Chapter Two
It had been another eventful hunt, which the brothers Dean and Sam Winchester had first assumed to be several ghosts of famous people. It was unusual for so many ghosts to be active in one spot, after never being seen before, and the theory was eventually proven wrong. Instead it turned out to be a pagan god, Leshii, killing people. After another close call the pair had finally defeated the pagan and returned to their motel.
The quickly packed their stuff and vacated the area, eventually coming to a stop in a town several hours away. The pair checked into their new motel room without incident and quickly set up. Dean was quick to fall asleep, crashing on the bed almost immediately.
Sam however was reluctant to sleep. Most nights now his dreams were visited by the devil, although the encounters were never what was expected. Unfortunately Sam also knew he would need sleep to maintain his strength and he had no option. Although he tried to keep himself awake, eventually he drifted off.
At first his dreams were disjointed, mostly memories of the past that swirled by. Eventually they changed to represent the most generic motel room possible, and as he had predicted when awake, Lucifer was there to meet him. Still in the form of a blond man in casual wear, different from the other angels who mostly seemed to prefer their vessels dressed professionally for some reason.
That was not the only way the devil differed from the other angels that the Winchesters had meet. Much to Sam's surprise, he had never threatened or attacked him, never tried to hurt him or force him. And this visit was no different, with the devil seated comfortable on the edge of one of the beds.
"How has your most recent hunt gone?" Lucifer asked in his strangely calm tone.
When the tall man looks surprised, Lucifer answers the unasked question, "I know you and your brother continue to hunt, you can do nothing else."
"I'll never say yes," Sam states, there is no point in asking why the devil is here – he only wants the same things every time.
"I'm sorry, Sam," Lucifer replies, apologizing not for the first time. "Eventually you will have to. Everything was preordained so long ago."
The dream continues like the others before. Lucifer attempts to explain his side of the story and gain sympathy, he talks about how pure and beautiful the universe used to be, and he asks about Sam's life. Those final questions are ones Sam never answers. The dream last what was like several hours, and yet only a few minutes at the same time.
"And how is Castiel?" questions the devil.
An odd question he always ends with, but perhaps that is what makes the query a relieving one for Sam, for it means an end to the dream. As always, the tall man remains silent. He may not know why the devil always asks after Castiel in particular, but it is probably safer for Cass if the devil knows nothing.
When Sam awakes he finds himself rested, oddly the dreams never seem to interrupt his rest. The large man sits up with a curse and pushed his sleep messed hair away from his face.
"Bad night?" asks Dean.
"Lucifer…again," the younger brother admits.
"What's he do?" Dean queries.
"That's the strangest thing. He doesn't do anything, just sits there and explains what's happening, why it just has to be this way," Sam answers.
"Right, the devil is more helpful than the angels? Something about that just ain't right," Dean remarks.
"I mean it's gotta be part of his game? Right?" Sam asks, half convinced that must be the answer and still half unsure.
"Play the nice guy, string you along till he get's what he wants and dumps you like a side chick? Probably sounds like something in his playbook," the older brother is convinced it's a trap.
"That doesn't explain his final question though," Sam states, a little more unsure. "Why does he always ask after Cass? He doesn't ask where he is, what he's doing. He just wants to know how he is…"
"I dunno man. Maybe he thinks he can get Cass on his side somehow?" Dean grumps.
That question is one that confuses the elder brother. Yeah, Satan wanting to wear his brother like a skin-suit is bad, but it explains the dreams. All the 'help' and false kindness, just a ploy to get his way. But Dean genuinely can not think of any reason why Satan himself should be interested in one specific angel.
Castiel was finding his self appointed job becoming more difficult. As if finding God was not an impossible enough task, as if being hunted by the other angels for his perceived rebellion was not exhausting enough, it seemed he was now trying to evade the forces of hell as well. Grimly the angel studied the demon he had managed to capture, it was a low level one, part of a pack of them. Castiel had managed to smite the rest of the group and was able to take this one alive. One way or another he would get what answers he could. Circling the demon he had tied up inside a devils trap, the angel contemplated where to begin.
"Why are you hunting me?" the dark haired man started with the biggest question.
"I don't know," the creature the claimed.
Castiel started forward with his angel blade out.
"I really don't," the demon insisted, eyeing the blade nervously. "I'm just a nobody, just following orders."
Castiel pauses his advance, and then posits another question. "What were your orders?"
"We were just told to find the angel Castiel, you. Was told that you're helping those humans everyone is after. And we were told we're supposed to get you alive, and intact," the demon is quick to sell out the information.
Inwardly Castiel is disgusted by the lack of honor, demons were pathetic creatures with no loyalty. On the outside he kept his emotions disguised, merely looking serious.
"Why?" Castiel asked.
"I dunno man," the demon replies. "I just do what I'm told. All I know is that the order comes from way up the line, like top of the line apparently, rumor was it came from Lucifer himself. Least that's the rumor anyway."
Realizing he won't get anymore useful information from this demon Castiel kills him quickly. That session was barely informative. All he knew know was that hell wanted him alive, which raised more questions.
Why? Why did Lucifer (if the demon was to be believed) want him? Why in one piece? Why him specifically?