Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 8
Chapter 14: A Pocketful of Drowners, Part 2
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
The sound of an alarm blared all over Cordell Island as Nibori arrived in the nick of time. The threat of drowners has gotten worse as several Norsefolk fired arrows made from silver and rhineweed powder at them the moment they began to combust. More and more, many drowners were coming directly into the harbor as they were ready to drag some of the townsfolk into the ocean to drown to their deaths. By the time Nibori reached the Singer House, she went inside as she saw Reiko in the sitting hall the moment she was looking into more of the Supernatural Appendices, for they were a set of archives of their own.
"I just got word about a drowner infestation," she said as she sat down in one of the chairs.
"Dirk and Gyatso are doing chores as punishment for trying to go hunting," said Reiko.
"Well, the Hunter Corps are on their way, but they're gonna find it hard to contain the drowners that have kept causing havoc all over the beaches and recently in the harbor. Luckily, I have these blades with me and they pack a punch when I took out that nest near Skald Island."
Without warning, a pair of drowners broke down the door as they were more than likely to be attacking those in their wake. Nibori had to hold them off as she unsheathed the Phoenix Blades and sliced at one of the drowners the moment it began to combust. When the other drowner tried to attack, it was thrown out of the inn as Gorthog grabbed it from behind and tossed it outside onto the pavement. Armed with a glass bottle with a rag sticking out of it, he lit it as he tossed it directly at the drowner as it burned to a crisp, for one of them was always weak against fire and silver.
"You bugger!" he yelled as he saw the drowner dead and burnt to cinders.
"Gorthog!" yelled Yavanna as she rushed to his aid. "Thank the gods and the Matriarch that you didn't get dragged to your death."
"I've had my fair share with those fishy things."
"And things have gotten from bad to worse…" Yavanna sees the front door to the Singer House broken to pieces. "The drowners have gotten more dangerous ever since one of their nests all over the Skalvarg Archipelago got busted up."
"If there's a nest underneath, then I'll get rid of it."
"I wonder if Sam knows about this…"
Without warning, a Hunter Corps ship arrived as it landed close to the harbor. Nibori rushed out of there as she saw Dean getting out onto the dock the moment he saw some of the drowners coming at everyone. By the time he changed into his diamond form, he used his projectiles to stun them as they kept going until he saw some fire arrows raining down on the monsters in which they burned to ashes. It wasn't long until several more rushed out of the water as they noticed the imprint of raw power glowing through his shirt the moment they ran away, for they were afraid of something more than fire and silver.
"Looks like the drowners have fled," said Gorthog.
"Where's Sam?!" cried Dean as he reverted back to his normal form.
"He's in the hospital, Captain," said Yavanna.
"Let's hope that he stays there 'cause drowners are a pain in the ass to go toe-to-toe against."
"Most of the island is on lockdown," said Nibori. "As for the drowner nest, it's gonna be hard to find here on Cordell Island."
It wasn't long until another drowner arrived until Nibori struck it with one of the Phoenix Blades in which it turned into ashes. Everyone here had to pull their weight in order to defend Cordell Island from the drowners as the threat had gotten much worse. With the alarm still blaring, everyone was on high alert as the threat was still at large, for it wasn't done with everyone yet…
I remained in the hospital as I was in my bed the moment I heard the alarm blaring from outside. The increase of drowners causing widespread havoc became horrendous as I saw the Hunter Corps ship parked near the harbor. Getting up, I was starting to feel a little better, but I still had to deal with the troubling exhaustion that plagued me, for I didn't want it to bother me right now. Just as I was about to go back into bed, I heard the door open up as I saw a familiar nuisance standing in front of me, for he was still wanting me to use my raw power against my wishes.
"Howdy, Sam," he said to me as he was ready to force me to use my raw power against my will.
"Maro…," I said as I was not too happy with him. "As I recall, you were in a Medical Corps ship's brig with a Devil's Trap painted all over it."
"Well, I got out of there by throwing spit balls on the paint just in time to get you to use your raw power up to full."
"I'm still not up to par yet and you know it."
"Oh, you're up to par alright and it'll be put to good use against our fishy friends that have been rampaging all over Cordell Island and not stopping. The only thing to put those bastards at bay is to use your raw power so that no one else will die at the hands of those unholy monsters."
"I won't do it and you can't make me!"
"Oh, you'll do as I tell you when I tell you, you got that? The drowners activate on a hive mind when it comes to a nest in which it is located somewhere on this island instead of underwater. The nest itself is located in a more unusual place that hasn't been used in years. The place I'm talking about is the abandoned mead factory in this district in which there is a fountain in the middle of it. That is where the nest should be and the only way to get rid of it is to use your raw power and I won't be taking no for an answer this time."
It wasn't long until I felt a black collar being placed around my neck in which it started to burn me the moment Maro was standing there. I had no choice this time as I followed him out of my room and out into the hall where the elevator was. When we got into it, we took it all the way down to the basement the moment we saw an underground tunnel. I was forced to go on the field again as I was hating it every step of the way. What I also hated more was the collar around my neck as I was finding it difficult to take off. With Maro leading the way, we left to the underground tunnel as it was nothing more than a sewer system that has been cleaned and regulated to the point of supplying the island's energy, for it was a much sophisticated one that even filtered the wastewaters to the point of being clear and pristine.
"This is the energy regulatory system," said Maro. "Every single form of waste from sinks, to bathtubs, to washers, and to toilets have been separated from the water and converted into the energy that powers all of Cordell Island's infrastructure and it has become a hotbed for a nest of drowners."
"If you think that I'm here to use my raw power half-cocked, you're being mistaken," I said as I was fiddling with the collar around my neck. "Everyone knows that I can't use my raw power due to what happened to me after I got rid of Sawney Masbath and destroyed Project Amaterasu two years ago.
"I already know about how you took out one of the worst people that ever crawled all over the galaxy in which he made his bread and butter by blackmail and stealing trinkets from witches who have been affiliated with the Vesper Guild."
"And yet you're blackmailing me to go and use my raw power against my wishes, aren't you? We all know that the Order's higher-ups aren't going to like it if I'm forced to do so."
"Don't even try to test my patience, Sam." I feel the collar burning my neck as I gasped in pain from it. "You'll be doing this island a huge favor by busting up a drowner nest that has attracted our unsavory friends to no end. And if you think that you'll be reprimanded by using what you have, everyone in your inner circle will be sorely mistaken in which you'll be heavily rewarded for your effort. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time to us to go the old mead factory as planned."
"Fine, but this is a one-time deal, is that clear to you?"
I followed Maro onward in the refined sewer system as we were on our way to get rid of a drowner nest as planned. Even though I hated to be forced to use my raw power, I had no other choice but to do so as I was also hating it as well…
Nibori was outside as she saw the Hunter Corps on guard against the presence of drowners. With the alarm continuing to blare all over the island, everyone was on high alert as they were on the lookout of drowners that would take anyone by surprise. Nibori was no stranger into dealing with drowners as she was also concerned about me, who was in the hospital, for she had to find the nest before it was too late. For a while, drowners have been known for crafting nests in caves and underwater, but they had a nest somewhere on the island, but where? It wasn't long until Nibori noticed a slimy trail on the beach as she was ready to follow it, for she had to stop some of the drowners that have been trying to get on the island. What she didn't expect was that the trail led upwards to the Grand Hill district where most of the rich live, for they lived the high life while the middle class struggled to keep the monsters at bay.
"And it seems that our fishy friends have a nest in the island's infrastructure than underwater like the last one," she said as she got out the Phoenix Blades. "If there's a nest there, then most of the snobs will be fish food if they aren't warned right away."
Nibori continued to follow the trail as she had to find the drowner nest before more of them caused havoc all over Cordell Island. She had a job to do as finding and destroying the nest was more important than ever, for it had to be eliminated before it was too late…
I continued to follow Maro as we navigated our way through the sophisticated sewer system. The tunnel was a long one as we made our way to a ladder the moment I climbed first and lifted the manhole that blocked the way out. By the time I was topside, I saw Maro climbing out as he spotted the way to be a basement that led to the abandoned mead factory. The basement tunnel itself was all filled with slime on the walls as I never saw anything like it before. Even Maro was not too thrilled to see the drowner nest making its home here in the abandoned mead factory as he noticed a drowner spotting us. I had to defend myself as I saw the drowner charging towards us the moment my back was turned, only for my long silver hair to turn into spikes to kill it on the spot. With the drowner dead, Maro was impressed to see me back in action for a bit, but he refused to let me out of his sight right now, for he wasn't the type to take no for an answer after all.
"Nice work, Sam," he said to me. "I knew that your raw power is up to full."
"Let me remind you that I'm doing this once and that's it," I said sternly. "My raw power is not up to full capacity right now and you know it."
"Oh, I know of it very well because of the fact that your exhaustion is caused by not using it when everyone needs it the most. You are a primal weapon that everyone wants, Sam, and our enemies in both the Executive Division and the Blight will stop at nothing to either kill you or use you to power up Project Helios."
"Enough!" I felt the collar burning at me again as I was trying hard to remove it, but to no avail when I felt more pain all over me. "You think you can force me to obey like a trained poodle, but you're wrong! I'm a lot of things, but I'll never be anyone's weapon!"
"Oh, but you already are, Sam. You are everything to all of us in which you will be rewarded with praise instead of being reprimanded and berated with a barrage of insults. Now, let's continue on the mission like a trained poodle does." I didn't say a word as I obeyed my tormentor. "Good boy. Now, let's find and take out the drowner nest as planned. Once that is out of the way, there will be a victory party in your honor on the horizon."
We continued on our mission as we were in the basement level of the mead factory. I didn't ask for this as I also wanted to remove the collar that was placed around my neck. Still, I had to obey Maro's orders as I followed him all over the area we were in. The slime on the walls denoted drowner territory as we later navigated to a set of stairs that went upward. By the time we got there, we made our way to the first floor as we were in the main hall of the abandoned mead factory, for we had a job to do after all…
Nibori made her way to the Grand Hill district as she noticed several drowners causing havoc all over the area. Several rich people were closing their doors as they were afraid of the monsters that were coming from the ocean and towards the district in droves. Nibori noticed one of them chasing Emma as it was running towards her until she used one of the Phoenix Blades to kill it when it turned to ash. The drowners were desperate as they were combing everywhere to where the nest was at in which they were also dragging some of the people out of their homes. It wasn't long until she saw some grenades being tossed at the drowners in which the impact of them blew away the monsters in broad daylight. Looking up, she saw Dirk and Gyatso on the roof as they were there for backup the moment they took the outside stairs down, for they had to help get rid of the drowners like the rest of us.
"We got them!" yelled Gyatso as he was happy to be hunting drowners.
"Does Sam or Reiko know that you snuck out?" asked Nibori suspiciously.
"Some drowners up and broke into the Singer House," said Dirk. "From what I heard, there's a drowner nest here in the snob sector in which it's located in an old mead factory."
"An old mead factory?"
"We looked at an old travel book on the history of the Skalvarg Archipelago," said Gyatso. "It's been said that the Happy Boar Meadery was once a good place until it fell on hard times and went out of business. It even has an old fountain there."
"We're in this in the long haul, you got that? Punishment or not, we have a job to do in order to flush out the drowners and save Cordell Island before we all turn into fish food."
"Fair enough," said Dirk. "I just hope that Sam's okay…"
Nibori took the lead as Dirk and Gyatso followed her towards the abandoned meadery to get rid of the drowner nest. Still, they had to fight tooth and nail against the horde of monsters that were crawling all over Cordell Island, for getting rid of them was the top priority right now…
Maro and I were on the first floor of the main hall of the meadery as we saw it to be dilapidated and worn with age. Empty barrels were strewn everywhere as I also noticed a fountain in the middle of it that had a boar carrying a barrel of mead on its back. I never saw anything like it before as I even noticed a placard with a gold boar embossed on it with the words, "Happy Boar Meadery, home of the Lucky Boar," in gold letters on it. The place was old as I also noticed more slime on the walls in which the pustule that connected the drowner nest was near in which I spotted it in the fountain where it was embedded into the tiling and cement that kept it for decades.
"Well, looks like we hit the jackpot," said Maro. "Now, it's time to pop a very rotten cherry in the fountain."
"Then let's get to work," I said.
"You know that drowners are weak against silver and fire, but that hair of yours will be the key to slice the pustule open and when that happens, it's time to use your raw power to blow it up with. It's a win-win situation that will even be added in the favor of the Order and their higher-ups as well."
"If you want me to do it, then I'll do it."
I turned my silver hair into a pair of blades as I went towards the pustule and sliced it open the moment I heard several drowners bursting into the meadery. Maro saw them as he used his telekinesis to lift some of them towards one of the fans that was still running in which it was sliced to pieces. He wasn't having it as he was doing his best to kill the monsters that were there to defend the meadery in which I was forced to do the unthinkable. I was ready to use my raw power as I did so in which I blew up the pustule, but not without getting out of control. I was starting to lose control as a surge of it began to envelop me in which a blast of light burst through the ceiling of the meadery. I was losing it as I was feeling the pinch of my raw power coming into play. Even Maro was exuberant into seeing it obliterating the pustule in the fountain as the drowner threat was averted here on Cordell Island, for he was waiting for the right moment to relish in this victory.
"Go for the gold, Bullwinkle," he said as with a smile on his face.
When the raw power finally slowed down, I fell to my knees again as I was heavily exhausted from bringing out a massive surge of it. Even though the threat was averted, there would be consequences coming as I would soon learn the hard way of disobeying my own commands of avoiding field work, but at a high price indeed…
Nibori raced all over the Grand Hill district with Dirk and Gyatso in tow as all three were going up against the drowners that were lurking all over the place. With the Phoenix Blades and Phoenix Grenades doing damage to the monsters that were crawling all over the fancy buildings, all three were noticing some of the drowners shrieking in pain as if they were all connected to something, for they were rushing towards the center of the district where some of the drowners were everywhere terrorizing some of the people who were fleeing to their homes. It wasn't long until Seto stepped in as she was armed with her gun by shooting silver bullets into some of the drowners that were attacking some of the townsfolk. Even Dirk and Gyatso helped out as they continued to throw a few more grenades at the drowners that were rushing towards the center of the district. With Nibori slicing some of the monsters with the Phoenix Blades, she saw them turn to ashes as she had to find and clear out the nest immediately, for time was running out.
"There's too many of them," said Dirk as he was running low on grenades.
"If there's too many of them, then we do what is done best," said Seto as she fired several more shots at some of the drowners. "We do what is done and that is by saving people, hunting things, and upholding the family business."
"Shit! There's no end to those asshats!" yelled Nibori.
"Whoa…," said Gyatso as he saw a huge surge of light coming from the center of the Grand Hill district. "Check it out! It's a light of raw power shooting into the sky!"
"Fucking Maro!" yelled Seto as she was angry at the demon for forcing me to do unwanted work against my wishes. "He couldn't just leave well enough alone, did he?! That pretty boy really didn't just screw the pooch, but he probably fucked it in the ass, too!"
Seto rushed to the central part of the Grand Hill district with Nibori and the others following her. She was angry with Maro as she wanted to simply impale him for not backing off like she did a few days ago. She had to get to the Happy Boar Meadery at once as she had a bone to pick with the demon who stayed the course into forcing me to use my raw power against my wishes, for she once did so to the point of nearly costing me my life once. She was thinking to herself that she wasn't about to let me fall under the cracks as that notion reminded her of how she saw my past life suffering from the side effects from the trials back in the time of the Elder Days, for she was willing to save me from harm.
"Never again," she said to herself. "I tried it once and it backfired, only for Sam to suffer a lot worse."
She was worried about me as she had to find me as soon as possible. Still, she was wanting to tear Maro a new one as she wasn't about to let him off the hook yet, for he was about to be put into the hot seat soon enough. When she finally got towards the Happy Boar Meadery, she saw several drowners turned into ashes and flames as the threat was contained at last, but at a much higher cost. Still, she wanted to put Maro in his place as she was itching to thrash him, for she learned her lesson after seeing me being forced to go back in the field so far...
Maro saw me on my knees as I was feeling the surge of pain getting more intense. He didn't want me to buckle under pressure as he was trying his damnedest to inflict pain on me due to the collar that I wore. More and more, I felt the collar causing more pain in me as I wanted to scream. I just wanted it to be over as I saw Maro getting angry with me for being too weak to get up. I only wept as I was growing weary of wearing the collar that I had, for I wanted all of this to be over with as soon as possible.
"Get up!" I heard Maro yell at me as he was causing the collar to inflict maximum pain on me.
"That's enough…," I said as I wept tearfully. "I already did what you asked of me, okay? So, please, just stop. I've had enough of this already… Please…, just let me go…"
"Oh, I'm just getting started, Sam. As soon as you're back in the game, the better our chances into putting a stop to this ongoing war."
"We had a deal, Maro! It was a one-time thing, not for the rest of my days!"
"Looks like the trained poodle needs a little more time in obedience school or else he'll be facing a rolled up newspaper for his troubles!"
"Back off, Maro!"
Seto burst through the doors as she saw me weeping and in pain. What she also saw was that Maro placed the collar on my neck as she went towards me and ripped it off and threw it onto the floor. She wasn't fooled by him as she was ready to attack him on the spot. Just as she was about to do so, she was stopped by Castiel as he appeared out of nowhere. He didn't want any violence right now as he saw me exhausted and in pain the moment he noticed that Maro forced me to use my raw power against my wishes, for he had to get me back to the hospital at once.
"Get out of the way, Castiel," said Seto.
"The drowner threat has been averted," he answered. "As for Sam's condition, he needs to return to the hospital immediately."
"You're making a mistake, Castiel," said Maro. "Sam's raw power is more important than anything and if he hadn't used it, the drowners would've killed innocents that were caught in the crossfire by now. You should be thanking me for forcing Sam to be the weapon that he was born to be or else everyone here on Cordell Island would've been dead by now."
"Sam's a lot of things, but he is not a weapon. He's a humanoid being and he should be treated with dignity and respect instead of being a product."
It wasn't long until Nibori and the others burst into the meadery as they saw me unwell from the exhaustion. All three helped me up as they were glad that I was still alive after all that has happened earlier, for they wanted to get me to the hospital as soon as possible. With Seto glaring at Maro, she wasn't about to let him off the hook as she also didn't want me to fade away, for she knew of that image too well from the Elder Days…
Two thousand years into the past…
Seto arrived in the Men of Letters bunker as she went towards the infirmary to check up on Sam, who was still suffering from a fever from yesterday. She saw him to be a wreck as she noticed him cleaned up and dressed in nightclothes while resting in an old military-grade cot with pillows stuffed with feathers instead of cotton. She noticed him shaking from the fever he had as she saw the lukewarm washcloth on his forehead, for she was fearing the worst that has happened so far.
"You're still not doing too well, are you?" she said to him.
"After enduring two trials, I'll be on the third," he answered. "There's no turning back after this."
"I heard Dean telling me about what you endured when you first took out a hellhound and freed Bobby from Hell and yet you're sacrificing your self-worth just to finish up the final trial?"
"I screwed up a lot, okay? I would rather have Dean be alive more than me in which I failed him several times. My life has no meaning or dignity anyway, so it's best that I finish the last trial and seal Hell shut for all eternity. It's the only way so that no one else will pay for my mistakes ever again."
"Don't you dare say that crap about yourself, you hear me?! Yes, you screwed up lots of times, but saying that your life has no meaning or dignity?! How dare you?!" Seto grabs Sam by the scruff of his nightclothes as she was fuming with anger. "How fucking dare you?! You may think your life doesn't matter anymore, but you're wrong! You should just accept your flaws and mistakes because that is what makes you more human than anything else! Your life matters just like the rest of us, Sam, so I suggest that you don't fade away yet!"
Sam began to weep as he was finding it hard to endure the pain from the trials he was suffering from in the past few days. Sitting up, he began to weep a little more as he felt the tears streaming down his hot cheeks. Seto's words tore into him like a knife as he was remembering all those times that he let Dean down in which his life never mattered anymore, for he wanted his older brother to live longer than him. He wanted Dean to live. He wanted to end it all so that no one will ever pay for his past mistakes again, for it was his wish to do so.
"My life will never have any meaning again," he said. "Once the final trial is over, then I'll move on after this. If Dean sees me, then I'll make sure that Cass will take care of him once I complete the third trial."
"Don't even think about ending yourself, you hear me?!" cried Seto. "I know that both you and Dean had some disagreements and even throwing some junk to set you back on your heels, but don't you dare think that there is anything, past or present, that he would put in front of you! It has never been like that, ever! You need to see that, Sam. If you fade away now, then you would leave your brother broken the same way when I lost Mito during the Leviathan incident. You need to live, Sam. You have an obligation to move forward instead of ruminating about past discretions that have haunted you for years."
Sam wiped the tears from his face as Seto's words made him forget about the trials for the time being. Still, he had to prove his worth, even if it meant by sacrificing himself for the greater good as the third trial was on the horizon, for it was already well underway so far…
Meanwhile, back in the present…
Seto went towards the brig of the Hunter Corps ship as she saw Maro tied up the moment she entered into the holding cell. Anger flooded her as she was itching to let him have it the moment she went towards him and punched him in the jaw. She was not having it as she refused to back down in which she also learned her lesson about the aftermath that it bred due to me overexerting my raw power just to go back on the field half-cocked, for she wasn't about to let Maro off the hook for forcing me to do it against my wishes.
"You're looking chipper today, Seto," he said to her as he felt the sting of pain on his jaw.
"You forced Sam against his will by using his raw power while he is still in convalescence, didn't you?" she said. "I saw the surge of raw power bursting from the roof of the abandoned meadery three days ago."
"It was a much-needed task that had to be done. If I didn't force him to do so, there would be more innocent people being dragged to the point of suffocation if he didn't neutralize the threat."
"And what about that knockoff shock collar around his neck? It's an incantation that was once used by Elves until it was abandoned for years and yet you used it on Sam just to force him to be like a trained poodle just to do your dirty work while he's still recovering from overexerting his raw power against Sawney Masbath two years ago. I learned my lesson after realizing my past mistakes in which I saw Sam's past self gravely ill from the trials in the Elder Days. As for you, pretty boy, all you did was to act like a prick just to force Sam to use his raw power against the wishes of the Order's higher-ups while everyone was trying their hardest to fend off the drowner threat."
"For the record, Seto, I didn't do this just to act like a prick. I did all of this for the greater good in which many lives were saved when Sam used his raw power to destroy the drowner nest in the abandoned meadery. If he hadn't done that, how many more people would be dead at the hands of drowners? How many more of them would be crawling all over Cordell Island? If I didn't force Sam to use his raw power, this entire island would've been infested with drowners by now. Everyone should revere him instead of chastising him for using the very thing that we all depend on. Besides, didn't you want him to return to the field to use his raw power as well?"
"I did, but after all that has happened, the use of Sam's raw power caused a setback the moment he even had a nervous breakdown because of me. You should also do the same to back off and let him heal or else he would be rendered useless in this fight. As for my verdict, Sam should be treated like a humanoid being instead of a weapon. He should be treated with dignity instead of being used as a product. If you had any shred of humanity left in you as a demon, you should do your damnedest to back off and let Sam recover slowly or else he wouldn't be useful to anyone. Just try to get that shit in your head for once!"
Seto left the holding cell as she made her point clearly. She once tried to get me to go back on the field, but ended up backing off as she felt worried for my safety. She had her reasons to put Maro in his place as she would stop at nothing to allow me to heal, for she was now seeing me as a humanoid being that should be treated with dignity instead of being treated like a product or a weapon. It was a good call as Seto made it her mission to keep me in my furlough, for I had a long way to go in my road to recovery…
I was back in the hospital as I was sitting up the moment I woke up from being exhausted. I looked out the window as I saw everyone out in the open on the beaches near the harbor in which the drowner threat was averted here on Cordell Island. I also noticed that it was morning as I saw the sun rising in which the sight of seaships, ferries, and trawlers were traversing safely once again. Laying back down, I simply wanted to fall asleep as I heard the door open up. What I noticed was that Dean was there as he was concerned about my health again, for the use of my raw power nearly killed me again.
"You're back to square one again," he said to me.
"As long as it's not Maro forcing me to go back on the field, the better," I said.
"You should've seen the drowners out there, Sam. When I saw that surge of raw power in the Grand Hill district, those fishy sons-of-bitches turned to ash in which the locals went to the abandoned Happy Boar Meadery to find out about the nest that got obliterated last night."
"How long was I out?"
"You were out for three days. It's a good thing that those drowners are gone, but you jumped the gun by using your raw power on the nest that was hidden in that meadery."
"It wasn't my fault, Dean. I tried not to follow Maro, but he used force by placing a collar on me and if I didn't obey, I would feel pain coming from it and that made me feel uncomfortable. Still, I want to go back to Skald Island so I can rest up for the rest of my furlough without the interference of Maro."
"By the way, you should also thank Dirk and Gyatso for helping to get rid of the drowners with Nibori armed with the Phoenix Blades that she has. And another thing, you're getting a heaping dose of breakfast that's not one of those crappy Slim-Fast shakes. It's the usual with pancakes, bacon, eggs, and a lot of toast."
I laid back down in my bed as I simply wept. I felt like being used as a weapon as I just wanted to be left alone. The lingering pain in my body was too much for me as I continued to weep from all this debacle that I was forced to endure. No…, I am a weapon after all… I am a product after all… This is my fate in which I felt the tears streaming down my hot cheeks in which I simply wanted to just end it all, for this was my true purpose that was dragged in front of me.
"I am… a weapon…," I said as I wept. "I have no purpose but to be used that way…"
"You're a lot if things, but you're also a humanoid being with dignity and my little brother," said Dean. "For years, you wanted those in front of you to have the dignity and respect they deserve, but what about your own? You can't just toss it aside while we bust our asses against the Executive Division and their allies. Hell, even Seto changed her tune in which she is adamant into making sure that you heal. She even kept ranting about how you've been treated more like a weapon and a product instead of a humanoid being who is deserving of the dignity and respect that one deserves."
"She wasn't lying about that…"
"Your life is on the line, Sam. You may think that you're not worthy of being treated humanely, but you've shown some resilience over the years, only to see the wear and tear all over you. Of all the people that you cared about, there is only one person that you've been neglecting the most."
"I never neglected anyone…"
"The only person that you've neglected the most is yourself, Sam. You may think that your life doesn't matter, but it does. You have an obligation to do that instead of being put out there like an injured racehorse. You're a lot more than just the one with raw power. You're a hell of a lot more of a decent person instead of a weapon or a product. You're more greater at being kind than conforming to toxicity 'cause your well-being matters more than being forced to be a weapon. The best weapon that you have is none other than empathy and that's what matters the most."
I sat up as I hugged Dean warmly. I continued to weep as I didn't let go of him in which I felt more dignity that I never had before. I was more than just a weapon to be used, for I was someone who was deserving of dignity and respect in which I also had to focus on my recovery, for I had a long way to go after all that has happened to me…
Seto arrived at the hospital as she was looking for me. When she went towards my hospital room, she noticed that Dean left earlier as she saw me sound asleep in my bed. She was aware of the price I paid after being forced to use my raw power against my wishes as it took a lot out of me. She also noticed that I was still weeping in my sleep in which she refused to chastise me for being weak, for she knew of this pattern before. After punching Maro earlier, she was most likely to be telling me not to worry too much, but to remain committed to my convalescence. She felt my face that was wet with tears as I continued to weep in my sleep, for the debacle of being forced to use my raw power took a lot out of me.
"It's like before," she said to herself. "I won't let you fade away, Sam. Your family and friends need you. The entire galaxy needs you. Don't you dare fall flat on your ass right now."
I woke up as I noticed Seto staring at me. She was noticing me with tears in my eyes as I wiped them away from my face. At first, I was assuming her to do her worst, but she was refusing to back off as she didn't want me to stray away from my convalescence. She wanted me to heal like everyone as she also had her reason to keep me away from field work, for I had to remain committed to my recovery in this time of dread.
"I take it that you went through the ringer because of Maro, didn't you?" she said.
"He was pushing me to use my raw power in which he made me do it against my wishes," I said.
"I saw the surge over the abandoned meadery three days ago. After you were brought back to the hospital, some of the Order's higher-ups assessed the damage to the abandoned Happy Boar Meadery in which they saw evidence of a drowner nest that was destroyed by your raw power."
"I know…"
"Just because you busted up a drowner nest, doesn't mean that you're up to full. As for Maro, on the other hand, I clocked him for disobeying a direct order into forcing you to use your raw power when there were others who would stop at nothing to get rid of some of the drowners that were all over Cordell Island. Just because we once acted for the greater good, doesn't mean that we don't have any drawbacks. I learned that shit the hard way in which your predicament reminded me of your past self when he went through the trials in the Elder Days. I even told him not to fade away and leave his brother broken. I also reminded him of Mito and the sacrifice that didn't go in vain at the time…"
"Who is Mito?"
"Mito was my sister. She was the only family that I had in which we fought and took out monsters who would go after the innocent. We even fought tooth and nail during the time of the Apocalypse at the time until we met up with the Winchesters of Old. The mission we had consisted of shutting down a Leviathan factory that made its way into Okinawa. Even though we succeeded into shutting it down for good, it didn't go without a price to pay in which Mito was mortally wounded in the process. After that, your past self continued to suffer the hallucinations of Lucifer to the point of losing sleep. Later on, I caught up with the Winchesters of Old in which I refused to be alone after being nearly broken. Over the centuries, my promise to her became true when I brought the Order of Letters to prominence that we all know today, for we all had a commitment to doing what is best."
"Saving people, hunting things, and upholding the family business… I know that mantra very well…"
"There's also a mantra that you need to uphold and that is by healing slowly, trying new things, and upholding your convalescence to the point of a full recovery. Your family would want you to do that, Sam."
I had new insight as I was seeing the sun shining all over the island. Seto's words encouraged me to do a lot more than just focus on my recovery as I couldn't let another setback derail me, for I had to remain committed in my convalescence so far…
To be continued...