Uriel was called to the angel headquarters, located in the middle of the city. After the angels took power, they rebuilt the city hall into their main building. Though the outside was old and desperately needed renovation, the inside was still brand new. Even as the evening fell, the white walls in combination with the white lights made it seem like it was always daytime inside those walls.
Nobody ever entered through the front door. The general public had forgotten the angels left the city hall to rot, but the angels entered the building by flying inside. A renovation would give away their position.
Flying in, his eyes always needed to adjust to the lights. Then, he walked through the halls – a procedure of courtesy and not flying inside someone's office – towards Zachariah's office.
Rumors were going around about Zachariah. He supposedly fathered a Nephilim in his younger years. The well-timed fire in the residential area confirmed the theories. Zachariah had wordlessly taken responsibility for his mistakes and wiped this blemish off of his otherwise spotless record. Young angels made more mistakes than older ones.
It would be hard not to give in to temptation and to ask Zachariah about it. After all, Zachariah was in the position to punish Uriel for those questions.
Uriel knocked on the door. Zachariah called him in and Uriel obeyed.
The office was as white and clean as the rest of the building was, with its white walls and white lights and white furniture. And Zachariah sat on his chair, while Uriel was left to stand.
"You wanted to talk to me?"
"Indeed," Zachariah answered. "I wanted to talk to you about yesterday."
Uriel shifted on his feet. Zachariah noticed.
"I told you everything I knew," Uriel said confidently. He tried to play shifting on his feet off as trying to find a more comfortable way to stand. But Zachariah was not stupid. He wanted to hear Uriel tell the story one last time to uncover any details they might have missed before.
"Please, do recount it one more time," Zachariah said. Uriel nodded once and he spoke without hesitation.
"Gadreel and I were called to the warehouse as back-up. I soon lost contact with Gadreel and witnessed Castiel was off-guard. He was looking at this person. I assume he must be important to either the resistance or Castiel, and he was taking stock. I decided to kill him, but Castiel flew in between me and that man. I hit Castiel instead and had to leave because others were firing bullets at me. It was a strategic retreat."
"Is he still alive?" Zachariah asked.
"I believe he did not survive the assault," Uriel said with a cautious tone. "Even while healing, I can't see him recover. I struck him in his chest."
"Did Gadreel say anything about it?" Zachariah hoped that Gadreel might have given some information on angel radio, which Uriel and other angels in the vicinity would've been able to pick up.
"Before he died, there was a strong implication he was going to kill Castiel. He believed Castiel had fallen and refused to speak to us or to redeem himself." He paused to find the right words. "If he has turned his back on us, I hope he is already dead or still suffering."
There were a couple of moments of silence, after which Zachariah nodded.
"Thank you for the information." Uriel nodded once in response and, seeing this as his cue to leave, already turned around.
"One more thing." Uriel stopped. "We have a new recruit coming in today. Someone will pick him up, but you will be training him personally."
"Of course," Uriel said. "Where is he from?"
"He did not say," Zachariah said. "Since I am otherwise occupied, you will need to take him under your wings. He has the right genes, but he will need to gain confidence before he can be one of us. I assume that won't be a problem?"
"No, it wouldn't," Uriel said. He did not like how he had to train someone's confidence or even training a new angel. Maybe it was a partial punishment for not being able to kill the leader or even to keep the warehouse from being destroyed. But he could do nothing about it; he still needed to do as Zachariah said.
"Good," Zachariah smiled. "You may leave."
Uriel bowed his head. He turned around and left the room.
Zachariah leaned back in his chair. He believed what Uriel said, but something inside him told him the angel made it out. Zachariah had often left someone for dead, both angel and human, only for them to return. One such human case was Dean, the leader Uriel was talking about. That guy just could not die or stay dead. If he could make it back alive, then surely the same could apply to Castiel.
"How vague can you be?" An unfamiliar voice asked from behind him. "Why don't you ever say something outright."
Zachariah rose from his chair and quickly turned around to see the visitor that snuck up on him. His black suit sharply contrasted with the white of the office, an anomaly that shouldn't be here and that would never fit in, going as far as flying into the office instead of walking around.
"You should not criticize our methods," Zachariah said. "You adhered to them not even three years ago."
The man in black, Crowley, nodded once. "I am aware." He had nothing else to say on the matter and did not seem to be in a rush to take a seat. So they stood and watched each other silently.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Zachariah said. He hadn't thought Crowley would arrive so soon after they decided to meet up. Crowley shrugged in response.
"I didn't have anything better to do." Another contrast. Crowley had plenty of time for many things, while Zachariah was limited to the leadership and the actions of angels.
"So you contact me to meet up." Zachariah tilted his head. "After three years, we meet again on neutral ground."
Crowley glanced around the white room, readily displaying his distrust.
"I wouldn't call your territory 'neutral ground'." He turned his gaze to Zachariah again.
"Did you change your mind?" Zachariah asked. It was always a possibility, a chance he should keep open. No matter how serious the crimes were a fallen angel had committed, so long as they showed remorse for their heinous actions and set things right by providing information they had gathered during their times of disobedience or correcting their mistakes.
"Change my mind?" Crowley shook his head. "Never."
"Then enlighten me," Zachariah said. "Why did you so necessarily want to talk to me?"
"There's a war between you and the resistance," Crowley explained. "And war claims victims and a winner. I'd like to be on the winning side."
Zachariah grinned. "A wise decision."
Crowley nodded. "You can do whatever you want. I will not stand in your way or assist the resistance in any way."
"And what do you want in return?" Crowley backing down from the resistance would definitely help them, but everything came at a cost. Especially when Crowley was involved.
"I want amnesty for me and my followers." Crowley's tone suggested he would not bargain for anything else. Any other offer may not be accepted. "We go our separate way. You will leave us alone and we will leave you alone."
"That seems reasonable," Zachariah responded. Crowley did not speak about the duration of this agreement.
"We have a deal, then?" Crowley extended his hand. Zachariah glanced at it – if he took it now, they would not be able to take on Crowley. When the resistance was gone, Crowley would be fair game again.
"Yes, we have a deal," he said as he shook Crowley's hand with full conviction. A grin appeared on Crowley's face.
"If you go back on these terms, I will strike back," Crowley warned him before letting go of the hand. Zachariah was not intimidated at all by this threat.
"Likewise," Zachariah said. "I will see you again."
"Undoubtedly," Crowley said and he flew away, out of Zachariah's reach.
Zachariah sat down on his comfortable chair, reflecting on the turbulence of the past few days. The death of the Nephilim, a recruit of interest, the warehouse fire, the meeting with Crowley… the past few days have been eventful.
Then there was the trouble with the resistance itself. One warehouse and one cover house have been destroyed. They were going to strike again soon. Deveraux's files had made it to the resistance and it was his fault again.
It was different than their usual strategies. The resistance crawled out of the shadows and into the night, to destroy angel property. They had started an attack; they had begun the war and now waged it in full. This war may decide the fate of either organization.
Zachariah did not plan to lose this war.
