Chapter 4
** In which Sam truly learns why Dean is known as a hardass**
"You're late." Dean glowered down at him as soon as Sam entered the school grounds. Sam frowned and looked down at his watch. According to him , he was on time. Some of his confusion must have showed on his face because Dean sighed in frustration before speaking again.
"When you were supposed to meet me here , Sam ?". Dean asked in a hard tone , voice deep and unyielding.
"Um , at eight forty , sir." Sam answered his features still twisted in confusion.
"And what time is it , now ?". Dean looked pointedly at his watch.
"Eight forty two , sir." Sam answered demurely. He was just two minutes late. Two freaking minutes. Two minutes don't count as being late. Even at AHBS , if a student is only two minutes late , it doesn't matter. But apparently with Dean it does.
"Do you know how important every minute even every second is in hunting ?. A mere second can cost you lives." Dean said shaking his head at him. Sam still didn't understand what the huge deal in being just two minutes late was but he made sure to appear somewhat guilty. He was also a drama student at AHBS and a good one at that.
"You don't understand me. Do ya ?". Dean asked , smiling at him without any real mirth. "You will , when you are hunting with me out on the field. But I don't know how it will happen if you keep getting late." Sam wanted to point out two things to that. First and foremost was that two freaking minutes don't count as late. And second being 'What does it mean you keep getting late ?.' Hello , it was his first day of training , here. But he wisely kept his mouth shut.
"I will make sure that doesn't happen again. Give me fifty pushups , Sam. Twenty five for every minute you were late." Dean commanded him before leaning back against the same old tree that Sam has picked up the leaves from in the school grounds , crossing his arms firmly across his chest. Sam's head shot up to look at Dean in shock. Fifty pushups for being only two minutes late. That was a huge punishment for a teeny tiny mistake. Well , it wasn't even called as a mistake if you ask him.
"Do you want to do a hundred ?". Dean growled which was enough to push Sam into action. He was beginning to understand why the man was notoriously known as a hardass.
Sam vigorously shook his head and dropped to the ground and got ready in position. It was going to be a long day. Nah , a long five years. If Dean agreed to become his full time trainer or if he didn't decide to quit because of Dean.
Because you see , to be a certified junior hunter recognised by AHA , you are required to do five years of training till you are twenty three under a certified junior or senior hunter of AHA. Once your training is complete then only you will get a badge and certificate from the AHA , recognising you as a junior hunter. People don't become the senior hunters till they reach atleast forty but Dean was the only one who has managed to become a senior active hunter in the history of AHA only at twenty seven. The man was admirable and respected but he didn't have to be such a heartless , grumpy hunter. Making him catch falling leaves and now pushups , god give him some strength to get through these five years with Dean.
"Who are you ?. An eighty year old grandma ?. Do it fast." Dean snapped at him and Sam gritted his teeth in frustration. He was doing as fast as he could and besides whose grandmother likes to do push-ups , anyways. He was only on twenty and there were thirty more to go. But he was already sweating profusely and breathing hard. He had no idea how he will complete his punishment.
"Don't you dare stop , boy. Not before you complete fifty." Dean warned him at precisely the same moment as he was about to stop. And Sam wondered if the man was a psychic in disguise. See , Dean has seen right through his acting of feeling guilty earlier which wasn't at all an easy feat. Some would go as far as saying it was impossible. Okay , some meaning only Sam but that's not the point. He's acted in plays at AHBS and he's practiced in front of mirror a lot. So he knew he was an awesome actor , alright.
"Can I take only a moment to catch my breath ?". Sam grunted out but he didn't stop.
Dean paused his counting of his pushups to level him with a sharp glare. " No , you stop and I will make you do another hundred on top of your fifty."
"You really like tormenting me , don't ya ?". Sam muttered under his breath making sure Dean didn't hear him.
"I get high on inflicting pain on poor eighteen year old kids. How did you figure that one out ?". Dean asked , smirking at him. His emerald eyes now shining in slight amusement.
Having superhuman hearing powers on top of being pyschic too. Sam made a mental note of that.
It took twenty five minutes and a lot of willpower from Sam but he finally completed fifty. He was just about ready to collapse when Dean uttered the dreaded words , "Hold this position."
Sam looked up at him with a betrayed look on his face and Dean rolled his eyes.
"You said fifty." He couldn't help but point that out. His tone somewhere between whiny and accusing.
"I ain't making you do more am I ?." Dean asked , raising his eyebrows before crouching down in front of him and looking him in the eyes. "Take some long deep breaths , Sam."
Sam did just that and looked at Dean and waited for further instructions. His arms were shaking and it was getting increasingly difficult to hold his position but he held it anyway. His whole body weight was supported by his arms and his legs were stretched wide under him.
"What did you learn from this punishment ?".
Sam let out a groan which was quickly cut off by Dean.
"Are you having problems obeying my orders , kid ?. Do you want to get another hunter ?. Be my guest. I warned y'all before that training with me ain't gonna be a walk in the park. If you want to quit there is still time." Dean said through clenched teeth standing up and facing away from him.
Sam paled. And he was in a dilemma too. Should he get up from his position or should he wait for Dean to face him. See , he might bitch and moan about the training and he still no way in hell understood how catching falling leaves might help him to be a hunter. But he trusted Dean and Ms. Jo. Dean was the best hunter and he had agreed to take him as his student to train. So , Sam was supposed to follow his every order and he would do just that. Even if he thinks its ridiculous and way too hard. And no way in hell he will quit and for that matter , he won't even let Dean to quit on him.
"No , sir. I am sorry. I am happy with my current hunter and have no desire to quit. You are my trainer and I will follow your every order. I trust you to do what is best for me." Sam said in as earnest manner as he could.
Dean let out a sigh but he turned to look at him and gave a sharp nod.
"Then I asked you a question."
"I will try not to be late. There's-"
"There will be no trying. You will not be late and that's that. Because next time , I will certainly not be this lenient." Dean cut him off with a challenge in his tone daring him to argue. Which Sam had no intention of doing. But seriously , if this was how Dean comes off as being lenient he has no intention of seeing the man at his hardest.
"Yes sir." Sam replied and barely resisted the urge to salute the man because seriously though he wasn't in the army and hadn't met a drill sergeant before but he figured he would be just like Dean.
Dean nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand at him. "You can take a ten minute break." At that , Sam wanted to weep in joy but he held himself back and collapsed on the ground. Taking deep breaths and groaning in protest when the muscles in his arm protested even slightest movements , he crawled back to lie his back against the tree , his long legs sprawled out in front of him.
"Jesus , kid. I would have done three hundred push-ups by the time you completed just fifty. And even then , I wouldn't have been out of breath." Dean commented taking a seat beside him on the ground and turning his head to look at him.
"Here , drink it." Dean passed him a bottle of water that Sam accepted gratefully. He began taking big gulps of water and had only taken a few when the bottle was snatched away from him.
"Stop pouting like I murder your damn puppy. If you don't want your breakfast to make an unpleasant appearance I suggest you take small sips." Dean said pointing a finger at him and Sam grimaced. The last thing he wanted was to puke. He nodded in understanding and Dean passed him back the bottle.
"Dean ?". He asked after a minute or so. There was no one in the ground besides them. And it wasn't unexpected as all students were currently in their dorms packing their stuff. It was their last day in AHBS as they all along with him will leave this place today with a hunter of their own to start a new life. Sam will miss this place as it has been his home since he was four years old when the first time he was brought here. He had some good and bad memories of this place which he figured he would never forget no matter where he will be in the future.
"Yeah , kid ?". Dean asked looking at him. His eyes were now slightly softened and his tone almost quiet.
"Were you nervous too when you left this place for the first time ?". Sam asked , almost shyly. He was looking at his hands on his lap. And to Dean , he was looking too young that he was reminded of the very fact again that from today this kid will be his responsibility. His to train and to keep safe. Its like he's going to foster this kid. He was reminded once again of the great amount of burden that will always be there on his shoulders for atleast five more years.
"You know , I didn't study from AHBS. I stayed here when I was a kid but that too only when I was hurt or when the hunt was too dangerous for my dad to take me with him."
"Really ?". Sam asked , completely shocked. He's always believed that Dean has stayed in AHBS but again the man was so reserved that unlike other hunters , there wasn't much about him on AHBS and AHA website under the hunter wiki.
"Yeah." Dean replied , his gaze somewhat faraway.
"So your dad trained you ? What was his name ?. Where is he ?. He's like you too ?". Sam asked curiously. He's always been a curious kid. And has been told on more than one occasion that he asks too many questions.
"Hey , what is this ? Twenty questions ?". Dean said , looking at him with an annoyed look on his face. But Sam could tell this time that Dean wasn't angry. His face was a mixture of somewhat amusement and irritation because by now he's seen Dean's angry look when he was only freaking two minutes late and this wasn't one.
"Come on , Mr. Ask-too-many-questions. Your ten minutes are up." Sam sighed pretty heavily before getting to his feet with a great amount of difficulty and Dean rolled his eyes. The kid looked like an eighty year old grandma having arthritis in her knees and the weight of whole world on her shoulders.
"Come on , grandma. Move it." Dean gestured at him impatiently.
"Hey , I'm not a grandma. I'm a man so if anything I will be a grandpa." Sam said and then promptly smacked himself on the forehead.
"As you say , grandpa." Dean replied in a teasing tone. The kid was adorable and no this didn't mean he was getting soft. It was just an observation.
"Okay. Let's start with your arms training." Dean said and Sam's whole face lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Really ?." Sam asked excitedly. He was just a step away from bouncing on his feet like an excited toddler getting his favourite toy when he looked at Dean. Dean was looking at him with a weird look on his face and Sam realised that he must look like a lunatic standing there smiling so wide that his face was in danger of splitting in half. He cleared his throat and schooled his features into somewhat a neutral look and said in as nonchalant manner as he could , "Hm. Good." Like it wasn't a big deal.
Dean rolled his eyes. Again. He walked up to Sam and stood in front of him. He took out a .45 from his jacket and handed it over to the kid.
"Here. From now on , you will always carry this with you. No matter where you are this .45 should always be on you. I don't care whether you are sleeping or peeing. You will have it with you all the time. Understand Sam ?"
"Yes sir." Sam replied instantly. He was way too excited to get a gun of his own. His first gun. Oh god. He was really going to be a hunter. Dean passed him the gun and he took it carefully in his palm trying to get used to the weight of it. It was heavy but he liked the weight of it on his hand.
"Today , I am gonna teach you about the correct posture you must maintain while shooting. Come here and stand beside me." Dean ordered Sam.
"Now pull your shoulders straight." Dean commanded him and Sam took a deep breath and straightened out his shoulders.
"Not too rigid , Sam. Loosen out your muscles. Try to be relaxed. Your arms and shoulders should be straight while you're aiming but make sure they aren't strung too tight. Otherwise , the shock from the bullet when you shoot the gun can cause you to pull a muscle."
"Yes sir." Sam replied and tried to be relaxed. His shoulders weren't slouched they were straight but his muscles were no longer pulled tight.
"Good." Dean nodded at him in satisfaction. "Now raise your arm and point the muzzle of the gun towards your target. In this case , it is the tree in front of you." Dean waited for Sam to obey. Once Sam had taken the desired position , he began. "I just want to teach you how to hold a damn gun , first. And unless I'm fully satisfied with you. You aren't gonna move to the next step which is the actual shooting. So if you want to move to the fun part , you better learn the important one first which is maintaining the correct posture. The gun will be your best friend on the hunts , Sam. It will be responsible for keeping your life safe. So you gotta learn everything about it. I will teach you about the proper way of cleaning the weapons in the evening. After every hunt , you need to clean and oil your weapons to make sure they are in tip top condition. From now on , it's going to be your responsibility to clean and oil each one of them after every hunt."
Dean waited for his words to sink in. It was damn important for Sam to understand the reason why Dean was stretching so much about maintaining the correct posture while handling a gun.
"Yes sir." Sam replied and waited for further instructions.
"Keep your finger near the trigger but do not touch it. The mistake most amateurs make is they keep their fingers on the trigger. When you are out on the field obviously you will have your gun with you with the safety off and ready to shoot at a moment's notice. But what happens with every newbie is they tend to jump at the barest of sounds and movements even when it's just the wind or the trees rustling. And since they have their finger on the trigger the gun goes off without them knowing resulting in a misshot that either end up hurting them or their fellow hunters. Even a small mistake like that in dealing with fire arms and in hunting could kill you and the others."
Sam soaked all that in , nodding his head. He made sure that his finger stay away from the trigger but still near enough just not touching it.
"Now put your arms down." Dean waited for Sam to comply. "Now get ready in position again."
"Oww." Sam exclaimed a little rubbing his index finger that Dean had just flicked none too gently as he turned his head to glare at the other man.
"What did I just say ?. Your finger stays away from the trigger." Dean barked at the kid who was glaring at him. "Stop giving me the bitch face and focus on the training."
"Yes sir." Sam replied a bit petulantly but Dean just nodded. His arms were still hurting from doing all those pushups and catching those freaking leaves but he didn't think complaining about that to Dean would get him anywhere. So instead he took a deep breath and focused on the training.
"Drop the position." Dean ordered and Sam did. "Take the position once more. You will be learning just how to hold a damn gun properly today or as long as I ain't satisfied."
Sam's arms protested the movement as he raised them in the air with the weight of the gun heavy in his hands once again.
"Oww." Sam yelled in pain once again as Dean flicked his finger. "Why don't you say me to keep my finger away rather than flicking it ?".
"I did and it didn't help. Even the pain isn't helping you to get the simple instruction through your head to keep your finger away from the damn trigger." Dean knew it wasn't easy. He was once a trainee learning how to hunt himself. Sam wasn't doing it purposefully. It was just happening. Sometimes your body does things even without you knowing. It may sound stupid but it does happen. Like people talking to themselves or like breathing. It all happens subconsciously. But Sam needed to fight his subconscious and do what was ordered to him if he wants to stay alive and be the best hunter.
Sam grumbled angrily but got in position again. At the end of the training which went for two more hours , he was exhausted , frustrated and his finger was throbbing.
"Alright , that's enough for now. Keep the gun with you. Oh , and Sam if from now I see you go anywhere without it you're gonna get in some serious trouble. Clear ?".
"Yes sir." Sam replied tucking the gun safely inside his waistband. If Dean's training was this hard , he so didn't wanna know what the man would do once Sam gets himself in trouble.
"Alright , kid. You get your stuff packed. We'll be leaving this place as soon as we are done with 'pick a hunter' day." Dean said walking with Sam back towards the school dorms. It was almost eleven and the event wouldn't start until twelve. He had plenty of time to kill with Jo and annoy the hell out of Bobby and Ellen.
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