"So what if Michael doesn't show up?" Bobby said, standing in the shed with the Winchester boys just a day later.
The shed was still covered in symbols from every religion, and Bobby decided to add the few for angels that they had learned since Castiel came crashing in a year ago. Bobby had unearthed every weapon they could muster, but it would still surely be inadequate for fending off an archangel.
"Then we know they're both conspicuously absent from their own party and that something is sideways," Dean, said for the record.
Man, this is a horrible idea, Bobby thought for the seventy-fifth time. Dread was pooling in his chest.
"And if he does?" Bobby asked.
"Then we can safely assume Lucifer is just tucked away, planning big things." And we can get to finding out what they are.
"Is there a reason we can't just sit and wait for the world to fall apart, instead of egging it on like this?" Bobby inquired from his seated position. It's gonna fall apart anyway, why speed up the process? Went unsaid.
Sam sighed, the weary sigh of the guilty. "It's our mess."
Bobby grunted. Sam's anxiety spiked; my mess, he must think.
Dean cleared his throat. "Oh Castiel, I am going to egg on your older brother now. If you could come watch the show…"
No response, again.
Dean tried to hide his disappointment, and cleared his throat. Now or never, he supposed.
"Michael, I don't want to watch Lucifer take over the world. Can we talk? I am at Bobby Singer's residence."
Nothing happened, and they all looked at each other. Dean tried again.
"I want to say yes, Michael, the archangel," Dean kept saying, feeling more and more ludicrous. The tension was mounting in everyone's gut, and instead of being relieved that Michael wasn't answering, they were just growing more concerned.
Did the man, angel, whatever, want more reverence? "May I have an audience?"
"He isn't coming," Castiel said, appearing before them suddenly. He appeared unhindered by the religious rites Bobby dug up.
Those two angel graces were hanging from his neck, still. Dean originally assumed he was returning them to fallen brothers, but suddenly he had a much more shrewd idea.
"Because they're in there, aren't they," Dean said, pointing.
Castiel gave him an appraising look.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Sam said, aghast. "Castiel, why do you have the archangel's graces?"
"And why have you been ignoring our calls?" Dean exclaimed.
"I had to keep these protected," Castiel said, selectively answering. "Very dangerous in the wrong hands."
"How did you come by them?" Bobby asked, suspicious, wheeling around in his chair.
"His search for God," Sam said. "It worked." Quick thinking, geek boy.
Castiel neither confirmed nor denied, and cleared his throat, for ceremony. "Lucifer and Michael haven't been with heaven or hell for some time. They have been lost."
"And no one noticed Michael missing?" Sam exclaimed. "Lucifer I get, he was supposed to be in a cage, but didn't you all notice Michael missing?"
"The chain of command is strict. Only a few people had access to Michael, and it would seem that they hushed up the knowledge, just as they did with God's absence. Perhaps he has not been missing for that long."
"Is every major hitter out of town?" Dean asked. "Who else is there even major to miss, Jesus?"
"I don't know what you'd consider every major hitter," Castiel replied dryly. "As far as I know, only those two figures are gone. The Father, Michael and Lucifer." Castiel hummed. "It's not outside of the realm of possibility that there are more missing."
"Is the Son just God in a vessel?" Sam asked, the question on his mind, since Castiel said 'The Father.'
"I believe the Son is a vessel God fashioned just for himself," Castiel said. "It was told to me that the Son was the human embodiment of God, just as it was you in Sunday School."
"Hunting kept us out of Sunday school," Dean snapped. "So the apocalypse is on but everyone is gone. What now?"
"Eventually, both sides will realize and begin their search for their leaders," Castiel informed him.
"Is that…" Dean pointed again. "….them?"
"No," Castiel said flatly. "This is their power. Their selves are likely out there, as Anna was, unaware of who they are."
"We gotta find the archangels before either side does, in their human form," Bobby said, aghast. "How are we supposed to do that?"
Castiel gave Dean another piercing look, and was gone in a wingbeat.
"Wow, that was helpful," Dean drawled. "Thanks for the chat."
"That actually was helpful," Sam insisted from where he stood. "At least when we're finding humans, or almost-humans, they can't smite us with a sideways glance."
"But now we gotta cook up some magic for finding fallen angels," Dean said dryly.
Bobby's face had exhaustion written all over it. Damn that stupid chair, Dean thought.
"Well lets see what we can dig up," Bobby said, wheeling himself out of the shed. Dean considered helping, but anticipated that all that would happen would Bobby would tear his head off for it, and he was attached to it.
"Anna, can we talk?" Dean said awkwardly. "I'm at Bobby's –"
Anna appeared before them instantly, enraged. "Lucifer's cage is open," she growled.
"We know," Sam said, wincing visibly. Dean felt the shame in his chest, but managed to keep it off his face.
"You are his true vessel, and yet you are here," Anna said, her stance growing more aggressive by the second.
"How are you here?" Castiel said, suddenly present, angel grace conspicuously missing.
Dean decided to take the hint, and keep Anna out-of-the-know.
"You were taken to heaven," Castiel said.
"Betrayed, by you," She shot. "But I escaped once, I could do it again."
"Well Castiel isn't on heaven's team anymore, we're all on the same side," Dean called authoritatively. This situation was quickly escalating. Dean didn't know what Anna's problem was, but didn't like where this was going.
"Lets all work together here. Anna," Dean turned. "Do you have some way to find angels that have fallen? Like magic that can find their human form?"
Anna looked at him blankly. "Why would you want that?" she said, entirely nonplussed.
"Humor me," Dean said. "For the eventual destruction of both heaven and hell, I assure you."
Anna looked at Sam, fury crossing her features. "It would be a better use of our time to scatter his cells on the wind." Dean suddenly understood what her problem was.
"Do you know the magic or not," Sam snapped. Sam's fist tightened around the blade he was holding.
"No, I know of no such thing," Anna said, eerily empty. Her gaze landed on Sam, looking like she would attack.
"If you harm a hair on his head, you will find yourself in no small level of danger," Castiel threatened.
Dean wondered when the change of heart in Castiel occurred for Sam, but he wasn't questioning it. Probably when he fell, fell for them. Castiel used to be in favor of removing Sam from this earth, and suddenly Castiel was going to bat for him.
What Dean was questioning was the sudden urge Anna had to annihilate Sam. What, the fact that Lucifer might take Sam (even though he wouldn't) was enough to destroy Sam forever?
"He's not going to say yes, Anna," Dean assured, hoping vainly that it would calm her. "Neither of us are."
"Simple human assurance is not enough to ease my mind," She said harshly, drawing her sword.
Just as Dean's adrenaline spiked, something happened. Suddenly Castiel was behind her, his sword in her back, her mouth in an open scream as she died. The humans slammed their eyes shut until the piercing light faded.
"Jesus, Castiel!" Dean exclaimed. "Did God give you a powerup or something?"
"He did. I was reincarnated as a higher order angel, from Malakhim to Seraphim, first class." Castiel said smoothly. "A rank far outstripping Anael's."
Dean didn't know whether or not to feel touched at Castiel killing a 6000-year friend to save Sam, or alarmed.
Sam, however, clearly felt affected. "Castiel, thank you," he said uncertainly.
"She threatened your life, and I warned her that would not end in a pleasing way for her," Castiel intoned.
"You… nevermind," Dean shook his head. He wasn't questioning the change of heart. "Bobby, do you think that there is magic that can find them?"
"I know of no such magic, except that which uses the grace itself," Castiel said.
"Great, you have that!" Dean exclaimed. "Perfect. Hand it over."
"But we cannot," Castiel said. "To do so would… 'use it up,' per se, and we cannot risk that."
"Surely we can use up Lucifer,"Sam said. "Any opportunity to take Satan's power is one we should take?"
"Think of the implications of their absence," Castiel insisted. "If they have been gone for long enough, than Lucifer is not guilty for any of the things he is charged of."
Sam and Dean's eyes opened wide. Bobby, however, was not impressed.
"Then how's hell here? The apocalypse?" Bobby challenged.
"I know not the answers, I only know that Lucifer had to go missing before he was sealed, because nothing can escape from that cage. Before that cage was sealed, I was but a child, and hell had only started to form. Lucifer had already fallen to earth, but he had not been sealed away."
The three humans were struck again with the feeling that this was far, far above their pay grade. "What do you remember?" Bobby asked.
Castiel grimaced. "My memories are dim. I remember Lucifer's willingness to stand up to our father, I found… frightening. And then one day, he and his supporters left to earth, abandoning our Father and our purpose for them. Hell, demons, were all known after Lucifer was supposedly sealed. Lucifer may have made the first demon, he may not have, but I don't know anymore."
Castiel turned his head away. "This is what I find so difficult about free will. Suddenly, the choices, whether to give someone a chance, or not, they are yours to make."
"We'll give Lucifer a chance to speak for himself," Sam found himself saying. He was part demon, reviled by hunter and monster alike, abandoning his father and doing awful things in the name of what was right. Everyone deserved that chance, even Lucifer. What a ridiculous sounding thought, Sam thought. Even Lucifer deserves a chance.
"If he is Satan, he'll only spread lies," Bobby said harshly. "Father of lies, remember?"
Dean pursed his lips. "Lucifer might really be framed?"
Castiel looked back at the three men. "All I know is that Lucifer and Michael are both missing, and not a single human has died that can be tied back to either of them personally."
"What do you think?" Dean pressed. "I mean, you knew the guys."
"Knew of," Castiel corrected. He frowned. "My memories are too hazy to come up with a conclusion, but… I think, in the spirit of free will, they should both be given a chance."
Both. Dean liked that. Michael abandoned humans and the planet to be roasted by demons and whatever else nasty is happening, he should own up. He doesn't have Lucifer's bad rap, but he did have Lucifer's questionable motivations.
"But without that grace we will never find them," Bobby said. "Right, Castiel?"
Castiel stood silently, and seemed to be coming to some sort of decision.
"What?" Dean queried. They looked on, expectantly.
Castiel ventured an answer. "Yes, you will, I think."
"How?" Dean asked, but in a wingbeat, Castiel was gone.
"What an ass," Dean said dryly. "His poor troop, they've had to deal with this thousands of years."
"What does that even mean, as an answer?" Sam asked.
"I'm starting to think he found God and had a good chat," Bobby said. "Suddenly a power-boosted angel, with the two big bads' grace around his neck, giving answers that are even more vague than usual?"
"And there's something they're hiding," Dean growled. "God and his buddies, always hiding shit. When I die and find out what they're hiding, it better be good."
"At this rate we're gonna find out before then," Sam said dryly. "So do we want to struggle on and trust Cas, or try and wring it out of him?"
"It's not distrustful to wring it out of him," Dean sulked. "It's not like we can capture and interrogate him."
"We can corner him," Bobby said. "The guy is a thousands' year old celestial being, sure, but he didn't spend that time socializing. I bet if we ask the right questions the right way, we can get him to spill whatever it is."
"Or we could just ask him!" Dean exclaimed. "Hey Cas, what's the big secret you and God are keeping?"
"It wouldn't be a secret then, would it," Sam said dryly. Dean made a face; he just didn't want to believe Cas was hiding something.
Dean threw his hands up in exasperation. "Whatever, it's fine, without magic, we're just somehow gonna find the human souls of the archangels Michael and Lucifer. It's fine."
He tipped his head back, groaning. "Remember when a bench hitter demon was the scariest thing we'd ever hunted?" He asked, lamely.
"Cut it with the pity party," Bobby said, wheeling away. "Hunting has gotten harsher, no thanks to you two," he grumbled. Sam and Dean knew that by you two, he meant the great apocalypse conspiracy theory that is following you.
And wasn't that a kicker, Sam thought. His whole life, poisoned by Azazel, raised to be leader of demons, chosen vessel to the archangel Lucifer, all one giant play. Friends with demons and stalked by angels. Was any of it ever real?
Looking at Dean, he saw an older brother who bandaged up his scraped knees and threatened people who called him a nerd. That, Sam knew, that was real.
"The falling of the archangels Michael and Lucifer would cause some pretty big astrological signs, wouldn't it?" Sam asked. Books were splayed out in front of the three of them, what felt like Bobby's entire library on the floor in front of them as they poured over information in vain. "Shooting stars, comets, hell, gigantic explosions?"
"I mean, yeah," Bobby said, "But how would that help us find the humans they're in now?"
"The humans they are," Dean corrected. "Anna wasn't 'in' anyone, she was someone."
"Maybe when they reincarnated, there was like shooting stars or something," Sam guessed.
"There would be dozens or hundreds over the years, then, and that's too much to search through," Bobby said. "Not to mention all of the perfectly natural space stuff."
"Anna could hear angels," Dean said. "Maybe their human forms will be having the same problem?"
"They could be smarter than Anna, and not talking about it, so there'd be no way to know."
"Wouldn't they have childhood amnesia, then, or weird issues about their Dad?"
"Again, they'd be –"
"Geez, Bobby!" Dean exclaimed, standing up. "What are we supposed to look for, then?"
Sam was silent. "Prophecies," he said quietly, with dawning realization. "It's the apocalypse, and these two archangels are mentioned extensively in the apocrypha. If we know where they will be, we might be able to find out where they are."
"Good, a plan," Dean sighed. "We need a prophecy, let's call our local prophet."
Dean flipped open his phone, and dialed on speaker. Chuck picked up (Chuck never ignored a call from them), and quickly explained the situation.
"I haven't seen anything," Chuck said.
"What do you mean, you haven't seen anything?" Dean almost threatened. He was so frustrated, and they were almost out of options.
"I swear, I haven't seen anything about this," Chuck insisted. "Just both of you, searching."
"Well, you see where we search next, right?" Sam insisted. "Give us a lead, or tell us where not to waste your time."
"If I tell you, you don't do it, and then I never see it, so I can't tell you not to do it," Chuck rambled. "Remember Lilith? Besides, nothing I saw would even help you anyways."
"Maybe there's some magic that can help us find angels on earth," Dean said. "In any form. Fallen or not, grace or not. Any angel that we can wring some information out of."
"I bet Cas would know something about that," Chuck said.
"How do you know he's not dead? Don't say it, prophet, I know," Dean remarked, sighed again.
"Cas, got a second for a question?"
Nothing, as anticipated.
"Is he trying to, like, lead us to the answer without giving it to us?" Sam snarked, at the open air. "Because this is ridiculous."
"Bobby probably has it somewhere in these magic books of his," Dean groaned. "Thanks anyways, Chuck," he said as he hung up.
"So?" Bobby asked.
"Spell to find any angel on earth, here we go," Sam groaned, flipping open another book.
"Got it!" Sam exclaimed. "Naturally, all of the ingredients are weird and rare, but nothing requiring an angel's grace. Perfectly doable."
Bobby eyed the ingredients list. "Has to be done on the freaking solar equinox, naturally. Luckily that's only 3 or so months out, enough time to get my hands on 'the hair of one touched by god,' or whatever that means."
"Probably just someone who has had a miracle happen to them," Sam said. "That'll be easy enough to verify. Just…"
Dean tuned out of the technical ins and outs of the spell. There was something weighing on his mind about this whole affair.
"What are we doing to do when we find them?" Dean said. Sam and Bobby fell silent, obviously considering this question themselves at length.
"We can't restore them their power, or they'll get started with the apocalypse," Bobby said.
"Or maybe, they're innocent, we restore their power, and they put everything right!" Sam insisted. "But how do we find out?"
"Pamela got Anna to access her memories," Dean said, "But we don't have Pamela anymore, do we," Dean said sadly. How many more people will die because of these dickheads?
"It doesn't take the state's best psychic to hypnotize someone," Sam said. "And a powerless angel isn't going to blind anyone. We just need someone with psychic power."
"We could call up Missouri," Dean replied. "She's always had pity for our plight, or whatever."
"We could just do it ourselves," Bobby said. "I let you all call Pamela because we didn't know what we were fucking with, with Anna, but we know the score here. Awaken a fallen angel's memories. I could probably do that myself."
"You sure?" Sam queried, uncertain.
"No," Bobby said, "But I'd rather do that than invite a stranger into this shitstorm."
"Okay, find the angels, awaken their memories," Sam said. "Then ask them what the hell is going on."
"They could always lie," Dean said.
"Yeah, but they'd have to lie together," Bobby said. "We could separate them like cops do and ask them to spit out their stories. If they fit together, it's more likely it's true."
"They also won't know about Cas," Sam added. "Cas can verify everything they say."
"Would Cas be willing to knife them if they're the bad guys?" Dean wondered. "They are his brothers."
"Yeah, but he fell for us," Sam said. "Fell for free will. Plus, Cas flat out admitted that he didn't know them."
"He'll have to," Bobby said. "If we do it ourselves, they'll reincarnate as humans again."
"This is getting ahead of ourselves," Sam interrupted. "This spell isn't finding them, it's just finding some angel that we can wring answers out of. We'll come up with trial questions later."
"Damn straight," Dean said. He had a gnawing sense of dread in his stomach. Something told him he wouldn't like where this road leads. Little did he know, Sam was feeling the exact same thing.
"…révéler l'ange le plus proche!" Sam exclaimed, slamming his hand down on the sigil.
Angelic magic seemed to be all blood and sigils, this one requiring a variety of things to be mixed with the blood of the seeker, painted on the floor.
They were hoping it would summon the angel right to them, since that would save them some time. They didn't put much anti-angel magic down, dubious that it would have an effect.
It didn't matter, though, since two names burned into the carpet.
Michael
Lucifer
"Something must be wrong," Sam said. "Or they really are the closest angels, and I find it difficult to believe that would just happen to be the case."
Bobby was silent, looking at the floor.
"God damnit," Dean groaned. "I guess it's back to the books. I hate the books."
"We know you do, Dean," Sam laughed.
"You know what sucks about the apocalypse? There's way more books than usual. Normal hunting is just 'what is it,' 'how do we kill it?' Dad's journal says how, and then we do."
Suddenly, Bobby looked up at the two of them.
"I'll be right back," Bobby said, and then wheeled right out to the back.
"Okay?" Dean said. "Wonder what's crawled up his ass."
"Disability," Sam replied quietly.
Disability was not, as it was, 'what crawled up Bobby's ass.'
"Cas! You sneaky bastard!" Bobby said loudly as soon as he got enough distance. "They're the angels, aren't they!"
"Yes," Castiel said, appearing suddenly as usual.
"Well," Bobby said. He was stunned, not reacting to the news. "At least we know they won't kill us all," Bobby heard himself say.
"Perhaps, perhaps not," Castiel replied. "As soon as they have their memories back, they may decide to kill each other, and everyone else. We know not what their history is."
"Well then they're not getting their memories back," Bobby said forcefully. I'm not losing my sons to some shitty archangels, he snarled in his mind. Even if his sons were those archangels. This was above his pay grade.
"How long can you keep that up?" Castiel pressed, a little aggressive. "Both sides will notice their missing leaders. They, just as you, will come to this conclusion. They will hunt them down, and their enemies will torture them until they remember. Best case scenario, Dean is taken hostage by heaven and Sam by hell, until they remember. They were gone the moment the apocalypse started."
Bobby was silent. "Why didn't you tell them?" he asked, quietly. Why didn't you tell us.
"They fell for a reason," Castiel said. "I feared their reaction if their power or memories were forced on them against their will. Also, the Father commanded me not to."
"Why?"
"I know not."
"This damn God," Bobby mumbled. "Okay, what does The Father want me to do?" He said, with no small amount of sarcasm.
"They must accept their identities themselves."
"But they have to discover it to accept it," Bobby said.
"They have everything they need to discover it, just as you did," Castiel said.
"Well, they seem a little resistant," Bobby found himself saying. "Back there, they thought the spell was just wonky."
"I will wait as long as it takes," Castiel said in another non-answer.
"Balls," Bobby groaned. "Damnit Cas, I don't want to lose my sons."
"You may not," Castiel said. Then he was gone.