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 16 The Great Escape – Version Two

'Get up now subject-twenty-two.' The order startled Sam out of his light doze, lifting his head he blinked up at the sentinels standing in front of his bed. 'Time to start training, stand up, and face the wall.'

Moving slowly, Sam slid off the bed and tried to stand, after two attempts he finally managed to get his wobbly legs to hold his own weight, facing the wall he waited for the next order.

His sudden compliance and silence startled the two sentinels both prepared for another round of defiance from this particular subject. 'Hands behind your back subject twenty-two.'

Sam moved his hand behind his back and stood with shoulders slumped and head down, but with imperceptible movements, he balanced himself on the balls of his feet. Sensing rather than seeing the first guard move, Sam span around with a full round house kick catching the man in the groin, righting himself Sam crouched in fighting stance and then sprang upwards his upper cut connecting with the other man's chin, blood spurting from his mouth as his teeth pierced his lower lip.

Stealthily Sam moved out of his cell and sprinted down the winding hallway, ignoring the cameras tracking his every movement, his only thought was to get out of the place no matter what it took. Two more sentinels blocked his berserker rush for freedom, with a fixed look of determination Sam attacked while still in full 'flight' easily knocking them out, wiping the trickle of blood away from his nose Sam righted himself and ran.

Bursting into the medical unit Sam took the doctor by surprise, easily overpowering him, he used the older man as a shield as he forced him to unlock the outer doors. His heart beating frantically against his chest as the adrenaline coursed through him Sam pushed the doctor again indicating for him to head directly for the staff exit and car park.

A brief pang of worry hit him as Sam mused on the fact that his escape so far was too easy, he felt as though someone played with him but he didn't care, he had to try, he had to find Dean.

'Keep moving doctor.' Sam snapped twisting the man's arm even higher, 'I can easily snap it.'

'You are making a big mistake subject twenty-two.' The doctor replied releasing a hiss of pain with his words.

'The name is Sam.' Sam snarled in the man's ear, 'anyway I am just being a good soldier isn't that what Sloane wants?'

'Yes it is subject twenty-two, now put the doctor down and we can discuss this.' Sloane said a patronising smile plastered on his face as he approached Sam, just behind him was the door to the outside and freedom.

'Step aside Sloane, just let me go and no one needs to get hurt.' Sam said his anger dripping from each word.

'Let the man go subject twenty-two.' Sloane moved closer to Sam, 'you are trapped there's nowhere for you to go.' He waved his hands around the area, showing the armed sentinels waiting for the order to attack the rebellious subject. 'I am getting rather tired of your constant bucking against the proper order of things subject twenty-two.'

'Oh gee like I am so gonna get upset over that.' Sam snapped pulling the doctor closer to him. 'I just want to leave.'

'I cannot allow that Samuel.' Sloane said his voice silky smooth, 'I cannot allow you to leave and to expose the institute to prying do-gooders.'

'Then you will have to kill me coz there is no way I am going to willingly do what you want me to do.'

'Now, there is no need for such dire threats Samuel.' The director used Sam's formal name again, emphasising it, 'perhaps I underestimated your worth.'

'I am a person; I am not a thing to be estimated.'

'Let the doctor go Samuel and we can talk, perhaps there is a compromise we can reach.'

'What? Like using me for target, practice again. Putting a few more broken knife blades into me?' bitterness fuelled Sam's voice, 'oh I know why not force me to do a few more tricks, want me to conjure another storm?'

'No, no there is no need for such dramatics Samuel.'

'Sam, my ... name ... is ... Sam.' He ground out slowly placing emphasis on each word. 'It is not a hard name to say.'

'Enough Samuel, Sam your theatrics are starting to get tiresome.' Sloane sighed, 'I will ask you one last time, and please let the doctor go and give yourself up.'

'Go fuck yourself.' Sam whispered pushing the doctor as hard as he could towards Sloane making the two men collide violently. In the ensuing confusion, Sam managed to burst through the door and rush towards the fences surrounding the building. His lungs gasped in the fresh crisp air of early morning, the icy fingers of a morning frost stroked at his face and hands as he ran.

Knowing deep down that his escape was too easy for words Sam pushed on keeping himself fixed in the moment and not allowing himself to entertain any other thoughts.

He heard the crunching of heavy boots on the loose stones, they were getting closer, sticking to the fence line Sam tried to blend into the shadows as he moved, not sure where but as long as it was away from the main building.

'Sam over here!' a familiar voice came from the other side of the fence, allowing himself a brief respite Sam skidded to a stop and waited for his sight to clear. He found himself staring directly at Dean's face, 'Sammy.'

'Dean?' Sam gasped the shock almost too much for him, 'Dean it is you?'

'Get your scrawny ass over here Sammy.' Dean ordered, 'Bobby and Caleb are going to keep them busy for a while.'

'What the ... Dean?' Sam couldn't believe it when he took in his brother's appearance. 'How, who, why?'

'Stop gibbering like an idiot and get over here.' Dean barked out the order, 'now Sammy.'

Sam found the hole his brother cut in the fencing and with one last glance at the bland looking building; he slipped through into the arms of his waiting sibling. 'Dean?' he whispered, tears threatened to fall as he clung to the solidity of his older brother.

'Come on Sammy let's get outta here.' Dean said his own voice thick with emotion.

A loud explosion had both brothers ducking for cover, and then they saw the faces of their two friends, both alive and laughing. 'That should keep em going for a while.' Bobby laughed again as he stopped in front of the Winchester brothers.

'Dean ... Sammy? Oh my God Sammy?' Bobby stared down at the frail looking younger man crouched next to his brother, a haunted look in his eyes and his darker and shorter hair. 'Ah Sammy.'

'Hey Bobby, Caleb,' Sam gave them a wan smile, the adrenaline now burnt out he was exhausted, his body ached and his stomach threatened revolt with each movement.

'We can catch up later right now we have to get going.' Dean interrupted when he saw the look on Sam's face; his brother was so close to losing it, he had to get Sammy to safety now. 'Summers is in the car ready to go.'

'Summers? But, but he's dead.' Sam cried out swaying unsteadily he clung to Dean for support.

'No Sam they didn't kill him.' Dean confirmed the fact for Sam as gently as he could, wrapping his arm around his brother's waist and slinging Sam's arm over his shoulder he helped Sam back to the car with Bobby and Caleb bringing up the rear. They could hear the shouting, the sirens and sounds of panic in the background, 'should keep em going for a while.' Dean whispered and then tightening his grip on Sam led the rag-tag team back to the impala.

Fifteen minutes later, they dropped Caleb and Bobby off at the older man's truck and then Dean led the way to a new motel across the other side of town. Sam sat with his eyes closed resting his face against the coolness of the window glass. Summers sat directly behind him and refused to take his eyes from him at all.

Dean kept his eyes on the road but kept stealing glances over at Sam, making sure that it really happened and Sam was with him.

-----------

Sloane paced his office, flicking cigar ash on the floor his movements jerky and agitated. 'So they got away?'

'Yes Sir, it seems that subject twenty-two had outside help.' The sentinel reported his eyes fixed on a spot on the opposite wall.

'The damage done?'

'The lower units were destroyed, no life lost though.'

'The subjects?'

'All sedated and placed in the holding area.'

'The doctor?'

'He has been disposed of.'

'Lavone?'

'Awaiting your punishment Sir.'

'Have him brought in.' Sloane snarled, ready to find a scapegoat now that the doctor was dead.

'Sir, Mister Sloane please let me find it and bring it back.' Lavone started as soon as he stepped into the room, his hands cuffed behind his back and bruises already littered his face.

'On your knees.' Sloane ordered, watching the once proud sentinel drop awkwardly to his knees he continued the interrogation. 'How did subject twenty-two get passed your men Lavone?'

'He, he is well trained in hand-to-hand combat Sir he took them by surprise.'

'Why was he not sedated?'

'He, he was Sir the doctor gave him enough to keep him docile.'

'Apparently it wasn't enough was it Lavone.'

'No Sir.'

'He was not restrained?'

'No Sir, he was left locked in his cell, in a semi-conscious state.'

'So a dangerous, rebellious subject was left alone for the night without restraint or proper sedation?'

'Sir?'

'Then he just happened to overpower your men, indeed put three of them in the medical unit, took the so-called doctor hostage, managed to get past your men yet again and then somehow had outside help that just magically appeared with explosives and weaponry.'

'I – I honestly do not know how it happened Sir.'

'You were the sentinel in charge were you not?'

'Yes, yes Sir.'

'Then it is your fault, you are to be blamed for this debacle.'

'Sir, no Sir.'

'Oh I think it is yes Sir.' Sloane smiled coldly picking up a small handgun from his desk he turned aimed and fired without blinking. Lavone swayed drunkenly on his knees, with a look of shock on his face. A red stain forming on his shirt as he toppled forward, his glassy eyes staring up at Sloane the last face he would ever see in this lifetime.

'Get rid of his body and start the clean up, what is your name?'

'Cole Sir, Nick Cole.'

'You are now the Sentinel in charge of retrieving subject twenty-two using any means necessary is that understood?'

'Yes Sir.'

'And Cole.'

'Yes Sir?'

'Remember what will happen to you if you fail.' Sloane shoved Lavone's body with his toe with distaste and then turned to go back to his desk. Stubbing out the cigar, he dismissed Cole and watched with a distracted look as they dragged the body away. A small smile played on his thin lips. This was turning out better than he had hoped.

-------------

Dean helped Sam settle down on the bed making sure that he was comfortable before going to check on Summers in the adjoining room. Caleb and Bobby had a room directly below them, protecting the stairwell in case of an attack.

Going back to his brother's side Dean sat down and stared in dismay at Sam as he slept. Even though he teased Sam about his hair, he would never want him to cut it or change it if he didn't want to. Now, now, they forced it upon him and Dean wanted to shed a tear with Sam. It was more than just hair, it was Sammy, and it was part of who he was. Ever since he was, a kid Sam liked his hair long and often untidy. Dean always suspected that it was just to piss their Dad off, who wanted him to get a military style cut and arguments often ensued. Now Dean knows it is as much of Sam as his green eyes and abnormal height.

Almost as if sensing Dean's scrutiny Sam slitted his eyes open and focused on Dean's face. 'Hey.'

'Hey Sammy,' Dean's voice sounded hoarse and heavy with unreleased emotions.

'You okay?' Sam blinked and pushed himself up to sit against the headboard.

'I'm fine Sammy,' Dean grinned and patted Sam's blanket covered leg, 'what about you Sammy really?'

'Feel like I have done a few hundred rounds with a werewolf or wendingo or something.' Sam admitted begrudgingly. 'Dean I think ... I think that my escape was a little too easy.'

'Yeah I was kind of thinking the same thing, I mean they didn't really bust a gut trying to get you back.'

'Where's Summers?'

'Lying down, they stabbed him and thinking he was dead dumped him in the woods.' Dean glanced over at the door to the next room, 'crafty bastard got to his car and hooked up with me. Thought I was gonna lose him at one stage but he's stubborn that's for sure.'

'Sure he's not a relative?' Sam chuckled, 'Dean I nearly ... I nearly lost it completely in there.' Sam admitted his voice so low that Dean had to lean forward to catch everything. 'They put me in level three.'

'What's that?'

'Where they put the uncontrollable subjects.' Sam glanced up at Dean before returning to his staring competition with the bedspread. 'Where you had to conform, I, I put up a fight when they wanted to cut my hair ...' unconsciously Sam ran his fingers through his shorter locks, 'they ended up tasering me and tying me into a chair.'

'That's my boy.' Dean grinned back, he could see the scene in his mind, 'hope you did some damage.'

'Ah yeah I guess I did, in more way than one ... but then they injected this stuff into me an' then I couldn't move properly. I could hear, see and feel everything but it was as if I was semi-frozen inside. Then they had that doctor examine me ... he – he said that I was fine to start training and if needed punishment, he recommended deprivation.' Sam added bitterly. 'I was left in a small cell with just a basin, mirror, and a narrow bed.'

'Sammy I am so, so sorry that I wasn't there for you.'

'Hey Dean it's not your fault, you tried man, Grace died trying to help me, Summers and you ... how many lives am I worth Dean?'

'Just one Sam and that's yours.' Dean said gently laying his hand on his brother's and squeezed it.

'I was given that ... get up to wear with the number on the back and this...' Sam uncovered his left leg and pulled his pants leg up showing Dean the brand burnt into the skin just above his ankle bone. A large blood-red brand of '22' stood out on his leg. 'I don't even know when they did that; it was there when I woke up.'

'Damn Sammy I am so sorry.'

Sliding back down in the bed, Sam yawned and settled back on the pillows, 'so tired Dean, I'm so tired of it all, of the pain, the guilt, the deaths, the manipulations but most of all I am tired of being a victim.'

'You will never have to worry about that again Sammy.'

'How Dean coz if it is not the demon then it's the humans. Someone will always hunt me Dean; I almost gave up and wanted to die.' Sam stared miserably at his brother while he whispered his confession. 'I wanted to die, to stop the pain, not just my pain, but everyone who has anything to do with me, you, Summers, Grace, Mom, and Dad everyone. I'm nothing but a jinx Dean.'

'I never want to hear you say that again Sammy, you hear me.' Dean cried out anger filling his grief tinged voice, 'I never ever think of you as a jinx or a curse or anything. You're my brother, my kid brother, highly annoying and abnormally tall kid brother.'

'Thanks Dean,' Sam tried to muster a smile but couldn't, he understood what Dean was trying to say and he loved him for it, but deep down he knew what he was and nothing anything Dean could say would change it.

TBC