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DAY 1: Tick Tock Goes The Clock
Sam gets lost in the forest. This action has consequences.
First day of Whumptober, one of the few times I'll be on time too. It's Dean's turn today! Congrats to him (?) This was supposed to be a story about Sam getting lost in the woods and it ended up being a character study of Dean and his self-worth issues. I'm not unhappy about it. Triggers Warnings: - Mild Graphic Description of Violence - Mild Blood and Injury - Broken Bone - Dean's Canonical Self-worth Issues - John Being an Asshole Fandom : Supernatural (TV 2005) Character(s) : Dean Winchester Relationship(s) : Dean Winchester & John Winchester & Sam Winchester Words Count : 2,714 No. 1: RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK Search Party | Panic Attack | "If only we could hold on.” (Icysami x Renegaderr, Strangers.)
Dean tightened his grip on his silver blade, listening for any sound. He was alone in the forest, the full moon visible through the treetops. Dean barely dared to breathe for fear of being heard, every crack of branches or wind through the leaves putting him on alert in the deathly silence that surrounded him.
He had been separated from Dad and Sammy hours ago, but Dean wasn't worried. Sammy was with Dad, nothing could happen to him. Now it was up to Dean to fulfill his duty. It was the last night of the lunar cycle. If he didn't kill the werewolf he was tracking tonight, it could run away and continue to hurt innocent people for another month.
(There were five of them in the woods, all thinking they were the predator. But only three of them would get out of here alive.)
A shadow, lit by the cold, metallic light of the moon, shifted on a trunk and Dean turned abruptly. Good thing he did. The werewolf he thought he had been following for the past hour jumped at him, sharp claws aimed at his face. With a practiced reflex, Dean protected his head with his arm holding his blade, throwing himself out of the werewolf's path with agility.
Not fast enough.
A claw hit his arm, tearing through flesh as easily as the fabric of his jacket, drawing blood onto the forest floor. In pain, Dean let go of his silver blade, sending it a few meters away from him. He clutched his arm to his chest, quickly assessing the damage. For a terrifying moment, he could no longer remember if a werewolf's scratch was enough to infect a human.
(If it did, what would he do? What would Dad do? Dean couldn't imagine his father accepting a monster as a son. And Sammy? It didn't matter, Dean would rather die than hurt an innocent.
Dean killed monsters indiscriminately, no matter who or where they came from. That was what he had always been taught. Hunters killed monsters. Dean knew what he would have to do.)
Calm down and think, idjit!
Dean forced himself to breathe through his nose. A scratch wasn't enough to turn someone into a werewolf, only a bite could. Easy, Dean could avoid being bitten by a dirty mutt.
The werewolf snarled, drool dripping down its chin, yellow eyes flashing wildly in the night. It was getting impatient and the adrenaline that was pulsing violently in Dean's veins would soon fade, leaving him to face all the pain of his wound.
Dean had to get his hand on his weapon. And fast. He mentally calculated the distance between him, the werewolf and his knife. But the werewolf noticed the direction of his gaze.
"Oh no!" the werewolf threatened, its words chewed in its rage.
The werewolf threw itself at Dean, but this time Dean was ready for it. Using his opponent’s momentum against him, he kicked the beast in the sternum, deflecting its course and sending it into a thicket of brambles. The werewolf struggled through the brambles, howling in anger, giving Dean enough time to lunge for his silver blade. His fingers closed around the handle, a sigh of relief and comfort escaping him.
A hand grabbed his ankle, claws digging deep into his ankle, cutting through tendons. Dean fell, his chin hitting the ground hard. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. He tried to grab roots, clawing at the ground to keep the werewolf from pulling him towards it, thorns digging into his skin. Dean struggled and kicked, ignoring the searing pain, to force the werewolf to let go of him. But the monster held firm, twisting his bones as it laughed in satisfaction.
A guttural cry escaped his lips, tearing through his dry throat.
“A fighter, I like that,” the werewolf mocked. “I don’t usually turn men, but I might make an exception for you. You’re pretty enough.”
“Go to hell!” Dean spat, choking on his blood.
Dean forced himself to turn his torso to face the werewolf, straining his bruised muscles. He swung his knife in a wide arc in front of him and sliced the monster across the face, damaging one of its eyes. The werewolf cried out in pain and finally let go of Dean, bringing a hand deformed by claws to its face.
Dean stood up quickly, putting as much distance between himself and the werewolf as he could. He spat on the ground, a mixture of blood and dirt, and grinned victoriously, his teeth tinged red. He gripped his knife in his left hand, his entire body on alert.
(He had practiced using both hands, but his left hand was still his weakest. This would have to do.)
Dean had never wanted a gun more than he did now. But they had only managed to get one single silver bullet and giving it to Dean who had a better chance of missing his target would have been a waste. It had made sense for Dad to take the gun, he wouldn't miss. Still, sticking a standard bullet between the werewolf's eyes would have reassured him, even if it would have barely slowed it down.
"I take it back," the werewolf growled. "I'm going to enjoy tearing you apart and eat your heart. And when I'm done hearing you beg, I'm going to hunt down your delicious little brother and take him with me. That is, if my friend doesn't kill him and your demon of a father first."
Dean's ears twisted and his vision went red. Sammy .
"Stay away from him!" Dean growled, his voice as animal as the monster in front of him.
The werewolf smirked and Dean knew he had made a mistake. He had just revealed a weakness, something precious to him and the predator in front of him had smelled it. Dean's determination only grew, he couldn't let the werewolf go now that it had so clearly threatened his little brother.
( Sammy, he had to protect Sammy. )
With his good foot, Dean kicked the dirt at his feet, creating a protective screen of dust and blocking him from the werewolf's sight for a few seconds. It wasn't enough, not when all the senses of the monster in front of him were heightened but it was something.
Dean attacked from the right, the side where the werewolf was blinded by the wound Dean had inflicted on it. But the werewolf abruptly turned to Dean, having sensed him coming, and met him head-on with a punch to the stomach. Dean's breath caught in his chest for a moment, bile rising in his mouth. He doubled over in shock and the werewolf grabbed his hair before yanking .
Dean kneed it between the legs, forcing the werewolf to let go of him and sank his blade deep into the werewolf's ribs. He brought his knife up to the werewolf's heart, puncturing its liver and lungs.
The werewolf grabbed his wrist, crushing his bones and twisting Dean's arm until Dean let go. A sickening crack echoed through the forest and his arm went limp in the werewolf's grip, broken mid-forearm. Dean couldn't help but cry out in pain and fear.
The werewolf grinned wickedly and, straining on Dean's broken arm, sent him into a tree. Dean's head hit the trunk hard and he fell to the ground, his broken arm beneath him. He staggered to his feet, slower than he would have liked, the world spinning indescribably around him.
"I'm going to kill you," Dean slurred, pointing his broken knife at the werewolf.
Dean realized a second too late that the blade of his knife had been separated from the handle, still inside the werewolf, just below his heart. A few inches more and Dean would have succeeded. Oh well, if he had to shove his hand between the werewolf's ribs to retrieve his blade and finish the job properly, he would.
The werewolf looked at him in horror, coughing up blood. The wound wasn’t fatal, but there was no way it could get the blade out of its body. With any luck, it would die from its injuries without Dean having to do anything. But Dean had stopped relying on luck years ago. He alone was in control of his destiny, and he couldn’t give the werewolf a chance to hurt someone— to hurt Sammy .
The werewolf took off running.
In the direction Dean had left Dad and Sammy.
Dean gave chase, excruciating pain shooting through his nerves every time he stepped on the ground. He couldn't take more than three steps before he collapsed, tears streaming down his cheeks and leaving trails in the dirt and blood.
"Dad!" Dean screamed as he tried to get up. " Dad!!! "
God, he was so useless.
His scream tore through the night, Dean not caring if he lured the other werewolf to him. The icy panic in his veins wouldn't let him think, he had to warn Dad. Sammy was in danger. Because of him.
"DAD!"
Dean finally stood up, his throat dry and every nerve ending in his body on fire. But Sammy was more important than him. He started running again, branches whipping at his face, following the werewolf’s tracks. A shadow appeared at the edge of his vision and barreled into him, pinning him in its arms. Dean struggled fiercely, trying to free himself.
“Dean!” the shadow snapped.
Dean relaxed instantly, recognizing his father. He could have cried with relief at the sight of him. If Dad was here, it meant Sammy was okay. Even if Dean had screwed up again, Dad would be able to help him.
“Where’s Sammy? We need to get him out of here,” Dean said, panicked.
(A part of his brain recognized that he was still in his father’s arms. He couldn’t remember the last time Dad had hugged him.)
“What? I thought he was with you!”
Dean’s heart stopped for a second.
This time, his tears were filled with despair.
“No, no, no,” Dean cried, shaking his head. “He was supposed to be with you. Safe .”
“Dean, tell me what happened,” Dad ordered calmly, his hands on Dean’s shoulders, but Dean could hear the urgency in his voice.
“I didn’t manage to kill the werewolf, he ran away. And he said he’d turn Sammy if he found him,” Dean explained, recognizing an order even through his visceral fear. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”
Dad clenched his fists in anger, his eyes stormy and his posture dangerous. But Dean didn’t know who his anger was directed at.
“I’m sorry,” Dean repeated. “Please, Dad.”
(Dean didn’t know what he was asking his father to do, to take him back in his arms, to help him, to forgive him, to save Sammy.)
“Apologies won’t help, Dean,” Dad said abruptly. “We need to find Sammy. Fast .”
Dean stopped himself from apologizing again and straightened up, waiting for the next command.
“It’s hurt,” Dean added, forcing himself to ignore his pathetic outburst of emotion. “My silver blade is stuck in its ribs under its heart and he can’t use its left eye.”
“Good,” Dad replied, deep in thought. “It’ll be to our advantage. And you, are you hurt?”
“No,” Dean lied, almost by reflex.
“I don’t have time for lies, Dean!” Dad shouted out of patience, making Dean flinch. “Your brother may be in danger and every second you waste could very well be vital.”
"Both my arms and my ankle," Dean answered quickly. "And my head."
"Damn it, Dean, I thought I had you better trained than this," Dad swore. "But I could use you. So stay with me. But if I tell you to run, you run. No protests. You'll only get in my way anyway."
"Yes, sir!"
Without another word, Dad started walking, handing Dean his silver blade. It was caked in blood and Dean wiped it on his pants before testing its weight in his hand.
"How are you going to do without a weapon?" Dean asked, following his father.
"I still have the bullet," Dad replied, patting the gun strapped to his thigh. "Now shut up, I don't want the bastard to hear us."
Dean lowered his head, concentrating on keeping up with his father's fast pace. He didn't want to be any more of a burden than he already was. Dad would never forgive him if Sammy died tonight. And he wouldn't forgive himself either. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain, each frantic beat of his heart feeling like a countdown to his little brother's death, a bomb waiting to explode.
(Dean was nothing without Sammy, he couldn't lose him. Not his little brother.)
They didn't have time to waste.
XXX
Dean and Dad had walked for what seemed like hours, searching for Sammy. The werewolf’s tracks had finally disappeared around a bush, as if they had never existed. The full moon setting on the horizon should have been a relief, the end of a long night, but it was only a mockery.
They were running out of time.
Reluctantly, Dad had agreed to let them split up to cover more ground. Every second that passed was like a stab through Dean’s heart. It was his fault, it was his negligence and weakness that had allowed the werewolf to escape, that had put Sammy in danger.
The adrenaline that kept him upright had worn off, and Dean struggled through the forest, limping like a newborn fawn. He was dehydrated, having not had a drink of water in hours and having thrown up even more times. His head was killing him, blood pulsing violently in his temples. But Dean welcomed the distraction of the pain, anything to avoid thinking that he might find Sammy’s heartless corpse with every step he took.
(He resolutely forced himself not to look at the inhuman shape of his arm—flaccid, shapeless, and in two pieces—or the bleeding, festering cut on his other arm.)
Dean didn’t let it slow him down, despite his body begging him. He would rest when he was dead.
At the end of a path, Dean could see the edge of the forest and beyond it an abandoned hunter’s cabin. He stopped, hesitating for a moment, and tried to think like Sammy. A cabin like this was a good shelter to wait out the full moon. Dean knew he'd regret it if he didn't at least check it out. But it could also be a waste of crucial time.
What would Dad do in this situation?
You're a smart kid. Follow your instincts.
Dean changed direction toward the cabin.
A branch snapped behind him and Dean spun around abruptly. His knife stopped inches from his father's jugular as he raised his hands in the air in peace.
"Sorry," Dean apologized sheepishly, relaxing his arm.
"Don't be," Dad replied gruffly. "That was a nice reflex you had there."
Dean was too tired to appreciate his father’s rare compliment and let his arm fall back to his side. But Dad stopped him, gently grabbing his wrist and examining the wound on his arm.
“That’s a nasty cut you’ve got there,” Dad said. “You’ll need antibiotics, I’ll call Bobby as soon as we find your little brother.”
“It’s not important,” Dean refuted, trying to pull his arm back. “Sammy’s the priority.”
Dad stopped him, looking almost sad for a moment.
“Your well-being is important. You’re important,” Dad said with a hint of desperation, as if he really meant it. He looked like he was going to say something else but thought better of it, his gaze drifting toward the cabin. “You wanted to go take a look?”
“That’s the kind of place Sammy would hide,” Dean said. “He’s smart like that.”
“Good thinking, wait for me here,” Dad ordered, finally letting go of Dean's arm.
“What? No!” Dean protested fiercely.
“Dean, I don't have time for this,” Dad snapped.
Dean didn't listen to the end of his father's sentence. A blood-curdling scream shattered the quiet of dawn and Dean rushed towards the cabin, stealing the gun from his father's hand. Dean knew that voice, he knew it better than his own.
(It should never have contained so much pain and fear.)
“ Sammy !”
Sorry for the cliffhanger (or not). I actually combined two days in this story (and played around a little bit with the prompts too) so you will have Sam's POV and the end of this chapter on the... (drum rolls please) 19th! (Also, it's my first time writing whump so I don't know if it's enough hurt. Feel free to give me your opinion on the matter.)
No. 1: RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK
Search Party | Panic Attack | “If only we could hold on.” (Icysami x Renegaderr, Strangers.)
OC Whump
Hi, this is my first time posting content and this is my first contribution to Whumptober. It's about OC, so if you have any questions about them or the universe…I'd obviously be more than happy to answer! Also, English isn't my first language, so i apologize for any mistake. Check the tags for TW and enjoy !
Damp corridor, metal doors, one, two, three, a staircase down to the right, a corridor to the left - stairs are slippery and narrow - a first flight of steps, a second, plunged into the gloom that only his wolf's eyes can pierce, then a step that opens onto a wide underground stone corridor. He lunges forward.
A hand grabs him by the shoulder, closes over the dirty, damp fabric of his hoodie, restraining him.
-Detection spell, Gend whispers in his ear.
With a complex gesture of his left hand, the man disperses the spell into oblivion. They'll know they've been compromised, but not to what extent. Silver barely waits the explosion of the spell before resuming his advance through the tunnel, Gend at his heels illuminated by a luminous orb floating in the air. They make rapid progress, a running pace that Silver would certainly turn into a desperate rush forward if the other entity let him.
They both know what's at stake. The stakes. They've had breakfast with him, filled out papers on his advice, exchanged reading recommendations. They've seen him smile, they've teased him, they've watched him bleed and fight and bandage their wounds.
It's not fatigue that makes Gend's heart beat so fast, nor stupidity that drives Silver to keep going and turn the town upside down while his whole body betrays a deep exhaustion that worsens with each passing hour.
There will come a time when they can't take it anymore.
The corridor leads to a larger, circling, rocky room with three doors and a continuation of the corridor a little further on.
Silver suddenly yelps, and the older man suddenly raises his hand, ready to protect the only other member of their Triumvirate left with all his might. But no danger threatens, and yet the werewolf drops to the ground with a deep breath. Gend stares at him, expectant. Clearly, his companion had found something. A lead, a clue, anything that could confirm that they were on the right track, that they weren't making a mistake and wasting time on something that would lead them nowhere. It's been five days.
Silver raises her head in a jerky movement. Large, gold-spangled eyes, glittering with the manic energy of a man who hasn't slept in days, meet Gend's.
-That's his scent. He was here, he was here !
Silver spins around, his nose twitching in a very non-human way, trying to gather all the information he can find. Gend focus on the tiny traces of aura he can still perceive. It's faint, very faint, but he manages to feel the trace of a cold, sharp energy, the one he associates with their third member. A knot tightens in his stomach as a wave of despair washes over him, numbs his frozen fingers. A burning bitterness rising in his throat and lodging just behind his tongue.
Armand was there, so close, so close of a rescue perhaps, they missed him by maybe a few hours, and now maybe this mistake will sign his doom...
Silver straightened up and opened one of the doors on the left. Whatever the room contains makes him freeze on the threshold, and Gend pushes the fear that's stirring further into his stomach so he can go and support his teammate. Reaching behind him, however, he understands his shock.
Thick chains hang from the wall.
Gend's sense of smell is not as good as Silver's, but good enough to recognize the faint,metallic odor tickling his nostrils. His chest constricts painfully.
They knew. They knew Armand was being tortured, of course, but it's different to find concrete proof.
For a few seconds, the only sound in the underground is their two ragged breaths, then Silver turns and strides off down the tunnel.
-Silver...!
-Come on, we must be close, if we can find more clues, if we can exploit this lead, we can...
The werewolf stumbles and barely regains his balance. He has to lean on the wall with one hand to keep from collapsing. His heartbeat is strangely violent and irregular, and his magic erratic. The knot in Gend's stomach tightens. They're exhausted, they're clumsy, they're going to make mistakes, endanger themselves unnecessarily and endanger Armand. A few hours is a long time, and the trail is already cold.
-Silver, he repeats softly.
-Fuck, no, Gend ! Explodes his friend. No ! They're torturing him ! He's been alone with them for a week ! I'm not leaving him ! As long as I can breathe, as long as I can stand, then I can keep looking for him ! So go back to the guild if you want, but leave me out of it, okay ?!
His anger poorly conceals his fear and the sobs beneath his cries.
-You can barely stand, Silver ! hisses Gend.
-I can, chokes his friend. I can still stand. If I can just hold on a little longer, then I can find him, bring him home...
-Not like this ! Gosh, your body's giving out ! Just a few more hours. Just a few hours. Please. Five hours of sleep, one meal, and I swear we'll be on our way. There's an inn next to that building. Silver, please...
And reasoning with Silver Shein when someone he loves is in danger has never been easy, but the guardian is also one of Gend's loved ones and he has lost enough over the last week. If he has to use other means of persuasion, he will.
-Three hours, growls a hoarse voice. And you report our position to Brian so one of his teams can come and investigate the damn tunnel.
-Yes ! nods the bar manager.
He chooses not to point out to Silver that he would never have left this trail unexplored. His friend is beyond exhaustion, and Gend will pass on this unpleasant innuendo.
Armand is his friend just as much as Silver is, and every cell in his body is screaming at him to keep going, to plunge deeper into the darkness, motivated by the mad hope of finding the part of himself that's missing at the end of this tunnel.
But of the three, Gend has always been the most reasonable, the voice of reason. For now, he has the means to preserve one of the people dear to his heart. He won't lose one to another.
Silently, as he heads for the exit alongside Silver, he begs Armand to hold on a little longer.
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Race Against the Clock
(search party / panic attack / "if only we could hold on")
***
"Where is she?!"
"Faye. Calm down. You're hyperventilating."
Wide, wild green eyes stared uncomprehendingly back at him. Faye's breathing did not improve. The thick clouds of dust in the air were no help for breathing or for seeing a damn thing.
"She... she..." Faye gasped.
"Dammit, Spike! Forget about her for a second! Ed needs our help here!" Jet shouted as he continued to furiously dig through the rubble that was settling all around them.
Spike scowled. The circumstances were not great. Faye's panic attack was the most useless thing that could have happened at such a critical juncture. Although, something lurked in the back of Spike's mind about the dangers of attempting a rescue before a structure had finished falling apart. There was a risk that Jet's hasty attempts to dislodge the broken portions of the building would cause more of it to crumble and it's not like they even knew exactly where Ed was in all the disarray.
"Faye." He cupped her face between his hands, palms pressing against her cheeks gently. "You are making things worse. Get your fucking shit together."
Cruel words but he didn't have time to baby her. Besides, Faye tended to react more immediately and aggressively to negative comments than to anything sweet and soothing. Probably something psychological to explore there but this wasn't the place for that.
As he'd hoped, his callous command sparked something in her. She stiffened beneath his touch and jerked back as her spine straightened up. Hurt warred with confusion in her gaze for a moment before her eyes snapped like green fire at him. She shoved past him without a word and started to sift through the wreckage of a different section of the collapsed housing complex.
Worry over the fate of the lost hacker was predominant in Spike's mind as well but he wasn't convinced she was trapped where the others were searching. Ed had discovered a trapdoor leading into shadowy depths underneath the apartments. He'd seen as much for himself in the video feed of her COMM call before the ground began to heave and the signal cut out.
She might be hidden under more debris than the others realized.
A shudder tore through him at the thought that she might not be buried alive at all. She might just be... buried.
No.
NO.
Wrenching his thoughts from that dark avenue, Spike threw himself bodily into heaving aside fragments of concrete and wood and whatever else had once shoddily held the apartment building together. If he could just find the remains of the stairwell... if that section had been built strong enough to remain intact while the hallways and everything else fell apart... if he could just get further down, deeper down...
The dog was with her, after all. The two most clever and resourceful members of the crew, trapped together somewhere in a place where they might not be getting much oxygen. Where they might be wounded or worse. How much time did they have? How long before there wasn't any air at all to breathe? It was a race against the clock - a clock they couldn't even see. A race they might have already lost.
Worst-case scenarios continued to plague his thoughts. He could hear Jet grunting with effort, could practically taste the tears on Faye's cheeks as she choked back sobs and choked also on the dusty air they were breathing in.
No.
Ed and Ein would be fine. They just needed to hold on... Spike and the others would get to them soon... if they could just... if they...
Dammit.
"Hold on, kiddo. We're coming for you." Spike muttered quietly, his throat tight with unwanted emotion and burning from all the nasty shit he was inhaling. "Just... hold on..."