Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural! (no matter how many times I ask for it for Christmas (and my birthday, and Halloween, and st. Patrick's day, and Easter.))
Notes: Don't worry, this may seem boring but trust me—you're in for a very, very, very thrilling roller coaster... Don't kill me about the ending, I took some creative license about it. (and if you think this chapter's crappy, I am sorry)
A Swan's Wings
By Mikkal
"Dean?"
When Bobby Singer opened the door to soft knocks he expected to to see a Girl Scout (despite it being ten o'clock at night) or something, not a seemingly well mannered, cultured looking man who looked just like Dean Winchester, plus glasses. And behind was a very different, but surely the same, Castiel.
The man in front of him scowled, "Take a picture, Bobby, it'll last longer."
"Where the hell have you been?" The Hunter resisted the urge to grab Dean by the collar and punch him in the face, if it weren't for the strange fear of breaking his glasses he probably would have. "Lisa and Ben have been worried sick!"
Dean got a apologetic look on his face. "Oops."
"'Oops?'" Disbelief, that's all he could feel right now. "That's all you can say is 'Oops?' We thought you were dead, or worse: brought back to hell!"
Castiel chose that time to appear between them. "We have come to help with the apocalypse."
"Oh really now?" He raised an eyebrow. "And how can you two exactly help? An angel and a man who's suppose to be a vessel but can't because his angel's in hell."
That was harsh, and probably the wrong thing to say because when Dean's eyes snapped up to look at him they flashed silver and the foundation shook.
"Don't," Dean hissed, "you dare call him my angel."
Bobby felt his jaw drop and roll away. "Dean? What happened to you?"
"I'm an angel now," Dean grinned that goofy grin of his, the one that meant everything was going exactly the way he wanted them to go. "An Arch Angel, actually. I took Michael's place."
"Can you even do that?" And Bobby's jaw rolled farther and farther away...it was probably in New Zealand right now, having taken the long way.
Dean still had that damn grin on his face as he spread his arms widen like a presenter and lightning flashed behind him (stealing from Castiel now was he?), showing that the shadows behind both angels were of two pairs of large wings.
"Yes, yes we can." Dean brushed past him, walking over the Devil's Trap without a first glance. "What's our first move?" He asked, no preamble necessary. "So far there have been 43 broken Seals—"
"44."
They both looked at Castiel before looking at each other. The house shook again.
"I'm really beginning to hate this apocalypse thing, you know that right?" The Arch Angel ran a hand through his golden hair. "I know one thing that's not going to happen when shit hits the fan."
Bobby walked over to his book covered desk, many of the tomes were the same ones from Round 1 (oh God, he can't believe he thought that), but he managed to get some new ones... "Oh? And what's that? Alastair not coming? Or no Horsemen this time?"
A hand was shoved in his face, a hand with four rings on them. "I can guarantee there won't be at least three of them."
Bobby's jaw greeted outer space with big happy smile. "You have the Horsemen's Rings?"
"Yep!" His eyes shone like a kid who just got away with the mother of all pranks. "War, Famine, and Pestilence." The finger that each Ring was on ticked up when its previous owner was named. "Death and I had a deal so I gave his back but he told me I could call on him at any time. Said I seemed like a 'trustworthy human/angel.'"
The Hunter snorted at that, sure the man was trustworthy but if you knew Dean, would you ever expect him to make allies with an Other, a Horseman no less? No, that's the answer, no.
"So, you being an angel," Angel and Dean didn't seem to go together in the same sentence , let alone the being. Though, the man was righteous enough to be mistaken as one there were too many flaws to look beyond and that usually wasn't angel worthy. Actually, scratch that, the only angel who didn't seem like a self-righteous dick (Dean's words, not his) was Castiel...and now Dean, he guessed. "Means this thing will be over quickly, right?"
Dean shuffled uncomfortably and glanced at Castiel, seeming to plead to his second-in-command to break the news.
"There has been information," and Cas was such a good second-in-command, and friend, because he answered the silent plead without argument. "That both Michael and Lucifer have joined forces to lay siege to earth and heaven."
"Lucifer," Bobby breathed out the devil's name like it was a curse...which it kind was. "Your brother."
The Arch Angel nodded, "I've been trying to bring him back ever since I went to heaven, and to me I've been trying for eighty years," and to Sam it's been like he's been trapped for eighty years, "but with no luck. I've also recently learned that the reason for my failed attempts is because of the combined powers of two former Arch Angels."
Oh damn, he even sounds different. At times this new Dean sounded like old Dean and others he sounded like angel Dean. It was kinda hard to keep track of.
"I'm sorry, son." And boy was he sorry, he practically encouraged Sam to go ahead with his plan.
Dean waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, don't apologize, it's not your fault. All the blame lands on Michael and his little brother."
Castiel twitched at the last two words being hissed between clenched teeth and Bobby visibly flinched at the smothering anger in emerald eyes.
"We can bring Joshua and Raphael to help." Castiel suggested, breaking the tension on only one way he knew how at the moment. "Joshua is most likely going to rather do strategic plans while Raphael would rather fight but it's better than nothing."
"Raphael? Isn't that the same angel who killed you?" Bobby couldn't believe this. Everything that happened between these two and the angels seemed to have completely disappear.
Dean nodded his agreement. "I could talk to God, get him to pull a few strings and bring at least Anna and Gabriel back. She was good when she wasn't trying to kill Sam and Gabe got better when we ran into those gods."
Talk to God? Gabe? What the hell happened to Dean?
"I became an angel, Bobby, get use to it because I'm staying this way for a really long time." Dean told him.
And jaw says hello to the universes outside of our own. "Dean, I'm—" —sorry. Sorry for what you say? Sorry for everything! Sorry for encouraging your dad to hunt. Sorry for encouraging your brother to jump. Sorry for not being there to see if you were really all right.
"Dude, Bobby." Unnaturally strong hands gripped him by the shoulders. "You have nothing to be sorry about. If you want someone to blame, blame God and his prophecy, not yourself. I'm fine, Sam's going to be fine, and the world's going to be fine."
Bobby gulped at the power coming off of Dean in waves, and suddenly he felt as if that was the truth. Everything was going to be all right, it had to be 'cause Dean said so.
"Dean." Castiel interrupted their tender moment (also known as a 'chick flick' in Dean's dictionary). "You do realize that this war is going to be a lot harder than before?"
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I won't try. I'll kill them both if I have to." The angel and Hunter had no doubt that he would. The Arch Angel turned so he was facing both of them. "Bobby, I want you to call every Hunter you know, tell them to be on the look out, extra careful and if any of them are close by tell them to get to your place. Cas, I want you to inform the angels, anyone we can spare, I want them ready for a war."
"The apocalypse hasn't even started yet," Bobby protested. This was going too far. If Castiel was right then only 44 Seals have been broken and that wasn't a signal to start gathering forces—it was a signal to stop the other Seals from breaking. "We still have 22 Seals left, we can end this before we need Hunters or battle ready angels."
Dean smiled at him like the Hunter was a little boy trying to deny his favorite dog died. "In that time between when Cas told us how many Seals broke and when I just issued orders, 12 more Seals broke. One in Greenland, New Zealand, California, London, Scotland, and so on."
"What?"
"The demons are dividing their forces this time, they got smart. Not only that, but they decided to hit Seals outside the U.S." Dean sighed, running a hand down his face. "They're not wasting time, in a matter of days the next ten will break, they'll be harder because it's the last ones but they'll break."
"Dean, if you want I can send angels to the Seals outside of the country." Castiel already had a few angels in mind. "They will be more than happy to assist in this way."
"Of course." Dean waved the mind message away. "We need to get going, I know a Seal, it's kinda easy so the demons will want it, and it's in Kansas."
Bobby nodded, "And I'll get started on the Hunters." Maybe Lisa would want to help? What about anyone else the Winchesters saved?
"Good."
Suddenly the sky outside the windows flashed a deep, blood red and laughter shook the windows. All around the Untied States—no—all around the world a chilling laughter could be heard.
"Oohh, Dean! Come out, come out where ever you are! I know you're on earth, you can't hide anything from me, after all, you do have my job."
Dean stood straight as a rod, frozen in...shock? Anger? "Micheal" He hissed, his own power adding to the shaking of the world.
Now the entire universe was a part in this apocalypse, and it wasn't going to be pretty.
"Get your armies ready boys," the Arch Angel smiled grimly, "'cause the war is already here."