Summary: " Sam stiffened warily and Dean readied himself to attack the angel so that they could perform the exorcism, but right on cue seven other angels; two by the door, and the other five next to Castiel. It was then that the Winchesters came to understand that this was an ambush of sorts, and not just Castiel visiting for some reason by himself." Wincest. Second in the Tainted series.
Disclaimer: Still own nothing. Except the names of a couple of minor OCS. And I mean minor. Like barely even there.
Warnings: violence, pain, fighting, mentions of God, hell, demons, threat of rape, threat of violence, imprisonment, dependency, possessiveness, cleared hinted domestic abuse, attempted angelic exorcisms, mentions of heaven's prison, just general fucked up-ness. Wincest. DemonDean. SemidarkSam. Unrequited Destiel. Unrequited Bathiel.
AN: so…Second one. Sequel to Monster In My Place. Second shot in the Tainted serious. With angels in. Remember, this is all AU. Castiel hasn't disobeyed. He commands his garrison, not Anna. Anna just…Isn't mention. Uriel won't be in this even though he is a member of the garrison. I know the garrison is comprised of about fourteen angels, seven of whom are 'un named.' I've given a few names, but like I said in the disclaimer they play really small roles. Furthermore, I'm only featuring eight members of the garrison in this, the others are up in heaven. I'll also only majorly be focusing on two. Cas and someone else who has not left heaven and gone rogue and is Balthazar but a cheeky, cheeky Balth he is! Like I said, it's AU so I can do what I want. Um….All will be explained. Yes I am using Hester and Inias from S7, sue me. They will not even be important in this.
TWO MONTHS AFTER MIMP OKAY?
/
It had been precisely two months since Dean had returned from hell and laid claim to his brother and life had certainly been…kind of strange for them during that time period. Like always they had been dashing all over America, staying in crummy motels but they'd done so with less consistency than usual. When possible, they had tended to only stay in one place for one day and night, two at maximum, and then they moved on again. Why? Because they wanted to stay off hell's and heaven's radar. Naturally, just flitting about wouldn't have kept them hidden. Hence why they both always had hex bags in their possessions, why Dean generally used some form of magic to mask them and why when they touched down in a motel he'd chuck up a complicated array of angel proofing sigils that he'd been taught by Alastair (as well as a line of salt across the bottom of the door for good measure.) It wasn't because he was afraid but instead because he was being cautious. Down in hell, he'd been told all manner of bad things about the angels and knew that they were a force to be freaking reckoned with. Now demons, on the other hand, they didn't go out of their way to avoid. In fact, they usually engaged in fights with and destroyed any who they came across; the first reason being that they didn't want them to go squeal to Lilith about what they were up to, the second; because it was fun and the third; because demons were a handy and consistent source for Sam to test his powers on, which were much stronger now than they had been when he was on Ruby's blood.
They hadn't entirely managed to avoid all angel interaction, but they'd pretty much handled it. The few that they had come across had been on their own each time and had been fairly weak (clearly they were just singular scouts or something) and, though they hadn't succeeded in killing them, they'd either thrown them off their trail or roughed them up even that they retreated. A couple had been a bit more persistent, but Dean had fortunately known a solution for them as well. One of the many things that Alastair had taught him whilst he was downstairs was an incantation for angelic exorcisms. A very, old and powerful spell that few entities even knew existed, at least that was true in the case of the dark creatures. Fortunately for him and Sam (but unfortunately for the angels) he happened to be one of them and had taught it to his brother immediately after he'd first used it. Which obviously meant that the both of them knew how to use it. Sucked for the angels, he imagined.
And Sam? Sam was sort of like a different person now, thanks to him. Not only was he a lot darker, stronger and somewhat colder but he was also a lot less human due to the regular intake of his blood. However, he wasn't a demon as of yet but there was clear potential for that happening one day. Furthermore, much to Dean's pleasure he was pretty much entirely submissive to him now. He did what he wanted and if not, faced the consequences. That was how it worked between them. But it wasn't all bad. In fact, things also ran rather smoothly between them at frequent intervals as well. The former applied about 40% of the time, whilst the latter was true about 60% of the time. The dynamics of their relationship may have been screwed up but neither really cared, since one was a demon and since the other was essentially a demon blood junkie. Their relationship was mainly centred on dominance, submission, possessiveness and dependency but what they had was still real. It didn't mean they were incapable of holding love for each other. It was just like before, they'd still die for each other if necessary and tear anyone apart who screwed with their respective brother and lover and it was certainly much easier for them to do that now than when they'd both been entirely light and human. However, they knew that it was only a matter of time before the angels would eventually catch up with them for real. And when they happened they wouldn't just have to worry about trying to shake them off their tails, for the angels (and the demons of hell) still believed that the apocalypse could, and would, occur. Still, surely the worst the angels could do was kill them, right?
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Castiel released a troubled sigh as he glanced around the luscious green field in heaven. He could've chosen to have gone to a place where no doubt many angels were currently residing (and there were equally many locations which he could have selected) but he sometimes preferred the solitude and now was one of those times. In fact, he could have chosen to go down to Earth for his moment of contemplation but he didn't really fancy that either. It was too much of a reminder of everything, of the current problems which they all had to deal with; the gradually breaking seals, the potential apocalypse which they didn't know whether was going to occur or not, the fact that Michael (currently) had no suitable vessel if it were to take place and, of course, the reason for that. The fact that Dean Winchester was a demon and consequently, the fact that they needed to locate the Winchesters. Something which so far they had been unable to do. The demon had obviously been taught how to mask himself and by extension his brother, as well as how to apply the necessary angel proofing sigils. These were talents which he had most likely picked up during his stay in hell and also, most alarmingly, an angelic exorcism. That was the cause of most concern. Very dark few creatures even knew of the incantation and it was incredibly strong magic. A couple of weaker angels who had been unlucky to cross the paths of the Winchesters had met that fate. They'd been out of action for a couple of days afterwards, and unable to take up a vessel for a couple of days after that.
The angels knew it was imperative that they located the brothers and then took…Some form of action to restore things to how they were meant to be, but he didn't know what exactly they were supposed to do. No one seemed to know yet, despite the fact that it had been two months. It was a topic of much discussion in heaven. As was trying to locate them; a task which had been bestowed upon he and his garrison. He sighed once more and shook his head, feeling somehow responsible for this whole mess despite the fact that he knew somewhere deep down within him that it was rather illogical to assume that the fault lied with him, anyone in fact. They had tried their hardest, but it had all been in vain. As soon as they had found out Lilith intended for Dean Winchester to be the righteous man; he and his garrison had laid siege to hell. However, when they had arrived the Winchester had already gone. Instead they had met a particular twisted and vile creature called Alastair, the chief torturer of hell who had revealed that they were too late; that Dean was a demon and had been for the better part of ten years and that he had now been sent to the surface. Though the demon was strong, their numbers were greater so they had managed to incapacitate him and destroy a great deal of lesser abominations before they had released that there was no purpose for them down in hell and then they had briskly returned back up to heaven, incensed and thwarted.
Though it had been two months ago, it still all troubled him greatly. His garrison had been entrusted with the task and he, as the leader, was supposed to raise Dean from perdition himself. That had always been his intention. He had been assured it was not his fault, and that he was not to know but that still hadn't quelled his feelings about the situation. He knew in the back of his mind that it really was foolish though, for none of the angels had known that the elder Winchester would have already fallen into the realms of demon-hood by the time he and his garrison had arrived. He slowly begun to stroll across the field, thoughtfully watching as a white dove slowly descended in great swooping circles, cutting through the clear blue sky and gradually sailing towards a large oak tree in the near distance.
However, his apparent failure at his given task wasn't the only reason why he was so dismayed at the fate of the elder Winchester. Not by far. Although they had never actually met, he had (most confusingly so) some very strong feelings for the man. Feelings which humans would probably refer to as love. He had a spent great deal of time watching the Winchesters, particularly Dean. In fact he had been watching over the elder Winchester on and off since the man was in his late teens. He had essentially known him for twelve or so years which was why he had exhibited such a desire wish to rescue him from hell himself, why he'd been so invested. He paused in his wandering and glanced about the picturesque location solemnly. This, too, was illogical. He had never even met Dean, but he had these feelings for him. Feelings that he would most likely never act on, due to the nature of his orders, his missions and the apocalypse. For him to become romantically involved with Michael's vessel would be a disgrace and something which he could without a doubt be executed for. He would never allow himself to follow such feelings, even if the elder Winchester wasn't a demon . And whilst he was a demon? Unheard of. Disgusting. However, his apparent feelings for Dean Winchester (and all the negative emotions that came with them) were his burden to bear alone; since he hadn't disclosed the information to anyone, not even his second in command and closest brother, Balthazar.
As if he sensed that he had briefly been in Castiel's thoughts, Balthazar suddenly appeared and cut short his brother's musings. Castiel didn't mind but in fact found it a welcome interruption. He was just about to make his way over to the other angel (who had appeared a few metres away) but Balthazar appeared beside him instead. He smirked.
"Hey Cassie," he said, glancing around and raising his eyebrows at the younger angel's choice of location. Castiel inclined his head slightly in greeting. "Really, Cas? A field? I mean, are you opposed to sitting down or something?" Castiel frowned clearly confused.
"Why do you wish for me to sit, Balthazar?" he asked, tilting his head a mere fraction to the left. The blond rolled his, mentally chastising himself for once again using irony and sarcasm in the presence of his siblings despite the fact that it was lost on many of them, Castiel included. He really did find it rather tragic aside from when it was Cas, he found it strangely endearing in his case. Though, when it came to the other angels (especially his 'superiors') he usually just exhibited annoyance and apparently he generally ended up 'bordering on disrespect' quite frequently. What a bloody shame.
"I don't 'wish for you to sit', Cas. I just find your selected location somewhat strange. In fact, now that you mention it, how about we do go somewhere a little less bland and with something to sit on should either of us want to? We haven't all been assembled or called on, so you might as well relax a little," he suggested and without waiting for an answer, he grabbed his brother's arm and quickly transported them to another part of heaven. Less than a second later they touched down a few metres away from a clear lake, surrounded by grass for a fair distance and beyond that; trees, spread in thick rows all around and clearly forming the edges of a deep, lengthy forest. An old yet sturdy wooden bench was set on the grass a few inches behind them and on the other side of the lake another lay opposite, and they were able to make out a wooden jetty over hanging the surface, with a man and a young boy sat upon it, perched on small canvas stalls, each with a fishing rod in their hand and surrounded by various buckets, probably bait and water were at least in a few. Neither knew who this heaven belonged to for sure but they both believed it to belong to the man, who they suspected was the father of the small child. Immediately bored by the scene, Balthazar flashed his brother a smirk and strolled over to the bench, depositing himself on it and stretching out the legs of his vessel. "See, isn't this a much nicer spot to talk about current affairs or whatever else it is that we end up discussing by chance?" Castiel remained where he was for a few moments, glancing across at the man and the boy curiously, and then slowly followed his brother over to the bench which he, a little uncomfortably, sat down on beside him. He glanced at the blond with a sigh.
"You did not find the first location satisfactory, brother?" he enquired, his brow furrowing.
"It was fine," Balthazar assured him with a roll of his eyes. "Just a little…Thin on the ground and kind of depressing, you see what I mean? Besides…I think we have a few things which we ought to talk about and it makes much more sense for us to do it sitting. I know that our vessels don't tire, but I like to be comfortable even if the rest of you don't."
"I see," the younger celestial replied after a few moments. "And these things that you believe we need to converse upon?" Balthazar smirked slightly at the ever present formal tone and rested one of his vessel's arms along the back of the bench, carefully not touching Castiel but allowing himself to increase the proximity just a small amount. It may not have been the best course of action, but he tended to do things like this frequently and if Castiel had noticed, or if it made him uncomfortable, he had yet to comment. He nodded slightly, realising that Castiel was staring at him expectantly in wait of an answer. Time to get down to business.
"This thing with Dean Winchester," he began a little bluntly, knowing that Castiel would be unlikely to take offence. "Why is it bothering you so much? And don't attempt to tell me that it isn't, Castiel because I've noticed. Surely you can't be this cut up over the fact that Mikey might not have a vessel? I mean, that can't be all that is it troubling you?"
"He not supposed to meet such a fate," the younger celestial replied austerely as his gaze travelled back across the lake once more to watch the duo fishing. It was not his intent to reveal his other reasons to Balthazar, as he neither saw them as practical nor important.
"Now, now, Cas, don't give me that rubbish. I don't know why you're even attempting to pull that one on me, in fact, since you know I'm unlikely to buy it," said Balthazar with a smug smirk. He raised his eyebrows as he remembered an interesting little scrap of information and had to fight the difficult battle of keeping a strong note of jealousy out of his voice. "You've been watching over him for the last ten years. Have you, perhaps, developed some strange attachment towards him?" Castiel let out a troubled sigh, but pointedly kept his gaze trained on the slightly murky surface of the lake. He was surprised that Balthazar hadn't asked such a question earlier into the two month period, but he expected that true give away for his inner turmoil had been due to his extended dismay and distress at the situation. He hadn't regulated his behaviour enough and that had, quite clearly, been his downfall here.
"Perhaps," he acknowledged cagily. "But it truly is not of import. That factor only makes up a mere fraction of my dismay. The rest is due to the apocalypse and the imbalance of power on our side." Balthazar glared down at the short grass beneath their feet as a streak of jealousy, bitterness and anger coursed through him. He simply failed to understand how Castiel could've fallen for a human, a hairless ape, an inferior being. Admittedly, the elder Winchester was now a demon but that did little to quell his negative feelings about the situation. It was just absurd and the worst thing was, Castiel probably didn't even entirely understand it. To say he wasn't pleased by this revelation was a gross understatement. If he had less of a strong character, he probably would've flown straight out of their and gone off somewhere in order to be consumed by a bout of despair, bitterness and jealously. Fortunately, that was not quite how he worked.
"Of course," he replied, his tone nonchalant but with a light note of sarcasm. He promptly changed the subject, since he didn't trust himself not to say something untoward should they remain on it. "It wasn't like it was your fault anyway, Cas. We've discussed this. The fault lies with those higher up for failing to find out the necessary information within a sufficient time scale. If they'd done things properly, we could've already known he was a demon or we may have even been able to raise him before he completely changed. Don't feel bad for their mistakes."
"You are lucky," Castiel begun, his eyes darting around a little pensively, "that we appear to be alone. And yet nonetheless you should be careful with your words, lest we are not actually the only ones present here." Balthazar rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively, as if to indicate that he wasn't fazed by the suggestion. He was frequently being taken to the prison for 're-teaching' by their superiors for 'irreverence' and 'lack of interest' and 'inappropriate conduct' and 'slander' and 'making a mockery of the will of God'. It was challengingly, but he generally held strong and was released because he had given a convincing performance wherein he pretended to break. After that, he kept his head low for a little bit and then acted the same all over again. He was fed up of heaven and the angels and the constant need for obedience and conformity. Really, he found it ridiculous and sometimes felt as though it could drive him towards insanity. There were very few angels that he actually cared for and one of them was that which he was sat beside. If it wasn't for Castiel, he most likely would have left heaven by this point already. In fact, it was still his intention to do so one day, when he finally came to realise that he couldn't stick around in the hopes of eventually gaining Castiel's love. And yet for now, here he would stay and here things would remain the same. If it wasn't for Castiel vouching for him all the time, he probably would've never been let out of there, or might have even been killed. So he was sort of repeatedly indebted to his brother anyway and he felt that Castiel needed someone who was different from the rest, someone who wasn't just another perfect carbon copy.
"Oh well," he responded finally with a forced smirk. "I'm on pretty good terms with the main guys there now, and I haven't seen them for quite some time so I imagine it will be nice to catch up." His feigned amusement suddenly slipped away and before he could stop himself, he found himself going off on yet another rant. "Besides, you know I won't hold my tongue so it doesn't matter either way. I've had enough of it all and everyone knows that. The real issue is though, that no one seems willing to accept that the apocalypse has pretty much been averted. I mean, let's face it. Michael's vessel is a demon. And I wouldn't mind betting that he found out a lot of stuff about the apocalypse whilst he was downstairs, so they may actually know more than some of us, which means they may be aware of how to actually prevent it or at least stop it reaching completion. That aside, even if we can find them what do the powers that be even want us to do about it? They each know how to exorcise angels, should they get the chance. And even if they don't, I see no solution. Perhaps Sam Winchester can be teased off demon blood, but there's no way of yet telling his health or mental state. And as for Dean Winchester? Hello? Need I remind everybody once again that he is a demon? If Michael cares that bloody much then maybe the bastard should get off his ar-"
"Balthazar!" Castiel snapped, interrupting his brother's irreverent words before they ended up getting him in trouble once more. Although he'd sat and endured the blond's rant in silence up until that point, he could do so no longer since his friend (if possible) seemed to be becoming more disrespectful with every word. And that was something that he disapproved of. He glared at the elder angel, who glowered right back at him in annoyance. "You ought to be careful brother, or you most definitely will find yourself being taken for re-teaching once more." Balthazar suddenly lurched to his feet with an outraged expression on his face.
"Oh, really?" he snapped, his eyes flashing in annoyance. "And are you going to be the one to report me, Castiel? Are you going to 'dob me in' to our wise and powerful superiors? Go ahead." The younger angel's annoyance faded and was replaced with surprise as he turned to stare at his brother. He briskly shook his head.
"Balthazar, I was not implying that I would be the one to instigate any further suffering that you may face. It was a mere warning that you ought to be careful with what you say. And I offer my apologies if you believed it to be anything other than that." The blond shook his head and paced across the ground in front of the bench for a few moments, barely seeming to have even listened to Castiel's reply at all. He was just too incensed right now, too worked up to have paid any attention whatsoever.
"I mean, it's ridiculous! All this unquestioning obedience they expect? I tell you, it's absolutely insane. I've never even actually disobeyed, but God knows is it tempting sometimes. And I- I mean that? Disobedience is punishable by death? What is even with that? Being persecuted and accused just because you don't agree with an opinion which comes from above you- It just drives me crazy, Castiel and it should bother more angels too, but the majority of you just seem content to take it all without question. I just can't understand the mentality of you all! We're apparently following the wishes of a father who quite clearly doesn't even ca-"
"Brother, please," Castiel interrupted him, sounding fretful as he hurriedly darted to his feet. He was always most uncomfortable when Balthazar was unable to restrict his ranting and raving. The blond angel took a deep breath and held it for a moment before releasing it with a small shake of his head. "Why do you do this to yourself? Why do you constantly give our superiors a reason to punish you and chances to attempt to force our father's will upon you? Why can you not just except the way things are and stop giving them reasons to reinstall the values of heaven within you?" Balthazar forced a smirk and opened his mouth to reply but was intercepted by one of their sister's appearing before them. They both knew her rather well, as she was a member of their garrison. She gave them a brief nod of greeting.
"Castiel, Balthazar," she said, fleetingly glancing at each of them in turn. Balthazar repressed a groan of annoyance, but didn't bother replying to her. He knew that her appearance meant that duty (in some form or another) was apparently calling. Castiel, however, immediately turned to give her his attention. "Jima is there a problem?" he enquired warily, wishing to get straight to the point whatever it may have been. Jima shook her head quickly.
"On the contrary, I bring good news. We have located the Winchesters. Apparently they grew complacent; they are masked currently by an inadequate level of magic. It is not strong enough to prevent our forces from being able to sense them. Furthermore, the angel proofing is wrong, for the first time," she explained, clearly awaiting orders. Castiel nodded; clearly pleased and satisfied by the information. It seemed that they may finally be able to get somewhere; after all locating the Winchesters was one step closer to capturing them and somehow attempting to rectify this mess, if such a thing were even possible. Regardless of possible solutions, he had heard several weeks ago that a very specific place to contain them was in production; something which he would ask other members of his garrison about later.
"Thank you for informing me of this. Time is of the essence, Jima. Locate Rachel, Hester, Inias, Kristian and Julian and bring them to us as quickly as possible. As soon as everyone is assembled, the eight of us shall discuss tactics and, ultimately pay the Winchester's a visit," he replied, a gleam of steely determination flashing in his cobalt eyes. Jima inclined her head and then vanished to carry out her orders. Balthazar sneered slightly, his dislike for her very clear. He cleared his throat and glanced at his brother thoughtfully.
"Only seven?" he asked somewhat mockingly, raising his eyebrows. "I mean, I personally think we could handle it with less, but you're a little bit of a worrier. I'm surprised you didn't want to take the whole garrison. And also, why not Uriel? He's lovely little fellow."
"It does not hurt to take precautions, Balthazar. Hence why the other seven will remain on standby in heaven should we prove to need their assistance," the younger angel explained patiently. He did, however, Balthazar noticed tactically ignore the questions in regard to Uriel. The bastard was probably off 'seeking revelation' or something. Or, as he liked to call it; sucking up. He smirked and gave an exaggerated shrug. "Whatever you say, Cassie. Whatever you say. You really should count yourself lucky that I like you so much, or else I would always be deliberately attempting to make your life difficult."
"I am aware of this fact," Castiel responded with a weary sigh. " And I hope you continue to 'like me', since you make things difficult enough for me already." Their conversation went no further, for Jima and the five other angels appeared, forming a weird semi-circle in front of them. A mocking smirk slipped onto Balthazar's lips as he rose and moved to stand beside Castiel. He was his second in command, after all.
"I'm awfully glad that you could all take the time out of your busy schedules to appear before us," he drawled, openly mocking them and receiving several glares in response. Castiel shot him a slightly sharp look before he returned his gaze to their brothers and sisters.
"Jima has informed me that the Winchesters are now within our ranges of perception and I believe it goes without saying that we must seize them and transport them to the facility," he paused and glanced at one particular angel, Kristian, askance. "Would I be right in assuming it has been completed?" Kristian nodded immediately, a fact which enabled Castiel to continue. "Then there we will transport them and there they shall be contained whilst we await further instruction."
"Terribly profound and insightful stuff," Balthazar acknowledged with another smirk, but since it was Castiel his mocking comment didn't have malicious undertones. He was once again glared at by the other angels regardless, a fact which only served to increase his amusement.
"I shall be the first to greet them, in order to assess the situation," Castiel said, shooting his brother another warning look but otherwise carrying on as though he hadn't spoken. "The seven of you shall join me, collectively, ten minutes later." He received an obedient nod from every celestial but Balthazar, who was absolutely aghast at the idea and instead shook his head in vehement protest.
"I really don't think so, Cassie. At least let me come with you. I know it may be unlikely, but there's still a chance that they could catch you off guard. It's dangerous, you know that."
"You ought to learn to hold your tongue," Kristian growled immediately, before Castiel even had chance to reply. "Don't think that I won't report you Balthazar. Castiel has quite clearly decided on the best course of action and it is not our job to question it."
"Er, excuse me but who is the leader of this garrison? Who did you just mention?" the blond paused for effect, a smirk painting his lips. "Might it perhaps be Castiel? Oh, yes. I do believe it just may be. Which means it isn't you, Kristian, no, no. And I wouldn't mind betting that Castiel happens to know that I was only 'questioning' him out of concern. And whilst we're at it, who, despite the misgivings of many angels, did Castiel elect to be his second in command? Once again, the answer is…Not you. It was in fact none other than me. So if you'd just be a lamb and shut the hell up." Castiel sighed in frustration and shook his head slightly as the two angels begun to have some strange exchange which consisted of them staring and glaring at one another. They did not have time for this and he certainly couldn't allow it to get any more heated. Or the chances were Balthazar would end up in trouble once more.
"Balthazar is quite correct, Kristian," he announced quickly, causing the angel beside him to smirk. He then turned his gaze to him. "However, while I appreciate your concern, I feel it unnecessary. If you are truly worried, you may keep your senses directly on the Winchester brothers in order to monitor their thoughts and behaviour. You must, however, be aware of the fact that if necessary, I can subdue the pair of them with ease." The blond celestial sighed in resignation and run a hand through his hair. Quite clearly, Castiel had made his mind up and this was one angel who he truly valued as a friend and a brother (and more) and despite his concern, he didn't really want to undermine or piss him off. So, he decided that he would wait as suggested. And yet, if he received even the slightest indication that Castiel was in trouble, he'd travel there immediately and even the six other angels combined would be unable to hold him back.
"Whatever you say, Cas," he replied, his flippant tone masking his uncertainty and unease about the situation. Castiel gave him a small smile and nodded, pleased at the lack of further resistance. He knew many other angels couldn't say the same, but he personally often found Balthazar could be quite agreeable and that he was frequently willing to comprise. He valued him as a brother, had great respect for him and was glad to receive his reluctant acceptance on this matter. He allowed his gaze to settle on each of the other angels in turn for a few moments before he nodded slightly and vanished. In a matter of mere seconds, he appeared inside room 357 of the Cherry Orchard motel in Glade Spring, Virginia with a distinctive but faint rustle of wings.
He glanced around the dimly lit room (for the thick curtains were drawn across the windows,) his eyes homing in on the angel proofing scattered across the door and the walls, which had clearly been performed hastily, and noticing the few minor mistakes which rendered the whole selection of sigils ineffective. There was also a thick line of salt across the bottom of the doorframe, presumably to prevent any minor demon attacks during the evening; despite the fact that the Winchesters would have been able to terminate any such threats with ease. He found it a little strange for that very reason. His gaze fell onto the queen sized bed at the back of the room, where Dean was stretched out casually, watching him with a smirk. The demon had, of course, noticed him immediately but had chosen to wait for the angel to spot him before responding to the surprising intrusion. Now that he'd been seen he was perfectly content to react and arose fluidly. He slowly began to cross the room, amusement flooding his expression.
"Well, if it isn't a pretty boy angel. The question is though…How did he get past the defences?" he drawled with a malicious grin. Castiel frowned, initially wondering if he was speaking to someone else, but decided to respond after a few moments all the same.
"The answer is simple; you are guilty of arrogance and complacency. You allowed your guard to slip and consequently, you became less meticulous when administering the angel proofing. You made a small number of mistakes when drawing the sigils today. Furthermore, the level of magic you are currently using to mask you and your brother is, that is masking in comparison to what it has been in the past eight weeks, most insufficient. The 'defences' which you have in place at this very moment simply do not suffice," he explained indifferently as he watched the demon, ready for an attack at any moment.
"Well, we all make mistakes," Dean replied, sounding quite amused. Though he would inevitably do so at some point, it was not his current intention to engage in battle with the angel. He was simply too interested. This one seemed stronger than the few stragglers he'd met. Different, as well. "So, who are you then? I'm assuming that you have a name, unless you're just some anonymous solider?" Castiel narrowed his eyes, annoyed by the mocking and somewhat carefree attitude of the demon. He had a strong urge to smite him just on the account of what he was, but he refrained from doing so since that hadn't been part of his orders.
"I am Castiel, the angel who was intended to raise you from perdition," he growled.
"Whoa! Really? I mean…Are you for real here?" the demon asked, a wide and smug grin slipping onto his face. Castiel nodded. "Well, as you can see, heaven's plans didn't quite go…according to plan. 'Cause I'm not human anymore and I'm not gonna be your little white knight! And Sammy ain't gonna be the big bad devil who I gotta take down. You see, Lilith's death is the final seal, we know this now. So, she's not gonna die and old Satan ain't gonna pop out of his box and go from a stroll around the world." Castiel narrowed his eyes, frustrated and slightly surprised by the fact that the Winchester's were aware of the final seal. The fact that Dean didn't wish for the apocalypse to go ahead was something else that confused him greatly. Things were supposed to be much simpler than this. The demons were supposed to wish for their father to rise and walk the Earth.
"An irrelevant piece of knowledge for you to hold. You do not know what will occur in the future, demon," he said icily and then shook his head slightly in an attempt to rein in his ever growing annoyance. He knew better than allowing petty words and arrogance to get to him frustrated. Dean smirked smugly, seeming to be aware of what was running through his head and taking some kind of pleasure in it. He would make sure that when it came down to it, the celestial attacked first. Kind of a test of controls and tempers.
"You're right. I don't know, angel," he mocked as he leant against the side of the varnished and yet dusty pine table that sat in the centre of the room. He was pleased that he appeared to be riling the celestial up. "However, I do know that I will not lose my brother and particularly not to an archangel. I'd rather die all over again before I allowed that to happen. " The celestial shook his head as a wave of irritation washed over him once again. He inhaled sharply and glared at Dean. He also truly was surprised that the Dean had yet to attack, but he wasn't going to make the first move. He had the same intention as the demon, trying to hold back to ensure that the other attacked first in order to prove he had greater self-control.
"No, instead you will just settle for further tainting him and most likely eventually turning him into a demon due to the darkness that is your blood. Is that your objective? To render his vessel uninhabitable as well by making him like you? That is certainly the road you are heading down whether it is your intention or not," he retorted. Dean rolled his eyes.
"Honestly? No, that isn't my endgame," he countered, shooting the angel a scathing look. "I don't care if he's turned into a demon though. If it happens, it happens. All that matters to me is that he's mine and that he's strong. Anyway, aren't you listening to what I've been saying? The apocalypse isn't going to happen. I don't give a shit about any of that, alright? I've got what I want." The angel's right hand curled into a fist for a moment but he unfurled his fingers as he noticed the demon smirking. He had a more important matter to contend with than the demon's arrogance and idiocy. The absence of Sam Winchester.
"Where is your brother?" he demanded, his eyes flashing dangerously. Dean crossed his arms across his chest, feeling a small amount of anger flare within him at the mere mention of Sam. For all he knew, Castiel planned on killing his brother or something. And just the concept of that pissed him off greatly. He squared his shoulders in an attempt to compose himself and stared at the angel head on, blue and green melding together.
"In the en suite. You lay a hand on him, and I'll exorcise your fucking ass back upstairs."
"You appear to have the strangest preconceived notion that you will even get the chance to perform such an exorcism," Castiel snapped back. "However, it is not my intention to hurt your brother. I suspect you have done enough of that." The demon's eyes suddenly flashed coal black and he shifted from his perch on the table, his arms unfolding and his hands furling into fists. Screw it. He no longer cared who took the first shot, just as long as it happened now.
"So, oh wise and wonderful angel, we gonna freaking fight or not?" he growled, sufficiently riled now on account of Castiel's words about Sam, and the fact that he seemed to assume he understood. The celestial glared at him, angry and somewhat pained by his general attitude and, of course, his demonic state. And yet he was willing to do what he must. When his seven other brothers and sisters arrived, they would take them both. Nonetheless, the situation could have technically been worse. Dean could have had another agenda, other than possessing his brother, the pair of them could have been working with hell but this did not seem to be the case.
"It will not be much of a battle," he warned, also abandoning his attempt for self-control. He threw out a hand and sent the elder Winchester flying into the dresser as if to indicate his point. The cabinet broke beneath the demon, causing splinters and fragments of wood to scatter across the left side of the room. He groaned slightly in pain and annoyance but forced himself to his feet. He shook himself off and winced a small amount. Something wasn't right with his arm. He glanced down at it and spotted the problem; a thick splinter at least three inches long was imbedded in the flesh just near his elbow. He rolled his eyes and ripped it free without even wincing. He smirked over at the angel and inclined his head slightly in something akin to approval. He strolled away from the destroyed cabinet, his fingers twitching slightly in excited anticipation. It was so totally on.
"You're right, it won't be," he acknowledged maliciously. "'Cause you'll be finding yourself expelled from your pretty little vessel real soon. Then you know what me and my brother are gonna do? We'll have some fun with him, then we'll torture him and then kill him." He threw out a hand, intending on using the angel's own move against him but Castiel had other ideas and vanished, appearing behind Dean less than a second later. In one deft move, he kicked Dean's legs out from underneath him before he had even really received a chance to understand what was going on. Dean smirked and slowly begun to stand, but the angel threw out his hand and sent him crashing to his knees, pinning him in his current position with his telepathic powers. He was so incensed that he unintentionally projected his wings out behind him, the great black shadowy feathers spreading out across the whole room and flapping menacingly. It took him a brief moment to calm himself enough to vanish them.
"You dare to threaten my vessel, demonic filth?" he snarled. Struggling against the telepathic restraint, Dean grinned, watching the angel in interest and delight through his still blackened eyes.
"You know," he begun, his voice a little strained, "it's too bad we never met before I got with my brother because I reckoned you and I could've had real fun together. Hell, we still maybe one day we will. I bet you'd be wild once you got the hang of things. " Disgusted and outraged, Castiel waved his hand and freed the demon from his restraint, allowing him to jump to his feet with a small grimace. At this point, the bathroom door unlocked and swung open and Sam darted out, looking confused and concerned. His hair was slightly damp, indicating that he'd at recently been in the shower, but he was fully dressed. He glanced between his brother and Castiel warily, knowing that the latter most certainly was not a demon. Dean noticed him immediately and raised a hand to beckon for him to come over, come over but cut the movement shot upon noticing that Sam was already doing so. Sam stopped right by his side, eyeing Castiel hostilely. "Angel?" he asked his brother, immediately receiving a nod of confirmation.
"Angel," Dean repeatedly scornfully, finally allowing the blackness to bleed out of his eyes. "The one who was supposed to save me from hell, to be precise. I did the angel proofing wrong, somehow and lessened the level of magic that was keeping us off their radar 'cause I thought they'd given up. Guess I was wrong. Stupid, right?" Sam said nothing, because he knew from experience that Dean didn't actually want a confirmation of his mistakes. His demonic brother tended to get angry when he did that. He did his best to be a good brother, but sometimes he just got things wrong and Dean just got angry. Castiel studied the younger Winchester in silence for a moment, noting how he seemed to be very obedient to the demon and the fact that he had a couple of cuts and bruises on his face, most of which were fairly faded. There was no doubt in his mind that the injuries had been inflicted by Dean Winchester, a fact which both saddened and annoyed him greatly.
"Hello, Sam," he begun warily. "Yes, I am indeed an angel. But while I suspect that you have already formed an opinion of my kind, I must remind you that everything you have heard about us stems from whisperings in hell. An unreliable and corrupt source." Sam rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak but Dean intercepted angrily before he got the chance.
"Did I give you permission to speak to my brother?" he snarled at the angel, his eyes flashing black once more at what he perceived to be attempts to corrupt and tear Sam away from him.
"I need not gain the permission of a demon to do anything," Castiel responded harshly.
"Okay, here's something that I've just established without having heard it from 'whisperings in hell'," Sam said, his tone filled with disgust. "You angels are a bunch of jumped up little dicks. Dean…Can we just exorcise him or something already?" Dean grabbed his wrist, perhaps a little tighter than necessary, and pulled him closer but if it hurt he didn't complain or even wince.
"I don't know Sammy. This guy seems to think we should be worried about his abilities and all that," he mocked, shooting the angel a venomous look.
"It is not just me whom you should be concerned about, but also seven other members of my garrison," the celestial responded, his eyes gleaming dangerously. Sam stiffened warily and Dean readied himself to attack the angel so that they could perform the exorcism, but right on cue seven other angels; two by the door, and the other five next to Castiel. It was then that the Winchesters came to understand that this was an ambush of sorts, and not just Castiel visiting for some reason by himself.
"And now the party really starts," Dean drawled with a smirk. Balthazar rolled his eyes from his place beside Castiel. He quickly glanced at his brother and was pleased to note that, while he appeared to be frustrated, he was otherwise undamaged. The broken dresser must have been a consequence of Cas having thrown Dean into it then, he decided upon spotting the mess in the far side of the room. Another thing he quickly concluded was that Sam Winchester had only joined the fold recently as he'd been in the shower at some point, based on his wet hair. He was just a regular little detective, wasn't he?
"Sorry we took so long Cassie. I meant to be here a little earlier than this, but these guys were being bitches," he explained, ignoring the Winchesters for a moment or two. Castiel quickly shook his head, indicating that whatever had transpired was unimportant.
"So, we gonna do this or not guys?" Dean sneered, clapping his hands as though he believed that it would snap the eight (or most likely six, since two seemed to be on guard) angels into action. He apparently didn't want them to get in the first move however, for he flicked a hand at the angel furthest from Castiel, Rachel, and sent her flying across the room. She was back on her feet in moments, glowering at him. "Sorry, I just don't know what happened there. I guess my hand slipped." Sam laughed as the angels, except from Balthazar who seemed bored, glared at him and his brother. Picking the blond out as being somewhat different, and wrongly assuming him to be weaker, he flicked a hand at him, with the intent of sending him crashing across the room. Balthazar stumbled back a few metres, but managed to keep his footing. He chuckled, more amused than irritated.
"Oh sorry, darling, but it looks like I'm either too brilliant to be massively affected by your powers, or your running a little low on juice. I personally prefer the first option, but you can take your pick. After all, you know how long ago it was that you last drunk, not us," he teased with a smug smirk. Dean growled and rounded on his brother immediately, incensed.
"I said this morning that you should take more of my blood before you went in the shower, but, of course, you knew better didn't you Sammy? It's been four days since you've had anything and we've been doing quite a lot of demon ganking! Why do you never listen to me? Why do you constantly make this difficult?" he half yelled, either forgetting or not caring about the presence of the seven angels. Castiel and Balthazar shared a glance as Dean took a threatening step closer to his uneasy brother, who was apologising softly, and decided that now was the opportune time for them to take action.
Rolling his eyes, Balthazar threw out a hand and sent Dean soaring across the room and crashing into left hand wall. Castiel then, with regret, telepathically threw Sam over to far right wall; each of the Winchesters smashing to the ground with a groan. Castiel and Balthazar, in unison, then materialised about a metre in front of their respective Winchester brother.
"I'm gonna kill you both," Dean threatened the blond as he hurriedly attempted to rise to his feet. Balthazar smirked and chucked his hand out once more, causing the demon to fall to his knees. He forced him to remain in the position, the weight of his telepathic powers weighing down on the demon and restraining to such an extent that the demon had difficulty even struggling. He glanced across the room expectantly and was pleased to see that Cas had done the same to Sam; restrained him on his knees via telepathy, but using perhaps a little less force. He shot Dean a smug glance.
"It takes a lot to kill an angel, I'm afraid. And when as potentially out-numbered as you and you brother, it isn't even really worth fighting." He said it loud enough for all occupants in the room to hear, but his words didn't stop the Winchester brothers cursing and making threats and struggling against the bindings which they couldn't see anyway. If only Sam had drunk more recently, he probably would've been able to dislodge Castiel, and he probably would've been able to do if he'd had a hit of Ruby's blood, which though weaker seemed to last longer. Dean's on the other hand, he needed a lot of and very frequently, or his powers promptly begun to wane. Like now.
"Oh go on then," Dean sneered, his hatefully gaze dancing between the two most dominant angels. "Kill us already, you freaking holy sons of bitches." Castiel shook his head.
"Our orders were to capture the pair of you, alive," he countered calmly.
"Unfortunately," Balthazar added haughtily as the six other angels begun to inch closer, splitting threefold; the first trio heading over to him and the latter going over to Castiel and Sam.
"Why? What are the angels plans for us?" Sam snarled, struggling in vain. This was quite possibly the worst thing that could be happening to them right now, if the angels got them. They had no idea what their intentions for them were and he couldn't help but feel responsible. If only he'd listened to Dean, if only he'd been better, stronger, then he might have been able to do something about this. An idea suddenly switched on in his mind like a light bulb and he smirked. He didn't care about the answer to his question anymore. Not when he had a devious little plan in mind.
"Nos vandum expulsum vos, pis parvulus," he intoned, the first line of the angelic exorcism causing all of the celestial's in the room to stiffen slightly but neither Balthazar nor Castiel relinquished their power restraint. They soon would once the spell truly begun to take effect. "Nos dico super caligo vox-" Sam's voice suddenly cut off at a flick of Castiel's hand. His eyes widened in surprise and he laid a hand to his throat, trying to speak once more but finding no words came out. Dean's initial amusement and satisfaction faded as quick as Sam's ability to speak had and he begun to struggle anew. That was one power that he hadn't known about. Well screw it. He'd finish what Sam started.
"Veneficus ex coniecto tellus, Quod nostrum abbas, santimonialis quod frater," he continued hurriedly, smirking as the angel's flinched once more. He felt the power hold weaken on him for a fraction of a second, before it returned full force. Balthazar violently punched him in the face and then took the opportunity to render him incapable of speech as well. He laughed at the elder Winchester's expression flitted between surprise and annoyance.
"Okay, boys, would you like to try anything else stupid or have you come to realise that we've well and truly beaten you?" he asked rhetorically. Castiel glanced over at him.
"Balthazar, do not gloat," he said impatiently. The blond smirked once more, but he ignored him and glanced between two of their brothers. "Julian, Kristian; do you have the restraints?" Immediately the two angels in question (once who was with Balthazar and the other who was with Castiel) clicked their fingers. Out of nowhere a heavy pair of metallic cuffs appeared in each of their hands, every single inch of them practically covered in Enochian sigils. The Winchesters begun to attempt to struggle once more, each of them practically able to feel the power radiating off the strange restraints. In reality though, they were powerless to do anything to change their current situation and it wasn't long before the angels had forced the heavy restraints around their wrists. Dean stopped his struggling with a small grimace of discomfort grimace as he found himself undergoing a sensation of his powers being shoved behind a wall never-ending in height, width and depth. The black bled out of his eyes beyond his control and that was just another indication to him of what was occurring. Holy shit, these were power binders. And the chances were they'd probably work on Sam's abilities too, which were a result of demonic blood. He spotted his brother sag briefly as well, a fact which confirmed his suspicions. Balthazar suddenly waved a hand and the elder Winchester found the power which had been physically repressing him vanished. He drew in a sharp breath, relieved to have control over the majority of his once more.
"Stand up," the blond ordered with a smirk. Dean glared at him, but hurriedly leapt to his feet whilst he still had the chance. He made a run for it, but was immediately grabbed by a couple of angel mooks who, despite his struggles, held him fast. His expression darkened as he noticed that Sam was equally being grabbed; the angels' filthy hands dancing across his arms and tainting them with their heavenly possessed vessels. It pissed him off beyond belief and he knew that if he had access to his powers, he'd be chucking those bastards across the room and beyond. He wanted to tear all of the angels in this room apart, despite the fact that he didn't even know how to kill them. He just yearned to do it over and over and over again. But unfortunately he could do very little right now. In fact, he couldn't even curse them anymore, at least not out loud. Balthazar moved to stand beside Castiel with a smirk as the other angels forced the two brothers into the centre of the room.
"Are those the ones made with the salt infused iron?" he asked, referring to the restraints.
"No," Castiel murmured in response. "I did not think it wise, since Sam Winchester is human and since it most likely would've been unnecessary." The blond shook his head in disagreement.
"Admittedly, it may not have had much of an effect on the younger brother, but on the demon…Why the hell not, you know? Ah, I don't suppose it matters too much. We've got them now and I guess that's the main thing," he mused, eventually shrugging. Castiel didn't answer, but instead glanced at the six other angels who were with the struggling brothers, clearly awaiting orders. He nodded briskly.
"Take them," he commanded. Instantly, the six other celestials vanished with the Winchesters, most certainly taking them to the secure location that had been produced specifically, should they manage to locate and catch the boys. Which they had now done. Balthazar and Castiel hesitated for a moment. The blond glanced at his brother.
"And now what? What's the plan, Cas? Surely Michael and his wonderful friends must have one?"
"I do not believe that they do yet. Or at least, nothing cogent. We shall have to consult them," Castiel responded, looking slightly troubled by the lack of direction now that the brothers had been (more or less) captured and were soon to be detained. Balthazar smirked.
"You will have to consult them," he corrected, his cyan eyes sparkling in amusement. "For the moment, however, we'd better hurry on over to Azkaban. You may trust the rest of the saps in our garrison to do things properly, but I sure as hell don't." He vanished without waiting for a reply. Castiel sighed heavily and glanced around the room. It was unlikely that the Winchesters would be returning here. At all. They certainly wouldn't be escaping from the facility which had been set up; it would be too well guarded and there would be too many provisions in place. He might have felt a little sympathy for them, but he then recalled that they were both tainted now and that this was his mess to fix.
And he most certainly would fix it. No matter how long it took him, he would find a way. He would right his wrongs, somehow or another.
AN2: Yeah, the latin is the beginnings of an angelic exorcism I made. I know they had one in the series but I didn't really like it. Fear not though. This is quite obviously not the last shot. I'll be writing a third one once I figure a few things out. It may take a little while, so please be patient.