Author's Note: Days like today make me saddened at what the world has come to. But they also remind me of the good that people are capable of, as well as the bad. And so I turned off the news and wrote this, because the emotions were overwhelming me and I process through fictional characters. Please don't be offended.
Disclaimer: Characters are fictional and not mine. Sadly, the bombing is all too real.
They're chilling in the Batcave, halfway through an uneventful day in the middle of an uneventful week, Sam absorbed in his books, only turning away to type up notes on his computer, and Dean glued to the small TV he'd acquired somewhere, getting caught up on Dr Sexy MD. It's a peaceful sort of day, one where they can almost forget about monsters and trials and how awful the world outside that bunker can be, especially since Sam's coughing a little less at this particular moment.
And then the "Breaking News Bulletin" flashes across the TV screen, and the world comes crashing in.
Dean's eyes stay on the screen, as he leans forward to focus more intently on the television, waving a hand in Sam's direction to get his attention.
"Sam. You need to see this."
Pulling his gaze up from the musty pages in front of him, Sam quirks a small smile in his brother's direction.
"Dean, I know you love that show, but I'm really not interested..."
"Just come here."
And now Sam hears the seriousness of Dean's tone, and knows it's not about the show.
Unfolding himself slowly from his chair, he makes his way over to his brother and sinks onto the couch next to him. He's about to ask what's up when he follows Dean's gaze to the screen and stops, the sight of smoke and debris and emergency responders immediately letting him know that this is why his brother looks so serious.
They sit without speaking, watching as the footage plays over and over, hearing the explosion and the people screaming, seeing the smoke and the panic, listening to the reporters' updates on the number of dead and wounded. And even though they've seen worse, have lived through worse, it still hits them in the gut, to see how much hurt can be done in just a few seconds.
Dean finally breaks the silence, and his words hold a sense of despair, and of the realization that even without the crap that they fight, the world can be a terrible place.
"Some days, the worst monsters are human beings..."
Sam can't help but agree, but he sees something else in this as well, in the stories of those who turned to help save others in the aftermath of the explosions. And so it's with a bit of hope that he responds to that dark statement.
"Yeah... but so are the best heroes."
Dedicated to all those who responded to the Boston marathon bombing, whether officially or unofficially, and helped to save lives. They are all true heroes.