>HUNTED<

"You okay?"Alayna asked cautiously when she noticed Ava was breathing pretty hard with a hand on her chest. Sam set the file down on the table before looking over at the girl in concern as well. 

"Am I okay?" Alayna nodded, looking back at Sam confused at the rhetorical question. "I just helped you steal some dead guy's confidential psych files. I'm awesome!" Alayna laughed along with Sam at her adrenaline rush before Sam popped in the tape, and it began to play.

"It started a little over a year ago," Scott's voice started speaking. "Migraines at first. Then I found I could do stuff,"

"What do you mean, 'do stuff'?" Dr. Waxler questioned.

"I have this ability. When I touch something I can electrocute it if I want," Alayna shared a look with Sam at what the tape had just confirmed. Scott was just like them.

"How do you know?" Dr. Waxler asked him.

"Did it to the neighbor's cat. It's insides fried up like a hamburger," There was a scrawling sound, like someone writing. "You don't believe me,"

"Well, I believe that you believe it," Dr. Waxler told him sensibly.

"Then here. Want to shake on it?" Alayna couldn't help the small smile that twitched on her lips at that.

"Why would you want to kill the neighbor's cat, Scott?" Dr. Waxler, apparently, hadn't shaken his hand.

"I don't," He answered. "He wants me to, and he doesn't want me to stop there,"

"Who?" The room went dead still as they awaited the answer.

"The yellow-eyed man. He comes to me in my dreams," Scott responded, sounding haunted.

"What else does the yellow-eyed man say?" Dr. Waxler asked him.

"He has plans for me. He says there's a war coming, and people like me - we're gonna be the soldiers. Everything is about to change," Sam didn't hesitate to turn off the tape and Alayna turned to him with wide eyes, silently asking him if she heard what she thought she just hear.

"He's not talking about us, right?" Ava's voice was strained and scared.

"I think so," Alayna replied darkly.

"Well... but how can we turn into that?" Ava asked. Everything that happened moved so fast and the glass panel shattered. Alayna could faintly hear Sam tell her to get down through the ringing before she was pulled to the ground and covered by his body while Ava tried to make herself small in the corner behind the table. The glass of the second panel was shattered loudly as Ava started freaking out. "Oh my god, oh my god. What's happening?! Sam, Alayna, who's shooting at us?" That was enough to snap Alayna out of it and she quickly grabbed the leg of the table, yanking it towards herself and Sam, causing the thing to fall sideways, giving them more shelter. Sam began to move up from his crouch only to have Alayna pull him back down.

"Don't," Alayna hissed harshly, keeping a hand firmly on his arm as this bad feeling twisted her stomach. Soon the room grew quiet again and they waited another ten minutes to make sure the coast was clear before heading to the roof across the street.

"Wait, I don't understand. Shouldn't we be talking to the cops?" Ava questioned as they walked cautiously across the roof.

"Trust me, they wouldn't do us much good," Sam told her. Alayna knelt down next to him and picked up an empty shell, and turned it over in her hand.

"It's a .223 caliber. That's subsonic rounds," Ava just stared at the brunette uncomprehendingly. "It means he had to have put a suppressor on the rifle,"

"Who are you people?" Ava exclaimed, throwing her arms to the side.

"Oh, we just, uh - we just watch a lot of 'T.J. Hooker'," Sam covered for Alayna as she dropped the shell, dusting her hands off and stood up.

"Who are you calling?" Ava asked, making her glance up at Sam, who had the phone pressed to his ear already. Alayna didn't even need to ask him to already have a good idea on who he was calling.

"My brother and a friend. See how far away they are," Sam explained.

"Hello?" Alayna grabbed at his shoulder and pulled herself up onto her tip-toes so she could hear Dean on the other line.

"Dean," Sam replied.

"Sam, I've been looking for you. Is Alayna with you?"

"Yeah, we're in Layfette Indiana." Sam told him.

"We know."

"You do?" Sam questioned incredulously, looking over at Alayna.

"Yeah, we talked to Ellen and just got here ourselves. It's a real funky town." Alayna's eyes met Sam's, and her smile dissipated. He was being held at gun point. "Way to just ditch us guys, Karoline's been chewing my ear off about you hijacking her car. Bad move."

"Yeah, sorry about that, but right now, there's someone after us," Sam told him.

"What? Who?" Dean questioned, but it sounded slightly strained.

"We don't know. That's what we need to find out," Sam filled him in on the gunman that had shot at them less than twenty minutes ago. "Where are you?"

"We're staying at 5637 Monroe Street. Why don't you two meet us here?" He sounded calm, but they both could hear the slight strain in his voice.

"Yeah, sure," Sam replied, snapping the phone shut and turning to Alayna with a knowing look.

"What is it?" Ava asked as Sam stowed the phone in his pocket, and Alayna headed for the stairs.

"Dean and Karoline are in trouble," Alayna informed her over her shoulder.

"What?" Her and Sam hurried after the short brunette.

"He gave me a code word. Someone's got a gun on him," Sam explained for her as he scribbled the address on the notepad.

"Code word?" Ava echoed in disbelief.

"Yeah. 'funky town'," Alayna told her, and sighed at the look she got. "Karoline and Dean have a weird sense of humor."

***

"Gordy, I know us, Sam, and Alayna ain't exactly your favorite people, but don't you think this is a little extreme?" Dean questioned Gordon from where he was tied to a chair in the middle of an abandoned, decrepit house. To his left Karoline was tied in another chair.

"Oh, you think this is revenge?" Gordon asked, and Dean raised his eyebrows.

"We did leave you tied up in your own mess for three days," Dean chuckled as he said the words. "Which was awesome," He added, just to get under Gordon's skin. One of the first lessons Tom and John had taught all of them was to never let your captor see you scared. "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh,"

"Yeah, I was definitely planning on whipping your ass for that," Dean nodded, knowing that they'd had this coming for a while now. "That's not what this is. This isn't personal. I'm not a killer, Dean. I'm a hunter. Your brother and his little girlfriend are fair game," Gordon finished, jamming the ammo into the gun as Dean's face lost it's cocky smile, noticing Karoline stiffen beside him."See, I was doing an exorcism down in Louisiana," Gordon started after he was done checking all the guns. "A teenage girl. It seemed routine. Some low-level demon, but between all the jabbering and the head-spinning, damn thing muttered something about a coming war. I don't think it meant to. It just kind of slipped out, but it was too late. It piqued my interest, and you can really make a demon talk, if you got the right tools,"

"What happened to the girl it was possessing?" Karoline asked, already knowing the answer.

"She didn't make it," Gordon replied apathetically as he sat there with his rifle across his lap as if nothing was wrong.

"Well, you're a son of a bitch," Gordon stood swiftly and walked over to Dean, slamming his fist across the younger man's face and making Dean grunt. Karoline jerked in her seat, unable to do anything but sit there, the binds keeping her in place.

"That's my mama you're talking about," Despite everything, Dean had to smile slightly at the man's comeback. "Anyway, this demon tells me they have soldiers to fight in this coming war, humans fighting on hell's side. You believe that? I mean, they're psychics, so they're not exactly pure human. But still, what kind of worthless scumbag you got to be to turn against your own race?" Dean just stared at him, not saying a word. "But you know the biggest kick in the ass?" Gordon asked him, and Dean remained silent. "This demon said I knew two of them - our very own Sammy Winchester and Alayna Van Allen," Dean started to laugh, shaking his head at his captor.

"Well, this is - this is a whole new level of moronic, even for you," Dean told him, trying to hide how scared he really was.

"Come on, Dean. I know about Sam's visions, I even saw little 'Layna's healing with my own eyes. I know everything," Gordon informed him matter-of-factly.

"Really? Because a demon told you?" Karoline chuckled. "Yeah, and let's just pretend it wasn't lying,"

"Hey, Kare, I'm not some reckless yahoo, okay? I did my homework. I made damn sure it was true. Look, you got your Roadhouse connections. I got mine. It's how I found Sammy and 'Layna in the first place," Gordon walked back to his chair and sat down comfortably. "About a month ago, I found another one of these freaks here in town. He could deep-fry a person just by touching them,"

"Yeah, did he kill anyone?" Dean asked.

"Besides Mr. Tinkles, the cat, no. But he was working up to it. They're all gonna be killers, guys. We got to take them all out, and that means Sammy and Lays, too," Gordon cocked the gun loudly, making a spike of fear shoot through Dean's heart, he looked over at Karoline quickly, seeing the same look of fear pass through her eyes.

"You think either of them are stupid enough to walk through that door?" Dean tried desperately to play his last card.

"No, I don't," Gordon's answer surprised them. "Especially since I'm sure you found a way to warn them," Gordon laughed at the fear that flashed across Dean's face. "You really think I'm that stupid?" Karoline raised his eyebrows at the man in an obvious yes. "No, Sammy and Lays are gonna scope the place out first, see me covering the front door, so they're gonna take the back, and when they do, they'll hit the tripwire. Then..." Gordon went to his bag and took out a small hand bomb. "...boom," He finished.

"Sam and Alayna aren't gonna fall for some stupid tripwire," Karoline spoke confidently, trying to throw Gordon off his game.

"Maybe, you're right," Gordon agreed, rummaging through his bag for a moment before he pulled out another small bomb. "That's why I'll have a second one," Karoline's cocky smile faltered as she realized what was about to happen. Sam and Alayna were good, but not that good. They wouldn't check for a second. "Hey, look, I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to do this. I really do, but for what it's worth, it will be quick," Gordon disappeared momentarily to set the tripwires, leaving Dean and Karoline in a deafening silence.

"They'll be fine." Karoline whispered, trying to convince herself more than anyone.

"I hope your right." Dean muttered, snapping his attention to the doorway as he heard Gordon come back. "Come on, man," Dean tried. "I know Sam and Alayna, okay? Better than anyone. They've both got more of a conscience than I do. I mean Sam feels bad surfing the internet for porn, and Alayna cried killing a Moth once,"

"That's what I said," Karoline nodded.

"Maybe, you're right," Gordon conceded, not sounding at all like he was going to change his mind. "But one day they'll be monsters,"

"How? Huh?" Dean protested desperately. "How's a guy like Sam and a girl like Alayna become monsters?"

"It beats me, but they will," Gordon spoke assuredly.

"No, you don't know that!" Dean's voice raised to a shout. The more he thought about it the more he became convinced they wouldn't find the second wire.

"I'm surprised at you, Dean, getting all emotional," Dean turned away from him, trying to reign in the fear that threatened to consume him. "I had heard you were more of a professional than this," That made him scoff. "Look, let's say you're cruising around in that car of yours, and, uh, you had little Hitler or Queen Mary riding shotgun, right? I mean, they killed hundreds upon thousands of people. Not yet, of course, but you knew that they would. Now, they are just goofy children. You take them out," Gordon snapped his fingers for emphasis. "No questions, am I right?"

"That's not Sam or Alayna," Karoline told him without any note of doubt in her voice. Nothing Gordon could say would convince her that this was justified. And nothing would stop neither Karoline nor Dean from killing him if it worked.

"Yes, it is. You just can't see it yet," Dean glared at the arm that Gordon rested on his shoulder. "Dean, it's their destiny. Look, I'm sympathetic. They're your brother and your sister," He looked over at Karoline who just glowered at him. "You two love them. You're all one big happy family. This has got to hurt like hell for you," Gordon took something out of his bag and stood. "But here's the thing," He tied the gag tightly around Dean's mouth, ignoring the muffled grunts of protest. "It would have wrecked him, but your Dad, if it really came down to it, he would have had the stones to do the right thing here. So, you're telling me you're not the man he is?" Dean just turned to give Gordon an icy glare, at the man turned and gagged Karoline tightly.

***

Alayna walked toward the old, decrepit building slowly, Sam following close behind her and holding the slip of paper in his hands tightly. Alayna crouched down to look through the window blinds and saw Gordon sitting with a rifle across his lap, watching the front entrance. Gordon. A rush of hatred made her shiver and stand again. She followed Sam to the back of the house and knelt down to pick the lock skillfully, opening it with a slight creak that made the two of them freeze for a moment. "Wait," Sam pulled Alayna back by her arm and threw his shoe at the tripwire, causing a bigger explosion than he'd thought. Sam turned, wrapping his arms around the small brunette to shield her from the flying debris. The dust settled, and Sam began to walk in.

"Wait," this time it was Alayna who caught Sam's arm, something not right about this whole scene. Her eyes dropped to the ground where there was a tripwire not two feet in front of them. She jerked her chin at it, and Sam and she backed up, throwing Sam's other shoe at it, causing it to explode loudly.

"You get Dean and Karoline. I'll deal with Gordon," She nodded without questioning and pressed herself to the wall next to the entrance to the second room as Sam prepared for the fight. Gordon looked at the shoe for a moment before turning to face Alayna. She waved with a shit-eating grin as he lifted the gun only to freeze when he felt the cold metal of Sam's gun pressed to the back of his head. "Drop the gun," Sam ordered Gordon as Alayna slipped into the other room. She untied Karoline's gag hurriedly, throwing it unceremoniously to the floor before going over to do the same to Dean

"Are you okay?" Alayna asked the two of them then her head snapped to the side as she heard a thud followed by Sam's pained grunt.

"Go, make sure he's alright," Karoline told her little sister as the brunette froze from where her fingers were about to begin working on her bonds. She heard another thud followed by a crash and she stood, running back to where she'd left Sam and Gordon.

"You're no better than the filthy things you hunt," Gordon was saying when Alayna found them, seeing him bring a dagger up to plunge into Sam's heart. She grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be a wooden table leg and swung it into Gordon's head. He collapsed, dazed, onto the floor and she grabbed his gun, pointing it at him. "Do it," He muttered. "Do it!"He snapped furiously. "Show your sister and Dean the killer you really are, Lays," She slammed the butt of the gun into his face, efficiently knocking him out.

"Damn that felt good," Alayna confessed, glancing at Sam who laughed tiredly. She reached down her left hand to help him up, considering he'd broken his right one a couple weeks ago.

"Let's go untie Dean and Kare," Sam and Alayna headed back, each of them untying one of them.

"What the Hell?" Was all Karoline said as she jumped from her chair and grabbed Alayna's face. The bruises faint but still there. Those were always the longest to heal up.

"Son of a bitch," Dean swore, following Karoline towards where Gordon was knocked out.

"Kari, stop," Alayna grabbed her sisters arm to stop her from leaving. "We're fine."

"Are you sure, I'd be more than happy to take that prick down." Karoline told her seriously, glancing from her sister to Sam.

"Trust us. Gordon's taken care of," Dean and Karoline both turned to face Sam as he spoke. "Come on," Sam pulled Dean by his jacket to walk in front of them, with both girls following. They walked between Sam and Dean away from the house, but froze as they heard a gunshot. Reacting on instinct, the four bolted.

"You call this taken care of?" Dean snapped at Sam and Alayna angrily as they ducked behind a boulder for shelter. "What the Hell are we doing?" Dean asked, glancing up occasionally to see how close Gordon was.

"Trust us," Alayna repeated Sam's words from earlier, looking at Dean and Karoline. "It's taken care of," The gunshots were replaced with the screeching of tires as the police arrived. They began screaming at Gordon to get down on his knees, which he did. Karoline and Dean shared an incredulous look, smiling widely at the scene that was unfolding before him.

"Anonymous tip,"Karoline realized, and couldn't help smiling as he grinned at her in boyish excitement.

"You two are fine, upstanding citizens, you know that?" Dean joked, making Karoline cover her mouth to stifle a laugh. They drove back to the motel, and Dean went outside to make a phone call and Karoline went to go get some food while Alayna cleaned up Sam's face.

"What're you thinking about?" Sam questioned, probably seeing her furrowed brow and tight lips.

"He was convinced we were going to turn into monsters," She muttered, tired of keeping her thoughts to myself. "So convinced that he would have killed us before we'd even done anything,"

"Maybe, Dean and Karoline are right," she glanced at Sam in surprise. "Maybe, we won't. Maybe, we can be saved,"

"Maybe," she agreed softly, though she wasn't quite sold on that. He suddenly hissed in pain as she drew the hydrogen peroxide wipe over his cut. "Don't be a baby," she admonished him, making him chuckle before hissing again. She followed his gaze to the phone in his hands. "She'll call back, don't worry," she tried to ignore the bad feeling that twisted her gut. "Would it make you feel better if we went and checked on her?" He thought about it for a moment before nodding and the two headed down to the parking lot to relay the information to Dean and Karoline.

"I got cheeseburgers!" Karoline announced as she stepped out of her car.

"Oh, god, yes," Dean cheered with a boyish gin as he took one of the bags from the Blonde.

"We're going to Peoria to check on Ava." Karoline and Dean shared a look at Sam's words before hesitantly agreeing. The drive only took half an hour. They pulled up in front of their house and parked.

"Hello?!" Dean called as they flooded the kitchen with light from their flashlights. "Is anybody home?" There was no response, and Alayna moved ahead of the others and down the hallway until her beam landed across something so horrid that she had to take a step back.

"Oh, God," she whispered, causing the two boys and Karoline to come to stand next to her.

Something by the windowsill caught Karoline's eye, and she moved to look at the yellow powder that lined the windows. "Sulfur," she announced, holding up her yellow fingers.

"The demon's been here," Dean agreed, and Alayna glanced back at Sam, who was leaning down to pick something up and hold it out in front of him. Her breath caught as she realized what it was. Ava's engagement ring.

"Ava," Sam murmured her name.