"You have a firing range?" Adam was a mixture of impressed and confused as he followed Sam into the room. Michael raised their eyebrows slightly, looking around, intrigued and yet just as bewildered as the demon, while Sam only chuckled a little, glancing back at them in amusement as he led them over to one of the targets. They stopped just at the counter, and Sam stepped aside to let them step up beside him. Adam blinked, looking ahead curiously at the target just ahead, a good distance away from where they stood.
"Mhm. We don't really use it, but it's nice to have around for target practice sometimes." Sam paused and stepped away, and Adam glanced back over at his older half-brother as the hunter reached back, pulling his shirt up a little bit and unattaching a pistol from the holster on his jeans. "And sometimes I just come down here to let off some steam when I need to, you know. It's actually pretty calming," the hunter admitted, checking the gun over carefully. "You ever shoot a gun before?"
Adam just stared at him, not quite comprehending, while Michael seemed to realize instantly. "No," they both responded, short and simple, eyes narrowing.
"See, when we were little, Dean and I - I got into this argument with Dad. I don't even remember what it was about, but-" Sam's lips twitched slightly, putting the gun down on the counter and heading past them to shut the door. Adam glanced down at the gun, raised his eyebrows, then turned to watch the hunter silently. "I do remember Dean taking me out back into the forest near the hotel and teaching me how to shoot cans off of tree stumps. I was so angry-" He paused, turning back to them, "and then I just… wasn't."
Adam blinked, finally realizing what the hunter was getting at. And, while Michael seemed intrigued, the demon just huffed out a slight sarcastic laugh and spared a glance at the pistol. "Okay, I'm- I'm sorry, but what about my current mental state makes you think that it's at all wise to put a gun in my hand right now?" He asked incredulously, looking back up as Sam as his brother walked back over to them. "How do you know I won't just shoot you?"
"I trust you," Sam replied simply, picking the pistol back up. The hunter paused, then, meeting their gaze briefly and adding shortly, "both of you."
Whatever rage Adam had held for Sam before had fizzled out at that moment. Where it had gone, and if it would return, the demon had absolutely no clue. But he knew that, in that second, and at least for that second, he was nowhere near as pissed at his brother as he had been since the Cage. And he had absolutely no idea what to do with that revelation. Michael had also softened considerably, and, feeling a smile coming on from the archangel's end, the demon inhaled and turned his head away from Sam, clearing his throat. Michael was one thing - but Adam wasn't willing to show that kind of weakness, that kind of caring, toward Sam. Not yet.
"So?" Sam prompted, and Adam glanced over reluctantly, hearing a small click as the hunter cocked the pistol and turned back to them. "How about it?"
Adam hesitated a little, still staring at him. Michael was as encouraging as ever, easily trusting them both - Adam, on the other hand, wasn't sure where he stood on this. He'd never shot a gun before, and while he'd never been particularly afraid of guns, he'd never even held one in his entire life. And it was a stupid thing to be wary of, considering all of the torture he'd been through, yet, staring at it now, faced with the decision, it was a little more terrifying than he would have liked to admit. And he definitely did not like that - he didn't like anything that made him feel even remotely weak, in this way, and so, of course, just to prove that he wasn't afraid, he had to agree. "... I'll try anything once."
"Alright." Sam offered a smile, warm and encouraging, and Adam only narrowed their eyes slightly in response. Michael was silent, just watching with a quiet air of intrigue, as the hunter stepped forward, gesturing for Adam to turn back around to face the target, which the demon did so after a moment of reluctance. "The first thing I need to tell you, the first thing Dean told me when he taught me how to shoot - never, ever aim your gun at anything you don't intend to kill," Sam told him, his tone dropping, turning serious now.
Adam narrowed his eyes a little bit at that, but he didn't say anything.
"You left or right handed?"
"Right-" Adam paused, eyes immediately snapping back to his brother as Sam stepped forward, reaching out to grab his wrist. The demon resisted a little at first, eyes hardening faintly at the contact - but one simple, assuring look from Sam made him go still, the comforting glances almost enough to remind the demon of Michael - and that was definitely enough to stop him, at least for a few seconds. Sam returned to what he was doing, lifting Adam's right arm up and pressing the gun into his hand firmly.
"Then that's the hand you're going to grip the gun with," the hunter was telling him, and Adam, albeit slightly irritated - okay, extremely irritated - by the contact, he stood still while Sam curled his middle, ring and pinkie finger around the grip of the pistol, adjusting his thumb and index finger along the length of the top of the pistol on either side. Adam just watched, swallowing down the rush of anxiety that was rising in his chest. He may be a demon, but he had been human, too, and there were just some thing from the human part of him that he couldn't quite shake. "You don't put your finger on the trigger until you're aimed and ready to shoot, got it?"
Unable to speak, Adam could only nod. Satisfied, Sam lifted his arm a bit, adjusted his hand a bit more, then let go to walk around to the other side. The demon went still, holding the gun up himself, eyes widening ever so slightly as he stared. Hey, it's okay, Michael assured him, a mix of confused and concerned, but Adam didn't reply. I've got you.
Adam just took in a breath and nodded again, looking over as Sam grabbed his other wrist, raising his left hand to the gun.
"This hand goes up here, too - gripping around the bottom," the hunter told him, and the demon nodded slightly, watching as his brother adjusted his hand around the gun. "Sometimes you can shoot a gun one-handed, and sometimes you have to, but it required a much stronger grip. I'll teach you that once you've got this down. For now, you have to focus…" Sam shifted slightly, and, holding onto Adam's left arm with one hand, he reached around and grabbed the other, raising the gun so that it was level with Adam's face. "Hold steady, and aim."
Steady was about the last thing Adam was feeling at that moment, but he didn't say that. Michael was helping to calm the slight tremors in their hands, but the demon still felt… on edge, shaky. Sam paused, reaching out to adjust his hands over the gun again. "It's not gonna feel natural the first few times you shoot. Just hold as steady as you can," the hunter encouraged, kind and gentle - which finally caused a bit of irritation to break through, and thank… well, not God, but you get the gist - before placing his hands on Adam's shoulders, sliding him forward a few steps. "Keep yourself grounded, too. Keep your attention ahead, but put some focus on the lower half of your body."
They continued on and, Adam, while slightly annoyed, allowed Sam to move him around into the proper shooting position - and both he and Michael were paying careful attention to the hunter's warnings and tips as he did so, though Adam wouldn't admit that out loud. He most certainly couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling, the uncertainty that came with holding a gun, and to be completely honest, he hated it - it just reminded him of what he used to be. What he wasn't anymore, what he would never be again, and what he didn't want to be.
"Okay. Now, remember, the gun's going to jerk," Sam warned, snapping the demon back to his senses. He twitched a little, but he didn't move his gaze from ahead, and Michael pulled them steady again as the hunter continued, "stretch your arms out a little further, bend your elbows- just like that, good," he praised, as Adam did as instructed - prompting the demon to roll his eyes in the process - and continued on, "now, again, the gun's going to jerk - but under no circumstances are you to let go of it, understood? It's going to take you by surprise, and it's going to stray from where you're aiming it, but you hold it as steady as you can." Adam just nodded, eyes narrowing, wondering when they would just get on with it already, and Michael chided him slightly in response, along with a reminder that this was important. "And it's going to be loud - very loud, and distracting, but, again-"
"Don't let go," Adam droned, huffing out a sigh. "I got it."
"Good. You think you're ready to shoot?" Sam asked carefully, stepping aside slightly to watch them. Adam raised his eyebrows slightly, keeping as steady as he could. Despite Michael's attempts to calm them both down, their hands still trembled ever so slightly, arms practically locked in place, shaking, and as annoying as it was, Adam couldn't stop it to save his life.
"Been ready for a while now…"
"Got your aim? Rear and front sights?" Sam checked, and Adam bit back a hiss in response, sparing him an irritated look before returning his gaze ahead again, lifting the gun a little bit further, as he had lowered it slightly when he had looked over at his brother. He huffed a little, taking a moment to adjust the gun again, lining up the sights as Sam had told him to - annoyingly - over and over and over again…
"Yeah, Sam, I got it." See? He's distracting, the demon grumbled, and Michael didn't respond, but he seemed slightly amused now despite Adam's frustration.
"Okay," Sam responded smoothly, despite the demon's display of irritation. "Then put your index finger on the trigger - carefully, and don't press yet," he warned, and Adam resisted the urge to roll his eyes again as he did as instructed, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked ahead. "Take a deep breath, brace yourself, and press down on the trigger. Not too forcefully, but with direct pressure," the hunter narrowed his eyes and stepped back.
Adam set their jaw slightly, looking up. Michael was silent, allowing him most control, only having enough to try and keep them steady. The shaking was just getting annoying by now, but he was doing his best not to focus on it. Instead, he focused on doing what Sam had told him to, as annoyed as he was; He inhaled as deeply as possible, holding the breath for a moment, then swallowed, clenched his teeth, and pressed down on the trigger.
Sam was right - even though he had been prepared for it, the way the pistol jerked upwards had caught him by surprise. He tightened his grip reflexively, almost putting further pressure on the trigger, but Michael had managed to take enough control to stop them before he could do so, thankfully enough. And the sounds… the sound of the gun firing, the bullet whizzing through the air, the shell hitting the floor, each one rang through their ears, far too loud, and the ringing remained long after he had lowered the gun, gasping.
He could have sworn his heart had stopped, but now it was racing.
"Not bad," Sam said thoughtfully, but Adam could barely hear him over the ringing - hell, the only reason he did was probably because of his enhanced demon hearing, anyway. He blinked a few times, staring ahead, and narrowed his eyes slightly. He hadn't even hit the target; The bullet had went through several inches beside where the head was. He had missed completely.
"I missed," Adam said blankly, but even then, he couldn't fight back the rush that had enveloped him, the adrenaline pumping in his veins now. He looked down at the gun, moving his finger off of the trigger, but he didn't put it down yet. Now he was just determined, adamant - he wanted to shoot again, and again, and again, until he could hit the target. The demon took a deep breath and held it for a second, shaking his head a little, trying to calm down his racing heart.
It was your first time, Michael encouraged, sounding slightly dazed.
"It's your first time shooting a gun, man," Sam chuckled, and Adam raised his eyebrows slightly, looking over at his older half-brother. "You're not gonna hit the target on the first try - hell, it took me hours before I could shoot a can off of a tree stump." He stepped forward, glancing toward the target - actually looking impressed, too. "You got pretty close, though."
Adam blinked, looking back over at the target. He was still irritated that he had missed, but, again, more determined than ever to keep trying. "Guess so," he mumbled simply, raising the gun again and narrowing his eyes as he lined the sights up with the target again, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. It was easier to stop the shaking, if only slightly, his nerves having been calmed and stifled with the need to hit the target. Just once.
Well, Sam had been right. That anger was long gone. At least for now. Their lips twitched slightly from Michael's end, a rush of warmth enveloping their chest, and Adam shook his head faintly with a sigh, struggling to fight it down enough to focus.
"Hey, don't sweat it - you're a Winchester." Sam flashed him a smile. "This? It's in your blood."
This time, the warmth was all Adam's, and he hated and liked it at the same time. Instead of responding, however, he just raised the gun again, and steeled himself to shoot again.
My turn next, Michael told him cheerfully, and, lips twitching, Adam agreed.
They must have stayed in there for hours, Sam watching carefully and encouraging Adam and Michael while they switched control back and forth between shooting. Adam was the one to land the first shot on the target; Right on the head. While Michael had landed a few shots around the chest and shoulders, himself. And there was nothing like the feeling of actually hitting it, the rush that came with it, the adrenaline - He could have done this all day, and Michael agreed; While he wasn't too keen on violence, the archangel seemed to enjoy the rush of adrenaline, himself. It was certainly a welcome distraction for the both of them.
Finally, though, Sam decided enough was enough, though all of them were reluctant to call it quits. The hunter had deemed it safe enough for him to check on Dean, and, with the promise that he would teach Adam and Michael more later on, he had gone to do just that, while the demon retreated to the showers and the archangel retreated into their mind, both of them content once again - at least for the moment.
Adam made his way to the room that Sam had shown them to the night before, closing the door behind him and falling back onto the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair, still wet from the shower, and let out a slow, satisfied sigh. It was almost hard to believe that a day spent with Sam had actually ended up decent, but he hadn't hated it. Hell, he'd actually liked it. So, with that - maybe there was a way for him to get past the rage. Maybe there was a way for him to forgive. Sam, at least, he was slowly, but surely, starting to warm up to.
Most of him didn't know how to feel about that, but he was trying.
The demon closed his eyes, stretching out on the bed, then retreated along with Michael. He found the archangel back in the memory of Hell, listening to the singing. Honestly, it had taken him by surprise, at first, listening to the three, down in Lilith's Chamber. Certainly hadn't quite been what he had expected. It was… angelic, that was the only thing that Adam could describe it as - and, even more shocking, was the language they had sung it in. And the fact that Adam could recite every word, the fact that he had understood everything that had been sung.
Michael looked up at him, a faint smile appearing on his face as the demon made his way over, settling down on the floor beside him. "Hey."
Adam hummed a quiet greeting back at him in response, closing his eyes for a moment and relaxing against the wall. They were both silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts; The stress from earlier had left them both… well, not as exhausted as usual, but definitely sleepy. They really needed to figure out how they were going to get around that - but, then, maybe they didn't need to, maybe they'd just… adjust. After so long in the Cage, which was as peaceful, as quiet as could be, it wasn't surprising that they were being thrown for a loop with all of this drama.
"M'gonna try to talk to Dean tomorrow," Michael murmured, a soft, tired sigh breaking through his lips. Adam opened his eyes to look over at him, silent. "Hopefully smooth things over. Or- try to."
Adam stayed silent for a while, just staring at him, before speaking. "Be careful." He didn't know if the hunter could do anything to hurt the archangel physically, but he knew, judging by what had happened earlier, that it would be all too easy for Dean to cut him down emotionally. And that was just something that Adam wasn't going to stand for, no sir.
"I will."
Adam nodded and turned away, not quite satisfied, but knowing, at least, that he didn't need to press any further than that. Michael relaxed just as easily, nothing more than a soft sigh escaping him as they both sank back against the wall, as one, eyes drifting shut. Michael was the first to fall asleep - Adam felt the rest of his energy drain as he did. And then everything was silent, aside from the singing of the angels, and a small smile tugged at the demon's lips for a second as the sound echoed around the room - and then, finally, he gave in, letting himself drift off.