spncentral | When Hunters And Warehouse Agents Mix

Rather than finding this case himself, Dean had actually been sent a link to an article by another hunter as due to an injury, the hunter wasn't up to handling it himself. Dean rather agreed that men who were last seen at the location of whatever party last happened showing up dead, sometimes miles away, was worth looking into.

Cue Dean arriving in town a few days later. He's checked into a motel within half an hour, and in his suit to do the FBI thing to ask questions and gather what information he can soon after. Starting at the police station.

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"Sure, I'll meet you there."

It didn't take long, and she showed up in a backless shirt and leather pants that looked painted on, with a fair amount of bracelets and chains showing. It wasn't like the outfit she'd worn to get into frat parties, not quite advertising the girls as much.

And the Tesla Roadster she'd splurged on when her Prius died in a work-related accident might raise a few eyebrows, but most people didn't recognize it for what it was. A part of her almost wanted to dare Dean into facing off against her on a drag strip.

When Dean arrives, he's wearing the t-shirt and his jeans, hair mussed up to not be as neat as it had to be during the day.

He pulls into a parking space smoothly, cutting the engine before getting out of his car and giving hers a dubious look. "Which car are we taking?"

"Respect the Tesla, or you'll be on the wrong end of my other one," Claudia said, letting him see the derringer-sized weapon in her purse. "It's got more torque than you've got if you're still running original parts. And it's a lot of fun to be able to change the samples on the speakers since the engine doesn't make much noise. I've got a jet engine for guys who want to do the whole measuring thing at intersections."

Dan gives her a scandalized look at the prospect of changing things around. "Of course she's got original parts."

He's not touching any of the rest of it, nope. His car is good enough for him.

"You never know what people will do when they try to improve on a classic," Claudia said, shrugging. "I take it that means you don't approve of my ride? She's one of a kind."

Mostly because she'd substituted a few parts with artifacts that meant she didn't have to worry about getting stuck miles from a charging station. And some extra programming.

"I never said anything about your car," Dean points out. "None of this answers which car we're taking."

"You want to drive, I assume?" Claudia said, not that she cared either way. She'd love to be behind the wheel of either car, it would be awesome, but she had read the file on him. If the guy wasn't a grade A control freak, she'd be shocked.

"If we're taking my car? Hell yes." Sorry chick, but he's not going to let some random person he just met drive his baby. "I'd prefer my car anyway, since I've got gear in it that might be needed."

"I've got everything I need to neutralize the artifact on me," Claudia said, shrugging. "I really hope you're not planning on taking a gun into a crowded rave."

At least her sidearm of choice didn't risk killing anyone.

"An artifact being?" Dean asks with raised eyebrows, not bothering to answer her comment. Rock salt never killed anyone. No one human, anyway. Besides, he's got other weapons.

"Whatever the person who's doing this is using to drain these people," Claudia said. "Like the Philospher's Stone or Cinderella's glass knife or whatever. Objects that grant certain properties, usually not for the good. Don't get me started on the wishing kettle."

She looked at him, frowning slightly. "What did you think this was?"

"You think this is an object?" Dean asks before shaking his head. "Since you've found out who I am, I'm sure you've seen the file on what I supposedly did in St. Louis. That was a shapeshifter. No objects, just an ability to look like anyone it wanted. Framed a couple of guys for going after their girlfriend or wife before it went after a friend of my brother's as me."

"That's my job. Find whatever's ruining things, snag it, bag it, and tag it. Make sure the things people tell stories about stay stories," Claudia said. "The average person might call them cursed, but it's never that simple."

She didn't particularly like his dismissal. "You might not even notice someone's using one until it's too late. You think this is some kind of natural gift?"

"There's nothing natural about this," Dean says with a snort as he gets back in his car and leans over to unlock the passenger-side door for her. He's making the executive decision that there were taking his car.

"Some people might say the same thing about a guy who gets vibes or can tell if you're lying just by looking you in the eye," Claudia said, as she took the opportunity to slide into the Impala. "Doesn't make those people any less human."

She wondered just what he thought it was, and why he was so disdainful of everything about her.

"Fine, they're human. Good for them. What we're looking for isn't." Her insistence that the problem has to be some sort of doo-dad might have something to do with Dean's reaction to her.

"Then what kind of monster is it?" Claudia said, arching an eyebrow. She almost wished she'd brought a few artifacts with her, but Artie would have a coronary about that.

"That's what we're going to this thing to do. To find out," Dean says, belting himself in and turning on the car. "If you'll provide directions?"

Claudia wanted to bank her head against the dashboard at his words, but managed not to give in. Instead she gave him directions to the field and barn that were the apparent location of the latest incarnation of their prey's killing field. When they got within about twenty miles or so, it became pretty obvious where the party was, if not how to get there. Farm lanes and gravel roads wound through the area, and it took more than a few twists before they hit the expanse of cars and the lights and pounding beat of the rave.

She pulled a leather cuff out of her purse and handed it to him. "Wear that, don't take it off if we get separated. It's got a tracker in it that nobody will find."

The music was pretty hard for him not to notice, yes. Also hard to do, was to find a good parking space. As it was, the place Dean found is a bit of a walk to the barn.

Dean raises an eyebrow at her and takes a look at it before putting it on the wrist not covered by his watch. "Did you just happen to be carrying this around with you, or did you whip it up in the time since I last saw you?"

"Bit of both," Claudia said. "It's one of the reasons I got hired. You'd be surprised what I can put together on the fly."

She was good with tech, and even better with artifacts, but nobody really let her play with those much. "If your monster grabs you, it'd be nice to be able to make sure you don't get eaten."

Dean considers a response before shaking his head. "Nah. Too easy."

Then he's taking the key out of the ignition and getting out of the car. "If the thing grabs me, it's going to be getting a surprise."