"You wanna do what exactly?", Sam asked, astounded by the mere proposition of the idea. "Are you insane?"
"You have a better idea. Moose? If so, pray tell, 'cause I think we are running out of options rather quickly."
"Oh, right. And your utter incompetence to keep the reins on your own demons has nothing to do with it. Cause you know what, Crowley? If you could handle Hell in the first place, we wouldn't have to be here talking about stopping my brother from taking over it!", Sam snapped back and Crowley's eyes darkened when he looked back at the younger Winchester.
"I'm sorry, are you confusing demons with golden retriever puppies? This is what demons do! They don't have sense of loyalty or honor. There's only one thing that demons like and it's doing whatever the hell they want and demonic Bonnie and Clyde are promising them just that. At least I am not trying to bring about complete anarchy! So tell me something, Sam", Crowley cocked his head and looked at him with the expression of a man who already knew the answer to his question, "Which is the lesser of two evils?"
"My brother's not evil", Sam's voice was a little too calm and the coldness in it was palpable.
"Oh, right. And I'm actually a very nice person once you get to know me. And Big Wing over there", he pointed at Cas who just scolded back at him, "wears a different outfit every day. And you are not in self-denial."
"Crowley, I swear to God…", Sam had his fists clenched so hard that his knuckles had turned white.
"Stop this. Both of you!", Castiel, who'd stood beside Sam this whole time deep in thought until now, stepped in. He turned to Crowley.
"No."
"No?", Crowley asked indignantly, "What do you mean No?"
"What you're suggesting will simply not be possible. Even if I wanted to take part in this madness for mankind's sake, the others would never consent to it. " Cas frowned, before continuing, "My brothers and sisters do not understand the bond that I have with humanity and even if they did, they will never fight a battle with demons by their side. They will never stoop that low. This is the ultimate disgrace for an angel."
"You're basically telling me that a bunch of snobbish dicks will rather protect their pride than prevent universal chaos, is that right?"
"I'm saying that there are different ways to fight this war which do not border with downright lunacy!", Castiel sighed trying to get emotion out of the way. Funny, really. Once human emotion was so foreign to him and now it overwhelmed him, "We need to find another way."
Crowley just snorted, shaking his head in a "You sorry bastard" manner before he focused on the angel's eyes. For a second, Heaven and Hell collided.
"Ius in Bello, boys.", the King of Hell said, his voice void of all the humor it contained a second ago, "You can deny it now but you can't do so forever. Think about it, Castiel. Think about what we can lose if we don't act together."
"What we can lose or what you can lose?"
The corner of Crowley's mouth twitched. He took a few slow steps towards Cas, never looking away.
"There isn't a difference anymore, mate. If I fall-", there was venom in his next words as he spat them out, "You'll follow."
Castiel's eyes hardened and sky blue turned to ice. They stood like that for a moment longer before Crowley took a step back and looked at Sam.
"Dean's gone. And as soon as we all get that, the better", and before he left, a small, humorless smile appeared on his lips as he said, "I'll be in touch."
Castiel let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.
Sam ran a hand over his face and muttered more to himself than to the angel, "We need to save him".
Cas looked at him sympathetically, sadness evident in his eyes.
"Sam…"
"Yes, I know we've been over this a thousand times. I know that we couldn't find a cure. I know that the usual one won't work because he has the Mark and you can't cure the Mark… I KNOW, alright!", Sam landed a fist on the table with a loud bang, sending some of the books down on the floor.
"God help me, I know", he said so quietly that if it wasn't for Castiel's supernatural hearing, he would've missed it. Sam's head was bowed, he was looking at one of the open books on the Mark but his gaze was going right through it, right down to the depths of Hell itself. His fists were still clenched. He was constantly on edge those past few weeks. Hell, more like months, really.
When he lifted his head and looked at Castiel, his eyes were full of tears. And when he spoke, he tried to swallow those tears but they were choking him so bad that he just let them out. They touched his cheeks and kissed his lips, the taste of salt burning on them.
"But I will not go to war against my brother, Cas! I will simply not do it! I can't give up on him, not after all we've been through!"
"I understand, Sam, believe me. Dean is family to me as well and I… I love him greatly", he walked to the younger Winchester and put his hand on his shoulder comfortingly, "So you know it pains me as much as you when I say that Crowley had a point about one thing - this war is going to happen. Lives will be lost in the bloodshed. Innocent lives. And if we have no other choice, I'm afraid we'll have to-we'll have to stop Dean."
"How can you say that, Cas?". Sam looked at him and those puppy-dog eyes pierced through his heart. "How can you say that you love him and at the same time stop believing in him?"
"I've never stopped believing in your brother, Sam! And I never will. But I am a warrior of God and I know that sometimes I have to make sacrifices, even if they cause me great sorrow."
Sam stood up straight then, wiping the tears from his eyes and fixing his gaze on the angel.
"Well, I am not a warrior of God. I'm just a hunter from Kansas who has lost everything along the way and all he has in the whole wide world in his big brother. I've had more than my fair share of sacrifices and so has Dean. We've had enough. We've paid enough. And If I have to end it all , I will do so, but I will do it with my brother beside me. Not against me."
Castiel had come a long way. He was finally beginning to understand human emotions and he found them fascinating. He'd learned from human culture, their ways, the way they think, the way they talk. He'd seen the relationships they were capable of- friends and relatives, husbands and wives, sisters and brothers… And he'd felt the strength they possessed even though they themselves weren't aware of it most of the time.
And he thought he'd seen it all.
But as he watched Sam Winchester leave the room and slam the door shut behind him, Castiel realized that he'd never seen anything quite like the relationship between those two brothers before, for the thousands of years he'd been around. A bond so utterly strong that no one, not God, not Fate, not Lucifer could ever break apart. Love so ridiculously unconditional and faith in each other that never seemed to fade away ,that it amazed the angel over and over again. Two humans against the world. Two men that'd defeated enemies much more powerful than them and fascinated Death himself. The brothers who'd never give up on each other even though everyone else has. And for the first time Cas felt something completely new.
Shivers down his spine.
"The angels. He wants to team up with the angels?"
"That was the plan , last I heard" , Markus was standing in the middle of the penthouse of the Four Seasons in New York with Dean Winchester on the sofa in front of him, drinking whiskey on the rocks.
"Little leprecon's gone mad ", Dean let out a laugh and took another sip, "Those sanctimonious dicks are never gonna agree to it. And even if they do", he ticked his tongue "Heaven ain't the same place it once was. They're still recovering after the fall."
"I don't know, love", Abaddon came out of the bedroom, wiping the blood off her hands with a white towel. "Your brother and that pesky angel of yours just aren't too keen on the idea of letting you go."
She threw the towel away and as she sipped herself a glass of scotch, looked down at her leather jacket and complained, "The maid stained my jacket! I should rip her throat out!", she sat on one of the armchairs and looked at Dean with a mischievous smile growing on her lips, "Oh, wait. I already did. "
"Atta girl", Dean smirked, "As for Sam and Cas-they won't be a problem so far as they don't get in my way so don't you worry your pretty red head about it."
"Mhm", hummed Abaddon unconvinced, "And if they do, you're gonna do what exactly, sugar? Are you sure you're not gonna screw us all over and run after little Sammy again? I mean, you've always been his bitch."
A low animalistic growl rose in Dean's throat as his eyes turned black and in a second he had the Blade pressed to her throat. He kept it by his side, night and day. It didn't seem to faze Abaddon at all as a playful smile danced on her lips.
"Oh. Did I strike a nerve?"
"Listen to me, you whore. I could've killed you twice now and each time I find it harder to come up with a good reason not to. But if you say something like that to me again, you'll find out exactly how far the demon behind those baby blacks is willing to go. Did I make myself clear?"
Abaddon bit her bottom lip as she looked at him.
"I can make you scream right here on the living room table", she whispered.
Markus chose that moment to have a coughing fit.
Dean's eyes snapped back to green and he smirked at Abaddon before sitting back on the sofa. He shot an amused look at the demon.
"Maybe take a lozenge for that sore throat, huh? Now get back before that idiot suspects something's wrong. DoesCrowley still think that most of the demons are on his side?"
Markus nodded affirmatively.
"Yes, sir. He believes that there are more than enough of us who are still wiling to fight for him in the war."
"Good. And let's keep it that way."
"You have gained a lot of followers, Mr. Winchester. A Knight of Hell trained under Alastair… There were demons who were willing to follow your brother when they thought he could be the new leader but this was nothing compared to you."
Abaddon rolled her eyes irritated," My God, would you stop kissing his ass already? Your job is to stay as close as possible to the insolent Scotsman and kiss his ass so that you can get any information you can. "
"Yes, of course, my Queen", Markus said obligingly with a slight nod of the head.
There was a brief moment where no one moved.
"Now!", Abaddon snapped her fingers impatiently.
"Oh! Yes!", exclaimed the demon and in a moment he was gone.
Abaddon sighed and took a sip of her drink.
"I swear, I'm surrounded by idiots."
Dean was finishing his own drink when a loud thump came from the bedroom. He raised his eyebrows.
"Somebody's trying to get away", he said matter-of-factly.
Abaddon looked at him suggestively.
"What I said about making you scream-"
"Why, is all the talk about taking over Hell turning you on?", Dean joked as he got up and placed his hands on both sides of the sofa Abaddon was sitting in, trapping her inside. She grabbed him by the shirt and harshly pulled him towards her, tasting his lips.
Something was knocked over in the bedroom and a shattering sound echoed across the penthouse.
Abaddon looked over her shoulder and her eyes turning black as she smiled,
"Let's go have some fun."