It was dark and cold and Michael was huddled in the corner of his cage. He was a Archangel, he should have been stronger than this, to break so easily was disgrace, a stain on his name. Michael huddled closer to himself, wishing that he was free, free to begin his destruction of humankind.

Dean would never say 'yes', he knew that much. Michael shook his head, sighed and closed his eyes. Lucifer was out, that meant that he would have told the Winchesters about the changed courses of action, how Michael wanted to destroy Humanity. At this point he just wanted out. Just wanted it to be over, his days in the cage with the human, Adam, they droned on and on, endlessly long, annoyingly repetitive. Adam was not fun, it had been a long time since he had last spoken and Michael couldn't help but feel badly for him.

"Oh Father, let it end," he prayed into the bars of his cage. "Father make it stop."

He thought of Lucifer, of his devotion to God, of his painful years in the cage, the millennia spent there. Adam groaned in the corner, eyes fixated on a distant spot. The boy was haggard and tired, looked like death itself. And his only crime had been something beyond his control, his blood ties to the half-brothers he hardly knew about.

Did the punishment really fit the crime?

Did Lucifer's punishment fit the crime?

Was Michael in the wrong?

The broken Angel closed his eyes and curled into himself. He wanted to die but he couldn't, every hook or blade he jabbed into himself was nothing compared to the internal agony of wrongness and guilt and boredom. He couldn't die, it was impossible, the cruelest punishment. "Mercy Father, mercy," he begged.

To his utter disbelief, a blinding figure appeared outside the cage. The Prophet, Chuck. But he wasn't a prophet...he was God... "Hello Michael," God said in a calm and regal tone.

If he was human or was more attuned to emotions, Michael would have cried. "Father," he whispered. "God."

"Call me Chuck," He said. "Michael, I can't lie, I expected more. Trading with Lucifer, torturing Sam Winchester. You were never problematic as a young Angel, what happened?" He seemed genuinely curious, confused.

Michael snarled. "What happened? My Father left me, I fought and ruled Heaven, I slaughtered my brothers and sisters because I was supposed to save Humanity. Dean never let me in and Lucifer, who I loved, was destined to fight me to the death. If you had been there..." He trailed off, banging his fists against the cage. "I want it to be over," he half whispered. "Father, end it."

Chuck's eyes were sad, deeply pained. "You want to die?" he asked.

Michael nodded, waves of exhaustion crashing over him. "I can't do this. I can't..."

Chuck neared the bars of the cage, putting a hand on the bars, wrapping His fingers around it. "Why? I can make it right Michael, please, tell me what I can do."

The Archangel shook his head. "Why me?" The words came out too soft to hear. He cleared his throat. "Why me?"

"Why was it you and Lucifer? Because when I created you, I knew how you would be so loyal, such a soldier. And I knew that Dean Winchester would be similar. See, I actually had a plan in case this world failed. The brothers were planned out before I even dreamed up you and your siblings. They were the self destruct button on Earth, to make her a time bomb, and to activate this bomb all I did was to make sure Sam died and Dean went to Hell. Humanity failed me, nothing should have been able to stop the destruction of Earth. I underestimated them, their dangerously, unhealthily codependent love. I decided to give the Earth one more chance, one last time to prove that she and the life on her. So when Castiel pulled Sam out of Hell and everything began to flow again, I was happy that I hadn't immediately smote the Earth after Armageddon failed."

"Why are-"

Chuck raised a hand. "I'm not done yet Michael. After Dean selfishly allowed Gadreel the Traitor into Sam, I decided I had had enough. I started the release of Abbadon, led Dean and Crowley to Cain. From there I just watched things unfold, watched Dean ready to kill his brother in that restaurant, watched him kill Death. Watched my sister be released. I had expected her to destroy the Earth but I underestimated again. I underestimated that love and free will would manifest in Castiel in such a way that he would fall in love. I didn't know he would take Lucifer, I didn't know how his death would drive Dean to kill Amara. I don't pretend to be perfect, I don't deny my plans are flawed. I won't say I don't care about the Winchesters and Earth. I gave them one more chance. I brought Dean back, I sent Cas back to Earth, back to Dean. They haven't failed me this time."

Michael just stared. "Why are you telling me this?" he whispered in awe.

Chuck shook His head, not meeting His sons eyes. "You needed to know, you deserved to know."

"Can you kill me now?"

Chuck gazed at him, eyes pools of sorrow. "You want to die," He stated.

"I can't go back, I don't want to. After what I did to Lucifer, Father it haunts me day after day. Please, if you love me at all, please kill me." Michael was completely serious, he knew God knew this. The ache in his chest, in his very being hurt more than death would.

Chuck closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the bars, reaching a hand through to stroke his son's face. "One wish," he said. "You have one wish other than death."

Had he been human Michael would have cried from joy at that. "Thank you," he murmured. "Take Adam out of here and erase his memories of the cage, nothing ever happened in here that he remembers, all that happens is he woke up in his old house. Safe."

Chucks eyes softened. "You and Castiel," He said in an almost amused tone. "You both made a wish regarding another." He didn't question the wish however, just snapped He fingers. "Adam is saved," he told the Angel. "You are ready to die?"

"Yes."

Chuck raised a hand but hesitated momentarily. "I want you to know that I do love you."

Michael nodded, fixing his eyes on his Father. "If you see Lucifer and Gabriel, please, tell them I love them and tell Sam Winchester I am so, so sorry."

Chuck nodded. He raised a hand again. "Be at peace," He murmured. Then, in a flash of bright light, Michael was gone. Only the scarred burns of wings rested against the cage wall.

Chuck sighed and bowed His head, allowing the smallest sign of weakness. He put His hand to His lips and brushed it over the scorched wings, the last sign His first borne had left.

Lucifer sighed a twirled a toothbrush between his fingers. Gabriel watched him with a look stating plain annoyance. They were in the bunker, still unable to return to Heaven after the month spent invisibly skulking around places.

"How do you think it's going at Home?" Lucifer asked, setting the toothbrush down. "With the Winchesters," he clarified.

Gabe shrugged. "Dunno. Hope it's doing well, hope Cassie got there safely."

Lucifer paused. "I hadn't even thought about that."

"He seems to be doing well."

"Yeah." He looked around the bunker. "What do you think will happen to us?"

"We get ripped apart by Heaven or stay on Earth." He shrugged. "Not much of a choice."

Gabriel nodded in agreement. Just as he opened his mouth, a white light filled the room.

It was blinding at first and Lucifer covered his eyes, moving unconsciously in front of Gabriel as if that ancient sibling instinct to protect your younger sibling had set in. He pushed Gabe to the side, praying that the source of that light was not an Angel readying their blade.

The light faded and Lucifer slowly opened his eyes. Chuck was standing before them. Part of Lucifer wanted to stumble to his knees and sob, tell his Father how sorry he was. The other part was livid. He looked at Chuck, teeth bared.

"How dare you?" he started. "Father, how dare you?" Behind him, Gabriel made a worried noise but didn't get involved.

Chuck raised His hand. "Let me explain," He said. "Lucifer..."

"No!" he shouted. "You don't get to make amends for everything you've done! I loved you, Father! I loved You and You threw me into Hell, You let me try and destroy the Earth, let me hurt Sam Winchester, hurt Cassie! You let me become a monster, no, you're the monster!" He had the strangest human emotion of wanting to cry. There were so many more things he could say but the look of shock and almost hurt on Gods face was enough.

"Lucifer, please, let me explain," He almost begged.

"Lucifer," Gabe murmured, pressing a hand against his brothers arm. "Let Him talk."

The Archangel looked away, breathing heavily. "Five minutes."