The next day in Santa Carla was spent looking for a case. John had sent them out here for a reason: Santa Carla was a strange, strange place.

Dean and Sam were holed up in a shady looking motel because it's all you can afford on a hunter's salary.

Sam spent a lot of time looking out the motel window, a subtle notion of "please Dean can we go back to the Boardwalk today," which Dean was struggling to deny.

It was nearing lunchtime when the boys ordered from a little Chinese food place from down the street. They ate pretty quietly as Dean flipped through some newspapers for a case.

"Sammy, I think I got something," Dean said, tossing the article to his brother. "Strange disappearances have been occurring all around Santa Carla with no witnesses or leads to finding them."

Sam shrugged. "So? That doesn't seem like a ghost or anything. Stuff happens like this all the time."

"Dunno, Sammy, something about it seems wrong..." Dean started. Then he dropped it, taking the paper back. He took a large mouthful of white rice.

"Dean, you promised I could get comics today," Sam finally huffed after 20 minutes of Dean reading the paper.

"Dad didn't send us on this trip to buy comics. He sent us to hunt some of the monsters around the city."

"There's no case!" Sam complained.

"You want to go to the Boardwalk alone, then? In the Murder Capital of the world? You wanna go alone, Sam?" Dean raised his voice a little bit, getting frustrated that Sam was distracting him, and that John had sent them off with no leads.

"No," Sam mumbled, kicking the floor, knowing it was a reverse psychology test.

"We've been at this less than a day, can you wait a day at least, before you get distracted by some books in a shop you won't even read?!"

Sam was starting at the floor. Dean never yelled like that. There was silence for half a minute.

"Sammy...," Dean said, looking at his brother's sad face.

"Forget it," Sam responded quietly. "Just forget it."

"Hey, no, listen...," Dean got up and say in the bed next to his brother, putting the paper away. "I know I promised, so I'll tell ya what, I'll give you a 20, you go buy a comic, maybe ride the coaster once or twice, then you come back here? Okay?"

Sam nodded, looking up into his brother's green eyes.
"Thanks, Dean-o!"

"Hey. Take your switchblade,"

***

Sam wandered the Boardwalk alone, clutching the 20 as well as the switchblade Dean gave him for protection. He'd had it since he was 10 and had been learning how to use it ever since.

He found the shop easily and thumbed through some of the pages. A kid not too much older than him came up to help.

"You new here?" He asked gruffly.

Sam nodded, shuffling through a Batman comic. "Visiting, actually."

"What's a kid like you doing in the Murder Capital of the world?"

Sam's eyes narrowed a bit, eyeing him up and down once. His hair was held back by a red bandana, and he was dressed in jeans and a camouflage shirt.

"I'm not just a kid. It's not like I can't take care of myself."

The boy chuckled, like there was something Sam didn't know.
"Hah, in these parts?"

Sam turned to look at him, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yes. In these parts." He said through his teeth. "You sound like my dad."

Sam huffed and turned back to the comics. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at the kid in the red bandana.

"All I'm saying is... it's stranger than you think,"

"Ooh, scary," Sam rolled his eyes. Sure this was his first official hunt, but definitely not his first time on the job. Nothing scared him, not Sam Winchester.

They were joined by another person, about the same age. He was a bit older than Sam, with black hair and a gray tanktop.

"He's right you know. You should take this...," in his hand, he held a comic that was titled Destroy All Vampires!

Sam shrugged. "How come?"

"It could save your life, buddy!"

Sam squinted at it. They obviously knew nothing about the fact that he was a hunter. (Which was good, but annoying that they thought he was so dumb.)

"Our number is on the back if anything happens. If you need us, ask for Alan and Edgar Frog," the black haired one said. "I'm Alan, he's Edgar."

Edgar nodded, making a noise of indication.

Sam nodded. "I'm Sam, Sam Winchester."

"Good to meet you Sam," said Edgar, putting a hand on the young Winchester's shoulder. "You take care of yourself. I hope you never need to call us."

"Yeah... uh... me too. Thanks guys."
Sam paid for the comic as well as a Batman one he'd picked up for Dean, and left the store in search of the rollercoaster again. He read on the back,

Call in case of emergency:
555-6966
Frog Brothers, fighters for truth, justice, and the American Way.

He put the books into his bag and got in line.

There was a boy in front of him, about 15 years old, with fluffy reddish hair. They stood for a minute in silence before he turned to Sam.

"Ever been on this ride before?" He asked, peering over his sunglasses at him.

"Yeah, yesterday. You?"

"Ah yeah, all the time. The Boardwalk is basically my hangout."

"Cool,"

Sam looked up at the coaster once, leaning back on the rails of the line.

"Name's Maxwell, but call me Maxx. Who are you?"

It took Sam a second to realize he was being addressed, but quickly shook his hand.
"I'm Sam, Sam Winchester. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too. New here?"

"Visiting, so yeah, I'm pretty new. Got in last night."

Maxx looked around a little, trying to scope out a parent.

"On your own?" He asked in disbelief.

"Nah, my older brother stayed at the hotel because he didn't feel like going out," Sam nodded absently.

"Mm. Good, it's not a nice place." Maxx ran a hand through his hair, stretching his arms a little bit in his dark tank top.

"Everyone says that,"

"Well, because it's true," Maxx stated with a curt nod.

"I've seen not nice. This place isn't it." Sam sighed.

"I guess you haven't seen this place at night, then..."

"That doesn't matter. Not nice is not nice, and this is one of the nicer places I've been in life."

"Not dragging on Santa Carla at all, cuz I do live here, but I would hate to see what you think is not nice," Maxx chuckled.

"Nah, you really wouldn't. Anyway, you're up next for the ride," he pointed, "Have fun! Thanks for talking to me."

"Thanks Sam,"

***
Sam waited his turn, getting on the coaster. It was a whole ton of fun.

After it ended, Sam reluctantly decided to head back to Dean. He rested against the side of a building to think. He could eat dinner and give Dean his comic. Unfortunately, this probably also meant that this would be his last time on the Boardwalk, especially if Dean found a case.

While Sam stood and contemplated whether or not he should ride again for one last hurrah, suddenly, a hand covered his mouth and nose, and a sack was pulled over the young Winchester's head. Sam tried to scream but found that he couldn't.

His bag of comics and his switchblade was knocked from his hand, and strong arms picked him up, rendering him defenseless.

Before he blacked out, there was a voice in his ear.

"I'm sorry. He'll kill me if I don't do this."
.

.

.
Author's Note: that escalated quickly.
Thanks to oblivious80s for the character of Maxx.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Leave some comments if you did! :D
Party on dudes, and be one of us!