Akriel did not like the Winchesters. He did not like Castiel. They had taken his brothers from him. Taken his Archangel from him. They had taken everything from him. There had only be two Virtues left for the longest time because of their rash and self-centered behavior, and then Father had returned, and with Him came everyone they had lost.

It had taken him and Zed a long time to remember what it was like working with everyone else.

And now, they thought they were important enough to call on his charge, the one he had been making so much progress with. The one that was learning to smile more, use their words over their fists, how to let people within her unstable mental fortress. They were still working on emotions, but she was coming along so greatly, they learned what happy was and what sad was. They learned that being in the Garden made her happy. Swimming made her happy. Helping him in the Infirmary made her happy. Seeing dying flowers made her sad. Seeing the sun go down made her sad. When she had torn apart his room after the Mindbreaker's second trial, that had made her sad.

What they wanted, what they wanted was to take all that progress and flush it down the drain, and why shouldn't they. It was them who did all the hard work. It wasn't them who had to bring her down from her highest highs and bring her up from her lowest lows, it wasn't them who had to restrain her when she had her episodes, they didn't do anything.

So, when his archangel had come with the request, he had no reservations on voicing his opinion, refusing the request, until word came down the grape vine that they were going to summon his unstable charge, and that would have caused much more harm to the world then they would ever have understood.

"I do not like this, Raphael." The Healer nodded, taking note of the call of his name, his Virtues only did so when they were truly displeased, in the same manner that a mother calls a child by their full name when they have done wrong. "The progress we've made could be cut back by so much."

Raphael nodded. "I understand, Akriel, but it was her that was requested for this mission they find themselves on, and despite Father giving her the choice, it is hers to make."

They both looked between them, Gzel stood as silently as ever between the two of them, staring ahead in that void that only her eyes could see into, clutching at the Virtue's sleeve. Sam Winchester was speaking to her, they knew that, but they didn't think that she knew that.

Or she was aware and had chosen to ignore him.

"Sammy, she's not listening to ya." Dean Winchester, in all his bravado, cut his younger brother off. He came to stand before them, looking down on the young unstable angel, feeling secure in his intimidation with his seraph standing at his right. Akriel knew better though, they all knew about the flock that Gzel came from, Castiel would not jump between them, no matter how loyal he was to the human, self-preservation was too strong an emotion. "Little missy here, she's gonna be a good little soldier, and she's gonna do what we say."

Both healers watched carefully, as the unstable angel's eyes flit up to look at the human, silence was a thick covering in the room. She stared up at him for a long minute, unblinkingly, as though she was staring into his soul to determine just how much of a threat he was.

And then she turned to look at him. "Do I have to?"

Akriel smiled, pressing his hand into her lower back. "No. If you don't want to, you don't have to."

"But you want to." Dean Winchester cut her off before she could speak again, and her head snapped around to stare at him again, muscles tensed under his hand, and he curled his fingers around her hip to pull her more securely against him. "I can see it. You like beating the shit out of people. You're gonna do what we say."

Gzel stared up at him silently. Akriel always said to user their words. She didn't like this human. But, Akriel said to use their words. Not using their words would make him disappointed. He would say he wasn't, but she knew he was. Gzel didn't want to make Akriel disappointed. His eyes would get sad. Gzel didn't like it when Akriel's eyes got sad.

"No." She nodded, as if to assure herself. "No, I don't want to." She looked up at the Healer and he smiled down at her. "I don't like fighting people." And then Gzel looked up to her guardian. "I like to help people." Gzel liked helping Akriel help people. "I like helping Akriel help people."

"Akriel is a whimp kid. You don't wanna be a whimp, do ya?" Dean Winchester shook his head. "No, you'll listen, and do what we tell you to do when we tell you."

"I said, no." Gzel stared up at him. "Akriel says that if I say 'no' then I don't have to do it."

"What does he know?" The hunter pointed a finger at the Virtue in dismissal. "He puts Band-Aids on peoples booboos. You like action. You want to be in the action."

"Akriel does more than that." Gzel tilted her head. "Akriel helps people. I want to help people. Gzel wants to be like Akriel and help people."

"He's a coward, kid, didn't even protect his own people when they killed themselves."

"That was Castiel's fault."

"But Cas did something about it, what did your guy do?" Dean snorted. "Nothin. Come on and just help us."

Gzel went tense under him. "Akriel's good." He shared a look with his archangel. "I'm only supposed to fight bad people."

"From what I've heard, your brains not completely in tune with what good and bad are, so I can see why you'd be a little confused."

"My brains not bad!" Gzel's eyes darkened. "Akriel's strong! Akriel's nice! Akriel helps people! But you—you hurt people! You hurt Akriel!" She darted forward, with a speed that none of them had been prepared for and jumped up on the hunter before her. She wrapped her legs around his middle, an arm around his neck, and brought her closed fist down on the humans head as harshly as she could.

Dean Winchester backed away from them, trying to shake the unstable modified angel off, attempting to duck under her blows. Sam Winchester was calling out her name, trying to be placating, not sure on whether he should grab her or not. Castiel had his angel blade in hand, but noticeably made no indication that he was going to try and pry the unstable angel off of his human, and Dean Winchester called him the coward.

Raphael nodded when he turned for permission, noticeably waiting a moment longer than necessary, and Akriel stepped forward.

"Heyheyhey!" He wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged. "Let go, let go Gzel, remember what we talked about. We're using our words, remember, let's use our words."

"I did! I said no!"

"And we're going to go home now, you did say no, you're doing so good Gzel, so good. Don't let him break your good streak."

Gzel looked down at him, fist posed for another blow. "Akriel?"

"I'm here, G, come down for me?" He tightened his grip around her waist, and she nodded, uncurling from the hunter, allowing the Virtue to set her back to her feet, and she leaned back against his chest.

She looked up at him. "Sorry." He smiled and poked her on the nose. "We'll talk later. It's not okay. But we're still working on it." The medic curled his arm around her lower back. "You're not in trouble. We'll talk once we get home."

"Okay, Akriel."

Akriel glared at the hunter from over his charge's head. "The coward says, 'you're welcome'."