Sam Winchester had just sank down in a booth by the nearest convenient exit so he could wait for Dean to arrive when the young man walked through the door. At first Sam wasn't sure what had caught his attention. It wasn't as if there was something unusual about how the boy looked. The young man, probably freshman in college age, was wearing a polo shirt and khaki pants. His brown hair was a little bit on the shaggy side, like Sam's, but it was his stiff posture and the way his eyes swept the room, Sam decided, that had caught his attention. The young man slipped into a chair a few feet away from Sam, eyes watching the door when they weren't sweeping the room. Sam wondered what the guy was waiting for. A few moments later the bell jingled at the front of the cafe and Sam nearly jumped out of his seat. He could have sworn the girl hadn't been there a moment ago.
The girl was a few years younger than the young man sitting not far from Sam and of Asian descent. Her hair was pulled into two short pigtails despite her age and there was a sunny smile on her face as she made her way over to the table where the young man was sitting. "Taylor," the young man hissed as soon as she sat down.
"What?" she asked innocently, grinning at him.
"You can't just bounce into a public place in broad daylight!"
"I didn't bounce in here," Taylor protested. "I landed in the street."
"Taylor," the young man hissed.
"Oh live a little Sam," Taylor said cheerily. Sam Winchester blinked, staring for a moment at the back of the young man's head. "Besides I have the information you asked."
"Is it legitimate?" the other Sam questioned in a softer voice than before.
"Oh it's legit," Taylor reassured him. "I got it straight from the source-Breeze."
"And you're sure Brianna's telling the truth?"
"Oh I'm sure. You would be too if you would'a seen her face," Taylor said. "White as milk."
"I didn't need the embellishment Taylor," the other Sam chided. Taylor just laughed.
"Gotta bounce," she said cheerfully, leaning over to kiss Sam on the cheek before vanishing right before Sam Winchester's disbelieving eyes.
"Taylor," he heard the other Sam moan over the strange rushing in his ears.
"What was that?" he heard himself ask. The other Sam's head whipped around to stare at him, eyes wide with horror. Then other Sam scrambled to his feet and bolted for the door just as Dean came in. The two collided and went down in a heap of tangled limbs.
"What the hell?" he head Dean asked as the other Sam untangled himself and bolt out the door.
"Stop him," Sam Winchester said, already halfway to the door.
"Thanks for the forwarning," Dean retorted sourly but scrambled to his feet and followed Sam after the teen. "So mind telling me why we're chasing after this kid?"
"His friend just vanished out of thin air," Sam retorted, putting on a little more speed. The other Sam was obviously heading out of town. People were staring but this was Texas and most of them shrugged it off.
They just made it out of town before confrontation. The other Sam stopped suddenly and spun around, arms stretched out and palms staring Sam and Dean in the face. "Stay back," he demanded, eyes cold.
"Why?" Dean challenged argumentatively.
"I don't want to do this," Other Sam said pleadingly, muscles stiff.
"Do what?" Sam asked before Dean could speak again. "Something like that Taylor girl just did?"
"Hurt you," Other Sam replied simply.
"Like you could," Dean said, smirking.
"Maybe he couldn't," a cool voice replied. "But I will." Sam Winchester turned his head to see another young man of about the same age but a slightly slimmer build and longer, darker hair slicked back. His eyes were cool, his posture casual.
"Caine," Other Sam hissed.
"It's the truth," the newcomer said with an elegant shrug.
"It doesn't mean you have to threaten to kill them."
"I'll do what I have to in order to keep us safe." Other Sam groaned slightly at that, running his hands through his hair. That was the moment when Dean lunged forward, intended to attack Other Sam. Other Sam yelled and flung his arms out instinctively. Sam Winchester gaped in astonishment as Dean rose five feet up off the ground.
"Put me down," Dean demanded, glaring at Other Sam.
"No thank you," Caine said casually from the spot he was standing. "Just be glad it's me and not my brother-otherwise you'd be fried, right Sam?" Other Sam sighed, running his hands through his hair again.
"Caine."Caine ignored him.
"You're brothers?" Sam asked.
"Twins," Other Sam clarified with a sigh. "I'm the older one."
"Not by much," Caine said. "And besides you're no leader." It sounded to Sam's ears like an old argument and Other Sam's long suffering sigh confirmed his suspicions.
"Then explain why people keep coming to me," Other Sam told his twin.
"Because they're scared of me," Caine said almost smugly.
"Can't argue with that," Other Sam returned with a rueful laugh, running a hand through his hair again.
"PUT ME DOWN," Dean bellowed before the conversation could continue on.
"Okay," Caine said coldly, lifting Dean farther into the air.
"Caine," Other Sam growled. "I don't want to hurt you but God only knows what I'll do if you hurt an innocent."
"You wouldn't dare," Caine said coldly.
"Try me," Other Sam demanded, eyes narrowing. Caine growled under his breath but lowered Dean closer to the ground. "Look," Other Sam continued, turning to Sam and Dean. "If me brother can let your friend down without us getting attacked we'll explain the basics and then we can all go our separate ways and pretend we never met each other. Deal?"
"Deal," Sam responded before Dean could cut in. "Now put my brother down."
"Gently," Other Sam said icily and Caine shot him a look but did as he was told. "Okay," Other Sam muttered, taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh. "Did you guys here about what happened at Perdido Beach a couple years ago?"
"Huh?" Dean asked but Sam was already way ahead of his older brother.
"You mean the mysterious barrier that came out of nowhere for a year and then suddenly vanished?"
"Exactly," Other Sam confirmed. "And do you recall who was trapped inside the barrier?"
"A bunch of children," Sam answered and Other Sam nodded grimly.
"Yeah. Everyone over the age of fifteen vanished. Caine and I are two of the ones that didn't. We're also two of the ones that developed powers before the barrier while at the same time something evil was stirring."
"Hungry in the dark," Caine said hollowly.
"Yeah," Sam agreed. "We call it the Gaiaphage and its wandering around somewhere so we have to hunt it down and kill it. Before it does to another set of kids what it did to us." There was a slight hesitation and then Other Sam added, "We have to go now. It was nice meeting you."
"Whatever," Caine cut in with a dismissive laugh, throwing an arm around his twin's shoulders. "Come on hero boy. We have work to do."