Disclaimer: I do not own any right to Supernatural, or any of the characters appearing in this story. The original concept is due to Eric Kripke and the rights to it are owned by The CW Network. This is written just for fun and I do not make any profit out of it.
Spoilers warning: It contains a big spoiler for the ending of season 3, but nothing more than that.
Possible triggers: There is going to be some violence at the upper edge of what they show in the canon, but not extremely graphic. Some swearing (it's SPN after all).
"I don't like the sisters." Fran whimpered, she kept her arm close to her body a habit she hadn't lost since she twisted her wrist. The subtle protective stand made her seem even more vulnerable than she already was given her age.
"They are not here now, but we are okay? We won't let them do anything to you, to any of you." Dean was kneeling next to her and stared into her teary eyes. When Fran seemed to calm down he quickly checked the other two kids. Then he went back to talk to Fran, trying to keep her busy.
"Is it just the two of them? Ania and Lupe?"
"No, there's also Ashosh."
"Achos." Matt corrected her.
"Right, Achos, but she's hardly ever here when they hu..feed." she corrected her last word when Matt gave her a warning kick on the foot. After that she stopped talking and Matt nodded his approval in her direction. Dean took the clue and left the kids alone until they had a chance to relax again. Matt had been the last one to have been kidnapped, yet seemed like the other kids were already looking up to him. The fact that he was also a few years older definitely helped.
"Lupe, Ania, Achos…" Sam murmured to himself, wondering where he had heard it.
"Achos? Trust me, they will be the ones to ache soon."
"Ache, of course!" Sam exclaimed.
"What?" Dean pressed him.
"Lupe, Achos, and Ania they are the Algea. They were the goddesses of pain, grief, and sorrow in Greek mythology."
"You said sorrow? Who tinkerbell?"
"Yeah, I am fairly sure."
"Fairly? The kids are scared as hell. We need something better than fairly."
"It's not like I have access to the lore right now, do I?"
"Ok, let's assume you are right. How do we kill these seaweeds?"
"Algea, Dean, Algea not algae. Best guess? Wooden stake."
"It worked in the past. That's if they even have a heart."
Sam was playing with Fran and Johnny when they heard some steps coming closer. Matt was in a corner looking like he wanted to be left alone. When Lupe opened the door Fran and Johnny squeezed at the wall and Sam stood in front of them.
"Time to eat." Called Lupe. She craned her neck trying to look around Sam's frame and looked straight at Johhny.
"Hey, you! Little one! Over here."
At Lupe's call, Jack grabbed Sam's leg and stayed put.
"If you have heard as much as you said about us, you really think we will let you eat a kid?" Dean asked moving closer to the goddess. He tried to stay between her and Matt, but also be ready to cover Sam if needed.
"I don't want to eat the kid. What an absurdity."
"Sorry for the misunderstanding, but you just said…." Dean prompted.
"I feed on pain, I don't feed on humans. I just need him in pain, just for a little bit, you know give him a couple bruises, maybe use the cane or the whip." Sam was getting sick at the idea and hoped Dean was not going to do anything rushed. Lupe probably realized it, because she tried to sweeten the pill. "Don't worry, nothing permanent, kids don't scar that easily." She said like it was much better than the alternative.
"Sorry, let me understand. You want what? To torture that kid?" Dean asked pointing his finger at Johnny, just to make sure he got the right message. Sam could clearly see from the hard set of Dean's jaw that his brother was barely restraining himself from jumping at Lupe's neck, or something like that. It would have been futile. But sometimes futile was not a good enough reason for Dean to hold back.
"You already took him yesterday…" Everyone turned their attention to Fran who hid behind Sam and single arm hugged his leg, digging her tiny finger into his leg.
"Exactly, my point Fran, thank you.- Lupe continued.- You saw he is back in one piece, more or less." Dean looked in Johnny's direction, trying to figure out if that tiny quiet kid could really have endured something like that just the previous day, and what kind of injuries he might be hiding. He digged his fingernails in his palm trying to contain his rage. The way Johnny and Fran shivered head to toe in fear was enough of an answer.
"You can forget about it." Sam spit out venomously.
"The kid comes with me, now!" Lupe ordered back. Sam opened his arm to shield the kids.
"Or what?" Dean asked getting closer to the bars and Lupe to be able to better cover Sam and the kids on one side and Matt on the other.
"Or this, cutie pie." Lupe waved her hand and Dean flew against the other side of the cell, colliding violently against the wall.
"Oh yes." She moaned. Dean struggled to get up, under Sam's inquisitory gaze. He nodded that he was still in one piece. All three kids were in shock and Dean knew he had to get back in a position where he could at least protect Matt.
"Ania is so fixated on kids that I had almost forgotten how good adults taste." Lupe continued getting full attention again.
"It is a while since I treated myself to a treat. I offer you a deal, just for today, no one will lift a finger on the kid for today, but you take his place, Sam."
"No way!" Dean exclaimed stumbling toward the bars of their cell.
"Deal!" Sam replied instead at the same time at his back. Dean stopped mid-run.
"Sammy, what the hell are you doing?"
"Ania, I think you really want to see this." Lupe called to his sister.
"What do you think I am doing? Rather what are you doing? She wants someone to torture. Between me or a kid, it sounds pretty easy to me."
"What about the part where we bargain so no one gets tortured?"
Ania arrived with a giggle.
Sam swallowed looking at the goddesses.
"I don't think that's going to work in the present situation." He said thinking back at how easily they were taken in the woods, without a chance to fight back, or how Dean had been shoved across the room with a flick of a wrist. Not to mention the ease with whom they moved the heavy wooden panel.
Dean didn't answer. There had to be another solution.
"You are so yummy." Ania teased them, some bile rose in Sam's throat but that was not the time for it.
"Listen to your brother, Dean. He's the smart one, people are right." Lupe taunted.
The first feeling of uneasiness got to Dean at the idea of not being able to protect his brother. Memories from Hell attacked him even more viciously than usual. Sammy should never know what torture was, least of all try it on his skin. He changed tactics. He turned to Lupe, giving her his best flirty smile
"And you? I feel betrayed, I thought you just said I was delicious." He almost chuckled as he heard Sam asking "Seriously?" in the background.
"And you are, cutie pie-she answered back in the same flirty tone -You are the dessert."
"Come on Lupe. Let him play." Ania interjected almost begging the sister. "We can give him a nice shiny blade, put him on the other side." Her eyes twinkled with emotions.
"Do you happen to have a wooden stake by chance?" Dean asked back.
"Nice try. I have a couple of interesting ideas on how to use it" Lupe taunted again in her flirty tone.
"Lupe you should taste what is coming from these two now. I haven't tasted anything like that in ages." Ania said. Sam thought he knew exactly what she was referring to. Ania was Sorrow. Even knowing, he could not avoid feeling sorry for the kids and scared for his brother. Lupe on the other side sounded more keen on closing that conversation than keep playing.
"So we have settled your brother for me. What do you say, you hurting him so my sister is happy?" Lupe repeated the deal.
"No. Nope. Not a chance." Sam saw Dean take a step back and petrify. He could not remember when was the last time that he saw anything like that.
"No beef to settle between the two of you? That's a shame. Never mind I think a big target is a good start to make the kid practice with the whip." Ania suggested.
"I beg your pardon?" Dean asked choking. Sam held his breath. Lupe was starting to answer but Ania stopped her, and inhaled deeply. She looked ecstatic.
"Son of a bitch. You have no right." Dean shouted between gritted teeth finally catching up.
"Oh sweetie. You have no idea." Ania said. She was still dreamy.
"Ania, I am hungry." Lupe said back. "But you are right, it sounds fun." I am getting bored of having to do everything by myself. You know is like cooking for a meal, sometime you just want to go to a dine-in and just get your food, without having to do anything for it."
Dean and Sam were speechless.
"Can't we give him a chance to rethink it?" Ania asked her sister disappointed.
"Okay." Lupe answered in exasperation "We have to prepare things differently for an adult anyway. Do me a favor cutie pie. Pick one of the kids for me, would you?" She winked at Dean and disappeared closing the wooden panel once more.
