Dean doesn't know how long he's been out here waiting. He thinks it was around noon when they got to the warehouse -now a giant pile of rubble- where Meg had been waiting for them. The sun is making its way to the horizon, tinging the sky blood red and dark orange. He hasn't seen Sam, hasn't seen anyone, for hours. His mind has been replaying what happened inside over and over on a masochistic loop. He desperately wants to make sure Sam is ok - aside from the whole glowing eyes bit-and seriously, what the hell, but he hasn't been able to make himself move. Either that or he can't move and he really doesn't want to think about the implications of that.

The sky's shifted into an even darker red when Sam finally emerges from the ruined building. He's walking slowly, no apparent haste and no apparent injury. Dean startles at the sound of fluttering wings behind him. "Cas?"

"Dean." Castiel isn't looking at Dean though, he's staring at Sam with an odd expression (even for an angel).

Dean finally gets his body to respond and gets up. "Sammy, you ok?"

Sam's eyes are normal, no trace of the white fire from earlier showing in them. "I'm fine, Dean. Castiel, how goes the battle?"

Castiel answers hesitantly, "Not well, Raphael has taken many of my brothers and sisters from me."

"I'm sorry to hear that. So, Michael didn't have anything useful to tell you?" Sam asks in a flat tone.

"Michael?" Dean snaps "Cas? You wanna share with the class?"

Castiel swallows, "I...Sam, how did you know I contacted Michael?"

"You know exactly how. Tell the truth, Castiel. Tell Dean why you're really here."

Sam is eyeing Castiel with something like humor, but none of this is the least bit amusing, at least not to Dean.

"Abomination. This ends now." Raphael announces as he appears, with four angels behind him, watching.

Sam smirks and Dean would be lying if he said it didn't remind him of Lucifer but he can't think that, that can't be.

"Raphael," says Sam, approaching the archangel "I hear you're causing Castiel a lot of trouble."

"Our matters are none of your concern, vessel of the Traitor." Raphael sneers, "but you and your blasphemous existence are my concern. You are meant to be Lucifer's meat - sacrificed in the great battle, nothing more. Let's see if we can't burn some sense into you."

Raphael lays his hand on Sam's forehead and Dean runs forward, screaming "NO!" Two of the other angels grab Dean and hold him back.

But Sam doesn't flinch, he doesn't light up from the inside out, he doesn't catch fire. What he does do, is clear his throat and ask, "What's wrong? Are you having trouble putting an end to my blasphemous existence?"

Raphael takes a step back, "What are you?"

Sam smiles. "An abomination." He steps closer to Raphael and says ever-so-quietly, "You're done Raphael. You're going to call a cease-fire and agree to Castiel's terms."

Raphael laughs in disbelief. "Oh, am I?" He looks towards his soldiers who all seem equally amused. "and...why would I do that?"

Sam glances over his shoulder at Dean and looks almost regretful. Turning back to Raphael, he says, "Simple math, I guess. I killed Alistair and Lilith by drinking the blood of lower level demons." Sam lays his hand on Raphael's shoulder and continues, "What do you think I could do if I drank down Lucifer?"

There's a flutter of wings as all four of Raphael's soldiers move to stand behind Castiel, kneeling.

Raphael eyes Castiel with disdain and disappears.