"So I saw you like ancient languages?" Cas nodded as his date attempted conversation. "Me too. I was a history major, you know?"
"So you like to study the past?"
"Yes, in a way. Not that it's done me much good. Not many jobs for us history majors. Right now, I'm working retail at a clothing store. What about you, what do you do?" Cas panicked.
"I uh, I'm currently in between jobs."
"Did you quit or something?"
"Or something." She nodded and an awkward silence began to pan out. Cas surveyed the alley and watched the other humans bowl. Than someone caught his eye.
"I guess we should bowl," said his date, Zoey. "Steve?" Cas looked back at her but it took him awhile to realize what she'd said.
"Yes of course. You first. I've got something to take care of." He got up and made his way towards the other angel. "Ephraim, what are you doing here?"
"Hello Castiel," replied the other angel, "I'm surprised you remember my name. I was just a nobody when we met, but you – you were a legend. You've been here before. This is my first time, and it's ... intense."
"You know, there's a lot you don't understand about humanity at first. If you would just stop—"
"Stop? I won't stop … until I wash the planet clean of all suffering."
"Please Ephraim. Their suffering will pass. We don't need you here."
"You do." For the first time in his life, Cas learned the meaning of dread.
"How did you find me?"
"Because you're warded? The same way I find all my patients – I just followed the sound of your pain. You have no idea how loud it is. I could hear you for miles." Cas began to back towards the door and Ephraim followed.
"Do you really think you're doing Heaven's work down here?" Cas asked the former Rit Zien member.
"I know I am."
"Well, you're wrong. Earth can be a hard place. But these humans, they can get better. They're just doing the best they can." As Cas spoke he pulled out the pocketknife Dean had given him and cut into his hand. He began to draw a sigil on the glass door behind him.
"Is that what you think you're doing, Castiel," Ephraim scoffed, "The best you can? Well, I'm sorry. But if this is the best that the famed Castiel can do, you're a more urgent case than I thought. I used to admire you. You failed more often than you succeeded. But at least you played big."
"What the hell are you doing?" Cas turned to face the manager of the establishment, uncovering his bloody handiwork. Ephraim snarled and grabbed a handful of Cas' hair. The manager gasped as the angel kicked Cas to his knees and grabbed his blood covered hand. He pulled it back and there was a snap. Cas yelled out and the manager hurried to get the phone.
"Now what are you doing? Burying your head in the sand. Right when your kind needs you the most." Ephraim twisted Cas' wrist and he gasped in pain. He heard screams around him but his throbbing hand seemed to drown out all his other senses.
"Sh-shh-shh," whispered Ephraim as if to comfort a crying baby, "It'll all be over soon. I'll take the pain away."
"I want to live," Cas begged.
"But as what, Castiel?" he asked, "An angel? A man?" Just then Dean came bursting through the doors and Cas learned a second emotion; hope. Which quickly disappeared when Ephraim flung Dean across the room.
"You say you want to live. But you can't see what I see. By choosing a human life, you've already given up. You … chose … death." Ephraim lifted his hand to Cas' head and a red light began to shine from it. Cas looked at Dean, who slid an angel blade across the floor. Cas grabbed it and pushed it back into the angel behind him who exploded and then fell with a thump to the ground. The screams grew louder and Cas saw Zoey staring at him with shock and fear. Dean grabbed him and dragged him to the Impala. They flew away to the bunker just as the cops began to show up.