8 Months Earlier...

As far as torture chambers went, Crowley had seen worse. Had been in much worse. The fact that the one he was currently in was because of his mother didn't make it any more horrible.

The fact that he had been so damned obtuse in letting her overthrow him did.

My entire kingdom, undone by a hamster, he thought, sighing, head drooping.

He derided himself once again when that thought came back. He should have seen that one coming. His mother was so damned insistent on capturing that Coven bitch Olivette. And what does she do when he delivers her on a silver platter? Horrible, painful death? Of course not. Some mild torture followed by transformation into a rodent. Which, Rowena then conveniently left with her son. A talking, informed, and, oh, by-the-way, can hear every secret conversation and plan that Crowley ever had, hamster.

Of course it was a spy for Rowena.

He sighed again heavily, looking at the clock on the wall. It was nearly time for the next 'session'. Ah well, at least they stopped the damned Hanson CD when he was being cut into.

The door creaked open and a decidedly un-demon looking face looked inside and stared at Crowley. It quickly ducked back out. There were immediately hushed whispers to others apparantly waiting just outside the door. Crowley frowned.

Moose?

Sam Winchester came into the room followed by Dean and a small, disheveled looking man that Crowley had never seen before. The little bearded man looked around at the assorted torture instruments with wide eyes and then back at Dean uncertainly.

"Crowley?", Sam whispered, walking over to where Crowley hung from the wall.

"No, genius, Lady Gaga," Crowley grumbled. "So. Tell me. Whatever are you two doing in a place like this?"

Sam nodded, pulling out a lockpick and releasing Crowley's manacles. With a gasp, Crowley crumpled to the ground. After a few seconds of letting sensation and the blood rush back into his limbs, he looked back up at Sam.

"Are thanks in order? Or is there yet more unpleasantness in store for me?"

Sam grimaced. "We're getting you out of here, Crowley. Believe me, this is not our idea."

Crowley raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Fine, be mysterious. So, who's that with you here on this field trip?", he asked, looking at the small man.

""He's the one that convinced us to come get you," Dean growled. "Now get your ass in gear, Crowley, we're outta here."

"Nice to see you again too, Dean," Crowley grumbled. He glanced at the small man." And to whom do I owe my eternal gratitude?"

The guy shifted nervously from foot to foot, looking back out into the hallway. "Um...Chuck Shurley. And...um...could we hurry this up? I have a feeling that there are more than a few guards around here."

Crowley raised his eyebrows. "I know that name. Weren't you the Prophet before Kevin Tran?"

Chuck nodded vigorously. Dean rolled his eyes. "We don't have time for this, let's move it!"

Sam helped Crowley onto unsteady legs and the two of them followed a few steps behind Dean and Chuck into the empty hallway. Wordlessly, they creeped along the wall before coming to an intersection. They waited, checking in all directions before hurrying on. They proceeded that way for an indeterminable time, following a labyrinth of dirty, damp halls until they finally reached a symbol carved into a rock wall. The symbol hummed with energy and glowed slightly blue. Crowley let out a low whistle.

"That's angelic...where did you get that spell...?", he started before Sam shoved him rudely into the symbol.

The hall dissolved around him and he found himself standing in an alleyway somewhere. The twin of the symbol was carefully drawn into the concrete where he had just emerged. The Wonder Twins came quickly after, Chuck last. Sam picked up a can of spraypaint lying stashed nearby behind a trashbag and began to cover the symbol with heavy strokes of black paint.

Crowley nodded. "Well, that was well planned, I admit it. Provided one has access to an Angel or two to activate one of those...mind explaining to me?"

"Crowley," came a gravelly voice from the back of the alley. Crowley closed his eyes slowly. Then he bolted as fast as he could towards the street.

Both Sam and Dean almost immediately tackled him. He couldn't fight them off, his powers had not yet returned to him. He growled ferociously and twisted. "Keep him away from me, you stupid sots! My mother programmed him to kill me!"

A figure in a trenchcoat emerged from the shadows of the alley. Castiel. His eyes shone brightly.

"That spell wore off long ago, Crowley. But there is nothing stopping me from destroying you, " Castiel growled. "And it will also be for a good reason."

Sam and Dean held on tighter as Crowley struggled harder.

"Are you sure this will work?", Sam grunted, looking up at Chuck, who was standing there wringing his hands.

"That's what I wrote down, " Chuck said quietly. "You execute the Demon with the Keys to Hell and Lucifer is sent back to his prison."

Crowley groaned. So, this was what this was all about. The bloody Keys to Hell. His mother had been trying for months to get those away from him...and...wait, did they just say, put Lucifer back..? He stopped struggling for a second, his brow furrowing.

"What. Did. You. Two. Idiots. Do? Did you let Lucifer, Lucifer, out of his bloody Cage?!," he asked, his voice full of disbelief.

Sam looked at Dean. Dean shrugged. "It was the only way to stop The Darkness. Lucifer. The Lightbringer," Dean said simply. "Now we gotta put him back. And you're the way to do that, chuckles. No offense"

Crowley winced. "And after Lucifer is back inside, how do you plan on keeping the Darkness locked away? Did you at least think that far ahead?"

"We put the Mark of Cain back where it belongs," Sam said.

Crowley twisted his head to look at Dean's arm. It had no mark on it. He looked back at Dean questioningly.

Dean shrugged. "Back on Cain. I didn't exactly...kill him... like I said..."

Crowley shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Of course you didn't. Why would I have expected the Winchester's to do anything that they said they were going to do? Besides, of course, anythingelse but causing unparalleled, world-destroying mayhem?"

Castiel took a menacing step forward and Crowley shrunk back. "Wait. Wait!", he shouted. "Surely there's another way..." He looked around desperately, and then noticed Chuck lying on the ground moaning, clasping his hands around his head. Sam followed his gaze and stood up immediately, releasing Crowley. Dean still held on firmly, though, and Crowley was still in no condition to fight back.

Castiel also looked over at Chuck, concerned. Sam was now crouching over him as Chuck began to stir. "...wait...", Chuck murmured slowly, looking around, his eyes badly bloodshot. "Wait...don't kill him..."

Sam looked down, puzzled. "What...? Did you just say don't kill him?"

Chuck nodded slowly, groaning. He stood up on wobbly legs. "No...no...there's a new vision. More powerful than the last one..."

Crowley frowned. "What vision? I thought that once a new Prophet came around, that meant the last one was dead. Or was no longer 'in service'."

Chuck shook his head. "No. I got drafted again. Damn...new vision...Lucifer knows what we're up to. Taking measures...to protect himself..." He held a palm to his forehead. "Don't suppose anyone's got some whiskey around?"

Dean shrugged and stood up, released Crowley and reached into his jacket. He pulled out a silver flask and handed it to Chuck, who drank it up greedily.
He wiped the back of his hand against his mouth. "Thanks. Thanks, " he said, handing it back. "Unreal how much that helps." He looked back up at a Crowley, who was still kneeling in the alley, watching the Prophet and the Angel carefully.

Chuck walked over to Castiel and whispered something in his ear. Castiel's eyes went wide, his face twisting in confusion. "Him?," Castiel asked loudly, pointing at Crowley. "I can't...I won't," his shoulders shrugged, resolution coming over him. "Are you absolutely certain?"

Chuck nodded slowly. "Sorry pal, that's what the vision says, " He said, clapping Castiel on the shoulder. Castiel looked up at the sky, exasperated, before turning a serious, steely gaze back to Crowley.

Chuck walked over to Crowley. Crowley watched him warily.

"Um, Crowley, it looks like we might be actually needing your help here, if you don't mind?"

Crowley felt an evil grin spreading over his lips. "Why...in the name of all hell, would I help you lot of bloody wankers? You just tried tokill me!"

Chuck smiled. "Because if you do, everybody wins, and no one has to die. Lucifer gets sent back to the cage, Metatron is exiled from Heaven and Castiel there gets put back in charge. Annnnd," he said, holding up a finger, cutting off Crowley's protest. "the incentive part for you. You get Hell back."