Sam woke up with a pounding headache that shot pain into the back of his eyes. He grimaced, trying to regain himself. He realized he was tied against a concrete pipe in the high school basement. Sam struggled, baring his teeth with effort. Suddenly, Miranda's laugh echoed through the damp underworld. Except it wasn't her laugh. It was something else entirely. He looked directly ahead, a pair of white shining eyes staring back at him out of the darkness.
"I knew it was you," Sam growled.
The shape shifter that was wearing Miranda's face and body cackled once more. "Sure you did lover boy.. I have to say, I expected more from John Winchester's spawn. Aren't you supposed to kill me? Not lead me right to you?" It mocked, twirling Sam's silver knife.
"What did you do with Miranda?!" He cried, struggling with his bonds.
"Oh you love to ruin my fun.. I wasn't done insulting you yet."
Sam hissed, "Where is she?!"
"Dead. Deceased. In better place. She kicked the bucket. Croaked. Met her maker. What would you prefer???"
Sam shook his head, "You're lying."
"Am I? Why would I lie about something like that?.." The shape shifter came out of the darkness, getting into his face. "I'm not ashamed of what I am.. Unlike you. Poor, scared, and angsty Sammy who was born into Daddy's crusade. Sammy who never got the crusts cut off his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. ."
Sam snarled, listening to the shape shifter. It was true but he'd be damned if he would let it get the best of him. Dean would come for him. When Miranda- the shape shifter- called him to come up to the school, Sam didn't leave a note. Dean would overreact and search the whole town. He would come.
"It's absolutely hilarious how pathetic you and Miranda are. Locked together in hatred, destinies intertwined while each family has a secret agenda, only finding comfort in one another. It's very Shakespeare of you two. In a needy, pathetic way might I add."
"Shut up. My brother will come for me and you'll be history."
"Ah, right. Dean.. That idiot."
"How do you know all of this??"
"Talent." She hissed, "And your Dad and Dean killed my husband in New Orleans."
Sam gulped, nodding. He remembered Dean mentioning this over the phone when Sam had called him out the first appearance of the shape shifter. He was silent, his jaw tense as its words sank in. Miranda was gone. She was killed probably like some poor, random bitch, stuffed into a vent or construction ditch. The sweet, kind and caring girl who had taken the time to ask him what his opinion was and what he wanted to do with his life instead of falling into the damned family business was slaughtered in cold blood. The shape shifter now wore her face like some sick serial killer who cut off its victim's identity. It smirked, watching Sam glare at it.
"Take a picture. It will last longer--"
"—Longer than you." A similar smart-ass voice said behind the shape shifter. It whipped around, facing Dean head on.
Dean smirked, "Miss me?"
He threw out a silver knife, plunging it down onto the shape shifter. It caught his wrist, arm quivering with Dean's strength working against it. The shape shifter growled, using its left fist to punch under Dean's jaw. Dean fell back and the monster fled of the stairs like a bat out of hell with full intention to bail. He hissed, spitting out blood and licking his busted lip as he ran to his brother.
Sam struggled, trying to get Dean away from him. "Go get it! I'll be fine!"
"Sam-"
"GO DEAN! NOW!"
Dean cursed under his breath, leaving his brother quickly but reluctantly. He flew up the rickety screeching stairs, turning a sharp corner, barging through the 'employees only' door. He narrowed his eyes at the far hall, catching the end of a shoe disappear behind the left wall. Dean took off after the shape shifter, pulling out a gun his father had trusted him with for emergencies. He clicked down the hammer while running, shooting at the monster's head. It ducked, taking a quick turn so the bullet just punctured a fire extinguisher, the liquid carbon dioxide spraying out. The fire alarm followed soon behind, screaming through the speakers. Dean growled, dashing after it in pursuit.
The shape shifter pushed open another door, sprinting up the stairs. Dean was close behind, taking another shot, aiming upward. The silver bullet brushed past it, making a hole in Miranda's coat. It didn't slow down the creature, knocking open the last door that led down into the maze of a basement. It raced down the open corridor, leaving its backside vulnerable to Dean who fired yet another blast. It grazed the shape shifter yet again as it turned left, slinking into the pitch dark art room. "Damnnit!" Dean cried, chasing after it.
Meanwhile in the basement, Sam continued to work on his bonds. The fire alarm blared in his ear obnoxiously even while he was in the damp underworld. The sweat that had collected on his forehead rolled down his face and into his eyes, stinging him. He grimaced, still working just as hard at the rope. Finally, he wriggled out, falling to his face and into a puddle. Sam hadn't expected that the shape shifter had tied him off of the ground. He caught Dean's dropped silver knife on the way out, running as fast as he could.
Suddenly, a blood curling human scream echoed through the halls. He froze in horror, his eyes wide and his stomach flying forward like it would leap out of his throat. She was alive. "MIRANDA!" Sam cried, taking off like a grenade was strapped to his ankle. The hallways, doors, and stairs were a blur as he ran to her rescue. I knew you were still alive, Miranda. Please, please be okay, Sam pleaded in his head, throwing open the heavy art door.
"Miranda!!" Sam yelled, looking around frantically.
"Sammy.." Dean's grim and trembling voice uttered from behind the cabinets.
A sinking feeling washed through Sam's body but he came nearer cautiously, turning the corner and seeing his most recent nightmare come to life… Dean was holding Miranda's limp, bloody body in his arms, looking down at her in guilt. Sam rushed forward, pushing Dean away viciously. "Oh God!" He gasped in disbelief, staring into Miranda's hurt eyes. The real Miranda.
She gulped, her skin deathly pale and tongue heavy. "W-w-why S-Sam?"
He shook his head, tears immediately falling from his eyes. "No, no, no. This is not supposed to happen!"
Her eyebrows curved up in anguish and pain, looking up at him, "S-so this is w-what you do, h-huh?"
"Miranda- I-I- This isn't supposed to happen!" He repeated, stroking her in heartbreak.
She moaned, "Tell m-my sister and Dad I-I lo—" Miranda let out a long, last breath, her fluttering eyes closing for the last time.
Sam shook her, "Miranda! NO! You can't leave! Not yet! Miranda!" He cried hysterically.
Dean shed a tear for his little brother's loss and his grave, grave mistake. He put a comforting hand on Sam's shaking shoulder, "We have to go Sammy," he said gently.
"You did this!" Sam fired, looking at his brother with venom. "YOU KILLED HER!"
"We have to go Sam! The fire trucks are coming and we will be charged with her murder! We. Need. To. Leave. Now!"
Sam pushed Dean off of him, "I'm not leaving!"
"Damn it- Sam! She's gone!"
"BECAUSE OF YOU!"
Inside, Dean's heart bled with pain and guilt. It was true. He had killed the real Miranda, thinking it was the shape shifter. God knows where it was now. The only good thing to come out of this situation was to get out without being seen or questioned. John Winchester would have their hides if he found out. Under no circumstances must he know. But first things first. He snarled, grabbing his Sam's coat collar and yanking him away. Sam fought him but Dean was an emotionless stone, escaping the only thing on his mind and keeping the pieces of him together.