A/N: So, uh, yeah. It's been a minute since I last updated. So sorry about that. Work has been a heavy load, but I haven't forgotten about Ol' Frankie and the gang. I want to give a huge thank you to those that continue to read and a big welcome to my new readers. The story has been climbing quite a bit but now we're getting into the meat of it all. Hope you guys are still up for this wacky adventure!


Castiel had never been much of an imaginative individual. As an angel, he viewed the world literally, lacking abstract thought. Lately, however, Cas had rushes of visions, things that had never been but may be. At first, he thought these images to have been sent to him by some sadistic force, but after some analyzing, he understood them to be manifestations of his terror and worry.

Lately, all he could think about was Frankie's body melting away until she was a walking corpse.

He did not have a say in the boys' and Bobby Singer's resignation to let her die. It didn't matter if it was the only plan they had. Castiel wouldn't sit back and let her suffer just so they could get the best shot at the Devil. He made a promise. He kept his promises.

Now, he sat on a bench in a quiet slice of Earth. A cemetery – empty aside from granite tombstones and assortments of real and faux flowers. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. His linked fingers pressed against his lips as he pensively stared ahead.

Fluttering wings announced the arrival of his unlikely companion. Gabriel strutted over to Cas, his arms lightly swinging at his sides in time with his leisurely stroll. "Howdy." Cas blinked his gaze up to the archangel, but otherwise remained still. "So, I assume based on the fact that you're hitting me up that you've found Death."

Gabriel's lax demeanor nauseated him. Cas mutedly sighed as he straightened his back and dropped his hands onto his thighs. "His approximate location has been determined."

"That's what I wanna hear!" Gabriel exclaimed, throwing his fists into the air. "Alright. We just gotta pluck his ring from his bony little finger and we are home free!"

Castiel slowly stood from the bench. He fully faced the archangel, his expression wilting. "Gabriel."

Gabriel made a doubletake at the angel's sorrowful face. He huffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. Frankie. Look, I'm still working on that rescue plan. It's not easy doing the impossible, you know!"

Cas' eyes impatiently drifted shut. "Please, stop speaking. I need your help."

Gabriel froze for a split second, and when it passed, he tossed his head back and groaned into the air. "Ah, man. What did you do?"

"Nothing. It's the boys." Cas' shoulders went rigid. "They've enlisted the aid of Crowley. The demon King of the Crossroads. He's joined our team."

Gabriel's brows shot for his hairline. He moved to speak but hesitated. He turned his head, leading with his ear as if he didn't hear the angel correctly. "Excuse me? A demon? Oh no. No. That's where I draw the line."

Cas looked off to the side. "I'm surprised you have a limit at all."

Gabriel started pacing and gesturing animatedly. "I've dealt with a lotta low lives, but I do not work with demons. I won't work with demons."

"You don't have a choice. Crowley acquired Death's location. We are working with him whether or not we prefer it. Trust me, I despise him more than you do."

Gabriel came to a stop in front of an oak tree. He flattened a palm against the bark and leaned into the touch. He pinched the bridge of his nose and dryly chuckled. "It really is the end of the world."

"It doesn't end there."

Gabriel deeply inhaled. He dropped his hand and angled his face toward Cas. He half-shrugged and limply gestured to him. "I'm listening."

Cas' fists clenched at his side. His anger was restrained for now. "Crowley and Frankie have a history."

"History…" Gabriel's brows had been furrowed in confusion, but they relaxed, and recognition replaced the expression. "She sold her soul to him." Castiel went rigid again. He snapped his head to Gabriel, a confused glare hardening his features. "Yes, I know all about that," he waved off.

Castiel sighed and let that bit of knowledge slide. "Well, he still owns her soul, even after her resurrection. And because of that, he used her as a resource. He made her as uninhabitable a vessel as possible."

Cas' chest grew dense. His head lightened as anger rushed him. His hold on his fury was slipping from his grasp.

"Gabriel… Lucifer is trapped inside Frankie."

Gabriel's head recoiled with a puzzled frown. "Huh?"

"Crowley cursed her body. He carved an enchantment into her flesh. As long as it's imbedded in her skin, he can't leave."

Gabriel's stare lingered as he absorbed the information. He was quiet, and Castiel relished in the rare silence from the archangel. Gabriel then started pacing, mumbling lowly under his breath, though the more words he spoke, the louder his voice became.

"Into her flesh… a curse- an enchantment… trapped forever…" Gabriel finally slowed to a stop. His head lifted, and he gazed off into the distance. "Damn… Things are finally turning around! Ha! Hell, I owe Crowley a Cuban for this!"

Castiel was speechless as Gabriel jovially laughed into the air. The archangel swung around to face him. He was greeted with a dark frown. "What? Oh, wipe that look off your face. Lucifer was never gonna leave her anyway. This saves us from ruining our only chance of success with some dumbass rescue."

"Gabriel, we made a bargain," Cas said, stepping forward. "We would aid with your plan as long as we attempt to save her."

"And how are we supposed to do that now? Like you said, he's trapped inside her. You got an idea? 'Cause I don't."

Cas reeled in his anger – as much of it as he could, at least – and straightened his posture. "I do have an idea."

"Oh, this'll be good. Let's hear it. What's your genius plan?"

"We remove the mark."

The muted humor in Gabriel's face dissolved. A grave expression was left behind.

"Cas…"

"It wouldn't be easy. But I have a plan-"

"Cas."

"-that will remove the enchantment and allow him to escape."

"Think about what you're saying here." Gabriel clutched Cas' shoulders in a tight grip. He leveled his face with the angel, displaying a rare emotion of solemnity. "You're talking about getting close to Lucifer and erasing a carving from his skin. Now, how do we do that without him noticing?"

"We won't be doing it ourselves. He will. We will tell him about the sigil."

Gabriel's jaw slowly dropped, and his eyes fully widened. Disbelief and amazement battled for dominance over his face.

"You… wanna tell Lucifer… how to save himself from wasting away in his meatsuit. You wanna help Lucifer destroy an important part of the Winchesters' plan to defeat him? You do understand that this is treason, right?"

"Believe me, I am quite familiar with the concept."

Gabriel frantically shook his head, and his voice quickened. "Help me. Help me, Cas. Please, help me wrap my head around why you would do anything to benefit Lucifer."

"I don't want to benefit Lucifer. The plan remains to push him back into Hell. I am just trying to ensure Frankie doesn't go down with him."

"Cas, Frankie is gone," Gabriel exclaimed, shoving Cas back. He threw his hands into the air as he fervently spoke. "She's not coming back! This whole sigil crap is the final nail in the coffin! If you wanted to save her, you should have kept her away from Lucifer!"

"You don't think I tried that?"

"You clearly didn't try hard enough! You had so much bullshit going on at once when you should have made her your priority!

"Don't talk to me about priority," Cas warned in a low growl, feet heavily thudding forward. "Need I remind you that she was once yours, and you abandoned her."

"Yeah, and that was my choice. Just like it was your choice to pick up where I left off. You made her your responsibility and failed. And now you're about to risk everything to fix your mistake!"

Cas heaved a lengthy sigh as he glared at Gabriel. The archangel held his own glower, refusing to back down. It wasn't until Cas looked off to the side, his darkened glare wilting, that Gabriel's own frown faltered.

"You're right. It is my mistake," Cas sighed. "I should have been a better guardian, but I wasn't. The time I have left in this existence is dwindling. I cannot let that time go to waste."

Cas' eyes shut, and his face winced with grief. The sight was uncanny. Gabriel had only ever seen the mechanical blank stare and more-often-as-of-late scowl that defined the rebellious angel. But this here – this display of anguish – was surefire proof of how broken of an angel he had become. That anguish became more apparent once he opened his eyes to gaze pleadingly at the archangel before him.

"Gabriel, please. I don't have much left. All that remains is a cause and a few friends. I am trying to preserve as much as I can. I should have been there for her. Please, help me be there for her now."

Gabriel rubbed his mouth anxiously and shuffled his feet. "Cas… I just need you to fully understand what you're asking here. You're choosing one girl over the entire planet. Which choice do you think she'd want you to make? She'd want you to choose the planet, right? That's what I want you to choose, too."

Cas slowly averted his eyes. Gabriel was relieved to see that there was at least some small amount of reservation for what he was willing to do. He dropped a hand onto Cas' shoulder and leveled a sympathetic face with the angel's.

"Listen. I'm not heartless. I know this hurts. You guys seemed close. The longer you hold on, the worse it'll be when you have to watch her get pushed back into Hell." Cas' eyes narrowed the slightest bit into a wince, the image haunting him. Gabriel tightened his lips into a sad smile and patted his hand on Cas' shoulder. "Come on. Let's go find a liquor store. I'll help you drain it."

He headed off in the direction of the cemetery's gate. Not hearing Cas' feet trail behind him should have been his first clue.

"Gabriel. I'm going to Lucifer. I'm telling him about the sigil. I need your help, but I will go without you."

Gabriel shut his eyes as a tired sigh ripped through him. He turned halfway to the angel, facing him with a new glare. The absolute audacity of this idiot. Putting the needs of others after his own. Willing to cause so much destruction just so he can stop feeling so guilty.

His nose hissed with a long inhale. "Then I'll just have to stop you, won't I?"

"You can do so quite easily," Cas said, all but shrugging. "The only way to stop me is to drive your blade through me. Nothing else will cease my course."

Gabriel's face tightened, glare growing colder. Cas could tell by the look of his expression that Gabriel was entertaining the idea, but with a shake of his head and a glance to the sky in weary irritation, he let out a relinquishing sigh.

"I'm not killing you, Cas."

"Then come with me," Cas pressed, stepping forward with a newfound hopefulness in his eyes.

Gabriel settled Castiel with a long, silent look, one that said all that needed to be said, yet he needed to make himself perfectly clear to such a selfish coward.

"If you wanna go there and get yourself killed, be my guest. If you wanna put the needs of one broad over that of the entire human race, go for it. Just let it be said that I tried to talk you off the ledge." He turned his back on Cas. "Say hi to Frankie for me."

And then he was gone, leaving Castiel alone amidst the hundreds of tombstones. The angel felt no loss, however. He expected it as such, Gabriel's refusal. But it should never be assumed that he didn't give it a shot, that he tried everything. With a brief glance up to the sky, Castiel mustered a small sigh and flew from the cemetery.


There was one thing that Castiel got wrong about Lucifer. He always imagined him as a crafty and manic individual, making rash, inexplicable choices. The reality of the Devil was that he was all too predictable, though what was expected of him was just as bad as chaotic decisions.

In a less catastrophic sense of his predictability, Lucifer had a favorite type of retreat. He preferred dilapidated, abandoned shelters as his bases of operations. The latest location they tracked him to was a long-deserted, four-story office building of a retired investment firm. It was a decrepit brick building with broken windows, allowing the heavy rainfall to puddle its no doubt pitted flooring. Castiel honestly expected more of the archangel, but it showed how little he knew – or cared – about the creature.

Cas stood on the roof of a similar looking building across the street, unbothered by the rain soaking his clothes. For a moment, he allowed himself to simply stare at it, imagining what Lucifer was doing at that precise moment. He surely already knew that Cas was there. He may even be looking at him right now. It was not going to deter him. He still had a mission. Stealth was never included in his calculation.

Castiel wasn't numb to the dense feeling underneath the anger in his chest. He felt the doubt, the guilt of going behind the Winchesters' backs. It ate away at him like maggots on a rotting corpse, but there was only one corpse he would set his mind to: the future corpse of his friend. He set his jaw and walked forward.

His shoulder was yanked back.

"Oh my god, you're really gonna do it!"

Cas stumbled and whipped his head around. Gabriel's wide-eyed scowl stared back. "What are you doing here?" he groaned frustratedly.

"Well, I was hoping to see you pussy out." Gabriel released Cas' shoulder with a shove. He leaned forward, voice lowering to an apprehensive growl. "What are you doing, Cas?"

"You know what."

"Do you even have a plan? What-What are you gonna say?" Cas stared at Gabriel. He opened his mouth to answer, but a huff came out, and he turned his head away. Gabriel's shoulders sank. "Oh no… You don't have a clue."

Cas all but rolled his eyes. "I know what to say."

Gabriel clutched Cas' shoulder again, and he looked in the opposite direction of Lucifer's den. "Look, we can still turn around. There's less scouts that way."

"You go back," Cas grunted, jerking his shoulder from Gabriel's grip. "I'm staying."

"Why?! You won't walk outta here alive. The only thing you'll get outta this is an archangel blade through the throat. I don't- I don't get this, Cas! The boys need you!"

A dense ache pulled in Cas' chest, but it wasn't the same doubt and guilt as before. This one was stronger, one that had lingered for months and refused to let up. One that he tried for so long to ignore, yet each time it came back stronger than its last appearance without fail. He settled Gabriel with a contrite scowl, gravelly voice harboring shame.

"Why exactly do they need me? What can I do to help them? I have no powers left. I can barely fly without draining my remaining energy. I can't operate a firearm, and I don't know how to track anyone by foot. I had one true self-ordained task: to keep Frankie safe. I have failed at every attempt to do so. She was possessed by a demon, tortured by Lucifer, killed and taken to Hell, and now she is the Devil's vessel where she will decay into nothing or be shoved back into perdition. I have prevented none of her suffering so far, but I can try to prevent that. I don't expect you to understand. You don't know what it's like to care about a cause."

Gabriel had been resolute until Cas' last words. His shoulders went rigid, and he set his jaw. He was quiet for a few moments, pupils flicking between Cas'. He gazed off into nothingness and faintly shook his head until he finally released a long, soulful sigh and returned his yielding glare to the angel.

"Then why am I here?"

Cas nearly shrugged. "I don't know. Guilt, perhaps."

"No. Why am I here? Helping you?"

Cas blinked and slightly recoiled. His brows descended over his eyes as he stared at Gabriel. The archangel kept his same mildly affronted glare pointed at him, yet Cas could see something else behind those eyes. He knew it well, and Gabriel had expertly shrouded it until this moment. He wasn't the only one hiding a profound guilt deep inside him. Castiel's lips parted, a question on his tongue.

"You're about to miss your window. We gotta move fast," Gabriel said in a near whisper. He stepped forward, nearly bumping the angel's shoulder. Before he fully passed him, Gabriel side-eyed Cas. "You better have one helluva speech prepared."

All they had to do was walk through the front door. That was all it took for them to be bombarded by demons. Vessels of all types surrounded them, glaring with their solid black eyes. None of them touched Gabriel and Cas. They knew how much more powerful they were than themselves. Cas probably still had enough power in him to take out two in that moment.

A stalemate began between the hoard of demons and the two celestial invaders, broken only when Castiel announced that they had come to speak with Lucifer and nothing more. Doubt and skepticism colored their faces, but not one of them moved to call them deceivers. One of the black-eyed creatures nodded to another, and that demon left the room. Upon his return several seconds later, he tugged his head to the side, motioning for them to follow.

They climbed the old, dripping stairwell. It was soon apparent that Lucifer was waiting at the top floor. The higher they climbed, the colder the air got. Cas briefly glanced at Gabriel. The archangel was stoic in face, but his taut shoulders spoke louder than words.

The demon led them down a long, unlit hallway that smelled strongly of mildew. Each step on the ancient green carpet hissed a series of wet squelches. Lucifer really knew how to pick a disgusting environment to sulk in.

They finally stopped in front of a door. There was nothing special about this door unless one took the rotting wood into consideration. Their demon guide looked over his shoulder, leveled a nasty sneer at them, and opened the door with a resounding screech. The doorknob hit the inside wall with a thud, and the demon headed inside, Gabriel and Cas following closely behind.

The office was mostly empty. It had peeled wallpaper, water damage, and a gaping hole through the roof and floor, letting moonlight and rain fall in a straight column to the third floor below. To the left of the holes – the center of the room – sat a short desk with a chair positioned behind it. A figure lounged in the chair, silhouetted by the smudged and cracked window backlighting it, though there was no question as to who this figure was. He lifted his head, the light leaking through the ceiling finally illuminating his face.

Cas had not felt any fear until that moment – the moment he saw her face.

Frankie's honey-coated eyes glimmered in the moonlight like dying bulbs on a Christmas tree. They slightly narrowed as Lucifer forced her lips into a wide grin. The skin around her mouth folded unnaturally, hindered by the flaky, oozing blotches of decay deteriorating her flesh. The rot was traveling upwards through her brow and claiming half of her forehead.

"Well, this is a surprise."

The misuse of her voice, disregarding her cadence for his own, corroded his gut with hatred.

"Here I am, minding my own business, and one of my goons tells me that two angels seek and audience with me. Odd as it is, Castiel I expected. But you…" He fixed his eyes on Gabriel. His head tilted ever so slightly as he narrowed a curious gaze on his brother. "You are a sure surprise.

Castiel wasn't sure if Gabriel refused to acknowledge him due to anger, fear, or annoyance. In fact, Cas wasn't aware of practically anything around him in that very moment. His eyes only pointed forward, flitting horrified over Frankie's face. He barely recognized his friend anymore. The devious squint in her eye, the lack of faint accent in her voice, the erasure of freckles by dead skin… very little of Frankie was left.

"What can I do for you?" Lucifer addressed to both figures before him.

He waited for an answer. After several seconds without one, he arched a single brow and made a goading gesture with his hand. Gabriel side-eyed the silent angel beside him. "Cas…," he edgily mumbled.

Lucifer briefly glanced between Gabriel and Cas. He lingered on the sullen angel before sighing and resting his elbows on the desk. "I get that my appearance is… rather unsettling for you. I apologize for that."

"Frankie…," Cas spoke, voice pleading. "I am so sorry-"

"I'm gonna stop you there." Cas gaped at Lucifer's raised hand. "She's not in at the moment. I don't like third party witnesses for deals. That is what you're here for, right?"

"Was that what Raphael was here for?"

Lucifer's shoulders visibly rose and fell with a deep sigh. He blinked, eyes darting to Gabriel. Cas took the opportunity to tear his eyes away from Frankie and point them at Gabriel. His stoic façade was long gone. Left behind was a menacing glower.

"Raphael and I didn't see eye-to-eye. He didn't want to play nice, so I had to take him off the board."

"He was your brother. Our brother. And you're talking about him like he's some minor liability."

"Because he was some minor liability," Lucifer spat, voice slightly raised. Gabriel looked over Lucifer, disgusted. "I have an agenda. Anyone who tries to disrupt it will be stopped. Which brings me back to my initial question. What can I do for you?"

Cas clenched his fists. With a heavy breath, he faced Lucifer again. "I want you out of Frankie Pearce."

"Can't say I didn't expect that."

"But that's not all. You'll want out, too, once you learn what I know."

Lucifer blinked, mildly surprised. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards, and his eyes filled with humor. He sat back in his chair. "Go on."

"The demon Crowley has placed an enchantment on Frankie, one that prevents you from exiting her body." The twitch turned into a full grin paired with a low snicker. "You laugh in jest, but try to escape."

"What, so you can snatch her away while I'm up in the air? I sincerely hope that wasn't your honest to Dad plan."

"You don't need to leave. Just try to," Gabriel urged tetchily.

Lucifer rolled his eyes and leaned forward, resting his hand and nub on the desk. "Let's say, for the moment, that I believe you. Why is this a bad thing? The last thing I want is to leave her body. This only reinforces my hold on her."

"How's Michael's grace holding up?"

Lucifer's eyes flicked to Gabriel and narrowed into a premature scowl. "Excuse me?"

Gabriel crossed his arms and haughtily shifted the weight on his feet. "I bet it's just about spent at this point. Probably explains why your face is peeling off. Bet guzzling all that demon blood is doing nothing to help, too." Lucifer faintly curled his fingers. "Wonder why? The one responsible is the very same demon that locked you inside that dying vessel. You can drain every black-eyed sonnuva bitch in creation, but without Crowley, you won't last another two days." He shrugged and tilted his head. "Three days tops."

Gabriel's arrogant display faltered at the odd sound of Lucifer slowly clapping his hand against his handless right arm. "Nicely done, boys. A little weak on the writing, but that delivery! I do have some notes if you're open to feedback."

"This isn't a trick, Fran-…" Cas' fists clenched tighter. He hissed a deep breath and tried again. "Lucifer. This is real."

"If that's true, why are you telling me? Seems like the kinda plan that works best without the enemy knowing."

"Yes, that is true. And it would be the ideal execution, but it's not just you that will be affected."

As Lucifer impaled Cas with his intense stare, his eyes darkened, and his smile grew. "You are a wonder, Castiel. Committing treason on the Winchesters for some girl."

Cas' chest flared with resentment. "But she's not just some girl, is she?"

The fire in Lucifer's eyes flickered for a moment, registering Cas' insinuation. "Indeed. So, you see why I can't just let her go."

"That is not what I'm asking. You can keep her."

Gabriel's brows dug into his face. His head snapped to Cas.

"Do with her what you will. Just ensure she lives."

He leaned toward the angel and hissed under his breath. "Cas."

"And I also ask you to enlist me into your garrison."

Gabriel gripped the back of Cas' arm. "What the hell," he whispered in a warning tone, but Cas refused to look away from the Devil.

This was not what he signed up for. Yes, the plan to lock Lucifer back into the cage was still on track, but if for whatever reason that failed, this was Cas' backup plan?!

Lucifer looked between Gabriel and Cas with a smile in his eyes and on his lips. He was loving the tension between the two. "And why would you want that?" he asked Cas.

"Where she goes, I go. That is how it has been, and that is how it must be. I made an oath to stay by her side. Such promises don't mean much to many, but I know they do to you." Lucifer tilted his head back, fixing Cas with an unreadable gaze. "So, here's my offer. I give you my services with this information as a gratuity, and you take another vessel. You don't have to let her go. Just take another vessel."

Lucifer's brows lifted, and he ran his lips over his teeth. He digested the offer for a moment, and then he softly nodded his head. "Hm. And what do you have to say on this matter?" he asked Gabriel.

Gabriel humorlessly snorted and gestured animatedly. "Well, I'm on board for the whole taking another vessel bit, but keeping her wasn't in the briefing."

"Feeling sentimental for your ward?" Lucifer cooed mockingly. He leaned into his chair and rested his arms in his lap. "It's about time you stepped up and took some responsibility."

"Let me ask you something. The whole 'using Frankie to not fight Michael' worked great. You killed most of her guard-"

"Your garrison."

Gabriel clenched his jaw and narrowed a threatening scowl on his brother. Cas broke his gaze on Lucifer and looked back at Gabriel, curiosity and sympathy brewing in his eyes. Gabriel did have a garrison at one point – more friends than subordinates – and once he left, those angels had to go somewhere. Cas had heard rumors, but the one in which Michael had adopted Gabriel's garrison and hid them away out of shame turned out to be true.

Lucifer smirked and half-shrugged. "I left one alive, at least."

Gabriel's scowl maintained its intensity, but he barreled on. "And you incapacitated Michael. Your alleged plan to infect the population with the Croatoan Virus is your next step, and that will be in motion before his grace is restored."

Lucifer quirked a brow. "Mhm?"

"So, why keep her? You don't need her anymore."

"You think I'll just let the last known sliver of our father walk out the door?" Lucifer chuckled.

"You can't access that piece. No one can!"

"Oh, not no one. That right there is the answer."

Cas' brows fell over his eyes. He ran Lucifer's words through his head, shifting through them for their meaning. He glanced over his shoulder. Gabriel clenched his jaw and tried not to look at him. The archangel pressed on.

"There's still the bit about the mark. If you don't erase it soon and leave her, there will be no more Frankie left. Then where will the souls go?"

Cas pushed his growing irritation at Gabriel down and returned his glare to the Devil. "Lucifer, take the deal. I can show you where the sigil resides so that you can destroy it. And you will have my loyalty. I may not approve of your ideals, but I must do whatever it takes to fulfil my promise. I will not betray you. Because that would mean betraying her. You have my word, Lucifer."

Gabriel and Cas stared at Lucifer, and he stared back. Desperation was as apparent in Cas' eyes as it was in his voice. The urge to keep bargaining was overwhelming, but the situation was dire and fragile. His next words could either be beneficial or detrimental. All that was logical to do was to wait in terrible anxiety for the Devil's decision.

Lucifer sat back in his chair, drumming his fingers on his lap. His eyes occasionally moved from Gabriel to Cas and then back to the other. Even though it appeared like he was in deep thought, Gabriel knew that Lucifer had come to his conclusion long ago.

"So, here's the thing," Lucifer finally said, standing from his chair. Cas and Gabriel straightened their shoulders in anticipation. "I believe you. And I also believe your little story about this vessel's 'enchantment'." His eyes flicked over to his brother, any light remaining in them dimming. "But I don't fully believe that you're on board with this. And I don't like loose ends. So, here's my counteroffer. I agree to taking another vessel. I will keep her, and for added measure since she's grown on me, I'll give her suitable accommodations. All it will take to make this a reality," Lucifer lifted a finger, pointing it at Cas, "is for you to kill him."

"What?" Gabriel blurted, eyes widening in shock.

Cas' face briefly lit up with horror, but he quickly tried to stifle it. "Lucifer-"

"I believe you, Castiel. But I know your allegiance to the Winchesters – all three – outweighs any willingness to call yourself 'loyal to Lucifer.' As for my dear little brother here, if he can kill his colleague in cold blood for a deal he never wanted to make, he will have gained my trust."

Cas wanted to believe that he wasn't serious, but a glimpse at Gabriel changed that. He gaped at his brother, dread coloring his face. He had been thinking of ways around this, but he knew his brother best. He knew this decision was final.

Lucifer gestured to him. "Gabriel, you have the floor."

He knew coming here would only end in death. He should have just let Cas come here by himself and get himself killed. Now he was faced with this. Lucifer wasn't changing his mind. That meant there was only one way out of this.

He turned to Cas. His eyes were heavy, weighed down by muddled grief. "You're the one who wanted this."

Cas felt fear in his chest, but his face was reserved. Lucifer was an evil, selfish bastard, but he wasn't a liar. If this was his offer, he would stand by it. This was what he set out to achieve, saving Frankie from Lucifer's hold on her. If this would give Sam and Dean a way to send him to Hell without her in tow, then this would be a worthy death.

His eyes locked into Gabriel's, he slowly nodded. Gabriel heaved a deep sigh.

The sound of his archangel blade unsheathing from his sleeve was quiet, but well heard in the small room. And it didn't come from in front of Cas.

He snapped his head to Lucifer. Gabriel – a clone of himself manifested from air – stood behind him. He shoved the blade through Lucifer's back, stabbing his heart, and poking through the other side.

"No!" Cas screamed. His mouth gaped, eyes trained to the tip of the blade speared through Frankie's heart. His body went numb, chest squeezing. His eyes warmed as he waited for blood to color her old yellow flannel.

But it never did.

Lucifer slowly looked down at the blade. He hummed with a small smile on his lips. He gripped the tip and yanked, the rest of the blade ripping through her body, tearing an even bigger hole through her chest. Still no blood.

Gabriel looked over Lucifer's body, horror and confusion filling his eyes. He was rendered frozen in shock. Lucifer held the weapon by the blade and glanced over it with humor filling his eyes. He snorted, tossed the blade in the air, caught it by the handle, and swung around, jabbing the blade through Gabriel's chest.

Cas' gasp was deafened by Gabriel's startled wheeze. The archangel hunched forward but was caught by Lucifer's shoulder. The Devil wrapped his arm around Gabriel and pressed his head against his brother's.

"Don't forget who you learned your tricks from," he whispered in his ear.

Castiel caught one last look of Gabriel's horrified, glistening eyes before he let out an agonized scream that rattled the broken floorboards. His eyes and mouth flared, illuminating the room, before dying out as he slumped to the ground. Beneath him, the imprint of his wings smoldered on the floor and walls.

Cas could only stand rigid in the middle of the room, petrified, and stare at Lucifer's back. His eyes snapped to the gaping hole in Frankie's body, still not a trace of blood in sight.

Lucifer slowly turned and faced him. Cas chalked it up to his own eyes deceiving him, but it briefly appeared like Lucifer's were wet. The Devil, however, lifted and looked at Gabriel's blade still in his hand, streaming fresh blood down his wrist. He met Cas' gaze. He smiled and wiggled the blade tauntingly. Just as Cas began to scowl, Lucifer threw the blade up toward the ceiling.

The moment it impaled the paneling, Cas' foot flared with pain.

He dropped to his knee with a howl, hands going for his damaged foot. The tip of a silver archangel blade had speared through the floor and tore through the top of his shoe, billowing blood through the fresh wound. Groaning, he darted his gaze back to Lucifer. The Devil smirked and dissolved before him. Cas' jaw would have dropped if it hadn't been clenched with agony. Lucifer had used Gabriel's exact trick on them.

"Now, just how useful could you be to me," Lucifer spoke haughtily, his raised voice mildly distant, "if you couldn't even tell that the Devil – the real one – was one floor beneath you?" Cas hissed in a deep breath and glanced through the gaping hole beside the desk. Lucifer scrunched Frankie's rotting face in a smug grin. "Literally right under your nose."

Cas squeezed his eyes shut as he rode through the waves of pain from Lucifer's blade pinning him to the floor. With the sound of fluttering wings, the Devil planted his feet before him. Cas refused to glance up into the eyes of Lucifer, fearing he'd only see his friend – the very one he had failed yet again.

"You're not of much use to anyone."

That dense ache in his chest lurched, summoning sorrow behind his clenched eyes.

"But you are to me. You're no soldier – not anymore – but I've got plans for you."

Cas' brows furrowed further passed the cinching of pain. He inhaled a stuttering breath as he angled his head higher. He caught the briefest glimpse of Lucifer's arrogant smirk before the grief and agony made it impossible.

"Take him."

Lucifer watched as his demons approached Castiel. One of them stomped her heel hard on top of the angel's javelined foot, both removing the blade and causing him so much anguish that he howled himself unconscious. They dragged him out of the office, a trickle of blood trailing behind.

Lucifer turned. His eyes fell to Gabriel's body slumped against the wall. His eyes were hazy and glassy, his jaw suspended. He was glad Frankie was resting in darkness. He didn't need her whining about the riptide of sorrow tossing her around.

Lucifer flew from the building, leaving his brother behind.