Supernatural – 4.21 When the Levee Breaks
Part 1
Xxx
The previous episode 4.20 The Rapture happens unaltered. After discovering that Sam is drinking demonic blood to power his psychic abilities, Dean and Bobby lured him to the panic room under Bobby's house and trapped him inside. Having survived the attack by the ghouls, their half-brother Adam is currently still residing at Bobby's.
Xxx
In the basement under Bobby's Salvage Yard, Sam was trapped in the pure iron panic room after being trapped there a few hours ago by his brother and Bobby. Dean was standing on the other side of the door, looking at Sam through a little barred window.
"Okay. Let me out. This is not funny." Sam said agitated.
"Damn straight." Dean replied, it certainly wasn't funny.
"Dean, come on. This is crazy!" Sam said.
"No. Not until you dry out." Dean said determined.
"Look, I'm sorry." Sam said as he leaned at the door. "I shouldn't have lied to you. Just open the door."
"You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault." Dean replied. "It's not your fault that you lied to me over and over again. I get it now. You couldn't help it."
"I'm not some junkie." Sam called out insulted.
"Really?" Dean remarked with a frown. "I guess I've just imagined how strung out you've been lately."
"You're actually trying to twist this into some kind of ridiculous drug intervention?" Sam asked.
"If it smells like a duck." Dean replied with a shrug.
"Dean, I'm not drinking the demon blood for kicks. I'm getting strong enough to kill Lilith." Sam explained.
"Strong?" Dean asked confused. "This is about as far away from strong as you can get. Try weak. Try desperate. Pathetic."
"Killing Lilith is the only thing that matters." Sam said convinced. "Or are you so busy being self-righteous you forgot about her?"
"Oh, Lilith's gonna die. Bobby and I will kill her." Dean promised. "But not with you."
"You're not serious." Sam said.
"Congrats, Sammy. You just bought yourself a benchwarmer seat to the apocalypse." Dean replied.
"Dean, look…" Sam said as Dean started to close the window. "No, wait." However, Dean ignored him and closed it. "Come back here. Dean! Let me out of here! Dean! Let me out of here! Let me out! Dean!" Sam continued to scream at the closed door.
After some time passed, Sam was angrily slamming his fist against the door while screaming out for Dean and Bobby. However, nobody seemed to be listening. Frustrated, he started circling the room. Suddenly, his vision became blurry and the lights flickered. He notices a drop in temperature.
"Guys! Get down here!" Sam called out as he ran back to the door. "Something's coming!"
Out of nowhere, the demon Alastair appeared behind Sam, dressed in a black apron covered in blood. Sam sensed his presence and slowly turned around.
"Hello, Sam. It's a pleasure to see you again." Alastair declared in a calm and mocking tone. "Looks like I have you all to myself here. Goodness. How will we pass the time?"
The lights flickered again and everything went dark for a second. When Sam opened his eyes, he suddenly found himself strapped to a wooden cross in the middle of the room, on top of the devil's trap painted on the floor. Alastair walked toward him with a smile and a small surgical knife in his hand. Without hesitation, he started cutting Sam.
"Don't. No, no, don't. Don't, don't. No… Stop! Stop! Alastair… please. Please." Sam begged desperately as the demon continues to slice him open.
"So polite all of a sudden." Alastair said as he played with his knife. "Very nice. I appreciate that."
Alistair whistled as he continued his little operation. Sam screamed, though it is revealed the entire thing is playing out in his mind. He was lying on the bed, alone and unbound. However, his arms were spread and he continued to scream for mercy.
Xxx
As Sam's screams continued, Dean stood at the bottom of the stairs leading out of the basement. He looked at the door with a pained expression, but ultimately shook his head and headed upstairs. That blood needed to get out of his system. It would only get worse before it got better. When Dean left the basement and closed the door, he found Adam standing behind it leaning against the wall.
"Something you need to tell me?" Adam asked.
"Not now, kid." Dean replied as he walked away.
"Hold on." Adam said as he started to follow him. "First you drag me here, tell me to stay put. Now you've got Sam locked in the basement for God knows what reason. I think I deserve some answers! What the hell is going on?"
Dean stopped and turned to his younger half-brother. "Trust me, Adam." Dean said. "It's better if you stay out of this."
"Out of what?" Adam asked. "I can handle Sam being an addict."
"You were eavesdropping?" Dean asked angrily.
"I'm sorry." Adam said. "But nobody is talking to me. I could help, you know. Bobby has been teaching me some stuff. And I've been reading his journals."
"Bobby is teaching you how to defend yourself." Dean replied. "He is not training you to be a hunter. You're way out of your league."
"But still…" Adam argued.
"Sorry, kid, but you'll just get in the way." Dean interrupted him. "I need to talk to Bobby."
Dean walked away and headed to Bobby's office. Adam rolled his eyes and walked the other way, heading up the stairs. Dean entered the office and found Bobby sitting at his desk. He poured them both a strong drink and sat down.
"Don't you think it would be better to just tell the kid the truth?" Bobby asked.
"I don't want him involved in this." Dean replied as he took a sip. "Besides, how is he ever supposed to trust Sam again once he knows?"
"I see." Bobby remarked. "Are you just talking about Adam, or yourself?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Dean said.
As they both sipped at their drinks, the horrified screams of Sam sounded through the house. Dean shook his head and looked out through the window.
"How long is this gonna go on?" Dean asked.
"Here, let me look it up in my demon-detox manual." Bobby remarked dryly. "Oh wait. No one ever wrote one. No telling how long it'll take. Hell, or if Sam will even live through it."
Before Dean could reply, the phone started ringing. Bobby sighed before he answered.
"Hello." Bobby said. "Suck dirt and die, Rufus. You call me again, I'll kill you."
Dean frowned when Bobby hung up. "What's up with Rufus?" He asked.
"He knows." Bobby replied. When the phone started ringing again, he answered it. "I'm busy, you son of a bitch." He called out, before pausing. "This better be important." As Rufus informed him what was going on, a worried frown appeared on his face.
Xxx
When Sam opened his eyes, he realized he was not bound. He looked around and saw Alastair had disappeared. Or had he never even been there? Was he losing his mind?
"The answer's yes. You're hallucinating." A familiar voice said.
Sam turned around and saw his teenage self standing beside his bed. He was looking at himself.
"That's right, it's me." Young Sam said. "Or I mean, it's you."
"I'm losing my mind." Sam said as she shook his head.
"Definitely." His younger self replied.
"What do you want?" Sam asked nervously.
"An explanation." His younger self said. "How could you do this to me? I thought we were gonna be normal."
"I tried. I did." Sam said. "It didn't pan out that way. Sorry, kid."
"'Sorry, kid'? That's what you have to say?" Young Sam said angrily. "It's all we ever wanted. We were so close. You got away from Dad. You quit hunting. You were gonna become a lawyer and get married. Why'd you blow it?"
"Look. They killed Jessica." Sam argued.
"Yeah. And if you hadn't run off with Dean, if you'd been there to protect her, she'd still be alive." His younger self replied.
"I know." Sam agreed.
"You think Jess would want you to turn into this? She loved you." Young Sam said. "You think she'd be happy you using her as an excuse?"
"I'm sorry. I am." Sam replied. "But life doesn't turn out the way you thought when you were fourteen years old. We were never gonna be normal. We were never gonna get away. Grow up."
His young self sighed. Suddenly, he was no longer standing in front of Sam, but behind him. "Maybe you're right. Maybe there's no escape." Suddenly his eyes turn yellow. "After all, how can you run from what's inside you?"
Xxx
Back in the living room, Bobby handed Dean a piece of paper. He leaned against the desk as he read it. Bobby sat down and grabbed another drink.
"The news ain't good." Bobby remarked.
"This is what Rufus called about?" Dean asked confused. "Key West sees ten species go extinct."
"Yep. Plus Alaska." Bobby added. "Fifteen-man fishing crew all stricken blind, cause unknown. New York, teacher goes postal, locks the door, kills exactly sixty-six kids. All this in a single day. I looked them up. There's no doubt about it. They're all seals. Breaking. Fast."
"How many are left?" Dean asked.
"Who knows? Can't be many." Bobby replied. "Where the hell are your angel pals?"
"You tell me." Dean remarked.
Bobby sighed and emptied his glass. He then stood up and cleared his throat. "I'm just wondering." He eventually said.
"What?" Dean asked as he turned to him.
"The apocalypse being nigh and all... is now really the right time to be having this little domestic drama of ours?" Bobby replied.
"What do you mean?" Dean asked with a frown.
"Well, I don't like this any more than you do, but Sam can kill demons. He's got a shot at stopping Armageddon." Bobby reasoned.
"So what?" Dean said angrily. "Sacrifice Sam's life, his soul, for the greater good? Is that what you're saying? Times are bad, so let's use Sam as a nuclear warhead?
"Look, I know you hate me for suggesting it." Bobby said with raised hands. "Hell, I hate me for suggesting it. I love that boy like a son. All I'm saying is maybe he's here right now instead of on the battlefield because we love him too much."
Xxx
Back in the panic room, Sam was sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, looking up at the large vent in the ceiling. He was burning up, sweating intensely. With blurred vision, he looked around the room and saw a pitcher of water. He tried to get up and leaned on the bed.
"Poor baby." A sad voice sounded through the room.
Sam turned around and was shocked to see his mother standing there. She was dressed in a white night gown covered in a large blood stain.
"Mom." Sam said as he stood up.
"Sam." Mary replied. "You look just awful."
Sam smirked as he started to pace around. "Alright, let's hear it." He said. "Go ahead."
"What do you mean?" Mary asked confused.
"That you're disappointed." Sam said, filling in the blanks. "You never thought I'd turn out this way. I'm a piss-poor excuse for a son. Your heart is broken." He stopped and looked at her. "Am I close?"
Mary waited for a moment. "Not at all." She eventually said as she walked toward him. "You're doing the right thing, Sam. What you're doing is brave. You're not being crazy, you're being practical." She touched him arm. "Sam, I am so proud of you."
"But…" Sam said confused and he sat down on the bed. He had not expected this. "Dean…"
"Your brother doesn't understand." Mary said as she sat down next to her son. "I was raised a hunter from a long line. We understand that there are gonna be hard choices. And we do what we have to to get the job done. Yes, our family is cursed. But you… you have the power to turn it into a gift. You can use it against them."
"For revenge?" Sam asked.
"No, for justice." Mary replied softly, almost whispering. "I know how scared you are."
"What's in me, Mom, it's…" Sam started to say.
"Evil." Mary finished his sentence. "And you know it."
"What if it's stronger than me?" Sam asked scared. "Look at me. What if Dean's right?"
Mary smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. "Dean can never know how strong you are…" She said. "Because Dean is weak. Look at what he's done to you. Locking you in here? He's terrified. He's in over his head. You have to go on without him. You have what it takes. You have to kill Lilith."
"Even if it kills me." Sam replied somewhat hesitantly.
"Make my death mean something." Mary said determined. "I'm counting on you, Sam. Don't let anyone or anything get in your way. Not even Dean."
Mary kissed her son on his cheek as she wraps her hands around him. A moment later, she had disappeared and Sam was left alone, shivering and twitching.
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Outside, Dean was impatiently pacing around the salvage yard after calling out to Castiel for hours. Just as he is about to give up, the flapping of wings is heard and the angel appears behind him under a lamp.
"Well, it's about time." Dean remarked annoyed. "I've been screaming myself hoarse out here for about two and a half hours now."
"What do you want?" Castiel asked impatiently.
"Well, you can start with what the hell happened in Illinois." Dean replied.
"What do you mean?" Castiel asked as he walked over.
"Cut the crap. You were gonna tell me something." Dean said.
"Well, nothing of import." Castiel said flippantly.
"You got ass-reamed in heaven but it was not of import?" Dean asked with a frown.
"Dean, I can't. I'm sorry." Castiel replied a bit nervous as he looked around and paced a bit. "Get to the reason you really called me. It's about Sam, right?"
"Can he do it? Kill Lilith, stop the apocalypse?" Dean asked.
"Possibly, yes." Castiel replied before turning back to Dean. "But as you know, he'd have to take certain steps."
"Crank up the hell-blood regimen." Dean concluded.
"Consuming the amount of blood it would take to kill Lilith would change your brother forever. Most likely, he would become the next creature that you would feel compelled to kill." Castiel explained before walking back to Dean.
"There's no reason this would have to come to pass, Dean." Castiel continued. "We believe it's you, Dean, not your brother. The only question for us is whether you're willing to accept it. Stand up and accept your role. You are the one who will stop it."
Dean hesitated for a moment as he considered the offer. "If I do this, Sammy doesn't have to?" He eventually asked with desperation.
"If it gives you comfort to see it that way." Castiel replied.
"God, you're a dick these days." Dean remarked as he shook his head and walked away. He took a moment to think it over and sighed. Determined to save his little brother, he eventually conceded. "Fine, I'm in." He said with fake determination.
"You give yourself over wholly to the service of God and his angels?" Castiel asked.
"Yeah, exactly." Dean replied with a shrug.
"Say it." Castiel demanded.
Dean sighed and turned to face Castiel. Both looked at each other in silence for a moment. "I give myself over wholly to serve God and you guys." Dean repeated reluctantly.
"You swear to follow his will and his word as swiftly and obediently as you did your own father's?" Castiel asked.
"Yes, I swear." Dean said. "Now what?"
"Now you wait, and we call on you when it's time." Castiel replied.
Dean stood in silence as he pondered the consequences of what he had just sworn. However, none of it mattered if it meant stopping Sammy from drinking the demon blood and becoming a monster. That was all that mattered.
Xxx
Sam was sitting on the floor of the panic room leaning against the wall. Suddenly he felt something and looked at his arms. The veins in his hands and arms started to turn black. In a panic, he crawled up and ran to the mirror. As he looked at himself, the veins on his face turned black and he screamed out for help.
Xxx
Up on the second floor of the house, Adam sat on the bed of his temporary bedroom while practicing loading and readying a gun while listening to music through earplugs. Sam's screams chilled his bones, though he knew he should listen to Dean and keep out of it. He turned up the volume of his music instead.
Xxx
Sam's screams echoed through the entire house. Back in Bobby's office, Dean stood by the door listening with a pained expression on his face. After telling Bobby what happened with Castiel, the older hunter was pacing around trying to wrap his mind around it.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you willingly signed up to be the angels' bitch?" Bobby eventually remarked. When Dean gave him an annoyed look, he smirked. "I'm sorry." He continued. "You prefer 'sucker'? After everything you said about them, now you trust them?"
"Come on, give me a little credit, Bobby." Dean replied annoyed as he walked over to him. "I've never trusted them less. I mean, they come on like shady politicians from planet Vulcan."
"Then why in the hell did you…" Bobby started to ask.
"Because what other option do I have?!" Dean angrily yelled at him before he could finish. "It's either trust the angels or let Sammy trust a demon?"
"I see your point." Bobby admitted reluctantly.
Both men fell silent and suddenly noticed that the entire house had gone quiet. Both instantly realized something was wrong.
"You hear that?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, that's a little too much nothing." Bobby replied.
Dean and Bobby hurried to the stairs and headed down to the basement. When they got to the panic room, they opened the small window in the door and looked inside. They saw Sam lying on the floor, apparently having a seizure. They exchanged concerned looks.
"What if he's faking?" Dean asked.
"You really think he would?" Bobby asked.
"I think he'd do anything." Dean replied.
Suddenly, Sam was thrown against the wall by an invisible force. He was rolled across the wall, slamming against it each time.
"That ain't faking." Bobby noted.
Dean and Bobby threw open the door and charged in to help Sam. They managed to pull him down and dragged him to the bed in the middle of the room. However, the seizure went on and Bobby pulled off his belt and placed it in Sam's mouth like a gag to keep him from swallowing his tongue. Dean, however, is in shock seeing his little brother hurting like this.
"We're gonna have to tie him down for his own safety." Bobby said, though Dean did not seem to hear him, so he raised his voice. "Dean? You with me? Dean! Before he has another fit."
"Yeah, yeah." Dean replied when he finally snapped out of it. "Let's just get it over with."
After some time passed, Sam finally woke up and was shocked to find himself tied to the bed. He looked around confused and saw Dean standing before him with a frown. He sat up.
"We had to." Dean explained. "The demon blood was flinging you all over the room." He sighed and started to pace. "Tell me something, Sam. Why did you do this to yourself?"
"You know why." Sam replied determined.
"Right." Dean said annoyed. "Kill Lilith. The big excuse. But why? What, revenge? Right?"
"Of course." Sam replied, confused as to why his brother could not understand that.
"Revenge for what?" Dean asked. "For sending me to hell? Did you happen to notice I'm back? Alive and kicking. So what's the point?"
As Sam frowned and shook his head, it was revealed the room is empty. However, in his hallucinations, Dean was still standing in front of him.
"Point?" Sam asked annoyed. "How about 'stop the damn apocalypse'?"
"My gig. Not yours." Dean said harshly. "The angels said so, remember? God picked me, man. So you got any other fantastic excuses?"
xxx
Back at Bobby's office, Dean was sitting on the couch with his head buried in his hands while Bobby leaned against his desk. Eventually, Bobby broke the silence by clearing his throat.
"Alright. I'm gonna ask one more time." Bobby said reluctantly. "Are we absolutely sure we're doing the right thing?"
Dean looked up with a frustrated frown. "Bobby, you saw what was happening to him down there." Dean said as he stood up. "The demon blood is killing him!"
"No, it isn't." Bobby replied as he shook his head. "We are."
"What?" Dean asked confused.
"I'm sorry. I can't bite my tongue any longer." Bobby replied. "We're killing him. Keeping him locked up down there. This cold-turkey thing isn't working. If he doesn't get what he needs, soon, Sam's not gonna last much longer."
Dean stared at him as he became emotional. "No." He said softly. "No, I'm not giving him demon blood. I won't do it."
"And if he dies?" Bobby asked.
"Then at least he dies human!" Dean called out with tears in his eyes. No matter what, he would not let his brother become a monster.
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