Disclaimer: I still don't own Supernatural or its characters. I am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!
Born in Darkness
Chapter 2 – Destiny
Sam walked slowly down the street as he tried to figure out his next move. The longer he lay in the room, the more he realized he didn't know how to be the little brother any more. Things had changed between him and Dean—trust being the biggest issue. How could they hunt if Dean questioned his every move? Maybe he should suggest Dean work with Bobby while he continued on his own…
He jumped when a shadow moved from between the buildings. His hand automatically reached for the demon blade but came up empty. He remembered--he'd left it with Dean. Just the thought of Dean dying was unthinkable to him. Besides, he no longer had the heart to kill the innocent person trapped by a demon. The young hunter took a defensive stance but soon breathed a sigh of relief when he realized who it was.
"Ruby, what do you want?" Sam began to walk again as he shrugged the hand from his arm.
"What's with you hero? Where's your short side kick of a brother—did you give the watch dog the night off?" Ruby smirked.
"Just leave Dean out of this. Why are you here?" Sam stopped and looked at the petite brunette. He knew the body was being used by Ruby wasn't really a live person anymore and yet he still couldn't bring himself to exorcise the demon. No wonder Dean thought he'd lost his mind.
Monster…
"I came to warn you—I found another one and he's out for your blood. You need to be careful with this one Sam, he's stronger than the others…"
"Doesn't matter Ruby, I'm done." Sam stood back and crossed his arms as he stared off into the distance. Part of him wanted to get the intel and take care of the demon, but that would mean breaking his word to Dean and he refused to do it. Going up against the monster without back up and without weapons would be suicide. No it was better to walk away from this one. What was one more demon when there were so many…
"What do you mean you're done? Did I miss the part where Lilith was gone? We had a deal…" Sam shoved the demon from him with enough force to make the woman groan as she hit the wall.
"We never had a deal Ruby—I never said I'd do anything for you or your kind do you hear me? You volunteered to help and because of that I let you live. But Dean is right, I don't need you anymore. Go before I decide to send you back to the pit where you belong…" Sam moved closer to the demon. He could almost taste her fear, just like the others. For a moment he could feel the temptation grow inside him. The sense of power, of control was almost too much for him to resist. He turned his back on the demon before he could change his mind—he'd meant what he said to Dean. He was done. His reaction to the demon was proof he'd been playing with fire—deluding himself that he could control it.
"Fine, but when you get your rear end handed to you—don't come calling for me. I knew I never should have come back for you. You're weak Sam Winchester and in the end you and that brother of yours will just be another statistic on the evening news…" Ruby turned and stormed off into the night.
Sam shook his head and continued on. He no longer had the heart to fight; he was so tired of it all. For once he wished he'd listened to Dean and holed up some place. Of course with demons, hunters and now even angels trying to kill him—where could he hide? There would be no place safe, no rest for him until one of them finally finished what was started before his birth. The only unknown was who would kill him first.
Not Human…
The night air was cold and his head still ached from the run in with Jack Montgomery. All he wanted to do was sleep. No matter how much he tried to figure it out, the answer to his problem wasn't to be found out here. If it weren't for Dean he would have given up completely. But he couldn't do that to his brother, not after all he'd done for him. He would let his big brother take the lead again and let him choose the hunts. He'd back him up and fight the good fight only to keep his brother safe. The only thing that mattered to him now was to earn his brother's trust again--if that was even possible.
A sharp pain assaulted his already sore head followed by something slamming into his back. Before he could turn he was shoved into the brick wall with enough force to dislocate his shoulder. Sam screamed in pain as he tried to turn and face his attacker but as his head was driven once more into the concrete he lost the battle. Before he fell he caught a glimpse of dark eyes. "Hmph—guess it will be a demon then. Maybe this is better…" Sam thought as darkness claimed him.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Dean looked at the young woman sitting where his brother had sat only a short time before. Everything in him told him to kill her and yet he needed her to find his brother. He'd told Sam not to have anything to do with her and here he was letting her direct him to who knew where. For all he knew, she was leading him into a trap. The difference was he wouldn't be going in alone. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and made a quick call.
"Hey Bobby, are you anywhere near Iowa? Yeah, just over the Missouri state line…" Dean listened to his old friend for a moment before he continued. "It's Sam—he's missing…"
The worried hunter gave his surrogate father directions to their hotel along with an assurance he'd call in every half hour and give Bobby his final destination before he did anything "stupid" as the older hunter put it. A soft smile graced his grim face as he thought about how much the old man had filled the void his father had left. He could never replace John Winchester, but he was a very close second.
"Calling in the cavalry already short bus?" Ruby smirked. "I thought you were connected now—the right hand of God…"
"Let's get this straight right now. I belong to no one! I'm not sure that I buy the whole angel thing but I do know nothing will hurt my brother without going through me first—including a demon disguised as a do gooder." Dean glared at the woman for a moment before he punched down on the accelerator.
"Fine, we both don't trust each other but whether you like it or not our objectives are the same—we both want to save Sam." Ruby sighed as she looked out into the darkness, her arms crossed over her chest.
Dean shrugged. "Well we can agree we want to save him but I know our motives aren't the same. So once this is done, you will leave. If I ever see you near Sam again, I will use the knife—innocent or not."
"Whatever!" Ruby pursed out her lower lip as she turned her back towards Dean. The hunter could almost understand why Sam put up with her—almost. It was hard to think of her as a demon when she acted so—human.
"So any idea what has Sam and where he's been taken?" Dean decided it was time to get back on track.
"What do I look like—I'm not the demon divining rod…" Ruby smirked as she turned to look out into the darkness beyond the windows. Dean couldn't help but think it reflected her soul—but then he'd seen darkness worse than her—much worse. He was brought back by a soft sigh beside him.
"Look, I'm not sure where exactly he is but I do know who has him. Ose is Lilith's newest right hand boy. I don't know much about him other than he has it bad for Sam. He would love nothing more than to bring your brother's head on a platter to his master." Ruby sighed as she caught her lower lip between her white teeth. "I tried to warn him but it was almost like he didn't care—like he wanted to be captured…"
Dean sucked in a soft breath. "I'm done…" whispered through his mind and brought a chill to his spine. He had though Sam meant he was done using his powers, not that he was done trying. His eyes burned as he realized how badly he'd handled things since his return. He should have known Sam needed more than a few hugs and assurances. He'd practically told him God was against him—no wonder Sam was lost.
"Do you know where he'd be taken?" Dean asked.
"Not exactly, but I do know where to find out…" Ruby crossed her arms and hugged herself as if a chill had run through her. She swallowed and looked down before she continued. "You're not gonna like it but it's the only way…"
"Just spit it out—no more riddles or so help me…" Dean glared at the demon while he continued to drive through the night. His eyes constantly searched as he harbored a slight hope that his brother wasn't captured but just walking off their latest argument. But only darkness met his gaze.
"Fine, we need to stop at a bar I know of. There are—ah—some people who might know where Ose is currently working. You'll have to wait for me outside. It's not exactly a great place for a hunter, much less one who reeks of angelic taint."
"You're kiddin' me right? You think I'm gonna just let you walk in and talk to your buddies…"
"It's not up for negotiation Dean. There are some who aren't as bad as others—all they want is to be left alone…" Ruby looked at Dean, her eyes softened as she appeared to be looking inward. "All they want is to be able to feel human once again."
"Yeah at what cost Ruby? What happens to the person they are using during their little vacation from downstairs?"
"You should know what it's like Dean—to lose your humanity only to find it again. I know you remember even if you don't want to. Now we can either do it my way or we can wait until Ose turns your brother into Lilith's newest table decoration. What's it gonna be short bus?" Ruby smirked, it was clear she knew his answer before she'd even asked. After all, hadn't he gone to hell to save Sam before? Should he trust the demon to find his brother or find him on his own? Once again he was going against everything he believed to save the one thing that mattered most to him.
"Where is this bar?" Dean sighed as he realized once again he was going to sell a part of his soul to get his brother back.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Sam sputtered as the cold water ran down his naked chest. He blinked the water from his eyes as he tried to see where he was. His arms were tied above his head, his bare feet barely touching the floor. His right shoulder was on fire from the strain, the injured joint was being aggravated by the weight of his body as he hung helplessly from the hook in the ceiling. "Gah!" Sam cried as a fist slammed into his kidney.
"Nice to see you're back with us. I thought I'd have to just kill you without having fun first. But since you're awake, let's see how much you can take shall we?"
Sam still couldn't see his assailant but it didn't matter. Part of him felt he deserved what would happen to him. After all he was the one born of darkness, of a wish meant only to do good but in the end it had meant his ultimate doom. He now understood why his mother had said she was sorry, why his father kept him isolated and away from the hunting world. His destiny was darkness, his blood tainted and unclean.
"What nothing to say? Where is the hero who kills demons with his mind? I have to say Sammy; you really don't impress me here." The voice echoed around the dim room.
"It's Sam…" The injured hunter managed before another fist hit him.
A soft chuckle was preceded by the sound of footsteps. Sam blinked and saw his tormentor. He almost laughed at the slightly heavyset balding man in front of him. He looked like someone's grandfather. "What you couldn't find a better body than this?" Sam mocked as he channeled his inner Dean.
The man shook his head and moved towards a workbench on the side of the room. He returned a moment later with a Louisville Slugger. It didn't take much imagination to understand what the demon had in mind. "No Sammy—but then I don't need much strength to break your bones with this. Where to start…" The demon paused his finger tapped his lips before he pounded the bat into his other hand.
The sound of wood hitting flesh caused Sam to jerk slightly. He watched as the bat was raised but nothing prepared him for the instant pain as the wood hit his outer thigh. "Strike One!" the demon yelled as he stepped back and raised the bat again. This time his ribs took the brunt of the force. Sam felt the pain and could hear the sound of a rib cracking. "Strike Two!"
As the demon continued his version of batting practice Sam retreated inside to where the pain couldn't reach him. With luck he'd never wake…
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Dean sat in the car, his fingers tapping on the wheel as he stared into the night. Ruby had made him park over an hour ago. It was clear he was supposed to trust her but she didn't reciprocate. It didn't surprise him—after all she knew once she showed him the location he'd come back later and send her friends packing. He tried to convince himself he was only using the demons, that he wasn't giving them anything in return. But deep down he knew he was once more walking down that slippery slope. Maybe he'd been worrying about the wrong Winchester. Sam may have powers, but he was the one who was sitting here waiting for a demon to help him. How could he have accused Sam of the very thing he was now doing?
His phone rang startling him from his musings. He smiled when he saw the caller id. "Hey Bobby, tell me you're close."
"I'll be there in a couple of hours Dean. Any word on Sammy yet?" Bobby asked.
"No, but Ruby is helping—at least that's what she says anyway. I can't believe I'm sitting here waiting for her to find Sam…" The older hunter ran a hand through his hair as he tried to justify using the very person he'd warned Sam about.
"You can't trust her Dean. I know she's been helpful to you two boys—but she's still a demon and…"
"…and demons always lie. I know Bobby. But what else can I do? She said some guy called Ose has him and he works for Lilith."
"Hmmmm…never heard of that one but then that doesn't mean he ain't bad news. Just do me a favor and don't go off half cocked. You get the information and you wait for back up Dean." Bobby's voice paused for a moment before he said quietly. "He'll be okay…just wait for me. You can't help him if you die again…"
"I can't promise I'll wait but I will let you know where I'm going." Dean heard the sigh on the other end of the phone. "It's the best I can do Bobby—I can't lose him…"
"I know boy—just be careful yah idjit!"
Dean smiled as he closed the phone. Where the hell was Ruby anyway? He was giving her fifteen more minutes and then he was going to start hunting her down. He jumped as the object of his thoughts opened the door a few minutes later.
"So what did you find out? Do you know where he's taken Sammy?" Dean asked as he started the car.
"I'm not sure, but they said there's an old farmhouse about two miles outside of town. It's secluded and has been used before…" Ruby looked away but Dean had seen the guilt in her eyes.
"Used for what exactly?"
"To torture captives before killing them—or driving them insane. I was there once and saw him work. This guy gets off on pain Dean. He's a bad one to mess with and he's strong. You'll only get one shot…" Ruby looked up at Dean with fear in her eyes.
"I only need one…" Dean replied as he stared out into the dark night.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Hello Sammy! Don't you know there's no place you can hide from me?" Ose chuckled as Sam blinked.
"Where—how—I'm dreaming?" Sam realized he didn't feel the pain in his body even though he was still hanging from the ceiling in the same dingy room as before. He'd experience dream walking before. This was just like the last time. Reality was skewed and yet he also realized it would only mean more trouble for him. He wasn't in control here unlike the last time when he'd ingested the dream root.
"In a manner of speaking. You're mine to play with Sammy both here and in the real world. I have to say for someone who is destined to be the leader of our little rebellion; you haven't lived up to the hype yet. Why is that Sammy?"
"My brother and I will send you back to join the others. We won't let you win…" Sam cried out as a fist hit him in the face. He swore he saw stars for a moment before he focused once more on the demon in front of him.
"Ah me thinks you protest too much my boy. Azazel gave you the power to rule, his blood runs through your veins. I know you can feel it, with each beat of your heart you glorify all that is darkness in the world. You've tasted only a small portion of what you can do and I know you enjoyed the feeling." Ose grinned as he swung the bat in his hand and hit Sam in the side.
"Argh!" Sam screamed as the pain intensified. Only this time there was no escape into darkness. "I'll never become what you want—so tell your mistress she's barking up the wrong tree." Sam gasped as his head was pulled back, his neck straining as Ose whispered into his ear.
"You're a freak Sam Winchester. An aberration that never should have survived the fire that took your mother. Even your own brother thinks you're something to be hunted. No one wants you Sammy, not Heaven or Hell. So where do you go from here?" Sam's head fell forward as his hair was released.
"Dean knows the truth—he knows I'd never…"
"He only knows that you lied to him and that you failed Sammy. You didn't save him. In fact, you gave up didn't you? You were lost in the bottom of a bottle. Poor little Sammy—no one to tuck you in at night. Unless you consider the traitor Ruby. Tell me Sammy—is she as good as they say she is?" Ose stepped back and grinned at the injured hunter.
"Shut up! Demon's lie…" Sam fought the feelings of shame and guilt as he glared at his tormentor. He couldn't let him know how close to the truth he was or all would be lost.
"And some of us tell the truth—go ahead Sammy, ask me a question and I'll answer you truthfully. That is if you really want the truth."
Sam shook his head. "You're all talk and I'm through wasting my time with you. You might kill me, but Dean will find you and send you back. You and all the others like you…"
"The truth is Sammy—you couldn't handle the truth. I can see your future and believe me it isn't pretty. You should thank me for saving you from that fate…you know in a way, I'm also saving your brother. He'd never survive what's to come, what he'd have to do in the end—well lets just say being caught between Heaven and Hell isn't healthy." Ose stepped back and raised the bat. "Now where was I? Oh yes, strike three!"
Sam yelled as the bat hit his injured shoulder. The pain white hot as it raced through his body. As the demon continued to use the bat on his body, Sam wondered what he'd meant. Would Dean have to kill him in the end? If he turned evil, he had no doubt his brother would have the strength—but what about after? Maybe the demon was right—it would be best to let go…
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Dean pulled up next to the white paneled van. "Are you sure this is the place?" He asked the female demon sitting beside him.
"It makes sense he'd use it but the only way to know for sure is to check it out. Of course we can wait for your backup if you want…" Ruby opened the door and exited the black car. Dean pulled out his phone and quickly gave Bobby the new coordinates.
"I'll be careful Bobby but if you don't hear from me—come in hot okay?" Dean whispered as he exited the car. He placed the phone back in his jeans pocket before he went to the trunk of the car. It didn't take long for him to grab what he'd need. His favorite gun, a couple of bottles of holy water, and of course the demon blade; his hand ghosted over his father's journal for a moment before he closed the trunk with a slam.
Hunter and demon moved as one towards the van. Both looked inside and noted the sign of fresh blood on the floor boards. Dean sucked in a breath as he realized it had to be Sam's blood. The bastard had hurt his brother and it was partially his fault. Turning to look towards the old farm house, he noticed there were no lights on. "Well the truck is here, but it doesn't look like anyone is home…" Dean remarked as he moved towards the house.
He stopped as a hand fastened on his arm. "Not the house—there's an old root cellar under one end of the barn. If he's here, that's where he'll be." Ruby motioned towards the dilapidated barn. Dean shuddered as he remembered another barn, the one where he'd learned angels existed and that someone had a plan for him. A plan that didn't appear to include saving his younger brother.
"Great, so I'm guessing there is only one entrance?" Dean whispered as he followed Ruby towards the barn.
"Yeah, but if he's working alone it shouldn't be a problem. The ah—fun room is further in…"
Dean raised an eyebrow but didn't press. It was bad enough he was following the demon to begin with. He really didn't want to know how or why she knew the layout and use of this place. Once again he was willing to curtail his instincts and allow a demon to help him save his brother. He could imagine what Castiel would think right now.
"This way Dean…" Ruby motioned with her hand as she ducked into the barn. Dean could barely make out her form as she moved stealthily into the darkness within. She stopped outside and pointed to the trap door in the floor. It was open showing stone stairs leading down into an inky darkness. Dean wanted to use his flashlight but didn't want to give away their position. Besides the demon seemed able to see without it; he watched as she slowly began to descend.
"Don't go too far ahead…" Dean whispered. He didn't trust the demon and certainly didn't need any surprises. As they reached the bottom the hunter almost gagged on the smell of death and decay in the cramped space. The hall was narrow and only a few feet higher than his head. If Sam had been walking, he'd have to hunch over slightly to fit.
Ruby moved forward, her hand on a bag she kept on her waist. Hopefully it was something that would stop the demon as he had no intention of giving her the demon blade. He stopped as he heard a loud moan from the end of the hallway. He'd know that sound anywhere—Sam was here and he was in pain.
Ruby looked back at him briefly before she moved forward once more. As they came to a door at the end of the hallway Dean pulled the bottle of holy water from his coat along with the demon blade. "I'll try to distract him Dean, you better make your shot a good one or we all will die." Ruby hissed as she placed her hand on the door knob.
"Why Ruby?" Dean asked quietly. The demon was once more putting herself in danger for Sam. He had to wonder what happened while he'd been visiting down south.
"Let's just say I still believe in the dark horse--now shall we?" Ruby sucked in a breath at the sound of something hitting flesh followed by a hoarse scream. Dean nodded as she opened the door and entered. The sight that met his eyes almost sent him to his knees.
"Sammy!"
TBC
Raven524: Sorry about the delay but unfortunately Christmas shopping, baking and such has kept me busy. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I hope this next chapter meets your expectations!
