everyonelives | there are prizes all around you if you're wise enough to see

No, it's not. It's about getting around their magic.

[Or at least that's his experience. Never mind that it's a grieving witch that killed him the last time.]

For that, we have things like magic killing bullets. Kill their magic and they're just another human.

[And he happens to be very good with a sniper rifle.]

( Nobody knows the full story behind Lucas' death, but Lucas, his brother, and Mickey. Sullivan was kept out of the debrief, Mickey explained what he could, but shit hit the fan and the cracks in Monroe's armor were what mattered most at the time. She used Lucas' death to embolden the others. It only did the opposite for Lucas' family. )

Don't forget witch-killing bullets.

( Though, he'd bet there'd need to be a special cocktail. They might have to make something of a different flavor.

Which sparks an idea. )

Odds are, one that takes down a member of the Inner Circle would have to be a la carte - but - what about using Lucas' blood. We could stack the deck with Lucas being the one to pull the trigger, but if his blood is in the bullet cocktail. Think that adds oomph?

( He's just thinking out loud here. )

[Michael tips his head to the side as he considers Dean's question.]

If they have to be the weapon, then maybe that's more literal than we're currently considering.

[Elena doesn't necessarily love people having to bleed for a plan to succeed, so she does look somewhat uncomfortable with that prospect, but Dean has a point. If there's a chance that they could increase their odds with having more triggermen on the ground that's also more people at risk.

Still, given her history she glances to Lucas and says: "You don't have to if you're not comfortable with it. It's you call."

Lucas' head tips at her curiously, before giving a shrug. "Blood is blood. So long as I'm still breathing, I could always make more of it. I think it just matters if this is a loophole Hernandez planned for or not."]

This isn't exactly the same thing, but, Lucas' blood could represent Lucas. ( She turns to her husband, and back to her son. ) Dawn Summers.

( "As in Buffy Summers?" Dean asks, sharing looks with Elena and Sam. )

It's a long story. And, it's not one to one. But, Buffy's death, specifically, her blood, closed a portal to a Hell dimension. Because Dawn -- because they shared the same blood. Summers' blood. ( She very quickly adds to make clear ) I'm not saying Lucas or Elena are substitutes here, but, the concept could be the same. Dawn was made for a purpose. And Lucas, you and Elena's parents, you were all made for a purpose. And, the other purpose is to kill the witch who brought you back. I don't know if Dean is far off in his assessment of what might work.

( and, desperately, she would love to keep her son out of the crossfire. but, she knows Lucas will still volunteer himself. )

"And he wouldn't spill quarts of blood," Dean adds. "Ounces, if that. And we can do more research. If it's not about his blood, if it physically has to be him, maybe we can slow her down, or like Lucas said, shackle her magic."

Edited 2024-12-12 04:11 (UTC)

[Either way, he feels like he'll have to at least be on the ground, just in case. But all the same:]

I'm not doing anything until after I see my brother.

[Because he's not going to run out on Coop when he's on his way here. And Coop seems to have the longer trek, so they have time to do some research and make sure this will work.]

We have time to figure out if it'll actually work before you make me bleed for it.

We're not making you do anything.

( he wants it on the record.

"Have your reunion," Ezra says, pulling his phone out, letting them know as he steps away. "I'm messaging our boots on the ground."

Dean sidles up next to his girlfriend.

"What do you want to tell your parents, do you want to wait for your brother?" )

[Lucas doesn't feel like any of this isn't a coerced choice on his part but he will agree that Dean isn't the one doing the coercion so he'll let it go and head back to exploring the bunker and seeing what's what.

Elena shrugs as she glances down at her watch.]

He's probably not far out. We should just wait and tell them all together.

I'll follow your lead.

( For once.

Evelyn and her husband have a moment in the kitchen, before she finds her son wherever he's ended up in the bunker.

"What are you thinking?" )

Nothing.

[Well, lots of things, but nothing he's really ready to share at the moment. He wants to know how much his death has gotten around to other members of the community. He wants to know how much he's going to have to rebuild.

But he also doesn't feel like he can think about any of this until he's sure he's going to stay alive for good.]

Or trying to, at least.

You can say the out loud thoughts.

( She understands why they're hard. She knows he went from being alive to learning that he's one of three keys to - hopefully, for all involved - staying alive. )

[Evelyn's been trying to get him to say the out loud thoughts his entire life. He shouldn't be surprised now is any different. He picks at the leg of his jeans for a moment before shrugging.]

There's always a catch, right?

No, there isn't always. ( But, she knows better, too. ) But, that is the world we live in. And I've seen you beat the odds before and if you ask me, the odds are in your favor here. I wouldn't want to be on the other end of your scope.

( But, she's here to listen, not just to put pep into a step that seems beaten down. )

What else? Get it out.

[He glances up at her because the other biggest thought is Karen. And now isn't really the time to get into that with his mother. So he tries to find something else, but when he can't, he shakes his head.]

Even if I don't bleed for those bullets, I'm still going to have to bleed for a lot more people before this is over.

[Because he has a feeling a lot of people got told he was dead.]

( She can see that. She knows the toll his death took, how it destabilized and ultimately led to something better for hunters. But, he doesn't. )

I'm more concerned about your internal bleeding. ( because blood is now a metaphor at this point. ) I love how big your heart is and how much you care about everyone else, but this is the time you need to care about yourself. Listen to yourself. No, it won't be easy. And it's going to hurt. Them, and you. But, like ripping off a bandaid, after all is said and done, it will get easier. And, it's you. You'll find your sense of humor ( and his sense of duty ) and I know you've never lost your sense of self. You're not going to start now.

[It isn't so much who he is that he's worried about, but whether he still fits. Whether the people who spent almost a year grieving him still have a place for him. But he also really doesn't want to talk about himself right now, and would much rather deflect.]

So where's Coop coming from again?

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