[Never Still] Part 3
Title: Never Still in Darkness (Part 3/?)
Rating: R
Genre: AU, horror, (dark) fantasy, sci-fi
Notes: Crossover with Supernatural. Hey, all~~! Sorry this took so long to get out... I went to New York for my summer break, and the jet lag coming back from that just absolutely wiped me out for a couple weeks. But! It is here. Finally. Getting some answers, starting to move things along... ^_^
Word Count: 4,067
Summary: Changmin and Jaejoong are good hunters, and there aren't many things they can't kill one way or another. When they run into one of the rare exceptions to that rule, they're forced to seek help from an outside source. The Winchesters aren't sure how much help they'll be, but they're always up for an interesting challenge. And this case is nothing if not interesting.
Warnings: some scenes of torture, platonic!JaeMin
Previous: Part 1, Part 2
Part 3
"Can I ask you something?" Max asks, somewhat hesitantly, as he and Sam work together on translating and making notes on another book. When Dean and Max had returned from the failed hunt with Max injured, Jae had gone into full-on mother-hen freak-out mode the level of which had put even Dean's worst overprotective moments to shame. Max had been relegated to research only, and Sam had decided in sympathetic solidarity to keep him company.
With Jae and Dean out on another hunt, they were taking full advantage of the quiet house. They'd talked a lot over the last couple days as they worked, mostly small talk of little consequence as Sam worked on coaxing the painfully shy boy out of his hard-as-diamond shell. It seemed to be working, slowly, and every once in a while Max would reveal another small personal fact. "Yeah, sure," he replies to the tentative inquiry.
"That first day, when I told you guys about me being psychic..." Max ventures then pauses. "Well, I guess there are two questions, really. First, why weren't you guys more freaked out about it? You tensed up a little, but it didn't seem like for the same reason most people usually do. And also, why did you ask about my parents?"
Sam releases a slow breath before setting his pen down on his notebook and leaning against the back of the desk chair. He really should have been expecting these questions. Max is intelligent, bordering on scary levels of brilliance, and Sam can only wonder how much Max's non-traditional education growing up had held him back from fully exploring all that potential. Whatever he should have been expecting, though, sadly, Sam just hadn't seen it coming. They'd been focused on other things recently, and that conversation had honestly been pushed to the back of his mind.
"That is, uh, I mean..." he stutters out, not entirely sure what he's even trying to say. He takes a controlled breath to collect himself then tries again. "Dean didn't want me to say anything at first. It's a dangerous secret, and if the information got out to certain people..."
"I'm not going to tell anyone," Max assures him, though he knows that's not really the issue here. Sam wouldn't be even contemplating saying anything if he thought Max would let the secret out. "Well, except Jae, but only because he knows when I'm keeping things from him. And if you think he's annoying normally..."
Sam grins, picturing Jae poking and prodding at Max to get information. It's not difficult to imagine. "Okay, well, the answers to both your questions are actually related. When I was six months old, my mother was killed in my nursery by a demon with yellow eyes. When I was 22, I started having dream premonitions which turned into waking visions, and I also developed some telekinesis.
"Dean and I have done some research and found other children whose parents also died in mysterious fires then developed psychic powers at 22. So when you told us that you had powers, too..." He trails off, letting the statement hang.
Max nods, letting the words process. After a moment, though, his head cocks to the side as his brow lightly furrows. "I'm not 22 yet, though," he points out. "Won't be until February. And I've had these powers my whole life."
"I know," Sam concedes, "but we had to consider the possibility. Beyond actual future-reading sensitives, we've never met anyone with real psychic powers like this. And it wouldn't be a surprise at all for the demon to break pattern to throw everyone for a loop. We just had to check."
"Understandable, I suppose," Max agrees with a small smile. "Do you... know what this demon wanted with you and these other children?"
Sam shakes his head. "We know he has plans for us, but we don't know exactly what those plans are. We're researching, trying to close in on the thing, but..."
"A demon of that level doesn't leave a trail unless he wants to," Max finishes the thought, and Sam acknowledges the statement with a sharp nod. "Well, if you ever need help with any of that, even just research, let us know. It's the least we could do for you guys helping us with this thing."
"Thanks," Sam replies simply, now with a small smile of his own.
~*~~*~
They'd spent the first couple hours of the trip back to Bobby's in relative quiet, the only noise the music pouring from the speakers. Dean got the feeling it wasn't a natural state for Jae by the way the guy kept shifting and glancing around. Where Max is more reserved and internal, Jae is obviously usually the exact opposite, extroverted and social.
Dean finally has mercy on him and attempts to start a conversation. "You can relax a little, you know. I'm sure he's fine. Bobby would have called if anything had happened." He's not completely sure that Jae's fidgeting stems from his worry over Max, but he figures it's a big enough part that he can use it as a starting point. "And man, I thought I was overprotective."
Jae, for the first time, goes completely still. "It's not... I don't worry about the monsters. Not for the reasons you think, at least. Min's kind of a genius, if you haven't noticed, and he's strong enough that I trust him to take care of most anything that may come after him. I just can't always trust him to take care of himself in the process."
Glancing at the other man from the corner of his eye, Dean notes the lines creasing the corners of Jae's eyes and the tension at his shoulders. "How do you mean?" he prompts. The two are quite the enigma, Max even more so than Jae, and if he can wheedle any answers out of Jae, he's going to take advantage of that.
Jae stares at him, evaluating and assessing. Satisfied by whatever he finds, he finally answers the question. "Min, as you know, didn't exactly have the most normal childhood. Kids at the Centre are apparently taught from very young to clamp down on their emotions. Getting emotional messes with their control over their powers, so they're trained to take emotions out of the equation. To disconnect. It's drilled into them over and over."
And isn't that just one of the most disturbing things Dean's ever heard. Sure, he's taught himself to hide and control his own emotions, but to systematically train children to not only control but completely disconnect... It runs counter to everything a child should be. (At least, it's counter to everything Sammy ever was - is - and as that's about the extent of Dean's experience with children, that's what he has to base his judgment on. Either way, it just feels wrong.)
"I know you guys have noticed how reserved he is. When he's amused by something, he only gives those tiny little smiles. He very rarely laughs, though it's kinda magical when he does." Jae adds the second part quietly, almost as an afterthought. Dean wonders if he was meant to hear it at all. Before he can think on it too long, though, Jae continues. "I'm sure you assumed, like most people do, that he's just shy, and that is part of it. But it's also that he just doesn't always know how to express himself. That he can express himself without... repercussions."
The word hangs, ominous, in the air, and Dean has a good idea of what some of those 'repercussions' may have been. He's seen the scars they've left on Max's body. He stays quiet now. As much as he wants more insight into the pair - especially Max, if he's completely honest with himself - it no longer feels like something he should be asking about. It's too personal, goes too deep.
As if relieved to finally be able to say it all out loud, though, Jae continues talking. "Being so insulated for so long, he doesn't have a lot of real-world experience. He doesn't always react to things the way people normally would. He can't always process a situation properly. Not because he's not smart, because he is, but just because he doesn't have the necessary background information or real world context. So... I worry. How can I not?"
"Yeah," Dean agrees. Because while he may not necessarily understand the full scope of Max's position, he can surely appreciate Jae's. No matter what happens, no matter how old they get, no matter how strong or smart they are, how can older brothers ever not worry about their younger brothers?
~*~~*~
Max stares at the book in front of him, rereading the lines again and then one more time. And then a second one more time, just to be sure it's real. They'd been searching for what seems like forever now, buried in books and lore, and now... it seems like he may have finally found the answer. "Sam," he says evenly to catch the other hunter's attention, "I think I have it."
Sam hums a reply, but when the words finally click, he nearly drops the book he's searching. "You... what? Seriously? What does it say?"
"Yeah, it's, I mean, it's not perfect, but I think it's as close as we're going to get. It gives us the general idea, at least," he replies. "Very rough translation, it basically says that if a yuryeong feeds from someone with special abilities, it can take on those abilities for itself."
"Well, that makes sense, I guess, but how does it help exactly?" Sam presses.
Max sighs, knowing it's not all the information they need, but at least it's a start. "There was a doctor, one of the researchers that worked under Dr. Phillips at the Centre. He had the power of negation, just like this yuryeong does. Psychic powers wouldn't work directly on him or at all within a certain distance from him. So if Phillips has this thing tied to him somehow..."
Pausing to let the words sink in, Sam follows Max's train of thought. "You think Phillips may have sacrificed this other guy to the monster so it'd have his power. That's why yours won't work on it now."
"Yeah. I know it doesn't tell us exactly how Phillips has it leashed or why it's immune to known kill methods, but at least it's a start," Max answers. "One more solved; two more to go."
"It's definitely a start," Sam agrees. "Back to the books? Maybe today will continue being good to us." A weight seems to lift from Max, something that had been pressing down on him since he'd first arrived, with just that one question answered. As the two both lift their books again to keep working, their eyes meet, and Max smiles - full, complete, with his right eye squinting closed just a little more than his left. The expression makes him look so young all of a sudden, much more the 21-year-old he actually is, and Sam can't help his own return smile.
~*~~*~
"Two down," Sam announces as a rather abrupt prelude to his discovery. Max looks up from his own book, eyes wide, and Sam grins at him. "This book talks about a ritual that can be used to control a yuryeong. It hasn't been used successfully very often because the person doing the ritual has to get close enough to the thing to get some of its hair then be fast or strong enough to get away without being torn apart. Obviously, not many people can manage that."
Max stares at him for a long moment. "I... yeah, I suppose that makes sense. Guess now we just need..." He trails off as Sam's grin widens. "You've got number three down, too."
"Yep," Sam agrees. "Apparently it's a side effect of the ritual. The yuryeong's life is tied to the life force of whoever controls it. As long as that person is alive and holding the reins, the monster can't be killed."
"So we just have to kill Phillips then take out the yuryeong, and we'll be good to go," Jae concludes as he walks into the kitchen, Dean trailing close behind. Both Sam and Dean stare at him as Max bites the inside of his lower lip. Jae flashes him a quick reassuring smile before looking back at the other two. "What?"
Dean blinks at him, wondering if he's had Jae pegged wrong this whole time. If the guy isn't just a little bit more bloodthirsty than he first seemed, a little more... unhinged. To talk so casually about offing a human... "You can't just... I mean, seriously? There's gotta be a way to break the control so we can kill the yuyu-thingy. Phillips is human; we can't just kill him."
Shrugging, Jae meets his gaze calmly. "Well, maybe you can't."
"Now hold on-" Dean starts to protest. He doesn't get far before Jae cuts him off, though.
"No! I won't 'hold on'," he exclaims, pinning Dean with a heated glare. "Min let this guy live both times he escaped, and Phillips has proven that as long as he's living, he's a threat. We let him walk away from this and it's only a matter of time before he comes back with some new plan to get at Min. And again and again and again until eventually he finds something that we - that I - can't stop. That may not mean much to you; we haven't known you all that long so I don't actually expect it to. But I'm not willing to take that risk. Not with Changmin."
He pauses to take a breath, trying to calm himself down, then looks back to Dean. The man looks torn, half sympathetic but half still wanting to protest. Jae pulls out the last weapon in his argument arsenal. "What if this were Sam instead of Max?" he poses, treading lightly when Dean's expression shifts from argumentative to shock to rage at the perceived threat all in the blink of an eye. "Just consider it for a minute. What if there were something - someone - out there that wanted to take him, torture him, break him down until he's the perfect mindless weapon? Someone who wouldn't stop, no matter the cost? What line would you draw then, Dean? Where would stop to keep Sam safe?"
While Jae and Dean continue their stare down, Sam and Max share a look. Knowing what he does now, Max realizes how scarily accurate Jae's 'hypothetical' questions truly are. Understands the reason Dean reacted so strongly to them. "I wouldn't," Dean finally replies, voice quiet but hard as granite.
"Dean..." Sam starts, but Dean waves him off, shooting a quick look at his brother over his shoulder before turning his attention back to Jae.
"You're right," he states. "I wouldn't stop, not if it meant Sam was okay. So, yeah, I get your point. I may not like it, but I get it."
Max stands suddenly, chair clattering to the floor behind him, and all eyes turn to him. "I just... I have to... I'm gonna... go out for a while. Take a walk or something," he manages to stutter out before turning for the door.
"Min," Jae starts, grabbing his arm in an attempt to slow Max's retreat. Max simply shakes off the grip and rushes from the room. A second later, they hear the front door slam shut.
"What... just happened?" Sam asks, staring at the door Max had just disappeared out of before turning to look at Jae for answers. Jae, for his part, shrugs rather helplessly and shakes his head.
~*~~*~
When Max hasn't returned an hour later, Dean finally makes up his mind to go out and hunt the kid down. He's keenly aware of the fact that he'd just finished speaking when Max had, basically, freaked out, and it's bugging him. Jae's words from his car ride repeat in his head, that Min doesn't have the life experience, doesn't always know how to deal with or react to certain things.
His first instinct takes him to a back corner of the salvage yard, the big shade tree where he'd caught Sam and Max chatting not even a week ago. Max seems like the type to rely on habits and routines so it seems as good a place as any to start. Luckily, Dean's instincts are finely tuned instruments; Max sits under the tree, knees bent up to his chest and his arms loosely wrapped around them as he stares a million miles out.
"Hey, kid," Dean calls out lightly as he approaches. He half expects Max to jump or startle in some way, knowing his training keeps his steps habitually quiet. His other half isn't at all surprised when Max simply turns his head to acknowledge Dean's presence. He knows enough about the kid at this point to realize Max rarely, if ever, lets his guard down. When he isn't immediately dismissed, Dean settles on the ground next to Max.
"Not a kid," Max finally replies quietly, the words lacking any kind of heat or force. Grinning brightly, Dean simply shrugs the rebuttal off. "Was Jae upset with me?"
"Upset?" Dean asks, not quite sure where Max would have drawn that conclusion from. Then again, knowing what he does, he should probably stop trying to guess at the way Max's mind works and just deal with the curve balls as they come. "Definitely not. Confused and maybe just the slightest bit worried but not upset. Not with you." Max nods, accepting the statement, and Dean pauses for just a moment before offering, "Wanna talk about it?"
"Not really," Max replies bluntly. Because, really, there was nothing to talk about. He could barely sort his own thoughts over why he'd panicked and run away. Putting any of those thoughts into words that Dean could understand would be an impossible feat. It was something in the emotions that had flowed through and from Dean in that moment when he'd solidified in his own mind what he'd do for his brother. Something in the flare of Sam's own emotions that had responded and complemented Dean's so well, whether they knew it or not.
Whatever the reason for it, he'd only been certain that there hadn't been enough air in the room, and Max had panicked. Thankfully, where Jae - or Sam, as Max was quickly coming to learn - would poke and prod and question all of these scrambled thoughts out of him, Dean seems perfectly content to accept Max's answer while continuing to sit there with him.
"Sam told me," Max admits a few minutes later, seemingly out of nowhere, though Dean's pretty sure there had been a logical thought process he just hadn't been privy to, "about your mom and the demon and his powers.
Dean sighs, more resigned than anything. "Yeah, figured he'd get around to that sooner or later. Most likely sooner. Surprised he held out this long, really." Max quirks a small smile at him that Dean catches just out of the corner of his eyes. And really, no matter what they did or did not actually talk about, Dean's counting this mission a success.
They sit out there long enough to watch the sunset, stars slowly lighting up the dark sky. Max stares up at it, relaxing more and more until his chin rests on his knees and all tension falls from his shoulders, but Dean's not entirely sure he's really seeing any of it. His eyes are pointed in the right direction, but his gaze is a million miles away. "We should probably head inside," Dean finally says a while later. "Wouldn't want to give Jae a reason to freak out even more."
Max snorts, a fond smile on his lips. "A freak doesn't need reasons to freak out. It's a natural state for them."
The wry tease surprises a bark of laughter out of Dean, and he slaps a hand on the kid's shoulder. "True enough. Then how about, let's head in because my ass is soaked from sitting on this grass and starting to itch?"
Max grins at him, and Dean gives himself a mental fist bump of victory. Not that he's been on a quest or anything for that exact reaction since their hunt together. At all. Doesn't diminish his sense of accomplishment either, though. Next goal: laughter. Just to make sure the kid's capable of it. With these (completely insane, nonsensical) thoughts running through his head, Dean stands from his seat on the ground. As soon as Max is standing next to him, he starts leading the way back to the house.
And he should have known, really. Should have expected it. Because the moment was too nice, the night too quiet, so something obviously had to break that shit right up.
They're walking in companionable silence, only about 20 feet or so from the porch, when the van comes tearing up the driveway/road. It's big and shiny black, windows tinted dark, and Dean pulls his gun as he puts himself between the vehicle and Max when it skids to a stop right next to them. "Bobby!" he calls, knowing it'll attract both Sam and Jae's attention as well. Max grips his arm, hand clenching tight as if in pain.
Bobby's front door opens, the other three exiting the house already armed and ready, just as the back doors of the van open and several (huge, hulking, holy-hell-what-did-they-crossbreed-with?) men pour out. Dean doesn't really get nervous, though, until that blue-skinned freak closely follows the giant thugs.
Outnumbered two-to-one not counting the monster, the fight's chaos, just absolute insanity, and it's all Dean can do to keep one eye on Sam while also attempting to take down as many men as he can. Then he loses track of Sam even when he hears Jae yell out a half-panicked, half-angry, "Min!" Dean turns just in time to watch the phantom-monster-whatever touch a hand to Max's head, and Max's eyes roll back as the kid collapses unconscious.
One of the small mountains passing as men tosses Max over his shoulder like the kid weighs nothing at all and makes for the van, and Dean's just done. He opens fire, screw his no-humans rule, because he's not letting them just take Max. He starts to second-guess his 'human' conclusion, though, when he hits one at least three times and the guy keeps coming. His fourth shot is to the head, and the man finally goes down.
Just in time to hear Sam's voice, obviously (to Dean at least) frightened, yell his name. Dean spins, searching through the chaos. It's way too much time, way too long that he can't get eyes on his brother. He finally spots Sam just in time to watch him go down much the same way Max did, the monster standing right behind him. And the muscle-men are a wall between him and his unconscious brother, doing more to just keep him tied up and away from Sam than they are to actually hurt him.
Dean roars, unleashing two quick head shots and watching two more bodies drop, but they've already got Sam to the van doors. And as soon as he's loaded in, the thugs file back in just as quickly as they'd come out, and the van peels out, spitting dust and gravel from under its tires as it speeds away. The sudden silence is jarring, infuriating. Dean yells out obscenities, just to break that frustrating quiet, then turns to check on Jae and Bobby.
Bobby's got a small trail of blood trickling down the side of his face, but he seems coherent. As pissed as Dean, pretty apparently, but coherent. They share a short look before looking for Jae. The younger man is standing in the road, a wicked-looking knife in his left hand dripping blood while his right grips his gun, and he's staring in the direction the van disappeared. "They're going to kill him," he says, just barely above a whisper, the words carrying all too clearly through the suddenly-still night.
Faxless Payday Loan
Rating: R
Genre: AU, horror, (dark) fantasy, sci-fi
Notes: Crossover with Supernatural. Hey, all~~! Sorry this took so long to get out... I went to New York for my summer break, and the jet lag coming back from that just absolutely wiped me out for a couple weeks. But! It is here. Finally. Getting some answers, starting to move things along... ^_^
Word Count: 4,067
Summary: Changmin and Jaejoong are good hunters, and there aren't many things they can't kill one way or another. When they run into one of the rare exceptions to that rule, they're forced to seek help from an outside source. The Winchesters aren't sure how much help they'll be, but they're always up for an interesting challenge. And this case is nothing if not interesting.
Warnings: some scenes of torture, platonic!JaeMin
Previous: Part 1, Part 2
Part 3
"Can I ask you something?" Max asks, somewhat hesitantly, as he and Sam work together on translating and making notes on another book. When Dean and Max had returned from the failed hunt with Max injured, Jae had gone into full-on mother-hen freak-out mode the level of which had put even Dean's worst overprotective moments to shame. Max had been relegated to research only, and Sam had decided in sympathetic solidarity to keep him company.
With Jae and Dean out on another hunt, they were taking full advantage of the quiet house. They'd talked a lot over the last couple days as they worked, mostly small talk of little consequence as Sam worked on coaxing the painfully shy boy out of his hard-as-diamond shell. It seemed to be working, slowly, and every once in a while Max would reveal another small personal fact. "Yeah, sure," he replies to the tentative inquiry.
"That first day, when I told you guys about me being psychic..." Max ventures then pauses. "Well, I guess there are two questions, really. First, why weren't you guys more freaked out about it? You tensed up a little, but it didn't seem like for the same reason most people usually do. And also, why did you ask about my parents?"
Sam releases a slow breath before setting his pen down on his notebook and leaning against the back of the desk chair. He really should have been expecting these questions. Max is intelligent, bordering on scary levels of brilliance, and Sam can only wonder how much Max's non-traditional education growing up had held him back from fully exploring all that potential. Whatever he should have been expecting, though, sadly, Sam just hadn't seen it coming. They'd been focused on other things recently, and that conversation had honestly been pushed to the back of his mind.
"That is, uh, I mean..." he stutters out, not entirely sure what he's even trying to say. He takes a controlled breath to collect himself then tries again. "Dean didn't want me to say anything at first. It's a dangerous secret, and if the information got out to certain people..."
"I'm not going to tell anyone," Max assures him, though he knows that's not really the issue here. Sam wouldn't be even contemplating saying anything if he thought Max would let the secret out. "Well, except Jae, but only because he knows when I'm keeping things from him. And if you think he's annoying normally..."
Sam grins, picturing Jae poking and prodding at Max to get information. It's not difficult to imagine. "Okay, well, the answers to both your questions are actually related. When I was six months old, my mother was killed in my nursery by a demon with yellow eyes. When I was 22, I started having dream premonitions which turned into waking visions, and I also developed some telekinesis.
"Dean and I have done some research and found other children whose parents also died in mysterious fires then developed psychic powers at 22. So when you told us that you had powers, too..." He trails off, letting the statement hang.
Max nods, letting the words process. After a moment, though, his head cocks to the side as his brow lightly furrows. "I'm not 22 yet, though," he points out. "Won't be until February. And I've had these powers my whole life."
"I know," Sam concedes, "but we had to consider the possibility. Beyond actual future-reading sensitives, we've never met anyone with real psychic powers like this. And it wouldn't be a surprise at all for the demon to break pattern to throw everyone for a loop. We just had to check."
"Understandable, I suppose," Max agrees with a small smile. "Do you... know what this demon wanted with you and these other children?"
Sam shakes his head. "We know he has plans for us, but we don't know exactly what those plans are. We're researching, trying to close in on the thing, but..."
"A demon of that level doesn't leave a trail unless he wants to," Max finishes the thought, and Sam acknowledges the statement with a sharp nod. "Well, if you ever need help with any of that, even just research, let us know. It's the least we could do for you guys helping us with this thing."
"Thanks," Sam replies simply, now with a small smile of his own.
~*~~*~
They'd spent the first couple hours of the trip back to Bobby's in relative quiet, the only noise the music pouring from the speakers. Dean got the feeling it wasn't a natural state for Jae by the way the guy kept shifting and glancing around. Where Max is more reserved and internal, Jae is obviously usually the exact opposite, extroverted and social.
Dean finally has mercy on him and attempts to start a conversation. "You can relax a little, you know. I'm sure he's fine. Bobby would have called if anything had happened." He's not completely sure that Jae's fidgeting stems from his worry over Max, but he figures it's a big enough part that he can use it as a starting point. "And man, I thought I was overprotective."
Jae, for the first time, goes completely still. "It's not... I don't worry about the monsters. Not for the reasons you think, at least. Min's kind of a genius, if you haven't noticed, and he's strong enough that I trust him to take care of most anything that may come after him. I just can't always trust him to take care of himself in the process."
Glancing at the other man from the corner of his eye, Dean notes the lines creasing the corners of Jae's eyes and the tension at his shoulders. "How do you mean?" he prompts. The two are quite the enigma, Max even more so than Jae, and if he can wheedle any answers out of Jae, he's going to take advantage of that.
Jae stares at him, evaluating and assessing. Satisfied by whatever he finds, he finally answers the question. "Min, as you know, didn't exactly have the most normal childhood. Kids at the Centre are apparently taught from very young to clamp down on their emotions. Getting emotional messes with their control over their powers, so they're trained to take emotions out of the equation. To disconnect. It's drilled into them over and over."
And isn't that just one of the most disturbing things Dean's ever heard. Sure, he's taught himself to hide and control his own emotions, but to systematically train children to not only control but completely disconnect... It runs counter to everything a child should be. (At least, it's counter to everything Sammy ever was - is - and as that's about the extent of Dean's experience with children, that's what he has to base his judgment on. Either way, it just feels wrong.)
"I know you guys have noticed how reserved he is. When he's amused by something, he only gives those tiny little smiles. He very rarely laughs, though it's kinda magical when he does." Jae adds the second part quietly, almost as an afterthought. Dean wonders if he was meant to hear it at all. Before he can think on it too long, though, Jae continues. "I'm sure you assumed, like most people do, that he's just shy, and that is part of it. But it's also that he just doesn't always know how to express himself. That he can express himself without... repercussions."
The word hangs, ominous, in the air, and Dean has a good idea of what some of those 'repercussions' may have been. He's seen the scars they've left on Max's body. He stays quiet now. As much as he wants more insight into the pair - especially Max, if he's completely honest with himself - it no longer feels like something he should be asking about. It's too personal, goes too deep.
As if relieved to finally be able to say it all out loud, though, Jae continues talking. "Being so insulated for so long, he doesn't have a lot of real-world experience. He doesn't always react to things the way people normally would. He can't always process a situation properly. Not because he's not smart, because he is, but just because he doesn't have the necessary background information or real world context. So... I worry. How can I not?"
"Yeah," Dean agrees. Because while he may not necessarily understand the full scope of Max's position, he can surely appreciate Jae's. No matter what happens, no matter how old they get, no matter how strong or smart they are, how can older brothers ever not worry about their younger brothers?
~*~~*~
Max stares at the book in front of him, rereading the lines again and then one more time. And then a second one more time, just to be sure it's real. They'd been searching for what seems like forever now, buried in books and lore, and now... it seems like he may have finally found the answer. "Sam," he says evenly to catch the other hunter's attention, "I think I have it."
Sam hums a reply, but when the words finally click, he nearly drops the book he's searching. "You... what? Seriously? What does it say?"
"Yeah, it's, I mean, it's not perfect, but I think it's as close as we're going to get. It gives us the general idea, at least," he replies. "Very rough translation, it basically says that if a yuryeong feeds from someone with special abilities, it can take on those abilities for itself."
"Well, that makes sense, I guess, but how does it help exactly?" Sam presses.
Max sighs, knowing it's not all the information they need, but at least it's a start. "There was a doctor, one of the researchers that worked under Dr. Phillips at the Centre. He had the power of negation, just like this yuryeong does. Psychic powers wouldn't work directly on him or at all within a certain distance from him. So if Phillips has this thing tied to him somehow..."
Pausing to let the words sink in, Sam follows Max's train of thought. "You think Phillips may have sacrificed this other guy to the monster so it'd have his power. That's why yours won't work on it now."
"Yeah. I know it doesn't tell us exactly how Phillips has it leashed or why it's immune to known kill methods, but at least it's a start," Max answers. "One more solved; two more to go."
"It's definitely a start," Sam agrees. "Back to the books? Maybe today will continue being good to us." A weight seems to lift from Max, something that had been pressing down on him since he'd first arrived, with just that one question answered. As the two both lift their books again to keep working, their eyes meet, and Max smiles - full, complete, with his right eye squinting closed just a little more than his left. The expression makes him look so young all of a sudden, much more the 21-year-old he actually is, and Sam can't help his own return smile.
~*~~*~
"Two down," Sam announces as a rather abrupt prelude to his discovery. Max looks up from his own book, eyes wide, and Sam grins at him. "This book talks about a ritual that can be used to control a yuryeong. It hasn't been used successfully very often because the person doing the ritual has to get close enough to the thing to get some of its hair then be fast or strong enough to get away without being torn apart. Obviously, not many people can manage that."
Max stares at him for a long moment. "I... yeah, I suppose that makes sense. Guess now we just need..." He trails off as Sam's grin widens. "You've got number three down, too."
"Yep," Sam agrees. "Apparently it's a side effect of the ritual. The yuryeong's life is tied to the life force of whoever controls it. As long as that person is alive and holding the reins, the monster can't be killed."
"So we just have to kill Phillips then take out the yuryeong, and we'll be good to go," Jae concludes as he walks into the kitchen, Dean trailing close behind. Both Sam and Dean stare at him as Max bites the inside of his lower lip. Jae flashes him a quick reassuring smile before looking back at the other two. "What?"
Dean blinks at him, wondering if he's had Jae pegged wrong this whole time. If the guy isn't just a little bit more bloodthirsty than he first seemed, a little more... unhinged. To talk so casually about offing a human... "You can't just... I mean, seriously? There's gotta be a way to break the control so we can kill the yuyu-thingy. Phillips is human; we can't just kill him."
Shrugging, Jae meets his gaze calmly. "Well, maybe you can't."
"Now hold on-" Dean starts to protest. He doesn't get far before Jae cuts him off, though.
"No! I won't 'hold on'," he exclaims, pinning Dean with a heated glare. "Min let this guy live both times he escaped, and Phillips has proven that as long as he's living, he's a threat. We let him walk away from this and it's only a matter of time before he comes back with some new plan to get at Min. And again and again and again until eventually he finds something that we - that I - can't stop. That may not mean much to you; we haven't known you all that long so I don't actually expect it to. But I'm not willing to take that risk. Not with Changmin."
He pauses to take a breath, trying to calm himself down, then looks back to Dean. The man looks torn, half sympathetic but half still wanting to protest. Jae pulls out the last weapon in his argument arsenal. "What if this were Sam instead of Max?" he poses, treading lightly when Dean's expression shifts from argumentative to shock to rage at the perceived threat all in the blink of an eye. "Just consider it for a minute. What if there were something - someone - out there that wanted to take him, torture him, break him down until he's the perfect mindless weapon? Someone who wouldn't stop, no matter the cost? What line would you draw then, Dean? Where would stop to keep Sam safe?"
While Jae and Dean continue their stare down, Sam and Max share a look. Knowing what he does now, Max realizes how scarily accurate Jae's 'hypothetical' questions truly are. Understands the reason Dean reacted so strongly to them. "I wouldn't," Dean finally replies, voice quiet but hard as granite.
"Dean..." Sam starts, but Dean waves him off, shooting a quick look at his brother over his shoulder before turning his attention back to Jae.
"You're right," he states. "I wouldn't stop, not if it meant Sam was okay. So, yeah, I get your point. I may not like it, but I get it."
Max stands suddenly, chair clattering to the floor behind him, and all eyes turn to him. "I just... I have to... I'm gonna... go out for a while. Take a walk or something," he manages to stutter out before turning for the door.
"Min," Jae starts, grabbing his arm in an attempt to slow Max's retreat. Max simply shakes off the grip and rushes from the room. A second later, they hear the front door slam shut.
"What... just happened?" Sam asks, staring at the door Max had just disappeared out of before turning to look at Jae for answers. Jae, for his part, shrugs rather helplessly and shakes his head.
~*~~*~
When Max hasn't returned an hour later, Dean finally makes up his mind to go out and hunt the kid down. He's keenly aware of the fact that he'd just finished speaking when Max had, basically, freaked out, and it's bugging him. Jae's words from his car ride repeat in his head, that Min doesn't have the life experience, doesn't always know how to deal with or react to certain things.
His first instinct takes him to a back corner of the salvage yard, the big shade tree where he'd caught Sam and Max chatting not even a week ago. Max seems like the type to rely on habits and routines so it seems as good a place as any to start. Luckily, Dean's instincts are finely tuned instruments; Max sits under the tree, knees bent up to his chest and his arms loosely wrapped around them as he stares a million miles out.
"Hey, kid," Dean calls out lightly as he approaches. He half expects Max to jump or startle in some way, knowing his training keeps his steps habitually quiet. His other half isn't at all surprised when Max simply turns his head to acknowledge Dean's presence. He knows enough about the kid at this point to realize Max rarely, if ever, lets his guard down. When he isn't immediately dismissed, Dean settles on the ground next to Max.
"Not a kid," Max finally replies quietly, the words lacking any kind of heat or force. Grinning brightly, Dean simply shrugs the rebuttal off. "Was Jae upset with me?"
"Upset?" Dean asks, not quite sure where Max would have drawn that conclusion from. Then again, knowing what he does, he should probably stop trying to guess at the way Max's mind works and just deal with the curve balls as they come. "Definitely not. Confused and maybe just the slightest bit worried but not upset. Not with you." Max nods, accepting the statement, and Dean pauses for just a moment before offering, "Wanna talk about it?"
"Not really," Max replies bluntly. Because, really, there was nothing to talk about. He could barely sort his own thoughts over why he'd panicked and run away. Putting any of those thoughts into words that Dean could understand would be an impossible feat. It was something in the emotions that had flowed through and from Dean in that moment when he'd solidified in his own mind what he'd do for his brother. Something in the flare of Sam's own emotions that had responded and complemented Dean's so well, whether they knew it or not.
Whatever the reason for it, he'd only been certain that there hadn't been enough air in the room, and Max had panicked. Thankfully, where Jae - or Sam, as Max was quickly coming to learn - would poke and prod and question all of these scrambled thoughts out of him, Dean seems perfectly content to accept Max's answer while continuing to sit there with him.
"Sam told me," Max admits a few minutes later, seemingly out of nowhere, though Dean's pretty sure there had been a logical thought process he just hadn't been privy to, "about your mom and the demon and his powers.
Dean sighs, more resigned than anything. "Yeah, figured he'd get around to that sooner or later. Most likely sooner. Surprised he held out this long, really." Max quirks a small smile at him that Dean catches just out of the corner of his eyes. And really, no matter what they did or did not actually talk about, Dean's counting this mission a success.
They sit out there long enough to watch the sunset, stars slowly lighting up the dark sky. Max stares up at it, relaxing more and more until his chin rests on his knees and all tension falls from his shoulders, but Dean's not entirely sure he's really seeing any of it. His eyes are pointed in the right direction, but his gaze is a million miles away. "We should probably head inside," Dean finally says a while later. "Wouldn't want to give Jae a reason to freak out even more."
Max snorts, a fond smile on his lips. "A freak doesn't need reasons to freak out. It's a natural state for them."
The wry tease surprises a bark of laughter out of Dean, and he slaps a hand on the kid's shoulder. "True enough. Then how about, let's head in because my ass is soaked from sitting on this grass and starting to itch?"
Max grins at him, and Dean gives himself a mental fist bump of victory. Not that he's been on a quest or anything for that exact reaction since their hunt together. At all. Doesn't diminish his sense of accomplishment either, though. Next goal: laughter. Just to make sure the kid's capable of it. With these (completely insane, nonsensical) thoughts running through his head, Dean stands from his seat on the ground. As soon as Max is standing next to him, he starts leading the way back to the house.
And he should have known, really. Should have expected it. Because the moment was too nice, the night too quiet, so something obviously had to break that shit right up.
They're walking in companionable silence, only about 20 feet or so from the porch, when the van comes tearing up the driveway/road. It's big and shiny black, windows tinted dark, and Dean pulls his gun as he puts himself between the vehicle and Max when it skids to a stop right next to them. "Bobby!" he calls, knowing it'll attract both Sam and Jae's attention as well. Max grips his arm, hand clenching tight as if in pain.
Bobby's front door opens, the other three exiting the house already armed and ready, just as the back doors of the van open and several (huge, hulking, holy-hell-what-did-they-crossbreed-with?) men pour out. Dean doesn't really get nervous, though, until that blue-skinned freak closely follows the giant thugs.
Outnumbered two-to-one not counting the monster, the fight's chaos, just absolute insanity, and it's all Dean can do to keep one eye on Sam while also attempting to take down as many men as he can. Then he loses track of Sam even when he hears Jae yell out a half-panicked, half-angry, "Min!" Dean turns just in time to watch the phantom-monster-whatever touch a hand to Max's head, and Max's eyes roll back as the kid collapses unconscious.
One of the small mountains passing as men tosses Max over his shoulder like the kid weighs nothing at all and makes for the van, and Dean's just done. He opens fire, screw his no-humans rule, because he's not letting them just take Max. He starts to second-guess his 'human' conclusion, though, when he hits one at least three times and the guy keeps coming. His fourth shot is to the head, and the man finally goes down.
Just in time to hear Sam's voice, obviously (to Dean at least) frightened, yell his name. Dean spins, searching through the chaos. It's way too much time, way too long that he can't get eyes on his brother. He finally spots Sam just in time to watch him go down much the same way Max did, the monster standing right behind him. And the muscle-men are a wall between him and his unconscious brother, doing more to just keep him tied up and away from Sam than they are to actually hurt him.
Dean roars, unleashing two quick head shots and watching two more bodies drop, but they've already got Sam to the van doors. And as soon as he's loaded in, the thugs file back in just as quickly as they'd come out, and the van peels out, spitting dust and gravel from under its tires as it speeds away. The sudden silence is jarring, infuriating. Dean yells out obscenities, just to break that frustrating quiet, then turns to check on Jae and Bobby.
Bobby's got a small trail of blood trickling down the side of his face, but he seems coherent. As pissed as Dean, pretty apparently, but coherent. They share a short look before looking for Jae. The younger man is standing in the road, a wicked-looking knife in his left hand dripping blood while his right grips his gun, and he's staring in the direction the van disappeared. "They're going to kill him," he says, just barely above a whisper, the words carrying all too clearly through the suddenly-still night.
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