Hunting Humanity III | By : greenwizard11 Category: Supernatural > Slash - Male/Male Views: 1200 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Supernatural universe. Absolutely no money is being made from this story. |
Sam sat on the porch staring out at the yard while rocking back and forth. Natalie came out to sit beside him. “You seem awfully troubled since you got back from Bobby’s. Please, tell me what’s wrong.”
Sam shrugged. “Call it a bad case of survivor’s guilt I guess. I had to stare into the eyes of the spirits who I couldn’t save. It’s like, why are they six feet under while my heart is still beating? And all those hunters… Thirty nine in total around the country just gone. There were probably a lot more around the world, and here I sit still breathing. Every breath I take feels like a slap in the face to them, but I just keep taking another one.”
She took his hand and gave it a little squeeze. “You had something on your side the others didn’t. Someone who could translate Aramaic and shield you while Bobby did the spell.”
“Yeah, but why us?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell not going to complain. Look, I talked to my dad to see what he knew, if anything. Astiratu gets to choose who he works with, and he’s picky as hell. He doesn’t care much for the human race as a whole. He keeps saving us because that’s what he’s ordered to do and he’s a good soldier, but… Anyway, Dad got all this from a psychic friend of his. Danny saw a vision of Astiratu sitting at this huge table covered in cards with names and details about the person. He sat picking through these cards for hours, maybe even days, Danny can’t be sure. Then he picked up one card and handed it to someone. You know what was written on that card? Sam and Dean Winchester. Something about you two he liked.”
“Or we were the least awful options on the table.”
“Yeah, but to be deemed the best pick out of what looked like hundreds… Whatever it was that made him choose you is why you’re still breathing. Even Danny said his appearance is a little unnerving, but I still wanna summon him and give him a giant hug and tell him thanks.”
“Yeah, I think it’s those red eyes. They made my skin crawl the first time I saw them, but I’ve kinda gotten used to them now. Never thought I would say that.”
Dean was watching a movie with Liam when Liam fell asleep. Astiratu appeared beside the couch and made Dean jump before pausing the movie. “What do you want, sunshine?”
“I’ve been doing some thinking, and we need to talk.”
“About?”
“A little pow-wow I had with Castiel last night. Were you aware that you and your brother actually come from a very long line of hunters?”
Dean’s eyes narrowed. “No, we come from a long line of mechanics.”
“I’m not talking about your father, Dean. More like your mother. She gave your brother up, Dean. I don’t think she was entirely aware of exactly what she was doing, but the visit that got her killed, she gave her permission.”
Dean got up and shoved him. “Shut your lying hole!”
Astiratu shook his head. “You’re very lucky I like you, Dean. Castiel showed me everything. We took a little trip through time as it were. On the night your father proposed to your mother she was a little shaken up because your grandfather had caught the trail of a yellow eyed demon. He got a little tip from a psychic that it was going to visit a friend of hers, so she insisted on tagging along. They interrupted it and things got a little messy. Her friend died a horrible death. She went out to a lake with your father to try and forget things for a while. He proposed, but damn it all if yellow eyes didn’t possess your grandfather and interrupt the moment. Snapped your father’s neck like a chicken. Then he told her he’d bring your father back. He promised her a white picket fence and a happy family away from the life she hated if she would just give him permission to do one thing. He wanted to enter her home in ten years. Didn’t tell her what for, just that as long as she didn’t interrupt everything would be super. She agreed. Hell, I’ll even show you.” He put two fingers on Dean’s forehead and the whole thing played out in Dean’s head.
Dean blinked and shook his head. “Even if what you just showed me is true, why bring it up now? Yellow Eyes is dead, you killed him. Sure, Sam had a few psychic visions before we met you, but that’s all that ever came of it. It’s over now, well, except for the army that got let loose.”
“That’s just the thing. The um, bosses of the angel world, they think there’s a little more to it. If they know what, they sure as fuck aren’t telling me, but they did hand down new orders for me. Castiel says I might have to kill Sam.”
Dean’s eyes widened and his chest started heaving. “What? Why?”
“Dean, I usually don’t get told much more than ‘hey, this thing needs killed, go do it’. Castiel wouldn’t even tell me what to watch out for, just that I’ll know it if and when I see it.”
“You are not killing my brother!”
Astiratu frowned. “I don’t want to. For humans, you, Sam, Natalie, and Bobby aren’t too bad. I like you all. If I don’t do it it’ll be the first time in nearly eight thousand years I have ever directly and willfully disobeyed an order. I’m actually considering it, and that should fucking tell you something, because, Dean, I’ve done things. In the name of the greater good I’ve done things your average human soul couldn’t stomach. You remember how you were a little put off over killing a little girl to kill Lilith?”
“Yeah, I mean, she was just an innocent little girl in there.”
“For me that’s nothing. What even demons don’t realize is that there is an intelligence committee of sorts that monitors things and makes life and death decisions. Your brother’s life was put on the table for the chopping block the minute that demon blood fell into his mouth. Luckily for all of you, somebody decided to bet on the dark horse named Sam Winchester. So far that bet has payed off pretty well, but the gambler is getting nervous now.”
“I thought you weren’t told much.”
Astiratu shrugged and smirked. “I’m a nosy and manipulative bastard. I can usually weasel information out of people when I really want to. Sadly, that was not the case this time. Castiel knows me too well. The point I’m trying to make here, sweetheart, is that for the very first time I have received an order and I am conflicted. I’m really not even supposed to be telling you any of this, but I need you to help me help you.”
“How do I do that?”
“Help me watch your brother like a hawk. I’ve decided my current mission is to do everything in my power to make damn sure I never have to make the decision I really don’t want to make.”
Dean was about to say something when Sam and Natalie walked in. “Astiratu?” Sam looked surprised. “What are you doing here?”
Astiratu gave him a bright smile. “Can’t a guy just drop in and say hello?”
“Not you, but hey, since you’re here, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Did you choose to work with us?”
“Yes. The powers that be have an assignment board of sorts. There were a whole bunch of positions available to fight this apocalypse. When I came across the one involving you two I decided to take it. Why do you ask?”
Sam sighed. “Natalie and I were just talking. There is a whole slew of hunters dead now. The spirits came after us too, but we’re still alive because you helped us.”
“Ah, survivor’s guilt,” Astiratu nodded. “Yes, I did choose to take you on a long time ago when you were just an idea that was meant to be. And now that the stars aligned and you’re here, I like you. If I have anything to do with it you’ll be around to watch your grandchildren grow up.”
His eyes shifted to Natalie who looked rather scared. “No need to be scared, darling. I won’t hurt you unless you give me a good reason. It’s a boy by the way. I know you’re anxious to find out. I took a sneak peak at Sam’s file. Yes, there’s a file room with a file for everyone on earth that appears when you’re born. It has everything in it, including that Sam is supposed to have a son that looks just like him and grows up to hunt monsters like him too. The hunting thing isn’t a given because free will and all… Anyway, thought you’d like to know you’re the proud parents of healthy and happy bouncing baby boy.”
Astiratu disappeared and Sam looked at Natalie. “Thought you wanted to give him a big hug?”
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. “I know I said that, but you’re right, those eyes, and that presence. I could feel that I was standing in the presence of something powerful and ancient. I knew he wasn’t going to hurt me, but… wow...”
“I know,” Sam nodded. “But Dean, you two were talking when we came in. What did he want?”
Dean smiled at his brother and sat back on the couch. “Nothing for you to worry about, Sammy.”
Sam suddenly grabbed his head and doubled over. “Sam!” Natalie cried and helped him over to the couch.
Liam woke then and blinked. “What’s wrong?” he asked when saw Sam.
“Just a really bad headache,” Sam grimaced.
Dean suddenly looked really scared. Liam got up and raced into the kitchen, returning with a bottle of cayenne. “This might suck a little, but open up.” He pulled Sam’s head back and sprinkled a little into his mouth before putting a hand over his mouth. “Swallow,” he instructed.
Sam swallowed hard and Liam stood back. “You just burned the crap out of my mouth,” Sam growled, then blinked. “But my headache is gone. Tell me, was that another weird gut hunch?”
“Yep.”
“I’ll go get you a glass of milk,” Natalie said as she headed into the kitchen.
Dean turned to Sam. “You haven’t had a headache like that since your last vision.”
“I know,” Sam sighed.
“Did you just have a vision?” Dean looked Sam in the eye.
“No!” Sam insisted. “I don’t know what that was, but I’ll remember the cayenne trick if it happens again.”
Natalie brought Sam a small glass of milk and he drank it gratefully. “I need to take a leak,” Dean said as he got up and went to the bathroom. He closed the door and pulled out his phone to dial Bobby’s number.
“Hey, Dean,” Bobby answered.
“Bobby, you know a lot about herbs and stuff, right?”
“Quite a bit, yeah. Why?”
“Can cayenne be used to cure a headache?”
“Not that I’ve ever heard of. Dean, what’s going on?”
“What can it be used for?”
“Well, besides spicing up food, it can improve circulation.”
“What about our kind of stuff?”
“It’s usually used in breaking bad mojo. Dean, kid, why the hell are you calling me about cayenne? You’re scaring me here.”
“So, say, someone has a killer headache, and another someone pours a pinch of cayenne down their throat and it magically makes the headache disappear, what does that mean?”
“It means that was no ordinary headache. Dean, please, I’m begging here.”
Dean sighed. “Okay, I need to tell someone anyway. I got a visit from Astiratu a little while ago. Someone high up somewhere thinks this whole demon giving kids powers thing goes farther than just the demon army. He doesn’t know exactly why, but Astiratu has orders to kill Sam.”
“Oh my god!”
“Yeah, my sentiments exactly. Thing is, he was warning me because he really doesn’t want to do it.”
“That doesn’t sound like him.”
“No, it doesn’t. He said he’s gotten his hands pretty damn dirty before for the greater good, but for the first time ever he’s conflicted. And then Sam gets this headache like he used to get when he got visions out of the blue. Liam got a gut feeling and ran for the cayenne. Sam swallowed a little and the headache was gone. Bobby, I am really freaking out here. What do I do?”
“I really don’t know, kid. If someone up high wants Sam dead and they sent their best soldier to do the job they mean business. But Astiratu, he doesn’t warn people it’s coming. He strikes hard, fast, and viscous. I haven’t told you boys, but I’ve been taking Aramaic lessons from him. I think he’s taken a shine to us and really doesn’t want to do it. Of course, that doesn’t mean someone else won’t be sent.”
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. “Dean, you about done in there?” Sam’s voice came from the other side of the door.
“Yeah, just a second!” Dean called out. “Thanks, Bobby,” Dean hung up. “You need something?” Dean opened the door with a smile.
“Yeah, Travis just called of all things. He needs our help in Carthage, Missouri.”
“Okay,” Dean nodded. “Your head feel okay now?”
“Yeah, the cayenne really did the trick, and the milk helped with the burning.”
They packed up and left. They headed to the address given and sat outside a house watching a man named Jack Montgomery with binoculars. “Okay, what are we looking for?” Dean asked.
“Travis said to keep an eye out for anything weird,” Sam said.
“Alright, well, yeah, I've seen big weird, little weird, weird with crazy on top. But this guy? I mean, come on, this guy's boring.”
“I don't know, Dean. Travis seemed pretty sure.”
Everything seemed normal until the guy started eating raw hamburger. “I think I’m gonna be sick,” Liam gagged and put down his binoculars.
“I'd say that qualifies as weird,” Sam sighed, looking just as disgusted.
They then met Travis in a motel room, and Liam had to be introduced. “Thanks for helping out an old man. I'm a little, uh, shorthanded,” Travis motioned to his arm in a cast. “So, you track down Montgomery?”
“Yeah,” Dean nodded. “He had a hell of a case of the munchies, topped off with a burger he forgot to cook.”
“That's him alright. Boys, we got a rougarou on our hands.”
“Isn’t that the creature that starts off human, but then ends up eating humans?” Liam asked.
“Smart kid you picked up,” Travis smiled. “Yeah, that’s the one. They're mean, nasty little suckers. Rotted teeth, wormy skin, the works.”
“So, what? They go through some kind of metamorphosis?” Sam asked.
“Yep, like a maggot turning into a bull fly. They start out just really hungry. Then they got to take themselves a big, juicy chomp, and then it happens. They transform completely and fast. One bite's all it takes. Eyes, teeth, skin; all turns. No going back either. They feed once, they're a monster forever. And our man Jack's headed there on a bullet train.”
“Well, how'd you find this guy if he's a walking, talking human?” Dean asked.
“Lets just say it runs in his family. Killed his daddy back in '78. Son of a bitch mangled eight bodies before I put him down. Guy used to be a dentist. Cadillac, trophy wife... Little did I know, pregnant trophy wife. She put the boy up for adoption. By the time I found out, he was long gone, lost in the system.”
“You mean to tell me you couldn't find someone?” Sam looked surprised.
“I'm not sure I wanted to,” Travis sighed. “The idea of hunting down some poor kid... I don't think I'd have the heart. No. I wanted to wait, make damn sure I had the right man. Apparently, I do. And the only way I found to kill these bastards is to deep fry them.”
“Well, that's gonna be horrible,” Dean shook his head. “Is that what you did to Jack's dad?”
“Uh huh,” Travis nodded.
Sam, Dean, and Liam decided to tail Jack and watch him for a bit, homemade flamethrowers just in case anything happened. They saw him head into a building. “This must be it,” Dean sighed and got out.
They busted into the apartment it looked like he was going into, but there was just a woman who screamed and ran for her bedroom, slamming the door. “I'm calling the police!” she cried.
“We should go.” Sam said quietly.
“Yeah,” Dean nodded as they turned to leave quickly.
They drove back to Jack’s house and found Travis’ vehicle parked outside. They grabbed their flamethrowers and made their way inside. On the living room floor was a mutilated corpse and what they were pretty sure was Jack sitting beside it rocking back and forth. Behind him was his wife tied to a chair looking completely petrified and disgusted. “I’m so hungry,” Jack whimpered.
“Well, we’ve got a cure for that,” Liam said almost sympathetically.
Sam stepped forward and lit his flamethrower with a frown and Jack caught fire, screaming in agony. Liam rushed to untie his wife. “You okay?” he asked her.
“No, I am not okay!” she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. “First some guy breaks in and tries to burn the house down with us in it, then my husband breaks free and eats him!”
“Wait...” Liam blinked, piecing everything together. “Are you pregnant by chance?”
“Yeah...” she sniffed.
Liam sighed deeply and his shoulders dropped. “Then I am really sorry.” He slipped a knife out of his pocket and stabbed her in the lower stomach. She screamed and collapsed.
“Liam!” Sam shouted in horror. “What did you just do?”
“Broke the cycle,” Liam answered and picked her up. “Come on, let’s get her to an emergency room.”
The car was silent while they drove the poor woman to the hospital. When she was safely in the hands of the ER staff Liam looked to Dean. “Dean, I don’t know why, but I have this really strong feeling we need to go to Bobby’s.”
“Okay,” Dean nodded. “Your gut is always right, so Bobby’s it is. Sam, call him and tell him we’re coming.”
Sam didn’t move, just stared out the window. “Sammy?” Dean looked over at him a little worried. “Are you okay?”
“No, I am not okay!” Sam spat.
“Sammy, what’s wrong? Please, come on, talk to us,” Dean practically begged.
“You really wanna know? Your boyfriend just killed an unborn child!”
“Sam...” Liam swallowed hard and scooted closer to the front. “I understand that since Natalie is carrying your child that this is a very touchy and emotional subject for you. I’m really sorry about that, but it had to be done. Your old friend was going to kill her too, but I didn’t, just the baby. If I hadn’t it would’ve eventually turned into one of those rougarou things and eaten somebody. I don’t like it and took no pleasure in it, but sometimes you have to do things you really don’t like.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve been having a really scary thought that now I’m afraid to share.”
“Sam, we’re family,” Liam gave him a little smile. “Whatever it is, don’t keep the burden on yourself.”
“Liam, I think I know what that headache I had was, and deep down I think you do too because your gut knew how to cure it. Whatever Yellow Eyes did to me, I really thought it was over with his death. It looks like it’s not. Liam, what if I just passed it on?”
Liam sighed deeply and sat back while the information rolled around in his head for a minute. “Sam, the rougarou thing is genetic. What Yellow Eyes did is not I’m pretty sure. I can’t say for one hundred percent certainty, but I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about.”
“Sam, that baby of yours is going to be just fine,” Dean said.
“Not if your boyfriend decides to stab Natalie one day.”
“No, Sam, just no!” Liam shouted. “What happened back there was a one hundred percent sure thing. I wouldn’t have done it otherwise, and really, I’m sick about it. Your baby is a completely different story. We don’t know anything for sure right now, so I would never do something so drastic.”
“Yeah, okay,” Sam took a deep breath and relaxed a little. “I know you’re not that kind of person, I just… I’m really terrified here.”
“I understand,” Liam put a hand on Sam’s shoulder.
Sam pulled out his phone and dialed Bobby’s number. “Hey, Bobby. Is it okay if we swing by? Yeah, Liam had a sudden urge to see you. Okay, see you in a bit.”
They arrived at Bobby’s and he was waiting for them. “I am suddenly so tired,” Liam mumbled and wandered over to the couch where he fell out cold.
Astiratu appeared in the room with a sigh. “Okay, let’s get to business.” He grabbed a pen and paper and started writing stuff down.
“You really are a piece of work,” Sam shook his head. “Killing an unborn child.”
Astiratu paused and rolled his eyes. “You’re back on this again. Sam, I have told you before, I am not an unfeeling monster. I just learned a long time ago to separate emotion from duty… usually...”
“Usually? What does that mean?”
“It means...” Astiratu moved to get in his face. “I have orders from on high to kill your sorry ass, but for the first time ever I can’t actually bring myself to do it!” he shouted, the house shaking a little. “Instead, I am defying orders and doing my damnedest to save you.”
Sam swallowed hard and sat down, looking to Dean. “Is that true?”
Dean shrugged. “It’s what he showed up to tell me earlier.”
Astiratu handed the list of ingredients to Bobby. “This is what I need. Do you have it?”
Bobby looked over the list. “Whoa… this is some seriously potent and poisonous shit. What’s it for?”
“A beginning of the world ancient heavy duty would turn Lucifer into Mr. Rodgers cleansing potion.”
Bobby shook his head. “Yeah, I got the stuff. Let me go collect it all for you.”
Sam just stared at Astiratu in shock. “You were seriously ordered to kill me?”
“Yes. I was supposed to watch for a sign, and I’m fairly certain that headache of yours was it. But Sam, I really do like you a lot. I like Dean, Bobby, and Natalie a lot too. That doesn’t happen often. Your family needs you. That baby needs you. Normally I can shove emotion aside and do what needs to be done no matter how repugnant I find it, but this time, I just can’t.”
“And the baby? Is he gonna be okay?” Sam asked.
“As far as I know, yes. I wasn’t given an order to kill him, just you. And what I told you was in your file was the truth. He’s supposed to grow up and follow in your footsteps as a hunter with his mother’s mind reading thing as very useful tool.”
“Good,” Sam let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “You really think this potion will work?”
“Cupcake, it’s the biggest gun I got in my arsenal of knowledge. If it doesn’t, I really don’t know what will.”
Bobby brought all the ingredients and Astiratu set to work. Two hours later he was handing Sam a steaming cup of orange liquid. “It’s gonna taste like ass and have some unpleasant side effects, but bottoms up, all of it.”
Sam took the cup and stared down at it. “Should I?” he looked between Bobby and Dean.
Bobby shook his head. “Kid, what’s in that, it would kill an elephant, but I don’t know, maybe he knows what he’s doing.”
“I think this is like the time he told us about that plot then wanted to go see Alice,” Dean said. “He’s a lot of things, but I don’t think he’s the type to tell you he has to kill you before he does it.”
Sam sighed heavily and shook his head. “Alright then. Bottoms up.” He put the cup to his lips and started drinking. He made a nasty face, but didn’t stop until the cup was empty. “What now?” he looked to Astiratu. “Is that it, am I cured?”
“Now you hold onto your ass.”
Sam opened his mouth to say something, but then went stiff as a board and started violently seizing. “Astiratu!” Dean growled as he watched helplessly. “If you just killed him...”
“You’ll what?” Astiratu shot him an amused look. “Anyway, it’s not killing him, but what’s inside him. At least, I’m about ninety three percent sure of that.”
“Not one hundred percent?” Dean looked livid.
Astiratu shrugged. “With something like this there’s always a risk. I didn’t know what else to do though.”
Bobby watched with wide eyes. “How long is this going to take?”
“It depends on how deeply rooted this evil thing inside him is and how stubborn it wants to be.”
They watched as Sam seized for about seven minutes before going completely still and unconscious. Dean put his fingers to his brother’s neck. “No pulse!” he panicked.
“Give it a second,” Astiratu insisted, watching closely.
“It’s been a second and still no pulse!” Dean shouted. Then his eyes went wide and he took a few deep breaths. “Oh, thank fucking god! Astiratu, what’s it doing?”
Astiratu thought for a minute. “How can I best explain it? Oh, yes, you know when you remove a nasty virus from a computer and it has to reboot?”
“No,” Dean shot him an annoyed look.
“Well, that potion just removed a nasty virus from your brother. He’s rebooting.”
It took nearly a half hour for Sam to open his eyes. “Welcome back, cupcake,” Astiratu smiled at him. “How do you feel?”
Sam didn’t move or speak for a minute. “When you said unpleasant side effects you should’ve warned me that meant losing control of my body and feeling like I was on fire.”
“Killing evil like that is rarely easy or pleasant.”
“You okay?” Dean asked very concerned.
“I’m not dead,” Sam shrugged. “And I know Astiratu is not that bad of an assassin, so I have to believe he really was trying to help me. So… thanks.”
“You’re welcome. You know, I’m probably going to get in a shit load of trouble for this, but I find it worth it.”
Sam tried to sit up but the room spun. “Um, I don’t really feel up for travel right now, so, Bobby, can we stay here?”
“Of course,” Bobby nodded. “As long as you need to.”
“Well, I think my work here is done for the moment,” Astiratu sighed and disappeared.
Liam took a deep breath and sat up. “What happened?”
Dean sat beside him and wrapped an arm around him. “Babe, you were right, we did need to come here. That evil thing inside of Sam, well an angel came to cure him.”
“Why am I always asleep for these things?”
“I don’t know, Babe,” Dean lied.
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