Even with his failing state, he was still unaccustomed to human transportation. He felt Gabriel would agree with him, the archangel beside him after claiming motion sickness and the need to sit by the window. Bobby had said little, not that Castiel was worried about that. The silence was pleasant, not oppressive even if Gabriel was slouched against the door. Castiel glanced over at him, and he wondered if his brother did actually get car sick.

Gabriel scowled at him and Castiel knew his thoughts were being heard. Dean had told him he thought loudly. Perhaps humans, or creatures close to it, could not help it, given his experience with Dean.

They were close. It was hard to feel the locations of the earth now, but he knew enough to know it was less than a mile.

"Hey, big wings," Bobby said.

"What?" Gabriel grunted, still slouched and otherwise not moving.

"That boy is he –" the man trailed off. Castiel sensed he was afraid to ask.

He had wanted to know himself, but the answer would not change much. There was little he could do to help his friend and brother outside of doing what was asked.

"Scotched taped together but holding," Gabriel finally answered as Bobby pulled the truck over to the curb.

They climbed out and he knew Gabriel was stretching more than just his human body. Angels did not like being confined and his thoughts fell to Lucifer. The ultimate punishment for an angel who disobeyed cut off from creation and trapped. Why Father had just not killed him all that time ago he did not understand.

"The ultimate question, Cassie," Gabriel said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Let's get this suicide roll going."

Bobby laughed and opened up the back. He and Castiel took out the bags, the weight was less for him than it was for Bobby. Gabriel was gazing at the building, he knew his brother could see far past the walls.

"Wards, nothing that can keep me out," Gabriel said, and Castiel picked up the note of pride in his voice.

He had not forgotten the archangel's argument with Michael that he should just go do these things alone. Castiel had understood Dean's reasoning, to keep heaven and Lucifer in the dark as long as possible while their plan was finalized. To make them think it was this little band of humans and a demon so that suspicion was not focused onto a living Michael, that Lucifer would lay plans to undo the former and not archangels.

If Lucifer came now, if they fought, everything they were working towards would be lost.

"Earth to Cassie," Gabriel was saying, shaking him slightly. There was concern on his brother's face. "Hey, you gonna zone or go set bombs?"

"I am alright."

Bobby rolled his eyes at him.

"I am overcome with reassurance," Gabriel said. "Gonna take out the mooks inside. Ready?"

Castiel gave a nod and realized as he had mused that Bobby had cut a small hole in the security fence. They slipped through and he marveled at how his brother refrained from using his grace. He felt it would be near impossible to keep Gabriel from that, but here they were, the archangel so hidden that he would look human to almost all who saw them. Just two humans and a falling angel.

"Always liked the smell of domestic terrorism in the morning," Bobby muttered. "You do know how to use that right?" the man said, motioning to the gun he held.

Castiel felt it was at least the hundred and fiftieth time he had been asked this question.

"Yes."

He knew he would field this question again at some time in the future given his falling state, even though they all had witnessed Michael teaching him everything he needed to know. It was Dean's own personal weapon, after all.

They separated and Castiel went to his designated area. There was a feeling doing this as he removed a bomb to place on the building that he could not pinpoint. A feeling of purpose, that sense of duty that had so long ago abandoned him was building up again.

He sensed the demon before it turned the corner, and he hit him in the head with his weapon, watching the form crumple slightly. Summoning the strength he had, he slammed the things head against the concrete wall, watching it fall lifeless to the ground.

He may no longer be able to purify on command, but he was not helpless.

Finishing the first, he picked up the bag and was moving to the second location when two men came running around the corner. A distant shot and he knew Bobby had encountered the same problem. These, however, were not demons but humans and he felt a small thread of regret as he raised his weapon. The virus had been activated inside the building, he knew it now as he shot, dropping them, their dying faces twisted up in rage with empty eyes.

He knelt, listening as he could not sense Gabriel. His hearing was still better than a human's and he could hear muffled sounds from inside. Whatever Gabriel had encountered in there was more than likely a nightmare of infected innocents.

It was done, the second charge placed, the small light his only indication that he had done so properly. His senses were no longer good enough to see if he had beyond that and he took his bag, walking back to the truck, relieved to see Bobby and Gabriel as he turned the corner.

"Well, that was a shit show," Gabriel was saying as he joined them.

"You're telling me," Bobby said.

They went through the fence then all his muscles refused to move. Nothing responded as he felt it, all around them.

"Shit," Gabriel whispered as Lucifer appeared in front of them, the truck only a few feet away.

"Well, well, isn't this interesting," Lucifer said, taking them in, tapping his finger on his chin. "You know, I had this inkling to come to have a look-see at how my things were doing, and what do I find?"

Castiel could not even swallow, a reflex he had become more aware of as Lucifer looked them over. He could feel Gabriel now, struggling. It took a moment to realize his brother was not trying to enter combat but to send him and Bobby away. Gabriel himself may find a way to leave, even under Lucifer's thrall, but he and Bobby were caught. His brother, while huge and powerful, could not counter the devil like this, not when they had been caught unaware in all Lucifer was.

Lucifer laughed his attention on Bobby.

"No need for you. Say goodbye."

A snap, Castiel would wince if he could but there was nothing. Lucifer attempted again before his face twisted up into anger.

"You really are scraping the bottom of the barrel, Gabriel."

"And you're an asshole, Luci," his brother said calmly.

Not that calm tones worked well here with those words, as Lucifer's face twisted more. Castiel could barely see his fallen brother but it was enough to know how twisted he was, how far away he was from the Morning Star.

Dean, he prayed, not knowing why he went to that name. Dean, it is Lucifer.

Then, Lucifer smiled.

"Why don't you all come with me? What do you say, Gabriel? I can have some fun with your little friends."

Castiel understood then, knew what Lucifer would do and he wished he had some control. He would kill both himself and Bobby instantly to spare Gabriel that.

"You know what, Luci, you can go play with yourself. Probably good at it by now. Lots of time to practice."

He could feel Gabriel struggling harder and he prepared himself to run if there was an opening, to take Singer and fly. As much as he had no wish to leave his brother, he knew it would be worse for him if they stayed as victims.

"Such a mouth on you. Is that any way to speak to your brother?"

"I thought you were my brother," Gabriel said, his voice so low that it was near whisper. "I used to think that I loved you once."

It was then that Castiel realized his brother had been able to summon his blade in his struggle against the suffocating pressure of Lucifer.

"Really, Gabriel. What do you plan to do? You renounce me, on the street of all things, and then what?"

Lucifer's tone was still playful but Castiel could hear the rage building underneath of it. They were seconds away from death, he knew this, could feel the air changing around them. The forces of nature bending to the power of a fallen archangel.

"Why Dad didn't sit your ass in time out before you went stomping around, I'll never know. You're just like you always were. Spoiled and a prick."

"Careful, little brother."

"Or what?" Gabriel let out a laugh. "You'll torture me more slowly? Awesome. Sign me up. You want playtime with me, Luci, let's have at it."

"You just want your little friends to go free? Is that it? Why should I do that when I can have all of you at once?"

"I won't fight you if you let them go."

"You disgust me, Gabriel."

Castiel wanted to scream no at his brother. This was not right, one of the few left not corrupted was handing himself over. Dean had joked about praying harder to be heard before, and now he found himself trying to do that. Over and over again, not knowing if there was anything to be done.

"You slumming with cockroaches, brother?" Lucifer asked softly. "Let me help you see that they aren't worth even the energy to step on them."

"Do whatever you want." Gabriel still hadn't flinched, back to looking for a way to get them out. "The fact is, you're jealous. You were the apple of Daddy's eye and then bam, new baby. Couldn't handle it, huh? All pissy that someone else got attention for once."

"Gabriel –"

"You talk about humans being scum and you know what? It's you. They're better than you. Always have been –"

Lucifer took a step forward, and Castiel felt Gabriel's grace diminish greatly, Lucifer expanding himself more.

"Everything's better than your dumb ass, though, huh, Luci?"

The building behind them detonated earlier than expected, an explosion so large the earth shook under their feet, stopping Lucifer from lunging as his attention shifted for that brief second, his hold on them diminishing a fraction. Castiel felt swift hands collect him, Lucifer almost snatching him back and he threw himself as hard as he could towards Michael, cloaked as he was, before he found himself back in Bobby's house.

Sam and Crowley were staring at them, and Dean looking strangely close to sick.

"You alright?" Dean was asking him and Bobby.

"Yeah, son. Thanks. Needed a helping hand there."

Dean nodded before grabbing Gabriel and disappearing, Sam looking devastated even as he opened his hand to show Pestilence's ring.

~x~

"What the hell, Mike?"

Gabriel was already shoving himself away, stalking off as though he planned to just walk out of the forest they were in. Dean was pretty sure his brother would do that, just out of pure stubbornness.

"Gabriel –"

"I obviously healed you too well. Already had a brother trying to clip my wings today. Don't need it from you, too."

"Trying to get you to not runoff," he answered, flying in front of Gabriel who just scowled. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"What? What was I thinking? I was thinking I was going to be torn up and if I was really, super-duper lucky, die at the end. That's what I was thinking."

"And what, praying was too hard of a plan to come up with?" Dean snapped. "I can't hear a lot but I picked up on Bobby and Cas out there begging, but nothing from you. No 'hey broken ass, come get me'."

"It was Lucifer."

As if that answered the question and Dean ran a hand through his hair.

"You already gambled that the warehouse was the highest risk of him popping up. He's going to know that you're in play now," Gabriel said, voice losing its anger for a second. "I was trying to piss him off to get him to focus on me, save the two mooks and –"

"And what?" Dean almost screamed it, birds abandoning their sanctuary around them. "What, knowing you're being tortured for days on end, held hostage, carved into a bloody mess and being used as leverage was supposed to be a comfort?"

"I would think," Gabriel said, voice gruff, "that you would have enough common sense to let me go."

"Gabriel."

His brother just shrugged, crossing his arms in that defiant way little brothers just seemed to have native to them, waiting to be freed. He still had problems seeing Gabe, his brother trying to keep enough of himself locked up and unreadable.

"Being a martyr doesn't help," Dean said softly, staring up at the mess of branches above them. Even the clean air here couldn't help wash him of feeling Lucifer's twisted grace even for that nanosecond. "Man, you know that. You think I'd just let it happen –"

"If you were smart, you would. Which obviously, you aren't."

"You were always a stubborn jackass, you know that?"

"Hey, well, some things are eternal."

Gabriel's posture still hadn't changed, still waiting to be able to leave and Dean was done. So done and he grabbed his little brother, trying to see all of him, trying to read what he was so twisted up about. Gabriel fought but it was half-hearted. There was something in him surprised that more force wasn't used.

"Leave me the hell alone, Mike. Don't tell me you care now."

"Is it easier to sacrifice yourself than to talk to me?"

Dean pressed their foreheads together, trying to feel his brother's grace and something just went out of Gabe. His whole body slackened, going limp in his arms.

"If I vomited, I would have to feel him," Gabriel whispered. "It was so twisted and wrong."

"But that's not all that's bothering you."

To his surprise, Gabriel just gave out and Dean let them both slide to the ground his brother not looking at him. He knew what it was now, guilt. He pulled his brother into his arms, Gabriel limp as if all his strings had been cut.

"I remember what we did," Gabriel whispered to him. "What we felt we had to do even though I thought 'hey, we shouldn't be this screwed up'. And then they took you, made you do that down there –"

"It's okay," Dean said, powerless because there was nothing he could do to change any of that.

Gabriel clawed at him, finger bruising his skin if he had still been human.

"Don't you fucking say that. It wasn't alright. I left and you – you – I didn't know. I didn't know."

It was devastating seeing this.

"Little brother," Michael tried. "I would never leave you to die."

In response, Gabriel just curled up more, his being pushing itself smaller and smaller. His brothers showing him something that Morning Star never would and it was a wound far wider than he had thought inside him, something Michael wished was gone.

"Perhaps one day you will let me see what you've done to yourself."

"You'll kill me."

"I give you my word, Gabriel, I will not raise a hand to you unless you become a threat."

His brother lifted his head and Michael was taken aback that he had been fully weeping. He brushed the tears off, feeling helpless in how deep the pain must run because of their past for it to show like this.

"Beautiful, did I not tell you that you would always be perfect?"

He disliked that head shake and he laid Gabriel's head on his shoulder, the sense his brother did not want to be seen and he would not force a revelation now. All the sins that lay on Gabriel, what he had done to the vessels alone but he could not hold onto his anger any longer feeling the loneliness that Gabriel forced himself to hide. The regret was all through his brother, palatable and he accepted this remorse. He heard the soft words in their language and he pulled that form that was too small in all ways against him tighter.

"Always. I will always forgive you. All you must do is ask."

He freed more of himself from this body, enveloping his brother, sharing the agony of his leaving and smoothing away the fear that Gabriel trembled in until, at last, he felt his little brother relax and calm against him.

"Just pray, next time," Dean whispered to him, hearing Gabriel laugh a little.

"You're getting sentimental in your old age. Or at least part of you is."

"Still a bit wonky and, hey, never claimed to be sane."

Gabriel let out a huff, something close to amusement. "They'll be worried if we don't go back soon."

"I know," Dean said, burying his face against Gabriel, wanting to just stay here and damn any comments on his touchy-feely side. He didn't care but he knew his brother was right, that soon he would have to open his wings and finalize this plan, to risk Sam.

~x~

Sam sighed when he saw the room. He must have fallen asleep on the sofa again. All the archangels in his life and he still got the I dream of Luci going on, even if they helped with being sleep deprived later.

He got it, he did. Appearances and all that but it didn't mean he wasn't petrified he wasn't going screw something up.

"Hello, Sam."

Sam nodded at him, leaning back in the chair, trying to settle in. At least Lucifer didn't torture him. There had been threats, oh so many threats, and Sam had somehow, someway, convinced the devil making him hate him more would take longer. So, when Lucifer himself was able to come, it was just talking and normally it was easier to get Lucifer on a rant all night about humans or his stupid brothers or whatever else the fallen angel hated.

Which seemed to be just about everything except himself.

"I met some of your family, Sam," Lucifer said, voice smooth and Sam tried to breathe. "Did you know that?"

Sam shrugged. It was best not to lie about that.

"I was surprised to see little Gabriel out there. It explains a bit."

He didn't know a safe answer here, so he waited, shifting in his chair. Lucifer was watching him intently. They were both trying for information after all.

"You took out one of my horsemen," Lucifer said pleasantly. Sam winced.

"I – well –"

"I'm not angry. Well, a bit perturbed but bravo, Sam. With a demon at that." Lucifer leaned forward in his chair. "How'd it feel?"

"Sickening," Sam said. He never wanted to feel eight different diseases at once, prostrate on the floor while a demon bitched about having to do all the heavy lifting. Even if his archangel brother was lurking around in the shadows in case something went even worse.

"I'd image," Lucifer replied and Sam knew there was no sympathy there. "I must say you are the determined one to go after something like that as a human."

"Kind of wish I didn't have to at all."

"You don't."

Sam shrugged, not wanting to get back into this argument. Maybe if the devil was sharper he would have realized offering to pull the horsemen would have been a boon when negotiating world-ending contracts. He did kind of feel fortunate that Lucifer hadn't, as it would have been far more tempting than these talks about world domination and human extermination.

"But your brother, he's not around is he?"

Sam looked down, fingers curling around the arm of the chair, trying to anchor himself in. "A while back Zachariah found me."

"Ah, a hostage negotiation," Lucifer relaxed a bit. "You should have prayed. I would have come, no strings attached."

Sam tried not to look skeptical at that declaration.

"I mean it, Sam. I dislike my things being touched and I doubt he was gentle," the devil continued as Sam felt bile in the back of his throat. Even in dreamland, he could feel sick. "So you're down yours but up my brothers."

Lucifer fell silent as Sam was relieved the devil just assumed that instead of something else. They sat, quiet, which was a strange sensation. Usually, by this point, Lucifer would be rambling about whatever was pissing him off that day, and all he had to do was nod and smile at the right times. It was strange that the devil hated humans so much but shared so many characteristics of them.

Right now, he would welcome a five-hour rant about unreliable demons and why one shouldn't have them as security. At least he could agree with some points, even if he woke up unrested all the same.

Then Lucifer stood. Sam was frozen as the devil walked over to him, thankful his head wasn't an open Rolodex to angel mind reading in his dreams. Carefully, oh so very gently, Lucifer took his chin and turned his face up to look at him.

"Do you know who helped them?" The devil asked softly. Sam's momentary confusion must have been evident. "At the warehouse?"

"I wasn't there," he stammered, feeling terror just flow through him. "I wasn't there, Lucifer."

Another moment, the devil staring at him, and he felt like he was going to melt into his seat. "I don't like being lied to, Sam."

"I know," he whispered.

Then his chin was released and Lucifer was going to the window, to look out on the little slice of where ever created just for Sam torment. It felt like his heart was beating so hard that it alone should wake him up.

"Do you know where your brother is?"

"No," Sam said. It wasn't a lie since at this moment he had zero ideas where Dean was off prancing around at.

"I did not think heaven would take an interest in my doings," Lucifer mused, not turning around. "Though, with Gabriel involved and his sickening lust for humanity, it isn't surprising now."

Sam tried not to choke. He was so tempted to ask if the devil knew Gabriel was in exile and just toying with him. He forced it down, and waited, not knowing what to say.

"Do you keep in contact with them much?"

"I'm the Boy King of Hell," Sam pointed out and Lucifer actually laughed a little.

The devil turned, walking back over to him and Sam felt a hand in his hair. He trembled, he couldn't fucking help it. The chill of Lucifer was strong now, flowing here and he tried not to tear himself away. To just sit and let Satan stroke his hair.

Oh God was his life messed up.

"You are. I'm not mad at you, Sam. I know you want to fight me, even if what you truly want is right in front of you."

"I don't want the world to end."

"It won't. Just humans." Lucifer ran a thumb over his cheek. "I want you to come to me with an understanding that not only can they not be saved, but should not be saved. You and I, Sam, we'll watch and let all the beauty of nature run wild."

Sam swallowed, in his mind was pictures of cities littered with the dead, trees growing through them and he didn't know if that was him or Lucifer putting them there.

"I will take good care of you, Sam."

You keep saying that, Sam thought, wondering what the hell Lucifer actually wanted from him outside of a suit.

"Have you met any other of my little brothers?"

"Like who?" Sam asked, confused, feeling his brow wrinkling, trying to think if he had.

"Any of them."

There was quiet, the devil waiting for an answer and one suddenly came to him. "Anael."

"Ah, that one. I remember him. What did he want?"

"She went back in time to try to kill our parents," Sam blurted out, realizing how dangerous this conversation had gotten.

Lucifer's hand stilled, something angry in him now and the devil crouched by his chair, staring at him. Sam met his eyes, remembering that chase, remembering meeting mom, really mom, and losing her all over again.

"She hurt you," Lucifer said, picking up on the pronoun.

Sam mentally warned himself to be careful, to watch the details because Lucifer was quick.

"She did."

"Where is she?" Lucifer was now rage-filled and there was a little bit of himself that was flattered that someone would show up and mow down his killer for him. Even if his soul was being hauled off for torture afterward.

"Dead."

Lucifer leaned forward, readjusting himself so he could lean on Sam's armrest, hand under his chin. "Don't tell me you kill angels now, Sam."

"Nah, not me."

"Dean?"

Sam shook his head.

"Gabriel?"

"No."

"Sam," Lucifer said, slightly exasperated. "Are you going to make me recite all your allies till I get it right?"

"Ah, it wasn't an ally. Someone we were running from."

"Michael?"

Sam tried to hid his surprise that Lucifer had jumped to that. "Yeah. Well, Dean told me. The Michael from our time, I guess. Took over dad while he was dying, cleaned it up."

Well, according to his brother's split personalities at that point, that had been what had happened, Sam thought, reciting the story like he was telling Cas all over again.

"And he didn't take your brother, then?"

"No. We were confused by that too. Dean made a joke about it being impolite," Sam adlibbed and was surprised when Lucifer actually laughed at that. "Didn't make a lot of sense, since they were back to kidnapping and torture right after that."

Lucifer stood, walking behind his chair and slide his hands down onto Sam's shoulders. Trying not to wince, he knew the devil's mouth was close to his ear. He could feel the chilled breath on his flesh.

"Michael was always Daddy's little boy. Would see some things as beneath him."

Sam nodded, thinking about how Dean seemed to be screwed over no matter what life he happened to be in. His thoughts momentarily drifted to John. At that moment, Sam wished he could punch their father in the face as the weight of everything that was in his brother hit him right then.

Thankfully, Lucifer took his distress as being towards Dean's treatment and continued. "He'd use our siblings to get their hands dirty. I don't know what they are doing to him, Sam. I know he hasn't broken yet, Michael has yet to take his true vessel. But it won't be long if they have him. Human souls are so," Lucifer paused, slithering a hand down over his chest. "Fragile."

Holding his breath, frantic that he was about to get a demonstration of just that, and then Lucifer slid his hand back.

"I don't want them to hurt him," Sam whispered, sticking to the truth and it was. "I don't want them to touch him."

"I can't bring him back, Sam. When the time comes, when you come to me, I will help you tear apart all that did though."

Sam wondered if Lucifer had felt that way about Michael ever.

Hands were in his hair again and he couldn't relax under their touch. It was designed to be comforting, everything about Lucifer was cold and calculating and measured to achieve what he wanted. Sam stared ahead, trying to focus his thoughts, to keep his head straight under this.

"I know you are keeping some things from me, Sam."

"Lucifer –"

"Ssh, it's alright. You see us as enemies. I know a day will come when you know that is false. It is all of them that are our enemies. Our families would sell us out in a heartbeat. That it is they who would gladly murder us because we aren't like them. We see the truth, Sam. I know you will come to me."

The world shimmered and then he was waking up, Dean squatting on the floor next to him. He tried to focus, his brother putting a steadying hand on him.

"Sammy, it's okay."

"Were you watching?"

Dean shook his head. "Too risky. Don't want him to sense someone, even if he thinks it's Gabriel. What did that son of a bitch do?"

"Nothing. Just talked, wanted to know who helped. He doesn't know, I don't think, that it was you. Not yet."

Sam could still feel those cold fingers on him, sinking into him like a longed-for caress while his brother looked him over, concerned.