Battle Of Will
Chapter 1
Contractually Obliged
Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Supernatural, Or any cannon characters. I only own Anita.
Anita Masters had always hated this part. The part where they given them a false decision from Heaven and watch them beg and try and make things right. Uriel, Castiel and herself were waiting in the Winchesters apartment to give them the 'Bad News'. Anita was sprawled on the couch, not needing to present such formality as her Angelic superiors. Alas, she was a mere mortal who was forced into a binding contract with the Angel Uriel. An unpleasant job to say the least. The girl looked towards Castiel. He was so much nicer than her boss. In a way, she felt sort of indebted to him, he was the one who dragged her from hell around the same time as Dean, apparently. But, after crawling out of her grave she was quickly informed of her contract to Uriel. Well, that was a long story...
Castiel caught her gaze and stared back, a small frown between his eyebrows. He still had yet to grasp human interaction, and Anita, the only human he was fairly consistently around, could not help him. Uriel had forbade her to speak or interact with Castiel. The most she could do was look at him, which was frustrating as she badly wanted to thank him for dragging her out of hell. Even if it did result in her having the worst boss in history. The door to the motel room opened and in came Sam Winchester. His gun was in his hand quick as lightning, aimed at Castiel who was the first the Hunter saw.
"Who are you?" he demanded. Anita cocked her head, examining the freakishly tall man. He had long-ish brown hair and an overly sculpted kind of face. His gaunt kind of cheeks were sharp. Before anything got out of hand, Dean rushed in and stopped his brother.
"Sam! Sam, wait, It's Castiel," Dean told him quickly as he stepped in front of his brother, slowly moving the gun down with the hand he had placed gently on the weapon. "The Angel," he added, as if to clarify. Not that Anita had ever met anyone else named Castiel...ever. She wondered if that was a common name elsewhere? Did Sam and Dean know other Castiels? She shook her head, trying to pay attention.
Dean's eyes caught her Boss' back and his look turned suspicious.
"Him I don't know," his eyes slid to Anita, "or her..." Anita nodded before pushing herself off the sofa and moving closer to Uriel in a lazy, non threatening sort of way. He tended not to like her to close to anyone else, and moreover, she was expected to give her life for him... Not that he needed that. Meanwhile, Sam was acting like a starstruck teen towards Castiel.
"Oh my god, er...uh – I didn't mean to – sorry. It's an honor, really, I – I've heard a lot about you," he gushed, holding his hand out to shake. Castiel looked at him in confusion until the youngest Winchester demonstrated awkwardly, shaking his hand in the air. Finally the Angel shook his hand. Anita felt almost proud of the Angel. He was slowly getting better at this.
"And I, you. Sam Winchester-" he paused, "The boy on demon blood." Anita shot an 'are you serious' look towards his back. "Glad to see you've ceased your extracurricular activities," the dark haired angel finished blandly. Anita wanted to face palm.
Suddenly, her boss spoke beside her, still facing out the window.
"Let's keep it that way," he said monotonely, but the threat was there. Dean frowned.
"Yeah, okay, chuckles," he replied sarcastically. Turning to Castiel, Dean demanded, "Who are your friends?" Castiel was barely subtle in changing the subject. About as subtle as a giant pink elephant in the room.
"This 'the raising of Samhain', have you stopped it?"
"Why?" Dean asked back guardedly. Castiel's face darkened grimly.
"Dean, have you located the witch." Dean shifted his weight in reaction to Castiel's change of mood.
"Yes, we've located the witch," Dean replied dully.
"And is the witch dead?" Hope almost crept through his husky voice. Sam shifted.
"No, but-" Sam began.
"We know who it is," Dean finished. Castiel gave the two a pointed look before turning and grabbing a small hex bag off the table beside the bed.
"Apparently the witch knows who you are too," he told them gravely, holding the hex bag for them to see. "This was inside the wall of your room. If we hadn't found it, surely one of you, or both of you, would be dead. Do you know where the witch is now?" he said in growing urgency. Anita cocked her head at the Angel. He really was soft on these boys. He wanted them to have this sorted before he had to give them a hard decision. Dean crossed his arms and scowled defensively.
"We're...working on it." Castiel looked down.
"That's unfortunate," he told them gravely. Anita felt her heart sink. Here it came.
"What do you care?" Dean asked lowly.
"The raising of Samhain is one of the 66 seals," he told the oldest Winchester dryly. Dean looked annoyed again.
"So this is about your buddy Lucifer," he stated with a scoff. Anita's boss spoke once again, the anger that rolled off of him was tangible.
"Lucifer is no friend of ours," he told them in deep warning.
"It's just an expression," Dean mumbled, exasperated by the nuances that were an Angel's social skills. Castiel then spoke, trying to diffuse tension he had created.
"Lucifer cannot rise. The breaking of the seal must be protected at all costs," Castiel looked at them with that deadly serious look to his clear blue eyes. Dean huffed.
"Okay, great, well now that you're here, why don't you tell us where the witch is, we'll gank her and everybody goes home." Anita wanted to smile at Deans attitude, but she would more than likely be punished if she did. She cast a quick, hesitant look towards Uriel, but he was looking out the window.
"We are not omniscient," Castiel began, "This witch is very powerful, she's cloaked against even our methods."
"Okay, well, we already know who she is, so if we work together-" Same started, before Uriel spoke in annoyed tones.
"Enough of this." Anita straightened at her Master's words. Dean frowned.
"Okay, who are you and why should I care?" Dean asked impertinently.
Finally, Uriel turned from the window, revealing his serious, yet arrogant face to Dean and Sam. Castiel spoke quickly, "This is Uriel. He's what you might call a...specialist," at the word, Castiel's eyes went downcast. Uriel moved closer to the boys, but Anita dared not move.
"What kind of specialist," Dean asked apprehensively, "What are you gonna do?" Although the cogs in Dean's brain were already turning. Anita looked at Sam, whose demeanor seemed to be slowly crumbling. She understood what that felt like. It was vastly disappointing to meet angels. Her eyes shot up to look at Castiel. Some angels. Castiel quickly caught her gaze before turning back to the boys.
"You- uh, both of you- you need to leave this town immediately," Castiel warned. Dean frowned again, crossing his arms.
"Why?" Dean asked childishly. Castiel looked annoyed.
"Because we're about to destroy it," he lied. Anita shifted her weight. Why did Angels have to be such dicks? Dean grew angry, green eyes boring into blue.
"So this is your plan? You're gonna smite the whole friggin' town?" he challenged.
"We're out of time. This witch has to die, the seal must be saved." Anita wondered over how he could be so cold towards this man he clearly cared about in some regard. Or did Dean not see that Castiel clearly did not enjoy this option. But then again. Maybe she was putting to much into it. After all. So far Castiel didn't seem to question orders from above. Sam stepped forward. His face crumpled into disillusion.
"There are a thousand people here!" Sam declared in horror.
"One thousand two hundred and fourteen," Uriel told him in a precise, cold, manner. A shiver of fear went through Anita.
"And you're willing to kill them all?" Sam asked, perplexed an Angel would even consider such a crime. Her boss smirked at the man who was but a child in comparison...less than. Uriel often liked to remind Anita of her young, stupid age.
"This isn't the first time I've...purified a city," Uriel told him smugly.
Castiel frowned at all of them, "Look, I understand this is regrettable..." Understatement of the year, Castiel! Anita thought bitterly, unable to do anything in this situation.
"Regrettable?" Dean repeated, sharing with Anita's disbelief.
"We have to hold the line. Too many seals have broken already."
"So you screw the pooch on some seals and this town has to pay the price?" Dean asked rhetorically, his voice demanding and furious.
"It's the lives of one thousand against the lives of six billion. There's a bigger picture here." Anita felt her stomach drop. Did he really not understand the significance of even one human life? Then again, to an Angel, humans seemed like tiny blips. Inconsequential.
"Right, cause you're bigger picture kind of guys," Dean parried sarcastically.
"Lucifer cannot rise. He does and hell rises with him. Is that something that you're willing to risk?"
"We'll stop this witch before she summons anyone. Your seal won't be broken and no one has to die," Sam implored helplessly. Uriel scoffed.
"We're wasting time with these mud monkeys." Anita stirred, wishing she could hit him. Yeah, she was just a mud monkey he dragged around everywhere.
"I'm sorry, but we have our orders," Castiel told the brothers. And he actually sounded genuinely sorry.
"No, you can't do this, you're angels, I mean aren't you supposed to – You're supposed to show mercy," Sam pleaded, completely torn. Uriel raised an eyebrow, enjoying lording over these mere mortals.
"Says who?" was his simple reply. Castiel looked divided, eyes shifting between Dean and his colleague.
"We have no choice," he said regretfully.
"Of course you have a choice. I mean, come on, what? You've never questioned a crap order, huh? What are you both, just a couple of hammers?" Dean asked skeptically, anger rolling off him in waves.
"Look, even if you can't understand it, have faith. The plan is just." As much as Anita hated seeing it, Castiel believed it. His trust in Heaven was so strong.
"How can you even say that?" asked Sam quietly. His voice sounding disheartened.
"Because it comes from heaven, that makes it just," he told him matter-of-factly.
"Oh, it must be nice, to be so sure of yourselves!" Dean argued acidly. Castiel's frown deepened.
"Tell me something, Dean, when your father gave you an order, didn't you obey?" Castiel challenged. The two quietened, tensely staring at each other, until finally Dean's eyes flicked to Uriel.
"Well sorry boys, looks like plans have changed," Dean declared.
Anita cocked her head. It was strange to see a human standing up to the Angels. When she had been given her ultimatum, she had given up hopelessly, knowing she was too weak to beat them, and didn't see any other way out. Then again, that's why she ended up being dragged around like a pet by an an Angel with a fondness for punishment. Uriel laughed.
"You think you can stop us?" He threatened. Dean marched over to Uriel, but within a flash, Anita was standing between them, glaring at the man. But Dean simply stopped where she stepped in and talked, or shouted, over her head as though she was not even there.
"No, but if you're gonna smite this whole town, then you're gonna have to smite us with it, because we are not leaving. See, you went to the trouble of busting me out of hell. I figure I'm worth something to the man upstairs. So you wanna waste me, go ahead, see how he digs that." Dean's eyes cast downwards to glare daggers at Anita.
"I will drag you out of here myself," Uriel told him calmly. Dean pushed up against her hand, causing Anita to shove him back with a surprising (for Dean) amount of force.
"Back off," she told Dean in a bored voice. The Hunter ignored her.
"Yeah, but you'll have to kill me, then we're back to the same problem. I mean, come on, you're gonna wipe out a whole town for one little witch. Sounds to me like you're compensating for something!" Dean growled. With a frustrated noise he turned back to Castiel, who was watching Anita like a hawk.
"We can do this. We will find that witch and we will stop the summoning," Dean implored, desperation etching into his deep voice. Uriel shoved Anita to the side.
"Castiel! I will not let these peop-" he began furiously. Castiel replied by raising his hand to silence him.
"Enough!" He ordered. Anita stared appraisingly at Castiel. Took him long enough to get a hold of this situation. In a low, level voice Castiel spoke to Dean.
"I suggest you move quickly."
And with that, the angels were gone. Leaving Anita alone. God, damn it! They did this all the time! Recovering from being pushed, Anita straightened, suddenly aware of the boys eyes on her.
"You got something to say, Charlie Chaplain?" Dean growled.
"No. I have every confidence that you'll do what needs to be done," she told them honestly.
"Then why didn't you disappear like those other Angel dicks?" Anita rolled her eyes and began to stride towards the door. Before opening it she turned back and callously told them over her shoulder.
"Not an Angel." And left to go find her master, slamming the door behind her.
Anita found the Angels after a while of searching. Both of them staring out at children passing by, dressed in their halloween costumes that Anita found to be dreadfully amusing. Uriel sat on the bench, whilst Castiel stood somewhat awkwardly to the side. Anita moved close just as Castiel began speaking.
"The decisions been made," he said definitively. They both looked at Anita as she silently approached. Castiel nodded to her whilst Uriel dismissed her completely as she stood diligently beside him.
"By a mud monkey," Uriel laughed. His pet beside him riled with secret anger. Castiel's eyes flicked over to where Anita stood glaring holes into Uriel's stupid head.
"You shouldn't call them that," he told him, eyes still fixed on Anita.
"Ah, it's what they are, savages, just plumbing on two legs," Uriel sneered. Anita gritted her teeth. She was one of these 'mud monkeys', and didn't like to be made to be so insignificant. Uriel turned his gaze to Anita. "Isn't that right, Anita?" he asked smugly, knowing there was nothing she could do.
"Anything you say," is a bunch of crap, she finished silently.
"You're close to blasphemy," Castiel warned. Uriel sighed in response. "There's a reason we were sent to save him. He has potential, he may succeed here." Castiel apprehensively took the seat beside Uriel with a sigh to match his colleague's. "And any rate, it's out of our hands." Uriel looked at him side on.
"It doesn't have to be," Uriel told him quietly, with meaning.
"And what would you suggest?" Castiel asked with a frown.
"That we drag Dean Winchester out of here and then we blow this insignificant pinprick off the map," Uriel replied with a devilish smirk. Castiel's expression darkened.
"You know our true orders. Are you prepared to disobey?" A strange expression came over Uriel's face. Slowly he stood and straightened his suit.
"Come, Mud Monkey. Let's go," Uriel announced, addressing Anita with his favourite human shaped insult. The girl nodded a goodbye to Castiel who frowned at the 'pet name'.
Anita was relieved to find out they had succeeded. The Winchester Brother's sure lived up to their name. Of course, Uriel had to go gloat or something, and dragged her over to their motel with a zap. Sam stood with his back to them.
"Tomorrow," Uriel spoke, reveling in the shock Sam showed as he turned in surprise. "November 2nd. It's an anniversary for you," Uriel reminded. Sam looked at him, drained.
"What are you doing here?" he asked apprehensively. Uriel smirked.
"It's the day Azazel killed your mother, and 22 years later your girlfriend too. It must be difficult to bear, yet you so brazenly use the power he gave you. His profane blood pumping through your veins." There was a dark threat looming behind those words. Sam frowned, sensing it.
"Excuse me?"
"You were told not to use your abilities," he scolded darkly.
"And what was I supposed to do? That demon would have killed me, and my brother and everyone?" Sam asked in annoyance.
"You were told not to," was he simple, threatening reply.
"If Samhain had gotten loose in this town-" Sam began.
"You have been warned, twice now," Uriel sneered.
"You know? My brother was right about you, you are dicks!" Sam insulted. At the disrespect Uriel stepped forwards, imposingly, at Sam.
"The only reason you're still alive, Sam Winchester, is because you've been useful. But the moment that ceases to be true, the second you become more trouble than you're worth, one word. One, and I will turn you to dust," Uriel paused, and backed up a few steps, "As for your brother, tell him that maybe he should climb off that high horse of his. Ask Dean what he remembers from hell." And just like that, Uriel left her once again. Sam looked at an exasperated Anita curiously.
"Who are you?" he asked. Anita raised an eyebrow, halting her exit.
"My name is Anita," she told him, although her tone suggested it was not important.
"Why are you with the Angels, if you're not one?" Anita crossed her arms over her stomach.
"I don't have the iron will of your brother. I was too scared to say no to them." Sam looked at her questioningly.
With a sigh, Anita explained; "I...was under similar circumstances to your brother. Although, with even less information on the why of things. For unknown reasons to me, I was given a choice."
"What was that?" Sam asked softly.
"I could agree to serve Heaven, and be contracted to do Uriel's bidding. Or I could go back to Hell. They didn't seem to care either way, but the decision had to be made."
"If they dragged you from Hell, surely they'd need you for something?" Sam questioned. Anita gave a bitter smile and looked away.
"Ah, but they nabbed me just as I crawled out of my grave, I was scared, rotting alive and...I chose," she shrugged. Sam shifted uncomfortably.
"So, why does he just leave you places?"
"Because he likes to remind me I am not equal to him. I am worthless to him."
"What is it like. Being...uh...contracted to him." Anita gave him a sad glance before leaving his motel. It was like hell, just more righteousness.
Anita stood staring out at the lake, not really looking at anything. All she was thinking about was the Winchesters, and their surprising amount of will. It took a lot to say 'no' to an Angel. Anita tried to reassure herself before, saying she was disoriented, or scared. But she was not sure she would make a different choice if she had another chance. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. There was no 'good guy' here. Anita heard the sweeping beat of wings and straightened, assuming Uriel had come for her. However, when she turned around she only found Castiel. The Angel watched curiously as the human visibly calmed. Her rich caramel coloured eyes dropped away and she turned back to face the water.
"Hello, Anita," he greeted in his usual low, husky voice. Anita found herself wishing should could just say hello back. The Angel came and stood beside her, mimicking her as he stare out at nothing. It seemed like neither of them really knew what to do. One sided conversations were very difficult, Anita couldn't even give visual clues other than nodding or shaking her head.
"Do you think...we're hammers?" he asked her, his voice and expression stony, but his eyes looked at her side long in curiosity. Anita thought back to Dean's comment and looked over to Castiel. All she could do was look away and nod slowly. This motion seemed to...upset Castiel. Or confuse him.
"Do you know why Uriel forbade you to speak with me?" he asked, this time a more straightforward answer. But, Anita didn't have a straightforward reply. So, she sighed and shook her head, ending the movement with a shrug, as if to say 'I wish I knew'. Castiel frowned. He was not sure why he was here, asking her these things. It was just...something Dean had said. About following orders...It made him think of Anita's binding to Uriel, did she think his choices were Just? Still, that was something he felt was not appropriate to ask her. He did not need Uriel thinking he was questioning him, and Anita had no choice but to tell him if he demanded, what he had said. Beside him, Anita ruffled her long, light brown hair in frustration. Seemingly wanting to say something. Castiel momentarily wished he could tell Uriel to release his ridiculous command of his, but even as his superior, he was unable to do so. Contracts with Angels were strange things, they acted in strange ways, as if the agreement was an entity of itself. Contracts were said to change and manipulate in...unique ways...according to circumstance. With a sigh, Anita rested her head on her hands, which were planted on the cold steel railings. Castiel sensed defeat in her and looked away.
"Goodnight, Anita." Anita heard the tell-tale sound of wings and Castiel was gone, and Anita was left to go find a motel. She never really was sure where Angels went when they were not doing anything. Or were they always doing something? Then again, Uriel seemed to drag Anita around where ever he went on Earth. So, who knows?
A/N: So, here is the first chapter (redone, hopefully all the alignment text is gone!) Please review 3