A Hero In His Own Way

Kevin Tran has seen some shit in his short life. He has seen some shit - and as much as he always wanted out he took everything with a grain of salt. No matter the anger within him, no matter the desperation, he did his best. He wanted to help. He wanted all of this to be over.

The Winchesters had become his family and he wanted to help. If he could help them, he could help himself. Not that Kevin was selfish but there was only so much some people could take. Besides, if he helped the Winchesters he was helping his family and some really good men get out of a crappy situation. Despite the shit he has seen, though, there was nothing stranger than Dean acting the way he had lately. Or Sam. Both brothers had been acting so out of character. Dean was fidgety and always acting weird when he spoke. If Kevin mentioned Sam acting strange Dean would basically shove the idea that the trials had done it onto Kevin, or even Sam, without a moment's hesitation. Which, of course, was really weird. Sam, though, was apparently having blackouts – which, again, Dean blamed the trials. Sam also disappeared off a lot. Dean didn't have a reasonable explanation for that either. Everything that came out of Dean's mouth felt like a lie to Kevin but he took it quietly. He trusted Dean. Healways trusted Dean. Hell, he always trusted both of them.

But, today? Something was different. Dean was in a panic. He was demanding things angrily. More so than when they were trying to shut the Gates of Hell. Dean was frighteningly off-tangent and it was worrying Kevin. When he drilled Dean with questions he wasn't all that surprised by the responses he received. Dean asked for Kevin to trust him. For a moment Kevin almost told Dean "Screw you". For a single moment Kevin almost cursed Dean with everything he had inside of him, but something hit him. Even if he's gotten screwed over in the past Dean did things for a good reason because he was a good man. Maybe misguided with some situations that he thought he had handled, but he was a good man who was trying the best he could, even if his best was sometimes a little off the wall. So, instead, Kevin went for a bitter remark rather than a full on insult.

"I always trust you," He said. "And I always end up screwed." Kevin made sure to add.
"Oh, come on! Always? Not always." Dean said bitterly before he walked off. Kevin stared off after the brother in silence. He couldn't help but to feel slightly discouraged. God, how many times could he count that he had wound up in shitty situations? He was pretty sure he could count beyond how many fingers he had. But, even so, there was something within him that wouldn't allow him to genuinely hold it against Dean and Sam. So, as bitter and angry as Kevin was with how freaking unfair everything was, there was a part of him that understood. Kevin wasn't sure where he stood. The Prophet gave a sigh before his attention was returned to the Angel Tablet. He had might as well get a head start again on trying to find out something.

But Kevin didn't get a head start. It started with yelling. The tablet laid flat down on the table and his eyes set upon the general direction of the shouting. Sam and Dean were yelling at one another. Desperately. He felt a fleeting moment of 'oh they're just being brothers' but something was much more menacing about this. Haunting in every form of the word. Dean was suddenly quiet. Sam's silence followed. Just what the hell was going on? He let go of the Tablet. Kevin rose to his feet and he stepped toward Sam the moment he appeared.

"Hey, do you notice anything a little bit off about Dean lately?" He tries to begin, perhaps that's why he had been yelling. "Between you and me, I'm a little worried about him." Sam didn't answer. He stepped toward Kevin. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

"Sam what the – " This wasn't Sam. Kevin didn't even need to ask. He knew it wasn't Sam. This thingbefore him was menacing, angry, desperate for something. He stepped back once, twice, three times but Sam's body followed. "Sam," Kevin repeated once more, his voice shaking. This thing meant to cause harm – and Kevin had no way out. He almost shouted for Dean, but he couldn't find his voice. His eyes remained fixated on Sam in fear. This wasn't Sam, he told himself, whatever was going on, it wasn't Sam. Sam wouldn't do this. Sam was a good man. Kevin stepped back once more and almost backed up into the pillar.

"Sam," He said one last time. His voice cracked. He was dead. He knew it. Suddenly Kevin began to wonder what his life had become. All he had done was bend over backwards and do his damnedest and yet somehow he was still getting screwed over. He had done his best to be a good person. He had done everything he could but it appeared his everything wasn't good enough. So, with a heavy heart, Kevin stood in place. All he remembered hearing as agonizing pain took over from the force of angelic power was Dean's voice,

"SAM!" He shouted. Sam's hand was already in firm place over Kevin's forehead. Kevin could feel his body shutting down quickly – everything inside of him searing away by the sheer force of the power. The burning, it hurt. God it hurt more than he could articulate, but he couldn't even put it into words if he wanted to. He could feel the rays of light burning away his eyes, through his mouth, causing him to virtually choke on whatever the hell you called this angelic crap. Kevin couldn't speak. He couldn't move. Everything around him had stopped. In the back of his mind he flashed back to some of his greater moments with the Winchesters and his mother. It somehow made the pain easier for him. It made him realize that he had tried – he had done his best, and even if it hadn't been good enough in the end, he had done something. And something, to Kevin Tran, was better than nothing.

Kevin wasn't Kevin Tran, Advanced Placement. Or even Kevin Tran, Prophet of the Lord. Hell, he wasn't even Kevin Tran, Kevin frickin' Solo. Kevin was Kevin Tran. He was himself. A smart, articulate young man who knew how to use his head. Kevin Tran was a brave person. Who, though he could be afraid at times, could be fearless. Kevin Tran was a person who dared push up against limits even when he shouldn't have – all consequences be damned.

Kevin Tran, quite simply, was a hero in his own way.