Chapter 15
Sam watched the creature advance on his brother. He realized at that moment how hard it would be for both himself and Bobby to stay on the sidelines, not to fight the thing. The fugly thing, as Dean would call it. He could sense Bobby beside him, breathing hard, barely restrained; like a horse chomping on a bit. He couldn't worry about the older hunter, though. All of his energy had to be focused on Dean. He wasn't going to lose his brother to this monster. The orbs told them they would be killed if they tried to fight; at least in the conventional sense. His demon-issued "super powers" might just end up saving them, he thought. How ironic would that be? The demon may actually help me save Dean. It doesn't matter how I do it, whatever it takes.
The umthakati towered over Dean, but his brother didn't flinch. He showed no emotion whatsoever, his eyes dull. Sam could see the energy field around his brother begin to pulsate. It appeared to be expanding. Dean lifted his arm and the energy followed. He aimed at the witch and thrust his arm towards its chest. A burst of energy hit the creature directly in the sternum. Sam was relieved to see that it had served to stop the advance, but the relief was short-lived when he realized that it didn't seem to do much damage. If anything, it just angered the beast.
The beast appeared to grow with the blast, as if it had absorbed the energy from Dean. Sam was stunned by the sight. Shit! It's like an energy vampire! In an instant, the creature had grabbed Dean by the throat and was draining him. Sam could see the field around his brother's body shrink rapidly. The younger hunter felt the familiar buzzing in his head, as he realized his brother was fading fast. An uncontrollable burst of energy left him and propelled towards Dean. Receiving renewed strength from his brother, Dean was able to break the hold around his neck and push the creature away. For an instant, Sam thought he saw recognition in his brother's eyes; Dean was being careful not to "feed" the umthakati any of the precious energy Sam had given him. He was amazed at the small effort it took for Dean to channel it, and the restraint in which he used it.
Bobby was trying at once to read the journal and watch the battle unfold. He had to know what Dean was up against, and what it was going to take to bring the thing down. But when the beast had Dean by the throat, he nearly went for his taser. Only Sam's quick reaction had kept him from entering the fray. Once Dean had pushed the thing away, Bobby brought his focus back to the journal, and as he read a passage, he realized in horror what was happening.
"Sam, those spirits that have possessed Dean, they're going to fight that thing until all the energy has been used up. All of Dean's energy, his life force, will be gone right along with it. Once they have transferred their essence into the creature it will act like a spiritual virus, like matter and anti-matter trying to co-exist. The creature will be destroyed, but the host —" Bobby's voice trailed off, not wanting to utter the words. Dean would have to die if this thing was going to be destroyed.
Sam stared at Bobby, horrified by the news. "He can't! I'm not going to let that happen, Bobby. That's why I'm here. I have to find a way to keep Dean alive. My brother is not going to sacrifice his soul with the others." Not as long as I can give him my strength. He is not going to die.
"But Sam, Dean isn't even aware of what's happening. He isn't going to be able to control it. How is he even going to know it's you helping him?"
"I think he knows, man. For a second, he was with me. He held back a little."
"He can't hold back, Sam. The thing will kill him."
They watched as the creature advanced again. Dean directed another blast of energy at its chest. This time, the beast staggered from the blow and emitted a loud wail. Rasping, loudly, it moved toward Dean again, landing a hard blow to the side of the young man's head, lifting Dean off his feet and sending him backwards, his head connecting with the concrete floor. Sam lurched forward, but Bobby grabbed his arm before he could intercede.
"He needs your help, son. Stay focused."
Sam grimaced as he watched his brother attempt to recover from the blow. He wanted to go to him, to shield him from the beast. Shield him. The buzzing in his head came again and he felt the energy leave him like a spasm. Just as the beast was preparing to strike Dean again, it was halted, unable to move any closer towards his dazed brother. It let out another loud cry. Sam thought it was having a tantrum, the way its arms pounded at the air.
Bobby watched worriedly as Sam's effort to block the beast was also draining the younger Winchester. The boy was breathing hard, and he was holding his head as if in pain. Shit! I could lose both of these boys if I can't find something to stop this. A thought suddenly occurred to him.
"Dean!" God I hope he can hear me. Bobby watched as the older Winchester briefly appeared to acknowledge his voice. "Dean, I know this says that you need to use all the energy from those souls you're hosting. You have to find a way to hold onto your own though, and take what Sam is giving you. It's a different energy. You have to expel the souls. They are the key to destroying the creature."
Sam looked at Bobby, clearly distraught. "How will he do that? God, Bobby, He's weakening every time he attacks the thing."
Dean managed to get to his feet as the "shield" kept the witch at bay. He swayed slightly as he stood up; but the energy field renewed itself around him, holding him upright. Sam saw resolve in his brother's eyes. He was coming back!
"Dean! Listen to me, you keep hitting that thing with all you got, and I'll take care of the rest. Just concentrate on that fugly thing, you hear me?"
Sam thought he saw Dean nod, almost imperceptively. His brother moved forward, clearly ready to continue the battle. The orbs above Sam expanded again, and he realized they were ready for the fight as well.
Dean closed eyes and stood stock still. He appeared to be harnessing a large portion of the spirits inside him, drawing and gathering, ready to strike at the umthakati. Sam held his breath as his brother brought up his arms, conducting the energy, releasing it into the beast with a full-on blast. The creature screeched and convulsed as the currents ran through its entire body. Small explosions continued to travel along the skeletal body until it simply vaporized before their eyes. The creature was gone. The room was suddenly still and quiet. Sam heard his brother gasp and watched as Dean's knees buckled. He felt like he was moving under water, trying unsuccessfully to reach Dean before he hit the floor. Again, his brother's head connected with the concrete, and this time, he lay unmoving.
"Dean! No!"
Bobby flinched at the pain in Sam's voice as the young man dropped near his brother. Sam felt along Dean's neck for a pulse and let out a sob. He looked up into Bobby's eyes. The older hunter could see nothing but sorrow in Sam's eyes as the tears flowed freely down his face.