Heaven was in chaos. One moment they were all anxiously awaiting word of Castiel's fate (he had gotten a lot of support from the lower angels because he had reminded the humans of their existence), the next, an explosion of Grace as powerful as Raphael shot through heaven.
What had the angels in shock was that the signature belonged to Castiel, not Gabriel.
Micheal was furious...and confused.
Soon after the Grace hit heaven, the angels could sense those sent down with Naomi dropping like flies. And then Gabriel's grace was felt, and Naomi herself was killed.
Silence reigned...before Gabriel sent a message along the heavenly air waves for Micheal that every angel heard.
I warned you brother. I will not allow you to brainwash Castiel just because you and the rest of heaven have lost sight of the last orders our Father gave to us before he had enough. Castiel was just the first to figure out something He tried to tell us years ago when he first created humans. You just didn't listen. If I find any others down here to try and force him back, then I will retaliate in kind.
The silence after that was deafening. Then Joshua, the only angel still in contact with God approached Micheal.
Micheal looked at the gardener hoping he could explain what was going on.
"Castiel was given new duties on earth, but he couldn't tell you. And by the time he could, he knew you would never listen."
"What new duties?"
Joshua smiled.
"I believe Castiel's description of your attitude towards humanity was extremely appropriate. He said that humanity was like the new child in the house, and you were the older brother who was so focused on keeping the home running that he never had time to actually pay attention to the youngest. So when you gave him that assignment to kill Riddle, he decided that since you won't pay them attention, he would. He has spent several years on earth doing small acts of kindness and bringing those who have lost faith back home. People like John Constantine, who have no faith that God is even listening."
Micheal looked so lost at that moment.
"Castiel realized that if humanity was ever to grow, it would need small nudges in the right direction. He also knew you were so focused on keeping heaven on the 'right' path, that you wouldn't have time for the smallest prayers in your name. So he sent those asking for guidance to those he knew would answer. God feels that his actions were deserving of a reward, so He raised him."
"But why? Why someone as insignificant as Castiel? Why would our Father..."
Joshua put his hand on Micheal's shoulder.
"He left because He wanted us to exercise our right to make our own decisions. Free will was the right given to all creatures, but angels seem to forget that fact. Castiel was just the first to exercise that right publicly," said Joshua.
Well, exercise it and survive at any rate.
John returned from a headache inducing case to find Cas snuggling up against Gabriel, who was crooning at his little brother in Enochian. He knew something had happened, because Castiel was usually the one dealing with the cuddle hound Gabriel, not the other way around.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Micheal sent Naomi after Castiel, and we had to kill our brothers and sisters who had no choice in the matter," explained Gabriel flatly.
"Naomi, as in the one he was so terrified of...?"
Gabriel nodded. John winced, before he moved to hug Cas like he had after a few bad cases the boy had gone on with him. Cas curled up against John and Gabriel looked at him approvingly. Here was yet another sign that John Constantine wasn't as "lost" as their brothers claimed.
Cas slept for three days before he was able to function normally again, but it was clear the encounter still haunted him.
Castiel's first interaction with heaven after the attack by Naomi came in the form of Cassiel.
The angel winced when he saw his brother, but he still hugged him.
"How bad?" asked Castiel.
"I don't understand."
"How badly did Micheal take it?" asked Castiel quietly.
Cassiel had a strange expression on his face.
"He has ordered the higher choirs not to hunt you down...but he has also said that if any of the lower ones that normally don't have much to do wish to seek you out they will not be punished. I think the gardener had a word with him after Gabriel's message, because he's been unusually pensive of late. I think he wishes to see how this will go before he decides what to do with you," said Cassiel...before he dropped a new bomb on Castiel "He has also said that until this runs it's course, he doesn't want to see you in heaven."
Castiel sat down hard. He knew Micheal would be angry, but this?
"He has declared me fallen?"
"Actually, no. He just doesn't want you in heaven for a long while, at least until he's had time to cool down. In return he's ordered Zachariah and the others to leave you alone," clarified Cassiel.
Okay, that wasn't good, but it was better than it could have been. Micheal could have easily declared him as Fallen and opened the gates for the other angels to try and hunt him down every time he acted as an angel on earth.
At this point he would take what he could get.
"And Gabriel?"
"Gabriel is something of a forbidden subject with Micheal at the moment. He's still furious with him," Cassiel informed him.
Even mentioning Gabriel around Micheal was a sure fire way to piss him off now.
Castiel snorted.
"That's sure to amuse him."
An awkward silence descended...until Cassiel asked "How do you deal with the human authorities?"
Castiel tried very hard not to laugh.
"Let me guess. You and the others have been acting directly with your vessels, but because the humans have enough trouble believing in heaven you keep getting stuck in places for those who have lost their minds or told you have no authority," said Castiel.
"It is most irritating."
"First, I've found working indirectly and in an explainable manner works better. The law enforcement are less likely to lock you up or question your presence if say, one of the wires on a stop light just happened to fall on a car and revealed abuse than if you were to appear and get directly involved. Second, they are more likely to listen to what you have to say if you happen to be in a similar position as they are."
Cassiel looked confused when Castiel brought out a strange shield of sorts.
"This is called a 'badge' by humans. This signifies to them that I work for a group with enough authority among humans to get involved. Because the 'badge' is identified with a collective group, in this case the Vatican, the police are more inclined to listen to what I am telling them without dismissing my claims. Having this makes things go much easier with the human law enforcement."
"Where can we acquire these...badges?" asked Cassiel. If Castiel was telling the truth, then it would make their job a lot easier.
Castiel grinned.
"Tell the others if they want to quit being called 'delusional' or 'insane' by the humans to head to Vatican City and ask for the Order of the Holy Shield. Once they hear who you are and why you're there, they can give you the mortal authority to work around the law enforcement without them being offended. The Order was one I started the last time I was on Earth, and it's the only one that angels can easily interact alongside without having to deal with the humans following our orders blindly."
Cassiel blinked.
"You started a group among the faithful? Why?"
"Do you have any idea how irritating it is for an angel to gather faithful who will believe your claim of being from heaven? It was easier to just make a group of them and give them a simple set of orders they could follow. Because they were willing to work with other religions without getting into a messy debate over which one was better, they were able to survive until I came back. And I was able to breath new life into it enough that our insignia holds weight among the humans again."
Cassiel could relate. It was hard enough getting out of custody when he interfered directly, let alone getting them to believe. More than once he gave it up as a bad job and just flew out. It wasn't like humans would know how to hold an angel.
Cas was heading to New Orleans. It was partially to get far, far away from Europe, but also because Papa Midnight was having trouble and he was currently angry at Constantine for something. Cas suspected it was because Nymphadora was the one to invite him to the wedding and not John.
Papa Midnight was one of John's frienemies. People who would work with him, but were often annoyed enough with Constantine to shoot him on sight before hearing what he had to say. Or in the case of Midnight, dose him with something and then lock him in a trunk before he agreed to help.
Midnight actually liked Cas because while he was devoutly Catholic, he also respected the Loa a hell of a lot more than John ever did.
"I suppose I have you to thank for the increase of Bright Ones on earth," said Papa Midnight, testing the sharpness of a blade.
"More along the lines of them finally having a reason to come down again," said Cas calmly, though he winced.
"I've been hearing along the spirits that the Bright One by the name of Castiel stirred up quite a fuss in heaven. So much so that they've started leaving it for the first time in centuries."
Cas had a bad feeling.
Papa Midnight turned to him.
"I never thought a Bright One would befriend someone as arrogant as John Constantine."
Cas winced.
"How long have you known?"
"Ever since Loki all but adopted you when you were sixteen. Once you remembered, your light started shining too brightly to ignore. I am impressed you've found a way to hide it though," said Midnight smirking.
"So what exactly did you need my help for?"
"There is a man who has stolen something. Something rather precious to me. He has hidden himself from the Loa and my men, and I want it's return."
"What exactly is the value of this item?"
"Sentimental. The item itself would have little to no monetary value, and those that might buy it would know better than to pay for it without alerting me to the men who took it first."
Cas put together the pieces.
"It's related to your beliefs, enough so that people associate it with you and has been used before. And the fact it wouldn't be worth conventional money means that it's something that has the potential to be powerful, but only when used correctly," he guessed. Cas looked at Midnight.
"You'll recognize it without me telling you what it is," Midnight promised him, "For now I know that it has not left the city."
"Right. Where were these idiots last seen, and where can I contact you if I lose cell service?" asked Cas finally.
Midnight's smile would not inspire confidence. It was very clear Cas was going to leave the fate of the thieves to him, rather than the normal authorities.
Cas was of the firm opinion that anyone stupid enough to steal from Midnight that was valuable enough for him to call in outside help deserved to deal with the consequences from the man they stole from. What happened after was not his problem.
It took Cas two weeks and endless headaches before he found the thieves. One look at what they stole, and he lost any sympathy he might have had for them. They deserved whatever punishment Midnight dealt.
"You morons were stupid enough to steal the skull of his sister?" said Cas in disbelief.
The three teenagers, barely in their twenties, glared at him from their bindings. Cas undid the one around their mouth.
"Alright spill. What the hell possessed you three idiots to go after Papa Midnight? Word to the wise, first to talk will give me more incentive to argue for leniency."
"We were paid. Some guy promised us a million each to steal that skull," said the oldest with a sneer.
"Uh-huh. This 'guy' have a name?"
"No names, but he did sound funny. And he looked like a lawyer," said the oldest.
"Funny how?"
"He had an accent. Kinda like yours, only more cockney. And there was this weird chuffing noise...like dogs or something. Never saw any but I could hear 'em."
Cas pinched the bridge of his nose. He had an idea of who was really behind this, but he wanted confirmation first. He reached into his bag for a book on known demons. Flipping through a few pages, he found one of a fairly high-up demon, but not one that went out of his way to be a nuisance.
"This him?" he asked.
"That's him."
Cas took out his phone and called Midnight.
"I got the thieves, but it looks like they were hired by Crowley. Any idea why he would want her skull? Yeah, I don't get it either. I got the three of them here, but the only one who looks like they have any sense is the oldest. Might make a good minion to work off the debt. Well if he gives you any trouble then tell him that I'll come back and do worse than just the damage I caused catching his ass. Yes I can give you details," said Cas absentmindedly.
Cas had been irritated enough trying to find these idiots that when he did catch up with them, he used his true voice to cuss them out. Because they were regular humans, he caused their ears to bleed and anything glass to shatter.
One look at his pissed off face was enough for them to back off before he really got serious. Of course he might have broken more than one bone when he discovered what they had stolen.
He might not approve of the practice of using the dead in rituals, but he acknowledged that they were part of Midnight's beliefs so he kept his silence on the matter.
Cas delivered the idiots to Midnight, and would later learn the smart one was allowed to keep his body mostly intact and act as hired muscle. The other two were used as examples.
Now he just had to find out what Crowley wanted with the skull of Midnight's sister.
Crowley cursed when he found out the fate of the trio he hired to steal from the witch doctor. He had high hopes to use the skull as leverage to get something Midnight had in his possession he was reluctant to part with. Only the blasted priest had protections that told him when the skull left the city, protections too strong for him to hide effectively.
And then the priest hired an angel. How he found one of that ilk and got on it's good side he would never know.
Crowley reached for his scotch, unaware of someone walking up behind him until he heard the words "Evenin' hellspawn" in a far too chipper British accent right as someone slammed an iron baseball bat on his head.
He woke up in a devil's trap in front of a grinning priest with the crest of a holy Order that had recently become very active of late.
"What's a priest want with me?" he sneered.
"Me? Nothing. But a friend of mine wanted to know what plans you had for a certain item you hired three idiots to steal. Well that and I promised him pictures of you wetting yourself when you realized that someone like me slipped right through your little warding scheme. Impressive work on that, by the way," he added.
Crowley processed those words before he paled rather impressively.
There was only one set of warding on his house that he had always been absolutely sure would never fail, since the rest was faulty. They had to be, considering his work. And combined with the fact he knew an angel captured the thieves...
"Who are you?"
The twenty-something year old grinned. It reminded him of a cat.
"Me? I'm Castiel, and you've pissed off the wrong witch doctor. Now why did you hire them to steal the skull?"
"Leverage. Plain and simple. Midnight has an item I want, but he wouldn't hand it over. Too useful. So I figured what better way to get it than hold that precious skull of his hostage?" said Crowley. He was screwed and he knew it. But at least with Castiel he had some hope of getting out of this intact.
What little he heard of the new arch angel (and boy, had Lucifer been pissed when he felt that even in his cage) could only mean if he humored him then the angel might be inclined to let him live.
Castiel looked behind him. Midnight had been in the room the entire time, but he was in the dark so Crowley couldn't see him.
"You steal from me again, Crowley, and I might not be so pleasant. Tell the dirty English bastard he's getting a new toy out of this," said Midnight. Castiel snorted.
"You do realize my vessel is English as well?"
"Collateral insult," came Midnight's reply. He was insulting Constantine, Crowley and Cas all in one breath.
If Crowley wanted the item so damn badly he would steal from Midnight, then the man would give it to John and see how the demon enjoyed dealing with him.