Eighteen – A Mutual Threat

"Okay, I'm no expert about protection spells, but, uh, shouldn't he not be able to just walk in here?" Charlie looked inquiringly to Sam and Cas.

"We, uh, had an issue with the wardings a while back," said Cas.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning they got taken down and we didn't reestablish them."

Charlie smacked her forehead.

"Okay, keep on pretending that I'm not here," said the King of Hell as he made his way down the steps. From the corner of her eye, Charlie saw Sam try to push Jessica behind him. Instead, she stood alongside him. Jody eyed the demonic king warily.

"Did you already reach out to him?" Jo asked Cas through her teeth.

"No, he didn't. It seems I have a pest problem, and naturally, it's because of you lot. So, I need you to fix it."

"Whoa, whoa, we don't fix your messes," Charlie cut Crowley off. "We only fix our own."

"Seems like we share a common one at the moment: a walking bitch by the name of Bela Talbot."

"You know about her?"

"Oh, she came knocking on my doorstep, red. Went on this rant about her quest to make hunters extinct and all that. She bragged about her kill count. She really doesn't know how to be a proper villain, if you ask me. She's very arrogant. If I didn't know any better, it'd seem like she's trying to appeal to me and want me to offer her a job or something."

"Your point?" Jo asked sharply.

"My point is, blondie, that once she's done with your kind, she's going to march into my territory and try and take my crown. I don't share, and I certainly won't let someone like her take over. I've built a system, and I am not about to relinquish it to her."

"And what would you want us to do about it?" asked Jessica. "Sounds like a personal problem for you."

"As much as we all don't like it, if we team up, we can shut her up. Both problems would be solved, everyone goes back to their merry little lives." Crowley looked to the group eagerly.

The bunker fell silent, all minds turning. Charlie was furious, mainly because Crowley was trespassing into the bunker. We can work just fine without him. We have.

"You can't just walk in here and expect us to help you after you refused us when we asked for your aid," Charlie snipped. "That's not how this works. If you'd helped us, we'd give you tit for tat. But, since you rejected us, we're going to reject you. So, see yourself out." She waved the demonic king off.

Crowley scoffed. "My, my, what a fiery temper you have, red."

"The last thing we need is for you to screw things up for us anyhow," said Jo.

"I noticed you're a demon short. Did it finally become too much and you decided to off her for good?"

"No, Bela took her," said Jessica. "Hopefully if we can find her, we can find Meg, Alex, Claire, and Dean."

"Ah, so she still has him on a leash, huh?"

"She took my girls, too," Jody said. "There's a lot at stake for us. So I'm with Jo, I'm not having you be the reason my girls get killed."

"Easy, momma bear." Crowley put his hands up. "What if I offered myself up as a diversion?" He didn't sound fond of the words he spoke. "I give you the time to execute your so-called 'plan', and I get to annoy the hell out of the bitch."

"Even that seems a bit risky," said Charlie. "How do we know you aren't in cahoots with her?"

"Why would I want to be a team player with her when she wants my kingdom? Use your head."

"I am. I don't trust you." The redhead folded her arms over her chest.

"You have every right to," said Cas. "He's burned us before."

"Countless times," Sam agreed.

Crowley frowned. "Gee, and here I thought you two would advocate for me."

Charlie sighed deeply. "If we were to let you help us, what kind of diversion do you have in mind?"

Crowley stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I'm glad you asked, red. Like I mentioned, the woman seems to embrace her inner demon. She takes high pride in murdering hunters. I believe she's in the mindset that I'd be willing to go along with her shtick and offer her a place at my side. I could perhaps call a meeting and—what is it Americans say?—shoot the shit with her."

"We'd have to have someone on standby to be sure you're not blindsiding us," Jody insisted.

"Oh, no doubt," Jo agreed wholeheartedly.

"If he calls this meeting, she's gonna have backup," Charlie quipped. "And if she's cloaked herself, she can probably sense other supernatural presence. How do we stop her from doing that?"

"You forget, red, my mum is a witch," Crowley said, smirking. "She's taught me a few things. Seems to be the only value my mother ever had."

"So why not ring her up and ask her to help us?" asked Jessica.

"Not a good idea," Cas shut her idea down. "Rowena has always been a wild card, playing for the side that bests ensures her survival. If Bela has something better to offer her, she'll jump our ship faster than you can blink. It's not a risk worth taking."

"But what's one more going to do?"

"Jess, don't bother pitching for Rowena," Sam told her firmly. "Just let it rest."

"Well then. So, Crowley, you think you could cloak us?" Jessica asked the demon king.

"I'm much older than Bela, she's barely a pup in demon years. I'm sure I can handle her."

"I don't know, if she can do a cloaking spell, she's got to be seriously powerful," Cas said doubtfully.

"Yeah, and you've been off your game for some time, Crowley," Sam added.

Crowley scowled at the two. "Do either of you possess a magic card up your sleeve? Does any of your crew? No?"

Charlie rolled her eyes. "What's the catch?"

"No catch."

"None at all?" The redhead narrowed her eyes.

"We take the bitch down, you get your missing members back, and I rid myself of a potential threat. It's a win-win for all."

"Unless something goes wrong," Jo said snidely. "We've got more to lose than you ever will."

"If this ends badly, I lose my reputation, my kingdom, my rule, and possibly my life. What was that about me not having things to lose, Joanna?"

"Say my name one more time, Crowley. I dare you."

"If he's offering to help, it's best not to kill him," said Jody.

"How about instead of you moaning and groaning about what's at stake, let's settle on a plan, eh?" the king asked impatiently. "The less time we take, the more time you waste in getting your pals back."

Charlie took note of everyone's faces in the bunker. Most were reserved and wary, and understandably so. Jo looked the most ready to go after Crowley. Jessica looked to Sam, but he provided her with no reassuring look. Crowley looked at each face, and Charlie saw his mouth turn slightly upwards.

He knows we don't have a lot of options. He knows he can't stop her on his own. If he could, he wouldn't have enlisted us. Is he afraid of her?

The redhead had a lot of unanswered questions bouncing around in her brain, which hadn't really seen rest unless the rest of her body did. Nobody could foresee what was going to happen. This could either go well, and they all stopped Bela Talbot before she grew to be even more of a threat.

Or, this could end very badly, and some, or possibly all of the group, would find themselves in Heaven (save maybe Crowley, because Charlie had no idea where demons went when they died). And that was thinking positively about this.

"I hate to say it," Charlie finally said, begrudgingly, "but, let's get to work."