Darcy let out breath as she met her half way, engulfing her in a hug.

“I thought you-” Sharon breathed.

“Me too.” Darcy finished.

Something moved in the corner of her eye and she un-holstered the pistol at Sharon’s waist, she squeezed the trigger twice before returning it to its place, the creature slumping to the ground.

Sharon pulled back with a grimace. “Talk later?”

“You got it,” Darcy conceded.

The two stood back to back as more creatures poured into the street, surrounding them. The sound of Sharon already picking them off with her forty-nine spurred her into action as she reached for her shot gun.

Chitauri dropped left and right around them, only to be replaced by more.

 Darcy pulled out her machete on the last bullet, dropping her shot gun as she dove towards the closest alien.  She dodged the down swing of its scepter before stabbing at its exposed skin.

“Behind you!” Sharon warned.

She ducked under the grey scaled arm just as the other creature fired at her, her alien shield taking the hit. She peaked over its slumping shoulder before shoving it into its comrade.

The creature let out a startled yelp and Darcy followed after, slicing through the creature’s neck.

Green blood squirted up splattering against her cheek.

“It’s just blood,” she chanted, hastily rubbing at the stickiness as she returned to Sharon’s side.

Sharon gasped, clutching at Darcy’s arm as she stared up into the sky.

She followed her gaze her eyes widening as she took in the missile soaring through Manhattan. A red and gold speck at its underbelly drew her attention and she watched as Iron Man led the missile up, up into the black hole in the sky.

“One way my ass! Tony, you better make it back!” Sharon yelled.

Darcy glanced beside her as Sharon pressed a hand to her ear.

One way, as in, Darcy turned back to the portal just as iron Man slipped through into the darkness. Unyielding darkness. “No,” she heard herself whisper.

Not moments later the creatures around them slumped to the ground, Chariots plummeting to the earth and exploding on impact.

“No!” Sharon sobbed.

Darcy looked at her questioningly, “What’s going on?”

“They’re closing the portal with Tony inside,” she gritted out.

Darcy hissed out a breath watching as the portal lessened in size.

“Come on, come on!” Sharon iterated.

Darcy didn’t hesitate to grab her friends hand, squeezing it tight as they searched the portal for any sign of red and gold.

The portal was barely visible when miraculously, Iron man’s form slipped through.

Sharon sagged in relief beside her.

Darcy tugged at her hand to get moving. “Come on." She paused to grab her shot gun from where she'd dropped it, returning it to her holster before dragging Sharon down the street. The two were leaning bodily against each other by the time they made it to the group surrounding Iron man’s prone form.

Sharon let out a quiet gasp before urging Darcy to move faster, practically dragging her down the street as if unwilling to let her go.

Someone had removed the face mask so Tony’s face was visible, his eyes closed as if in a deep sleep.

Sharon dropped to her knees beside him, bringing Darcy down with her.

Darcy’s eyes went to the dulled device at his chest, no visible light peeking through. Dread froze her veins as she her friend broke down beside her.

Hulk let out an angry roar, and as if he’d indeed been asleep Tony gasped awake as if woken by the worlds angriest alarm clock.

“God! What the hell!” he hissed, glancing around at all people surrounding him. “Please tell me no one kissed me.”

Darcy leaned back as Sharon squeezed by to hug him, and she awkwardly scooted out of the way, before pushing to her feet.

“Lady Darcy?”

She glanced up with a nervous smile at Thor. “Hey Big guy!”

Thor was in front of her in an instant. “I thought you dead!”

Darcy winced. “Technically? I was.”

Thor pulled her into a firm hug. “It seems you have another tale to tell around the fire.”

Darcy let out a chuckle. “For sure.”

Thor let out a heavy sigh. “Jane will be glad to hear it, she was guilt ridden last we were together.”

Her smile dropped into a frown. “Guilt? Over what?”

“She said you pushed her away from the hole in the ship before you were sucked out.” He explained, his own frown deepening “I apologize, I was unable to come to your aid.”

Darcy let out a tired sigh, “There was a lot going on, so under the circumstances? I think you can be forgiven.”

Tony groaned as he got to his feet, Thor offering him a hand and pulling him the rest of the way.

“Alright Avengers, we’ve got one more thing to do,” Captain Rogers announced, sounding as tired as she felt.

Darcy frowned. “Avengers?”

The Captain paused in his movement. “Ms. Lewis?”

“Present. And accounted for,” she said with a wave, stepping out of Thor’s shadow.

He eyed her warily. “You fell over a thousand feet from the Helicarrier.”

Darcy nodded. “I did.”

“We assumed you…” he trailed off.

“Died? That’s a solid assumption.” She glanced up at Thor. “Oh, did your brother wake up?" Darcy asked striding forward.

 Thor joined her and the rest fell in, though she could feel the captain’s eyes on her.

“Loki suffered a head trauma by our green friend, I do believe it brought him to his senses.”

Hulk let out a huff.

Darcy glanced at him with a grin. “Nice.”

Chapter Text

As they made their way back to the tower, Darcy couldn’t help it as she took in the destruction around her. The street was torn apart as first responders made their way around it, A fire hydrant off to the right had erupted, water spouting down the street as Fire fighters worked t turn it off. She dragged her gaze away as they entered the tower, workers had already begun the process of clearing the debris from in front of the door and a small path had been made to get inside. She carefully sidestepped a large piece of rubble.

Tony who had been leading the group to the tower paused at the door. “Hey big guy, mind taking the scenic route? Haven’t invented a You sized elevator yet.”

Hulk let out a loud snort, before leaping into the air.

“huh.” She hummed before following them inside and into the elevator.

Without a COMM, Darcy was slightly in the dark as to what floor they’d be going to, but as the elevator dinged the doors slid open to a penthouse living room. Through the broken glass of the windows she could see other high-rises surrounding them.

She pulled her gaze back as the group made their way to the two Natasha and Clint standing vigil in the center of the room, their eyes hard as they stared down at something on the floor. As she stepped into the room she realized it was an unconscious figure.

Loki.

“Darcy?”

Darcy looked to the sound of the startled voice to find Clint staring at her.

“What’s up Legolas?” she said with a grin, even as she took in is harried state. The archer was covered in cuts, but his eyes… sadness filled her at the tiredness in his eyes

“They told me you… fell from the helicarrier.” He stated sending Natasha a side long glance where she stood to his side.

Natasha seemed to tensed beside him. “She did.”

Clint returned his gaze to her at the admission.

“What can I say, but…” Darcy paused in her words as she drew a blank. Unable to remember how she’d survived the fall, because she had died… hadn’t she? Before she could think on it much longer a low groan drew the groups attention and Darcy took a seat at the bar as the Avengers surrounded Loki, too tired to even consider trying to be intimidating. She was just wondering what kind of expensive liquor she could try when Sharon sat down heavily beside her.

Darcy sent het an appraising glance. “Everything alright?”

“Wish I could say,” Sharon returned. Following Darcy’s gaze she sent her a wink before reaching over the bar for a bottle of scotch and two glasses. She poured them both a finger before sliding one over.

“It’s like you can read my mind,” she huffed before taking a drink. It burned going down, and she took it with a grimace as she eyed the avengers. Thor had produced a pair of heavy looking cuffs and was currently fitting them around Loki’s wrist. “What’s the verdict.”

Beside her, Sharon shrugged. “Thor thinks Loki should face Asgardian justice along with taking the cube.”

She took another sip from her glass. “Good riddance.”

“Darcy.”

At the sound of Thor’s voice, she finished the rest of her drink before striding over.  “What’s up big guy?”

“Thor here says Loki, was being controlled.”

The statement had come from Clint, and as she eyed him it seemed the archer was unable to believe Loki himself may have been comprised.

She frowned. “Was that a question?”

“It was Lady Darcy who brought Loki’s predicament to my attention.” He looked to her pointedly, and five sets of eyes swiveled to her including Dr. Banner, now de-hulked. And how had she missed that?

“um well, yeah. When we captured Loki on the plane he had blue eyes, but now as you can see they’re green.” They were still staring at her. “I’m not sure what else you want me to say, but” She added when Steve opened his mouth to speak. “he is standing right here… you could always ask him.”

Clint scoffed. “No offense Katniss, but I’m going to have a hard time believing anything that comes out of his mouth.”

Darcy nodded, taking no offense. Clint still had an edge to his voice. “He still has a story to tell, whether you believe it or not. But if you really need proof, Jane should be finished processing the data I took.”

“What data?”

“I scanned Loki to see if he had any traces of the radiation from the tesseract, I’m sure with a little adjusting we’ll find he had more of a signature from the scepter.”

As if summoned the elevator dinged.

“Darcy!!” Jane called running off before tackling the girl in a fierce hug.

The air left her in a huff before she returned it.

Jane pulled back with watery stare. “I saw you fall, what the hell Darcy?”

Curious eyes turned to her.

Darcy frowned as she, once again, tried to remember the circumstances of her survival.

Jane took a cautious step back as she stuffed a hand in her pocket, pulling out a familiar flask, one Darcy had bought her from a souvenir shop in New Mexico.

 Darcy bit back a grin.

“Drink it,” Jane urged.

Darcy took it without hesitation. “Oh, Janey I’m so proud,” she huffed before taking a swig of the holy water.

Jane watched in anticipation before letting a sigh of relief.

“Now that that’s-” she cut off when she was hit in the face with a sand like substance. “Nice one Betty honestly I couldn’t be prouder.”

Betty shrugged sheepishly, before moving to bring her into a hug.

“Wait.” Sharon called, freezing Betty in her movements. Looking around Tony’s bar she grabbed a knife from one of the drawers before offering it to Darcy. “I should have thought of this sooner, Pure silver.”

Darcy hid a smile. “Sharon Carter, my star pupil.” She grabbed the knife without further ado. “But seriously it’s me. I must have hit my head pretty hard, I don’t remember what happened before I woke up in the alley.”

“Does anyone want to explain what’s going on?” Steve ordered.

The four women looked to each other before turning their gaze to him. “Not really.” They chorused.

The director came to a stop in front of them, his only reaction at her being alive a slight uptick of his left brow.

“I’m told we need to discuss the tesseract and Loki.”

Thor’s eyes narrowed. “There is nothing to discuss, the Tesseract and my brother will be taken to Asgard.”

The Director nodded. “Agreed.”

Thor, who seemed to be ready for a fight, deflated and Darcy held back a snicker.

“I’m also told there’s a device that needs to be built,” The director added.

Beside her Jane nodded. “Yes actually, Thor has instructions on how to build the container to use the Tesseract as a gate way. If I can get a look at the device Loki used to harness the tesseract I’m positive we can find a way to miniaturize it or at least make it more portable.

The Director gave a terse nod, “Agent Barton and Agent Romanoff will stay on location to monitor the situation, otherwise I leave it to you, Doctors.” He stated glancing at Bruce, who’d made his way over when Betty had arrived, then Betty herself, Jane, and then Tony. “Do we need to have a cell emptied for his highness?”

Thor looked over at his brother currently handcuffed and muzzled, seemingly torn.

“The restraints are of Asgard and negate any magic Loki may try to use in an escape, if brother Anthony is willing I’d prefer to keep him nearby.

Tony sidestepped the group. “Sure, I’ll play host to America’s misfits, you’re actually in luck, there’re residential levels in the tower, some of you may have to share though.”

Fury turned away with a nod. “I want hourly updates. Carter, I need you back at the base” With that he strode from the room. Sharon gave him a terse nod, winking at Darcy before following the Director into the elevator. 

They watched them leave in a sort of silence, before Tony cleared his throat. “So, anyone hungry?”

Apparently, Tony had a radar for food joints that hadn’t been completely destroyed, he’d managed to contact the owners and the next thing she knew they were sitting in a restaurant eating Shawarma.

Darcy eyed the last bit of food in her platter with trepidation, she’d already eaten her fill. And with that thought she slid it closer to Thor, who eagerly dumped her fries into his basket.

“So how do you two know each other.” Natasha asked from across the table. She’d eaten about as much as Bruce before throwing in the towel.

Darcy looked up to find the woman staring at her. “Who me?”

“You and Clint,” she clarified.

Clint, who’d been staring into his gyro glanced up with a small grin. “Darcy and I go way back. She was a con artist as a kid. Barely even seven.”

Once again, all eyes turned to her, she in turn sent Clint an unimpressed stare. “I was nine thank you, and that guy conned himself honestly. He watched me nail three marks and still bet against me. And to answer your question, I met Legolas when he was working one of those traveling carnivals in south Dakota. My uncle did some work for the ring leader and he gave us tickets.

Tony’s eyes widened comedically. “Wait, rewind, robin hood was a Carnie?”

Clint let out a low groan.

“The Amazing Hawkeye,” Darcy announced, with as much enthusiasm as she could. “Never misses a shot, unless it’s with a thirteen-year-old long bow.”

Clint let out an indignant squawk. “I did not miss! It was only off center by a millimeter, and it was still in the dot!”

As Tony took up ribbing the archer Darcy found Natasha’s gaze on her. “Do I have something on my face?” she whispered to Jane.

“You said south Dakota?” Natasha asked.

Darcy nodded. “Yep, lived with my uncle there. You don’t remember? It’s where I met you.” She threw out casually.

Natasha’s eyes widened slightly.

“I mean it’s okay if you don’t, I was pretty young, you look the same though. I would have said something earlier but we were kind of busy…..” Darcy trailed off.

“You gave me your jacket,” Natasha stated.

Darcy sent her a tired smile. “Exactly!”

“I still have it.” She stated, a faraway look taking over in her eyes.

Clint who’d taken a break from egging on tony turned to look between the two before his gaze settled on the woman.

As if in tandem she glanced up, making eye contact as her lip twitched slightly. Clint nodded before turning back to Tony.

 “I can give it back if you want,” She offered.

Darcy only scoffed. “Nah, I doubt it would even fit me anymore, I’ve uh gone up a few cup sizes since then.”

Natasha let out a small snort before stealing a piece of meat from Clint’s platter while his back was still turned.

Darcy was more than thankful that Tony had offered them a place to stay, the second she’d placed her head on a pillow after her long shower she passed out practically dead to the world around her. She could have slept for at least three days, but her phone rang the next day.

With a groan her hand groped the night stand beside her for the offending object, as her fingers closed around it she let out a triumphant grunt before flipping open the phone.

“This better be good,” She mumbled.

“Your Dad’s been take,” Bobby deadpanned.

She jolted up right eyes flying open in the darkness. “What? By who?”

Bobby sighed over the line, “Demons, of all things.”

“Demons? Are you sure?” Demon sightings were rare, even for a hunter, despite the fact that one had killed her mom.

“Positive, Sam and Dean filled me in, they’re on their way over to regroup.”

“What’s their plan?” she asked, rubbing blearily at her eyes.

Bobby let out a huff of air. “I don’t think they have one.”

Darcy relished in the feel of the firm mattress a second longer before pushing from the bed. “I’m on my way.”

She hurriedly pulled on an outfit from her backpack before shoving her night clothes inside. Slipping her duffel over her shoulder she left her room leading into the common area she shared with the others.

Tony had mentioned an idea of separate floors after the remodel but in the meantime, they were all on the same level, so finding the others already up and about she sent them a nod looking for her scientist in particular.

Thor was seated off to the side watching TV with Steve. He looked over at her entrance before joining her.

“Is all well?”

Darcy let out a huff, “Not really, I’ve got to head out. Where’s jane?” She could have probably guessed but she hadn’t been to the labs herself and was unwilling to get lost.

“She and the Lady Elizabeth are in the lab with Brother Anthony and Bruce.”

Darcy frowned, Elizabeth? “You mean Betty?”

Thor sent her a nod and she repressed a giggle.

Darcy sent him a tired glance.  “Please tell me you’ve been down there?”

Thor grinned “Aye I have,” he stated before leading her to the elevator.

It opened for them at their approach, once closed Thor turned a worried gaze to her.

“What’s has happened?”

Darcy let out a long sigh, dropping her duffel beside her to bury her face in her hands. “My Dad’s been taken by demons and my brothers probably have some half-assed plan to get him back.”

She heard a shuffle of movement before strong arms engulfed her.

“I owe you much Darcy, if you need my assistance.”

Darcy took a deep breath, taking in Thor’s strong rainstorms and cedarwood scent.

“Thanks, big guy.”

As the elevator dinged their arrival Thor slowly stepped away before picking up the duffel she’d discarded.

“This way.” He stated, leading her off the elevator and onto a glass wall lined floor.

Behind it she could see an array of machines, work tables, and half-finished products and yet the room itself still had a casual feel.

Thor stopped in front of a large glass door and she came to a stop beside him. On the other side, she could see Bruce, Tony, Jane and Betty crowded around a worktable a blue holo of a cubed container floating between them.

They all looked over at the same time and she could only assume Jarvis, Tony’s A.I., had announced their arrival.

The door swished open and the two of them stepped in to the room.

“You’re leaving.” Jane deduced before she’d even come to a stop.

Darcy sent her a grimaced shrug. “No rest for the wicked… or something like that.”

Jane hesitated slightly before speaking. “Should I…”

“Stay here with Betty I’ll come back when I finish the job.”

“What exactly is the job?” she asked.

Darcy eyed the group behind her and dutifully Betty drew them back to the glowing schematic of what she could now see was to contain the tesseract.

“My Dad’s been taken by umm…. Demons and I’ll be damned if I’m not there to do something about it.”

Jane’s eyes widened. “Demons? Wait did your brothers actually call you for help?”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “of course not. Uncle Bobby did. If I’m quick enough I can meet them there before the shin dig actually starts.”

“You know the roads haven’t been cleared, and how are you going to get a flight out of here?”

She sent her a shrug. “I was thinking of calling in a favor from Coulson it’s the least he can do after sending us to Norw…. Why are you looking at me like you killed my pet cactus again?”

Jane attempted to school her features before giving in. “Darce… Agent Coulson died on the Heli-carrier, Loki stabbed him through the chest with his scepter, no one told you?”

“I…what? That’s not…” Darcy fought the sting of tears in her eyes. Damn it. Coulson couldn’t die. He’d survived stumbling into a nest of vampires... he couldn’t have survived one of her homemade bear traps only to be taken out by a….

The feeling of slim fingers gripping her shoulders brought her from her haze “Darcy? Can you hear me? Darce?”

Taking in a breath She looked around at all the eyes currently watching her. “No, no one told me.”

Jane pulled her into tight hug. “I’m so sorry Darcy, I know he was your friend.”

She could only nod, not really knowing what to say to that. “Well there goes my ride?”

Jane pulled back with a grimace.

“Where ya headed kid?”

Darcy nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice behind her, she turned around to find Tony had joined them.

“Um.. South Dakota?”

Tony nodded, “I’ll pull some strings.”

She looked up at him shocked “Really? Why?”

“haven’t you ever heard the saying, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth?”

Eying him skeptically she relented with a nod. “Thank you.”

“Much better.”

Darcy sent Jane a small smile before heading over to Betty, pulling the woman out of the room waiting until the glass doors closed before speaking. “Are you gonna be alright?”

Betty smiled, “I’ll be fine Darcy, don’t worry about me, just be safe okay?”

Darcy nodded, keep an eye on Jane for me will ya? And neither of you are allowed to go on a science bender longer than two consecutive days.”

Betty tsked. “Whatever you say mom.”

Tony had her on a helicopter ride to LaGuardia before she was taken to Sioux Falls regional airport. A five-hour flight later she found herself in a taxi ride home. The cab driver was mostly silent giving her the added quite time for her thoughts to return back to Coulson. She’d thought, hoped that she might have been the only casualty, but that was naïve she admitted. They’d gone through an apocalyptic scenario and won, there were bound to be casualties. Her mind though was still trying to wrap around the fact that Phil had been one of them. Had it only been a few weeks ago that he’d tried to poach her? She thought on the memory with a small frown.

She was only slightly surprised to find Phil at her door on the hot New Mexico afternoon.

He gave her a smile that wasn’t really a smile, that somehow still conveyed the notion.

“Phil!” Darcy cheered with mock enthusiasm. “What brings you to this side of the desert?”

“I was wondering if we could talk?” He asked.

Darcy took him in, he seemed relax nothing of urgency in his posture unless if he was hiding it, but the way his face somehow seemed open, she doubted it.

“Jane look who came to visit.” She called, opening the door wider for him to step through.

The woman looked up from her position at the kitchen table with a frown. “What’s he doing here?”

Phil sent her a small wave “Dr. Foster, it’s always a pleasure.”

Darcy motioned him in before locking all the latches. “I don’t appreciate you putting a tracker on my car either. It was interesting to find on his scheduled tune up.”

“The order was over my head. After the agents you save turned up, Shield got a little curious. I made sure to keep your name from the reports, I hope you don’t mind the name Huntress, it caught on pretty fast among the ranks”

Darcy grinned. “I have a code name? Sweet.”

Jane fist bumped her in solidarity before returning to her papers. “But, that still doesn’t explain why you’re breathing our air,” she murmured, idly scribbling an equation.

Darcy chuckled at the SHIELD sized grudge the woman was holding, choosing not to contradict her as she watched Coulson.

His lip twitched before he spoke. “I previously offered Darcy a position in Shield.”

“And she said no.” Jane practically growled.

“And, I believe I went about recruiting you in the wrong way.” He said, turning to Darcy.

She frowned but didn’t speak.

“From what I’ve come to learn, you and other Hunters, for that matter, prefer to stay off the grid. Using fake names, credit card fraud, never staying in one place to long. Tell me Ms. Lewis how does news travel? Is there a sort of Hunters network?”

Darcy’s frown deepened. “Not really, no… they usually see each other in passing, I mean they convene at bar stops on the road, I guess numbers get passed around and the locations of stationary hunters. If they know one is in the area, they might ask for help if the hunt is too big.”

Phil nodded. “What I want to do, is build up that network. It doesn’t have to be with shield, even though they could use the backing, half of you are on at least three wanted lists in the country.”

Darcy shrugged, she was on four. “Get to the point.”

“Build the network Ms. Lewis. I just want to help make your lives less complicated, it would be a lot easier to get local police off your back when things get tight.”

Darcy tried to keep the defensive tone out of her voice. “We manage.”

“How many Hunters die from a hunt gone wrong,” He challenged.

Darcy repeated the words she’d heard all her life. “It comes with the job.” She shifted before realizing crossing her arms might be a bit defensive. “I mean, how many of your agents die on missions?”

“True, but we have the ability to send in evac teams, a plan B if you will.”

“That all sounds nice, Phil, but we are dealing with grumpy men and woman, who are quick to take offense. How exactly do you plan to spread news of this ‘network?’”

Coulson eyed her with a look that made her blanch.

She shook her head; no way was she touching that. She could barely deal with the ones she knew…

Coulson’s eyes narrowed and she represses a smirk as she pulled out her phone.

“What are you doing?” he asked with the twitch of a frown.

“Calling the most stubborn hunter I know.” The phone rang twice before Uncle Rufus picked up.

“This better be good,” He gruffed over the speaker.

“Oh please, what? Are you playing bingo at the old folk’s home?” She teased.

Rufus practically growled, “Damn it, that was one time and you won the only prize I wanted.”

Darcy frowned. “It was a seven-quart crock pot.” One that she and Uncle Bobby quickly began to worship when they no longer had to eat meals that came out of a can.

“And I wanted it! I was one square away, and you and Bobby cheated me out of a quality slow cooker.” He growled

Darcy suppressed a grin. “How does one cheat at bingo Uncle Rufus?”

Coulson cleared his throat.

“Never mind, I’ll get you one for Christmas. Anyway, I have a man here who has some ideas, I figured I’d let you hear them, on behalf of…. the community.”

“What kind of ideas?” Rufus growled.

Darcy smiled. “The floor is yours Agent.”

“Mr… Rufus, I’m Agent Phil Coulson and I was talking to your niece about building a network for Hunters.”

“He’s a Fed? Darcy are you in trouble? I told Bobby letting you move to New Mexico was a bad idea.”

“Miss Lewis is in no trouble that I am aware of, I’ve recently become aware of the hardships Hunters face in their line of work.” Coulson began.

“Look Fed, you either kill the Hunt or the Hunt kills you.” Uncle Rufus stated.

“I’d like to make it so you’re more likely to do the killing, maybe even get compensated for it.”

Darcy looked over to Coulson at that as Uncle Rufus went silent.

Hook.

“Getting paid for hunting?” Rufus clarified.

“Access to better weapons, concrete covers for hunts.” Coulson continued.

Darcy felt herself holding her breath.

Line.

“Why would a fed do that?” he asked skeptically, but Darcy could hear in his voice that something had changed.

“I work for a company that specializes in keeping the world safe from threats both known and unknown, Hunting falls into the unknown category. Why train agents to do something that Hunters are already doing, I’d like to offer our resources.”

Sinker.

“Shit, I could use Dental Insurance, your resources provide that?”

Coulson didn’t smile but his eyes danced as he sent her look over the phone as she gaped at him.

“I’m sure we could work that in somewhere.”

“Sign me up.”

Darcy snatched the phone from the table. “I’ll talk to you later Uncle Rufus.”

“Ask him about benefits!”

Darcy hung up the phone as Coulson eyed her.

“How are you going to do all that.” She finally asked.

“I’ve already begun arrangements, it’s just a matter of getting the word out.” He said sending her a look. “You could even head the division.”

Darcy looked over at Jane who was silently watching her. “That sounds like a lot of work.”

The driver announcing their arrival drew her back to the present. She paid him before climbing from the yellow cab, taking in the familiar metal archway with the worn-out sign labeled Singer’s Salvage Yard. Hiking her bag up onto her shoulder she moved to step into the yard only to pause.

It was quiet, unnervingly quiet.

Chapter Text

The driver announcing their arrival drew her back to the present. She paid him before climbing from the yellow cab. Taking in the familiar metal archway with the worn-out sign labeled Singer’s Salvage Yard. Hiking her bag up onto her shoulder she moved to step into the yard only to pause.

It was quiet, unnervingly quiet.

Without hesitation she drew her gun, slipping between a junked car with half its frame missing.

Dropping her backpack and situating her duffel, she peaked around the front to watch the yard where two figures made themselves known, walking the front perimeter as if searching for a way inside the house.

Parked alongside Bobby’s tow truck sat the Impala. So, Sam and Dean were already here.

On light feet, she darted through the line of cars to get a closer look at the two men. As she did she nearly dropped her gun. Their faces were horrifyingly disfigured, with gaping dark holes where their eyes and mouths should be.

She sat back against the car with wide eyes, trying to think of a creature that fit their description. She came up short.

If they were looking for a way in, that had to mean there was a barrier up, a few supernatural creatures could be kept out with a simple salt line, but those were not ghost she decided, watching as one leant up against a junked car.

Bobby had mentioned Demons but she was under the impression that they possessed humans. Their outward appearance shouldn’t be any different than the humans they were possessing. With that in mind she took a quiet breath before she looked over again.

She frowned in confusion as she took in their now very human faces. She squinted as she tried to see the gaping faces again.

And then it happened. As if seeing beyond them she could feel the demonic energy radiating off of them, it felt wrong, like a twisting feeling in her gut. She tried to blink it away but it only seemed to intensify, as if tangible she could see it radiating off of them in rambunctious plumes of black smoke.

She sat back with a muffled groan trying to settle the nauseous feeling in her stomach with deep breaths. The sound of footsteps approaching told her she didn’t have the luxury.

She moved to raise her gun only for it to be kicked from her hand, two hands yanked her up by the lapels of her jacket, pulling her face level with a snarling grin.

Darcy could only blink as her mind fought to assimilate the human face with the gaping darkness shrouding the demon.

“What do we have here?” Even as he spoke wisps of darkness seeped from him before rejoining in a cloud around him.

“You think we can use her as leverage for Meg?” a taut voice asked behind her.

“Like I care about Meg, she made the mistake of going in before we got here. This one’s mine.”

“Not likely,” Darcy hissed, before kicking him in the nuts. He dropped her with a groan, probably more on reflex than actual pain, and the other one surged for her. She dove around him scooping up her gun before aiming. She wanted to kick herself, it wasn’t like it would do much.

The two seemed to realize that, sharing a grin before stepping forward.

“Don’t come any closer!” She growled, one hand coming out on reflex as if to stop them in place.

The two only chuckled before continuing forward.

“I said Stop!” She barked.

The two paused, looking to the other confused.

Darcy too looked on confused, but as she blinked she realized the dark cloud of smoke that had previously been a constant movement had frozen at her command. Hand still upraised, she slowly reached down for her duffel, unwilling to question the freakiness of her current situation.

She kept her eyes on their snarling faces as she backed away willing the whatever force to keep them in place. Her back legs hit the porch and she stumbled slightly before catching herself on the railing.

As if the connection broke the two charged, and in a panic, she darted up the stairs knowing the door would be locked.

“Uncle Bobby!” She yelled.

Immediately she could hear the hurried sound of latches unlocking,

Darcy turned as the two demons reached the bottom of the staircase. The one on the left dove forward and Darcy yelped as she was yanked backwards into the house.

“Bye.” Bobby huffed before slamming the door in the demon’s face.

Darcy fought to catch her breath as he redid the locks. “Thanks.”

He pulled her into a tight a hug. “Didn’t think to warn you about the guard dogs out front, Sorry. You alright?” he asked peering down at her.

“I’m fine.” She paused a she straightened. “Guard dogs? For who?”  

Bobby nodded to the closed sliding doors that led to the living room. “See for yourself.”

A knock sounded on the door and Sam’s voice called out from the other side. “Everything alright in there, Bobby.”

Darcy flung the doors open coming face to chest with Sam.

“Darcy?” he asked in confusion only to be parroted by Dean a second later.

Sam’s eyes darted to something behind the door nervously before refocusing on her. “What’re you doing here?”

“I live here.” She huffed, walking into the living room only to freeze as she took in the blonde-haired woman tied down to a chair. Or at least, the demon possessing her.

God were those thinks freaky.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” She asked.

Darcy frowned still staring as the darkness writhed around her, though something about it was… contained.

She eyed Sam wondering if maybe he had somehow mastered what she’d just stumbled upon outside. “That you’re doing?” she asked ignoring the Demon’s question.

Sam grinned, “Bobby’s idea actually, it’s a demon trap, found it in a book called--”

“The key of Solomon,” Darcy finished as her mind caught up with her. She’d read that one when she was ten. “Right.”

“What is she doing here?” Dean hissed behind her.

Darcy whirled around.

“I told her what was happening,” Bobby said with a shrug.

She sent Dean a stony glare. “I’m here, so deal with it okay?”

He shook his head. “Not okay, Darcy what the hell? You shouldn’t be here.”

“Well I am, and until we find Dad you’re stuck with me.” She returned planting her feet.

“Wait, am I in the middle of some kind of family reunion here?” The demon asked with a smirk.

“Shut up, Bitch!” she and Dean chorused.

The demon mocked gasped before looking at them with disapproval. “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh wait, I forgot… You can’t,” She trilled.

“Why is she still here?” Darcy growled.

But Dean was already moving, in a blink he’d back handed the demon and Darcy winced as it reverberated through the room. If he wasn’t careful he’d hurt the poor girl trapped inside.

“That’s kind of a turn on,” the Demon huffed. “You hitting a girl.”

Dean crossed his arms. “You’re no girl. Where’s our father Meg?” he grounded out.

She sent him a carefree shrug.

“You think this is a freaking Game?” Dean’s shout sounded in the room. Leaning into her space he asked in a deathly calm, “Where is he? What did you do to him?”

The demon, Meg, squared up the best she could strapped to the wooden chair. “He died screaming, I killed him myself.”

This slap was harder, louder than the first and behind her Bobby shifted. “Dean,” he called before stepping into the kitchen.

After a hard stare off with Meg, Dean followed, trailed by Sam.

Darcy stayed put unwilling to leave the demon alone, even trapped in the pentagram. That didn’t stop her from listening to their hushed conversation though.

“You gonna be alright?”  Sam questioned, his tone tinged with worry.

“She’s lying, he’s not dead,” Dean returned.

“Dean you’ve got to be careful with her,” Bobby sounded. “Don’t hurt her.”

“Why?” Dean asked.

Darcy frowned at the incredulity in his voice.

“Because she really is a girl, that’s why,” Bobby stated.

“We haven’t been properly introduced. Hi I’m Meg. Or she’s Meg. We’re Meg?” The demon announced drawing her attention.

Darcy’s eyes snapped to hers and Meg grinned.

“I hadn’t realized Johnny had three kids, a girl none the less.”

She ignored her as the conversation in the kitchen continued.

“-king about?”

“She’s possessed. That’s a human possessed by a demon,” Bobby explained. “Can’t you tell?”

Darcy suppressed an eye roll, clearly not.

“Are you trying to tell me there’s an innocent girl trapped in there?” Dean returned, voice incredulous.

“Darcy, was it?”

She drew her attention back to the demon with a raised brow, but was once again distracted by the contained darkness floating around the demon. She continued to speak but Darcy couldn’t hear her as the demonic energy seemed to pulse.  She clenched her fist at the nausea building up, and the demons words abruptly choked off.

“Darce?”

She looked up startled to find Sam staring down at her.

She cleared her throat. “Everything okay?”

Sam nodded. “yeah, looks like we’re about to exorcise her.”

“Bout time,” She huffed pushing off the wall. “Bye, bye.” She said with a smirk before chanting. “Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, ”

“She can’t be seri—” the demon cut off with a pained moan.

Sam and Dean shared a look. “What do you have it memorized?” Dean asked.

Bobby nodded “And that’s only one version.”

“omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica.”

“I’m gonna kill you,” Meg spat, glaring at her before turning to Sam and Dean. “I’m gonna rip the bones from your body.”

Darcy continued unperturbed. “Ergo, omnis legio diabolica, adiuramus te...cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque æternæ perditionìs venenum propinare”

“No, you’re gonna burn in hell,” Dean hissed. “Unless you tell us where our dad is.”

Darcy paused, he couldn’t be serious. She was going to exorcise her either way but still.

Meg sent him a blank stare. Dean shrugged. “Well, at least you’ll get a tan.”

He sent her a nod and she continued. “Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciæ, hostis humanæ salutis.”

“Ahh.” Meg gasped, tremors beginning to wrack her frame. “He begged for his life with tears in his eyes.” She managed to grit out. “He begged to see his son’s one more time. That’s when I slit his throat.”

Darcy paused as the demon spoke, the smoke writhed oddly and she had the strong feeling it was lying.

“For your sake, I hope your lying, cause if not? I swear to God, I’ll march into hell myself and I will slaughter each and every one of you evil sons of bitches.”

 “umiliare sub potenti manu Dei;” she continued as Dean spoke. Beside her the sound of pages being turned in a nearby book whipped as if by a strong gust of wind. Her eyes widened, this was her first exorcism…

“Where is he?!” Dean yelled again over the noise.

“You just won’t take dead as an answer, will you?” Meg huffed out.

“HE’S NOT DEAD! HE CAN’T BE! WHERE IS HE!” Dean’s voice bellowed.

Darcy paused at the desperation in his voice.

“Keep going!” he ordered.

Darcy shared a glance with Bobby and Sam before continuing, “contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nominee,”

The sound of the chair scraping against the hard wood cut her off as it jerked in the pattern of the pentagram etched for the trap.

Darcy hesitated to continue, they needed dad’s location but she was running out of lines, apparently Meg knew that too. As Darcy took a breath to continue, Meg cut her off.

“He will be!” She yelled.

“Wait!” Dean barked. “What?”

“He’s not dead,” Meg panted, “but he will be after what we do with him.”

Dean eyed them all before speaking, “How do we know you’re telling the truth?”

With astounding clarity Darcy knew she was.

“You don’t” Meg hissed, contradicting her thoughts.

“Darce!” Dean barked.

“A building! Okay? A building in Jefferson City,” Meg blurted.

“Missouri? Where? Give me an address?” Dean rushed out grasping for more information.

“I don’t know,” Meg unwillingly stated.

“And the Demon! The one where looking for where is it?” Sam chimed.

“I don’t know!” Meg’s voice took on a pleading note. “I swear! That’s everything, t-that’s all I know!” she breathed out.

Dean turned to face her. “Finish it.”

“What? I told you the truth!” Meg insisted in a panic.

Sam and Bobby eyed Dean as he spoke. “I don’t care.”

“You, you son of a bitch, you promised!” she cried out

“I Lied!” Dean yelled. “Darcy.”

“We can still use her,” Sam whispered. “find out where the Demon is hiding.”

“She doesn’t know,” Dean stated.

“She lied!” Sam hissed.

“Sam! There’s an innocent girl trapped somewhere in there, we’ve got to help her!” Dean insisted.

“You’re gonna kill her.” Bobby cut in.

Darcy’s blood chilled. “What?” that wasn’t how exorcisms worked.

“You said earlier that she fell from a building? That girls body is broken.”

A building? Darcy's mind wandered to her own fall. “You mean, the only thing keeping her alive is that Demon inside her,” Darcy realized.

Bobby nodded, as Sam and Dean turned to her.

“If we finish the exorcism, that girl is going to die,” Darcy stated, managing to keep her voice steady.

Dean threw his hands skyward. “We can’t very well leave her like that!”

“She is a human being!” Bobby tried.

“And we’re gonna put her out of her misery.” Dean once again turned to her. “Darcy, finish it.”

Darcy looked behind him at Bobby, after a moment he nodded.

She took a shaky inhale before continuing. “quem inferi tremunt...Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos”  pressure built up inside her, thrumming as she finished the words she’d long ago memorized like a prayer. “Domine. Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos.”

As if bursting at its crescendo it flooded through her as the demon screamed. What she now knew as the demons blackened spirit expelled from the girls mouth, surging through the center of the pentagram on the ceiling, and leaving blackened scorch marks in its wake.

It was a heady feeling, sending a demon to hell and Darcy found herself weak kneed.

Bobby caught her as she staggered, but soon enough the feeling was gone.

“You’re eyes Darcy,” Bobby whispered.

“What about them,” she breathed out.

Bobby looked over to the occupied boys before whispering, “They were glowing.”

Darcy squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing them as if to get rid of it.

“They stopped once the Demon was gone,” Bobby told her.

Darcy heaved a sigh. “Well that’s a relief.”  

“What’s a relief?” Sam asked.

Darcy hesitated, “It was less messy then I imagined, figured there’d be head spinning, projectile vomiting… you know the works.”

Dean chuckled nervously. “Yeah me too, I’m kind of disappointed.”

The three of them sent him incredulous looks.

He sent them a frown. “What?”

Before any of them could respond the sound of strangled breathing filled the room.

“She’s still alive!” Dean deduced. “uh call nine-one-one. Get some water and blankets.”

Bobby rushed off to the phone, and she quickly ran upstairs to the bath room to get the water and blankets her footsteps heavy in the quiet room.

As she ran the hot water in the tub she turned to face the mirror. Normal blue eyes greeted her, she took in another deep breath, taking a moment to search for the feeling, the energy, that had built up inside of her but it was nonexistent.

“Darcy the water!” Dean shouted frantically.

Darcy cursed, grabbing the bucket under the sink and shoving it under the hot water. She let it get up half way before the feeling of being too late had her darting from the bathroom, trying not to slosh water as she went.

As she came down the stairs she noticed the boys had moved the girl to the floor, she fought a grimace, if her back was broken they really shouldn’t have moved her…

Blood continued to slip from the girl’s mouth. Bobby had returned with a glass of water and Darcy glanced at her bucket with a frown.

Oh... drinking water… Well at least she’d gotten the blankets. She laid one over her, before dipping a corner into the hot water,

“Was it telling the truth, about our dad?” Dean asked.

Darcy sent him a disapproving glare surely now wasn’t the time, and she already knew—

“Dean.” Sam huffed, mirroring her disapproval.

“We need to know,” he returned

“Yes,” she panted. “but it wants you to come.”

Dean sent her a forlorn smile. “If Dads still alive, that doesn’t matter.”

He positioned her to drink the water and Darcy frowned as she choked a sip down.

“Where’s the demon we’re looking for?” Sam asked.

“Okay seriously guys?” Darcy hissed.

“Not there.” She answered anyway. “other ones, awful ones,” She panted.

“Where are they keeping our Dad?” Sam asked

Darcy narrowed her eyes at her brother but once again the girl spoke. “By the river.” She wheezed out. “Sunrise.”

Dean frowned. “Sunrise? What does that mean.”

Darcy repressed a sigh as she watched the light leave the girls eyes, a vacant look taking place.

Darcy stood up abruptly walking to the kitchen. Couldn’t they have just waited? Surely the girl’s life was more important than the strangled answers.

Footsteps sounded as they followed her into the kitchen.

“You guys better head out, before the paramedics get here,” Bobby warned.

Dean looked at him worriedly. “what are you going to tell them?

Bobby snorted. “What? You guys think you invented lying to the cops? I’ll figure something out.” Bobby turned to the table grabbing the key of Solomon and offering the large book to Sam. “Here you might need it.”

“Thanks.”

“Thanks for everything, be careful alright?” Dean said with a grimace before turning for the door.

“Just find your dad. And when you do, you bring him around, would you? I won’t even try to shoot him this time.” Bobby promised.

Darcy’s eyes widened, “When did I miss you trying to?”

Bobby shrugged. “It was a knee jerk reaction honestly… your dad can bring out the worst in me...”

“You coming?” Sam asked.

Darcy looked up startled. “Um yeah, let me grab my back pack from outside.”

Dean raised a brow in confusion. “Outside?”  

“Yeah, I ran into meg’s body guards.” She told them as she walked out the door.

The boys were behind her, and they nearly ram into her when she froze. Two bodies laid on the ground.

Dean let out a low whistle. “You did that?”

Darcy shook her head, “no, they were still kicking when Bobby brought me in.” With a frown, she eyed their very human faces. She found no trace of the demonic energy she’d felt before. Slowly she walked towards them.

“Darcy!” Dean called after her, the warning clear in his voice.

“They’re... not possessed anymore.” She told him crouching down beside them as she checked to see if they were breathing. They were. “They’re still alive.”

“Demons must of took off once meg was exorcised.”

Darcy’s throat dried up as she took in the scorched dirt beneath their bodies. “Right.”

“Bobby, you’ve got to live ones in the yard,” Sam called back into the house.

Darcy took the path back to the front of the yard, putting distance between herself and the bodies. Had she exorcised them as well? Was that normal?

 Grabbing her backpack from where she’d tossed it, she took a steadying breath before returning back to the house.

Sam and Dean were helping Bobby get the two men into the house before they came back out. She followed them to the impala, climbing into the backseat before they took off down the road.

Chapter Text

Journal entry #36

As home comings go, today wasn’t too bad, well aside from the Demon attack. I haven’t told anyone what I saw. I’m kind of nervous to even write it down. Will they think I’m a freak? Am I freak? P--

Dean made an abrupt turn, pulling off the road towards what looked to be a forgotten walking path. Darcy huffed out a breath as she eyed her misshapen P. She closed her journal, before shoving into her backpack as Sam and Dean both climbed from the car. With a shrug she followed. She sent Sam a raised brow in question as she closed the car door.

“Bathroom break,” He called as they walked away.

She wrinkled her nose as they both disappeared into the underbrush off the path. Pulling out her phone she did a quick search for ‘sunrise in Jefferson City.’ She let out a quiet snort as it showed her the time the sun would rise in the city. Pulling out her iPod, she fired up the tracking program she’d previously used to find her dad; she set an alert before shoving it back into her pocket. The sound of Sam and Dean arguing carried over to her before they came into view. Angrily Dean pulled ahead before he stopped at the trunk, popping it open to reveal the array of weapons that laid in side.

On her other side Sam reached into the Impala pulling out the Book of Solomon. Leaning over the hood of the car he began leafing through the pages before his eyes caught on a symbol, a triangle with a pentagram drawn inside with three lettered symbols in the outer spaces. A devil’s trap, similar to what they’d used to trap Meg back at the house but in reverse. Darcy watched curiously as he grabbed a piece of white chalk from his bag before drawing the sigil on the edge of the trunk.

Dean’s head jerked up angrily from where he’d been checking an old looking colt. “Dude, what’re you doing to my car?”

“It’s a Devil’s trap,” Sam stated unperturbed. “Demons can’t get through it or inside it.”

“So?”

Darcy repressed a smile. “It basically turns your trunk into a demon proof lock box.

Dean looked between the two of them incredulously. “So?!”

Finishing the last sigil, he finally faced Dean. “Soo, we have a place to hide the colt while we go get dad.”

Darcy’s smile turned into a frown. “What so important about a colt?”

Sam and Dean turned to her with a frown. Sam’s eyes seemed to widen with realization before he dove into an explanation. “This guy, Samuel Colt designed well... a colt, that can kill any supernatural creature.”

Darcy blinked. “and you, have it?”

Dean nodded. “That we do.”

Darcy eyed them both skeptically. “And it works?”

Sam let out a huff. “Dad used it on a Vamp, and the thing lit up like a Christmas tree. It’s also why Dad’s in this mess to begin with.”

Darcy repressed a sigh, “What do you mean?”

“Meg, found out we had it and started killing people dad knew, wouldn’t stop until we agreed to hand it over. But before that could happen, I had a vision.”

Darcy’s eyes widened. “A vision about what… exactly.”

“The demon. Dad found… A pattern of sorts. A year ago, he took off following a trail, it started in Arizona, went to New Jersey, and then California; houses burned to the ground. It was going after families, just like it went after us,” Dean explained.

A year ago? Had that been when Dean pulled Sam from college?

“The vision was of the next family,” Sam broke in, sharing a glance with Dean that she frowned at.

“So, we split up, Dad went to the meet up and we went to keep an eye on the family,” Dean continued.

If Dad was in trouble that could only mean… “You took the colt?”

Dean nodded with a shrug. “Dad took a fake to the meet up and things didn’t go to well, Meg called threatening to kill him… it was kind of unspoken that they wanted the colt.”

Darcy nodded along when another questioned formed. “Wait what happened with the family, did the demon show up?”

Sam frowned, regret dulling his eyes. “He did, I shot and missed we barely got the family out before the whole house went up in flames.”

He didn’t sound happy about it. “So, the Demon that killed mom and Jessica started up again? Why? What’s he doing? What does it even want?”

Sam and Dean shared another glance.

Darcy let out a breath of frustration, getting a full story out of them was like pulling teeth. “Tell me.”

Dean sighed. “The demon, apparently, has been going after infants… on their six-month birthdays.”

Why would they hesitate to tell her that?

Oh.

 Dread pooled in her stomach and she looked to Sam hoping he’d tell her she was wrong, but no… his face was solemn. “We were six months old… weren’t we?” she asked, voice smaller then she’d have liked.

Sam nodded.

So, the demon had tried to go through their mom to get to them? Something like anger boiled inside of her. “Why? What did it want?”

Her mom had died trying to protect her?

“We don’t know, but it doesn’t matter right now.”

“Doesn’t matter?! Mom died, protecting Sam and me, of course it matters! What the hell did the Demon want with infants?” she was shouting, and she forced out a breath trying to rein in her anger.

“We don’t know, Darcy, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters, right now, is getting dad back,” Dean insisted.

Darcy quieted, she’d been practically rejecting the woman all her life and it had been her fault... This entire time…

 A shrill beeping sound stole her attention, and she hastily drew out her phone. The alert signaled John’s location at what appeared to be an apartment complex in Jefferson City.

Sam peered over her shoulder. “What’s that?”

“Sunrise. It’s an apartment complex in Jefferson City.”

The boys looked to her, confusion clear in their expressions.

“How’d you know?” Dean asked.

“I tracked Dad’s location.” She said simply, eyeing his location pinpointed on the map a bit longer before shoving it in her pocket.

“With what?” Sam asked, intrigue in his tone.

Despite the situation, Darcy grinned. “His bazillion phones.” She pulled out her phone again to check which one had pinged on the radar. “The 202-555-0149 one.”

Dean shook his head. “Meg had that one, she called us from it saying she had him.”

“The girl said this was a trap, right? That could go along with it, I mean if they wanted you to find him.” Darcy eyed the colt in Dean’s hand. “If that gun can kill a demon why wouldn’t you bring it?”

“We are bringing it,” Dean huffed.

Sam shook his head adamantly. “No, we’re not, Dean. Look it only has three bullets left. We can’t use it on anyone but that demon.”

“Three bullets? What the hell? Can’t we… make more?” she asked. Before the damned thing ran out of bullets? Surely with a single bullet they’d be able to find what the hell made the thing so special.

They both sent her petulant looks.

Her eye twitched and she reminded herself that they didn’t quite understand her resources.

Sam quickly spoke, “No one knows how. It was made in like the nineteenth century. Which is why it’s staying in the trunk, dad wouldn’t want us to waste it.”

“I don’t care what dad wants, okay? Since when do you?!” Dean growled, cutting in before she could even think of mentioning finding a way to make more again.

Sam turned on him with an angry glint in his eyes. “We want to kill the demon, you use to want that too! I mean, hell, you’re the one who came and got me from school! You’re the one who dragged me back into this! I’m just trying to finish it!”

Dean shook his head slowly. “You and Dad are a lot more alike than I thought. Neither of you can wait to sacrifice yourself for this thing.”

Darcy could only stare. Boy had she missed a lot. “Dean’s right Sam…. I get you want revenge on this thing… but… it’s not worth your life… yours or dads…. I came here to help get him back.”

Sam turned to her. “We can’t bring that gun, you said this is a trap, they want it and we can’t let them have it.”

One gun, three bullets, one slippery demon. “Fine then we won’t bring it.”

“What?” Dean’s voice went up an octave.

She grimaced. “It’s kind of reckless anyway.”

They both looked to her and she sighed. “If you plan on shooting the first three demons that get in our way then fine, but you two need to remember that they are possessing humans. Humans! They didn’t ask for this and they shouldn’t be casualties in our rescue mission or in you and Dad’s vendetta mission. Look, the apartment isn’t far from here, so what we really need is a plan.” She hesitated on the next bit, but if they needed another edge. “I…I can see them.”

Dean raised a brow. “See what?”

“Demons, I can tell if someone is possessed or not,” she offered, trying not fidget as their gazes took her in.

“That’s… how?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know okay? But back at the house, I could feel the demonic energy rolling off of them. and I could see them, their faces beyond the humans. So, if you need an edge. Boom we’ve got it. so.”

“You can… Darcy, when were you planning on telling us?” Dean sounded more worried than angry.

“Now.” She shrugged nervously.  “I just found out back at the house.” She quickly diverted their attention back to the plan. “This apartment was a good cover choice on their account, but that won’t matter since I can tell them from humans. We need to reduce the number of civilians in the building, a bomb threat or… something.”

Dean nodded. “Sam can go in and pull the fire alarm.”

“Yes and no. I’ll go in and pull the fire alarm,” She amended.

“We’re not sending you in alone Darcy,” Dean hissed.

“Relax, pigeon head. I’ll be in and out. Meg didn’t know about me, so neither will they. They’ll spot you two coming a mile away.” The boys continued to look at her skeptically. “In and out, besides I’m better at long distance.”

Sam nodded. “She’s right Dean.”

Dean grabbed her by the shoulders, looking her in the eye. “Fine pull the alarm and get out of there as fast as you can, you hear me?”

She nodded and he stepped back with a sigh “that only gives us seven minutes before the nearest fire department comes and seals off the joint,” He continued.

Darcy bit back a smile, seven minutes and the building will be emptied, but knowing the demons they’d stay, unwilling to leave their quarry. They’d be more then capable to handle any fire fighters who came upon them…. unless…

She eyed her brothers with a grin. “Uncle Bobby tells me you two are fond of dress up.”

She walked two blocks out before making her way to the apartment complex where outside kids were playing, none showing any signs of being possessed. She continued up the back steps casually, thankfully the door was unlocked during the day time it seemed. Following the signs for the nearest emergency exit her eyes landed on the fire alarm pull station, just beside a stairwell door. Before she could reach it, she was hit with a wave of nausea.

A male in faded jeans and a striped shirt made his way down the hall and she forced a smile as she continued pass him casually looking away as she pretended to check her pockets. At least now she knew for sure that they were in the right place. When the nausea subsided, she checked to make sure he was gone before back tracking to the fire alarm. Without pausing in her stride, she pulled the alarm continuing her way into the stairwell where the emergency exit was situated. The shrill alarm blared noisily in the confined stairwell, and she quickly made her way outside.

There was no reaction at first, anyone walking by would have seen nothing amiss with the building, the moment she assumed most of the occupants were trying to assuage whether the alarm was real. The sound grew louder reaching her outside where she’d hidden in an alley and finally she watched as people began to exit the building. She began walking again crossing the street and passing Sam and Dean as they too crowded the building.

She made her way back to where she’d left her hunting duffel, pulling it on she made her way towards an alley adjacent to the apartment building. She climbed the fire escape of a restaurant, situating herself in a shaded area on the roof. She could clearly see the left side of the building and the block where they’d left the Impala. The only disadvantage was she was blind to the right side of the apartment. She checked her watch, six minutes and counting….  The sound of fire engines sounded down the street and as they grew near she pulled out her binoculars to watch the street.

Sam and Dean were still standing with the crowd and she watched as Dean intercepted a fire fighter closest to the truck, she could only imagine what he’d say as he was herded back to the crowded side walk. Sam came around the other side of the truck, crouching out of view momentarily before going back around. His duffel almost bulging.

Phase one complete.

If the demons watching her dad did in fact stay behind then phase two would go off smoothly. The electromagnetic wave length that most supernatural creatures gave off would be tracked using Dean’s homemade EMF reader, hopefully it would cut the boys search time in half. She watched as two additional firemen made their way into the building and she grinned as they made it inside without resistance.

Waiting was turning into a real suck fest. She did another search of the windows for any movement inside the apartment building, starting from the bottom up. On the fifth floor, the sixth window in, movement snagged her eye, she adjusted her binoculars slightly and she could just make out the form of someone’s back disappearing out of view. The table seemed to jolt slightly but, with what looked like a drape pulled down, that was all she could see.

A long minute later a window above a black fire escape opened from what had to be the same apartment, she decided by its placement at the corner. A booted foot emerged followed by jean clad legs and a familiar leather jacket. Dean. He was followed by their Dad, whose back stayed to her, and a second later was Sam. With an oil tin in hand he poured a salt line onto the window ledge before climbing down the fire escape after the two.

Darcy stayed put, making sure they weren’t followed out. When it became clear no one else was coming out she refocused on them as they made their way to alley where the impala sat. They were close, and Darcy walked back to her own fire escape only to pause. Someone had broken away from the crowded sidewalk and from their direction… they were headed for Sam and Dean.

“Shit.” How did those things even communicate? She quickly made her way down the stairs, jumping the last five steps in her haste. Running to the other end of the alley and coming down the cross street seemed like the best plan of action. She slowed her pace to a speed walk, trying not to draw too much attention. She cut into another empty back street before breaking into another run.

She arrived just in time to see Dean aim his knee to the demon's face. He’d been standing over Sam whose face was now a painful shade of red. The knee from Dean didn’t seem to phase it in the least.

 The demon jerked his head to the side and Dean flew backwards into a truck parked nearby as if thrown by an invisible force. The demon turned back to Sam raising a fist and Darcy held out her hand focusing on the chaotic energy, willing the dark spirit to freeze like it had in the yard.

It did.

The man looked down at himself confused before his eyes, the only movable part of his body, tracked directly to her.

She yanked on her hold and the man shuddered before a black cloud materialized from its body. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the body collapse, but she remained focused on the demonic energy.

“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus,” She chanted running through the shortest exorcism she knew as the demonic spirit tried to thrash from her hold. White stars twinkled in her vision as a wet substance tickled her nose but she pushed on, quickly finishing the exorcism before dropping to her knees. The darkness scorched into the pavement and with the demon gone she was left to focus on how tired she was. She could hear her name being shouted just before her world went dark.

Did that count as her fourth exorcism in the same day?

Chapter Text

“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus,” She chanted running through the shortest exorcism she knew as the demonic spirit tried to thrash from her hold. The feeling of being light headed and having a runny nose pushed her on, and she quickly finished before dropping to her knees. The darkness scorched into the pavement and with the demon gone she was left to focus on how tired she was. She could hear her name being shouted, before her world went dark.

Did that count as her fourth exorcism in the same day?

A headache prickled at the base of her skull and a groan slipped past her lips. She was on something firm, she decided, her head pillowed on something just shy of soft. Forcing her eyes open she found herself in what looked like an old abandoned house. A dusty wooden coffee table was situated in front of her, and as she looked down, she found she’d been placed on a floral designed couch. She forced herself into a seated position, gritting her teeth as the room seemed to tilt.

“Hey take it easy.”

She jerked at the sound of Sam’s voice and he quickly made his way over to where she was, in what she now realized had once been a family room.

Darcy eyed the purpling bruises around his left eye with a wince, that demon hadn’t held back.

“Where are we?” she asked, clearing her throat when her voice cracked.

“An abandoned house about eight miles from that apartment,” Sam supplied, trying and failing to disguise that he was watching her.

She nodded, ignoring his watchful gaze. He’d get to the point soon enough, she knew. Looking to her side she found Dean’s leather jacket pooled beside her.

“Darcy, what happened back there?” Sam finally blurted.

She sent him a raised brow. “I exorcised the demon trying to kill you.”

Sam rolled his eyes with a small huff. “Yeah but, from the looks of it… you expelled it from its host before the exorcism started.”

She frowned, she vaguely remembered that too. “I told you I could see demons.. that I could feel their energy.”

Sam opened his mouth to speak, but she continued. “Back at Uncle bobby’s I froze the two in the yard in place. When I saw one hitting you… I just.. I grabbed onto it.. and I pulled?” Darcy frowned at her own explanation.

He nodded slowly. “Did you even need to say the exorcism?”

Darcy shrugged. “From the looks of it, I passed out just from that bit… so I’m going to go with yes.”

Sam shook his head in disbelief. “Darce, that’s…”

“Freaky?” She cut in. “Yeah, I know, okay?”

Sam shook his head. “I was going to say awesome.”

“What?”

Before he could answer the sound of Dean shouting reached them. They shared a glance before following the noise to the kitchen where they found Dean pointing the colt at John.

“What’s going on?” Sam asked, eyeing the two warily.

“Stay back!” Dean hissed, his gaze flickering to them before focusing once again on John.

Darcy’s stomach began to roll and she staggered, leaning against the door frame for support as she squeezed her eyes shut.

John huffed, disappointment clear in his eyes. “Your brothers lost his mind.”

“He’s not Dad!” Dean barked.

Sam seemed to hesitate. “W-What?”

Dean shifted uncomfortably even as the colt stayed fixated on their dad. “I think he’s been possessed since we rescued him.”

Darcy forced her eyes open at that to look at John. He seemed normal, there was no black mist, no gaping face, but no.. something wasn’t quite right.

“Don’t listen to him, Sammy, Darcy!” John pleaded, his eyes landing on Darcy.

She met his gaze with a frown and his eyes subtly flickered yellow. She let out a quiet gasp taking an involuntary step back. “Dean’s right... but it’s different.”

Dean spared her a glance before training his eyes back on John. “Different how?”

“The others, they usually have a sort of … demonic energy swirling around them… this one just has…. Yellow eyes.”

The Demon turned to glare at her, “She’s lying, listen to me Sam.”

Sam took in unconscious step closer to Dean. “No.”

The demon slowly nodded resignation seeming to seep in. “Fine, then go ahead…. Shoot me.”

Darcy’s eyes widened the three of them sharing glances, to take the shot would mean...

The Demon smirked. “Thought so.”

Darcy gasped as she was yanked backwards, slamming into the kitchen wall behind her, pinned to the spot. She struggled to force her head to the side only to find Sam and Dean in identical positions; the colt lying at the Demon’s feet.

Deliberately he picked up the gun turning it in his hands as he studied it. “This thing... This thing has been a pain in my ass,” he stated, glancing around at them with a grin.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” Sam gritted out.

He blinked replacing John’s green eyes with yellowed ones, he sent Sam a smug wink.

“We’ve been looking for you…” Dean growled.

“Well,” It said with a grin. “You found me.”

“How? We checked, we used holy water,” Sam hissed.

The demon chuckled, “You think something like that’s gonna work on something like me?”

Sam struggled against the demons hold with a renewed vigor. “I’m gonna kill you!”

Again, the demon only chuckled. “Now that is something I’d like to see you try.” He placed the colt on the kitchen table. “Go on, psychic boy.. make the gun float to you.” Slowly he turned to Darcy. “Or can you exorcise me, Darcy?”

She bit back a snarl, trying to get a glimpse of his demonic energy, but there was none seeping from him to latch onto.

He laughed again. “There were so many times I could have kill you, but no… no I think this might be better than I could have imagined.” He chuckled, walking in a slow circle around the kitchen. “I mean it’s almost like justice.”

“Justice?” she spat.

The demon nodded sagely. “Yeah. You remember that girl you all exorcised? That was my daughter. And the one back in the alley? That was my boy.”

“Oh, come on, you can’t be serious.” Dean practically wheezed.

Yellow eyes seemed to flare. “Oh what? You’re the only one who can have family?”

Darcy grunted as she struggled against the demons hold. “An eye for an eye I guess?”

“Ah yes,” The Demon huffed as if just remembering he’d murdered their mom. “Mary Winchester.”

“You don’t get to say her name!” Dean growled.

The demon shook his head with a tsk, stalking towards to Dean. “First Mary and now dear old Dad. But first… he’s going to tear you to shreds.” Raising his left hand, he clenched it into a tight fist.

Deans eyes widened before a groan slipped past his lips, along with an unhealthy amount of blood.

“No! Get away from him you, bastard.” Darcy struggled relentlessly against her invisible bonds. What the hell even?

She fought back a flinch, she’d closed her eyes and now that they were open the demon was standing in front of her, a hairs width away.

“Ah yes, Darling Darcy,” he breathed, a hand coming up to cup the side of her face.

She leaned away from it as far as his hold would let her, but he froze in his movements, searching her person frantically. “What’s happened to you?” He murmured.

Darcy fought the urge to spit in his face. “Why don’t you tell me?”

He let out a low chuckle as he regained himself.

“Why’d you, do it?” Sam cut in, drawing the demons attention from her.

It paused before fully turning to Sam. “You mean, why’d I kill Mommy, and Pretty Little Jess?” He pretended to mull it over before shrugging. “They were in the way. Mary? She tried to stop me from getting to the two of you, and Jess? Well You were going to marry her.” It scoffed. “And that… that just didn’t align with my plans for the two of you.”

Dean let out a groan. “Just get on with it, will you? I’m sick of hearing your monologue.”

The demon shrugged. “Okay.”

She flinched as Dean let out a strangled shout, watching on in horror as blood began to seep through his shirt.

“Dad, don’t you let that thing kill me.” Dean gritted, his eyes glazed with pain.

Darcy bit back a whimper at the plea, searching the demons hold with vehemence to no avail. She tracked her gaze back to the demon. How powerful was this thing that it could hold each of them and still use its power to torment Dean without wisps of…. Darcy blinked when she saw it, barely a tendril. She gave up her struggle on herself, instead focusing on the small coil of demonic energy, biting her lip as she pulled on it.

Dean's head lulled forward as the Demon spun around to face her. “Now I’m really curious,” It hissed, stalking towards her

She could hear Sam shouting on her other side but she kept her gaze on the demon, watching in confusion as it paused mid step.

“No,” he growled.

Darcy frowned as the Demon seemed to struggle with itself, or rather John she realized with a  hopeful start.

“Stop, you…you stay away from kids.” John panted, clenching his eyes shut as he internally struggled for purchase with his own body.

The force that held them stilled before vanishing, gone as they dropped to the floor unceremoniously.

“Dean!” she cried, stumbling towards her brother where he’d slumped to the floor, unable to catch himself in his weakened state. She held her breath as she brought a hand to his neck, praying as she checked for a pulse. She released the breath in a whoosh when she found a slow but steady beat.

Behind her there was a clatter and she glanced up to see Sam pointing the colt at John.

Yellow eyes watched him boldly. “You kill me, you kill your daddy.” 

“I know,” Sam growled, before taking aim.

Darcy’s eyes widened. “Sam no!”

The shot rang out, and Darcy watched in disbelief as John dropped to the floor. Beside her Dean let out a gasping breath as he was relinquished fully from the demons hold. Before she could yell at Sam she watched as black energy began to seep from a wound in John’s leg. Relief surged through her as Sam knelt down beside them.

“Hang in there, Dean.”

“Where’s Dad?” Dean gasped, trying and failing to sit up on his own.

Darcy slid away from the two, her eyes trained on john. Was it dead? She frowned as the black smoke continued to writhe. Shakily, she held out a hand, closing it into a fist as the demon had.

John gasped awake. “Stop no!”

Darcy startled, pausing in her ministrations before collecting herself as disbelief once again took hold. “Dad it’s weak, I can get it out of you.”

“No! If you let it out it’ll only get stronger. I-I can still feel it, Sammy you’ve got to shoot me. You can finish this.”

Darcy shook her head even as Sam hesitated with the colt. “That’s not.. No Dad please, we found it once we can find it again.” she begged.

“Don’t do it Sammy,” Dean coughed behind him.

John shook his head angrily, “You shoot me in the heart son! Do it, Sam! Please.”

The colt clicked as Sam returned it to safety, he sent her a solemn nod as he took a step back.

She hurriedly returned her focus to the energy trying to worm back into John. “No, you don’t,” she hissed before yanking it.

All at once a dark cloud rose above John in a mass, writhing in place as demonic energy crackled. It surged and Darcy staggered as it jerked from her grasp before slipping into the floor boards.

John let out a disgruntled huff, shaking them out of their dazed stupor.

“We gotta go!” Darcy breathed.

Sam nodded “Right.” Pushing the colt into his jacket he returned to Dean's side to help him up.

John stood stubbornly on shaky legs before her and she let out a sigh. Without glancing at him she came to his side where the bullet wound now only seeped blood, hooking her arm around his waist he seemed to hesitate before allowing her to shoulder some of his weight.

“You shouldn’t ha-” he began.

“Shut up Dad.” She grumbled, leading him out through the kitchen door. She could hear Sam and Dean following behind as they shuffled across the creaking floorboards. She did a quick search of the area, and with no wave of nausea made a slow dash for the Impala. After settling John in the front seat, she moved to the back where Sam had placed Dean. The impala roared to life before they sped down the graveled road, it jerked on a turn and she winced as Dean let out a pained hiss.

“Let’s have a look, shall we?” she said grimly.

Dean managed a weak nod, slowly easing up the shirt clinging to his bloodied chest.

Darcy let out her own hiss as she took in the jagged lines of puckered skin, blood still oozing from the fresh wounds.

Dean tried to force a smile. “You should see the other guy.”

She sent him an unamused glare. “That’s going to need medical attention, find a hospital Sammy.” She called to the front, frowning as she realized he and John were in the middle of an argument.

“Yeah well I’m sorry I didn’t kill you Dad! I mean what the hell?” Sam bellowed.

“You should have listened!” John returned just as loud.

Darcy rolled her eyes as the argument continued.

Dean let out a chuckle tinged with a groan. “That’s what you missed out on.”

She shook her head. “Whatever dude.” Eying the marks again she relayed a mental list of medical supplies in her bag. “Maybe we can-”

The widening of Deans eyes gave her pause. “Shit!” he hissed before darting forward.

“What’re you-” her words cut off as he pulled her to him, twisting so she was now beneath him just as the impala jerked hard to the right; the sound of a truck horn blared through the night.

She let out a small scream, wrapping her arms around him in turn as they continued to be pushed off of the road. Glass shattered around them with the impact before everything went eerily still.

Pain throbbed on the left side of her head, and she let out a pained whimper as Dean slumped on top of her, forcing her further against the door frame.

“Sammy? Dad?” she coughed as nausea began to well up inside of her.

A shadow flickered in the window and she attempted to peer over Deans shoulder to try and see them. As the nausea increased her eyes widened. “Sammy! Wake up!”

The driver side door groaned opened as the sound of it being torn off made her cringe. “Sam!” she tried again in a panic.

“Don’t move or I swear I’ll kill you.”

Darcy held her breath at the sound of Sam’s voice.

“No,” a man's voice chuckled. “You’re saving that for someone else.”

The sound of the guns safety latch being released sounded in the car. “Wanna bet?”

All at once the nausea faded, but still unable to move she listened for any sign of continued movement. There was the sound of shuffling in the grass but no shot rang out.

“Oh my god,” an unfamiliar voice called out. An older man, Darcy surmised as it creaked with age. “Did I do this?”

“Dad?” Sam called.

“Dad seems to be out of it,” Darcy offered trying to hold back on her panic.

“Darcy? is everyone okay? I-I can’t...” his voice trailed off.

Panic flared through her. “Sam?”

She didn’t receive an answer.

 “Sam!” She cried out.

Darcy tamped down on the urge to move, if Dean had taken the brunt of the hit there was no telling what moving him would do.

Another shuffle in the grass reminded her they weren’t alone. “Hey! Hello? Call 911! Can you hear me? Please!”

“Alright, j-just hang on!” the man stuttered.

Darcy forced herself to breathe and a sharp pain in her side made itself known. “Holy cracked rib,” She whispered as her eyelids became heavy.

The sound of sirens echoed, and she blinked not realizing she’d passed out. Squinting as the beginnings of daylight filtered through the car she watched as people passed her window in a flurry of movement. The door on the other side of the car groaned as someone began the process of forcing it open.

“Get me four stretchers.” Someone barked out.

Darcy let out a breath and was once again reminded of the pain in her side as her vision blurred.

Chapter Text

“Oh my god, I don’t-- there was an accident. I-I think I killed someone.”

Accident?

Darcy strained to hear the rest of the conversation as the voice became muffled.

A feeling of pressure on her midsection made her want to squirm but she forced herself to remain still.

Was the demon calling the police? That couldn’t be right.

The steady sound of beeping drew her into consciousness and she found herself feeling pleasantly numb.

Wait numb?

 She wiggled her fingers experimentally hoping to work the feeling back into them. Trying to move her leg as she started to stretch but paused when she realized that she couldn’t. A surge of panic shattered her calm as she blinked her eyes open, her body twitching as she tried to sit up only to abort the movement when pain flared along her side.

Hesitantly she looked down at her legs, only for confusion to take over as she was met with the sight of a mass of brown hair.

“Jane?”

Upon hearing her name, the woman jerked into an upright position. “Darcy?!” her eyes seemed to widen at her own exclamation. “You’re awake!”

Darcy frowned.  “How long was I not awake?”

Using the back of the chair Jane twisted her back into a stretch, her back popping noisily with each movement.

“Well you were admitted around six am, and it’s now,” she paused as she looked up at the wall clock. “Two thirty, so a little over seven hours.”

At the word ‘admitted’ Darcy frowned, just realizing that she was in fact in a hospital. Her eyes widened as the previous night came back to her in a rush. “My brothers! My Dad!”

Jane shushed her as she smoothed back her hair comfortingly. “They’re next door across the hall. I couldn’t get much out of the doctors on them, I was only allowed in here with you because apparently I’m one of your emergency contacts.” Jane explained, a fond smile forming as she spoke.

Darcy’s lip twitched in an answering smile. “Oh, don’t look at me like that, I added you when we were still in New Mexico.”

Jane let out a thoughtful hum as she reached over her head to push a red button. When nothing happened, she sent Jane a raised brow. “What was that?”

“Your Doctor wanted me to let her know when you were awake, said she had some questions.”

Darcy winced, running through a mental list of injuries inflicted her family. John definitely had a bullet wound in his leg, Sam had a rapidly blackening eye, and Dean…

Biting her lip anxiously she fought down a flinch when the sound of the door clicking open drew her from her thoughts. The doctor sent her a smile, a clipboard clutched in her hand as she stared down at it.  “How’re you feeling Ms. Lewis.”

“I’ve been better, I’ve been worse,” she returned holding back the shrug she knew her ribs would protest.

The doctor nodded at that. “With two cracked ribs and a nasty bump on your head, it seems that out of the four of you, you got off the easiest.”

She bit her lip anxiously. “How bad are they?”

The Doctor busied herself with the I.V. to her right. “Your Dad was on the side of impact in the car, most of the damage was done to his left side, although,” she began, eyeing her. “There was a gunshot wound in his leg that required stitching.”

Darcy winced at the implication, being that Sam had in fact shot John in the leg. “Family hunting trip, Dad stood to close to the shooting can Sam was practicing on.”

“Hunting trip,” she hummed.

Darcy cleared her throat. “How’s Sam?”

“He should be waking up pretty soon, he was awake when they got him on the helicopter. We had to sedate him when he became erratic, but his wounds are minor, no broken bones, just some bruising around the eye,” she stated with a raised brow.

“And Dean?” she asked, her words barely above a whisper.

 “Dean,” The doctor hummed, setting down the clipboard on the nearby counter. “How did he get those marks on his chest? The internal bleeding, I guess could be because of the wreck, but I’ve never seen those kind of claw marks.”

Darcy frowned with worry. “Is he going to be okay?” she asked, hoping the doctor wouldn’t ask again.

The Doctors face remained neutral. “We’ve done all we can to stabilize him, it’s just a matter of whether or not he wakes up at this point.”

Darcy fought back a sniffle as she nodded, only to stop when it made her fill sick. “Can I see them?”

“I’d like to run a few more test on you, but as long as you don’t push yourself too hard, I don’t see why not, for a few hours at least.”

An hour later she and Jane made the short trip to Dean’s room next door. Immediately her eyes went to the small tube in his mouth, and she became overcome with the need to cry. He looked so fragile. A word she never again wanted to associate with her older brother.

“Oh, Dean.” She huffed, coming to sit at his side. She eyed the blankets tucked around him and the bandages wrapped around his chest as flashes of the demon tearing into him replayed in her mind.

A hand rubbing soothingly at her back drew her back.

“What happened to him?” Jane asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“That fucking demon happened to him. Jesus, Jane he…. He didn’t even touch him. But the cuts in his chest, it looked like an animal was attacking him. After we got the yellow eyed demon out of John, we were already on our way to the hospital when another one rammed us with a truck.” She paused for a breath. “Dean, h-he pulled me out of the way. I was on the same side as my, dad.”

Watching the miniscule rise and fall of his chest, Darcy sighed. Why was it always Dean? Always Dean on the brink of death, hanging in the balance.

Darcy shivered suddenly cold. “Is there a thermostat somewhere it’s freezing in here.”

Jane pointed to a spot on the wall and Darcy made her way over before pausing with a thoughtful frown at the seventy-nine degrees set on the thermostat.  “Dean?”

“What did you say?” Jane asked breaking her out of her reverie.

Darcy hesitated, taking a moment to turn up the heat before eyeing Jane. “I was wondering if Dean is like… Around you know?”

Jane looked dubious. “You mean like a ghost?”

“I… yes?” Darcy shook her head. “Forget it.”

“You would know more than I would.” Jane turned thoughtful. “You think we should hold a séance?”

Darcy tsked, “don’t be ridiculous.”

“I was just trying to be helpful,” Jane huffed.

Darcy turned to look at Dean’s prone form once more. “You think there’re candles in the gift shop?”

Darcy hissed out a breath, holding her side as she took the seat at Dean’s side.  Jane quickly placed a white candle, curtesy of the onsite church, on either side of Dean. One on a metallic stand the other on a wooden side table. Darcy watched nervously as Jane lit each of them before stepping away from the two. “Should you hold his hand maybe?”

She shrugged, “Can’t hurt.”

Grabbing the hand closest to her she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath through her nose and out through her mouth. As she sat in silence the only sound being Dean’s heart monitor and the clock ticking in the corner she tried not to sigh. “Dean?” she called out hesitantly. “Dean Winchester?”

“Darcy?”

With a start her eyes popped open, only to find Sam standing in the door way eyeing her suspiciously.

“What were you doing?” he asked with narrowed eyes.

“Nothing!” she huffed.

“Were… were you holding a séance?” he asked with a raised brow.

Darcy and Jane shared a look. “Maybe.”

“Did it work?” he asked sounding hopeful.

Darcy licked her suddenly dry lips. “Er.. no..”

“Damn.” He huffed making the two chuckle. “Dads awake,” he offered, with a glare in John’s rooms direction.

Darcy sat back with a huff, finally releasing Dean’s hand. “How is he?”

“Grumpy that he has to stay in bed. I’ll stay with Dean if you wanna go talk to him.”

Darcy nodded. “I guess.”

“Who’s your friend?” Sam asked, as said friend helped her back into her wheel chair.

Darcy blinked, realizing only now that the two had never actually met. “Oh, Jane, this is my brother Sam; Sam, Jane.”

Jane waved awkwardly.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Dr. Foster.” Sam returned, with a nod.

A passing nurse held the door open for John’s room and they found him propped up in bed, a show about cowboys keeping his attention.

“Hey Dad,” Darcy announced as Jane pushed her closer to the bed.

John sent her a strained smile. “Darcy. It’s good to see you again Dr. Foster.”

Jane sent the man a hesitant smile. “You too.”

After a moment of awkward silence Jane cleared her throat.  “I’m going to head down to the cafeteria, did you want anything?”

“Oh see if they have any apple juice?” Darcy asked hopefully.

Jane patted her shoulder reassuringly. “You got it.” She turned to with a raised brow, “can I get you anything?”

John shook his head sending her a smile. “Oh, no thank you.”

Nodding, Jane left the two in their silence.

“How is he?” John asked once the door shut behind her.

“I don’t know, not good?”

John let out a solemn huff. “If I could get my hands-on Azazel I’d-”

“Azazel? Whose Azazel” Darcy Jerked before wincing, as the door clicked opened. “What the hell Sam? I thought you were watching Dean.”

Sam sent her a raised brow. “A nurse came in to run more tests on him.”

“Azazel is the name of the yellow eyed demon, while he was wearing me like a damned meat suit I did some digging around of my own.”

Darcy blinked, sharing a glance with Sam.

“And…”

John shook his head. “All I got was his name and that he really wanted that colt.” At the mention of the Colt they looked back to Sam.

“it’s in the trunk at the impound. I called Bobby to pick them up, said he’ll come by after he tows it back to Singer’s.”

Darcy perked up at that, she’d missed her Uncle.

“Could you let him know I need a few things? I can make a list,” John announced.

Sam seemed to shrug, and Darcy tuned the two out as Jane slipped back into the room.

“Your two hours are up Darcy,” Jane reminded her.

Darcy let out a sigh, as she allowed Jane to wheel her from the room.

“I’ll be by in a sec Darcy.” Sam called behind them.

Situated back in her bed, Darcy watched as Jane took the seat beside her. “How’s everything in wonderland?”

Jane snorted out a laugh. “I think Tony called it candy land. He has this idea of keeping the Avengers together at his tower.”

Darcy sent her a raised brow. “Avengers?”

“Yeah, Captain Rogers, Dr. Banner… Thor... those two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents…. You,” she listed adding her quickly at the end

Darcy choked on the swill of apple juice she’d just gulped. “Me? No. No no.”

Jane shrugged. “Apparently you left your impression. He set you up an apartment close to me and Thor.”

Darcy’s eyes widened “Big guys still earth bound?”

“Until they can build the device to send him back. I was helping until I’d gotten the call that you were in an accident.”

“Wait if Thor’s still here does that mean…”

“Loki is in a holding cell at the tower, after Thor assured them the cuffs and muzzle he brought would negate Loki’s magic, the avengers thought it would be best to keep a close eye on him.”

Jane tucked a stray strand of hair behind ear nervously. “Sooo…”

Darcy sent her a raised brow in question

“Will you move to New York With me?”

Darcy snorted as if she’d leave Jane. “As your lab monkey sure, but you know I’m not some revenger, Jane.”

“Avenger,” Jane corrected. “You could be like a reserve member or something.”

Darcy sent her a dubious look.

“Fine, I get it. Just warning you though Tony can be pretty persuasive.”

“Yeah persuasive like a salesman.”

“Rude Short stack, I thought we had a connection.”

Darcy and Jane froze at the muffled voice. “Jane, why is Iron Man in your pocket.”

“Hm?” Jane rummaged through her pockets before pulling out her phone an unknown number connected with it in a call. “Tony? D-did you hack my phone?”

Tony let out a derisive snort “Hack that piece of junk. Foster? Who even has a flip phone anymore.”

“Hey, have some respect! This thing survived the destroyer.” Jane rebuffed.

“Small mercy’s” Darcy murmured ignoring Jane’s glare. “Did you need something?”

“Right, Sales pitch time.” He joked.

“Look, Mr. Stark, that was a one-time only, break in case of emergency thing. I usually work more… under the radar.”

“Oh right, you hunt mythical creatures.” Tony stated, as if it were an everyday thing.

“Call it what you will, but that part of my life requires a sort of discretion. Between that and being Betty and Jane’s lab assistant, I’m booked. Sorry.”

“Fine, fine,” he allowed. “Then its settled.”

“What is?” Darcy huffed.

“Jarvis will have your stuffed shipped over from New Mexico.” Tony returned.

“You want me to trust you with transporting my honey.” Darcy asked dubiously.

Jane sent her a look.

“And Jane’s lab equipment,” She added.

“Go back, your what?” Tony asked, curiosity in his voice.

“Honey, He’s my car.” she said slowly

As he spoke over the line he almost sounded, relieved? “He’ll be fine and so will Dr. Foster’s Lab equipment. So, get well soon, Jarvis has already filed your medical charges with SI, so will see you in New York.”

“Wait what?” Darcy blurted.

Jane looked down at the phone as the call disconnected. “Congrats?”

Darcy let out a sigh, just as the sound of a commotion drifted in through her open door.

“Do you think its…”

Panic flared inside of her. “Help me up!”  

Together they made there way to Dean’s room, finding Sam staring forlornly just outside the door. They watched as Doctors and nurses alike flurried around Dean as they hit him with a defibrillator to no avail.

Eyes wide Darcy barely held back a flinch when a chill passed through her. Blinking she watched, frozen in horror, as a white wraith like figure hovered over Dean’s prone form as the doctors fought for his life.

The thing seemed to hover, when it slowly began to reached out its arm only for it to freeze midair. Its head turned eerily and Darcy followed its empty gaze to an empty space beside Sam, before she flinched as it fled from the room.

The heart monitor settled to a more sedate pace as the nurses replaced the equipment they’d pulled out.

“What the hell…” Darcy breathed.

“Did you feel that?” Sam whispered beside her.

“Feel what?” Jane asked, when Darcy seemed unable to form words.

“Dean,” Sam breathed.

“Darcy, Sam is everything alright?”

The two whipped towards the direction of the familiar voice, one albeit a bit slower.

Darcy held in a sob as relief flooded through her. “Uncle Bobby!”

Immediately she was engulfed in a hug.

“I leave you alone for five minutes and shit goes to hell. Rufus’ll never let me hear the end of it.” Bobby grumbled.

“We’ve got to do something for Dean, Uncle Bobby I think I saw a reaper over him.”

Sam and Bobby eyed her with wide eyes before leading her into Dean’s now emptied room. “You can see Reapers?” Bobby began slowly.

Darcy nodded. “Sort of. Not at first? I saw the one at that fake healers that time in Ford City and now here. Something stopped it this time.”

“Dean,” Sam stated. “I could feel him, and if what your saying is true…”

“Then Dean is practically fighting on deaths door.” Darcy finished.

The room fell silent before the sound of Sam shuffling through a bag over his shoulder. “Only one way to find out,” he stated pulling out a Ouija board.

“You’re kidding right,” Bobby deadpanned.

Darcy sent him a wry smile. “It’s worth a shot,”

The three watched as Sam sat crossed legged on the floor of Dean’s hospital room, his large hands placed on the small board piece. “Are you their Dean?”

The group waited with baited breath for a response when Sam’s hands on the triangle planchette began to move slowly.

“Sam?” Bobby asked.

Sam shook his head reverently. “That’s not me.”

They watched as it stopped on the ‘Yes’.

“Holy Shit,” Jane breathed.

“Ask him another question!” Darcy urged.

“Right,” Sam breathed.

Before he could, the planchette began to move again.

“What’s he saying?” Bobby asked.

“H, U, N, T” Sam spelled out.

Darcy frowned. “Hunt? Hunt What?”

Bobby lifted his hat to scratch his head. “Is he hunting something?”

The piece began to move once more before once again stopping on the Yes.

“Yes, He says yes.” Sam breathed.

“Ask him what he’s hunting?!” Darcy asked needing confirmation.

Sam opened his mouth to speak, but once again the planchette began to move.

“R, E, A, P, E, R,” Sam announced. “Reaper, Darcy you were right.”

“It’s after you? Isn’t it, Dean?” Darcy stated more than asked.

Again, the planchette moved to Yes.

“What can we do Bobby?” Sam asked sending all eyes to the man.

Bobby looked up startled before shrugging “It’s a reaper, Sam. I’m not sure there’s anything we can do.”

Sam looked to Darcy.

Darcy held up a hand. “I only held off that one and just barely! Once you broke the connection it was gone.”

Sam shook his head. “There’s gotta be something we can do! He’ll get through this or will figure something out.”

Feeling a headache begin throb she let out a frustrated groan. “You mean like the last time? That was, debatably, a lucky shot in the dark.”

Sam looked up exasperated. “Then we’ll get another lucky shot, Darcy. I’m not letting him die.”

“We could ask dad,” Darcy offered.

Sam let out a snort. “Yeah good luck with that.”

Darcy turned wary eyes on her twin. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Sam began. “Dad wasn’t in his room, so good luck finding him.”

Darcy’s brow wrinkled in her confusion. “Where could he have gone?”

“Why don’t you ask Bobby?” Sam huffed, pointedly looking to him.

Bobby looked around as they all focused on him. “Me?”

Sam began to pack away the Ouija board. “Yeah you’re the one who brought him all the things he needed to--”

Darcy gasped as a wave nausea rolled over her, she fought the urge to hunch over as Jane raced to her side.

“Darcy what’s wrong?!”

“A demon, Dad summoned a Demon.” She grumbled out sending a look at Bobby.

She pushed to her feet on a wince. “Where’s the Colt.”

Sam shook his head. “Dad has it.”

“You’re kidding right? Is Dad really on a revenge mission now?” she hissed, leaving the room. She sedately traced the source of her nausea eyeing the stairs before settling on the elevator. With each floor the nausea grew and she found herself leaning against the wall for support as it came to a stop on the ground floor. Looking around she continued to follow her gut until she was once again led to a flight of stairs.

“Employees only.” She read out loud before sighing. Noticing the door slightly ajar, she hesitated momentarily before pushing through. Gritting her teeth, she rushed down the stairs as she was led to a dark boiler room. “Of course.”

Inside she could just make out the sound of voices.

“How Stupid do you think I am?” The familiar voice of her dad echoed to her.

Darcy held back an eyeroll. Mustering her strength, she latched on to the two demonic energies around John. “Pretty stupid,” she stated, coming around the corner as the sounds of the two weaker demons choking on her hold filled the air. “I mean is now really the time for this specific powwow?”

The Demon shrugged. “Daddy here was just about to seal the deal actually.”

“What deal?” Darcy asked, eyeing the two of them.

“Papa John here wants to save Deano.” The demon returned smugly.

Darcy frowned, what did saving Dean have to do with… she eyed the two again before cursing. “Really Dad? Of all the horrendous plans you’ve come up with, this might take the cake.”

John let out a strangled sigh. “Darcy..”

“Forget this.” she cut in, turning to the two demons positioned by her father, she didn’t really have time for a full exorcism but maybe…. She pulled on the chaotic energy seeping from their forms both arms outstretched. “Exorcizo te!”

She watched in grim satisfaction as the two demonic souls scorched into the ground, wincing slightly as the now freed men in scrubs dropped to the ground hopefully only unconscious.

“Now,” she huffed turning to John and the yellow eyed demon.

“Darcy wait... Just listen,” John tried again.

“Why? So, you can save Dean’s life while you risk yours? Ten years of you looking over your shoulder before you’re sent to hell on a demon deal?”

She watched John stiffen before he glanced away, a sinister grin stretching across Azazel’s face in response. Frowning Darcy took in the two. “How long then?”

John shook his head. “It’s the only way-“

“HOW LONG, DAD?”

Letting out a long sigh John looked into his daughter’s distraught face. “Enough time to say goodbye.”

“You would…” Tears pricked the corner of her eyes. “You would do that to Dean?”

“To Dean? Darcy I’m doing this for Dean. I’m trying to save him!” John barked, his voice bellowing in the boiler room.

“Yeah well,” she huffed, scrubbing at her eyes. “No dice.”

“You would let Dean die then?” John asked before she move.

Feeling the tears begin to slip down her cheeks she turned to the Demon, pinning him with a glare she spoke. “My Soul, Seven Years.”

“Darcy!” John shouted beside her.

The Demon tsked. “No deal.”

“Six years!” she shot back.

“Darcy Stop, Please!” John broke in before the demon could answer.

“What? It’s fine for you to sell your soul for less than ten minutes but not for me.”

“For Christ sake Darcy!” John hissed before turning to the demon. “My soul Azazel our original deal.”

The demon let out a long laugh. “You Winchesters are something else,” he huffed, eyeing the two with mirth in his eyes. “How about this, John boy here gets three years, and Dean makes a miraculous recovery.” He stated, before turning to Darcy. “I, in return eventually get John’s soul, the Colt, and you tell me why your aura turns blue when you…” Azazel trailed off, wiggling his fingers in mock of how she’d exorcised his kin.

Darcy frowned. “Dad gets five years and you get the bullets from the colt and I’ll tell you.”

“I don’t think you’re in any position t-” Azazel choked over his next words as Darcy forced what she could grab of his energy into a tight ball. She might not be able to fully exorcise him but she could toy with the energy.

“I think,” she panted. “I’m in the perfect position, Azazel, was it? Dad!”

“I get five years, Dean is healed completely, and you get the bullets for the colt.” John reiterated, aiming the colt at him.

Azazel tried to snarl but she clutched his energy into a tighter ball. “Going once,” she hissed.

His energy flared in her hold and she winced at the strain as her nose began to tickle with blood.

John cocked the colt. “Going Twice!”

“Fine.” Azazel hissed, “You tell me why your aura is blue, I get the colt’s bullets, and Daddy goes to hell in five years. Now, who do I have to kiss to get this deal over with?”

Darcy frowned releasing her hold over him, wishing her dad had had the foresight to draw a devil’s trap. “Kiss you?”

Azazel shrugged. “It’s legally binding.”

“What about a blood contract?” she asked, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

“That’s all Hollywood Darlin.”

Darcy repressed a shudder before turning to John. “It’s your soul.”

John sent her a blank look.

“Too soon?” she asked, mentally thinking it over. She really didn’t want to be the one who signed her dad’s soul over, but the idea of forcing him to kiss the demon who killed his wife seemed cruel. Though in her defense, it was her mom… “Oh fine,” she grumbled, before stepping forward.

As soon as she was with in reaching distance Azazel grabbed her, pulling her flush against him.

“Hey!” John warned behind her.

Azazel sent him a grin over her head. “Nothing personal,” he stated before pressing his mouth to hers.

His lips were rough against her own, and Darcy squeezed her eyes shut at the none to gentle way he forced them together. A nip at her lip forced a startled yelp from her and she was yanked away from his grasp, a sting in her lip making itself known as John pulled her behind him.

“What the hell dude?” she hissed, pressing a finger to her lip to assess the broken skin.

Azazel licked his lips contemplatively, “I barely taste it, but there’s something else powering your mojo, huh? Wonder what that is?” he said out loud before looking to her.

Taste what? She wanted to ask. What would he taste besides the blood he’d drawn. Darcy frowned as she thought it over. Not knowing much about auras, she made a mental note to look into it. But if he was seeing blue, there was really only one thing that could accomplish that. Glancing up at John, he sent her a terse nod.

“I was, shocked, for lack of another word, by a blue device. I don’t know what it was, after that came the visions and then the exorcising,” she said with a shrug, hoping that accounted for her part of the deal.

Azazel looked none too happy at her words. Turning to John, who was still pointing the colt at him he shared a knowing look with the man.

After a long moment John returned the hammer to it’s safety position with a click before emptying the last two bullets into his palm. They flew into the air on a phantom wind before landing in Azazel’s waiting hands.

“I’d say it was a pleasure but…” he trailed off as Dark energy poured from the mouth of the possessed man as he made his escape.

John and Darcy shared a glance, eyeing the three unconscious men around them before they quickly made their way out the door.

They made it up stairs just as the sounds of commotion made its way down to them. Continuing forward Darcy paused as movement in a room caught her attention.

A woman with short cropped dark hair and yellow eyes turned to her with a saccharine smile, before demonic aura made its escape once again. The woman stumbled before in a blink the wraith looking creature stood before her. It seemed to glare at her before vanishing in its own haze of white.

Shaking herself she made her way down the hall to where John was staring into her Deans room.

Chapter Text

“I’d say it was a pleasure but…” Azazel trailed off as Dark energy poured from the mouth of the possessed man as he made his escape.

John and Darcy shared a glance, eyeing the three unconscious men around them before they quickly made their way out the door.

They slowed their pace as they made it back upstairs, wanting to make a mad dash to Deans room but choosing to keep it casual.

A flash of movement in a room drew her attention and she watched as a woman with short cropped dark hair and yellow eyes turned to her with a saccharine smile. Repressing a shiver, she looked on as demonic energy made its escape once again. The woman stumbled and in a blink the wraith creature stood before her. It seemed to glare at her before vanishing in its own haze of white.

Staring for another long moment at the now empty spot Darcy couldn’t help but balk at the idea of a demon possessing a reaper. Shaking out of her stupor she made her way down the hall to where John was staring into Deans room, his anxiousness clear in the tightness around his eyes.

Coming to a stop inside the door jam Darcy was just in time to see Dean gasp awake before delving into a coughing fit. Sam, eyes wide quickly slammed a hand on the red button above the bed. Not seconds later Darcy was pushed aside as nurses and doctors filled the room to assist Dean. Sneaking a glance at her father she found him glued to Dean’s progress.

She repressed a sigh torn between relief for Dean and the dread pooling in her stomach. Had she really bargained her Dads soul? Looking further into the room she found Jane and Uncle Bobby doing their best to stay out of the way of the flurry of movement around them.

“What the Hell?” Dean grumbled, voice rough as he stared wide eyed around him.

“Space, give him space!” one of the Doctors announced.

In a flash Dean was given more breathing room as the nurses around him backed off.

“Can you tell me your name?” the doctor asked. Stepping forward with a small device in hand he shined the small light into Deans eye.

“My names Dean,” he stated

The doctor nodded. “Good, do you know the date?”

“Uh, May 17^th no the 18^th 2012.” Dean corrected.

The doctor smiled. “Close it’s now May 19^th.”

“So, what? I’ve been out for a day?” Dean asked with a frown, glancing at his family around him.

The doctor nodded seriously. “Quite the scare you gave us. Tell me Dean, how are you feeling? Any dizziness, any pain?”

Dean shrugged. “I feel…fine,” he stated eyeing Sam as he spoke.

Out of the corner of her eye she watched Sam shrug in turn.

“We need to run a few tests, to make sure you’re cleared,” The doctor announced.

Dean nodded as they began to wheel him away, Darcy and John stepping aside as he went before entering the room. The group stared in silence at each other.

“Does somebody want to tell me what the hell just happened?” Bobby asked.

Darcy dropped her gaze to her feet. “Where do we even start?”

“Darcy,” John huffed.

Darcy looked up blankly at her father. “Fine, you tell them, or should we wait for Dean?”

“Darcy,” John tried again the warning clear in his voice.

Feeling tears begin to prick the corner of her eyes, Darcy let out a breath. “You can’t just not tell them, Dad.” Turning to Jane she tilted her head to the side, Jane stood awkwardly before following her from the tense room.

“Tell me when Dean’s back?” she called over her shoulder before heading back to the room she’d been in. The pain in her side was on fire and all she really wanted to do was sleep.

Noticing the slightly glazed look in her friend’s eyes Jane quickly ushered her into the room, helping her into the hospital bed when it became clear she was struggling with the process. Jane returned to the door turning the lock before pulling around the privacy curtain to shield the viewing window. Carefully she climbed into the bed beside her.

Without care for the pain in her side Darcy dropped her face into her hands as the tears finally began to fall, sobs wracking her frame as she gasped for breath.

“Oh God Jane! W-what have I done?”

A soothing hand at her back sent her into another sob.

She could feel Jane shrug beside her. “Probably what you had to do?”

Darcy looked up and Jane was startled to find the pure panic in her eyes. “There had to have been another way!”

“Another way?” Jane prodded.

“To save Dean! I messed up Jane! I messed up!” she said through the onslaught of tears.

Jane squeezed her arm in comfort. “Shh.. Darcy calm down.”

“Calm down? I just sold my Dad’s soul to a demon,” she blurted as the tears continued.

Jane’s hand paused at her back, before slowly it began to move again. “I think I’m going to need the full story here.”

By the end of her tale Darcy had managed to bring the sobs down to sniffles as she studied Jane for her reaction.

Jane pursed her lips. “It sounds to me like you got him more time.”

Darcy shook her head. “How can you say that! My dad’s going to hell!”

“It seemed like that deal was going down with or with out you Darcy. You got him five years when he was ready to settle for ten minutes.”

Squeezing her eyes shut, Darcy let out a shuddering breath. “They’ll hate me Jane.”

“Who?” she asked, confusion marring her features.

“Sam and Dean,” Darcy returned, blinking away the wetness that had gathered in the corners of her eyes. “It’s like a cardinal rule, not making deals with demons, but you should have seen him giving up his life for Deans.” She clutched the blanket around her as she dropped her gaze. “All I did was put it off really, it won’t matter in the end.”

Jane eyed her pink nosed friend solemnly. “You can’t possibly believe that Darce. Your dad was going to give up the colt, the bullets, and his soul.” Clasping Darcy’s hand reassuringly Jane sent her a smirk. “You postponed the latter, and only gave him half of the former. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” She finished, opening her arms to her friend.

With great difficulty, Darcy shuffled until she was lent against Jane, slowly the scientist eased them into a laying position, allowing Darcy to relax into the bed.

Feeling the exhaustion begin to win, Darcy allowed herself to believe Jane’s words for now.  

***************************

She woke what felt like minutes later to a hushed conversation, upon opening her eyes she saw it was between Jane and Uncle Bobby.

Bobby stopped mid-sentence when he noticed and he sent her a worried look.

“What I miss?” she asked, voice groggy with sleep.

Bobby shook his head. “Not much, Deans moving around. He doesn’t remember much from the other side.”

Darcy let out a sigh. “It might be better that way. That reaper wasn’t pretty to look at.”

“How’re you feeling Darlin?” Bobby asked.

Lightly she prodded her bandages holding back a wince as she did. “Like shit. Where’s Dad?”

“In the room with the boys. He’s got that look in his eyes though, like he’s about to make a dash for it.”

“I know the one.” Darcy grumbled, easing out of the bed with help from Jane. “Means we don’t have much time.” She ignored, the looks the two were giving her in favor of leaving the room. As she shuffled down the hall to Dean’s room she could just make out the sound of an argument.

“This doesn’t change anything.” John announced, making Darcy pause.

“What?” Dean asked, sounding gob smacked.

 Stepping into the door frame she located John at the foot of Dean’s bed.

“So, you told them?” she asked hopefully.

John looked up with narrowed eyes, shaking his head once in a stiff movement.

“Dad gave the bullets for the colt to Azazel to save Dean,” Sam said slowly, eyeing the two.

Darcy sent John an incredulous look. “You’re kidding right?”

He sent her a warning a glare. “Darcy.”

“I can’t believe this,” Darcy hissed ignoring him completely as she stepped fully into the room. “You three and your stupid secrets.”

“What secrets Darcy,” Dean asked eyes focused on her.

“Dad didn’t just make a deal for the bullets,” she declared crossing her arms even as pain flared in her abdomen.

“Darcy!” John snapped.

Darcy turned to face him, hands perched on her hips. “What Dad? Dean doesn’t deserve to know you sold your soul to save his life?” she blurted before she could stop herself.

Dean was on his feet in a second. “You what?”

Softening at his outrage she turned to face her brother. “He’s got five years before Azazel comes to collect.”

“Of all the dumb ideas!” Bobby murmured behind her, making her jump slightly.

“I didn’t have a choice,” John yelled, silencing them all. “So, I took a chance, a chance that saved your life,” he reminded, poking Dean in the chest.

“You think I want that hanging over me?” Dean returned, anger creasing his brow.

Guilt flared to life in side of her. No, it wasn’t on him, it was on her.

“It’s not on you Dean. It’s on me, and no one else.” John stated, looking first at Dean before settling on Darcy. “It still doesn’t change anything,” he reiterated, glancing at each of them.

“You’re kidding right?” Sam snorted.

John looked away with a frown.

Sitting back down on the bed, Dean let out a sigh. “Dad, you’re going to die. This changes everything.”

“No, it doesn’t Dean. I’m still going to kill that yellow eyed bastard… this just gives me a timetable.”

“Oh, is that what we’re calling it,” Darcy grumbled.

“That’s exactly what I’m calling it,” John returned. “I won’t let it get you two again.”

In the silence Darcy and Sam shared a glance.

“What do you mean?” Sam asked, breaking the silence that had settled.

John looked at the two, regret clear in his eyes. “He got to you two once, I won’t let him do it again.”

Sam took a step forward. “Dad, what did he do to us?”

John took a shuddering breath as he sat down in the chair beside the bed. “That night, the night Mary died he was there for the two of you. I didn’t know why at the time but I do now.”

Darcy’s heart stuttered in her chest. “And?”

“He fed you two his blood, demon blood,” John stated, glancing at the two for their reaction.

“I barely taste it, but there’s something else powering your mojo, huh?” Azazel had said.

“He- I- What?” Darcy sputtered taking a step back as her pulse thundered in her ears.

John watched her warily. “The premonitions, the-”

“No.” Darcy broke in.  

“Darcy.”

Shaking her head, she glared at John. “No, you’re telling me this demon fed babies his blood to give them… Powers? Why? What for?”

He shook his head. “It’s a part of his plan Darcy.”

“What plan Dad? What could he possible gain from this? You know what? No. I don’t care.” Darcy huffed. “I’m out.”

Sam’s eyes widened. “Just- wait a minute Darcy.”

“Wait? For what? For Azazel to use us in his grand scheme of things?” She snorted. “No thanks.”

“I won’t let that happen,” John insisted.

Darcy turned to him dubiously. “Oh, you won’t? And how’re we going to stop him? We’ve got the colt and no bullets so we can’t really kill him.”

“I’ll think of something,” John barked, but Darcy didn’t have it in her to believe him.

“Oh good. Let me know when that happens, but until then I’m going to need a ride to the airport.” She announced looking to Bobby. He sent her a nod and she turned back to glance tiredly at her family. “I love all of you, but it’s been a really long week.”  

“Darcy, wait!” John called.

Darcy’s feet stopped of their own accord. With a sigh  she glanced at Bobby and Jane.

“I’ll get you discharged, and bring the truck around,” Bobby offered.

Nodding she turned around as John stepped into the hall, Sam and Dean on his heels.

“When you tracked me down the last time how’d you do it?”

Ignoring the raised brows Sam and Dean were sending her she focused on John.

“I used a tracking algorithm. You were using the same truck at the time and it was pretty easy to adapt my system to do an automatic facial recognition scan whenever it showed it up,” Darcy let out a nervous chuckle. “The only problem was how fast you were moving. Not to mention how far away I was from your location. I got lucky, when Sam called you back in Nebraska, it drew you out.”

John nodded in thought.

Sam glanced at the two blankly, before shaking his head focusing on John. “Wait back up! You mean to tell me you came to Nebraska but didn’t come to check on Dean? And Darcy, you met up with him and didn’t mention it to us.”

She sent him a shrug. “Dad Said he’d call you.”

“If you knew what to look for,” John broke in, “would you be able to use it to track down the demon?”

“I… yeah in theory, but facial recognition wouldn’t really work, the thing changes skin like a chameleon.” Darcy scoffed.  “And it’s not like he drives around in a pick-up truck.”

Dean let out a snort, “Then how do you a track a demon.”

John eyed the three before guiding them back into the room. “I’ve been tracking him.” He reminded them. “When Azazel’s around there’re massive temperature fluctuations, thunderstorms. There’ve been instances where clocks have stopped, electronics go haywire.” John’s eyes bore into her. “Do you think you can create a program that can track that?”

Darcy hummed thoughtfully, if she could track Azazel the way Jane tracked the borealis’ energy... “Yes, but I’ve got a better idea. I’ll get back to you.”

Chapter Text

John eyed the three before guiding them back into the room. “I’ve been tracking him.” He reminded them. “When Azazel’s around there’re massive temperature fluctuations, thunderstorms. There’ve been instances where clocks have stopped, electronics go haywire.” John’s eyes bore into her. “Do you think you can create a program that can track that?”

Darcy hummed thoughtfully, if she could track Azazel the way Jane tracked the borealis’ energy... “Yes, but I’ve got a better idea. I’ll call you soon.”

**********************

Sliding into Bobby’s pick up with a huff, Darcy held back an eye roll at the worried looks Bobby and Jane were sending her.

“It’s fine, we’re fine,” She assuaged. “They want to figure out a way to track Azazel”

Bobby glanced at her with a frown. “Is that even possible?”

“If there’s one thing working with Janey here has taught me, it’s that you won’t know until you try.” Pulling her seat belt on she turned to Jane. “Do we still have the phase meter?”

Jane eyed her friend. “Yeah, it should be back at lab in the tower.”

Darcy grinned. “Then I’ve got a plan.”

Reaching into her pocket Darcy tapped out a text to an old friend.

Carefully maneuvering through the throngs of people at the airport Darcy glanced around, her eyes lighting up when she found a man in a suit holding a sign labeled ‘Dr. Foster & Ms. Lewis.’

“Oh There!” she chorused pulling Jane along through the crowd. As she drew closer she paused before letting out a squeal. “NO Way!”

Jane glanced up from her notebook as the girl next to her bounced excitedly.

“You’re Happy Hogan!” she gasped.

Looking slightly startled, the man scratched his head nervously. “Yeah.”

“I knew it, I use to love watching you box! My Dad got tickets to see your fight once! The one against Battlin’ Jack Murdoch!” Darcy shook her head in disbelief. “Dude you are awesome!”

Happy, slightly flushed, sent her a small smile. “Thanks, but I’m here to pick up-”

“Dr. Jane Foster.” Jane cut in with a small wave.

“And Darcy Lewis, at your service Mr. Hogan!” she finished.

Happy let out a chuckle. “Then I guess we can continue this conversation in the car.”

After making Happy promise her sometime in the gym Darcy had finally left the man alone, well not before getting an autograph. But who could blame her.

Looking around the room she’d been assigned, Darcy dropped her Duffel beside a floor lamp. A knock at her door drew her attention and she found Jane on the other side looking slightly sheepish.

“Hey, so I forgot to mention the fact that Thor wanted to come and see you in the hospital.”

Darcy couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips. “That was sweet of him.”

Jane let out a nervous chuckle. “Betty and Bruce had to hold him back, but now he’s pretty adamant about coming to see you.”

Darcy blinked.  “Wait he’s still-”

“Sister!” Thor’s voice bellowed down the hall before the god himself came around the corner.

"Where still building the device to send them to Asgard," Jane rushed out.

“Careful of her ribs!” Betty called after him, hot on his heels.

Darcy let out a small laugh at the sight opening her arms with a suppressed wince, allowing Thor to pull her into a firm but gentle hug. “Hey big guy!”

“Lady Darcy, I am glad to see you well, when Jane received the call of your accident, I was torn between the duty of guarding my brother and coming to your aid.”

Darcy smiled, but before she could speak, Betty was squeezing in for her own hug.

“God Darcy I was so worried, almost had a code red. Should you be walking around I’m sure we can find a wheel chair in the med bay.”

Darcy frowned. “Tony has a med bay?”

“Tony has all the things short stack.”

The group turned as Tony and Bruce came around the corner.

Darcy glared at Betty. “No wheel chairs, I’m fine.” She grinned over at Bruce. “Yo, Dr. B how’s the science?”

The man sent her a small smile. “The Science is good, thanks.”

Darcy turned to Tony, “I don’t know whether I should call you Dr. T or not. I mean you’ve kind of got the facial hair for it but the lack of muscle span might turn heads.”

Tony blinked, slowly a grin stretched across his face. “I’ve never been one for titles but I’ll allow it, and my span always turns heads.”

Bruce let out a groan. “Tony why?”  

Grin still in place he turned to Bruce. “What did I say?”

Darcy laughed at the faux innocence on his face only to groan a second later. “Oww, don’t make me laugh.”

Betty turned worried eyes on her. “Maybe we should sit you down somewhere, there’s a common room down the hall.”

“Actually,” Darcy began, glancing between Jane and Betty. “I was hoping we could go to the lab, I need to recalibrate the phase meter.”

Tony and Bruce looked to her with raised brows.

“I can grab what you need from the lab, just grab a seat, maybe some food you’re looking a little pale.” Jane offered.

Darcy let out a sigh, “Sounds like a movie day?”

Thor grinned. “Will we be seeing Harry potter vs. the sorcerer?”

“The movie has been Chosen!” Darcy declared, trying and failing to suppress her laughter. “I’ll start the popcorn.”

*******

Typing in the last few lines of coding Darcy eyed her work as it transmitted to the phase meter. Now all she really needed was her test subject. She sent off a text to Sam.

 “I’m going to need to summon a demon.”

Glancing up at the screen she watched as Harry followed the actions of his mirror image, reaching into his pocket to find the bright red stone.

Returning her gaze to her phone screen Darcy frowned, eyeing the message list for any word from Skye. Worry began gnaw at her, Skye was a fast texter, twenty minutes was the longest the girl went without checking her phone. Bringing up the unmodified tracking program she loaded a picture of Skye into it’s algorithm. Hopefully she was just being paranoid and the girl wasn’t in any trouble.

As the credits rolled around her phone vibrated with a call. “Are we doing the next one?” she asked, looking around the room only slightly surprised to see they’d been joined by Clint, Natasha and Steve. Heads nodded around her and she grinned. “Bathroom break!”

Back in her room Darcy picked up the phone on it’s last ring. “You’ve got two days to get here.”

“Wait what?" Sam blurted. "You can’t just summon a demon,”

“Of course, I can,” she returned. “I need to get a reading on its energy.”

“So, what you’re just going to summon Azazel twice in one week?”

“Technically that was Dad, but no. Just one of his lesser cronies, I’ll get my data and I’ll amplify the energy readings about a bazillion times.”

Sam seemed to hesitate. “And then what you let it go?”

“of course, not Sam, I don’t do loose ends. I’ll exorcise it.”

“Give us four days. Dad went off on his own I’m sure he’ll want to be there.”

Darcy tried not to roll her eyes. “Leave the man alone Sam, he’s going through a bit don’t you think? He deserves his down time.”

Sam scoffed. “You can’t think that’s a good idea?”

Darcy shrugged. “Not really no, but you two idjits did spend the better part of a year hunting the man down, how did that go Sam?”

“Well apparently you could have halved that time,” Sam huffed defensively.

“You didn’t ask.” She returned only half joking, because she would have if they had asked.

He let out a resigned sigh. “You’re right, fine two days. Dean and I are at a bar stop in Nebraska.”

“Nebraska? Why?”

“Dad sent us, he got a message from this woman named Ellen, said she could help.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “A woman?”

Sam scoffed, “That’s what I thought to, but I don’t think she’s into Dad like that. She’s got a daughter our age though. Jo, girl is itching for a hunt.”

“Got any training?”

“Her dad must’ve showed her somethings but I don’t think she’s ever been on a hunt.”

“Heard that story,” Darcy grumbled away from the speaker. “Well can this Ellen help?”

“This guy that hangs at the bar, Ash, he’s going to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

Darcy nodded, checking the time. “I’ve got to get back to a harry potter marathon. See you in two days.”

“Alright, we’ll head out after we close this case.”

“Stay safe.”

Darcy returned back to her seat on the couch, her refreshed popcorn bowl reserving her seat.

Pulling up to the address she’d procured, she cut the engine.

Jane peered out of the car window with a frown. “You rented a storage unit? Why not just do this in the tower?”

“The towers to big, overly populated, ventilation shafts abound. I can’t risk setting a demon loose in that place.” Opening her door, she stepped out into the night Betty and Jane following her out.

Betty glanced around the area nervously. “How long before your brothers get here?”

The sound a rumbling engine answered her before the Impala drove around the bend. It whipped into the parking lot before coming to a stop beside her Shelby. Two doors opened and closed as her brothers joined them.

“You want to tell me why we’re meeting in a shady self-storage parking lot?” Dean asked by way of a greeting

Darcy stepped around to the trunk to start unloading. “You mean Sam didn’t tell you?”

Footsteps crunched on gravel. “Tell me what?”

“We,” she grunted as she hefted two sensors out of the back before handing them off to Betty. “Are going to summon a demon.”

Dean’s face was carefully blank. “You’re kidding right?”

“Nope, now common we’re losing the night.”

She watched as Dean finished salt lining the empty unit, the bright orange door shut tight behind it. With no natural light coming into the unit, an overhead fluorescent light was what they were currently working under. Turning to her bowl of ingredients she carefully sat it in the middle of the pentagram, directly on top of the Baphomet she’d drawn.

“Is that a goat’s head?” Betty asked, glimpsing the symbol before the bowl covered it.

“Oh good, I was thinking it looked like two men getting ready to arm wrestle.”

Betty snorted as she continued setting up the sensors around the unit. “And done.”

“Ready when you are Darcy,” Jane offered, hunched over the phase meter.

Darcy eyed the large devil’s trap in the center of the room. “Dean?”

“Yeah, we’re ready, still think this is a bad idea though.”

Darcy shrugged. “It is. Now get ready.” Matchstick in hand, she sent up a silent prayer that everything went to plan. “Ad ligandum eos pariter eos coram me.” Lighting the match, she quickly dropped it into the bowl before it could burn her fingers. The herbs sparked in the bowl and she took a step back. The modified phase meter began a steady beeping that slowly picked up in tempo.

“Does that mean it’s working?” Sam asked.

Above them the fluorescent light flickered, casting dancing shadows around them.

“Well this place is a dump,” an unfamiliar voice trilled.

Same eyed her nervously, fighting the instinct that told him to kill the monster. “What now, Darcy?”

 The demon turned to her with a grin. “Ah yes, Darcy Winchester, we’ve heard all about you. Apparently, you’re out of the running for Azazel’s big move.”

Darcy frowned. “Is that so, good to know.”

“Not really, it means your free game now.” The demon turned to Sam with a wicked grin. “Don’t worry Sammy, he’s still got plans for you.”

“That’s enough,” Dean barked. “Darcy do it now before I kill this thing.”

The demon turned to Dean. “I heard he did quite the number on you,” it continued moving to step forward only to stop as if hitting a barrier. Glancing down at the devil’s trap, the demon chuckled. “Clever, Winchesters.”

“Did you really thing I’d give you free range?” Darcy shook her head. “Now, let’s get you out of that nice man, shall we?”

The demon opened its mouth wide and Darcy quickly latched on to the Demons dark energy with a grunt.

The demon let out a nervous chuckle. “Now, wait just a minute.”

Behind her she could hear Jane and Betty discussing read outs.

“Trying to leave so soon?” she asked.

“We’re ready for phase two, Darcy,” Jane urged.

Reciting the first part to the exorcism, Darcy used it to control her hold. Tracking the energy whirling around him she coaxed it out of the human. The demon began to choke, plumes of black smoke curling from its mouth. One final yank and black smoke erupted, swirling dangerously into the air; leaving the freed host in a mass of black energy. The man dropped to the floor with a thud but she kept her focus on the swirling energy. Around them the beeping intensified as the demonic energy increased now that it was without a host.  

Beads of sweat dotted her hairline as Darcy waited for the cue. The demon thrashed in her hold, and Sam and Dean shifted, viles of holy water at the ready.

“Any day now!” She grunted.

“Almost… and done!” Jane trilled.

Sam stepped up beside her finishing the exorcism incantation. The demon scorched into the ground, the machines going haywire before going silent around them with its departure.

The group stayed silent a moment longer, before Darcy turned to the two scientists. “Did we get it?”

Betty nodded with a grin. “We got something alright.”

“Now what?” Sam asked, coming to stand beside Jane as she looked over the readings.

“Now we go back to the lab and begin processing all of this,” Jane supplied.

“The lab?” Dean asked.

Darcy bit back a chuckle as Dean shifted with excitement. “Yes Dean, Scientist work in labs.”

“Mind if we tag along?” Dean asked.

Darcy bit her lip nervously.

“We could always find a motel to stay at?” Sam offered.

Darcy repressed a sigh, glancing at Jane. She sent her a shrug and finally Darcy nodded.

“Oh, alright. Let’s get this all packed up then you can follow us back.

Dean grinned as he pocketed his flask of holy water. “To the Labs!”

With a chuckle, Sam shook his head in slight disbelief. “You’re such a dork.”

Betty cleared her throat. "Um guys. What about him?" She asked pointing to the still unconscious man."

Darcy frowned, "Last time we had to deal with this kind of thing it didn't go to well."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked. 

"Well, Darcy tased him," Jane stated.

She let out a scoff. "Yeah, after you hit him with the van." Eyeing the man, Darcy hummed thoughtfully. "We can drop him at a hospital." 

Chapter Text

Darcy was fidgeting. Her left leg twitched the entire ride back to the tower, her eyes flickering to the rear view mirror to catch a glimpse of the black Impala trailing behind them. If Betty and Jane noticed her nervousness, they didn’t mention it. But how could they when she was blasting “Whole lotta Rosie” to fill the car.

She led them to the back entrance, in hopes that they wouldn’t see the giant A stamped on the front of the building. She paused at the security gate, cutting the music, she sent the guard a smile.

He held out his hand expectantly as he returned it.  “They with you?” he asked motioning to the impala behind her.

“Yup, two guest passes please.”

“I’ll need their IDs.”

“You can grab it on their way in.”

The man nodded, pressing a button on his console to allow them entry.

“Thanks!” she returned pulling through and waiting until the boys finished their exchange to continue into the garage. Her leg resumed its twitching when they reached the next gate. A large sign reading restricted access blocking their passage. She, Betty, and Jane flashed their badges before Darcy handed over the guest passes for her brothers.

The guard silently handed them back, waving both cars through the opened gate. Pulling into a spot with in open space beside it, she waited until the Impala parked beside her before climbing out.

Sam let out a low whistle. “Quite the security this place has.”

Darcy only shrugged as she helped Jane and Betty with the equipment. “Doors not too far from here, grab your bags.”

Jane reached the entry way first, swiping her badge to open the doors that lead into a large elevator.

Sam and Dean paused.

“Come on it won’t stay open forever!” she urged, even though it wasn’t quite true. Jarvis wouldn’t close it until everyone was inside. Speaking of.

“We’re headed to the labs first.” She stated as if speaking to the group.

The doors closed softly behind her brothers before Jarvis silently acquiesced her request.

The doors opened on the R&D floor, Jane’s lab taking up the back half. The girls quickly lead the way, Darcy growing more nerved each time they passed a Stark Industry frosted label on the glass lined walls.

Darcy let out an involuntary sigh as they finally reached their section, swiping her badge before motioning everyone through.

Sam and Dean paused just inside the door, looking around the space in awe.

Darcy smiled, they’d almost perfectly recreated the environment from New Mexico. From the feel of a repurposed living room to their hand made machines mixed in with Tony’s more expensive ones. Mindful of the two she replaced the equipment to their respective places as Betty and Jane dove into applying the data to the more stationary machines.

“So, what do you think?” She asked, turning to find the boys right where she’d left them.

Dean shook his head, slowly trailing after the two scientists. “It’s freakin awesome.”

Sam stayed beside her. “Everything alright Darce? You kinda seem on edge.”

Darcy bit her bottom lip, listing the ways she could explain her position to her brothers.

Sam took her hesitation as regret. “I told you Dean and I can—”

“No, it’s not that it’s just. I haven’t been completely—"

“Hey what’s with the sneak in!” Tony called from the door way, a nervous Bruce not too far behind him.

“Honest,” she finished lamely, watching as a myriad of emotions played across Sam’s face.

Sam opened his mouth before closing it. “Is that...”

“Unauthorized guest, really?” Tony asked coming to a stop in front of them.

Darcy tapped the ID badge hanging from Sam’s neck. “Nope.”

“Good, Happy’s crazy about that kind of thing. So, how’d your demon summoning go?”

Sam took in a strained breath. “You’re Tony Stark?”

Tony narrowed his eyes. “And your inhumanly… tall.”

“Tony…” Bruce huffed from beside him.

“What he looks about the same height as Th—”

“Good!” Darcy broke in. “We summoned the Demon got the data, getting ready to process it as we speak.”

A nudge at her side and she found Dean now standing on the other side of her. She barely suppressed an eye roll. “Tony, Bruce, meet my brother Dean and my twin Sam.”

Sam finally seemed to shake out of his stupor. “Mr. Stark it’s a pleasure.”

“Please,” Tony trilled, “Mr. Stark was my— did you say twin?”

Darcy bit back a chuckle. “Yes, why?”

Tony assessed the two. “There’s no way. You barely come up to his armpit!”

“I don’t have the time to explain genetics to you.”

Tony shook his head. “Uh uh, I know genetics sparky and there’s no way.”

Darcy shared an amused glance with Bruce. “Good then you know that rules don’t apply to fraternal twins.”

“Back me up here Bruce,” Tony huffed, tapping the man on the shoulder.

Dean cleared his throat shooting Darcy a knowing look.

She sent him a warning glare.

“She’s right… Tony… Exhibit A being their Varying eye color.”

Tony glanced at Dean. “Okay...”

Dean began to circle them like they were, in fact, an exhibit. “Exhibit B being their different hair colors."

Darcy groaned. “Dear god.”

Tony's eyes shot to her before going to Sam."They've got the Sam--" He paused, finally looking to her eyes.

Darcy tried not to fidget under his intense scrutinization.

Tony’s eyes widened. “Blonde.” 

“Exactly!” Dean crooned.

Darcy shook her head in disbelief. “How did you...”

Bruce cleared his throat. “Your eyelashes, I’m guessing you usually have on dark mascara?”

She knew she’d forgotten something this morning.

“Blonde?!” Tony repeated as if she hadn’t spoken.

Beside her Dean broke into laughter.

“You get way too much enjoyment out of that,” Sam mumbled.

A steady beeping began behind them and Darcy led the group over to where Jane and Betty were standing in front of the monitors.

“Data’s been inputted, but it may take a while for it to process. I say we head upstairs for the night,” Betty offered.

Jane sent the woman a betrayed look.

“Don’t start,” Betty warned. “I’m sure someone is waiting for you upstairs.”

Jane’s eyes brightened, “See you in the morning!” She called heading for the exit.

Shutting down the lab they made their way out, Sam and Dean picking up their duffel bags on the way.

“So, do you two also hunt mythical creatures?” Tony asked, his gaze returning to her hair every so often.

“Mythical creatures?” Dean scoffed. “I wish. When you say that I’m thinking fairies, unicorns.”

Bruce nodded along. “As opposed to?”

Sam grinned. “Creatures that try to eat you.”

The elevator opened for them with out prompt to allow them on.

Tony chuckled, “Right, the vampires, ghost and... what was it Bruce.”

Bruce shifted nervously. “Werewolves.”

Tony snapped his fingers. “That’s right. Werewolves.”

The elevator opened and Sam and Dean looked around confused, debate on supernatural creatures momentarily forgotten.

“Didn’t even feel like it was moving Sam.” Dean whispered as they stepped off the elevator into the common room.

The place was mostly empty only Steve sat in a recliner. The T.V. seemingly on as background noise as he stared out the window. 

“Anybody else hungry. I’ve got enough lasagna ingredients to feed a small army?” Darcy asked.

Dean made a noise of interest. “Homemade lasagna, count me in! I am over Fast food.”

Sam snorted. “you could always order the Salads.”

“Shut up, Sam” She and Dean trilled.

Darcy quickly lead them down the hall Tony’s voice growing distant behind them.

“Cap, Guess what! You’ve got competition for hottest blonde!”

Dean cleared his throat. “You and Stark seem pretty close.”

Darcy scoffed, scanning her hand to the unlock her door. The scientists were still working on the device to send Thor home with, which meant they all spent allot of time in Jane’s lab together, which somehow bled over into outside of the lab,

Sam dropped his bag on a nearby couch. “Speaking of Stark. Darcy are we in Avengers Tower?”

Darcy looked up confused. “Is that what their calling it?”

“It is, isn’t!” Dean proclaimed. “Where in Avengers freaking tower.”

“Wait, he said Cap… Darcy… did we just pass Captain America.” Sam asked, his eyes widening.

Switching on the kitchen light she pulled out the ingredients she’d had Jarvis deliver. “Uh, Maybe?”

Dean followed after her. “Yeah, but like a fake one or something right, Captain America died in the forties.”

“Dean how could you possibly know that?” Sam asked.

“The Comic books Sam!”

Darcy snorted. “Technically you’re right, he didn’t die though. He was frozen, and they… thawed him out? I’m not really sure how that works. But that’s him, do me a favor and don’t mention that part yeah?”

A smile began to form on Deans face. “You’re serious. I’m about to eat lasagna with Captain America.”

Darcy shook her head. “Nope.”

Dean frowned.

“However, Steve may join us.”

Dean let out a brittle laugh. “She calls him Steve.”

“Will you two help me?” she asked pulling pasta boxes out of the cabinet.

Sam quickly joined them, picking up the containers of ricotta cheese as she placed them on the counter. “You weren’t kidding about feeding a small army.”

Holding back a comment about feeding the guy who houses the Hulk, she filled her arms before heading to the door. “You have no idea.”

Tony, Bruce, and Steve were seated at the island counter when they returned. Steve still staring off into the distant but at least he was at the table.

“Fellas, I hope you washed your hands!” She trilled cutting off Tony and Bruce’s conversation. “Betty and Bruce start on the pasta, Sam and Steve Ricotta duty, Dean and Tony will handle the meat and I, the Sauce.”

“Point me to the spice cabinet, don’t look at me like that Sam, Kitchen like this has got to have a spice cabinet.”

Sam held his hands up in surrender, setting to his assigned task with Steve.

Seated at the table that Tony insisted they eat at, the sound of forks clinking on plates sounded as they dug into their meal. There would be no left overs she decided watching as Steve bogarted an entire pan.

“No Seriously,” Dean continued with a laugh. “How did Darcy doll, get on a first name basis with the Avengers.”

“Uh, because she is one,” Tony announced with a dry laugh.

“I think I’d know if my little sister was an Avenger.”

Darcy raised a brow. “Would you?”

Sam and Dean’s eyes snapped to her as silence fell around them.

Steve cleared his throat. “You know it’s getting pretty late, I’ll wash the dishes.”

Bruce quickly nodded. “I’ll help. In fact, I bet Tony would love to show you how to use the dish washer.”

Tony’s face scrunched up in disagreement. “I definitely would not.”

Bruce let out a sigh. “Just come on.”

“I’m still eating, why the hell do you people eat so fast? Never heard of heart burn? Okay I’m coming. Sheesh. Good luck sparky.”

Back in her apartment, she sat down in a recliner motioning Sam and in Dean into the two-seater.

“You have questions,” She prompted sitting up in her seat.

Dean threw his hands up in exasperation. “Questions? Of course, I have questions, like what the hell happened in New Mexico, what the hell happened in New York and how in the name of god did you end up with the avengers.”

Darcy arched a brow. “Technically the second part was on the news.”

Dean scoffed. “Oh, you mean the alien invasion.”

“Did you not watch the news,” Darcy asked, barely concealing her disbelief.

“You really expect us to believe Aliens were in New York?” Dean huffed.

“Tony literally flew a nuke into the sky, it destroyed their… you know what. Jarvis do you have any footage?” Darcy asked, reflexively looking up to the ceiling.

“Yes, however it is redacted.” Jarvis trilled.

“Could you get Tony’s authorization.”

Dean glanced around the room. “What the hell is that?”

She held up a hand. “Just...”

Sam began to pace, but Darcy waited until Jarvis responded.

“Sir has granted you temporary access to the footage from his helmet.”

On cue, the Screen on the wall flickered to life. People were scrambling and by the angle of the footage they were in the sky. Beams of white light shot from off camera, striking creatures left and right. Tony’s head must’ve turned, watching as Aliens dropped around as if being picked off one by. It whipped back to the ground as if searching for the source when suddenly the screen narrowed in on a lone figure. Upon zooming in it showed her, bow in hand as she fired her last arrow. The camera zoomed in and Darcy found herself frowning as she continued to grow closer, three aliens attempting to take her out while her back was turned. On screen she flinched as two small missiles shot towards her before she was lifted from the ground.

Jarvis stopped the footage after Tony had placed her on the ground. She stayed silent as the screen once again went dark. Sam and Dean slowly turned to her, disbelief on their faces.

Darcy smirked. “You have more questions?”

Sam dropped into his seat, placing his head in his hands. “Aliens are real?”

Darcy nodded. “Unfortunately.”

“You’ve fought Aliens,” Dean stated.

“That I have,” she said with a shrug.

“And now you’re an Avenger?” Sam asked.

Darcy pursed her lips. “I technically turned them down, but I think there still keeping me as a reserve member.”

“They called you to help fight that?” Dean asked, pointing to the now darkened screen.

Darcy scoffed. “Of course not, they sent us to Norway.”

Sam sent her a raised brow. “Looked like you were in New York.”

“I was until a Dragur, almost killed Jane. I kind of just appeared in New York…” she offered.

“What?” the two blurted.

“I don’t remember how I got there.” She reiterated sitting back in her seat.

Sam shifted in his seat, sharing a glance with Dean. “Look if you don’t want to tell us or “It’s classified” I get it, you don’t have to lie.”

“That’s the thing,” Darcy said with a shrug. “Okay listen this is so classified, but they haven’t gotten around to getting me to sign the new NDA’s. Jane needed a hospital, but definitely not in Norway because the Draugr was still after her. so, the Agent took us to this… Let’s call it a plane…”

“A plane?” Dean asked confusion clear in his tone.

“Think huge, but bigger.”

“The millennium falcon?” Dean asked.

Darcy hummed in thought. “Yes, but think nine times bigger.”

“That’s impossible.” Sam stated.

Darcy pointed over at him. “Exactly! Now this thing is flying in the sky, right? There’s this attack and then I fall from it—”

Sam’s eyes widened. “What?”

“I fell from-“

“You— Darcy you could have died!” Sam blurted.

“I did die!” she returned before frowning. “I’m pretty sure I did anyway. I remember falling. I remember hitting the trees but anything between that and getting to New York. Pftt gone. I got nothing. There’s aliens around me, I see Sharon getting cornered and I realize I’m armed to the tooth for battle. So, I fought.”

Dean looked her in the eyes. “That sounds completely crazy.”

“Yup.” She agreed.

Slowly Sam got to his feet, she tracked his movements until he was directly in front of her. pulling her into a hug.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“A hug,” he offered.

Darcy repressed a snort. “But why?”

“We almost lost you and we didn’t have a clue. I think that warrants a hug,” He explained.

“Or a padded cell.” Dean chimed.

But she suddenly found herself sandwiched between the two. She winced at the slight strain on her still healing ribs but chose to stay silent. Slowly they broke away.

Sam pulled away. “Have you thought about what could have brought you back? Maybe you didn’t die at all maybe its apart of your—”

Darcy rubbed her neck. “What my powers? No. I died. The sound of your neck snapping in your ears? Yeah not something a girl forgets.”

“Okay then back to the first question, what brought you back?” Dean asked.

Darcy shrugged, “I don’t want to know, I mean clearly they didn’t want me to so, like uncle Bobby always says. “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” She pointed down the hall. “Your rooms on the right. Goodnight.”

She could feel their eyes on her as she left to her room closing the door behind her.

Dreams of a familiar forest and a man in black stilted her dreams. She found herself gasping awake tangled in her sheets the feeling of falling still fresh in her stomach. stumbling from bed she staggered into the en suite bathroom, the lights flickering on dimly as she splashed cold water on her sweat streaked face. Taking a shuddering breath, she debated going to back to bed. She glanced back to her room at the clock on her night stand. “Four Am, not bad.” she murmured.

Awake it was. her muscles still stiff with sleep, she moved to turn on the shower only to stop herself. If she turned on the shower it might wake her brothers and she could use a minute to herself. Jane no doubt would be up in an hour or two.

 An idea forming, she quickly changed into sweats leaving a note on the counter for the boys to help themselves to breakfast she slipped from the apartment.

“Good Morning, Ms. Winchester.” Jarvis greeted.

Darcy rolled her eyes. She wondered how long it would take the A.I. “Haven’t gone by that name in years.”

“Do you have a preference then?” he asked.

“Lewis for now, please.”

Stepping onto the elevator she had Jarvis direct her to the Gym.

The place was mercifully empty. She looked around in awe at how large the facility was, a track surrounded the outskirts of the room, a mile long read the mile marker not far from where she stood. Large blue tumbling mats were folded up off to the side of a full wall of mirrors. Inside the circle of the track tread mills, free standing punching bags and various gym equipment were meticulously placed with enough room at its center for the mats to be placed down.

Placing her things on a nearby bench she slipped in her ear buds before falling into a series of stretches. Following up the stretches she stepped onto the track shaking out her arms and legs before starting a slow stride, working her way up to a jog. On her second lap she, slowed her stride finally noticing that she wasn’t the only one in the room when a flash of red hair caught her eye at the center of the room.

Darcy shook her head, “This place is like obnoxiously huge.”

Natasha let out a snort. “Clint’s having a field day,”

Darcy closed some of the distance between them. “I haven’t seen him since I’ve gotten back.”

“He’s around somewhere,” she offered. “Do you want to spar?”

Darcy laughed. “Why so you can kick my ass? Don’t think I can’t see that gleam in your eyes.”

That earned her a laugh. “Oh, come on, I’ve seen the footage, I think you can hold out.”

Darcy sent her a raised brow.

Natasha shrugged. “For a few minutes.”

“That’s better.”

Natasha tossed her a pair of fingerless boxing gloves, Darcy caught them turning them over in her hand.

“Stark industry standard issue,” the woman supplied, adjusting her own pair.

Slipping them on and fixing the straps she flexed her fingers experimentally. “Not bad.”

Natasha slowly began to circle her. “Guard up Winchester.”

She tracked the movement, feeling slightly like prey. “Really, is anything sacred?”

“Not really.”

The first punch she blocked but the angle obscured her vision allowing Natasha’s foot to connect with the back of her knee. She stumbled forward righting herself just in time to avoid another punch by dancing backwards and out of the way.

Natasha sent her grin

Adjusting her stance, Darcy tried not to scowl. “I don’t think I actually agreed to this.”

“You’re doing fine, faster then I’d thought you’d be.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.” Darcy returned eyeing the woman warily as she practically sashayed forward.

Natasha threw another punch and Darcy blocked it from the outside shoving the arm away from her and throwing her elbow forward. Natasha quickly retracted the arm to block her face. On reflex Darcy dropped her right arm seconds before a punch could land to her side. In tandem she lifted her knee to strike Natasha in the stomach, but again it was blocked as the woman took the hit to her arm. Her eyes tracked Natasha’s leg as it wound back on the same side and Darcy stopped it before clutching the leg to her side.

What she didn’t expect was for Natasha to send them into a somersault. She gasped in surprise, sticking out her arm to continue with a partial cartwheel to land in a crouch.

Darcy let out a grunt. “I should have stretched more.”

Natasha responded by trying to sweep out her foot, but if Soccer had taught Darcy anything it was how to take a hit to the shin. It hurt like hell but she stayed on her feet. Natasha’s eyes widened slightly in surprise and Darcy used the moment to kick back the same leg and shove her forward. Natasha still managed to end up upright, but there was approval in her eyes so Darcy counted it as a win.

“Five minutes, I’m cashing out!” Darcy huffed.

“Actually, it was seven!” a voice called from above.

Natasha and Darcy shared a glance before the woman shrugged. “I told you he was around.”

Wiping the sweat from her brow, she turned her gaze upwards. “Is he in the air ducts?”

“He says it gives him a better view.”

“I can see everything.” Clint called, before once again going silent.

“Are we done here?” She asked holding back a laugh.

Natasha smirked. “Same time tomorrow?”

Collecting her things, Darcy narrowed her eyes. “Maybe…”

The boys were shuffling around the kitchen by the time she made it back to the apartment. They murmured good mornings as she made a beeline for the shower. Refreshed and ready to go, she slipped into a chair beside Sam as Dean cooked over the stove.

“Is he making pancakes?”

“There actually really good,” Sam returned around a mouthful.

Dean turned, horror written over his face as his eyes shot to the empty plate in front of Sam. “You heathen! You’re supposed to let me finish cooking so we can eat together!”

“Uh sorry?”

Dean ignored him, snatching up the plate and sitting it closer to the stove. “Didn’t even use syrup, who does that?”

Darcy stifled her laughter as Sam made a face. “You guys headed out today?”

“You kickin us out?” Dean asked, adding two pancakes to the place.

Darcy tried no to scoff, because that’s definitely how their visits ended. “Hardly.”

Dean cut off the stove, grabbing butter from the fridge and a bottle of syrup from the cabinet before grabbing a chair along the island. She watched as he slid a plate of pancakes in front of her before pouring syrup on his own.

Grabbing the butter, she, held in a sigh. “Just tell me.”

“Dad called, he needs us in Montana,” Dean explained.

“Is he meeting you there?”

“He didn’t say, but there’s been news of decapitated bodies and unexplained cattle deaths,” He continued.

“Unexplained how?” She asked around a mouthful.

“Cows were found cut and drained, sounds satanic to me.” Sam explained with a shrug.

Darcy hummed as she swallowed. “Good luck.”

Sam looked at her with a frown. “That’s it?”

“What’s it?” she asked eyeing the two.

He shared a look with Dean. “You’re not gonna try and come with us?”

“Did I miss the part where there was invitation? Besides, I try to stay away from all things Hoo doo and Voo doo.”

Sam let out a snort. “How very Bobby of you.”

“What time are you leaving?” She finally asked the dreaded question.

Sam shifted in his seat. “After breakfast.”

Darcy glanced at Dean’s half-finished plate, before returning to her own.

Chapter Text

Darcy hummed as she swallowed. “Good luck.”

Sam looked at her with a frown. “That’s it?”

“What’s it?” she asked eyeing the two.

He shared a look with Dean. “You’re not gonna try and come with us?”

“Did I miss the part where there was an invitation? Besides, I try to stay away from all things Hoodoo and Voodoo.”

Sam let out a snort. “How very Bobby of you.”

“What time are you leaving?” She finally asked the dreaded question.

Sam shifted in his seat. “After breakfast.”

Darcy glanced at Dean’s half-finished plate, before returning to her own.

Making her way down to the lab, she found Jane, Betty and Bruce already huddled over the containment device. The three of them seemed frozen in place.

“Do I want to know what’s going on?” She asked, but she could probably guess from the torn expression on Jane’s face.

“The device meant to harness the Tesseract has been completed to Prince Thor’s instructions., Jarvis supplied when it became clear no one else would.

“Theoretically,” Jane chimed.

Darcy nodded, “So do we have a departure date?”           

Jane shrugged. “Today, probably if Shield has decided on a location.”

She frowned, having witnessed the flare of the Bifrost first hand, would the Tesseract shine as brightly? “Probably somewhere secluded? Right?”

Bruce shook his head with a wry grin. “No actually, someplace public. Apparently, the reassurance of being able to witness Loki being taken off-world is necessary.”

She hummed, that made sense… sort of.

Central Park was the location apparently. She and Jane said their “see you later” to Thor from the Tower. They watched the group leave before settling in front of the tv, the channel supposed to broadcast the departure already on.

“Don’t worry Jane, I’m sure he’ll return much faster this time,” Betty comforted, offering the woman a cup of tea.

Jane took it with a sigh.

 ********************************************************************

Darcy let out a huff as she climbed the stairs of Stark Tower. Her first hunt in New York had turned out to be one of the most painstakingly cumbersome jobs. She’d been chasing down a shapeshifter for four days. Four long days when the damned thing had gotten the drop on her.  She’d woken up partially naked with a splitting headache in a sewer.

She was going to skin it and then kill it.

The only clue as to where the thing went was that her clothes were missing.

She’d found the shifter’s previous wardrobe strewn on the floor and luckily it had been a man. The elastic in the sweatpants had been a godsend, the shirt was a tight fit but it had been better than nothing.

Why the thing hadn’t killed her was a mystery to her. It would be its last mistake.

She wondered how the thing faired getting inside, her ID badge had been stashed with the rest of her regular things, someone must have “good-naturedly” allowed the other her access.

She hadn’t wanted to cause a stir in the lobby so she’d taken the stairs. It wasn’t until she was panting on the twenty-seventh level that Jarvis spoke.

“Ms. Lewis, my systems are fully functioning so I believe there is something supernatural in our midst.”

Darcy gritted her teeth as she continued up another flight of stairs her burning thighs serving fuel to the anger coursing through her. “I’ll say.”

“I will alert the others to the intruder.”

“No! Don’t!” she panted.

Jarvis seemed to pause.

“That thing has supernatural abilities! Strength, speed, pair that with being able to shift into anyone they’ve seen.” She stumbled over the next step but didn’t fall.  “As long as it’s me I’ll be able to track it. The only way I can kill this thing is to get the drop on it.”

“The shifter is currently in the communal area with Captain Rogers and Agents Barton and Romanoff.”

Ignoring the strain in her calves she continued on. “What floor is that again?”

“The fortieth,” he supplied.

Darcy let out a whine.

Pulverize it, skin it, and then kill it.

Catching her breath as to not be given away by a wheeze, Darcy finally made her way into the hall. She could hear laughter up ahead and she followed the noise.

Silver bullets loaded into her gun she continued forward. Her laugh sounded in with the others and she frowned. She did not sound like that!

Jarvis’ last confirmation was the shifter with its back to the entryway, and as she peered around the archway leading into the room she found them all facing the television.

With no hesitation, she fired off three shots into the back of the shifters head.

As it dropped to the floor in a puddle of it’s on blood the Avengers around it jumped into action. No less than three guns were trained on her.

“Darcy?” Steve asked, pausing in his movements to check on the shifters form.

Darcy let out a loud breath. “You won’t believe the week I’ve had.”

Clint shifted. “What the hell is going on?”

Darcy shrugged, latching the safety on her gun. “You’ve been playing house with a shapeshifter.”

Steve’s eyes widened but Clint stayed trained on her. “How do we know you’re not the shapeshifter.”

Motioning for them to look down, the two did so hesitantly. “Silver is the only thing that can kill a shapeshifter, if you look closely at the bullet wounds you’ll find the bubbling skin.”

Clint turned back to her. “Still doesn’t tell me if you’re you.”

Darcy opened her mouth to retort when something cold and sharp pressed to her neck. She froze instantly.

Natasha peered over her shoulder before removing it from her throat. “Silver blade, it’s Darcy.”

Rubbing the skin at her neck, Darcy moved to the wet bar. “I need a drink.”

After taking a sip she eyed the shifter laying on the floor still in her form. “Which one of you let it in?”

Her eyes immediately went to Steve, assuming his good-natured chivalry was misplaced.

He raised his hands placatingly as he shook his head. “Wasn’t me.”

Clint shifted.

Her eyes tracked the movement. “Not you! We talked about this! And you Jarvis should know better, what did I say about checking the eyes? The eye flare in your cameras is the biggest defense!”

Her phone beeped before she could continue her rant. She sent the group one last glare before leaving the room and heading to the elevator.

“What should we do with the body?” Steve called after her.

“I’ll call Sitwell,” Clint offered their voices going distant as she made her way to the elevator.

The number on the screen was unfamiliar, but that wasn’t unusual.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this Darcy?” a woman’s voice returned.

Darcy frowned as the elevator doors closed. “That depends on who's asking.”

“You probably don’t know me, but I’m a friend of your dad’s, I’m Ellen Harvelle?”

The elevator opened onto her floor and she continued to her room as she thought on the name.

“Sam and Dean stopped in about a week ago,” she offered.

Sam had mentioned an Ellen. Well, she wouldn’t find them here. “Oh, if you need one of them you’ve got the wrong line.”

“No, no. There’s a hunt over in Philadelphia, the boys mentioned you in passing, they said you’d be in New York and that you were a hunter. You’re the closest to the area, thought I’d shoot it your way.”

That was normal too, she supposed. Finally making it to her room she closed the door behind her. “What am I looking at?”

“Six women have gone missing over the last eighty years from the same apartment building. I can send you the information.”

“Alright shoot it over.”

“Thank you,” the woman sounded genuinely relieved.

“Have you heard anything from Sam and Dean?” Darcy asked. She hadn’t heard from them since they’d left a week ago.

“Last I heard the boys had a lead on another person like Sam.”

Darcy blinked. “There are others, then.” Sure, John had said there were other’s like them, but hearing it and realizing it’s true are two very different things.

“That’s what they went to find out.”

Bringing up her email Darcy clicked on the unread messages. The file had a location along with what seemed to be bounds of information. Darcy let out a whistle. “Did you put this together?”

“No, my daughter did, is it going to be enough?”

Darcy nodded, Sam had mentioned the daughter, Jo. “This is perfect, I’ll look into it.”

After taking a shower and setting an alarm, Darcy allowed herself five hours to get some much-needed rest. Not nearly enough she decided when the dreaded beeping began its croon.

Once she freshened up she grabbed her duffel before heading down to the garage.

“Good morning Ms. Lewis, off to another hunt?” Jarvis greeted.

“Morning.” Darcy bit back a yawn. “Yeah, no rest for the wicked I guess.”

“Sir has requested your presence in the lab before your departure.”

She shrugged. “Lead the way.”

She’d been down to Tony’s personal lab a few times on errands for Jane and as she stepped into it she still found herself in awe.

Dark flooring went throughout, littered with half-finished projects. Along the back wall, various Iron man armors stood encased in glass pods waiting for the moment their creator would call them forth.

Said owner sat hunched as he used a screwdriver on a square device. He glanced up at her entrance. “Hey, just the Huntress I was looking for.”

Coming to a stop beside his work table she raised a brow. “What are you doing awake this late? Early?” she amended.

Tony returned it, as he crossed his arms. “You’re awake.”

She fought the urge to rub her eyes. “Not by choice.”

“Ditto,” Tony trilled, setting aside his screwdriver as he stood from the bench.

Darcy let out a hum. “Jarvis told me to stop by?”

Tony sent her a nod, before walking over to an oblong case situated on a shelf. He brought it back to the table before unlatching it and turning it to face her.

Her eyes widened at the contents. It was a bow, similar to her own, but sleeker. “What’s this?”

Tony blinked. “Are you sure you should be driving? It’s a new bow, also.” He snapped another latch and the upper part of the case opened to reveal arrows. “I didn’t know if you were interested in trick arrows, like our resident Hawk, so I threw in a few nets, exploding arrows.”

She picked up one of the arrows with a clear cylinder attached its base.

“That one holds whatever you put in it. The contents are released once the arrow tip goes in.”

Darcy nodded, “Sweet, I have a few for my crossbow, I didn’t know they made them for arrowheads too.”

Tony shrugged. “Wouldn’t know, but it did take a few trials to keep everything balanced.”

“You made these?” she asked, eyeing the entire setup more closely.

“I’ve been updating some of the team’s gear, didn’t feel right leaving you out.”

Darcy smiled. “You didn’t need to do that but thank you.” She brought Tony into a quick hug before letting him go. “Can I take it with me now?”

He seemed frozen for a moment before he closed the lid of the case. “It’s all set.”

Darcy sent him a grin as she pulled it from the table. “Don’t stay up too late, it’s a school night.”

Tony let out a snort. “Where you headed?”

“Philadelphia.”

With a nod, he seemed to want to say something. “Maybe call ahead if you’re sending a doppelganger next time.”

Darcy winced. “Will do.”

Situated in her hotel room, she laid the printed files out on the bed. Firing off a quick text to Jane she picked through the information.

“Six women over the last eighty years? Huh,” she murmured, typing in the address of the apartment building into her laptop.

Bringing up the history of the apartment building, a picture of the dig site sat on the corner of the page, she double clicked the image to enlarge it.

 The picture was old, a sepia-toned color and slightly grainy. Only an empty lot sat between two other buildings, other apartments she assumed until something caught her eye on one of the buildings.

Barred windows.

Darcy frowned before going back to read the text. Her eyes caught on the words closed down penitentiary and a shiver worked its way down her spine.

“Well shit just got more complicated,” she murmured already doing a search for a penitentiary on that street.   

Moyamensing prison came up easily enough and with a sigh, she realized she had another problem. If this was a case of a malevolent spirit, she’d need a list of prisoners executed there.

Doing a regular search brought up a few well-known people who had been held there, an abolitionist named Passmore Williamson, and Edgar Allen Poe, who claimed to have stayed for a night after getting drunk and trying to commit suicide.

Checking the time, she pulled out her phone and gave Tony a call. Expecting him to have fallen asleep by now she was only half surprised when he answered on the fourth ring.

“Listen spark, I’m not Foster or Ross, you don’t have to check to make sure I sleep.”

Darcy grinned. “The fact that you answered begs a differ, but I’m not actually calling about that.”

“Okay,” he murmured, already sounding slightly distracted, “shoot.”

“Is there a way to get a list of prisoners executed at Moyamensing Prison?”

“Ah,” He said, “are you expecting ghostly suspects?”

“Maybe,” she got out around a yawn. “I’ll scope the place out tomorrow, see if there are any ghost, to begin with.”

“Could just be people skipping town,” he conceded,

“Exactly, gotta have all the facts. Really,” she added after another yawn, “I just want to get this over with. Haunted houses give me the creeps, I don’t want to think about haunted apartments.”

“You meant to tell me you’re afraid of ghost?”

She hesitated a moment before answering. “Terrified actually.”

“And you still hunt them?”

Darcy laughed at the bewilderment in his tone. “Someone’s gotta do it.”

“It’s a pretty long list, but I sent it to your email,” he stated letting it drop.

Opening another tab for her email she smiled. “Thanks, Dr. T!”

“Yeah, yeah, and Darcy?”

“What’s up?”

“Be careful,” he stated before hanging up.

“Aww Tin man’s got a big heart,” she murmured, her eyes already roving through the list of candidates.

Chapter Text

She woke up with a start the next day,  the feeling of her keyboard keys pressed against her cheek. She sat back with a groan, a slight crick in her neck making itself known the same time her phone chimed.

The noise that had woken her up. She answered before it could go to voicemail, standing from her chair with a bone-cracking stretch.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Darcy it’s Ellen again, Ellen Harvelle?” The woman sounded a bit harried over the line.

“Hey, Ellen what’s going on?”

“My daughter, the one that put the case together. She took off last night and I have a feeling she’s headed your way. If you see her, have her call me?”

Darcy grimaced, that was the last thing she wanted to be a part of. Holding down a sigh she felt herself nod. “Yeah, I can do that.”

“Thank you! Really, I don’t know what’s gotten into that girl lately, don’t know why she needs to go looking for death. Thanks again, Darcy.”

“Sure thing,” she offered distantly as she looked at her laptop screen. It seemed she’d narrowed down her list last night. But she wouldn’t know anything for sure until she actually checked out the apartment building.

She strode up casually to the desk, a woman with shoulder length blonde hair wearing a light green jacket standing off to the side looked her over before glancing away. 

Assuming she’d already been helped, Darcy focused her attention on the man behind the desk with a smile.

“What can I do for you?” he asked glancing up from his task.

“I heard a one bedroom opened up, I was hoping to have a look at it.”

The guy raised a brow glancing at the woman off to the side. “Actually, I was just about to show her the same place.”

“Sorry,” the woman offered with a stiff smile.

Darcy turned back to the man behind the counter. “Actually, do you mind if I tag along? I’m sure another place will open up soon, I’d love to have the jump on it already.”

He glanced at the woman, who seemed to hesitate before offering them a shrug. “I don’t mind.”

Darcy sent her grin. “Sweet.”

They followed him up to the fourth floor to an apartment situated at the end of the hall. He let them in first before walking them through the apartment.

In her pocket Darcy let the EMF do its job, as they went into the bathroom she stayed back to have a better look at the living room. The placed seemed normal, though a faint smell lingered that she couldn’t quite place. Slightly sweet with the sting of alcohol maybe?

In her pocket, the EMF beeped as she passed a wall. A bare light switch and a vent it’s only occupants. She quickly shut off the shrill beeping as her eyes caught on a black substance in the switch. She poked at it with a finger pulling back when it gave way to a sticky goo substance.

“You have got to be shitting me,” she murmured. Ectoplasm? She had a ghost alright, a powerful one at that. Only a supercharged ghost would leave behind ectoplasm.

“Great I’ll take it!”  The woman chirped behind her.

“Absolutely not,” Darcy blurted before she could stop herself.

The two looked at her with wide eyes.

The man shook his head. “I don’t know who you think you are but—"

Quickly reaching into her pocket she pulled out her backup plan. “Inspector Darcy Singer, this place is in no way up to code. You’re not selling this apartment to anyone until I get a better look at it.”

The desk agent paled, but the woman was looking at her with narrowed eyes.

He rubbed at the back of his neck anxiously. “Look I just work here, do what you’ve got to do.” He looked over at the woman sheepishly. “I’m sorry ma’am, maybe after they get this cleared up you can look into the place again, but you’re going to have to leave.”

The woman shifted. “Actually, I’d like to have a few words with the inspector, see if she can recommend any places up to code.”

Darcy nodded at the man before he left the door clicking shut behind him.

“Darcy Singer? Or should I say Winchester?” The woman asked as soon as he was out of earshot.

Darcy paused before rolling her eyes, of course. “Jo I’ll take it? Your Mom’s looking for you to call her, but I guess you know that.”

“Did she send you after me?” Jo asked, the accusation clear in her tone.

Darcy suppressed an eye roll. “She sent me the case, I’m not a bounty hunter.”

Jo nodded. “Well, this case is taken, sorry for your troubles.”

Darcy scoffed. “Sweetheart my troubles are just beginning. Do you even know what you’re dealing with?”

Jo crossed her arms. “I’m the one who put together the case.”

She sent the girl a wide smile. “Good, then you’ve figured out it’s a ghost.”

Jo’s eyes widened slightly before she quickly covered her surprise. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

Darcy nodded, “Alright Jo, Sam tells me you’ve been itching for a hunt. Like I said I’m not a bounty hunter and what goes on between you and your mom is between you and your mom. But I’ll be damned if I let you do this on your own.”

“What?” 

“Buckle up, I’m going to help you on your first hunt.”

Biting her lip nervously, Jo shifted. “Who says I need your help?”

Darcy shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, you’ve got it.”

“Fine,” Jo huffed.

“Fine.”

After a quick trip out to her car, Darcy roped the apartment off with caution tape for looks.

“So, what’s your plan?” she asked after they closed the door.

“Well if you say it’s a ghost we need to find out who’s ghost it is,” Jo stated.

Darcy nodded along to her words. “Good. Luckily I’ve already got a list of possible suspects.”

“You do?”

“Yep, next door to this place used to be a prison back in the eighteen hundreds. I’ve got a list of prisoners who were executed here, all we have to is figure out which one it is.”

Jo eyed the list wearily. “Well, our ghost seems to only go after women.”

Darcy nodded, pulling out the files on the missing women and laying them out on the table. As she stared at them, she realized she’d missed a glaringly obvious clue. Punctuated by the woman standing in front of her.

All of these women were beautiful in their own way, but all of them were blonde.

“Blonde women,” she heard herself say.

Jo looked up from the photos. “What was that?”

She held in a groan. “Our ghost has a hankering for blonde women.”

Looking slightly pale, Jo began to pace the length of the kitchen. “Okay, so I’m guessing that narrows down our list at least.”

The sound of Darcy's phone ringing gave them pause."Yo," she answered on the second ring. 

“Hey Spark, so I was looking into your case, but the good captain has some firsthand insight," Tony began over the line.

Darcy rolled her eyes at the nickname. “Okay… put him on,” placing the call on speaker, she put it on the table, it wasn't like Jo knew what the Avengers sounded like.

“Hey, Darcy,”

“Hi Steve, what’s up?” she asked. 

“Well I’m no expert, but a pal of mine use to read up on serial killers,” he began.

Darcy shared a look with Jo. “Okay?”

“Well, there was this one, the first actually.” He seemed to hesitate. “You ever hear of H.H. Holmes?”

With a frown, she sat down in front of her laptop to type in the name as Steve continued.

“This guy was notorious for over two hundred murders, but he was only caught after killing his business partner in Philadelphia. He was held and executed there, at Moyamensing prison.”

Darcy found his real name in her search, Herman Webster Mudgett. Grabbing her list of names, she searched through it before finding it seven down from the top. “It’s there. His name is on the list.”

“We know,” Steve and Tony chorused over the line.

“He wouldn’t happen to have a penchant for blondes would he?” she asked, just to confirm it.

“He killed a lot of people Darcy but, sometimes they’d only find the remains. Sometimes it was clumps of hair. Blonde hair.”

“Well alrighty then,” Darcy chirped shutting her laptop. “Thanks for the help. I can take it from here.”

“Darcy,” Tony huffed. “Are you missing the part about blondes. He could--”

“I know the risk Tony, it’s part of the job. This doesn’t change anything but thank you really both of you. You just shaved a few hours off of this case for me.”

Jo stayed quiet until she hung up. “I guess this is where the hunting aspect comes in.”

Darcy sent her a nod. Noticing they’d lost the light she began to pack up. “Not now though. We’re going to need to regroup.”

 Jo blinked. “What do you mean? We know who this guy is! We know what he’s after!” 

She paused in her movements, eyeing the girl wearily. “What’s your point?”

“My point is that we can do this now, tonight,” Jo urged.

Darcy crossed her arms. “Contrary to popular belief, hunting doesn’t always have to be done at night.”

Jo shook her head. “Fine, you go. I’m staying, I can find this thing on my own.”

Dropping her arms Darcy retraced her steps. “Look, jo, I get it. I know you feel like you have to prove yourself--”

“You have no idea what it’s like. My Mom has kept me trapped at a Roadhouse in the middle of nowhere all my life. She doesn’t think I can do this and I’m sick of it!”

Darcy held back a scoff. She wasn’t doing this. “Look I--”

Above them, the lights flickered before a scream sounded. With a curse, Darcy took off, Jo on her heels.

Jo caught up after a moment. “Which way did it come from?”

Racing to the stairwell, Darcy shoved open the door. “It sounded like it came from below us!”

“We were apartment four F.”

“Then we’ll check three F.” She returned jumping down the stairs in her hurry. They burst into the hall before rushing to the apartment.

“Stand back,” Darcy huffed before shifting her weight to her left leg. Leaning back, she shoved her foot against the door, sending wood splintering with a resounding crack before it slammed into the wall.

Another scream sounded at the intrusion, but the woman and man sitting on the couch only seemed to be startled by them.

“We heard screaming!” Darcy barked.

The man quickly shook his head, weary of the shotgun in her hand. “It sounded like it came from across the hall.”

Darcy turned around already heading to the apartment across the hall as Jo tried to shut the broken door in vain. She’d barely gotten it closed before Darcy shoved her foot through the next door.

Jo let out a huff. “Dude, seriously!”

Darcy looked around the seemingly empty apartment her eyes catching on white debris scattered along the floor. With a frown, she glanced up her eyes widening at the large crack in the ceiling dividing the room. Pulling out her EMF she followed its beeping towards a wall with a black phone hanging above a low vent. Eyes narrowed Darcy crouched down in front of the vent the EMF sounding shrilly in the silence.

Jo let out a heavy breath. “It’s in the walls. We should go after it, we can fit.”

Darcy held in a sigh. She really didn’t want to.

                                                                                                  *********************************************

Once they were through the vent it was surprisingly spacious as they walked between the walls of the apartment building. Not that that made up for the cobwebs and general creepiness of the place.

With only her flashlight to lead the way, Darcy was having a losing battle with her heart rate. Every corner they turned she expected to either find the ghost of H.H. Homes or the dead body of the person he’d taken. As they turned another corner, the light of her flashlight gleamed against something ahead, just as her phone went off.

The two of them jumped, Darcy let out a curse before pulling her phone out of her pocket.

“Would you put that thing on silent, you nearly gave me a heart attack,” Jo whispered behind her.

“Sorry,” Darcy trilled before answering her phone. “Now really isn’t the best time.”

“Oh, sorry,” Steve said over the line. “I just, there was something else I forgot, never mind.”

“No, it’s fine.” She forced herself to relax. “Sorry, I’m just a little jumpy right now.”

“Right well. Holmes had a knack for building traps, he had this place they called The Murder Hotel. He’d use chloroform on some of his victims to get them there, but I’m talking trap doors, Acid vats, a crematorium. Holmes had the entire place booby-trapped.”

Darcy frowned pausing as she sniffed the air, nearly overwhelmed by the sharp and sweet smell she remembered from the apartment. Her heart stuttered in her chest as realization dawned on her. 

Chapter Text

“Right well. Holmes had a knack for building traps, he had this place they called The Murder Hotel. He’d use chloroform on some of his victims to get them there, but I’m talking trap doors, Acid vats, a crematorium. Holmes had the entire place booby-trapped.”

Darcy frowned pausing as she sniffed the air, nearly overwhelmed by the sharp and sweet smell she remembered from the apartment. Her heart stuttered in her chest as realization dawned on her. 

“Jo Run!” She shoved the girl into motion backtracking their way to the vent they’d passed not long ago. All the while Darcy could feel it. That tingling feeling in the base of her spine that told her that something was on her heels.

She didn’t bother saying goodbye to Steve as she shoved her phone into her pocket, switching it out for her gun. She whirled just in time to fire at the ghost, the Salt round went straight through his decaying form before he vanished with a scream.

“Darcy come on!” Jo yelled.

She turned back around making a mad dash for the vent. Jo had already climbed through and was now peering down, her eyes urging her to move faster.

She’d just reached the vent when Jo’s eyes widened. 

She didn’t have time to fire off another round of rock salt when the sickly-sweet smell of chloroform clouded her mouth and nose. She made a last-ditch effort to reach for her dagger but she couldn’t get a grip on the handle with her slackened muscles unresponsive as she tried to command them.

The hand that clamped around her foot as she laid on the floor was cold, her mind unhelpfully conjured up dry and flaking decayed skin, just for the fun of it, as one last chill shuddered through her before everything went dark.

***********************

Darcy let out a groan, as splitting headache throbbed between her eyes. She was never getting sad drunk with Betty and Jane again. Whatever she was laying on was hard with no give as her back protested her shifting. That's when she realized there was no room to shift.

“What the hell?”  Forcing her eyes open she frowned when she was met with darkness. She'd barely extended her arm to reach beside her when her hand slapped against a wall.

“Oh shit,” she murmured, finally remembering what her mind had suppressed.  She continued to trace the path of the wall only to find more wall.

Was she in a coffin? Buried Alive? The seventh way she feared dying?

 Darcy fought down her panic as she continued the perusal of her cage. Her fingers slid into a crevice and she adjusted herself until she was facing it.

It was still too dark to see anything, so shifting she dug into her pockets for her flashlight. She let out another curse, vaguely remembering dropping it when the ghost got the drop on her.

Twice in one week, she’d been bested by a hunt.

Reaching for her phone instead, she found that easily enough in her pocket. She turned on the flashlight feature, immediately wishing she hadn’t.

Well, at least she hadn’t been buried alive.

She was in a dusty rusted metal box, with the occasional bloody scratch mark to show she hadn’t been its only occupant.

Directly in front of her was a whole, or more accurately a slit. With the light of her phone, she peered through it. She could just make out the shape of the round room, completely metal. This had to be some sort of bunker she decided.

She quickly shut off the flashlight, she needed to get out of before Holmes came back. She had a bad feeling about her “cage” and its dust remnants.

One-word Steve had said repeated like a broken record in her mind. Crematorium.

Rummaging through her pocket she did a quick recon of their contents. Her hunting dagger, a lighter, iron knuckles. Darcy stopped her perusal, grabbing the dagger. She shoved it into the crevice of what she assumed was the door and the top of the box. Moving it along until she met the resistance of the lock. She forced her knife against it and when it didn’t give, she switched directions.

A cold sweat began to bead at her neck, her fingers aching with her grip on the hilt. But with a grunt she continued to force the lock until finally, with a groaning creak it gave way. With no opposition, she pressed her feet against the door, finding more resistance than she expected, but with one final shove, it fell open with a resounding groan.

Darcy waisted no time in crawling out and shoving closed what she now knew was a cremation furnace.  

The room was only slightly brighter than the inside of the crematory. Finding a door she didn't hesitate to try and open it. Expectedly she found it wouldn't budge, whether from an outside lock or rusted from disuse, She was still trapped.

 Turning back around she found three more crematories. Hesitantly she approached the one closest to the door, the farthest from her own. She shined a light inside but couldn’t really make out if anyone was inside. That is until they screamed.

“Shhh, please don’t do that! I’m going to get you out just please stop screaming,” Darcy hissed as kindly as she could muster.

The woman quieted her screams to a whimper.

“What’s your name?” Darcy asked as she searched for the lock.

“T-Teresa,” she managed to get out.

“Well, Teresa, I’m going to-” Darcy froze as the door creaked, all thoughts leaving her as she shushed the woman and crouched beside the door, her blade at the ready.

She could hear the woman crying behind her but, she ignored her. Waiting until the door opened completely before darting out and stabbing at his face.

He caught it and she pulled out her gun already aiming for his stomach.

“Woah easy there Darce,” a familiar voice chastised.

She froze just shy of pulling the trigger. Stepping back, she let out a breath of relief at the man staring down at her. “Uncle Bobby?”

“I guess you didn’t need my help after all,” he grumbled.

She ignored him in favor of wrapping him in a hug, “I have never been happier to see you!”

Behind them the door creaked, Bobby’s hand clamped over hers before she could take aim.

Jo peered around the door curiously. “Darcy are you alive?”

She sent the girl a relieved grin. “I can’t believe you called my Uncle." Better than her dad she'd admit.

Jo shook her head in confusion. “I didn’t call Bobby. I called my mom, then she called Bobby.”

Darcy turned to look at Bobby only to find a red blush painting his cheeks.

“Ellen’s an old friend," he defended, scratching his bearded chin. "I’ve mentioned you a few times to her when you were younger.”

The two girls shared a look before continuing to stare at him.

Bobby shifted under their scrutiny. “What? It’s not easy raising a teenager! You and Jo were around the same age, we used to trade horror stories.”

Darcy shared a grin with Jo before sobering. “Alright, so you’re here. I’m assuming you have a plan.”

Bobby sent her a look tinged with worry. “You’re not gonna like it.”

After getting the other woman out of the crematory, Jo and Bobby took up position just beyond the door. Darcy on the other hand sat waiting inside the bunker. She’d refused to get back inside the Crematory outright so here she sat, beside it.

Holmes appeared what seemed like hours later and as he found his quarry gone, Darcy released the last line of salt that would trap him inside with her.

“Herman Webster Mudgett,” she announced.

The ghost turned to her with piercing eyes, fear tried to stiffen her spine, but she was passed that. She was pissed.

She stood up from her crouched position. “You’re gonna pay for your crimes buddy.”

His image flickered, but stayed in the room and Darcy grinned.

He turned in a panicked circle taking in the line of salt surrounding them. As he did Darcy observed him, he seemed almost tangible. His soul as tainted as a demon’s.

An idea came to mind.

Bobby’s plan had been to trap him here, but that didn’t sit well with her; spirits could be released. 

She reached out to his energy. His was only slightly different than a demon’s swirling smoke form, none the less she latched onto it.

He turned wild eyes on her, screaming as he attempted to advance towards her.

Darcy shook her head at the attempt. “Burn in hell,” she growled, “ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine.”

His screams intensified as his body caught flame. They engulfed him before scorching into the ground leaving only the echo in the chamber as they cut off at its crescendo.

Darcy flinched at the noise, turning as Bobby and Jo burst back into the room Bobby’s, shotgun at the ready. He looked around before settling on her.

“The hell was that?”

Darcy let out a huff already making her way to them. “That thing was too powerful to be a regular spirit. You told me once that Demons were just spirits, tormented and twisted until they were evil beyond recognition.”

Uncle Bobby could only nod.

“A spirit with that much mojo had to be just as twisted. So, I did what we do to demons, I exorcised it.”

He frowned before he seemed to nod in acceptance, much to her relief. “Well alright let’s get out of here, this place is givin me creeps.”

*****

Situated back in her hotel room, after a thorough shower, she stepped around Bobby and Jo as she packed up her hotel room.

“So, you’re like Sam?” Jo asked, from her crossed legged position on the bed.

“Yep freaky psychic twins,” she murmured glancing over at her.

Jo frowned. “When Sam mentioned having a twin I thought you’d be… taller”

Darcy let out a snort of laughter.

“And why did the ghost take you? I thought for sure he’d be after me?” She continued.

Bobby frowned. “Why’s that?”

“The last eight girls all had blonde hair,” she supplied, motioning to her hair. “My plan, when we went into the walls was to draw him out that way.”

Darcy sat her laptop down on the table to face her fully. “Listen, Jo, I like you okay, so I’m going to give you a tip. Never use yourself as bait. Too many unpredictable variables.”

Jo nodded, before shaking her head. “Still it’s weird he went after you.”

Shoving the last of her items into her bag she let out an annoyed huff. “Apparently ghost aren’t fooled by hair dye," she offered, turning to finish packing her laptop, "We all learned a lot today.”

Jo frowned before her eyes widened. “You’re a natural blonde,” she concluded. “but how? I mean you and Sam ar--"

“Fraternal twins. He’s tall I’m short. He has green eyes; my eyes are blue. We’re practically night and day but we’re still two sides of the same coin.”

Jo smiled. “Yin and Yang.”

Darcy couldn’t help but return it. “Yeah, yeah.”

The door to the room flew open, banging against the wall behind it. 

She Bobby and Jo turned knives drawn and guns out. As she watched who stepped through she frowned, lowering her gun. “What the hell guys?”

Steve and Natasha stepped inside, surveying the room with fleeting eyes.

Natasha recovered first, but Steve spoke, still defensive. “The line went dead, I thought--”

Natasha shook her head. “You overreacted. I told you she could handle herself.”

A clank sounded on the balcony before a knock sounded. she narrowed her eyes at her guest.

Natasha let out a sigh, as Steve did everything to ignore her gaze. With a frown, Darcy drew back the curtain to find Iron man glowering down at her. 

He waived. “Mind letting me in?”

With a backward glance, Darcy unlatched the sliding door before stepping aside.

The faceplate lifted and he sent a glare at Steve. “She’s fine and not mauled by the ghost of a dead serial killer, Steve.”

Natasha shook her head, “That was your wild thought Tony, not Steve’s.”

Steve nodded. “Yeah, that was all you.”

Natasha grinned slowly. “Steve said she’d fallen into a vat of acid.”

Darcy dropped her head to her hands as laughter began to shake her shoulders. “You guys are ridiculous, but I kind of love you.”

The suit whirred before Tony stepped out, allowing the suit to fold down into a case. “So you’re fine, I say we grab cheese steaks and head back, need a ride?” he asked.

She looked over at Bobby.

"I'll make sure this one gets home, Ellen'll have my head if I don't."

She turned back to the others. “You got space for my car?”

Natasha sent her nod.

Darcy smiled, at the prospect of not having to sit in traffic. “Awesome.”

“Wait a minute!” Jo huffed. “You guys are the Avengers.”

The four of them nodded, and Jo’s eyes immediately went to Darcy.

“Wait, you too?”

She winced. “I’m on reserve.”

Uncle Bobby broke the tension first, offering a hand to Steve. "It's nice to finally meet Darcy's Team."

Darcy quickly ran through introductions, before pulling Jo aside. "I know the last thing you want to do is head home."

Jo shrugged. "Not much else I can do really."

"Look, believe it or not, I was in a similar position to you, and like you, I did what I wanted in the end. jut," she hesitated, "Be smart about it, you and Bobby have a long ride back."

Jo sent her a frown. "So?"

She tried and failed not to roll her eyes. "Soooo, Uncle Bobby taught me everything I know, guys a walking supernatural thesaurus. Take notes," she huffed. "And if you happen to stumble upon a hunt or two on your long ride home? Call it the scenic route."

A smirk twitched at the edge of Jo's lips. "Thanks, Darcy.  For everything." Her smile dropped. "And sorry about getting you..."

"Don't mention it, or this... any of it really," Darcy stated it with a laugh.

Chapter Text

Darcy eyed the chicken scratch written on the back of a used napkin with a frown.

“Okay, so what does all this mean? In the grand scheme of things,” she asked aloud, phone on speaker as she spoke to Sam and dean.

They’d finally given her a call after their trip to the “special child” they’d gone to check out. They’d turned out to be twins separated at birth, but their story didn’t give her much hope for herself and Sam.

Separated at birth one lived a fairly normal life until he found out he could control people through suggestive thoughts. A slew of deaths had led Sam and Dean to him, and right into the path of his psychotic twin brother. Killing everyone his brother loved so they’d have no one between them.

“We don’t know,” Sam returned with a long sigh, “nothing concrete anyway.”

Darcy tsked as she realized the napkin was upside down. “Any luck with the colt?”

“Dad hasn’t let the thing out of his sight since …” Dean trailed off.

She glanced at the ceiling. “So, no luck with that either.” Sam and Dean were sure they could find a way out for John. Some loophole they hoped to find or a reassurance that killing Azazel would set their dad free.

She doubted there was but she wasn’t about to stop their search either.

“Well,” she mused, looking over the square device on the lab table, almost identical to the phase meter, in size. It would help them track demons and, hopefully, Azazel. “I’ll see if dad will make a trade.

********

She met her dad in the lobby of Stark tower before dragging him upstairs and straight into Jane’s Lab. Jane alongside Betty, Bruce, and Tony stood waiting for them. 

“We’ve made the device to track demonic energy,” She explained, holding out said device.

John held his hand out eagerly.

“But,” Darcy stated, drawing it out of reach. “There’s no point in tracking Azazel if we can’t kill him.”

His eyes narrowed. “What’re you saying?”

“I’m saying you are currently standing in front of four of the brightest minds in America.”

“Five,” Jane stated, pointedly looking at her.

Darcy grinned. “Right. Let us have a look at the colt dad. You don’t even have to leave it here. Dr. T can copy the specs, take some samples from the barrel, and you’ll be on your way.”

John eyed his daughter warily, but Darcy refused to falter under his gaze.

“How long will it take?”

She glanced at Tony, and he shrugged stepping up beside her. “Not long to scan, but to recreate bullets, there’s no telling until we look at it.”

John let out a heave of a sigh, glancing surreptitiously around the lab before eyeing the scientists behind her. “And you’ve got this place warded?” he asked shifting his gaze back to her.

Darcy nodded. “The whole tower actually, top to bottom. And there’re contingency plans in place in case they fail.”

With one last put upon sigh, he pulled the colt from his coat, “Be quick.”

Darcy grabbed it before handing it off to Tony.

His eyes widened, turning it over in his hands.

Betty frowned as she moved closer. “Doesn’t look so special.”

Tony shook his head. “Jarvis give me a scan, full render with a 4-dimension obstruction. If I can’t hold onto the gun, I’m going to need to be able to test it out.”

“Do you have the blood samples?” Darcy asked, drawing John’s attention back to her.

He reached into his other pocket. “Vampire blood, demon blood, and werewolf, that last one almost cost me a finger, so be careful with it, no redoes.”

Jane nodded, already moving along with Bruce and Betty.

John glanced at her. “What do you do?”

She shrugged. “Offer input”

“Darce?” Tony called.

She sent her dad a wink. “See.”

She found Tony in a pair of rubber gloves, swabbing the inside of the gun for powder residue. Dropping it into a bag he handed it off to her. She took it before taking it to Bruce. 

“What do you know about this... antique?” Tony asked, toying with the trigger of the gun. “I mean Jesus, this is older than Cap.”

Darcy let out a snort. “Dad?”

“As far as I know it was made by a man named Samuel Colt.”

Tony blinked. “The Samuel Colt?”

John raised a brow before nodding.

“Dear God I’m holding a relic. It’s gotta be at least a century old.”

“1835,” John supplied, “It was made the night Halley’s comet was in the sky, the same night those men died in the Alamo. One colt, with thirteen bullets.”

Tony twisted the gun to and fro before his eyes caught on the inscription on its side. “n-ahn time -bo may la,” he pronounced.

Darcy shook her head. “Non timebo mala, it means I will fear no evil.”

Tony sent her a raised brow. “You speak Latin? Remind me to keep you away from Natashalie.” He turned away with a frown. “It’s a dying language, you don’t need to learn it,” he murmured to himself mockingly, “right.”

After one last inspection, he handed the gun back to John before turning to the render in front of him. He picked it up as if holding the real thing. “Jarvis how’re those bullets coming.”

“Well sir, if I were to assume Samuel Colt used the same model ammo as he did for the gun then the gun powder would be 22 grains Goex Brand FFFg giving the bullet a velocity of 879 feet per second (268 m/s) and a minimum deviation of 37 ft/s (11 m/s) with extreme spread. That’s all I have to go on unless Mr. Winchester would like to offer his insight.”

John cleared his throat glancing up at the ceiling. “uh, no that, sounds about right, uh Jarvis.”

Tony sent her a grin. “Then load me up,” he called, pointing the gun at a seemingly random spot.

In the distance, a target appeared and he aimed then fired the gun off. Darcy wasn’t quite expecting it to make an actual noise. The group flinched ducking their heads.

Tony nodded. “Seems about right.”

“A little warning next time,” Bruce called, his voice backed with just enough bass to land his warning.

Tony blanched. “Sorry big guy”

John glanced at her. “If that’s all, I’ll head out. Call me when it’s ready.”

Darcy sent him a nod. “Let us know if you pick anything up on the reader. We’ll be able to check the readouts and scan for a wider spectrum the stronger the energy, narrow it down so we’re not jumping every time someone makes a deal with a demon.

John glanced down at the device in his hands. “Right. Sure thing.”

Tony cleared his throat when she made it back from taking her dad back outside. “As Dad’s go he doesn’t seem too bad?” he asked.

Darcy scoffed. “Please, the man dropped me off with a total stranger when I was eight, never even looked back.” Granted Bobby was the best thing to ever happen to her, but that was beside the point.

Tony frowned. “Looks can be deceiving, I guess.”

Darcy glanced up with narrowed eyes and he held his hands up placatingly.

“I’d be the poster child in that aspect.”

She could only nod before she headed over to the machine analyzing the gun powder. They’d be using the blood samples to cross-match anything unknown in Jarvis’ database.

Jane frowned at the inconclusive readout. “I don’t understand.”

Darcy reigned in a frustrated sigh, at the blaring red unknown for the main ingredient. “What’s not to understand?”

“How can it be unknown?”

“Because it hasn’t been entered into the system! We don’t know what Samuel colt used to make those bullets. And whatever he did use is toxic to every supernatural creature. I’m assuming the ingredient is something supernatural as well.”

“What like ghost sweat?” Tony chimed, “Do ghost sweat?”

Darcy frowned. “Why would I know that? Do you think I ask ghost questions when I’m purifying them?”

Bruce stepped closer. “What other creatures are there?”

She closed her eyes running through a mental list and parroting them as they came to her. “,Djinns, Skinwalkers, Sirens, Wendigos, and Rugarus," she finished, opening her eyes to find them staring at her with wide eyes. “I’ve never even seen half of those,” she huffed defensively.

"Rugarus?" Tony huffed, "you made that up."

She wrinkled her nose. "I wish, those things are nasty. They're human up until about age thirty. Knew this one hunter who had to put one down, dude ate his entire family when the hunger got to be too much."

They all grimaced. 

Bruce was the first to shake off the morbid story. "Well, there's not much else we can do without more blood samples for reference."

Darcy let out a long breath. "Alright, load me up with more collection tubes. I'll round up as many samples as I can..." she trailed off looking at Jane pensively. Maybe if they widened their spectrum of supernatural creatures they'd have a better chance of finding the mystery ingredient.

Jane returned her gaze, suspicion tinging her brow. “Why're you looking at me like that?”

“How are we doing with making contact with Thor?”

Jane's eyes widened. “Short of yelling up to Heimdall, we haven't had any luck. We don't have enough energy to recreate the Bifrost, and after New York, I don't know if we should."

Darcy nodded repressing a shiver at the catastrophe the Tesseract had been, before turning and heading to the door. “I need to make a call.” She glanced over her shoulder coming to a stop just before the door. “Find me a spot with a lot of open space.”

After a phone call to Bobby and a trip in the Quinjet alongside her scientist, they unloaded the jet in upstate New York. She glanced around the dilapidated buildings Tony had brought them to. 

“What is this place?” she asked, her gaze landing on Tony.

He shrugged. “My old man use to store stuff here, it's mostly warehouses. but,” he offered with a grin, “it's private property and has a hell of a lot of acres.”

Darcy nodded before getting to work.

After some instruction, Jane and Betty were able to do some of the basic set up; drawing sigils, mixing the ingredients. Darcy had even been able to use a bit of the godlings hair from a brush he'd left behind that Jane promised she had never used. 

She glanced around at the finished setup. She wasn't sure if this would actually work. Bobby hadn't been able to find a summoning spell for Thor specifically, but there had been one that if altered properly may bring him forth.

 Striking a match, she set the strands of hair on fire allowing them to fall into the bowl. She chanted the incantation before throwing the contents of the bowl into the air.

They'd double-checked the direction of the wind just for that part. No one wanted a face full of lambs' blood.

The ingredients flittered around them, sparking bright before turning to smoke. The wisp’s slithered into the air before vanishing. 

After a moment of nothing, Tony's hand clamped over her shoulder. "You had me going for a second Da-"

Thunder boomed, cutting off his dry remark. And Darcy swore she felt the earth shake with the reverberations. Lightning danced across the sky as the clear night began to cloud over.

Darcy took a step back. "Holy shit balls."

Lightning struck the center of the Pentagram in the grass, she hadn't been sure if Thor or some other deity would show up, so vying on the safe side she'd made sure whoever or whatever appeared couldn't hurt her scientist. 

Beside her the suit formed around Tony, she held up a hand to Dr. Banner to hold his position. His breathing had begun to deepen and she didn't need a premature Hulk out.

She shielded her eyes as the light show increased, but through squinted eyes, she could just make out the form of a man. 

"WHO WOULD SUMMON, THOR! SPEAK NOW MORTAL OR FEEL THE WRATH OF-"

"Dude Chill!" she shouted, cutting him off.

The lightning began to dissipate, leaving Thor standing at the pentagram's center, Mjolnir held aloft and prepared for battle. 

"Darcy?" he asked, going from enraged to comedically confused in a matter of seconds. He paused midstep with a frown, his eyes going to the Pentagram surrounding him. "Why have you trapped me?"

She stepped forward with a grin. “I didn’t know if you’d show up, had to prepare for the worse, big guy.”

Grabbing the dagger from its sheath at her hip, she flipped it so the dagger's tip was facing the ground. She hurled it at the line they'd drawn, breaking the protective barrier.

Thor stepped forward with a grin, dropping his hammer before scooping her into a hug. Through her lack of oxygen, she smiled up at him. “Good to see you, buddy.”

“Thor!” Jane’s voice echoed.

Previously the trio behind her had been frozen with shock, Darcy had expected as much. She’d been a little shocked too. It was one thing to summon a demon, and another thing entirely to summon a friend.

Thor released her in favor of pulling Jane into what looked like a toe-curling kiss.

Tony still in his armor, allowed the faceplate to retract, she grinned at the shock still plastered on his face. “Does this make you some kind of Witch?” he asked.

“Hardly,” she snorted. “you can summon almost anything with the right stuff.”

Betty stepped closer. “And how long will he be earthside?”

“Not long actually,” she turned to Thor and Jane, “sorry to break up the lovefest but we’re on limited time here.”

Thor nodded solemnly. “I’ll be returning to my realm shortly,” he looked to Darcy, “Heimdall mentioned you were searching for something?”

She reached into her pocket for a bag with some of the residue gun powder they'd collected. “Yup. We’re having trouble identifying what was used to create bullets for a gun we need.”

“This is for your hunting?” Thor asked, wearily.

She sent him a nod. “Traded the last of the bullets for my brother’s life, and now we don’t have a way to kill the damned Demon. Think you can help?”

He frowned but took the plastic bag. “Usually, when I am called upon, I receive an offering. I suppose, in your case, I could-”

Darcy held up a grocery bag, effectively cutting him off. “Two Cherry, three strawberry and a surprise flavor, just came out this year.”

Thor’s eyes widened with child-like glee as he took the bag full of pop tarts. “This pleases me, I accept your offering, sister, in exchange I will help you find what you seek. I bid you all a farewell.” 

Lightning struck the god and he vanished with slightly less exuberance than when he appeared.

Silence settled in his wake but Darcy could feel the glimmers of hope beginning to unfurl inside of her.

Finally, she felt like they were getting closer to their goals. It seemed one problem after another continued to pop up with no solution for the first problem they’d started with.  It was about time they made some headway.

They reloaded the Quinjet with little affair, before heading back to the tower.

Jane had been quiet most of the way back, and Darcy ended up following the scientist to her apartment, not wanting to leave her friend in such a glum mood.

Jane paused in her stride only to unlock her door. “I’m fine Darce, promise.”

She stepped into the apartment beside her. “I know, boss, but,” she dug threw her pocket before pulling out the slip of paper with the ritual to summon Thor, “I figured you could hold onto this, in case of an emergency,” she warned when Jane eagerly reached for it.

The scientist schooled her features into something more professional, only bursting into laughter when the paper was safely in her hands. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

Darcy shrugged, “I could stand to hear it a little more.”

Jane pulled her into a warm hug. “I love you, Darce.”

Pushing down the emotion clogging her throat she pulled back from Jane. “So is this a sleepover kind of night or…”

Jane flashed her a grin. “Sleepover for sure, see if Betty wants to join us.”

“And maybe Natasha?” Darcy asked. She’d been wanting to include the assassin into their small girl group but she seemed to be busy most days.

“If she wants,” Jane began.

“I’ll pop some popcorn.” A new voice chimed.

Darcy and Jane let out twin shrieks as Natasha stepped into the doorway, they’d left open to the hall.

“The hell!” Darcy grumbled.

Natasha smiled, stepping the rest of the way into the room. “I probably won’t stay over, but I’d like to hang out for a while.”

Jane barely managed a nod.

Pulling herself together she patted Jane on the back. “Well alrighty then.”