Without thinking about it, Gabriel decided to return to Balthazar and inform him about Castiel's situation. The two friends had found (well, technically Balthazar was the one who found it) a bar that was run by supernatural creatures, and who all somehow made a mutual agreement not to kill one another or spread around issues discussed in the bar in the outside world. This was the safe place where the angels had been hanging out for the past fortnight.
On arrival, Gabriel noticed that Balthazar was fortunately the only one sat at the bar, absent-mindedly sipping a glass of whiskey. The angel looked overcome with tedium until he noticed the archangel approaching him, which was when his expression brightened.
"Ah, it's great to see you, honey. I've been bored out of my mind here." Balthazar exclaimed excitably, however his face dropped once he realised how sincere Gabriel looked. "What's wrong? Is Cas really that bad?"
Gabriel nodded, closing his eyes as if that would block out the truth about how devastating the current events were.
"Oh God, I'm so sorry." Balthazar expressed his sympathy, even standing up from the bar to place a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. Gabriel put his own hand over his, squeezing it gratefully.
"Thank you. I just…" He sighed, taking a moment to compose himself before carrying on. "I don't know what to do, Balthazar. I can't get involved, but it pains me to see my little brother stuck in such a terrible position."
"Me too, Gabriel, me too. But if Cassie means so much to both of us, then it's good that we're trying to help him, right?" Balthazar attempted to see the bright side of things.
"I suppose, but I don't know how I can help him." It was at this point when the archangel realised he should probably describe his findings to Balthazar, therefore he proceeded to do so. "Castiel is… He's working with Crowley."
"Wait, what? As in, King of Hell, Crowley?" Balthazar was utterly bewildered.
"Yeah, you know, the one who was supposed to be dead, apparently."
"Oh yes, yes, I know that – working with him how?"
"I don't know exactly yet, I just know that you must have been right when you suspected Cas covered for Crowley when he was meant to have killed him before, and I think they've been talking since then. I need to find out what they're doing first, then I can report back to you and we can think of a plan of action." Gabriel stated determinedly, and his friend nodded fiercely in agreement.
"Good luck, darling. Don't get killed." Although Balthazar's tone was comical, there was an underlying hint of sincerity about it due to his genuine concern for Gabriel.
Gabriel simply nodded firmly and vanished, continuing to track Cas to find out as much as possible about why he was working with the King of Hell, out of all people. He was sure there must be a decent explanation for it; Castiel was such a good-hearted angel who only ever wanted the best for those he held dear to him, so he couldn't be conspiring with a demon without having good reason to.
The archangel followed Castiel by tracking his grace. He remained invisible, of course, as well as obscuring his very angelic essence from the other angel in case he sensed his presence. Gabriel was a little surprised to see that his little brother had fluttered off to a park and was sat on an old bench, his hands clasped together as he gazed at nothing. As the archangel studied him from a comfortable distance, he soon realised that Castiel was, in fact, praying.
"You know, I've... I've been here for a very long time. And I remember many things." Cas began dramatically, going on to describe many significant events in the history of the world. "Well, what if I've made the wrong choice? How am I supposed to know? I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you my story. Let me tell you everything." The start to the seraph's prayer was certainly a strong one, and it also set the tone – Gabriel could tell his words were going to be lengthy and profound.
As Castiel continued, oblivious to his brother's presence, he explained everything that had happened to him in the past year and a half; how Sam and Dean averted the Apocalypse, how Cas rescued Sam's soul from the Cage, the finer details of Heaven's civil war between him and Raphael, the explanation behind his conspiracy with Crowley and their plan of action. The list was endless.
"Hiding, lying... Sweeping away evidence. And my motives used to be so pure." He spoke while recounting the more recent event of listening in to the Winchesters' and Bobby's conversation about him potentially betraying them.
"Of course, I didn't realize it at the time. But it was all over. Right then – just like that." He described that accidentally using the phrase 'Superman going to the dark side' inevitably caused Sam and Dean's trust in him to crumble and dissolve.
"And so went the long road of good intentions... The road that brought me here." He explained the proper start of the civil war, just after he'd made his deal with the Devil.
Finally, Castiel finished. "So, that's everything. I believe it's what you would call a tragedy from the human perspective. But maybe the human perspective is... limited. I don't know. That's why I'm asking you, Father. One last time. Am I doing the right thing? Am I on the right path? You have to tell me. You have to give me... a sign. Give me a sign. Because if you don't, I'm gonna ju- I'm gonna do whatever I... Whatever I must."
At this point, Gabriel knew his brother was desperate, due to the fact that he was genuinely asking their deadbeat dad for a sign of help, therefore he decided to intervene. However, he still wasn't courageous and trusting enough to reveal himself fully, so he remained invisible and used his powers of illusion to add a slight echo to his voice so it wouldn't sound as if he were really there.
"Hell of a prayer, Cas. I mean, really: 'Freedom is a length of rope, God wants you to hang yourself with it'? Man, that's deep!" The archangel's voice was light-hearted and congruous with his Trickster persona, since that was how Castiel last percieved him.
The reaction from the seraph was instantaneous; he leapt up from his seat on the bench and gazed up at the sky, searching for something that wasn't there. His voice was so raw and naïve as he spoke to nothing that it honestly broke the archangel's heart a little. "Gabriel? Is-is that you?"
Despite his care and sympathy for his brother, Gabriel forced himself to keep up his guise. "Mmmaybe. Who knows, really?"
"Am I hallucinating? Am I crazy? Or are you in my mind? Am I dreaming?" Castiel's frantic speculations as a result of his urge to know what was going on had to be interrupted by the archangel before they went on for too long. Thankfully, it did give Gabriel some ideas and time to think of an excuse as to what was happening.
"Whoa, whoa, steady on there, bro! No, you're not crazy – well, maybe a bit since you decided to work with THE NEW SATAN but, you know, I'm not here to judge. And you're not dreaming either… or are you? Haha, I'm joking. Kinda. Anyway! Yeah, I'm basically what you'd call your conscience, and I'm speaking to you because you need to stop."
"My conscience sounds like Gabriel? But why?"
"Wow rude! I'm not that bad. I mean, Gabriel's not that bad. Not me, 'cause I'm just your conscience…." Gabriel babbled for too long, but the seraph fortunately ignored this and instead continued with his questions.
"Gabriel, is this a sign? I need to know, I need your help. Please…" Castiel's voice cracked slightly on his final word as well as sounding agonisingly pleading, causing Gabriel to feel all the more pain watching him. The archangel closed his eyes and drew in a breath before mustering up the façade he had to maintain in his reply.
"I can't directly help you since I'm not actually there, but I'm getting involved here – as your conscience – to show you that what you're doing is wrong. You're working with the King of Hell, for goodness' sake! We all know how that one ends."
"I know it's wrong, but what else can I do? It's the only way to win the war if he can get me the souls, and then I can destroy him afterwards. He won't get the better of me." Castiel's tone became threatening towards the end of his sentence, which concerned Gabriel.
"You know that Crowley screws everyone over in the end, right? And if he doesn't, I still think the whole souls thing is dangerous and risky. You should know that's unethical, Castiel." Gabriel spoke the truth.
"There's no other way!" Castiel's words burst out of him in panic and aggression, startling Gabriel. The younger angel soon regretted it and apologised calmly. "I'm sorry, I'm just out of options and it pains me that I must take the wrong path. Unless you have any other ideas, then I'm afraid I have to go through with it."
Gabriel thought for a moment. "Maybe you don't have to win the civil war. You've managed to derail the Apocalypse before when the big boss archangels were around, I'm sure you could do it again when they're not."
"That's ridiculous. Raphael simply cannot win." Castiel was utterly determined in this vision, which was evident in his tone. "No, the souls is the only way. They hold power that I want, power that I need. I have to do this, Gabriel. I'm sorry, but if God won't give me a sign, then I'll do what I have to."
On that final, ominous note, Castiel sighed resignedly and stepped away, his trench coat billowing behind him as he swept along the grass away from the bench, in the opposite direction to where Gabriel was stood. The archangel himself finally made himself visible once his little brother had gone, but made no move to follow him. There was only one thought on his mind.
"Aw, crap." He muttered in despair.
