Genesis: Part 2

Castiel walked back into the conference room and regarded Crowley sitting at the table with a large tome opened in front of him. Crowley was putting the remote for the Big Board down with his left hand. Castiel glanced over at the screen, but it was at the default setting, showing only folders. Castiel frowned, looking back to Crowley.

"What were you looking at?", he asked, moving over to stand behind one of the chairs.

Crowley looked up, bemused. "What? Nothing. You'd find it incredibly boring, actually."

Castiel looked down and shook his head. "You're lying to me. Again", he said quietly, before looking back and meeting Crowley's eyes.

Crowley was smiling. "Now, Castiel, before you go throwing around accusations..."

Castiel's glare intensified, and Crowley let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, Castiel, I can show you, but I promise you, you're not going to like it."

Castiel's eyes narrowed. "Show me, and I'll be the judge of that."

Crowley didn't blink. "Now that's a dangerous thing there, isn't it", he said carefully.

"What is?"

"Angels thinking that they can judge things. And, no particular offense intended, especially the Angel standing in this room."

"What do you mean by that?", Castiel asked, his tone lowering.

Crowley's gaze remained steady. "Out of the two of us, Castiel, who here among us has ever gone on a maniacal killing spree in the name of justice and judgement?"

Castiel bristled, straightening up. "Crowley...I was...you do realize that I was being slowly corrupted by around a hundred million souls from Purgatory at the time, including the entire race of Leviathans..."

"But you do admit that when an Angel starts getting judgmental, no matter what the circumstances are, things tend to get a bit...shaky, if you get my meaning."

Castiel squinted. "Not really. What are you getting at Crowley?"

Crowley shrugged. "Nothing I suppose. Just...try to think first before rushing to judgement." With that he picked up the remote and the Big Board switched to a series of closed circuit video feeds. Castiel walked to the screen, his eyes narrowing and mouth opening. "Crowley...is that...?" He spun towards Crowley, eyes blazing, furious.

Crowley was watching him with an air of curiosity. "Now, Castiel, what did we just talk about?"

Castiel's gaze did not soften. "You put a camera in Heaven's library?! To spy on them?!"

Crowley looked nonchalantly at the Big Board. The Council of Heaven was sitting around the large meeting table, receiving reports from Angels. Suriel sat at the head and was nodding and taking notes. Crowley smiled and looked back at Castiel.

"Yeah. Yeah...I suppose I did."

Castiel slammed a fist down on the table. "Crowley, this isn't a joke! Disable that camera immediately!"

Crowley frowned. "I will do nothing of the sort", he replied, taken aback, steepling his fingers.

Castiel moved dangerously around the chair to stand in front of Crowley. He pointed back angrily at the Big Board. "You take it down, Crowley, or I will tear the whole thing apart," he growled.

Crowley leaned forward in his chair. "I said no, Castiel, " he growled back, looking him dead in the eyes. "This is the single best source of information we have at the moment, and the last thing I'm going to do is disable it!"

Castiel watched him for a few seconds, his eyes scanning Crowley's face angrily. "Fine," he answered, straightening up and spinning back to the Board. He dropped his Blade into his hand and began to move quickly towards the wall.

"Castiel, don't you even want to hear why it's so important to keep an eye on that lot?"

Castiel stopped and looked back at Crowley over his shoulder. "So you can spy on Heaven, obviously. I don't care about your reasons for doing it. If it's you, then it's for no good intention." He hesitated and turned a little back towards him. "Tell me that I'm wrong, Crowley," he asked, raising his head.

"Fine then. You're wrong," Crowley answered evenly. Castiel turned the rest of the way around, still angry. He waited for Crowley to continue.

"It's like I said, Castiel, the mere fact that she's the least suspicious of the Archangels makes her the prime suspect in my eyes," he raised his hand as Castiel began to protest. "If you think she's innocent, fine. Let it come out. But with this video feed, we can get actual confirmation of that. Not some second-hand, wild-goose chase information, but actual proof. If you have a better way of doing that, then by all means, disable the camera. If not, then I'd suggest that you listen to reason here."

Castiel turned back to the Big Board, considering. "Suriel...Crowley, she's one of the most loyal Archangels in the history of Heaven. She carried the mantle of death for God during the formation of the universe...I can't believe that she'd be the one behind trying to destroy everything she fought so hard to maintain."

"And that's the problem, Castiel. You Angels never see this coming. First Lucifer, the Lightbringer, the mightiest of you all, starts a rebellion in Heaven, and is cast down. Then, much more recently, the next big Kahuna - Michael. Goes insane, proclaims God dead and tries to start the Apocalypse. Who's the most powerful one left now, Castiel?"

Castiel turned back slowly to the screen. "Suriel...", he answered, his voice barely a whisper.

Crowley grunted and got up from his chair. He walked over to stand next to Castiel, looking at the screen before looking at him. "That's why I was asking you to reserve judgement, Castiel. I wasn't trying to be funny here. You Angels have a very, very bad blind spot when it comes to one of your own. Something in the realm of honor and loyalty, I suppose. Not your fault, it's hard-wired into your programming. Trust me, I've seen it, I know." He looked away as Castiel's glare returned. "Now, here's where having a Demon as a partner is a benefit. I give less than a damn about loyalty. Or honor. So, yeah, Castiel, I bugged that bitch's conference room the second I sat down in it. If I'm wrong, then so be it. Let me see it for myself. I'll buy you a cupcake afterwards to make up for it. But for now, the camera stays. Agreed?"

Castiel stared back at him before his shoulders slumped, his glare disappearing. "Fine. Agreed. But the second we have something to prove it isn't her..."

Crowley nodded, holding both hands in the air to Castiel, palms up. "...then it comes down. Scout's honor."

Castiel watched him for a few seconds more before nodding and looking back to the Board. "What are they meeting about?"

Crowley shrugged. "Not much. They're collecting field reports from scouts."

Castiel frowned. "Scouts? What is Heaven scouting for?"

"Seems to be a rather large list of paranormal occurrences on Earth right now. My problem is, I can't tell if they are reporting the existence of them, or confirming that they are occurring - the former meaning they were unaware of them, the latter meaning that they may be the ones responsible for them."

Castiel looked a bit sick. He walked over to one of the conference's rooms chairs and sat down in it heavily, rubbing his forehead with one hand. "I'm still having trouble with this, Crowley."

Crowley nodded. "Like I said. Blind spot." Castiel let his arm drop, frustrated, and stared at Crowley, who was walking away from the Board and sitting back down himself. "Now, Castiel, have you found out anything about the role of the Archangels as a group?"

Castiel shook his head. "The only time the Archangels really worked together as a team was during the War of Creation."

Crowley leaned back in his chair. "Not a lot of information out there about that. Care to fill me in?"

"No."

"No?", Crowley answered, leaning back forward, elbows resting on the table."Castiel, you are aware that we need to work together here, correct?"

Castiel shook his head. "I'm not about to talk about the secrets and the structure of the universe itself with the King of Hell." He met his gaze evenly. "No direct offense intended."

Crowley met his gaze and slowly smiled. "Was Lucifer there?", he asked finally.

"What?"

"You heard me. Was Lucifer there? At the War of Creation?"

Castiel looked away. "Of course he was. Even you know that part."

Crowely nodded. "And what did Lucifer ever accomplish with all of those secrets, Castiel? Because, last I checked, he was the King of Hell for a far longer time than I am. At least up to this point. Did he destroy the universe? Unravel Creation? What's the danger, Castiel?"

Castiel looked down at the table. "We're...we're not allowed to talk about this."

Crowley dropped an arm to the table in frustration, rolling his head. "Of course. Back to Angel rules again, are we?" He stood up. "Castiel...Castiel!", he shouted, when Castiel didn't respond. "Whomever we're fighting right now is an Archangel and therefore has direct knowledge of how the Universe works, and, unlike Lucifer, is also actually using said knowledge to bring it crashing down around our bloody ears. Your following that damned code of yours is going to get us all killed! Now, please, for pity's sake, out with it already!" He breathed hard and crossed his arms, waiting.

Castiel shook his head again, refusing to look up.

"Castiel!", Crowley shouted. Castiel jumped a little.

After a minute or so, Castiel nodded, seemingly having reached a decision. "Ok, Crowley. OK, it's the only way. You need to understand if you and I will ever have a chance of working together and stopping this."

"Finally," Crowley said, exasperated, raising his hands in the air and letting them drop.

Castiel smiled grimly and swiveled his head towards Crowley. "You're not going to like it, though," he said, his smile fading.

Crowley regarded him and cocked his head. "Well, that's...ominous," he said, sitting down. "Interesting. Please, continue."

Castiel turned his head away again. "Crowley, where do Demons go when they're destroyed?"

Crowley felt a chill go up his spine. "Um...what?", he asked dryly.

Castiel looked back to him. "Demons, Crowley. Where do they go when they're destroyed? Don't try to pretend that you've never asked that question yourself."

Crowley shivered, watching Castiel carefully for a few seconds, as if he had suddenly turned into a venomous snake. "Truthfully," he answered after a while, "yes. But the answers are somewhat less than forthcoming on that particular subject."

Castiel nodded. "Because you don't know. Demons are already dead, and they are also denied the Kingdom of Heaven, because their souls have been destroyed. But, Crowley, energy, like matter, cannot be either simply created or destroyed, correct?"

"Oh dear, this is starting to sound suspiciously like a science lesson," Crowley grumbled in protest. He met Castiel's eyes and shook his head. "Sorry. Yes. It can't be created or destroyed. Please continue."

"Actually, it can."

"Sorry?", Crowley responded, eyebrows raised.

"It can be destroyed," Castiel answered, sighing. He rose and walked over in front of the Big Board, holding his forearms behind his back, his trenchcoat bunching up there. "It's the Darkness, Crowley. It's more than just what the Universe was before God came. Much, much more."

Crowley nodded. "Go on."

"Before the War of Creation...all of the Universe was the Darkness. A chaotic mass of energy of matter, that destroyed anything it came across." He turned and met Crowley's eyes. "But destroyed what, Crowley? That's the question no one ever asks about it. If there was no life before God, then what was the Darkness destroying and consuming?"

Crowley shrugged. "I give up. What?"

"Itself," Castiel answered simply, pacing away. "It fed on itself. A perfect balance of matter, energy, and what modern science now calls anti-matter. It collided with itself in infinite cycles. Annihilating and creating in a perfect circle of destruction."

"Just a second," Crowley interrupted. "I've actually read a thing or two about antimatter and matter collisions. When they hit, they just cancel each other out, don't they? They cease to exist alltogether. How is that the Darkness?"

Castiel nodded. "There is a burst of energy created at the moment of collision as well. A massive burst of energy. Then, they cease to exist. Nothingness. Empty. Darkness. Now, imagine an infinite supply of matter and antimatter, independent of time or form. Constantly colliding with each other and refuelling itself through it's own annihilation. That's what the Darkness in it's purest form is. Pure destruction. That is what the Universe was before God put it in order. And that is what the War of Creation was."

Crowley's brow furrowed. "I don't get it. Where did God come from, then?"

Castiel shook his head. "No one knows that. Maybe not even Father himself. Theories abound. Maybe He was always there. The point of creation. That massive energy created at the moment of collision. Energy from annihilation. Life from Death."

"Let there be light..." Crowley muttered.

"Exactly," Castiel answered. "Although, actually, the light part was Lucifer's idea. That's how he got the nickname Lightbringer." Crowley nodded. "Now comes the unpleasant part," Castiel continued, pacing again. "You've asked me before why God never destroyed the Darkness, instead locking it away." He looked back at Crowley, who held out his hand for Castiel to continue. "It's because He couldn't, Crowley. He defined it, and then locked it away. Pure chaos, to balance out pure creation. A battery, if you will. One balances the other. There can't be Order without Chaos. Life without Death. The Universe without the Darkness."

"What does this have to do with what happens to Demon's that are destroyed?", Crowley asked warily.

"Because that''s where they go, Crowley," Castiel answered slowly. "Lucifer created Demons by reaching into that Chaos, and extracting that Darkness to create life of his own making. But he isn't quite as...skilled as God was. So, he got life, but without souls. He got something that was still too heavily bound to it's birthplace, the Darkness. So that's where you go. Back to...nothingness."

"Oh, isn't that a cheerful thought, "Crowley exhaled, putting his hands behind his head. "You know something, you're right. I don't, in fact, like it. Not one bit." He dropped his hands and turned his head to the side. "Might never get a decent night's sleep again, as a matter of fact," he muttered, mostly to himself. He shook himself out of his reverie. "Castiel, this whole thing doesn't sound like a 'War of...' well, anything. How was it a war? You just explained it was an act of creation, which, as I've heard told, is the exact opposite of war."

Castiel frowned. "Did you just quote Rent?"

Crowley raised his eyebrows. "Not enough to get me into any trouble, I hope. But, not wanting to get too distracted, back to my original question if you please; how was it a war?"

Castiel nodded. "When God came, He threw everything out of balance. Where once everything was in perfect balance, now one side – life and creation- had more power. It created a tug-of-war of sorts for control. On the one side was God and his Archangels."

"And on the other?"

Castiel's expression turned dark. "Monstrosities. The ancient Serpent. The Old Ones. The forefathers of all that is evil. The Darkness sent them out, called them it's Heralds of Darkness, and the Archangels battled them for control."

Crowley paled. "Do you remember what Jesse told the Winchesters back in Mississippi?"

Castiel nodded.

"They called themselves 'The Heralds', Castiel. That can't be a bloody coincidence."

Castiel shook his head. "It isn't. There's more."

"Lovely," Crowley muttered, leaning back in his chair and looking at the ceiling.

"Back in New Orleans, when I entered Joshua Vandecourte's thoughts. I saw...I saw what they were after." He turned back to Crowley, who was watching him with wide eyes. "Joshua was seated on a throne. The people, all life, was offering themselves up to him. Their life, their fear, their souls created forms in the water and in the air. Monsters. Life was feeding Darkness. Bringing the Heralds back to the world"

Crowley rubbed his chin. "I see...sort of the world in a mirror, then? Right now, God and his version of the Universe has control. The Darkness is kept sealed away, giving energy as a balance to maintain order. They want to take that control for themselves, don't they?"

Castiel nodded. "As I said. Life feeding Darkness. A second Genesis."

"Do you mean to tell me," Crowley said slowly rising from his chair, "that this whole time, you knew what their end game was, and never bothered to tell me about it?!", he shouted accusingly at Castiel.

Castiel didn't react. He simply looked back at Crowley. "Crowley, you are one of the most dangerous and evil Demons that has ever existed. You have perpetuated acts of evil on myself and the ones I care about time and time again. So, please," he said, his face twisting into a sarcastic dismissal, "don't get self-righteous with me when I feel that there is something that I can't trust you with at the moment."

Crowley's mouth dropped open, and he gave Castiel an appraising look. He then smiled broadly. "Castiel...I ...I don't know what to say..."

Castiel frowned at him "What...I don't understand. What are you so happy about?"

Crowley's smile widened. "Because, my reluctant partner. You actually used logical forethought. And not only that, came to the conclusion that I can't be trusted!" He beamed at Castiel.

"And that's a good thing...how?" Castiel stammered.

"Best news all day!", Crowley said. "You know? For the first time in a long time, I actually think we might live through this mess!" He clapped Castiel on the shoulder and walked out of the conference room, leaving Castiel watching him go, completely dumbfounded.