Chapter 20
It was a very long night for Tony and Sydney.
Maybe the longest night in all their lives.
For three hours, Tony failed miserably to fall asleep since he was too busy thinking about everything that happened and what’s coming next.
The ship had landed them in the worst era ever. The only era that held an enemy to Castiel that according to the story he heard from Alain and Brigitte, could turn every moment they stayed here a living hell.
From what he gathered from the resistance’s leaders, Castiel managed to stop the crazy bastard, but couldn’t bring himself to kill him, so he wiped his memories but if his name was uttered in front of the crazy general, his memories will be back.
Unfortunately, his presence with Dean will light up his brain like a Christmas tree, since one way or another, Dean would say Castiel’s name.
Then all hell will break loose.
Holdstein will fight them with everything he had because he knew they have his ticket back home. So he could continue his crazy journey with no Castiel this time to chase him down.
And he will manage to fulfill his dream.
To rule the history of the world.
Its past, present and future.
In the middle of all of that, he wondered if he will ever be able to return home.
Return to Steve.
Or is he going to spend the rest of his life lost in time unable to find his way home?
And if he finally managed to find a way back, would Steve still be there? Or would he be long gone?
When his eyes finally fell shut from exhaustion, his dreams were filled with an old man Steve looking at him with sad, dying eyes telling him that he was too late.
***
Meanwhile, Sydney’s thoughts were in a different direction.
She was thinking about her unfinished mission.
She knew that the mission was dangerous.
That the chances of its success was barley 1%.
That’s why the mission needed a volunteer.
A suicidal.
Someone who knew that the future of the earth and their family was more important than their own future.
Their hopes.
Their life itself.
While she was regaining the details of her journey she fell asleep.
In her dreams, her memories ran wild.
“You know how dangerous this mission is, right? You might never find your way back home.”
“I am aware. But I will do anything for our future. Even if I wasn’t here to see it.”
“Then go. Our future is in your hands, my child”
She jerked awake as the last sentence kept repeating in her head, she sat upright and was surprised to see that everyone was already awake, even Tony but judging from the look in his eyes, his night wasn’t much better than hers.
Brigitte leaned towards her with a small smile.
“A bad dream?” she asked softly, while patting her shoulder reassuringly.
She was surprised from her sudden kindness, since she ordered their death just yesterday.
“Yeah, you could say that.” Sydney muttered while running her hand down her face.
“Don’t really blame you. You had a long day yesterday.”
Sydney just nodded tiredly with a small smile.
“Dean is really in the hospital.” Tony announced when he noticed that she was awake.
“Did he survive?” she asked looking at him hopefully.
“See for yourself.” Tony handed her the morning newspaper.
She read the report carefully then pointed at Holdstein. “Is that him?”
“Apparently, yes.” He turned towards the others as he addressed them. “Him being there would only mean that he regained his memories, or what would make the director of the German intelligence to come and see a man that his men shoot down in the street? And why did they keep him alive in the first place?”
“To interrogate him.” one of the men in the room muttered.
“Does that need the presence of the director himself?” Tony asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I bet they published that report as a trap for us if we tried to free your friend.” Alain stated grimly.
“I have no doubt about that.” Sydney remarked calmly.
“But we are not giving up on Dean.” Tony added insistently.
The men exchanged a nervous glance.
“I’m sorry to tell you this but we can’t join you in this.” Alain announced firmly.
“Wrong, Alain. We all need to work together against Holdstein.” Tony insisted.
“No, Future man. It is your cause not ours. We know that Holdstein prepared a trap for us and we will not just throw ourselves in it.”
“There will be a plan.” Sydney stated, still calm.
“They will have a plan too.” another man retorted. “And with the plan, they will have forces, power and other things we can’t face.”
“Also that is not our style.” A third man interjected. “We depend on the quick attacks that our enemies don’t expect, who fights from the beginning of the resistance to lead us in a spot they pick and a time they would be prepared for us, and we will not give them that chance to save your friend. We respect Castiel, but we didn’t ask you to come to our time, we will not sacrifice ourselves for you.”
“You are not sacrificing yourself for us, but for France. For the free world.” Sydney faced him sternly, then she moved around among the men. “History said that you will win your fight. That France will regain its freedom and the German enemy will forever fall. But that is just history. The history we studied in our time, not the history we are living right now. If Holdstein did regain his memories, that means he is, like us, knows how history played out. And knows why the Third Reich fell apart. And how the allies regained control over Europe. And how did the war end. Him knowing all that, gives him the chance to avoid all the causes of the defeat. Do you know what that means?” she stopped to look at them sternly. “It means that Germany will win, and will continue to destroy freedom and dignity. The world will turn into a German Japanese colony where no one can even raise their heads.” She took a deep breath then: “You are fighting for your future not for us. You are fighting for France.”
The room was filled with silence after she was finished with her speech, and she made her way towards Tony who was looking at her with a strange look in his eyes.
The room filled with murmurs as they talked about what she said as she turned to Tony with a raised eyebrow.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked in confusion.
He gazed at her with the same strange look. Like he was staring intently at her soul.
“Nothing.” He answered slowly. “You just reminded me of someone while you were speaking.”
She turned her eyes away from his searching stare nervously as Brigitte made her way towards her.
“I am pretty sure Hitler would be jealous of that speech.” Brigitte complimented with a smile.
“I hope the jealousy kills him.” she muttered, still avoiding Tony’s eyes.
“That what we all hope for.” Brigitte laughed then extended her hand towards her. “By the way, your speech convinced me. I will join you in your attempt to save your friend.”
“Really?” Sydney asked in surprise.
“It is not that simple.” Alain interjected firmly. Tony and Sydney turned towards him as he trailed his eyes between them and Brigitte. “The men agreed on one decision.” His brows then furrowed sharply. “We will not join you on your attempt.”
***
Natasha rubbed Sam’s shoulders gently when his head fell tiredly on his chest from exhaustion. He had been staring at the screens intently for the past five days.
“Sam, why don’t you take a nap?” she murmured gently in his ear while massaging his tense shoulders.
His body jerked violently, like he just woke up from a nightmare.
“No, no. I still have lots to do.” He objected while adjusting in his seat to continue what he was doing.
“Sam, you can’t go on like this. Everyone is taking a small rest. You should too.”
Sam rubbed his eyes, then went back to work.
“No, I can’t stop now. I almost finished all the files.”
“That can wait for a while. Even till tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?! Who knows what could happen from now till tomorrow. Don’t you know the danger they are facing there?”
“There for them is seventy years ago, Sam.” Came Castiel’s tired voice from behind him.
Sam froze and turned towards him, where he was sitting on the couch with Steve checking tirelessly all Sydney’s files. “You mean there is nothing we can do?”
“Not at all. What I am saying is that we have all the time we need to figure it out. And when we do, we will help them in whatever era they are in.”
Sam sighed, his shoulders dropped in defeat and exhaustion. Natasha placed her hands gently on his shoulders again.
“Please.” she murmured softly. “At least get some sleep on the couch. I am pretty sure Dean won’t be too happy to see you pass out from exhaustion when he comes back. I will continue what you are doing, just please get some rest.”
Sam just nodded tiredly while she placed a soft kiss on his forehead, then helped him up and towards the empty couch. He collapsed on it and was asleep in seconds.
Natasha dropped on Sam’s previous chair while looking at him sadly.
Castiel sighed while grapping the blanket on the back of the couch he was sitting on and moved to cover Sam’s body with it.
“He didn’t sleep for the past five days?” Steve wondered tiredly while looking up at Cas.
“Yes. Neither did you.” Castiel countered with a raised eyebrow.
“I tried. I couldn’t.” Steve shook his head and moved his eyes back to the files in front of him.
Natasha just pinched the bridge of her nose before turning in the chair to continue what Sam was doing while Cas took his place again on the couch next to Steve.
The others pretty much collapsed on their beds a few hours ago, they also worked until they couldn’t stand anymore. Everyone was resting except the four of them. No matter how many times they tried, they couldn’t just sit still and do nothing for even a few minutes.
“This is strange.” Steve muttered as something caught his attention in Sydney’s files.
“What is it?” Castiel looked at him curiously.
“Sydney’s PHDs. When I checked them again in her files, I noticed that she had the same PHDs Tony has.” He explained with furrowed eyebrows. “And they are not fake, since everyone said that she was a genius in all of these fields. It even says one of her talents is basket weaving which is a talent Tony has but refuse to let anyone know about it.”
“This… is a strange coincidence.” Castiel tilted his head in confusion.
“Tell me about it! This can’t be a coincidence! It is like-“
“Holy shit.” Came Natasha’s frantic whisper, like she was trying to not wake Sam up. “Guys, you need to see this!”
Steve and Cas stood up and walked towards her.
“What is it?” Cas asked in concern.
“I just managed to open the file that contains the chemical reactions, biological reactions and replacement and restoration operations of the time ship. Do you see the rate of oxygen consumption? And the rate of cellular balance? And-“
“What does all that means?” Steve interrupted impatiently.
She turned towards him. “It means that Sydney wasn’t honest about one thing.”
“Which was?”
“That when she started her mission until she came to our time, she wasn’t alone.”
Steve and Castiel’s eyes widened as they stared at her.
“You mean-“
“Yes. There is another time traveler that came with Sydney.”
***
Dean’s eyelids shook as he started to wake up in the small hospital he was in. when he felt the pain from his stitches he groaned.
“Goddammit. That bullet really hurts.” He murmured in pain.
“That might be the least pain you will suffer here.” Someone said sternly in German from beside him. He opened his eyes and stared at the face gazing down at him who added: “I think there are lots of things you need to tell us.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Dean asked sharply, not liking how he was talking to him.
“Be polite, spy.” Another stern voice came from the other side of the room. “You are talking to General Friedrich Holdstein. Show some respect.”
Dean turned towards Carl and said in English: “You and your general can go to hell.”
Carl’s brow furrowed, indicating that he didn’t understand English.
“You speak English? Are you American? Or Bri-“
He was cut off by a stern look from Holdstein who leaned towards Dean.
“Looks like you will be the only one here who is going to hell.” He growled in English making Dean frown anxiously. The general then turned towards Carl. “Leave us alone.”
“What?!” Carl exclaimed in surprise.
“I said: leave us alone!” Holdstein shouted sternly.
Carl straightened up with a red face. “As you wish, sir.” Then turned around and stormed out of the room.
The moment the door was closed, Holdstein leaned towards Dean.
“Where’s Castiel?” he asked harshly.
Dean was so taken aback by the question, he flinched and stared at the general with wide eyes.
“C-Castiel?!” he murmured in a shaking voice. How did this man know about Castiel? And why was he asking for him with all that venom in his voice? He gathered himself quickly, and stared at the general as coldly as he could while his heart was beating violently in his chest. “I never heard that name before.”
“Nice try. But it is not going to work.” Holdstein smirked at him. “You are not even that smart. You didn’t try to hide who you are. You should’ve kept pretending to be French.”
“Well, I am not French. Why should I pretend?” Dean just shrugged coldly.
“I know who you are perfectly well, by the way.” Holdstein said firmly.
“Oh yeah?” Dean snorted with a smirk.
“Your name is Dean Winchester.” Dean’s eyes widened while the general just continued. “Son of John and Mary Winchester. You have a younger brother, Sam Winchester. Both of you are hunters your whole lives, and now a new members in the Avengers. And most importantly-“ he suddenly grabbed Dean’s left hand harshly and raised it up to point at his ring. “-married to the angel Castiel, who fell from heaven for you. Because you woke up the human in him somehow. Castiel-“ he leaned towards dean with eyes that are filled with hate and anger. “-The angel who destroyed everything for me and left me here because he was too human to kill me! Is that enough for you or do you need more?!”
Dean stared at the enraged general in shocked silence for a few seconds.
“Who are you?” he demanded, trying to hide how nervous he was.
“Like you heard from Carl. I am General Friedrich Holdstein, director of the German intelligence and the third most important man in the Third Reich after Hitler and Himmler. That all you need to know for now.” Then he gripped Dean by his jacket harshly. “Now tell me: where is Castiel? He couldn’t have possibly left you to come to this era without him. Where is he?!”
Dean didn’t answer and just stared at him coldly. Then suddenly the general punched him so hard across his face.
“You son of-“ he shouted in anger while trying to get out of the bed but Holdstein interrupted him with another punch.
“Where is Castiel and the other two that came with you?! Tell me!” Holdstein demanded in rage.
Dean just chuckled while wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. “I love the fact that you actually think I am going to tell you anything.”
The general grabbed him again by his jacket, glaring at him with pure anger.
“I will make you tell me everything I need! Even if I have to crush every cell in your body!”
“I would love to see you try.” Dean retorted while kicking him in the stomach suddenly.
Holdstein stumbled back from the kick, and Dean shot up from the bed, even with his injuries, and darted towards the general.
He punched him in the jaw but the general gripped his wrist in an iron grip, then grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up from the floor then threw him hard towards the wall.
Dean hit the wall violently and fell to the floor hard. His whole body hurts, his stitches were torn and blood started to flow from his injuries.
Holdstein then kicked him in the stomach hard while shouting: “Tell me where are they?! Tell me!”
Blood fell from Dean’s mouth, but he still smirked up at him without answering.
Holdstein glared down at him in pure rage. “Fine. Have it your way. We will make you talk. We will wipe that smirk from your face.” Then he turned towards the door and yelled. “Carl!”
Carl stormed into the room, like he was waiting for the call, and trailed his eyes in surprise between the general and Dean. The former pointed at the latter and said firmly: “He is all yours.” Then left the room with wide steps. Leaving Carl behind, whose eyes lit up as he stared down at Dean.
Like he couldn’t wait to make true to his name.
The Butcher.