Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war …

A pre-series story: Dean is 20 and Sam is 16

Warning: This story does contain violence and subjects of sensitive natures so if you find yourself offended by this please go read some of my more gentle/general stories.

S—D

"And Caesar's spirit, raging for revenge,

With Ate by his side come hot from hell,

Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice

Cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war,

That this foul deed shall smell above the earth

With carrion men, groaning for burial."

Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony):

Julius Caesar Act 3, Scene 1

S—D

09/09/1999: The day the world ended.

Chapter Ten:

Then:

'Wha' … what jist 'appened?' Callum asked his wild gaze flying from Dean to Sam to Tess to the baby and then back to Dean, 'Dean wha' did he do?'

'Saved their lives … Sam's a touch empath he can heal people with his touch.' Dean said deciding on the simplest explanation of the truth and it sounded less incriminating than anything else.

'But, but why does he look so … dead?'

'Coz it takes a lot out of him, the sicker or more hurt they are the more it hurts Sam,' Dean said although his words carried no heat or accusation; he had to keep the children calm around them for Sam's sake, his brother was too vulnerable right now for conflicts of any kind.

'Wow, he be a miracle worker.' The children whispered all in awe of what had happened and suddenly Dean found himself in the middle of a whirlwind of activity. Choking back a sob and a giggle Dean dropped down next to his brother and tugged until his brother's head was resting comfortably on his lap. Deep down Dean knew that they both needed the physical contact between them, silently he offered Sam his own strength and begged him to take it, to heal himself just as he had healed the young mother and her baby.

'Shit you certainly can pick em Sammy that's for sure!'

Now:

A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.

(Julius Caesar 4.3.86)

S—D

Dean carefully extricated himself from beneath Sam's head and made sure that he was comfortable and warm before leaving him under Tess' watchful gaze. He found Callum and Luka sitting near a fire with a few of the other children crouched closed by.

'Is he gonna be alright?' Callum asked looking up at Dean.

'Yeah he just needs some rest for now, so Callum you guys serious in wanting to join the Hunter elite?'

'Yes sir, we sure am,' Callum said nodding eagerly, 'we be trained and ready to fight the good fight alongside ya'll.'

'We do have a small problem with transport I can't fit all of you into the van…'

'We's be talkin' bout just that,' Callum interrupted Dean, he leant closer to the older man and gave him a small knowing nod, 'we's been hard at it thinkin' on hows we can git all of us to ya HQ.'

'You have huh?' Dean couldn't help but grin, Callum and the others were starting to grow on him, 'so what's the plan?'

'Well we's been thinkin' that Tess and the bub, and all the little ones, and younguns should go wif ya and then me and the rest will be walkin' if ya don't mind…'

'What if I take as many as we can fit in, and then come back for the rest of ya … we can meet where we first met.'

'Sounds like a plan in da makin' Sir.' Callum said with a grin, 'we be's much humbled to ya'll for ya helpin' us.'

'Callum … can I ask you something and if you don't want to answer then that's okay…'

'You wanna know if any of us be schooled at all?' Callum asked displaying a maturity and insight far exceeding his tender years, 'tis okkies nope the demons came afore I could really member what was going on. They took our oldies first and then tha …'

'Hey it's okay Call I get the picture of what happened, your town must've been in the way of the first wave…'

'Dunno jist we always be like this.' Callum shrugged and wiped the moisture from his eyes, 'me big bro Kevin was tooked and we's neva sees him agin.'

'We'll look after you guys and will be proud to have you all joining the Elite.' Dean said huskily.

'Scusin' me Sirs but Mista Sam be wake now.' Tess said as she appeared in the doorway, her baby tucked safely against her side, 'me babe's doin' much betta thank ya Sir.'

'Name's Dean not Sir and I'm pleased to hear that,' Dean said with a smile as he got up and went over to peer at the tiny human. The little girl stirred and blinked up at him, her bright blue eyes sparkled as she cooed and reached out at Dean with a tiny hand, 'she's beautiful Tess what's her name?'

'Hum dunno Sir Dean what be yer brother called?'

'Sam …'

'Bout Sammy-Girl?'

'That sounds perfect, Sam can be short for Samantha too that's a nice girl's name,' Dean grinned as he thought of all of the teasing he can do with that little bit of knowledge.

'Sam – Samantha?' Tess smiled brightly and looked down at her little girl, 'Sammy-girl ya be lucky girl alright.'

'That she is Tess, that she is,' Dean said in agreement before excusing himself to go and check on his own Sam.

S—D

'So Sleeping Beauty how ya feeling?' Dean asked smiling happily when he saw his brother sitting up and sipping some water, 'you're looking better.'

'M'fine Dean, still feel a little weak but better thanks,' Sam said looking up at his brother, 'so what's going on?'

'We're gonna take as many as we can back to the compound and then I'll come back and get the others, think we can help em.'

'They're just kids Dean and they've been through so much,' Sam said his smile disappearing as quickly as it appeared.

'Yeah they are but don't you dare getting all down about it, they're just the same as all of us humans trying to survive this war.'

'Yeah I know it's just…'

'Yeah I know no education … nothing by the sounds of it they were some of the first to be hit.'

'Ah man then … then some of them may have been born to prisoners?'

'Never thought of that I think that they're freeborn like us but…'

'Yeah so where you gonna take em first, the clearing centre?'

'Will have to they have to have checks and physicals we can't let em jump queue I guess.'

'Dad's gonna love em you realise that don't you?' Sam grinned and held his hand out to his brother, 'help me?'

'Oh Sam Tess has named her baby,' Dean said while he helped Sam up and braced him until he was able to stand on his own.

'Yeah what is it?' Sam asked and then immediately regretted it when he saw the gleam in Dean's eyes.

'Well Dean's just too manly for a little girl so she's named her Sammy-girl.'

'Dean!'

'True Sammy I wouldn't kid ya bout that, Samantha but Sammy-girl for short.' Dean chuckled, 'always knew that you were a girl and now you got one named after ya.'

S—D

Under the cover of darkness Dean pulled the van into the clearing centre, the first step refugees made on their way to re-assimilation into the population or to join up and train with the corps. The centre was currently housed in an old school building all but destroyed in one of the most violent demonic attacks of the area. The demons attacked the school during school hours and had massacred the students and teachers in their classrooms. Those that had survived were taken into slavery or for food. After burying the remains of those who had died and cleaning the building as much as possible; a committee was formed and gradually they had the first of many clearing centres up and running.

Classrooms were now large dorms for refugees to sleep in, the cafeteria now fed people from all walks of life, and the showers were restricted and guarded to make sure that everyone had a chance to use them regularly without stress; likewise with the toilets, making sure that they were kept up and sexes were separated for the sake of the small children living there.

Each new arrival is assessed and interviewed, from there they are given a small welcome pack, a list of instructions on living at the centre and then a series of interviews to see where they would benefit the most after clearance was given.

Families are assessed together and all children over the age of twelve were expected to put their names up for work or for training in the corps.

They often left the centre within a month of arriving and there were very few who were considered security risks, those who were, were taken quietly out of the population and placed into military holding cells. These were often empty warehouses, lined with cells and guarded by elite guards who were not trained hunters but had either police or military training.

The entire process had worked successfully since the first attacks and was most likely the biggest reason that the remaining humans had not turned on themselves or reverted back to their baser instincts instead of fighting for their survival against supernatural enemies.

S—D

Dean told Sam to wait for him in the van; the worst thing for his younger brother at the moment was to be surrounded by people and their suffering. No matter how minor it seemed. Exhausted Sam rested his head on the back of his seat and let his eyes slide shut; he hadn't lied to Dean when he had said that he was feeling better but he was just so tired he felt as though he could sleep for a week.

His thoughts drifted back to the band of children hiding in the bush and it had him shuddering and suddenly wanting to see his dad. He was barely older than them in years but in maturity and experience they had seen so much and experienced even more, it terrified him to think that he may be on his own one day without the support of his dad or of his brother.

'Wakey, wakey Winchester,' a familiar voice filtered through Sam's thoughts startling him into wakefulness immediately.

'Wh-what are you doing here?' Sam asked his breathing ratcheted up a few knots when he went to scrub the sleep from his eyes and found his hands bound tightly, 'what's going on?'

'You and me are gonna go for a little drive, so sit back and relax kiddo.'

'Where's Dean?'

'He's ahh busy actually he's too busy to worry about you right now.'

'That's not true!' Sam said his anger at getting caught so easily fuelled his indignation and his inner Dean decided to jump in, 'let me go man this is not you!'

'How do you know that Sam, Sam, Sammy, Sammmmyyyy? Who the hell are you to tell me who I am?'

'Please let me go … I won't tell anyone we can … we can just act as though nothing has happened.'

'You really don't get it do you? This is gonna happen and it's happening now so sit back and shut up before I do it for ya.'

'Just tell me why?'

'That's it … God you really don't know when to shut up do you?'

Before Sam could answer a fist slammed into the side of his head; the force of the blow smashed his head against the window. A soft groan slipped out as Sam slumped unconsciously against the headrest; blood slowly dripped from his right ear.

S—D

After checking on Tess and her baby Dean grabbed a couple of cans of soda and jogged back out to the van. 'What the?' He yelled as he stood in the empty car park.

'Dean you okay?' Callum asked as he ran up to his new mentor and friend, 'I jist came out to say bye to Sam … where Sam?'

'That's what I'd like to know too lil dude,' Dean said as he reigned in his temper and looked at the teenager standing next to him, 'you didn't see anything then?'

'No Sir, I be's with the others waitin' till time to go get the rest, where Sam gone?'

'That's what I want to know too Cal, come on…' Dean said as he tugged Callum's arm and they ran back to the security office, 'they have security cameras on the car park maybe we can find out something.'

S—D

'Dad we've got a problem,' Dean said speaking on the phone to his father while staring in shock at the computer screen. 'A huge problem.'

'Dean what is it? Sam?'

'Part of it, ahh fuck dad … Sam's been snatched …'

'Sam's what? What the hell are you talking about Dean?'

'He stayed in the van while I took the kids into the centre, he was so tired and the risk was too great for him to be in there even for a few minutes.'

'Yeah I agree there so what went wrong?'

'It's all on the security tapes, everything dad I know who took him and you aint gonna believe it.'

'Ah no not one of ours!"

'More than just that dad, look I ahh I'll finish up here and will get back to the compound ASAP. We need someone to go and round up the rest of the kids though.'

'See you in a few Dean.' John said succinctly before hanging up on his shell-shocked son.

'Dean I wanna come with ya,' Callum said and stepped in front of the older man blocking his way, 'please tis mah fault Sam got hisself took.'

S—D

Sam opened his eyes and immediately regretted it; everything was blurred and swam nauseatingly in front of him. Taking a few deep breathes while he squeezed his eyes shut again; Sam slowly opened them and took another glimpse around him. This time he was more aware of his surroundings and the telltale signs of concussion were screaming at him to take notice.

The next thing he became more aware of was that he was sitting on a cold concrete floor and he was leaning against a wooden post. He was shirtless, barefoot, and was wearing a thick leather collar cinched tightly around his throat. A short leather strap was looped through a silver loop on the collar and attached to the post he was leaning against.

He had shackles on his ankles but his hands were unfettered; moving with innate slowness and awareness of his concussion Sam tested the leather strap tying him to the post, he had no chance of standing at all and the range of movement generally was practically zero, there was nothing he could do except sit in the one position.

The nausea and dizziness surged after his attempts at moving left Sam trying not to throw up but unfortunately he was fighting a losing battle. The small amount of bile and fluid in his stomach burnt like acid as it rushed up his throat and splattered down his bare chest and onto the floor.

Groaning he tried to curl in on his cramping stomach but that small move made the collar constrict around his throat; instantly choking him. Miserable and sick, Sam tried to push himself back a little to lean against the pole and to take some pressure off his throat; the burn of his acidic vomit still stung and made his stomach roil and the release of pressure for those few brief seconds was enough for him to start retching again.

'You are in a mess aren't you Sammy boy.'

'You don't get to call me that,' Sam rasped as he pushed past the stinging of his throat, the cramping of his stomach and the inability to move and glared up at his captor.

'Wow intimidating much.'

'Want do you want? Why me?'

'All in will be revealed in time,' the giggle sounded so out of place in the dinginess of the room, 'I always wanted to say that!'

'I don't understand why? Did … Did you … they possess you that's it, you got possessed?'

'If only, then that would make it all better wouldn't it Sammy boy, yeah nasty demon got inside of me, sounds much better than nope it's all me in here, finally I can be me!'

'Why?'

S—D

Dean paced the small office while his father and Bobby watched the incriminating security tape, everything in him itched to get in the impala and rip up the road looking for his missing brother but he had to follow protocol as long as his father was in charge; it stung but there was really nothing else he could do except fume inwardly.

'Do you think possession?' Bobby asked turning around to look at Dean, 'was he exhibiting any signs of possession before this?'

'Nope none … he was just the same!'

'Damn, do ya really think that he really … fuck.' Bobby stormed off, muttering under his breath and shoving his cap back and forth as his temper rose to explosive levels.

'Shit aint seen Bobby that worked up since he pulled his shotgun on me.' John muttered, 'who you taking with ya?'

'Huh?' Dean said blinking furiously as he tried to catch up with his dad's rapid thoughts, 'Rufus and Cal … and ahh Callum.'

'Who the hell is Callum?'

'One of the kids I … long story dad but he feels responsible and he's yeah he's worth taking'

'Okay your call son, just bring your brother home.'

'Yes Sir!' Dean said with a hint of a smirk but then as he was leaving he turned and looked at his father, 'I'll bring him home dad I promise.'

S—D

'Ya see Sam when Dean pegged me for the mole I knew that I had to act, you're dramatic reappearance with the others took a bit of the heat off me but it was only temporary so I decided to make my move.'

'Why?' Sam asked as he tried to really focus on the face floating in front of him, although the redness had diminished there was still the stain especially when he was tired or in pain and for now he felt as though it was back with a vengeance. The concussion only adding to his sight issues; squinting he managed to focus on the face of his captor a man up until now he had considered a friend. 'I don't understand why do this?'

'Why fight for the losing side Sammy boy?'

'I don't understand.'

'Stop tormenting the child, can't you tell he's got a headache?'

A familiar voice caught Sam's attention and slowly he tried to turn his head in the right direction. 'No, no I thought you were gone.'

'Sorry kiddo I ahh had to make a bit of a smoke screen to get outta there,' Chaz giggled at his own wordplay, 'thought though that you would be pleased to see me.'

'Why? You and Markus are working together and that should make me pleased?' Sam shook his head and immediately regretted it.

'Oh poor Sammy, oohh by the way Father sends his regards he's still in the pit but he's making some big plans for you kiddo.'

'Just leave me alone,' Sam mumbled as he tried to turn away from his tormentors when he felt hot hands on his shoulders and rubbing down his back. 'Leave me alone.' Sam repeated and pushed out with as much power as he could muster.

'Fuck you little shit,' Chaz said growling as he pulled away from the teenager wringing his hands, 'what the hell did you do?'

'Want some more? Then touch me again!' Sam said snapping angrily.

'Let me at him Chaz and I'll make him learn his place,' Markus said licking his lips with excitement, 'he can't use his hoodoo on me.'

'Hmmm interesting thought there my friend,' Chaz regarded the blisters forming on his meat-suit's hands, 'little bastard burnt me.'

'Give me a bit more time and I'll do more than burn you.' Sam said before his pain and shock took over and he willingly let himself slide into oblivion.

'So Markus what do you have in mind for our young friend here?' Chaz asked as he ran a finger down Sam's cheek, scooped a little of the still glistening fresh blood and lifted his fingertip to his lips licking it appreciatively, 'mm he does taste so good.'

'You need him to submit to you yes?' Markus asked as he watched the demon lick the blood from Sam's cheek, he could feel himself reacting physically and emotionally to the sight.

'Mm yes you could say that,' Chaz said as he continued to lick and lap at the blood staining Sam's face, he could feel just a hint of the power coursing through the human and it alone excited him more than anything had in a long time.

'Let me have him for a few hours and I will make sure he will do everything you want him to do and more,' Markus said his lascivious smirk growing as he let his imagination run wild.

'Hmm very well I have some meetings to attend so you will have some time with our young hunter but there are guidelines. I do not want him completely incapacitated physically and mentally, I enjoy his … spark. However, I do want to be able to control him and to have him compliant when I wish especially when it comes to his new gifts.'

'The Healing?'

'Yes that as well as some others he is a true wild card I need him to be submissive and obedient without losing any of his … look do whatever you want just don't permanently injure him or damage his mind too much.' Charzael said with a wave of his hand as he dropped Sam carelessly onto the floor though he did smile when he saw how awkwardly his prisoner lay in the confines of his leash.

S—D

'Damn it all to hell this is my fault dad.' Dean blurted out as he prepared to head out, his father had just joined him while he armed himself with his favourite weapons and waited for Caleb and Callum to join them.

'Like hell it is, no one could have seen this coming Dean.' John chastised his eldest son gently.

'I had suspicions of Markus dad, just before … just before you guys came back to us. I lost track of him after that he must have realised what was going on and … how could I have been so stupid.'

'Nuff of that Dean, though it explains a lot … actually it explains a helluva lot.' John said as he raked a hand through his thick dark hair tangling with the curls, 'damn need a haircut sometime in the future.'

'What does it explain dad?' Dean asked a little impatiently but he wanted to find out before Callum and Caleb came out.

'Markus was on guard duty in the command centre itself at the time … Ahh at the time I was possessed.'

'You think that he had a hand in getting the big nasty in?'

'I have a feeling that he carried it in literally carried it in,' John said a look formed on his face that made his dark eyes even darker. 'He was one of the last people I remember seeing before it all went out of control.'

'Shit dad just how far back does all of this go with Markus?'

'Dunno son but I do know this, you're gonna have to do whatever it takes to get Sam back even it if means TWERPing Markus.'

'What the hell does TWERPing mean dad?'

'Ahh an old military or rather mercenary term, basically son it is Terminate With Extreme Prejudice.'

TBC