Chapter 7: Skin
About a week had flown by, the group driving across the country hitting the latest local newspapers for anything abnormal they could go investigate, and nothing had caught anyone's attention. That was, until Sam got an email from a college friend about an old buddy who was arrested for a murder he didn't commit. Apparently, the evidence was strong against this guy, and even though Dean and the girls tried telling Sam it didn't sound like their type of gig, he insisted they check it out.
So here they were, following Sam as they knocked on his friend's door.
A cute blonde girl answered. Dean ogling as she leaned in for a hug from Sam. He introduced her as Becky, to which Dean rushed in for a handshake before either of the Magnums could exchange a simple hello. Kara rolled her eyes at Dean before she smiled excitedly. Becky was an old friend of hers, as well. "Oh, Becky! Hi!"
"Kara! It's nice to see you, what a lovely surprise!"
"I got your email." Sam started, Becky welcoming them into the house.
"I didn't think you would come all the way out here though." She glanced curiously at Lyra as she hesitated before coming inside to a stranger's home.
"We're here to help however we can."
Becky nodded, letting them all in before settling down in the kitchen. "So, tell us what happened?" Sam started.
"Well, um…" Kara stepped forward, offering a kind hand to hold as she told the story, which was gratefully accepted by the girl. Her brother Zach was being tried for murdering his girlfriend. "Zach came home, and he found Emily tied to a chair. She was beaten up and bloody and wasn't breathing, so he called 911 and the police showed up and they arrested him. Unfortunately, Emily didn't make it."
Dean shrugged. "Why would they do that?"
Becky squeezed Kara's hand. "They think he did it. But the only way Zach could have killed Emily was if he was in two places at once."
Sam's eyebrows scrunched, glancing over at Dean who had a similar curiously confused expression, shifting his feet to lean closer to the blonde, they listened.
"You see, the police got footage from a security tape across the street. It shows him coming home at 10:30. Now Emily was killed just after that. But I SWEAR he was here with me having a few beers until at least after midnight."
Sam nodded. "Maybe we could go see the crime scene at Zach's house?" He glanced over to Lyra, who shook her head in agreement.
Becky dropped her gaze, unsure of the idea. "But, why? What could you do?"
"Me? Well not much but you see, Dean here is a cop." Sam smiled as Becky turned hopefully to Dean, who gave an embarrassed chuckle.
Kara glared, telling Dean to stop being suspicious and speak. "Detective, actually."
Becky nodded. "From where?"
Dean's eyes scanned the others for any helpful information but found none. In a slight panic, he blurted out. "Bisby Arizona." He could see Lyra flinch at his choice of town. "I'm off duty right now."
Becky nodded, turning to Kara before shaking her head. "It's so nice to offer guys but, you know, I just don't know."
She turned her attention back to Sam as he tried convincing her. "I know Zac didn't do this. Now we have to find a way to prove that he's innocent."
With Kara giving a final squeeze of her hand, Becky sighed, giving in. "Okay. I'll go get the keys."
As Becky walked off to a different room of the house, Dean groaned. "Sam, this really doesn't sound like our kind of problem."
Kara scoffed. "Why not?"
"We've looked into less." Lyra added, arms folded.
Sam raised his eyebrows at Dean, his palms turned towards him as an invitation for an argument, but Dean could only purse his lips in annoyance. The girls were right.
"Fine."
Paying no attention to the yellow tape across the lawn and the door, the group plus Becky broke into the house. Blood was splattered everywhere. The familiar sting of iron hung in the air, almost musty. Sam and Dean looked around.
Jiggling the door handle, Dean sighed. "There's no sign of a break in, she must have known the attacker." He turned to Becky. "Is there anything else weird that might have happened before this that you can think of?"
Becky fiddled with her necklace, eyebrows scrunched together as she searched her mind for clues. "Actually, yeah. About a week before, someone broke in and stole some of Zac's clothes. Nothing else was missing."
Sam poked his head outside, looking at the dog that would not stop barking at them with a frown. Becky crossed her arms. "Yeah, that poor dog. He was the nicest thing until this happened."
"So the dog went psycho about the time of the murder?" Dean pulled his head from inside the fridge, closing it with a guilty look. He had been looking for a drink.
Sam shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Dogs can have a heightened sense of the paranormal." He saw Lyra and Kara nodding in agreement. "So maybe this is our kind of problem?"
Dean shook his head, feet firmly planted like his opinion on this case. "No."
Lyra groaned, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. "Well, it doesn't look like there are any clues here. Maybe we should go back and look at the security tape?"
Kara led Becky out of the house, an arm wrapped around her. "Good idea. Let's get out of here."
Dean and Sam sat around a computer screen, watching the security tape as it played back on one of Becky's computers. Kara and Lyra stood off to the back, chatting with Becky. They were watching who appeared to be Zach walking towards the house. A flash on the screen nearly made Sam jump, as he hit the rewind quick. "Hey Beck, got any beer?"
Becky nodded, a smile on her face as she adjusted her shirt. "Yeah. Be right back."
As the blonde college girl left the room, Sam turned around in his chair to look at the Magnums. In a whispered voice he beckoned. "Come look, quick."
The girls closed in around the computer, Dean's interest piqued as Sam hit the play button. "Take a look at this, his eyes…" The eyes flashed white almost too quickly to be seen, so Sam paused and went a few frames back, where they could clearly see the eyes in a picture.
"That's unlike any camera glare I've ever seen." Kara folded her arms, shaking her head.
Lyra scratched at her head. "So, what, Zac has an evil double?"
"Or a doppleganger?" Dean raised his eyebrows, taking his feet off the table.
"That would sure explain how he was two places at once." Sam added, rubbing his chin deep in thought. He hit play, and they watched a little longer before Lyra pointed to the screen as it hit 1am, when the real Zach came home.
"The video tape sees him coming in but never coming out."
Dean stood up just as Becky came in with a pack of beers. "Looks like we're checking around back next." He stated nonchalantly, while taking a beer from the case and smirking at Sam without an ounce of regret. "After I finish my beer."
After a round of beers, the hunters were on their way to Zach's to check around out back of the house to see if they could find any evidence. Of course, they found nothing. But it wasn't long before an ambulance caught their attention, flying through the streets. On a hunch, the group decided to check it out.
It was another murder. Kara had the idea to check around back where the police weren't standing watch, joined by Sam and Lyra while Dean went around front to ask questions about what had happened.
Lyra was digging through the dumpster, Kara was checking around the windowsills, and Sam was searching the alleyway. One after another, they would pop up with nothing. Until Sam went to lean on the light post, only to find a streak of blood. He called everyone over, pointing to the dried smudge.
"Blood."
Lyra tilted her head, examining the spot. "So we know he came this way."
Kara shook her arms, glancing around. "Yeah, but there's nothing else. It's a dead end."
Their heads turned as Dean appeared from around the front of the house, coming towards them. "Remember how I said this wasn't our kind of problem? Definitely our kind of problem."
"I was just talking to the patrol officer who was first on the scene and apparently the dude was driving home from a business trip when his wife was attacked."
"So he was in two places at once?" Sam perked up.
"Exactly." Dean starts. "Then he sees himself in the house and police say he's a nutjob."
"Two dark doubles attacking loved ones in exactly the same way." Kara muttered.
"It could be the same thing doing it too." Dean theorized.
"Shapeshifter, maybe?" Lyra suggested, shrugging her shoulders. "Something that can make itself look like anyone?"
"Every culture has its own shapeshifter lore. Creatures that can transform themselves into other creatures or people." Kara pitched, looking around at passing people with suspicion.
"Well I found evidence of something leaving the back of this building…" Sam said pointing to the pole again.
"But the trail just disappears. Maybe it can fly?" Kara guessed with a smile.
Sam, Dean and Kara stared at the pole, heads tilted as they thought about the problem at hand. Lyra interrupted their thoughts from a few steps behind them. "Well there is another way to go." The three turned their heads, eyes first falling on Lyra before moving down to the object she was pointing at. It was the sewer drain. "Down."
Kara's voice heightened as she connected the dots. "I bet this pipe runs down by Zach's house too!"
Dean flashed her a smile. "I think you're right."
They paused, excitement being replaced with disgust, realizing there was only one way to find out. They all groaned.
And down they went.
Water dripped from the ceiling and splashed up from the ground as each person dropped into the tunnel. The faint squeak of a rat echoed in the tight chambers. It was musty, dark, and stank to high heaven.
Walking through the maze of tunnels, the group followed in single-file. Kara lead the group, stopping as she gagged, trying not to heave. "Ugh, disgusting… guys, look at this."
She walked past the object in question, pointing her flashlight at it so the others could see it. Lyra covered her mouth. Dean knelt to poke the blob with his knife. Sam asked, "Is that slimy skin?"
Everyone groaned, their stomachs churning and threatening to spill their contents. Dean looked up at Sam. "I just had a sick thought… maybe when this shapeshifter changes shape… it sheds."
Everyone heard Lyra's stomach flip. "I think I'm gunna throw up."
Dean stood, wiping off his knife as he chuckled at Lyra's weak stomach. "If there's one thing Dad taught me well, it's that no matter what kind of shapeshifter…"
Sam interrupted his brother. "A silver bullet to the heart will do the trick."
"That's right!"
They were filled with determination. "Let's get this monster."
They had been searching the underground tunnels together for about an hour when Lyra spotted something. "I think we're getting close to its lair." She muttered.
"How do you know?" Sam asked, craning his neck to glance at her over his shoulder.
"Because there is another puke-inducing pile of slime next to your face on that pipe." She said with a small chuckle.
Kara spun around, pointing her flashlight at the fleshy lump and staring with a contorted face. Sam backed into the wall behind him trying to get away from it. "Oh god…"
Dean sighed. "There's more on the ground just up ahead too… with some clothes."
Kara huffed. "Who knows how many murders this thing has gotten away with."
While everyone was looking at the clothes, something crept up from behind the green-eyed Winchester. Kara glanced up, the movement catching her eye. A white eyed man was staring back at her, arm up ready to hit Dean over the head. "DEAN!"
Dean spun around, blocking the attack with his arm. His shirt ripped and blood trickled from the wound. Nobody moved as the creature ran. Dean glared at them. "Just get the son of a bitch!"
Sam sprinted after the monster. Chasing it down the nearly pitch-black corridor, following as it opened and escaped out through a manhole. Climbing the ladder, he looked around, seeing it already far off, disappearing as it ran down an alleyway out of sight.
Sam took a moment to catch his breath as Lyra and Kara pushed Dean out of the hole, his arm throbbing. Dean looked at Sam expectedly. "I couldn't catch him, but I have an idea which direction he went."
Dean sighed, dropping his head for a moment before standing tall. "Let's split up then."
In the general direction the shapeshifter went, the four split up down different streets and ran, scanning alleyways and streets, cars and people for a sign of the man. Problem was, if it didn't shed, they didn't have a trail, and if it shed, they wouldn't know what it looked like anymore. The sun set below the horizon and they were searching in darkness before Sam, Lyra and Dean ended up intersecting each other, far from the starting point.
"Anything?!" Lyra's shoulders dropped, and Sam shook his head. Dean sighed. "Alright. Anyone know where Kara is?"
Lyra took a deep breath, trying to get her breathing back to regular. "It's been a while. She'll find us."
Sam nodded, running his hand through his hair. "Let's get back to the car. Maybe she's already there."
Sam lead the group, crossing the street towards the car. Lyra close behind, Dean help up the rear of the line, staying a few steps back, watching with an unusual gleam in his eye. Neither one saw his eyes flash white, a smirk on his face as a car passed.
He wasn't Dean anymore.
When the three of them got back to the car, Kara was nowhere to be seen. Dean shakes his head, asking for the keys. Sam gives Dean a weird look before throwing him the keys, which he used to open the trunk of the car. Lyra was leaning absentmindedly against the car when Sam pulls out his gun, pointing it at Dean. "Whoa, what the Hell Sam?!"
Dean raises his hands slowly as Sam's feet plant squared, firm on the ground and ready to shoot. "He caught the keys with his left arm… that's the one that was injured."
Dean scoffed, glancing at Lyra. "So what, it's better now. Tell Sam to knock it off." Lyra shook her head, confused and heart racing. Sam swallowed hard, unable to pull the trigger. "Come on. You know it's me, Sam."
Sam could only shake his head, his hands starting to shake. "I can't be so sure."
Like a flash of lightning, Dean sprung forward and knocked the gun out of Sam's hand. With a swift elbow to the face, Sam was down and out. Lyra jumped on Dean, trying to wrestle him, but the shifter had gained Dean's strength along with his looks. He flung her off him, the crack as her head hitting the concrete sidewalk being the last thing she heard before she blacked out. Fake Dean picked up the gun, stuffing it in his pants before dragging the limp hunters into his lair.
About a half hour later, Kara had made her way back to the Impala with her friends nowhere to be seen. She glanced around, head turning every which way. "Well where the heck…" She thought she had taken a long time searching and was sure they were going to be done and waiting for her, ready to yell at her for taking so long. Leaning up against the vehicle, she played on her phone, shooting a text to Lyra. Ten minutes passed without an answer. She contemplated staying at the car and waiting for them to come back, but it only took one sideways glance from an unfamiliar man to cause her unease. Shaking her head, she decided it would be a better idea to go back to Becky's house and wait it out there. After all, Lyra would get her text eventually.
Lyra's eyes opened. Everything was blurry. Her head was splitting with pain. Her arm instinctively reached for her head, but she found she could not move her arms. Blinking some more, her eyes cleared. She saw pipes and instantly remembered what had happened, a groan escaping her. She deduced that she must be in the shapeshifter's lair…
Her thoughts were broken by a familiar voice right beside her. "Lyra?" She looked to her side, her heart simultaneously jumping only to sink when she saw Sam, who was also tied up and immobile. "Are you okay?" He whispered.
Lyra shrugged with as much movement as she could manage, trying to play it off with the corner of her lip turned up in a half-smile. "I definitely have a concussion."
Sam frowned. His voice hoarse with anger. "There's blood on your face. What did he do to you?"
"Um." Lyra closed her eyes, trying to think through the headache. "I think my head hit the concrete."
Sam shook his head, his eyes clouded in worry. He opened his mouth to ask more questions but was cut off when they heard footsteps coming hear them. Their pulses quickened as shapeshifter Dean entered into view, a smug look on his face. He leaned close to Sam, glaring for a moment before suddenly punching him in the face.
Sam shakes his head, a new cut bleeding on his lip. He stares daggers into the imposter. "Where is Dean?"
"I wouldn't worry about him, I'd worry about you." The shapeshifter walks to the other side of the room, picking up a knife and picking under his fingernails with it. "I swear the more I learn about you and your family… I thought I came from a bad background. He's sure got issues with you, Sam." Sam's eyes never left the knife. "You got to go to college and he had to stay home. I mean, I had to stay home with dad. You think I didn't have dreams?"
Sam's face looked as if he had smelled something rotten. This monster was getting on his nerves. "Where is my brother?"
"Your brother, hmm." The shifter neared them, tossing the knife in the air. "See deep down, I'm just jealous. You've got friends. You could have a life. Me? I know I'm a freak and sooner or later everyone is going to leave me. You left." He kneeled, touching the knife to Lyra's throat, her eyes wide. "Even Lyra left, once. Hell, I did everything dad asked me to and whoo, he left me too. Left me with your sorry ass."
Sam and Lyra kept quiet, their fear-stricken faces giving him a feeling of power. "But still this life, it's not without its perks. I meet the nicest people. Like little becky. And Kara." He paused, admiring the fierce looks from the tied-up hunters. "You know Dean would bang 'em if he had the chance."
Sam and Lyra exchanged a confused glance just before Lyra's phone buzzed in her pocket. The monster looked at her, an eyebrow raised as he pushed up the rope just enough to grab it. Flipping it open, he read the message out loud. "Everyone alright? I'll wait for you at Beckys." He made a pouty face. "Aww, how sweet of Kara. Let me just…" He started typing at the keys. "Keeping a… lookout… around town… with Sam… Dean is headed your way." Sam swallowed hard, and Lyra fought against the ropes. "Don't worry,
I'll come back for you."
Kara sat with Becky on the couch, watching the flames lick at the wood in the fireplace as she explained why they were there and what was happening. Beck's head was in her hands. "I just can't believe it. This can't possibly be true. If I didn't trust you so much, I wouldn't believe it."
Kara chuckled. "I don't blame you. Now I'm just worried if they're okay or not."
Becky offered Kara a hug. "I'm sure they're fine. Not that I care, after they all lied to me."
"I lied too, Becky." Kara frowned, glancing apologetically to her old friend.
"Yeah but, you were just following their lead. Besides, I could never stay mad at you, you helped me pass my psychology course."
Kara tilted her head, thinking back to those days. "Man, that seems like forever ago."
Becky was about to ask why she left in the first place when the doorbell rang. Kara perked up, so Becky stood with a smile on her face. "I'll get it."
Opening the door, there stood Dean. Or at least, who they thought was Dean. Becky folded her arms, looking angrily at him. Dean sighed. "I know what you're going to say." Becky just raised her eyebrows, a frown on her face. "Well, not exactly, but I can take a guess. Get off my porch?"
Becky cracked a smile. "That would have been about right, if it weren't for Kara already coming over to explain yourselves." Dean looks genuinely surprised.
"I knew she was going to be here, but I didn't think she'd tell you anything." Dean wanders into the living room, greeted by Kara, whose smile disappeared when she didn't see Lyra or Sam with him.
"Is everyone okay?"
Dean nodded, sitting on the arm of the couch. "Oh, yeah. They're doing another round of the area." Dean watches as Becky goes to grab them all a beer, the corner of his mouth slightly curved upwards.
He couldn't wait to kill them.
Sam tugged at his ropes, hoping to grab hold of the knot and work himself free. Lyra watched with furrowed brows. "I don't think we're getting loose."
Sam sighed, taking a moment to rest his hands. "We can't just let him get away."
Lyra's mouth opened to express her macabre opinion of their situation when a familiar voice called out to them both. "What'd I miss?"
"Dean!" Sam twisted his head as far around as he could, seeing a lump of fabric moving as the real Dean appeared from under it. He was tied too, but there was a piece of metal jutting out from the pipe he was tied to. "Dean, there's a piece of metal on that pipe you're tied to. Use it to cut free!"
"Straight to business, okay." Dean groggily moved his arms until he could feel the rope tug against the sharp object. He sawed over the spot, praying he didn't cut himself. "So what's new?"
Lyra chuckled. "Where do we even start? This, thing, is unlike any monster I've ever read about."
Sam nodded, his attention pointing to Dean. "It didn't just steal your looks, it was as if he was downloading your thoughts and your memories. He knew stuff about us that he shouldn't have."
Dean froze for a moment, glancing back to Sam. "He didn't say anything… specific, did he?"
Lyra and Sam exchanged a glance. Lyra shook her head, and Sam shrugged. He was wondering if the things said about him and Kara were true but decided against it, reasoning that the shifter could be lying just to get them riled up. It was decidedly forgotten. "Not really."
The room filled with an awful silence as they listened to the slow ripping of Dean's rope. It seemed like an eternity when the repetitive sound was replaced with a satisfying snap, allowing Dean to go free. Sam and Lyra sighed with smiles on their faces as Dean pulled a knife out of his pocket and cut them loose. "So, where'd this asshole go?" Dean spoke, determination shining in his eyes.
Sam and Lyra spoke in unison. "Becky's."
"And Kara, where is she?!" Dean looked around frantically, his eyes wide. Sam put a hand on his arm.
"She's at Becky's, too. We won't make it in time, I think…" Sam paused, getting a glare from Dean as he assumed what Sam was going to say. It was a crazy idea, but the only one they had.
"We need to call the police on you."
The shapeshifter walked over to the fireplace, his new green eyes sparkling from the flickering flames. Leaning toward the dancing orange and yellow, he soaked up the heat. It was a nice change from his usual dark, damp, and cold dungeon in the sewers. "Maybe this monster we're chasing is just misunderstood."
Kara's eyebrows knitted, her eyes locked on Dean as a wave of uneasiness washed over her. "Abandoned, all alone." Dean continued, his jaw tense and eyes intently focused on the fire. "All he wants is for someone to love him." His eyes darted over to Kara. "Just like me." He winked, sending a hot flush all over her body. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and her heart skipped a beat before starting a race with itself. She was lost for words as Dean pushed away from the wall, walking closer to Kara. Without thinking she stood fast, causing her to become light headed. "Everyone needs a little human touch now and then. It's so hard to be different." Dean came closer, until he was a breath's length away. Kara searched Dean's eyes for any hint of truth.
Becky scoffed. "Guys, seriously, go get a room."
Kara shook her head, fear encapsulating her. It hurt her to think it, but she knew Dean would never flirt with her like that. Without breaking eye contact, she started backing away. "Beck…" Kara started, watching the anger flare in those familiar eyes she knew and loved well enough to know something was wrong. It wasn't Dean. "Call the cops."
He lunged forward, his hand missing Kara's arm by a hair as she dodged, running towards the kitchen with the intent of grabbing a knife. The shifter changed his target as Becky started dialing on the home phone. He stormed over, ripping the phone from the wall, and punching Becky in the face. She fell to the floor with a thud, and he sat on top of her and wrapped the cord around her neck.
Kara grabbed the first knife she could find, sprinting over to save her friend. Without a second thought she plunged the sharp object into the shifter's back. His grip on Becky loosened, allowing her to gasp for air as he turned his now white eyes onto Kara. She was out of weapons, and it hadn't phased him. "That fucking hurt you little bitch!" Before she could even react, the shifter had grabbed the phone and flung it into Kara's head, knocking her out cold.
The shifter smirked, turning back to Becky, choking her until she passed out. He pulled the knife out of his back, turning it around in his hand. Smiling, he moves the blade closer to Becky's face, gently touching the tip to her cheek. He looked her over with a cunning smile. "How should I decorate your skin?"
Sirens interrupted his thought the same time as flashing red and blue lights came in though the windows. The shifter cursed to himself, dropping the knife. With one final glance at the two women, he blinked his eyes back to Dean's green before making a getaway out the backdoor.
The hunters were reunited after the police were done questioning Kara about the incident. The real Dean had stayed hidden with Sam while Lyra went to fetch Kara from the police. Now the four were standing in front of a store window with televisions on display. On each screen there was a sketch of Dean Winchester, Wanted for murder.
"Man, that isn't even a good picture." Dean whined, crossing his arms.
Kara sighed, flipping an ice pack over before putting it back on her head. "Seriously, Dean? THAT's what you're worried about?"
Sam shook his head, almost smiling. "You realize how much trouble we're in, right?"
Dean shrugged, turning away from the sight that apparently appalled him. "Whatever."
Lyra pulled her phone out of her pocket to snap a picture of Dean's 'wanted' sketch. "So now what are we supposed to do about the shifter?"
Sam scratched at his head. "I guess we need to go to the car, see if we have any silver bullets."
Dean nodded, heading in the direction of the car. "Good idea." He intended on walking down main street to get there.
Lyra grabbed Dean's jacket, pulling him back. "You can't go that way!" Dean glared at her, and she explained herself. "We need to take alleyways, and hope nobody sees us."
Sam held back a chuckle as Dean grunted, redirecting his path to go down an alleyway. Kara smiled. "Smart. I wouldn't have thought of that." Lyra gave a smile and a nod, after which they all followed Dean.
Just as the classic car came into sight, sirens filled their ears. Lyra groaned. "Just what I was afraid of…"
Sam swallowed hard as the police cars turned down the alleyway. The group ran just out of sight of the cars before he spoke. "Dean, Kara, you two need to get out of here."
Kara didn't ask any questions as Sam helped boost her up over a fence, Dean following. Lyra waved. "Don't you dare go after the shifter alone!"
Dean nodded, slipping out of sight just as the policeman came around the corner, pointing guns and flashlights at them. Lyra was surprised at their speed and screamed, causing Sam to laugh at her as they put their hands up in surrender. "What was that?" He joked.
Lyra huffed, her eyebrows scrunching as she pouted. "So I'm a little jumpy! Hey, don't laugh at me!"
On the other side of the fence, Dean and Kara snuck around a few houses and hid until the police left with Sam and Lyra in their custody. With nobody watching the Impala, they went to it, opening the trunk. Dean couldn't find his gun with the silver bullets in it from before, so he lifted the floor to reveal a secret compartment where he loaded another pistol with his extra silver bullets. Kara casted him a sideways glance. "Lyra said…"
Dean bit his lip. "I know what Lyra said. I don't care." With a click, the gun was loaded. "If someone was running around with your face, wouldn't you want him dead?" Kara opened her mouth to object but bit her tongue and said nothing. She knew better than to try and change Dean's mind. All she could do was back him up. The look in his eyes almost made her afraid of him, but she trusted him to know what he was doing. She grabbed a silver-plated knife, and with a slam of the trunk, the two headed back down into the sewers without another word.
The two blondes made their way through the tunnels, the piles of goop indicating they had indeed remembered the way to the shifter's lair. Dean had the gun pointed in front of him, Kara close behind with her knife in hand. They heard a muffled voice as they entered the chamber the shifter had made into its home. Kara spotted someone tied up, a flour sack over their head. Dean watched her back as she ran over, pulling away the fabric and revealing a familiar face, causing Kara's heart to drop and Dean's to speed up in anger. It was Becky.
There was a cloth in her mouth, preventing her from speaking. Kara removed it before cutting away the rope tying her arms and legs together. Dean yelled, waving his gun around. "What happened?!"
Tears streamed down Becky's face. "I was, was on my way to pick up Sam and Lyra from the police station when that THING jumped me!" Kara closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she trembled in fear. "I woke up here, just in time to see it turn into me!"
Dean cursed, nearly jumping as his phone buzzed in his pocket. Kara and Becky watched with wide eyes as Dean shivered, reading his text. "It's Sam…" He paused as a chill ran through them. Sam and Lyra had no idea, and it would take them an hour to get to them.
"They think you picked them up, and they're already at your house!"
The shifter's face bore a great smile, a baseball bat in hand as it stared down at the knocked-out pair of hunters on the floor. It had been way too easy to subdue Sam and Lyra; at least Kara put up a fight. It churned various ideas and ways to torture these two in its twisted mind while shedding Becky's looks to regain Dean's. It strutted around without a care or a rush, grabbing some rope and tying the limp hunters onto separate chairs. It knew it wanted to mess with Sam first. It would be easy, considering there was plenty of pent up anger in Dean's mind over him.
Lyra was the first to wake up. Looking around wildly before she could even see straight, she called out for the younger Winchester. "Sam?"
The shifter couldn't help but make a little pouty face as Sam's head shot up in response to the panicked voice of his comrade.
Sam groaned, his head spinning as he saw they were both tied up, set on opposite sides of the room. A white-eyed Dean stared down at him. He had a sharp knife in his hand, twirling it between his fingers. "Your brothers got a lot of good qualities." The shifter muttered, looking him over with a murderous gleam in his eye. "You should appreciate him more than you do."
Suddenly he burst from his calm disposition and punched Sam in the face. His cheek instantly started to swell as he was hit again, cutting his lip. Sam's hands worked furiously at the knot that restrained him to the chair regardless of the pain. "After everything he's done for you." A punch in the gut, the possible crack of a rib. Lyra's eyes closed tightly, pushing back tears and too afraid to look. "Then you run away, treat him like crap." The shifter brought the knife close to Sam's eye. "I'm just doing what Dean always wanted to; but couldn't."
The knife moved down, starting a small cut on Sam's cheek, burning like fire just as his hands finally worked out the knot that was holding him back. Sam's arms flung out from behind the chair, knocking the knife out of the shifter's hand and toppling him over. Lyra pulled at her ropes but hers were secure. She watched in horror as the shifter and Sam threw punches and fell over each other, throwing any object they could find. The shifter used a lamp, knocking Sam to the ground. "Even when we were kids I always kicked your ass!"
Tears fell down Lyra's cheeks as the shifter wrapped his hands around Sam's neck, gripping tightly. "SAM!" He reached for the knife, but it was just out of reach. Sam could hear his heartbeat in his ears, almost barely hearing Lyra's pleading calls to the shifter as he stared into the white irises of Dean's double.
Suddenly the front door flung open, and the shifter raised his head to see the man he was modeling after. He didn't even have a moment to react before Dean pointed his gun at him. "Let him go!"
The shifter raised his hands, Sam gasping for breath the moment the weight was lifted. The shifter grinned. "What's the matter, Dean? You know you've always wanted revenge on your little brother."
The shifter tried a quick-draw, reaching for the knife, but he stood no chance. Dean didn't even blink, shooting the doppelganger straight through the heart. He fell back, falling onto the kitchen table with a thud. Kara emerged from behind Dean, running over to Lyra with her knife, cutting her free and wiping away her tears.
Kara glanced over to the shifter, tears pricking her eyes, and prayed that would be the closest she would ever get to seeing Dean die.
Dean stood over his own dead body, his jaw clenched and knuckles white. He swallowed hard, and with the anger of a thousand men he emptied the round into the shifter. Sam sat up, watching Dean with a prickle of fear as he reached down, taking back his amulet with a swift yank and snap of cord. With one final glare from his piercing green eyes, the group followed Dean, leaving the house through the alleyway just as the police arrived.
Becky stood out front of her house with Sam by her side, watching as Kara and Lyra were standing out on the street helping Dean look at a map that was spread out on the hood of the Impala. A shiver passed over her. "I saw it, and still can't believe it's real. And you do this for a living?"
Sam nodded, his eyes focused on Lyra as she expressed herself with wild arm movements. "Saving people, hunting things. It's what we do."
Shifting her stance, she folded her arms in thought. "It must be lonely. Always on the road."
Sam turned his eyes to his college friend. "No, no. It isn't, really." He looked back to his friends and brother, his mouth turning up in a smile. "I've got my brother, my best friend, and… Lyra." Becky smirked, seeing him watch Lyra like that was a promising sight. "Jess would want you to move on, you know."
Sam's smile disappeared as quickly as it had come, his eyes darkening as he looked down at his feet. "Yeah, I know."
Becky gave Sam a hug, pulling him tight. "And don't tell Kara… but I think her and your brother would make quite the pair."
Sam let out a chuckle, shaking his head as he pulled away from his friend. "I think that too, some days."
Becky waved as Sam said goodbye, making his way down the driveway. He could hear Kara yelling at Dean, and Jess was already put out of his mind to make way for a smile for his 'family'.
"We aren't going four hours out of the way to make a pit-stop for PIE!" Sam opened one of the rear-doors on the Impala, leaning on the hood with a foot in the car, listening with an honest grin as Kara tried reasoning with Dean over the one thing he would never give up.
"You don't understand, they have the best pie!" Dean tried convincing Kara, his hands gripping her shoulders. "It tastes like heaven. You don't know because you've never had it, which is even more of a reason to go while we're so close!"
"That's not close!"
Sam held back laughter as he took a back seat in the Impala, swiftly joined by Lyra, who made his heart race with a simple flash of her smile. "They're fighting over pie!" Little things she did could make his entire day.
"Yes, I heard." The two sat and listened, waiting for the bickering blondes.
Dean couldn't believe he was arguing with Kara over something so stupid. He folded the map, stuffing it in his pocket. "We're getting the pie!" He moved to the driver's door, hopping in.
Kara followed, getting in the passenger's side door. She had a huge smile on her face. She loved these stupid fights with Dean. They made her heart race and she loved studying his expressions. "You're such a freak sometimes, Dean."
Dean gasped, pretending to be hurt by her words. Her little laugh at his reaction made his heart skip a beat. "I'm going to miss my own funeral. I deserve some of the world's best pie."
Kara blushed in response to his stunning smile. "It had better be worth it!"
Dean nodded, starting the car. "Oh, it is."
"May I just add one thing to this conversation?" Sam piped up, a smirk on his face.
Dean looked at Sam through the rearview mirror. "Tell her it's the world's best pie!"
Sam shook his head. "I just wanted to clarify, that we are ALL freaks!"
Everybody laughed. The horrors of the night before were suddenly gone in the moment of joy. They chanted "Here here!" before Dean turned on some classic tunes from the cassette, and off they went to their next adventure, rocking out all the way.
