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Hidden in the shadows of an alleyway, Dean watched a uniformed Police officer stretch yellow tape between two abstract sculptures in the city park across the street. Bright floodlights illuminated the scene. Dean could just make out the shape of a body on the ground.
Dean tapped his smartwatch. “Hey, Cas. What’s your ETA?”
“I’m here, Dean.”
Surprised by the voice suddenly so near his ear, Dean jumped, straight back into the solid mass of the man standing behind him. Cas caught his arms, steadying Dean. "Cas, shit, please don’t do that." Despite his words, Dean relaxed back against Cas as he took a deep breath, waiting for his heart to calm. "I swear they must have infused some cat into your DNA when they engineered you." Dean turned and was met with bright blues eyes and a furrowed brow.
Cas tilted his head. "That would be a shame… considering you are allergic to cats."
Dean couldn’t tell if Cas was joking or flirting. Usually, he was pretty good at reading people, but Cas wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met. This was pretty unfair, considering sometimes Cas would look at him like he could see straight into his soul, despite how fiercely Dean guarded his feelings. Dean swallowed hard and took a step back. “Uh, yeah—so—we should go talk to the detective before the real ACD shows up.” Dean pulled out two fake badges, handing one to Cas.
They crossed the street to the park. Dean flashed his fake badge confidently as they passed the officer guarding the crime scene and ducked under the yellow tape. A graying middle-aged black man stood over the body examining it. He was the only person there wearing neither a uniform nor a white polypropylene coverall. Dean coughed to get his attention, then held up his badge. He elbowed Cas to do the same. "Are you in charge here?"
The man nodded, his eyes narrowing. "I'm Detective Fields... you are?"
"Agents Page and Plant from the Android Crimes Division."
"The ACD?” The detective snorted derisively. “In that case, your victim is over there.” He nodded his head to the left, pointing to the metal remains of a robot strewn across a concrete path a few yards away.
"Thanks, we’ll get to that right away, but first what can you tell me about the human victim?”
“Beaten to death. And they cut his ID chip out, so likely a mugging.”
“And the android?” asked Cas.
The detective shrugged. “It’s a park security droid, probably tried to intervene for all the good it did. The higher-ups would rather fill the streets with these cheap tin-cans than hire real cops.”
“Looks like its head was snapped off. That had to take some strength.” Dean looked to Cas for confirmation. “Aberrant?"
The detective scoffed. “Urban legend. If an android attacks it’s because someone programmed it too. My guess, it was just someone with a crowbar and a lot of determination. If the droid’s memory chip isn’t too damaged, we’ll know more after the techs get it back to the lab.”
Dean tapped Cas’ arm and pointed his thumb at the droid. He raised a questioning brow, to which Cas nodded and walked over to the detached head. Its face was smooth and blank, marked only with a security emblem decal on its forehead. Cas knelt and touched two fingers to the droid’s temple. Cas’ optic implants glowed as he accessed its memory and reviewed its recording of the attack.
“Anything useful?”
Cas stood. “The assailants were humanoid, three men and two women. They wore leather jackets with a glowing devil emoji on the back.”
“Humanoid or human?”
“I can’t say for certain but based on the strength it would take to do this...” Cas gestured at the security droid.
Dean nodded, then cursed under his breath, kicking a loose pebble. “Great, they’re organizing now. Yay, teamwork.”
Cas’ gaze moved to the human victim, his expression darkening. “They were laughing, Dean.” His hands clenched tightly at his sides.
Dean shuddered. Asimov’s First Law—a robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm—was required programming for every AI. Any alteration to an AI’s code that interfered with that law was a felony. That wasn’t to say it couldn’t be done, but it wouldn’t be easy. There were safeguards and firewalls to protect against such hacking and so far, Sam had found no evidence of outside tampering. Was it a hacker or a random glitch? A hacker could be tracked down and stopped, but a glitch? How do you fight against that?
Dean scanned the park. Some civilians had gathered outside the yellow tape, at least half of them were probably streaming the crime scene across social media. "Hey, Cas, can you take a look around? Anyone giving off odd body heat readings? Or acting suspiciously?”
A slim ring of blue lit up around the irises of Cas' eyes as he surveyed the crowd. His eyes snapped to a fountain in the distance. Dean followed his gaze and spotted the figure standing by it.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Dean scowled.
“That is a good question.” Cas narrowed his eyes.
Uriel was studying a scrap metal sculpture, covered in graffiti, with a combination of curiosity and distaste. “So, this is what passes for art down here.” Hands clasped behind his back, he turned to meet Cas and Dean as they approached.
“Uriel, what brings you here?”
“You, of course.” Uriel looked at Cas pointedly. “You were warned about interfering in matters that aren’t company business.”
Dean crossed his arms. “Pretty sure this is still a free country. Cas can do whatever the hell he likes in his free time.”
“Except Castiel isn’t free. He is a Transgenic, engineered by Edlund Industries, to follow whatever orders his superiors give him.”
“You should keep up with the news. Transgenics are protected by human rights laws now,” Dean countered back.
“I am aware. However, his bionic implants are Edlund Industries’ property and therefore subject to repossession should a breach in contract occur.”
“I have always been loyal to the company, Uriel. My duty is, as it's always been, to protect it and that is what I’m doing. Aberrants are as much a threat to our home as they are to Dean’s.”
Uriel shrugged. “Our bosses don’t see it that way. Raphael wants a word with you.
Cas’ eyes widened slightly. “Raphael? Asked for me?”
“I don’t think he likes how you’ve been spending your...” Uriel sneered, side-eyeing Dean, “...free time either.”
Dean took a step closer to Cas. “You don’t have to go, Cas.”
Cas sighed. “I do.” He turned to Dean. “Don’t go after the gang on your own. Wait for Sam to return or call me if you find them.”
Dean shook his head. If someone was in danger Dean wasn’t going to wait around for back-up, if Cas didn’t know that then he didn’t really know Dean at all. “It’s fine. You do what you need to. I’ll take care of things here.” He wanted to tell Cas not to go... to tell Uriel, Raphael and the rest of his company to go screw themselves, but Cas had his duty and it wasn’t to Dean.
* * *
Castiel walked to the center of the garden and sat on the empty white bench there. It was his favorite spot. He liked to think of it as his own private getaway, a place he could contemplate in peace. Of course, the large rooftop garden was open to any Edlund Industries employee and a few took their lunches there, but for the rest of the workday, it remained empty. Empty of people but not of life. It was a vibrant and thriving oasis in an otherwise barren landscape of cold steel and glass.
This building was the tallest in the city, so when Castiel gazed up into the sky, it was easy to imagine he was floating alone in the clouds above. As he looked up, hands clasped on his lap, he wished he could feel the breeze on his face. But the glass dome that covered the garden was necessary to keep out the heavy pollution that frequently rolled through the city. When air quality was at red levels, a human couldn’t even venture outside without a respirator. Today was one of those lucky yellow level days though when the sky wasn’t covered in a murky orange haze.
Castiel felt something tickle the back of his hand and looked down. He brought the small bumblebee resting on it up to eye level. It was a clone, genetically engineered to be resistant to pollutants and pesticides. Real bees had died out decades ago. “Hello, little brother,” Castiel greeted. Like the bumblebee, Castiel too had been genetically engineered to adapt and survive in a dying world.
The bumblebee lifted off, its tiny wings buzzing as it circled overhead before darting off towards the potted blue geraniums.
Eyes drifting to the empty spot beside him, he wondered if Dean might like it here. Castiel had hoped he might show him this place someday, but after how his meeting with Raphael went the night before, this could very well be his last visit. He spent most of the night contemplating what he wanted to do. Edlund Industries wasn’t just where he worked, it was his home, he had spent his entire life there. Castiel wasn’t sure who he was without it. But he had some idea of who he could be, thanks to Dean and Sam, and that gave him hope.
A virtual alert flashed before him, interrupting his thoughts. There was an attack in progress down in Barkers Row. It was an old subway tunnel that had been converted into a market. Castiel did a quick search and found several live streams of the attack. He caught sight of a familiar devil emoji as a gang knocked down stalls and smashed merchandise. Their aim seemed to simply be general chaos and destruction.
One man tried to defend his stall with a baseball bat. He swung it at the nearest gang member who caught the bat with one hand, before ripping it effortlessly free from the other’s grasp.
Castiel ran to the elevator that would take him down to the parking level. He used an override code to make sure the elevator didn’t make any other stops on the way. As soon as the doors opened, Castiel remotely started his hoverbike's engine. He jumped onto the seat as the bike moved to meet him. Gripping the handles tightly, he sped up the ramp and through a gate to the street outside.
* * *
Dean grunted as he ducked and rolled. He felt the air shift above his head from the swinging bat. It left a dotted trail of blood in its wake, fresh from the victim the Aberrant had stolen it from.
Standing, Dean held his knife ready. There was a spot at the neck, just under the synthetic flesh, where wires ran commands like a nervous system to its body. Severing those wires was the quickest way to disable an Aberrant if you could get close enough.
Dean heard heavy footsteps behind him and knew he was being surrounded. He’d taken two down already, but there were three left and one was armed. Sam hadn’t come back yet from his little trip, so Dean was on his own. He probably should have called Cas, but since Cas had bailed on Dean and hadn’t bothered to contact him to let him know how he was doing after he met with Raphael, Dean was reluctant (too stubborn his brother would say) to be the first to call.
As if on cue, Dean heard an explosion of sparks behind him. Dean turned his head in time to see Cas stepping away from a fallen Aberrant to take on another one. Using the moment of distraction, Dean rolled again, this time landing behind the bat-wielding Aberrant. With a swift strike, he drove the knife into the back of its neck. It sparked and fell. Another thud echoed just after. Cas stood over the still bodies of two Aberrants, his own dagger in hand.
Dean breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Nice timing, Cas.”
Cas didn't smile in return, but after looking Dean over and seeing he wasn’t injured his expression softened. “Hello, Dean.”
Dean shook his head. Cas had a strange knack for showing up just when he was needed most.
Most people had cleared out just after the attack started and now that the rogue androids had been shut down, the tunnel was eerily quiet. They probably had some time before the police showed up. Local law enforcement was woefully underfunded and understaffed, which meant the average wait time for an emergency could be up to an hour (if they responded at all). Those who could afford it relied on private security companies to keep them safe, the rest had to rely on themselves.
Dean cordially slapped Cas’ arm. “Thanks for the assist.”
Cas nodded. "I am always happy to help you, Dean, in any way possible." He stared at Dean earnestly.
Dean looked away, flush rising to his cheeks. “So, um, I take it things are okay upstairs? Since they let you come down from your heavenly tower?”
Cas didn’t answer.
“It's just... it sounded like your bosses weren’t too happy with you helping me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you're here, but aren’t you afraid of getting in trouble for working outside your jurisdiction again so soon?
Cas averted his eyes. "Um, actually, that will no longer be an issue. I have been... dismissed."
"Dismissed? Like fired?"
"Suspended. While they decide if and where they will reassign me."
Dean stiffened. "Just for helping me and Sam?"
Cas took a deep breath. "Yes."
"That's bullshit, man. I’m sorry. Can they really not see what kind of danger Aberrants are to everyone? Seems like more and more are popping up every day, but nobody wants to acknowledge it’s happening. People are dying. It’s the end of the world and everyone’s got their head in the sand. I think your bosses need to take a trip downstairs for a reality check.”
Cas nodded. “They could do with a change in perspective. They easily forget they’re not as invulnerable to the outside world as they’ve tried to become.” Cas’ brow pinched as he looked up like he could see through the tunnel’s ceiling to the towering building he called home.
Dean sighed. "Do you regret it? Helping us?"
Cas met Dean's gaze steadily. "No." There was no trace of doubt in his voice.
"What will you do now?"
"I'm not certain."
Hesitating only a moment, because he hadn’t talked it over with Sam (but he knew Sam liked Cas), Dean suggested, "You could work with us. You, me, Sam... we make a pretty good team, I think."
"We do." Cas smiled and it hit Dean like a ray of sunshine first thing in the morning. It left him feeling warm and content. He longed to bask in it a little longer but forced himself to look away.
“Well, we should probably head out, before the authorities finally get their slow as molasses asses here. You bring your bike?”
“I did.” Cas’ eyes flashed bright blue momentarily before Dean heard the quiet hum of the hoverbike's engine as it approached.
Dean gently ran a hand across its black chrome exterior, eyeing it enviously. “She’s no Baby, but she is gorgeous.” Dean lifted his gaze to Cas and flashed him his most charming smile, the one that always got him free drinks and phone numbers. “Do you think I could drive her?”
Cas was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable before finally, he nodded.
“Awesome!” Dean swung his leg over the seat before Cas could change his mind. Dean loved his car, but as he leaned forward to reach the handles and felt the soft hum of its engine thrum through his body, he had to admit something about it just felt right. “Hop on. I’m taking you somewhere to cheer you up.”
Cas squinted at Dean suspiciously. “Not another den of iniquity, I hope?”
Dean laughed. “No, I learned my lesson on that one. You’ll like it, I promise.” Cas eyed him dubiously. “You trust me, right?”
Without further hesitation, Cas climbed onto the back of the bike behind Dean who grinned as he reached back to grab Cas' arm and move it to his waist. "Hold tight, I wanna see how fast I can push this thing and don't want you falling off." Cas wrapped both arms around Dean as he scooted forward on the seat. Dean took a moment to enjoy the feeling of Cas pressed snugly into his back, before pushing the handles forward, and steering the bike out of the tunnel and onto the main roads outside.
* * *
Castiel narrowed his eyes at the building in front of him, frowning. “You took me back to Edlund Industries to cheer me up?”
“No, I took you to the alley behind Edlund Industries.” Dean grinned and Castiel had the distinct impression he was missing something of significance.
Dean stalked up to him, gripping his chin to turn his head. “Look.”
Castiel found himself reluctant to look away from the green eyes so close to his. When he did, he found himself staring at the graffiti on the wall, specifically a stenciled art piece of a pig in a suit.
“What do you think?” There was a hint of pride in Dean’s voice as he watched for Castiel’s reaction anxiously.
Castiel tilted his head slightly. “Is that Uriel? If so, I’d say you really captured his essence here.” He turned serious eyes back to Dean, before letting the grin take over his frown.
Dean laughed and slapped Castiel’s back. “Glad you like it.” He unshouldered his army green bag, pulled out a spray can, tossed the bag to the ground and shook the can. “Now it's your turn.”
Castiel’s eyes widened. “Me? I can’t- I wouldn’t know what to-”
“The great thing about graffiti is that it can be anything; statement, protest, tag, art. Whatever you create, it's really about that feeling of doing something you’re not supposed to.” Dean held the can out to Castiel. Castiel stared at the canister for a long moment, before taking it. He gave it a quick shake like Dean had and stepped closer to the wall.
His forehead creased in concentration as he began writing. It wasn’t elaborate or fancy, but Castiel finished with a satisfied flourish. Releasing the button, he stepped back to admire his work. In bright fluorescent orange cursive, it read, ‘Raphael is a little bitch.’ Castiel handed the can back to Dean. “You were right, I do feel better.”
Dean stared at the wall, then Castiel. And doubled over laughing. “I love it. It's awesome. You’re awesome, Cas.” Dean straightened up wiping tears from his eyes.
Castiel didn’t know why it made Dean laugh but seeing him smile filled Castiel with a pleasantly warm feeling.
Dean tossed the can back into his bag. “Hey, you wanna come back with me to the motel, have a couple beers?”
Alcohol didn’t have much effect on Castiel, Dean knew that, but it wasn’t the point. Dean was asking for his company and Castiel was happy to oblige. “I’d like that.”
Dean’s smile brightened even more. “Great.” He glanced at the bike. “Can I...”
* * *
The rain started just as they left the alley and continued the entire trip back to Dean's room at the Rest-EZ Motel. As fun as the hoverbike was, now that he was cold and wet, he really regretted letting Sam take the car. Cas seemed unaffected, though his clothes clung just as wetly to his body. As he opened the door, he was happily met by warm, dry air. As they entered the room, Dean pulled his soaked shirt off and tossed it aside. He headed straight to his duffel bag on the dresser to get dry clothes. After a moment of deliberation, he grabbed sweatpants and a shirt for Cas. “I think we're about the same size.” When Dean turned back, clothes in hand, he was surprised to see Cas staring at him with a look of concern. “What?”
“You’re injured.”
Dean walked over to the mirror and turned his body. Sure enough, on the left side of his shoulder, there was a large bruise. He suddenly remembered the fist that had hit him like a brick. Dean winced. He’d been running on adrenaline, but once that wore off, he could tell just by looking that it was going to hurt like a son of a bitch. He’d probably be sore for days.
With his freaky silent cat-prowl, Cas suddenly appeared in the mirror by his side. Dean watched as Cas laid his hand gently onto the bruised skin. His hand was surprisingly warm, almost hot. The skin under Cas’ touch tingled, but not in an unpleasant way. When Cas removed his hand, Dean was shocked to see the bruise had disappeared. “How-?”
“I directed the nanobots in my system to communicate with your cells to speed healing.”
“You can do that?”
Cas nodded like it was nothing important.
“Thanks. Wow.” Dean was at a loss for words. There were so many amazing things about Cas’ abilities he was still learning. There were so many things about Cas he wanted to know, not just his abilities. Like, what kind of music did he listen to? Did he ever take his bike out on the road, no destination in mind, and just drive? Did he ever get lonely? At some point Dean realized he was just staring, so he lifted the spare shirt and sweatpants. “You’re wet,” Dean explained, shoving the clothes into Cas’ hands before disappearing into the bathroom to dry off.
When Dean came back out, Cas had changed and was sitting on the bed looking slightly lost. Cas’ feet were bare against the worn green carpeting, his toes peeked out from the sweats that were just a little too long. Usually, Cas held himself with the confidence of a soldier, but now he looked vulnerable, nervous even. Dean headed to the mini-fridge and grabbed the beers he’d thrown in there earlier. He handed one to Cas as he sat on the bed next to him. Cas eyed the empty queen bed next to them. “Sam is still not back?”
Dean had hoped to avoid this particular subject. He took a long drink from his beer. “Yeah, he had to go out of town. Could be a few days.”
“Dean.” Dean’s hopes that Cas would leave it at that vanished as his tone turned serious. “Where is Sam?”
Dean sighed, resting his elbows on his knees, his beer dangling from his hands between them. “We had a fight. About the Aberrants, about what is causing it. It seems pretty random to me, but Sammy’s convinced there has to be a reason for it, some grand plan in place that we just can’t see yet. There was some hacker he wanted to go talk to about it, but apparently, he lives in a secret location outside the city and is super paranoid about being found by ‘The Man’. Sounds like a crackpot, right? I told him it would be a waste of time, but he went anyway.” Dean twisted the bottle in his fingers, watching as reflected light bounced off the amber glass. “It's fine. He’ll see I was right and come back. I’ll even be gracious about it and not tell him ‘I told you so’. Probably.”
As if he could see right through Dean’s bravado to the insecurity underneath, Cas placed a comforting hand on Dean’s back. “It will be okay, Dean. Until I met you and Sam, I thought that my company was family, now I realize I didn’t really understand what the word meant. You two have been through so much already, something like this isn’t going to break that bond.”
Dean shook his head. “He left once though. If he…” Dean rubbed a hand down his face. “I don’t know if I could keep doing this on my own.”
Cas squeezed his shoulder. “You are the strongest person I have ever met Dean.”
Dean closed his eyes. “I’m not that strong, Cas. Honestly, most of the time I feel like I’m barely hanging on.”
“Then you can lean on me.” Cas nudged his shoulder and Dean opened his eyes. Sincere blue eyes stared back. “I’m here for you, whenever you need me.”
“You mean that, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
It had always been on Dean to be the protector, the big brother. He never imagined he’d actually have someone who would want to look out for him, someone who could protect him. Dean leaned forward until their lips nearly met. He gave Cas a chance to stop him, instead, Cas tilted his head and pressed a tentative kiss to Dean’s lips. Dean used his free hand to cup his cheek as he deepened the kiss. When Cas answered in kind, Dean let his beer drop to the floor so he could pull Cas even closer.
He slipped his hands under Cas’ borrowed shirt, sliding them up his back. Cas arched into the touch, pulling away from the kiss with a gasp. He was breathless, his face was a mix of awe, disbelief, and lust that probably mirrored Dean’s.
Dean pressed his forehead to Cas’. “I meant what I said about you joining us. We’re… good together.”
Cas smiled shyly. “I’d like that. Very much.”
“So you’ll stay?”
Cas nodded. “I’ll stay with you.”
Dean smiled back, feeling lighter and happier than he had in a long time.
# # #
END