Sam barely dodged Dean's broad swing. Had he not reacted sooner, his chest would have been sliced like Gadreel's back at the bunker. A struggle ensued. Sam staggered back, and Dean drove the knife down on Sam's face, but Sam had the dexterity to catch the blade inches from the bridge of his nose. An iron grip locked around Dean's wrist, Sam's strength rebelled against his brother's. His face scrunched up as every fiber in his being tautened to get the Blade the hell out of his face—
Castiel seized Dean's dominant arm. Good old Castiel. The angel pried back Dean's arm with all the might he had left, and the smell of burning fabric struck Sam's nose as he gasped at the sudden relief that washed over him now that the Blade was being withdrawn. Sam watched Castiel haul Dean back, and he followed suit to wrench the Blade from Dean's grasp. Sam realized that Dean's jacket sleeve had been scorched through: Castiel was trying to burn the Mark from Dean's skin.
"CAS!"
Dean's elbow jabbed up sharply, cracking Castiel's jaw. The angel loosed, collapsing in a heap on the ground. Sam was on his brother faster than lightning. He grabbed his brother's hand, fighting to disarm him. Castiel, on the ground, was too disoriented to keep up. Sam yelled Castiel's name again, because he could really use his help right about now-
Dean shoved Sam off, and Sam backed up a good ten feet from Dean. Out of breath, Sam was hopped up on adrenaline. Quickly, he assessed the situation. Castiel was still on the ground, probably unconscious— fantastic. He was a defenseless target now. To make matters worse, Dean stood between him and Cas. Should Dean wisen up and move to shank the angel first—
Sam didn't even want to think about it. He kept his eyes locked on his brother.
"Hey, hey- HEY!" he ushered, to distract him from any new possible angel-slaying notion that could crop up. It seemed to work; Dean was shooting him a fifty-yard, tunnel-visioned stare. Sam swallowed. "... Dean, put the Blade down, huh?" he tried to reason, "You— You iced Gadreel," he gestured to the mutilated angel to their left. Thank god Gadreel was to their left. "He totally got what was coming for him, right?" Sam was disgusted by saying it how he did, but he had to keep this deranged man entertained somehow. "I mean, he possessed me- He made me kill Kevin-"
A flash had Sam stop for a moment. A light radiated beneath Dean's skin, and for a brief second, Sam saw a strange distortion sweep over the hunter's face. It looked twisted. Demonic.
"...Hey, Dean," Sam said more gently, despite the terror that chilled his blood, "Remember when—when we went fishing up at that lake with Bobby?" Sam had to treaded lightly here. He didn't want to spike Dean's anger. He had to carefully navigate these waters. He almost shot for a memory concerning their father, but thankfully he steered away from it. "Bobby had the weekend off and he took us up to the lake— what was it called?" He expected Dean to help him fish for the name, but he didn't answer. "... You and me had that contest to see who could hook the most fish, remember? I almost won, but then that rainstorm blew over, and you got the jump on me. Bobby fell overboard!" he said, excitement getting the better of him for a moment.
Sam went quiet. Dean still wasn't responding.
"... Dean? You with me-?"
Kill, the voice urged.
Something snapped, and Sam nearly jumped out of his skin.
KILL!
Dean sprinted right at Sam. The younger brother leaped out of harm's way, but not without the Blade slicing through his sleeve. Recoiling, Sam hissed in pain. He would have put pressure on the bleed, but time didn't permit such frivolity. Once again, Dean had him pinned and grasping at straws for dear life. Sam managed to halt a brute undercut, snapping his hand to shunt the Blade's upward swing. His hand shot back down and snatched Dean's wrist.
"Dean-!" Sam voice strained, "Stop! This isn't you-!" The Blade was jabbing into Sam's stomach, but not enough to pierce his flesh. Sam had lost all hope in Castiel coming to his rescue again. He was down for the count. Sam's hand trembled heavily as he slowly, slowly managed to twist the Blade away from his stomach. If he could just part the Blade from Dean-
"God-" he half-groaned, half-prayed, pinching his eyes shut. Dean's strength was incredible. "Dean-"
Dean was so close. He could almost taste victory. It was within arm's reach. Dean had lost all conception of just who he was up against. It no longer mattered to him. They were all the same to him. Things to stab. Things to bleed. Things to kill.
"I'm gonna make you scream," Dean's voice uttered darkly through huffed lips in a way that wasn't Dean's voice at all. "I'm going to seat you in Hell myself. I am going to make you wish you had never been born-"
Sam kicked up a fast knee, but that only gave Dean wiggle room to force the Blade back against Sam.
"DEAN-" the younger brother choked in frightened anticipation. His voice twitched, and he continued in a higher, but quieter pitch, "Don't do this, Dean- Don't go back on your promise-"
Sam was ready to die. It would be a lie to say he never imagined he would die at the hands of the one person who was supposed to protect him. But right now? It was a couple years late. Sam drilled his eyes right into Dean's. If Dean was going to kill him, so be it. But he would make sure that Dean would remember. A strange pit of anger surged in Sam, and hot tears threatened to sting his eyes. He inhaled sharply what he believed would be his last breath. It reeked of blood and burned flesh.
A flash sparked, jilting Sam's hellbent gaze. It came from Dean's eyes. It was so quick that Sam thought he imagined it. But his brother was suddenly back. He could see it. He was so overjoyed that he almost didn't notice the slip of his body against his brother's.
Sam slung an arm over Dean's shoulder and wept with a smile. He held onto his big brother and thought he would never let him go.
Dean's breath stifled with a warm froth on his shoulder.
Sam stopped.
He pulled away.
"Dean-?"
Bloody saliva bubbled on Dean's lips.
Sam's eyes dropped faster than lead.
His heart stopped.
"—No-" he chirped, "Oh, no-"
The Blade withdrew with a sickening squelch. It clattered on the floor, dressed in fresh Winchester blood.
"No, no-no-no-" Sam repeated, as if a chorus of denial would bring back what was already dead. "Oh my god, no-"
Sam's scream didn't go unheard by the gods in heaven,
on earth,
or down below.
