S8E12 - The Zenith [2:38 - 2:45]
A little teaser while we compile our information for Launch Date. Spot the glaring inconsistency within these three shots that are back-to-back with each other.
Sam was sitting in the backseat of the Impala. Beside him, Sadie was asleep against the window, blood on her temple and her arm in a makeshift sling. From the front seat, a similarly-bloody Sam glanced back to check on her. He faced forwards, looking remorseful. Dean was driving, looking worse for wear as well. Silence enveloped them until Sam in the front seat spoke.
“If we’d gotten there sooner…” He murmured.
“Yeah, but we didn’t.” Dean replied at the same volume. “Hell, we barely made it outta there.”
Sam glanced back at Sadie again with worry lacing his features.
“I almost lost her.” He whispered, looking at her for a moment longer before facing forwards again. “And the victims… they all bled out.”
Dean swallowed tensely and adjusted his grip on the steering wheel.
“If Cas was still here—”
“—Yeah, well he’s not.” Dean snapped angrily, not sparing a glance over at his brother.
In the backseat, Sam looked down at the pocket watch in his hand, looking at the date. It was a year in the future. He turned the dial at the top of the watch to a month later.
Sadie sat in the library, staring numbly at a spot in front of her. She was completely still. Sam stood beside her, looking down at her in worry. He moved the watch from one hand to the other, going to put a hand on her shoulder instinctively. Before he could, another hand beat him to it. He looked up to see himself setting a mug of tea down in front of her. She didn’t move. Sam sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before taking a seat beside her.
“Sadie, I’m…” He shook his head, “I’m so sorry.”
Sadie didn’t look away from the spot she was staring at.
“I know… I know there’s nothing I can do to make it better.” Sam bowed his head, “I… I can’t bring them back. But I’m here for anything you… you need.”
A tear slipped out of her eye and she finally turned to look at him. He straightened hopefully, but his face fell when he saw her expression.
“We should’ve brought them here.” She said breathlessly, “Why didn’t we bring them here?”
Sam shook his head woefully, “I… I don’t know. They couldn’t figure out how to get here since all the roads are so messed up.”
“Then why didn’t we go to them?!” Sadie asked desperately. “First Ian, now this—”
She turned her head away and squeezed her eyes shut. Sam watched her with sympathy, wishing there was something he could do.
“I’m alone.” She murmured.
He scooted closer and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bringing her into a hug. She let him hold her, sobbing softly in his embrace.
“Not alone.” He whispered into her hair, “You’re not alone, Sadie.”
She covered her face as the waterworks really got going. A year and a month in the future, Cath Eldredge and Charlie Bradbury were dead. And so was Ian.
* * *
“I’m sorry about Benny.” Cas said, he and Dean walking behind the leviathan.
Dean sighed, “I owed him my life. Then he sacrificed himself to save Sam. I feel like shit.”
Cas nodded thoughtfully, “This place ‘ll bring that out in you. The guilt.”
Dean swallowed, looking down at his shoes as they walked.
“It was my fault we were here the first time.” Cas said, “Now I carry other guilts with me.”
Dean sighed, “Cas, I know you’re sorry about Mom and the shit that happened with Belphegor and them.”
Cas turned to glare at Dean. “I was talking about Jack.”
Dean glanced up and swallowed, feeling guilty that he hadn’t figured that out for himself.
“I already apologized to you for those things.” Cas faced forwards again, “You just refused to hear it.”
Dean subdued an eye-roll. “Sorry I brought it up. Maybe if you didn’t just up and leave us—”
“—You gave me no choice.” Cas interrupted, “You couldn’t forgive me and you couldn’t move on. You were too angry.” He thought for a moment then added, “And I left but you didn’t stop me.”
Dean swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth and they kept moving in silence.
“It’s up this way.” The leviathan led them out of the woods into a field.
Ten toothy corpses lay in varying stages of decay, fleshy red tendrils growing out of them.
“Leviathan blossom.” The leviathan indicated the tendrils, “Just like I promised.”
Dean and Cas followed him to get closer.
“Alright, well, grab one.” Dean said, “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Cas tried to move when he felt his feet glued to the spot. Dean glanced over at him and frowned.
“Cas?”
Cas started to notice there were bleached patterns in the grass all around him, forming a familiar sigil. “It’s an angel trap.” He looked up at the leviathan. “You tricked us.”
“Mother’s got beef with you. Killing her alphas, swallowing her Leviathan.” The leviathan shook his head, “Bringing you to her should earn us a nice reward.”
“What do you mean, ‘us’?” Dean asked.
Cas glanced over his shoulder and saw a leviathan running at Dean.
“Dean!” He called out in warning.
Dean spun, shotgun raised and fired, hitting the leviathan in the chest. It went flying backwards, but there was another coming from Dean’s other side. Before he had the chance to prepare, something heavy hit Dean in the back of the head, sending him to the ground, completely out.
The leviathan drew closer to him when someone cried out.
“Wait!”
All eyes turned to Cas, who swallowed.
“Leave him. I’ll go with you peacefully.”
The leviathan shared a glance then shrugged, the leader saying, “Your funeral, angel.”
* * *
Sam was standing in the armory again, watching himself pack a bag from a corner. The future Sam looked up when there was movement at the doorway. Dean sighed in exasperation upon seeing his brother. It was a year and six months into the future.
“What are you doing? Come on, man, we just got back.” Dean said.
Sam tucked a machete into the bag. “If we don’t hustle, the nest ‘ll move on.”
Dean bowed his head for a moment then spoke. “No, Sam.”
Sam paused, looking over at his brother. Dean raised his head, shaking it slowly.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Sam’s brows furrowed in confusion, “What are you saying?”
“What I’ve been trying to say for months.” Dean stepped closer, “It’s time… time to stand down.”
“You want to quit?” Sam asked incredulously, “What’s happened to you, Dean? Ever since—”
“—Ever since what?” Dean interrupted, “We lost pretty much everyone we’ve ever cared about? Ever since the Mark made Cas go crazy? Ever since I had to bury him in a Ma’lak box? Ever since Ian? Ever since then?”
Sam glanced away, running his tongue along his bottom teeth.
“The monsters—they’re everywhere. Everywhere!” Dean cried, “What we do—it’s not even hunting anymore. It’s whack-a-mole. Hell, we don’t even save people.” He took a breath. “Sam, every friend we’ve ever had is either dead, or they got wise and they packed it in.”
“Jody’s still fighting, and Bobby—”
“—Bobby has a death wish, and you know it.” Dean snapped, “And Jody—ever since what happened to Donna and the girls, she does, too.”
Sam glanced away.
“And…” Dean took a moment to calm himself, “…ever since Sadie, so do you.”
“No.” Sam shook his head stubbornly, “What happened to Butch and Sundance, Dean? What happened to going out swinging?”
“We lost, brother.” Dean replied, “We lost. And I’m done.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Sam alone.
“No, no, no.” Present Sam muttered, “This is a lie. Chuck, I know what you’re doing!” He called, looking up at the ceiling, “Chuck?!”
“Enjoying the show?” A voice spoke in front of him.
Sam jumped and saw Chuck standing there. They were the only two people in the room now.
“You’re just showing me this so I give up.”
Chuck shook his head, “I’m just the messenger, Sam. I’m sharing my omniscience with you.”
“No. The Dean I know—the Dean who raised me—would never give up, no matter how bad things got.”
“Well, he does.” Chuck replied calmly, “He will. This is the truth, Sam. This is what comes next. Go on. Let’s get back to it.”
Sam was transported again, now in the war room. He watched himself walk in with the duffle he’d been packing. Dean sat at the war table with a glass of whiskey, not meeting Sam’s gaze.
“I’m going with or without you.” Sam stated.
Dean heaved a sigh then downed the rest of his drink. With that, he set the glass down.
“I guess I don’t have a choice then.”
* * *
Dean woke up sometime later in the field, all alone. He shot up onto his feet even though the world was spinning violently, looking all around him.
“Cas?!” He called desperately.
When there was no answer, he checked his watch. They had one and a half hours left before the portal closed. Quickly, he picked one of the blossoms and tucked it inside of his coat. He snatched up his gun and then he was on the move, walking back the way they’d come.
As he reached the tree line, he paused. Slowly, he turned to look out at the field once more. Thinking for a long moment, he glanced around to make sure he was alone. For a moment he bowed his head, taking a deep breath in, then he looked up.
“Cas, I, uh,” He swallowed, “I hope you can hear me.”
The wind whispered nothing back to him but he continued.
“And I hope that wherever you are, it’s not too late.” He said, “I should’ve stopped you. You’re my best friend, but I just let you walk out that door. ‘Cause it was easier than admitting I was wrong.” He paused to take a breath, his eyes glassy, “I—I don't know why I get so angry. I just know—I know that it—it’s just always been there. And when things go bad, it just comes out. And I can’t—I can’t stop it. No matter how—how bad I want to, I just can’t stop it.”
He clenched his fist and rested it on the tree beside him for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut.
“And you shouldn’t ‘ve had to deal with it.” Dean nodded slowly, “That’s my stuff. But I want you… I want you to know that I’m trying. I’m trying so hard to let things go—to admit when I’m wrong and just fuckin’ say ‘I’m sorry’.”
He stopped for a moment to wipe his nose, a tear falling from one of his eyes.
“And—and I forgive you. Of course I forgive you.” He looked up to the sky, “I needed someone to blame. But now… I know that I was wrong. It wasn’t your fault and I’m sorry it took me so long—I’m sorry it took me till now to say it.” He shook his head woefully, another tear hitting the ground beside his boot, “Cas, I’m—I’m just so sorry. I’m so sorry about… Jack.”
The wind ruffled the trees above him as he cried and spoke to no one.
“I’m so sorry.” Dean whispered, “I’m so sorry I tried to kill Jack. That… he was our kid. And I miss him every day. I can’t… I can’t imagine how you must be feeling. And I’m sorry I haven’t… haven’t been there for you, it was wrong. I was… I was just so wrong.”
How could you have gotten it so wrong? Ren’s voice echoed in his ears.
Dean sniffed and looked up at the sky, “Man, I hope you can hear me.” He swallowed, “An—and I’m not leavin’ you here. I’m gonna go to the portal and wait for you. If you… if you can get away, I’ll be waiting.”
He took a moment and then nodded stoutly. With that, he turned to begin retracing his steps back to the rift. He’d come up with a plan for if Cas didn’t show along the way.
Shadowbringers 30 Day Countdown Screenshot Challenge
13. Your favorite 3.x location
The Zenith in the Churning Mists. It’s just beautiful in any weather and time of day... The colors, the sheer size of this place and what it represents. It’s simply beautiful.
