The Institute

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from Supernatural nor do I profit in any way. I just write for the love of writing about the boys and hurting them on the odd occasion.

Warnings:

Rated for language, violence and torture.

NO Wincest or Slash involved in this or any of my stories.

CHAPTER 10 The Shortest Escape Attempt

After closing the gate in the holding area, Dean did a cursory recon of the place not willing to trust Sloane or any of his cronies.

The holding area resembles a large corral with a dirt floor and iron fencing but it was still inside. No sign of anything natural or outdoors anywhere. Muttering to himself Dean wandered around the perimeter a second time, something felt so wrong about all of this. He had to get Sam out, he knew that, but he also knew that Sam wouldn't leave Grace or anyone else behind to suffer for him.

Sighing heavily he shook his head and went to crouch in front of Sam, hoping like mad that he would be able to recognise him without too much trouble. 'Sammy, dude can you look at me?'

Sam lifted his gaze slightly and blinked at the face in front of him, 'Mister Hunt?' he mumbled.

'No try again Sammy; I need you to look at me properly.' Dean cupped his hands around Sam's face and forcibly lifted it upwards until their gazes met. 'Look at me Sam.'

'D-Dean?' Sam blinked a shiver running through him when he heard the familiar voice, 'no it's a trick.'

'Sorry dude it's just me.' Dean gave him a lopsided grin but then sobered, 'Sammy do you know where you are?'

'Yeah, the Institute.' Sam muttered and lowered his gaze again, 'they want me to do things.'

'I know Sammy.'

'You were there weren't you?'

'Ah Sam...' Dean floundered for words unsure of what exactly Sam remembered. 'What do you remember?'

'They hurt me to force me to use my powers.' Sam whispered his cheeks blazing with humiliation. 'They used you to hurt me.'

'Sam I ...'

'It's okay Dean, I probably deserved it.' Sam's whisper barely audible now as he stared a hole into the blanket covering his knees. 'I know I am not human.'

'Sam...' Dean's voice broke as he fought his own emotions; the bastards have really screwed with Sam's head already. 'Sam you are human, just as much as me, Grace, Summers, and even the bastards who did this to you. They are more monster than you.'

'No, no don't you see they have it right, I am an it.' Sam insisted his voice emotionless, 'perhaps their testing and studying what I do is for the best, so I can't hurt anyone else.'

'Sam that's not ... you don't deserve any of this.'

'Dean I killed a man.' Sam stated flatly, 'I don't deserve anything.'

'You saved Grace's life, they would have killed you and Grace, Sam listen to me it was self-defence.'

'Then if it was self-defence why did it feel so good?' Sam rolled his eyes up to meet Dean's gaze, 'it felt so good Dean ... I killed him with just a thought.'

'No, no Sam you killed him to stop him killing you and Grace,' Dean insisted refusing to accept Sam's guilt, 'no if there is anyone to blame here then blame Sloane, hell blame me coz I couldn't stop this shit from happening to you but please Sam listen to me it isn't you fault.'

'Then why do I feel so guilty Dean? Why did it feel so good to use my mind to do ... to do that?'

'Coz they have been brainwashing you into believing shit like that. They want you to think that coz they want you to become a mindless psychic warrior.'

'I – I don't understand.'

'This place, the people who run it ... they are gathering psychics like you and Grace to brainwash and torture into submission, to make you believe that you are sub-human until you follow orders blindly and mindlessly. To control your gifts ... your abilities.' Dean took a breath and stared deeply into Sam's eyes, 'Sammy, Sam you're my brother ... I know you better than anyone, they will have to destroy you completely before that happens. You are not a killer Sam; you are not a stone cold killer.'

'I-I ... it hurts Dean.'

'I know Sammy, I know.' Dean sighed then frowned angrily as he turned to look over his right shoulder, 'fuck it.'

'What?' Sam blinked at his brother confused he followed Dean's gaze to the camera hovering over them from the corner of the large enclosure. 'Dean?'

'Fuck it I forgot about the cameras.' Dean fumed, 'I think I may have just stuffed it all up for us.'

'I don't understand.' Sam blinked back at Dean and then dropped his gaze back to the blanket covering his knees. 'They are watching us aren't they?' He stated as the realisation hit him.

'Yeah dude I totally forgot about the cameras.' Dean apologised, 'they probably know who we are by now.'

'So what we gonna do about it?' Sam looked up again, 'Dean?'

'Thinking Sammy.'

'What about me?' Grace's soft voice came from the other side of Sam's wheelchair, 'I – I don't...'

'You're coming with us Grace no arguments there.' Dean announced firmly, 'so okay we're gonna have to bust outta here now, you two ready?' He asked undoing Sam's restraints, 'Sammy you gonna be okay to walk?'

'Yeah ... just a bit dizzy that's all.' Sam muttered as he carefully lifted himself out of the chair and rested on Dean's offered arm for a moment.

The three of them hurried to the furtherest gate from where they came in, 'Sam I know you hate it but...'

Sam gave Dean a small grimace of a smile and then concentrated on the locks, the bolts falling from each one before the gate swung open without effort. 'Damn Dude we can use that particular gift more often.' Dean enthused with a cheeky grin, 'let's get outta here.'

Moving as stealthily as possible the trio moved through the maze of corridors and doors, heading towards the outside of the complex. After spending so long in the artificial world of the Institute Grace and Sam both blinded by the bright sunshine as they burst through the last door. 'That was a touch too easy.' Dean muttered as he shepherded the others behind him. Just then, they heard the blaring of klaxons, 'we really have to get moving now.' Dean ordered over his shoulder as he led them towards the car park.

'Dean get Grace out of here, I'll stay and hold them off.' Sam announced firmly as they heard the sound of running feet behind them.

'No way Sammy, not leaving here without you, not even going to argue about it.' Dean hissed a look of determination on his handsome face, his olive green eyes burning dark. 'We do not get split up do you hear me?'

'Sam!' Grace cried out pointing to the doorway to their right just ahead of them where Sloane and some guards that neither Grace nor the brothers recognised.

'Fuck it,' Dean cussed as he pushed Sam behind him and turned back the way they had just come, standing behind them were more guards armed with guns of various descriptions.

'I thought I told you to take them to the holding area,' Sloane mocked Dean, 'and to keep subject twenty-two in its wheelchair.'

'It's Sam you moronic idiot and he's not an it.' Dean shot back his temper getting the better of him.

A lone gunshot rang out and as Sam yelled his name, Dean started to feel a burning pain in his stomach. Looking down he saw the blossoming flower of red forming on his shirt. 'Sam?' he choked as blood spewed from his mouth, dropping to his knees he started to list to his side as Sam scrambled to catch his now unconscious brother.

'Stay away from him.' Sam screamed as guns flew from the guard's hands, 'I am warning you stay away.'

'Subject twenty-two calm down or I will be made to do something that both of us will regret.' Sloane said stepping closer to the fallen brothers, 'do you wish me to allow subject twenty-one to heal your brother?'

'You shot him!' Sam cried back, 'you fix him.'

'Do not do anything else subject twenty-two, surrender and your sibling will be healed.'

Sam stared up at the man in horror, 'if I surrender and do what you want, and you heal Dean then what?'

'You are not in the position to ask such questions subject twenty-two.'

'I can kill you if I want.' Sam said in a low voice. 'All I have to do is think it.'

'Kill me subject twenty-two and both your sibling and subject twenty-one will die before I hit the ground.'

Sam stared down at Dean, dying in his arms and then up at the white face of Grace, the threat overwhelming the younger Winchester, 'heal him first, and I will submit willingly to whatever you want to do to me.'

TBC