Chapter Text
April 2029
The sky above Sioux Falls darkened within seconds and bright flashes of lighting started to tear it apart. Anyone witnessing this particular phenomenon was most likely to brush it off and blame a normal raining season in this part of America, even though it was nearly impossible to miss the big vortex forming above the south west part of the city suburb, which seemed to be the epicenter of the storm.
This storm wasn't like anything seen in ages. Even those aware of what lurked in the dark, those who knew about the darkest side of the world, of the shadows where supernatural creatures, covered by the night, awaited quietly for a prey to come by, even those didn't know what this vortex foretold. This was no demonic omen and no lesser God would have a reason to do something like that.
Clerics claimed that is was God's wrath. Of course, little they knew that God had since long stopped caring or watching upon his creations and children, disappearing without a trace.
“This is going to be so much fun!” A young man in a tan trench coat sneered, coming closer to a sign on which was written “Singer’s Auto Salvage”.
A frown suddenly appeared on his face. “Not here for the fun, need the girl,” He pronounced in a gloomy voice.
“But, we can have fun, by killing the others.” A third voice proposed. This one sounded bored, indifferent.
All of the voices came from one single man, whose facial features changed with every one of them. Several more came out of the man, engrossed in their conversation. Nevertheless one of them never managed to reach the man's lips. It was buried deep inside, broken and scared, a lament singing for a hope long gone, repeating several words in a litany it couldn't control: “No, no, please no...”, it was pleading, again and again. But it was useless and its mourning was unheard.
February 2011
Many days had already passed by since the Winchester brothers had gone in a hunt. For some reason, monsters seemed to lay low, as preparing for something big, the well-known quiet before the storm.
And that was exactly what Dean was expecting, considering that their own “Mother” had returned from the depth of Purgatory. Some small hunts could still be found but most of the time they had already been taken care of by other hunters, closer to the monsters' location.
Dean was sitting in his beloved car, listening to music with a phone in his hand. He was waiting for a call from Bobby, hoping somehow that said call would save him from the boredom he was currently drowned into. But the stupid phone had been silent for several hours already.
The door from the passenger's side opened and his brother climbed into the car, holding a sheet of papers in his hand.
“Did you find something?” Dean asked his younger brother with hope.
“I found some stuff, but I don’t think it will be useful” Sam admitted.
“How so?”
“Well, first, even after all these hours spent on research, I’m still not sure who or what she is. My first clue was that she was connected to Greek mythology. Have you heard anything about Echidna?”
His older brother glanced at Sam, raising his eyebrow. “Was there anything about it in father’s journal?” He asked.
“No, there wasn’t.”
“So how would I know then?”
“Yeah, Dean, really I wonder... how would you know?” Sam sighed in defeat, giving his older brother a disapproving look. “Anyway, in Greek mythology Echidna is known as the Mother of all monsters. She was half human, with a snake-like tail.” He explained.
“So, this is our case then?” The older brother inquired.
“I’m not so sure, Dean.” Sam shook his head. “It might be, for all I know, but she was also calling herself Eve and Mother of all, not mother of all monsters.”
“So, you think it might be Eve, like from the bible?” Dean asked.
“It might be the same person.” Sam suggested. “It’s not like we never met any creature who happened to be a pagan god and a powerful celestial being at the same time.”
“Anyway, how do we kill the bitch?”
“Dean, I wish I'd know, but unfortunately, no one has ever tried it before.”
The older Winchester sighed, rubbing his face with his palms. All those hours Sam spent in the library researching hadn't brought them closer to their target. Knowing about their monster's origin and history was nice and fancy but Dean didn't care - the only thing he wanted to know was how to kill it and whatever kind of life the creature had before starting the killing spree wasn't going to save innocent people.
That's when his phone buzzed, freeing him from his currently depressing thoughts. Dean glanced at the screen and saw Bobby’s phone number.
“Hey bobby, any news?” He asked.
“Yeah, idjits, I have a huge news for you two! I need you both over here immediately.”
Bobby’s voice was obviously worried but, it seemed, more shocked than scared.
“What happened, Bobby?” Dean asked.
“If I could tell you by phone, I wouldn’t ask you to come, you smartass!” The older hunter snapped before hanging up.
“Geez!” Dean groaned. “It seems Cas is not the only one who needs lessons in proper behavior!”
“What did he want?” Sam asked.
“I wish I knew.” The older hunter sighed. “Looks like we need to return to Bobby’s now.” He added.
Dean turned the key, and the Impala's engine roared and purred in appreciation.
***
When they finally arrived at Bobby’s it was already late in the evening. Dean parked the car at its usual spot, near the back door.
“Hope Bobby's news is not bad news.” Sam sighed before stepping out of the car.
Dean followed his brother and together they moved towards the door, leading to the kitchen of the older hunter’s house.
They only had time to reach the porch before Bobby appeared in the doorway. The older hunter glanced at the brothers gesturing them to come inside. Dean momently noticed that Bobby, yet again, smelled cheap whiskey, meaning the older hunter had been drinking before they arrived. Of course there wasn't anything unusual in Bobby's drinking on its own but the older hunter drank when he was worried or stressed which meant some disturbing news was probably awaiting them.
“I can't explain, you have to see…” Bobby announced before Dean or Sam had a chance to even open their mouths, then proceeded downstairs, to the basement.
Sam and Dean exchanged confused looks but followed their аoster father down to the panic room.
“Umm, Bobby?” Dean called when they finally reached the anti-supernatural bunker in the basement of the older hunter house. “Who the heck is that?”
Here in the middle of the room, on a bed, was laying a girl. She looked very young, not older than twenty years old, her tanned and freckled face was enframed with long light chestnut hair, spreading over the pillow. She was dressed in a short worn leather jacket those color was something between black and brown with a khaki green shirt underneath and light blue jean pants. Her eyes were closed and she looked asleep.
“I wish I knew the answer” Bobby grunted in annoyance. “But it seems the girl is a hunter. And according to the crap I found in her backpack, a damn good one.”
Upon these words he pointed at the table where Dean noticed a bunch of different objects. Among ever hunter's everyday items such as rock salt, silver knives, holly water and some protective amulets, there also were bottles of something reminding of blood, some sort of bones, herbs and rocks. Dean had no idea what most of them were. But what left him speechless was the silvery angelic blade. Not many hunters knew about angels, and it was safe to say that, even among those, none had ever held such a blade but the three of them.
“And what is she doing here?” Sam inquired.
“A group of hunters found her and brought her here.” Bobby explained.
“And since when your house is a hospital?” Inquired an annoyed Dean.
“They were making researches about recent supernatural activities around. They got her out of the hospital where she had been brought by some civilians, the witnesses claimed that the girl appeared in the middle of the street, out of thin air, then made a few steps and fell unconscious. They contacted Rufus and he brought her here.”
“Ok, her appearance is totally unnatural, but how is that connected to you?” Sam inquired.
“Not exactly to me.” Bobby corrected as he moved closer to the table and retrieved a small card from a backpack which obviously belonged to the girl and passed it to Dean.
The older sibling took the plastic card from his friend’s hand and looked at it. The card looked weird, thicker than a usual ID.
“What the heck?!” He gasped, surprised at the name. “Mary Gabrielle Winchester?”
“Well, it’s weird, alright.” Sam nodded. “But Winchester is a common name. Actually, there's a town named Winchester.”
“Yeah, and all Winchesters in the world have a bad habit to appear out of nowhere, scaring the shit out of people.” Bobby shrugged. “Take a closer look” He instructed.
“Well, it says she was born here, in Sioux Falls, April 11…” Dean froze for a moment, unable to believe his eyes. He read the line several times, just to be sure he really got it right. “In the year of 2012…” He finally announced, eyes leaving the ID card and and looking up, his gaze, full of questions and confused, going several times from Bobby to his brother.