Disclaimer: Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke and the CW. The author of this story has not and will not make any money from this story. No copyright infringement Intended.
Ch.2 Summary: Set during episode 4x20 The waits for the Winchesters and thinks about recent events.
Angel Interrupted
Chapter 2: "Angel in the Dark"
On the outskirts of town, stood an old abandoned industrial building. Inside were the remains of multi level floors scattered throughout hugely cavernous spaces, littered with the kind of debris that falls away from old buildings breaking down under their own weight.
Castiel had not felt fear for many centuries. He did not fear for his own life, or for the lives of the Winchesters. Nor did he fear Armageddon. His fear had much larger consequences then life, death or war. Heaven was falling. The very thing that made heaven, heaven was ceasing to exist in more ways then one.
Heaven was becoming godless, being purged of Angels whose faith was unfaltering. The upper ranks now had the arch Angels following their orders. Orders that originated with them, not God. Heavens Angels were acting as if they had no one to answer to, and Castiel was beginning to think they might be right.
Castiel was stirred from his thoughts by a loud noise. It sounded like metal scraping against the floor. He tensed, as he carefully scanned the darkness for other forms. He saw nothing and receded further into the shadowed corner, until his back touched the wall. He leaned against the smooth stone letting the coldness seep into his body.
Most of the physical responses his vessel often had, he could heal or control, but where he had only a loose grip on his fear, he could hardly control reactions to it. This bodies responses to fear were uncomfortable at best. He could tolerate the stomach pains and the sweating, but the unsettling sensation of small electrical pulses tracing up and down his back were considerably more distracting.
Castiel shifted his wait against the stone, and slowly slid down to the floor. Angels didn't get tired, but he was growing weary. This was the first time he had been so still since Uriels death. Castiel breathed in deep and exhaled slow, trying to expel the painful emotions the thought of Uriel inspired. Castiel had many brothers and sisters, but most were little more then vague acquaintances. He had, had only one friend. Uriel had found comedy in their friendship as the Angel of creativity and the Angel of ambivalence. He had laughed when Castiel said he did not understand the humor. The night Uriel died was the night heaven changed.
The silence was abruptly broken by the ringing of voices in his mind. He shook his head but could not stop memories from filling his vision.
Castiel squeezed his eyes shut, pushing away the greif he felt at hearing Uriels words. "I think maybe our Father isn't giving the orders anymore."
Anna chimed in "The Father you love. You think he wants this?"
Uriel whispered "Something is wrong up there, can you feel it?"
Anna voiced his sin. "What you're feeling? It's called doubt."
Castiels own voice broke in "For the first time, I feel..." Anna replied "It gets worse. Choosing your own course of action is confusing. Terrifying."
Castiel implored "Anna...I don't know what to do. Please tell me what to do."
Anna replied "No. I'm sorry. It's time to think for yourself."
Castiel couldn't stand the voices any longer, he jumped to his feet suddenly wanting nothing more but to talk to his father. He stepped out of the darkness, and searched for a place where he could feel closer to creation. He found it within seconds. Through a large gaping hole in the roof Castiel could see hundreds of stars, standing out against the moonless black night. The faint glow from the hole illuminated a small section of what remained of the second level floor. He was there immediately, dropping to his knees, folding his hands between his legs, closing his eyes and turning his head heaven word.
Angels had no formal prayers, they simply bowed in respect and spoke. Castiel started his prayer as he always had. "Dear father...." He couldn't continue as he didn't know what to say. After a moment of thought, he started again, slower and more deliberate this time.
"Dear father, in my distress I call upon thee and cry unto you...." Castiel paused again, this time bowing his head and breathing a long sigh. Praying had never been difficult. Castiel lifted his head to the starlight, and tried one last time to speak to the father he wasn't sure was even listening.
"Dear father, I need your guidance. Heaven needs your hand. Earth needs your protection. Creation is unraveling without you. We need you."
Castiel blinked twice, and breathed deeply as a tear trailed down his cheek. "Father where are you? I fear we are all lost if you don't intervene soon."
Castiel held his breath for a moment as he searched the night sky for a sign, no matter how small, but there was nothing. In a whisper he finished his prayer "Are you still listening? Are you even there?
His body trembled for a moment before he sagged closer to the floor before a roaring caucus of laughter caused Castiel to jump to his feet.
Below him, stood four Angels, Zacharia, Sammael, and the arch angels Sraosha and Sariel. They had found amusement in Castiels prayer, he did not know how much they had heard, but they had certainly witnessed his doubt.
Zacharia smiled and said with expectation "Well Castiel, did you receive an answer?" Zacharia looked away from Castiel and did a visual sweep of the vacant building then shouted "Do you see any sign?"
He looked at the other three Angels, and back up at Castiel as he patted his chest "Maybe we are your sign! He stepped forward and said in a more serious tone "Castiel, you begged him for help, and yet, here I am. You see, he doesn't listen anymore. And if he does, he doesn't care. Come down, lets talk."
Castiel stared down at Zacharia. It was true, he had doubts, but he may have been among only a few left in the garrison who had any faith at all. He would not dismiss the significance of that fact.
Castiel stepped forward, and said with hard conviction "He heard me, and he hears you Zacharia!"
He continued glaring down at the four angels and shouted "Do you remember when he warned against a religion of Angels? Have you lost your memory and faith so easily?!"
Zacharia grew more intolerant "Castiel, Castiel! I never would have guessed you would be amongst the incendiary ones! You, the angel of solitude, the great observer. Never intervening unless ordered. What has possessed you? Standing there, anger in your voice, fear in your eyes, arguing over a little short cut to Paradise. Really Castiel, there have been better opportunities to step away from the crowd."
Castiels voice was stone. "You should see my involvement as a sign of the severity of the affairs of heaven."
At this Sariel shook his head and said soothingly "Castiel come down. We will not inflict harm upon your vessel or you. We are only here to collect you. Come, let us leave."
Castiel stared at Sariel for a moment, grief in his eyes he bent his head to one side and said "Sariel, you misunderstand. The fear you see in me is but for you brother, and all our brothers and sisters who have fallen into this deception."
Zacharia grew sober. "Castiel, it is a tragedy you didn't find this fire in the beginning. If you stay on your current path, you'll be sure to spend eternity in locked darkness with Uzziel and Raguel. I promise you."
Castiels eyes narrowed. Had they dared to imprison the Angel of faith and Raguel himself? Had they succeeded? Yes, it must be so. Zachariah wouldn't lie about such an act. Castiel had nothing left to say.
Zachariah met Castiels eyes "Chose now."
Castiel stood silent for a moment considering. Two arch angels plus Zacharia and Sammael. Overkill. Castiel didn't need Chuck to tell him how this battle would end. Without so much as sigh, Castiel stepped off the platform, headlong into the group of Angels below.
He had made a decision he would kill if the chance presented itself. He was a warrior of god, not a follower of Angels.
Castiel aimed for Zacharia. He plummeted to the ground, elbow braced looking for a target he found in the crevice between Zacharias neck and shoulder. The angel in the old man suit let out a shout of shock and pain as he fell to the floor. Castiel knew Zacharia had never planned to be part of the battle and was satisfied with his action.
The two arch angels and Sammael who had simply stepped away from Castiels landing point, now stood still looking at Castiel with exasperation.
Sammael sighed and said "Castiel, you know this won't end well for you."
Castiel looked down at Zacharia and back up at Sammael. "As it won't for you."
Sammael glanced expectantly at Sraosha and Sariel. The two arch Angels who were inhabiting tall, dark twin vessels simply stared back at Sammael.
Sammael looked back at Castiel suddenly lunging forward, grabbing Castiel by the front of his shirt and pushing him back until they both tripped over a large metal beam that had fallen years earlier. Sammael landed on top of Castiel, and for a long moment they both laid motionless.
Sraosha and Sariel had began to walk over to Castiel and Sammael, wondering why the fight has ceased when a bright light emanated from between the prone Angels. It was impossible to tell which one had been killed.
When the burst of sonic white light was over, Sammaels vessel lay dead on the hard concrete. Wires were hanging out of the walls sparking, great piles of concrete and steel rubble existed where they hadn't before, and small clouds of dust were rising all over the room as debris from the wall and roof hit the ground.
The night Uriel had been killed, Castiel had grabbed the angelic dagger used to kill so many of his brothers and sisters. When Sammael began pushing him back in an effort to take him to the ground, Castiel had wedged his arm between them, gripped the dagger tight, and let himself fall. He hadn't moved, hadn't breathed as he watched his brothers eyes grow silent. He had been willing to kill an Angel, but had not been ready to kill a brother.
As Sammaels soul was burned to nothing, Castiel had taken the opportunity to hide. They would be able to sense his location quickly. Running was not an option, and yet fighting an archangel would be as futile as beating his fists against a mountain. What to do?
The arch angels became tense realizing Castiel was hiding in the shadows with a weapon capable of kill angels. They separated, cautiously searching the darkness.
Zachariah had found his way off the floor by the time Sariel and Sraosha had began looking for Castiel. Upon discovering Sammaels death he called down several more angels. This had to be over, and now, before the Winchesters arrived. After all, the entire point of this was to grab Castiel before he could talk to Dean and Sam.
Castiel used the shadows to sneak up behind Sariel. Dean had once told him that he fought fair when he could, but he fought to survive every time. Castiel now understood what Dean meant. As Castiel plunged the dagger into Sariels heart from behind, he held him tight and whispered "I'm sorry." Sariel screamed as his soul was ripped from his vessel.
Before Castiel let Sariels drop to the floor, Sraosha landed two punches to the side of his head sending him stumbling to the ground. Castiel smoothly got to his feet and faced the arch angel. Sraosha glared back at Castiel. Castiel knew he would never make it to Sraosha, but ran at him even so. With a fierce wave of his outstretched arm, Sraosha lifted Castiels into the air and began to slam him into one wall and then another, breaking concrete, bending steal beams, ripping flesh and shattering bone.
The torment continued for minutes, and then Castiel was on his back, unable to move. His vessels back had been broken and he could only lay how he had could feel blood filling his mouth and flowing from his eyes and ears. He began to choke. Zacharia knelt beside him and crooned "It could have been easier Castiel. He began to reach for Castiels forehead, ready to cast him out of the body and drag him back to heaven.
Castiel was trying to heal the vessel before Zachariah pulled him out. There was much damage of bone and vital organs. He was failing. If Zacharia took him now Jimmy would die. Castiel gurgled around a mouth full of blood. "Wait!"
Zachariah sighed, but paused. Castiel found it hard to talk, he was drowning. The damage was too severe, he could not concentrate on Zachariah and heal the human body at the same time. Still he had to reach Zachariah. In a barely audible whisper he gasped "This vessel will die if you take me now. I need only minutes to mend it."
Sraosha looked dispassionately down on Castiel. "You forfeit his life, when you chose to fight Castiel."
Zachariah looked at Castiel, surveying the damage. "Your right Castiel, this human is going to die."
As Zachariah reached for Castiels face once more, Castiel saw a somber woman and two men walk up to the scene.
Zachariah had noticed the three new Angels only seconds after Castiel. He snatched his hand back as Castiel again pleaded mercy for his vessel.
Castiels condition had deteriorated further, and his words were barely whispers now. "Please Zachariah, show mercy, he only wished to serve heaven. Please." He had but moments until Jimmy's body was dead, at which point it could not be restored.
Zachariah smiled at Castiel, knowing full well that with the arrival of the three Angels he had to allow Castiel the chance to save the human. Had he not, and the story spread through out the garrison, newly gained loyalties may have been weakened. With the apocalypse nye and their numbers few, dissension could mean disaster. Zachariah whispered "You haven't long."
Castiel had already closed his eyes and begun concentrating. He worked fast, doubting that Zachariah would allow him enough time.
As Castiel mended the last tear in his vessels flesh, he hoped desperately that Dean and Sam would arrive before he was done. He needed only seconds and a few sentences to warn them. If he didn't tell them tonight, they wouldn't know until it was too late.
Without so much as a warning, Castiel felt a hand on his forehead.
The Winchesters arrived seconds after the Angels departed.
...NOTES...
I swear this story is going to vear into an original soon! Castiel just has a few more missing scenes to explore first. Kripke has named his Angels from a variety of different religions, and so I took the same liberties.
"Angel in the Dark" is a play on Dio's song "Rainbow in the Dark". Awesome song, even fits in with this chapter a bit. Look it up:)
ANGELS
Raguel is the Angel of God: The name translates to "friend of God". Known as an archangel who oversees the behavior of other angels.
Uzziel is a powerful cherubim angel. His name means "Strength in God" and he inspires Faith.
Sammael is the angel of Souls. There is a LOT of different lore on this angel. Wikipedia at your own risk;) For my purposes, he was simply a high ranking angel that died a terribly non climactic death at the hands of Castiel.
Sraosha is the angel of Obedience. Known as an archangel.
Sariel is the angel of Guidance. One of the seven archangels. Lusted of the daughters of men, and had the ability to lead other angels astray.
Uriel has more varying mythologies behind him then any other angel I've looked up. The one that fits the Supernatural series is best described in a quote from wikipedia. "...he appears as the Angel of Repentance, who is graphically represented as being as pitiless as any demon."
And because I'm on a roll...I read somewhere that Castiel was a representation of Cassiel, so I ran with it.
Cassiel/Castiel is the angel of ambivalence. Known as the angel of solitude and tears he simply watches events unfold and seldom interferes. Yeah I know, people keep on saying he's the angel of Thursday...but I haven't found that anywhere? AND I find the notion of "the angel of solitude and tears" a much funner concept to play with at any rate.