Welcome to SU: Legacy, a next-gen Supernatural RP that takes place in the year 2040. The Men of Letters has expanded to include three base locations across the continental US. Angels and demons have gone mostly dormant but there are still supernatural evils lurking in the shadows. The legacies could use your help. Are you in?
Giving credit where credit is due. A big thank you to all the coders at PBS and various resource sites for any codes, plug-ins and templates.
Thanks to Nick @ Fidelius for the fabulous mini-profile. Everything else was created by our own staff. If we missed someone please let us know.
We don't own Supernatural, we just enjoy it's awesomeness. Thanks Eric Kripke for creating it, all the writers/producers for putting out a great show and the CW for keeping it on the air for almost 10 years now!
As the rain plummeted down, he blinked away the drops as he stared up at the dark night sky, water streaming down his face cleansing away his thoughts. Whatever those thoughts were, though there was nothing supernatural about why he couldn't sort that out. It was a matter of simple distress, he held the blade tighter in his hand as he looked down and immediately saw red pooling around him, his jeans soaking in the water and the very tangible blood that seemed to cling and tighten around the denim. It was a matter of what he had done that eludes him, the idea that he blocked it out himself was frightening.
But there he was, on his knees slunk over in the middle of a back road with a body of a man sliced up by Adam's own hand for whatever reason. The man was not a demon, was not a vampire, was not a werewolf. The man was simply a man, and the stalled car in the ditch and his own stationary bike did not really give off any sort of clues as to why or how this occurred.
Adam was not possessed, he knew that much. He very much had an instinctual feeling that this was his own doing. He very much knew he had it in him to kill, very much knew he had it in him to kill a human but he never thought it'd come to this and he wasn't sure why he had done it. Easy enough as it was to kill someone there had to be a reason behind it, and the fact that Adam could not recall any reason scared him senseless to the point where he just sat here on his knees staring at the lifeless body of a middle aged man wearing typical attire, a polo and a pair of slacks. Why was this man dead?
Why was the big question. Why is what he needed to know, and until he found out why, he'd remain.
It wasn't the smartest idea in hindsight as head lights washed over his still form, his eyes widened and focused that he cared not look at the vehicle that seemed to slow down. Of course, Adam and the body were in the middle of a country road in the middle of the night he only hoped that the vehicle would stop, though he was not without the desire to wish it would have just hit him.
He wasn't sure if what he was feeling was mere guilt, or fear of himself. Was this the real repercussion of watching his mom die at the hands of monsters? Hearing her scream, suffering in the same way but not meeting the same fate. Was this the product of those scars? If this was him finally snapping would be able to recover from such a thing. For all he knew this man was as innocent as a new born baby and what he did to him-- Well it was far from innocent.
Adam held the blade tighter in his hand as he leaned forward, despite the headlights of whatever vehicle on him he began to weep and make indistinguishable noises of anguish. He had it on authority that the blade he held in his hand would only serve better to hurt himself in this event, every fiber in his being wanted to see his own blood. Would he bleed the same as this man? Would he bleed like an innocent or would he bleed like a monster.
With a simple scrape of the straight razor he cut his hand opened, continue to growl or howl cries of anguish he stared down at his hand as it began oozing blood. Why he had done it was just to watch himself bleed, and how would he bleed?
Innocent, or guilt?
Last Edit: Jan 23, 2011 10:42:30 GMT -8 by Deleted
The rain made a chorus of thumps on the hood of Blue. They splattered and bounced against the old metal, making a rickety song. More rain crashed against the windshield, the wipers barely having enough momentum clear them quick enough. Thunder shook the earth around Sully and the lightning was bright enough to illuminate the area around her. Sully was driving through a monsoon.
Really it would have been safer to pull over. It’s not like she was going anywhere in particular. Sully didn’t have a hunt lined up, but she didn’t like staying in one place for too long anymore. It made her paranoid, antsy. Sully wasn’t a fan of small motel rooms and she didn’t want to waste money on large ones. It made more sense to just keep moving if she wasn’t on a hunt. Something would come up. It always did.
It hadn’t been very long that she’d been on her own again. Her hair was a bit past her shoulders and she was still slightly under weight. The scars hadn’t even begun to fade. Once upon a time Sully wouldn’t have bothered to hide them. Wearing tank tops that left it plain for the world to see, not caring about the stares or the comments. Now there was a long sleeve shirt over the tank tops and as much as she hated people touching her before, there was a fear that came with it now, though she wouldn’t admit it out loud.
Sully rolled her shoulders trying to ease the ache that was in both of them from the damp weather. The pain in the right one was considerably worse than the pain in the left. That one was newer though. The muscles and tendons were still tight, limiting her range of motion, which meant her aim was still off on her bow. It annoyed the hell out of her.
Reaching forward, Sully turned on the radio. Lightning flashed across the skies, lighting up the road farther than her headlights did. She blinked, noticing something in the road and began to slow down. The brakes groaned as the truck slowed, letting whoever was in the middle of the road hear her approach if they didn’t already see it.
Her brow furrowed. There were two people in the road, one lying down, one hovering over. Something felt off to Sully. Though she was more paranoid than usual these days. Sully grabbed the gun from it’s holster behind the seat and stepped out of the truck.
The rain crashed down on her soaking her in seconds. It was a cold rain, sending shivers through her. It was going to make it hard to shoot if she had to, but Sully would find a way. She started approaching the people. “Hey,” She called to them. “You guys need some help?”
The storm was raging around them, the wind howling in chorus with it. If anyone answered back, Sully didn’t notice it. Her heart hammered in her chest, something she wasn’t used to. She was normally very calm in these situations. Or at least she had been. Still she forced her legs to move forward, and then had to blink several times.
The man was hovering over a body that looked like it got into a fight with hedge clippers. There was no doubt even from this distance, that the man was dead. That’s not what shocked her. Death was something Sully had long ago become accustomed to. What shocked her was the man hovering above him. It was a face she hadn’t seen in quite some time, and the agony she saw in his eyes, in his features made her breath hitch. “Adam?” She approached him cautiously, putting the gun away. He looked stunned, like he wasn't quite all there at the moment. “Adam, it’s Sully.” She knelt beside him. “Do you remember me?”
His hand remained tilted as he watched blood pour from his palm and run away in the streams caused by the pooling water and blood beneath his knees, it was no more or less different from the blood already there that didn't seem to want to wash away but pool by his person, as if Adam's presence alone kept it here for as long as he desired to remain confused and guilty about the murder he committed. As he heard foot falls, and a familiar voice calling out to him he closed his eyes and shivered knowing that his inevitable fate would lead to capture, and depending on wherever the hell he was possible execution.
He remembered following the man from his cabin, he seemed to have run out to grab his family some supplies from the local township near by. Adam was following him because he thought he was on a case, Rugaru, however after acting his informant called off the information as it was false however Adam's target already bitten the pavement. There was no reluctance as Adam carved the pleading man alive, he knew it had to be done despite the level of difficulty Rugaru cases were they were necessary. This time however, not. Adam had killed an innocent man with his bare hands, or rather a knife. Knife he almost drew back when he heard his name being called.
When his head turned around he eyed the woman, blinking past the rain he let the knife fall to his side as familiarity shook his being. The face, the hair, the eyes, the lips, the cheeks, he remembered working with her in New Hampshire. She knew Dean. Her name was Sully, or Lane Sullivan as she never seems to like to be called. Despite feeling a tad micro shred of relief, he was not pleased with the fact that Dean and Sam could find out this horrific accident. Probably being in a similar situation before, it wasn't the point as Adam felt good doing it. It was that which instills so much guilt, that which he finds how damaged and capable he is of taking a life.
What one would think, that he could just pick up his bags and become a Hunter like his brothers without regard of why he was doing it in the first place? He watched his mom for all intents and purposes being eaten alive and it only dawns and phases him now of all times that this could be the product of a disturbed mind?
He reached out for familiarity, with his cut hand he placed it on her cheek just to make sure she was there. With an almost pathetic look when he felt that she was, he let his hand fall back and he embraced her in what one would only assume would be a hug seeking comfort. The lucky bit was it was someone he knew, someone at least he knew was a hunter. If it had even been an enemy, a demon, he might have very well sought the same thing in the wrong place and circumstances might have lead him into an even darker place.
He shook, he shivered, if not by the cold than by the fact that he felt the disturbance wracking his body causing him to have a similar spasm. He could feel the warmth of the blood on his knees grow cold, and the reality of warmth ceased to exist when he shifted his weight away from the pooling blood on his knees. Everything got colder.
"Sully." He said almost calmly, just to reassure her that he did remember who she was, and that he was in some sort of mind to recognize that. However, the circumstances that transpired that lead him to this place would not be one he would be willing to explain so easily. He just wanted out.
When the knife clattered to the ground Sully was relieved. When someone was in a state such as Adam was, any form of weapon could be dangerous. He might not even have realized what he was doing. It meant she didn’t have to fight him. At least not with a weapon. That was a good start and Sully placed the gun in the back of her jeans.
She wondered what had happened that left Adam a shaking mess. Odds were it had to do with the body that was on the ground beneath him. It had been carved up so that it was barely recognizable as a person. There were a few things that came to mind that would cause Adam to have to do this. The last time they’d met the kid had been a novice as a hunter. Maybe this was his first time having to do something this extreme. It could shake a lot of people. It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t pretty, and the fact that this could just be a simple human wasn’t even a though in Sully’s mind.
When Adam touched her face, Sully flinched. She almost grabbed him by the wrist and twisted it back, but then rationality clicked in and she realized that he was shocky and making sure Sully was real. Something she had done with Dean not long ago. If Dean would have pulled away, Sully wasn’t sure what would have happened. She might very well have gone insane. Adam didn’t look far from the edge so she stayed still even though her heart was hammering wildly in her chest.
Sully was about to speak to him reassuringly when he wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug. He gripped her tightly, his fame shaking and trembling. Sully’s throat tightened, remembering how she herself had been like this not so long ago. Her own body trembling slightly, she wrapped her arms around him, one had on the back of his head and rocked him lightly.
Honestly this was not her thing. Sully had never been a comforting person, but things changed. A few months ago this would have been much more awkward for her, and while she still didn’t exactly know what to do Sully knew what she couldn’t do. She couldn’t let Adam think he was alone. She couldn’t push him away when he desperately needed comfort.
Sully.
“Yeah, it’s me, Adam. It’s me.” She held onto him, both of them soaked in the pouring rain. “It’s gonna be all right.” If she could have held onto him until he was all right, Sully would have, but it was likely that more traffic would be coming through at some point and she needed to get this mess cleaned up. Then she needed to get Adam somewhere safe.
After a few moments she pulled back, her hands cupping his cheeks. “Come on, let’s get you in the truck all right?” Once she got him in there, Sully would hide the body. The rain was still crashing down on them and there was no way she’d be able to burn it tonight. There’d been a motel about thirty miles back. She could take them there, get a room. Come back tomorrow and deal with the body. She may also have to call Dean.
One step at a time though. First thing she needed to do was get Adam away from the body, out of the rain, and into the truck. Still holding onto his arms, Sully stood, pulling Adam along with her.
His chin was propped on her shoulder as he held onto her, he knew she was real because he could feel her heart pounding in her chest. It was neither her nor there how fast or slow it was beating, all he needed to know was that it was beating. She was no illusion, the doubts in his mind about that washed away completely only to have the initial issue at hand flood his mind in complete and utter disdain for anything comforting it might have drowned along the way. The cold hard truth of it all was that he did this, could he get out of it was a new question. It wasn't the first time he needed to hide a body, though it was the first time to hide a body like this.
Needless to say, he was sane enough to know what was going on even if words were little to come from his mouth. The odd comfort he found in Sully was relaxing yet alarming all at the same time, he knew she was hardened as they come yet here she was rocking his sorry ass back in forth her arms around him just as he around her. Smile needless to say fell upon his anguished face but it was only momentary, it became immersed in her shoulder as he continued to shiver and breath heavily under the pressure of his own mind.
“It’s gonna be all right.” He heard her say, but it felt as if it would never be alright. This may look like a simple yet disgusting kill but it was no simple kill, this was a human for all intents and purposes as innocent as they come and he died by Adam's furious hands. He could almost feel the blade still in his hand, the pressure of his cuts familiar in his muscles made his hand twitch feverishly but he tried to calm them with deeper breaths closing his eyes.
“Come on, let’s get you in the truck all right?” When she drew back to cup his cheeks and say this to him he just wanted to go back into her and hide, though he knew that wasn't an option if he wanted to get out of this which wasn't in the cards until she drove by. One in a several billion chance that she did, seems like God also favors the wicked no matter what the transgression, or it only solidifies that Lucifer is one more step closer to rising.
When she stood up, he felt Sully tugging him along by the arm leading him towards the headlights of her blue pick up. He squinted his eyes as his feet plodded along hesitantly, but were urged by Sully's pulling. He could feel the blood on his knees drip down his legs, across his calves to the rims of his socks and shoes, the denim soaked attire felt heavier with each step but he continued until Sully lead him into the passenger seat of the truck.
Adam sat there with his head lulled back, his eyes open and staring at the rain dropping down onto the windshield. The wipers didn't seem to help nearly as much as they should, but than again it was raining fairly hard. He hoped that Sully would get the bag from his bike, which at this point he could not care less if he left behind. He just wanted to be somewhere not here, somewhere warm and not covered in blood. His hand still gripped as if he had a knife in it.
It sounded pathetic, but he was getting anxious that Sully wasn't back yet even though he could see her through the rain.
Once Adam was safely in the truck Sully moved back to the body lying on the pavement. God it was a mess. The rain was washing away the blood, but skin and muscle were still torn apart. If Sully wasn’t used to this, the sight of it might make her sick. It was easy to push it away though. It was part of the job. Nothing was easy about this life.
Sully grabbed the body by the ankles and grunted pulling it over to the side of the road, dragging it through some brush and leaves. Sweat beaded on her forehead, though the rain quickly washed it away. Sully didn’t have her full strength back and this was causing her body a lot of exertion. She pulled the body behind some bushes, and covered it with as much camouflage as she could, hoping it would still be here by morning.
If animals happened to get a hold of it the job would be easier, but that would leave evidence and the chance of something coming back in it the vessel. Definitely not something Sully wanted to take the risk on. The last thing Adam needed was his nightmares coming to life. For whatever reason she had no doubt this incident was going to plague Adam’s nights for a while to come. Sully was somewhat becoming an expert on nightmares.
Breathing heavily she moved back to Adam’s motorcycle. That would be a cause for trouble. If someone came across it and pulled off the side of the road they could find the body. Groaning she went over and pushed the motorcycle off the side of the road, using tree branches and leaves to mask it. Her body was sore from the exertion. At least she had put in her work out today.
As an afterthought she grabbed Adam’s satchel and moved back to the truck, hopping in the driver’s side. She tossed the satchel between them and rested her head on the back of the seat. Her shoulder was screaming. She was going to have to ice it when they got to the motel or she’d barely even be able to use it in the morning. Which meant if Adam freaked out she wouldn’t be able to do much about it.
She glanced over at the youngest Winchester while trying to catch her breath. She really needed to get her cardio up. Considering the fact she was still slightly underweight though, it was a catch twenty two. If she excersized too much she would maintain her current weight or drop more pounds. Even with the high carb diet and the protein shakes she was finding it difficult.
Adam was sitting there with wide doe eyes. It let her see that he was terrified down to his core. Sully shivered involuntarily and leaned forward turning on the heat. It wasn’t that kind of cold, but they both needed warmth or they’d get sick. Reaching behind the seat she grabbed her brother’s old army jacket and draped it over Adam’s shoulders. Like her, Adam was shivering for more than one reason.
“We’ll be at the motel soon.” Sully restarted the truck, listening to the engine grind and holler, but for once, blue didn’t give her any trouble and she was speeding down the highway. It was hard to see in the rain, and maybe glancing over at him every so often was the brightest of ideas, but she wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to try and jump out of the moving vehicle. “We’ll get out of those wet clothes and then I’ll patch you up all right?”
She could have asked what happened, but Sully knew better than to ask that right now. It was obvious Adam was still processing and asking could very well send him over the edge. Adam freaking out in the truck would more than likely cause them to crash. So, Sully decided to focus on the next step, which was arriving safely at their destination.
Adam could remember the man pleading for his life, the cause behind the blade didn't make it justifiable to wield it the way he did. He made sure to cut every major artery and then some, he thought the man was a monster but it turns out he was the monster. Rugaru or not, the way Adam felt when he made the blood flow was real. The warmth of it on his hands, the vindication he felt whilst doing so but when reality in a form of a text shook him out of what one could only describe as a frenzy that all came crashing down. Here Adam sat in Sully's truck during the aftermath of that emotional cave in, completely volatile.
The lines on the road meant nothing, the signs, the speed limits, the Welcome to Generic Township billboard was nothing more than a checkpoint in his mind. He wasn't anything similar to a ticking time bomb ready to go off, he already exploded and he's cowering at the outcome of that, he's the bomb victim of some disturbed psychosis. These moments were the burns, then what was Sully?
It was odd that she was the one to find him like this, not that he was complaining it could be a complete stranger and Adam could find himself on his way to death row. But she was here, and she has been oddly comforting. Did it really look that bad? What Adam did, if it was enough to instill that sort of comfort then it must have been--
Adam didn't know where he was but he felt the truck slowly coming to a stop. Red lights seemed to flicker in the corner of his eye, and when he did decide to look up he saw a row of doors with numbers on them. They were at a motel, not something out of the ordinary but the fact Adam had made it this far unpunished made his face fall upon his openly cut hand, though he did not weep nor make any sort of noise. It was if it was implied though now sound came from him. Why was he here and not there? What has she done?
"Sully." He said her name once more, but refused to make eye contact, his face still buried in his hands probably smearing blood all over. It didn't matter, it was his own blood and he should be marked for what he is despite the lack of longevity behind that logic. He wanted it to end, the hole inside his chest that seemed to devour every fiber of his being every moment he feels lost alone with his thoughts.
They sat in silence on the way to the motel. It was awkward and tense, and seemed to stretch on longer than it should have. Sully was honestly unsure what to say or do. She didn’t do well with emotions and she was still trying to sort out or own. Or avoid sorting them out. Whichever one she could get away with and go back to being relatively normal. Even if she was unsure what that meant for her anymore.
Every so often Sully reached over and placed her hand on Adam’s shoulder for a few seconds before returning her gaze to the road. She didn’t want him to do anything foolish and she was hoping the touch would ground him before he went too far into his head. If he did that, Sully had no idea how to get him out again.
Finally the red neon lights of the motel came into view and Sully pulled into the parking lot. She put the truck in park and listened to the engine rumble. There was a dilemma here. She had to go inside and get them a room. If she shut off the truck Adam would lose the heat that he needed. If she left it running, well Sully wasn’t sure that Adam wouldn’t slide behind the wheel and take off or just run it through the building in front of them. She was going to have to take the keys.
“Adam,” He didn’t turn to look at her and Sully sighed, running fingers through her damp, short hair. “I’m going to get us a room all right? I’ll be right back.” She turned off the truck and reached for the door.
Sully.
She looked back at him. His face was buried in his hands. His voice was steady if, hollow. It was like he was trying to press the heels of his hands into his eyes so hard and remove whatever image was behind them.
Don’t go.
Sully sucked in breath sharply and closed her eyes. That was eerily similar to what she had told Dean. Something had snapped in Adam, broken. She could hear it in the pleading tone of his voice. The need to have someone with you at all times, to make sure you’re not alone. It was almost like if Sully left him alone, he was scared he’d blink and be back in the nightmare that had driven him to this state.
This was not something Sully could handle. She should not have been the one to find Adam. It had been sheer coincidence. How could she keep him above water when she was fighting the current herself? After she got Adam safely into the room, she would call Dean. It was probably better that Adam be with his family anyways.
One step at a time.
That was her new mantra. It was the only way she was getting through this. Now she was passing it on to Adam.
Clearing her throat Sully opened her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.” Reaching over she gently pulled his hands down and pointed to the windows of the main office. Bringing Adam in with her wasn’t an option. Blood was smeared across his face and there would be too many questions. It wouldn’t take long to get the room.
“You can see right inside,” She told him squeezing his hand. “I’ll be five minutes and then I won’t leave your side again, all right?” Sully gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’ll be right back.”
Taking the keys, Sully quickly got out of the truck and shut the door. She hoped some of the heat had managed to stay in the truck for Adam. The rain quickly soaked her again. Christ it was cold. She turned back to Adam, smiling as she walked inside the main office, making sure to stand in full view of the window.
Adam watched as Sully departed, as unwilling as he was to let her go he did not make a fuss as he watched the huntress plod through the rain and enter the office. She as was she promised, in plain sight. Though how much that really helped was beyond his own comprehension, though it did not last long until Adam felt the dread engulfing him, he began rocking back and forth awaiting patiently, looking back to Sully every given moment he could bother to crane his neck upwards from the ground to see her. His hands gripped the blood soaked denim tightly he whispered in hushed tones that everything was going to be okay, and to get a grip before she comes back and worries over him more than she already has which caused him to be more guilt ridden then he already was. He had no clue what had been going on for the past couple of months, and he wasn't keen on mucking things up more than they probably are.
As he attempted to calm himself he looked up at the hood to see a girl hunched over, distorted as she twisted her head and bright beams of light illuminating from her eyes. Her scream as deafening, like the sound of white noise on a t.v. he held his ears tightly as he stared at her, fear engulfing him as she climbed incorporable through the windshield, towards him with a reaching grasp but as the hand touched him he snapped too and looked at the flickering light that was starting to fade in and out above a marked motel room. He was hallucinating.
He attempted to fumble out of the truck, but made no effort to unlock it, he slunk back into his seat and started panting heavily as if he couldn't breath, his eyes darted around until he peered up in the rear view mirror to see black eyes staring back at him from the back seat. He whipped around but saw nothing there. Gripping the head rest of his seat he looked through the back window, and the back of the pick-up truck. He climbed to the window and opened it crawling out he landed in what felt like a heap of dead and decaying bodies. Panic filled his eyes as he stood up.
To those who would approach or pass by, Adam indeed was standing in the back of the pick-up but there were no bodies, just like there was no woman, nor demon. He simply looked down and saw what he saw. As bodies beneath his feet rotted, rain pouring down upon him he looked up and felt his legs begin grabbed my multiple decaying hands. He peered down to see the bodies become animated, he made no attempt at screaming or calling for help but whined and fussed as he tried to free himself. Eventually he fell to his knees and felt as if he were knee deep in the dead as they clawed at his neck. He felt as though he were getting cut, but in reality his breathing was becoming shallow and hard to draw.
Eventually time enough would pass that Sully would return and see Adam shaking in the back of the pick-up truck as opposed to inside. He held his knees closely to his chest, pale as the moon as it would be covered in blood. He seemed to be staring at something, but nothing yet to be seen by someone other than himself and it remained to be seen what that would be. One thing for sure was he wasn't ready to let himself go just yet, he tried to hang on as tightly as possible but he wouldn't be able to do it alone.
Of course the desk clerk would be a ninety year old man who moved about as fast as molasses in winter. She tapped her foot and drummed her fingers on the desk, constantly glancing out the window to make sure Adam was still safely inside of her truck. She was worried about it him. While she was giving the clerk her information she pulled out her cell phone, tempted to call Dean.
Adam was his brother. He would want to know about this. Accept she wasn’t sure Adam wanted him or anyone else to know. It was sheer coincidence that Sully was the one who found him on the side of the road. It was sheer luck. Sully only hoped she could help.
Several months ago, Sully would want to help, but she wouldn’t feel so…emotional about it. She’d tie Adam down to the bed and call Dean, letting the Winchester’s take care of their internal family business. It wasn’t anything Sully would have had to or wanted to deal with. So why wasn’t she calling Dean? Had she really changed that much? For whatever reason she felt that calling Dean would be betraying Adam, and in his fragile emotional state, Sully just couldn’t do that to him. Not knowing what it could mean in the long run.
Sometimes you just need one person, even if it was the last person you expected to stand by you and help you out of the dark. She swallowed thickly, wondering how in the hell she was going that person for Adam.
“Your key, miss.” The clerk held out a shaking hand with a room key. His words jerked Sully from her mind and she quickly ripped it from his hand, jogging back out to the truck. Her heart stopped for a moment when she realized that Adam was no longer in the passenger seat. Had he run? She had been watching the truck the entire time, even if a bit lost in her mind. She hadn’t noticed the door open. Hadn’t seen him running away down the street.
Sully looked around and pulled her gun. “Adam,” She whispered into the night. She hoped he was near. Maybe he was just hiding or maybe he hadn’t gone that far and he’d hear her and come back. Sully didn’t know what to think or do. The only response she got was the buzz of neon lights from the motel and a soft breathing in the darkness.
Her heart skipped a beat. Breathing was good. Hopefully. She followed the sound, realizing it was coming from her truck, just farther back. Adam was huddled in the back a wide eyed look of terror on his face. He seemed lost somewhere in his own mind and it made Sully’s chest tighten. That was never a good place to be lost in after experiencing something horrible. She would say trauma, but she was still coming to terms with the fact that she was victim. Trauma and victim were two words she hated when it came to herself and somehow she couldn’t bring herself to use them for Adam either.
“Adam?” She asked tentatively. “Hey…” She offered him a small smile, making sure not to touch him. It could go either way really. The touch could comfort or it could send him spiraling into some sort of panic attack that included yelling and screaming and bringing a lot of unwanted attention to themselves.
“I got the room.” She held up the key to show him. Sully held out her hand to him. “What do you say we go inside and get you cleaned up? Okay?”
Sully could knock him out, drag him in kicking and screaming. Again, that whole unwanted attention problem. She really hoped Adam would take her hand. If he didn’t, Sully would have to knock him out and she knew that could do more damage than good. Any trust he had in her could be swept away.
Her heart hammered in her chest. Sully was so far out of her league right now. She was terrified for Adam. Terrified she wouldn’t know what to do to help him. What had happened to him? What had he seen? What had taken the smart ass youngest Winchester and reduced to him hiding in the back of pickup truck, looking like he was about to fall apart at the seams?
Silence, when no audible sound seems to touch one's ears. It's what engulfed Adam, the silence of his memories playing back to him. The dark road he has been travelling this whole time but was unaware of, the things he had done and the things that he will do. The temptations, his hand running over Bela's form in an elevator seeking more from the demonic temptress, the urges as he decapitates a vampire on a cold misty night somewhere in Illinois. All of these emotions, these actions, fueled by the horrific memories of his mothers death that has driven him to this point. All because of her, watching your own mother being eaten alive screaming while you are helpless to do anything can do something to a man but not Adam. Not ever. Not until now. The build up of sorrow, rage, and mental instability has finally caught up to him and it's hitting him hard. With vivid and rather terrifying hallucinations.
His family, his mother. She was lost to him, and there was no way he could think of getting her back. Her memories will always be tainted by the imagery of her organs hanging out of her chest cavity while two disfigured forms feed off of her flesh and muscle. The howls of both victim and prey in a symphony of darkness that shook Adam to the very core of his being, leaving him a blank pile of despair in the back of a pick-up truck in some back woods country area. His eyes, wide and empty as if he seen a ghost. But the comforting touch of his mothers hand on his cheek made him blink, only to see another hand reaching down towards him. It was Sully, why was she here again?
This was Sully's truck, this was Adam. He blinked several times before taking her hand in his own, feeling her warm touch was more then enough to snap him back to reality if only momentarily before his mind escaped him once more. She had gotten them a room, he was going to be safe. Or at least in theory that's how it was going to go. He didn't know much about Sully, though she was one of Dean's various Hunting companions. If or not that translates into something is lost on Adam. He was only grateful for her, though somehow despising the thought of Dean, perhaps it was the leaf Adam had just turned over to find it crawling with insects leeching away at his own life. It could be this deterring him. He was already lost on the brothers affections, being a half-brother to a tight knit family of Hunters doesn't really put you in good graces. Or at least, this is what Adam thought. He didn't know Dean nor Sam's true feelings but all he knows is that if he counted, he'd be with them and not here with Sully.
Adam helped himself up, and was lead into the motel room with Sully holding her hand until the threshold and then he stepped in by himself, eying the place as if he were a foreign diplomat who just walked into an enemy territory base to speak peace. Skepticism of it's fortifications haunted him, but it would have to do as it seems like there is nothing he could really do to get by on his own right now. He stood there, drenched in rain and blood, blinking at the beds, the table, the small t.v. that seems like it could have been found at a garage sale for five dollars. Clenching, un-clenching his hands. His breathing becoming more regular, memories washing over him as he slain the supposed Rugaru, though there was a reason the man was on the road. More so then gathering supplies for his family, as you see it was Adam who visited the cabin before he chased down the man in his vehicle. What Adam did in that house with the man's family.
That was Adam.
His body shivered, his stomach churned as screams filled his mind and not that of the older gentlemen he had slain on the country road either. He held his hands to the sides of his head and groaned in a mumbling tone, his leg started getting twitchy as he let out a small yelp before breathing in deeply once more. Too much to handle, thankfully he was not alone. His gaze shifted towards Sully, who may or may not be through the threshold as of yet. What she is doing for him now, it was comforting. He remembered Sully, remembered what was said about her, what they hunted together. She felt different, given circumstances she might have to. But there was defiantly something there. However, concern was just a rinse compared to the shower he was enduring. Whatever she's doing, he's grateful.
Adam closed his eyes once more, facing in Sully's direction he tried to regain his mental equilibrium. It was particularly hard, considering every time he closed his eyes he could see fearful children and a frantic mother. This is what happens when you're not careful, when you're not guided. When you don't know all the facts. This is a mistake, and it's Adam's.
Sully took Adam’s hand walking him inside their room. It was warm and dry. It also looked like someone puked orange and green all over the walls and bed sheets. Sully honestly didn’t know who decorated some of these motels. It was like she was stuck in a bad trip in the seventies complete with the ugly color patterns and yes, shag carpet. She got a vision of people taking acid, sitting in a circle, and singing songs about love and peace. Then again maybe they were having wild orgies. Sully hoped the sheets had been bleached.
Adam shivered, bringing Sully’s gaze away from the retro room from hell. She looked at him in the light. He had filled out. The last time she’d seen him he’d reminded her more of a teenage boy just hitting puberty than a man or even a hunter. He had been green. A novice. It was why she had dubbed Weechester. Even though he was the youngest of the Winchester’s age really had nothing to do with it. It was more the innocence and child like wonder he still held for the world.
Now, it was honestly like she had was meeting him for the first time. His shoulders had become broader, muscles thicker. Even the thin cheeks had spread out giving him a more square look to his face. Adam seemed more of a man, but Sully wasn’t sure if it was because of the physical changes or because of the haunted look that was in his eyes. Either way once that look came about, you weren’t a child anymore. You couldn’t be. That last bit of innocence had been taken and there was no getting it back.
Squeezing his hand, Sully lead him over to the bed. She pushed a strand of rain matted hair out of his eyes. “I’m gonna get you a towel all right?” She pointed at the bathroom. “I’m not even going to be out of your sight.”
Before he could protest, Sully gently pried her hand from his. Something told Sully he was scared of letting go, but she needed to get him out of his wet clothes. Otherwise he’d probably get sick, and this was already awkward enough for her. If he came down with a cold, Sully wouldn’t know much what to do. She’d never been one for coddling and catering too.
What she was doing now…well Sully didn’t know what to describe it as. Maybe she was just making sure Adam found his way out of the dark. Shouldn’t Dean be the one to do that though? Or maybe some other of his family. There were people who much more stable mentalities than Sully’s. She still wasn’t a hundred percent. What did she hope to do to help Adam?
Grabbing two towels she wandered back over to Adam. “Here.” She handed them to him. “You need to get out of those wet clothes. For that matter so did Sully. She was damp and chilled herself. The last thing she needed was to get sick. She was probably more susceptible being underweight and all, but right now she was just focusing on Adam.
One step at a time.
“Look. I really think we should call Dean. He’s your brother and he’s going to want to know…whatever this is.”
As Adam was lead by the hand to the bed he took a seat, looking up at Sully as she brushed hair that was obscuring his vision due to the rain pulling it down before him. The odd comfort she brought him during this night was greeted with calmness when she presented him with reassurance. He'd trust her, she wouldn't take off on him and leave him to his own devices. However, it wasn't without hesitance that he loosened the grip on her hand when she pried herself off to gather towels. He watched her from the corner of his eye, his hands now firmly placed on his knees without any regard of the blood on them.
He didn't quite know what to make of this Sully. It had been so long since he had seen her, so looked slightly different but he held her in the same regard when it came to her attractiveness. There was just something about her, she seemed calm considering the situation with a touch of understanding. He was not met with a "tsk" or a snide remark of any kind. Which he would have expected, but instead he got this Sully. Sully 2.0.
Adam wasn't complaining, it was nice although he could feel the tension and awkwardness befalling them with each passing moment. He wasn't doing any better lightening the situation given all circumstances his ability to do that was far beyond his capabilities.
When Sully returned, she handed him a towel and instructed or at least recommended that he get out of his wet clothes. He looked down at his rain soaked, blood covered attire and he started to peel off his jacket. After struggling to remove the wet lump he let it drop at the end of the bed, it's always been a habit of his. Dropping his clothes at the end of the bed, no matter where he is.
Standing up before her he peeled off his shirt, revealing a newly muscle toned Adam. However, it was not without it's imperfections. He wasn't riddled with scars like most hunters, but the one's he did have were fairly distinguishable. Long wide line above his upper right chest, small finger tip sized scars. It looked like someone was carving him up, though it seemed to have ended only in a taste test. That piece of flesh that is missing, was devoured. The tiny finger tip scars, five to be exact, where the result of a Ghoul digging into his flesh. It was nothing to brag about, but they were a reminder.
Adam slung his towel over his shoulders and looked down at his belt, he removed it tossing it down at the end of the bed as well. He began to wander towards the bathroom when Sully brought up calling Dean. Flicking his tongue he turned back on his heel and looked over at Sully, he ran his hand along the back of his head through his hair.
"Brother, right." Adam seemed skeptical even saying it, however he continued speaking the most he has since she had found him. "He doesn't need to know." Which translated in Adam's mind that he didn't deserve to know. He only hoped and preyed that Sully wouldn't go behind his back and call him, else he would be out of here like a bat out of hell in the most literal sense.
As for the whatever this is mention, he refrained from speaking any more about it. He didn't want to divulge what he had done so readily in fear that Sully would just-- Leave, or worse.
Instead of heading to the bathroom he grabbed his duffel bag and began rooting through for jeans or pants that actually aren't wet from the rain but to no avail. His bag was soaked through, however he was lucky enough to find a semi-dry pair of boxers which he would change into. He paused, clenching the boxers in his hand unsure of himself. He looked at Sully, blinking. His eyes filled with lucidity.
Sully could hear something in the tone of Adam’s voice. Though she couldn’t pinpoint on what it was specifically. All she knew was that Adam did not seem happy with the prospect of calling Dean. Sully didn’t know if they had met up or were fighting. Maybe they had a falling out. Maybe they didn’t know each other at all. Adam had been looking for Dean the last time they met. Had he ever found them?
Several months ago she wouldn’t have cared. Maybe she still didn’t. Why was she asking herself these questions? At the moment none of the above mattered. Adam was like an abused animal. Back them into a corner and they’ll attack. Do something to break a tentative trust and they’ll run if they can. Sully knew if she called Dean right now that Adam would bolt.
“Okay, so we won’t call Dean then.” She shook out her wet hair, grabbing her own bag and sorting through the items in there. She had some clean clothes, most of them still too big for her. Once upon a time she didn’t care about changing in front of other people. Her body was what her body was, but now it was riddled with fresh scars, some of them still jagged. None of them had reduced themselves to thin white lines or faded much. That was going to take years.
Maybe it wasn’t so much that Sully was ashamed of them. Though then again she hadn’t decided if she was or she wasn’t. More, when people saw them it drew attention to her. When someone saw it, they wanted to know what happened to her. Sully just wanted to forget, though that wasn’t likely to happen. Ever. Unless she got amnesia, an option she wasn’t opposed to sometimes.
Sully grabbed a loose pair of green, flannel PJ pants and tank top along with clean panties and a bra. As an afterthought she grabbed a long sleeved shirt to put over the tank top. She doubted Adam would be focused on her scars, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Besides, Adam was traumatized. The only question was why?
Adam had been hunting things for a while. So what was different about this one? There were too many variables to try and she didn’t have enough information to narrow it down.
One step at a time.
The next step was getting into dry clothes before she really did get sick. Sully had turned to go to the bathroom and froze. Adam was staring at her with an almost intense gaze. It was a bit different from before. Not as wild. Less crazy. Maybe he was coming down from the shock.
Still it was a bit unnerving and Sully looked down at herself to make sure she hadn’t magically formed a growth or something. Finding that she was the same she had been five minutes ago, Sully looked at him. “What?”
Rugaru, he never encountered one before but he heard they had a nasty habit of eating innocent people. He wasn't too keen on that, given the reasons behind why he started hunting in the first place. All of that stopped however, Adam left the life behind if only for a month or two before he got a call in from an informant about a possible Rugaru sighting in his area. It couldn't go unchecked, and calling someone else in was out of the question. He wasn't sure if he would feel disgraced or embarrassed that he couldn't deal with it himself, so he did just that.
He did his research, he knew they'd start to get cravings for meat and once they consumed human flesh they would transform gaining superhuman strength making them more difficult to kill. As if setting them on fire wasn't going to be hard enough. It was a father, and his two offspring. They were staying at their cabin for the weekend, isolated. Opportune time and place to rid the world of a few Rugarus.
However, it didn't go according to plan. Adam infiltrated the cabin during the night, he however did not know the father had gone out. The kids were easy to dispose of, quick and painless however it was the mother that provided to be difficult. She was innocent in all of this, though in hindsight they all were. Slaying her was what brought Adam over the edge, he then went into pursuit for the father whom he slain in the middle of the road. Where Sully had found him. It was only moments after did the informant call off the hunt as he was tipped off under false pretenses, however the deed was already done.
Regardless if they were Rugaru or not, Adam didn't fully envelope himself into his research. If he had, he would have known most of the time Rugarus don't even know they are Rugarus until it's too late. They might as well have been innocent regardless. It was a lose lose scenario. However, Adam lost hard.
“What?” Although he was staring at her, he must have spaced out. He blinked several times and rubbed his eyes refocusing on her. He must have been staring for a little too long. After a moment he let his hands fall to the side, grasping at the sides of his jeans as he began contemplating and choosing his next words very carefully.
"I murdered an entire family today," His lips were quivering, despite knowing it to be true, saying it out loud only solidified his worst fears. His hands went back to the boxers he was holding moments before, he began sporadically fidgeting with them. He tried to open his mouth again to continue, but his jaw shook with horrified anticipation for the bombardment of words building up.
"It was supposed to be a hunt, Rugarus. I messed up, I got a call in after it was done that we were wrongly tipped off. I shouldn't have-- I shouldn't have tried-- I--" His eyes were welling up, he was on the verge of breaking down before he slumped forward, however catching himself propping his arms on the bed. He leaned his head down, keeping his face away from Sully's view. He didn't want to go into details, but he didn't want his eyes to tell her just how bad he screwed up.
Children...
Adam's breathing became shallow once more, he closed his eyes shut to hold back any tears that we caused by him welling up. This was heavy, like dropping a bomb on a civilian caravan heavy, like accidentally executing the wrong guy heavy. The weight on his shoulders wanted to bring him down to the floor and suffocate him on this shag carpet that lay beneath their feet. The last thing he wanted was to feel discord with Sully, have her drawn back. But needed to say it, he needed to get it off his chest, he needed her to understand.