Battle of Will
Chapter 4
Thank You
A few weeks later, once again, Anita was waiting in the Winchester's motel room acting bodyguard to an invincible Angel that likes to beat her. It was always the time before they came back that was the most awkward. She never understood why Uriel always felt the need to be so damned dramatic.
Mainly because Castiel and Uriel never spoke.
Castiel looked over to the human girl. She was leaning against the wall, her face turned away from him. But he could still see bruises...the cuts and scars. It seemed that every time he saw her she withdrew into herself more and more.
The door opening distracted them both from their thoughts. Sam and Dean entered, dressed in black.
"Ah, home crappy home," Dean spoke bitterly. The lights flicked on and Uriel took his cue.
"Winchester and Winchester," he said in a sardonic way.
"Oh, come on!" Dean complained.
"You are needed."
"Needed? We just got back from needed!"
"Now, you mind your tone with me," Uriel warned. Dean shook his head, rage building up inside him.
"No, you mind your damn tone with us!" Anita looked over to them, Sam catching his first glimpse of her battered face.
"We just got back from Pamela's funeral," Sam reasoned.
"Pamela. You know, psychic Pamela? You remember her. Cas, you remember her. You burned her eyes out!"
Castiel looked away in regret, "Remember that? Good times. Yeah, then she died saving one of your precious seals. So maybe you can stop pushing us around like chess pieces for five freaking minutes!"
"We raised you out of hell for our purposes," Uriel told him stately.
"Yeah, what were those again? What exactly did you want from me?" Dean was beyond furious. He looked ready to sock Uriel in the mouth. Anita pushed off the wall and stepped closer to her boss, know that if it came to it, she may have to fight Dean, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.
"Start with gratitude," Uriel said slowly, arrogance lacing his every word.
"Oh," Dean mumbled angrily.
"Dean, we know this is difficult to understand," Castiel said, trying to calm Dean down.
"And we—" he began.
"—don't care. Now, seven angels have been murdered, all of them from our garrison. The last one was killed tonight," Uriel stated coldly. Anita shivered, a bad feeling settled in her gut.
"Demons? How they doing it?" Dean questioned, unable to help his Hunter instincts.
"We don't know."
"I'm sorry, but what do you want us to do about it? I mean, a demon with the juice to ice angels has to be out of our league, right?" Sam propositioned.
"We can handle the demons, thank you very much," Uriel said pridefully.
"...Once we find whoever it is," Castiel added.
"So you need our help hunting a demon?" Castiel shifted his weight, looking at Dean with those intense blue eyes.
"Not quite. We have Alastair." It was clear he knew what it meant to be asking Dean this.
"Great. He should be able to name your trigger man," Dean told him with a shrug.
"But he won't talk. Alastair's will is very strong. We've arrived at an impasse."
"Yeah, well, he's like a black belt in torture. I mean, you guys are out of your league," Dean joked in his usual insulting way. Anita looked down, unable to look at Dean when the next thing was spoken.
"That's why we've come to his student. You happen to be the most qualified interrogator we've got," Uriel stated, malice laced with his words. Anita scoffed, 'yeah right! You did a nice job with me then!'
"Dean, you are our best hope," Castiel implored.
"No. No way. You can't ask me to do this, Cas. Not this," Dean begged. Uriel stepped forwards purposefully, a sadistic smile playing on his lips.
"Who said anything about asking?"
And suddenly, they were gone. Anita looked around herself, surprised that they had actually taken her with them. But when her eyes fell on Dean, dread filled her stomach. At the same time, both of them looked through the small window in the door, seeing a chained up Alastair in a new body. But something about the smug way he held himself was not to be mistaken.
"This devil's trap is old Enochian. He's bound completely," Castiel told Dean.
"Fascinating," Dean said dryly before turning to leave. "Where's the door?"
"Where are you going?" Castiel asked, eyebrows drawn together.
"Hitch back to Cheyenne, thank you very much," Dean said roughly. The Winchester made to move past Uriel, but the Angel stopped him, a stony expression on his face.
"Angels are dying, boy."
"Everybody's dying these days. And hey, I get it. You're all-powerful. You can make me do whatever you want. But you can't make me do this!"
"This is too much to ask, I know. But we have to ask it," Castiel said regretfully. Anita looked at him. Something in Castiel had changed...as Anita's humanity slipped away Castiel seemed to gain more. Dean and Castiel shared a look. A mutual understanding of the horror.
"I want to talk to Cas alone," Dean spoke rudely.
"I think I'll go seek revelation. We might have some further orders. Anita, stay here with Castiel," Uriel announced.
"Well, get some donuts while you're out," Dean jested grimly. The sound of Uriel laughing was somewhat haunting.
"Ah, this one just won't quit, will he? I think I'm starting to like you, boy." With that, Uriel was gone.
"You guys don't walk enough. You're gonna get flabby," Dean said, trying to take his mind off the situation. Castiel didn't change.
"You know, I'm starting to think junkless has a better sense of humor than you do."
"Uriel's the funniest angel in the garrison. Ask anyone," Castiel told him in a monotone voice. Dean ignored his comment and walked closer to Castiel.
"What's going on, Cas? Since when does Uriel put a leash on you?" Castiel looked confused.
"My superiors have begun to question my sympathies," he stated slowly.
"Your sympathies?"
"I was getting too close to the humans in my charge. You. They feel I've begun to express emotions. The doorways to doubt. This can impair my judgment."
"Well, tell Uriel, or whoever...you do not want me doing this, trust me," Dean warned with a bitter laugh.
"Want it, no. But I have been told we need it," Castiel told him earnestly.
"You ask me to open that door and walk through it, you will not like what walks back out.
"For what it's worth, I would give anything not to have you do this," Castiel told him, looking at Dean sadly.
Anita sat in the other room, curled in on her self, unable to stop the tears running down her cheeks and the memories that flashed in her mind. Alastair's screams should have given her comfort, but all it did was horrify her. All she could remember was being in front of Alastair...being in front of Dean... Castiel looked over at Anita unsure what to do. It was clear she was in some kind of emotional distress, but he wasn't quite sure why. He did not understand the complexity of human emotions, not to this level. He understood Dean's hesitance, but not this Woman's tears. Was it because she was still hurting from Uriel's...punishment? Or was it something else. He wished he could just ask her, but it was not like she could reply.
Anita looked up briefly when she heard the sound of wings, Anna stood there. In all her red haired glory.
"Anna," Castiel greeted solemnly.
"Hello, Castiel."
"Your human body—" Castiel begun, looking her up and down.
"It was destroyed, I know. But I guess I'm sentimental. Called in some old favors and..." Anna shrugged. Anita flinched as Alastair's screams became more audible.
"You shouldn't be here. We still have orders to kill you." Castiel sighed, seemingly down trodden.
"Somehow I don't think you'll try. Where's Uriel?"
"He went to receive revelation."
"Right. And Anita?" Anna asked. Castiel looked over to where the woman was curled in on herself, looking away from the angels, trying to hide her tears.
"Why is she here?" Anna asked aghast. Castiel looked torn, unable to answer.
"Why are you letting Dean do this?" Anna asked, changing subject.
"He's doing God's work," Castiel stated with conviction.
"Torturing? That's God's work? Stop him, Cas, please. Before you ruin the one real weapon you have."
"Who are we to question the will of God?" Castiel looked annoyed, unable to understand Anna's words to their full extent.
"Unless this isn't his will," Anna suggested.
"Then where do the orders come from?"
"I don't know. One of our superiors, maybe, but not him," Anna told him softly.
Anita whimpered, Alastair's screams were just reminders. When had she gotten so weak she could not even hear screams? When had she turned into a sniveling mess? The thought made her hate herself even more.
"The father you love. You think he wants this? You think he'd ask this of you? You think this is righteous?" Anna questioned in frustration. Castiel looked away, unsure of himself. Why did everything he knew have to be analyzed in this way?
"What you're feeling? It's called doubt." Anna touched Castiel's hand in comfort. "These orders are wrong and you know it. But you can do the right thing. You're afraid, Cas. I was too. But together, we can still—"
"Together?" Castiel spat, yanking his hand away and glaring at his former boss. "I am nothing like you. You fell. Go."
"Cas," Anna tried.
"Go!" Castiel demanded. Anna looked at him sadly, feeling a great, sudden loss. And then she was gone.
Castiel looked over to Anita, who was staring at him with wide, unbelieving eyes. A sudden pang of...something...pierced his chest. A muscle jumped in his jaw and he looked away from her, listening to the demon's screams.
Anita shrank into herself even more. How had she ended up stuck between all the monsters? How come she was unable to bring herself to hunt them like she used to? She used to be strong enough...she used to be like Dean. Now she could barely hold herself together. There was a crashing sound in the torture room and Castiel was gone. Anita slowly unfurled herself and stood shakily. Feeling oddly compelled to help; she went over to the room.
Alastair had Castiel against the wall, choking him. Anita looked around herself in panic. She entered the room, out of Alastair's view.
"Well, like roaches, you celestials. Now, I really wish I knew how to kill you. But all I can do is send you back to heaven." Then the bastard began chanting. A blue light appeared in Castiel's eyes and mouth, like he was exorcising him. Anita gripped one of the bloody torture weapons and came up behind the Demon. Summoning up her strength, she drove the knife into Alastair's back. She knew it wouldn't kill him, but she just had to stop him. Alastair reared back in pain and twisted.
"Ah, if it isn't my favourite toy! Very disappointed..." Alastair growled. The he back handed her ruthlessly, causing her to smack her head against the wall.
Suddenly, Alastair was against a wall, chocking. Sam was standing in the entrance with his hand up.
"Stupid pet tricks," Alastair choked out.
"Who's murdering the angels? How are they doing it?" Sam demanded.
"You think I'm gonna tell you?"
"Yeah, I do," Sam, said darkly. Sam twisted his wrist and the movement made Alastair's eyes roll back in his skull as he choked uselessly. How are the demons killing angels?" the hunter yelled.
"I don't know," Alastair said thickly; unable to get enough air to quite form the words.
"Right," Sam drawled skeptically.
"It's not us. We're not doing it!"
"I don't believe you." Anita clutched her head and moved closer to Dean. He was completely passed out, his injuries looked...bad.
"Lilith is not behind this. She wouldn't kill seven angels. Oh, she'd kill a hundred, a thousand..." Suddenly the pressure on Alastair's throat ceased and he dropped, a smirk appearing on his hateful face. "Oh, go ahead. Send me back, if you can," he dared, throwing his arms wide with a laugh.
"I'm stronger than that now. Now I can kill," Sam said, a dead look in his eyes. Suddenly, Alastair screamed...and then he dropped.
Anita looked at Sam in dread. His eyes caught hers, taken aback by the expression he saw there.
"Anita...is Dean okay?" He asked worriedly. Anita shook her head slowly. Sam wheeled on Castiel who was standing by now, he grabbed the Angel by the lapels of his trench coat.
"Hospital. Now," Sam growled.
Anita watched Dean lying helplessly in his hospital bed. All hooked up...She briefly acknowledged Castiel who had appeared.
"Sam—" He started. Talking to the brother who stood just outside the room.
"Get in there and heal him. Miracle. Now." Castiel looked to Anita and Dean. She was watching him with distant eyes. Not for the first time, he wondered what she would say to him if she could.
"I can't."
"You and Uriel put him in there—" Sam growled. Cas shook his head.
"No," he murmured in disbelief. "
—because you can't keep a simple devil's trap together," Sam accused.
"The angels can't keep anyone safe," Anita stated to no one in particular. The men looked at her in surprise.
"I-I don't know what happened. That trap...it shouldn't have broken. I am sorry," Castiel spluttered.
"This whole thing was pointless. You understand that? The demons aren't doing the hits. Something else is killing your soldiers." Sam shook his head and stepped further into the room, Castiel followed hopelessly.
"Perhaps Alastair was lying."
"No, he wasn't," Sam sneered, standing near Dean, not looking at the Angel's crest fallen face.
"Anita..." Castiel began. The girl in question's caramel eyes shot up in surprise. By now she was mostly used to being forgotten. She blinked at him, waiting.
"We should leave Sam and Dean to themselves," he suggested. Anita looked back at Dean momentarily, sighing. With a short nod, she moved over to Castiel.
Then, they were in a park. Snow fell from the sky softly and the air was biting. Anita hugged herself, trying to keep warm.
"Castiel, I received revelation from our superiors. Our brothers and sisters are dying and they...they want us to stop hunting the demon responsible," Uriel said as though he had been betrayed. Castiel sat silently beside him.
"Something is wrong up there. I mean, can you feel it?"
"The murders. Maybe they aren't demonic. Sam Winchester said the demons had nothing to do with it."
"If not the demons, what could it be?" Uriel asked, his eyes flicked to Anita, a dark look over them.
"The will of heaven. We are failing, Uriel. We are losing the war. Perhaps the garrison is being punished," Castiel sounded wounded as he spoke. He reminded Anita of a child who had been told off by an angry parent.
"You think our father would—"
"I think maybe our father isn't giving the orders anymore. Maybe there is something wrong." Anita looked at him in surprise. He was cutting very close to blasphemy. Not that Anita cared, but she knew Castiel cared...a lot. Uriel stood, looking appalled.
"Well, I won't wait to be gutted. Keep an eye on Anita. The last thing I want right now is to have a Mud Monkey following me around." Then the cruel angel of destruction was gone. Anita shivered, pulling her coat against her skin. With wide eyes she looked over at Castiel. He was still sitting, a deep look of thought over his handsome face. Anita sighed and crossed over to him, sitting beside the troubled angel.
"I don't know what to do..." Castiel admitted to her. Anita nodded in agreement. Unsure how to comfort him, she simply rested her head on his shoulder. Whilst she wasn't fond of Angels, this particular one she could stand. And he needed some kind of comfort.
Castiel tensed as he felt her head rest lightly on his shoulder. What was she doing? An odd, warm feeling flushed over his vessel. It was...nice. Comforting? He sat there for a while before she lifted her head and stood, looking down at him with a soft expression. Castiel stood with her.
"I need to talk to someone," he spoke. Anita was always surprised with how low and husky his voice was. They moved down the street, out of view of any possible witnesses. A snow flake fell on Anita's small nose, causing her to give a tiny yip of a sneeze. Castiel looked at her curiously before turning out to the night sky.
"Anna. Anna, please," He called. The street light flickered and the tell-tale sound of draping wings was heard. Anita turned at the same time as Castiel. Anna stood there in the dim streetlight, her hair still somehow looking like it was on fire with a skeptical expression on her face.
"Decided to kill me after all?"
"No, Anna. It's just Anita and I."
"What do you want from me, Castiel?" Anna's eyes flicked to Anita, unsure.
"I'm considering disobedience," Castiel admitted softly.
"Good," Anna said, nodding.
"No, it isn't. For the first time, I feel..." Castiel paused. Deciding to end his sentence there after all.
"It gets worse. Choosing your own course of action is confusing, terrifying," Anna looked to the human woman. Anita shook her head. Not if you don't have any control at all! Anna put her hand on Castiel's shoulder hesitantly. After Castiel looked at it in confusion, she dropped in somberly.
"That's right. You're too good for my help. I'm just trash. A walking blasphemy," Anna spat bitterly. She glared at Castiel then turned.
"Anna." Desperation clung to his throat. The Angel woman stopped, looking back over her shoulder.
"I don't know what to do. Please tell me what to do," he pleaded. Anna turned back sharply.
"Like the old days? No. I'm sorry. It's time to think for yourself." Anna disappeared, leaving both of them with a strange feeling inside them. One of them free to make a choice, and the other trapped in the choices of others. Anita thought bitterly of the time when the roles had been reversed.
"We have to check the scene again," Castiel told her after a long silence, not looking at his travelling companion. Anita nodded and grabbed Castiel's arm.
They stood in the torture room. Blood still stained the floor, the instruments left uncleaned. Anita shivered, disgusted by the sight. With some amount of curiosity, she watched as Castiel looked over the devils trap, connecting pieces of information that Anita was not all to interested in looking for.
"You called?" Uriel's voice sounded. Anita jumped, spinning to see Uriel standing in the room with them. "What do you say, Castiel? Will you join me? Will you fight with me?" Castiel ignored him.
"Strange. Strange how a leaky pipe can undo the work of angels when we ourselves are supposed to be the agents of fate," He looked over to Uriel with a pointed look as he stood. Anita's eyes flicked between them, a sense of dread filling her. What had Castiel found out?
"Alastair was much more powerful than we had imagined," Uriel reasoned. Castiel shook his head slowly.
"No. No demon can overpower that trap. I made it myself. We've been friends for a long time, Uriel. Fought by each other's sides, served together away from home, for what seems like forever. We're brothers, Uriel. Pay me that respect. Tell me the truth." Oh, shit.
"The truth is, the only thing that can kill an angel..." Uriel began, voice thick with threat and a dark glare. A sword slid from beneath Uriel's sleeve and into his hand. "...is another angel." Castiel's body stiffened, ready for action. But his face showed betrayal
"You."
"I'm afraid so," he said smugly.
"And you broke the devil's trap, set Alastair on Dean," Castiel's mind worked quickly.
"Alastair should never have been taken alive. Really inconvenient, Cas. Yes, I did turn the screw a little. Alastair should have killed Dean and escaped, and you should have gone on happily scapegoating the demons." Uriel walked forwards.
"For the murders of our kin?" Castiel asked, hurt in his voice.
"Not murders, Castiel. No. My work is conversion. How long have we waited here? How long have we played this game by rules that make no sense?"
"It is our father's world, Uriel," Castiel told him desperately.
"Our father?" Uriel scoffed, "He stopped being that, if he ever was, the moment he created them. Humanity, his favorites. This whining, puking larva."
"Are you trying to convert me?" Castiel asked in disbelief.
"I wanted you to join me. And I still do. With you, we can be powerful enough to—" Uriel paused, looking at Castiel with a dark smile.
"To..."
"To raise our brother," Uriel announced righteously.
"Lucifer," he growled.
"You do remember him? How strong he was? How beautiful? And he didn't bow to humanity. He was punished for defending us. Now, if you want to believe in something, Cas, believe in him!" Uriel preached. Castiel shook his head.
"Lucifer is not God." Anita slowly backed herself against the wall, swearing she could hear the ruffling of feathers like a hawk stretching its wings before soaring to capture it's prey.
"God isn't God anymore. He doesn't care what we do. I am proof of that!"
"But this? What were you gonna do, Uriel? Were you going to kill the whole garrison?"
"I only killed the ones who said no. Others have joined me, Cas. Now, please, brother, don't fight me. Help me. Help me spread the word. Help me bring on the apocalypse. All you have to do is be unafraid." Anita backed further away, trying to back out of the room without Uriel paying her mind.
"For the first time in a long time, I am."
Castiel punched Uriel, sending him crashing through the wall. Anita yelled, snatching a strange instrument into her hand. Uriel laughed as he brushed the debris off. The two engaged in a vicious fight.
Brilliant power on brilliant power.
The Devine strength of Heaven locked in a battle. Yet, Anita strangely only saw two men brawling over different opinions. Anita did not even see Uriel grab the metal bar, but he used it to hit Castiel brutally. The Angel fell to the ground in pain.
"You can't win, Uriel. I still serve God!"
"You haven't even met the man. There is no will. No wrath. No God," he punched Castiel between phrases to accentuate his point of domination.
Anita lurched forwards, shoving her weapon deep into the back of his rib cage. She knew that she had punctured the vessel's lungs. Uriel howled in pain.
"Vial, loathsome bitch!" he roared as he gripped Anita aggressively by the throat. "You are a pathetic excuse for even a human! A sniveling mess not even worth this life I grant you to live. You should be thankful you have purpose by serving ME! You would be nothing if we had not dragged you from hell!"
"And for what? To torture me? To make me kill people against my will? What a pathetic life indeed! At least in Hell I had a choice!" Anita spat in his face. Finding some remnants of her old gusto. Uriel clenched his fist tighter, fingernails digging into the skin. Anita could feel droplets of blood running down her neck.
Suddenly, a blade appeared in Uriel's throat. Dark blood flowed out of the wound and the knife retracted. Uriel fell gracelessly and screamed as light expelled out of his eyes and mouth. When the screaming ended, the shape of his wings were seared into the ground over the devils trap.
Anita looked up hopelessly at Anna. Castiel stood roughly, staring down at Uriel's corpse. He stumbled against the wall. Anna held her hand out to Anita, who took it gratefully and stood.
Suddenly, The hunter felt a ripping feeling tear through her body, like something was being forcefully taken from her very being. Like it was removing her skin. She let out a blood-curdling scream and fell to the floor again. Her body felt like it was burning!
"Anita!" Castiel called. Then he put his hands on her shoulders and coolness flowed through her, calming her frying nerves. Slowly, she looked up at him. The hanging light above him back lit him, and appeared like a halo. Anita gave a weak smile.
"Castiel..." she spoke softly, to him, and him alone. With a tentative hand she brushed his cheek in admiration. "Thank you."