Ripples in Time
Suriel was just shaking off the shock of the two new visitors when there was a sudden shimmering in the air and a prickling sensation at the back of her neck. Her companions must have sensed it as well, because they simultaneously frowned and stared back at the direction of the disturbance.
A large group of figures began to materialize on the white marble road. Suriel squinted at them, let out a gasp, and drew her Blade, bracing herself.
The figures resolved themselves fully before her eyes, two teenagers, shining with energy, standing confidently in front of several other teenagers, who for their part were looking around in shock, trying to take in the scene of chaos surrounding them as Heaven crumbled. Suriel gritted her teeth.
"Well, hello there, Sister," the Angel in the teenagers vessel said, smiling politely, eyes glittering. "It's been a long time." The Demon smiled towards Suriel as well; a cold, calculating smile, conveying, but absent, of all emotion.
Suriel glared. She tried to identify the energy patterns of the Angel and the Demon, but they wobbled and wavered in her gaze, seemingly in flux. She turned her head to her companions, but kept her eyes on the Angel and Demon.
"Gabriel, I don't know them."
Gabriel twisted up a corner of his mouth. He had shown up a few seconds before the Angel, Demon and their 'Heralds' had. Suriel had been, encouragingly, shocked to see him still alive. He wasn't losing his touch for the dramatic at least.
"I do," he half growled. "How 'bout you, Red?", he asked, turning to the woman to his left.
Rowena grimaced in concentration.
"Can't say that I do, lad. Seems like they are something, in-between, if you catch my meaning. Not quite Demon, not quite Angel." She let out a half exasperated, almost bored breath. "But you say that you know them?"
Suriel looked over at Gabriel in anticipation.
"Sure do," he said, turning a steely gaze back to the Angel and Demon. He watched them carefully, waiting for a reaction, a tell, a twitch. They simply smiled at him, waiting, stone-still. He smiled. They didn't believe him. Bluff called. Fine by me, he thought.
"Figured it out back at the club, actually. Them trying to kill me and all let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. See, I'm the one that wrote the book on staying in-cog-nito. Once you two thought that you had taken me out, I reverted to energy and just followed you, always just out of your range of detection. Wasn't long after that that I overheard the big secret." He shrugged. " Better than the NSA, if you ask me. But, what I can't figure out, exactly, is how you two managed to keep everyone fooled for so long. I mean, it isn't as though people weren't on guard, you know? Can't have either of you two whack-a-moles sticking your head out for very long. Bad for...well, everyone."
The Demon cocked his head to the side. "Simple answer, really." His cold blue eyes turned towards Rowena. "Why don't you ask the witch?" he asked, nodding at her.
Rowena held a hand against her chest. "Me? Whatever do you mean by that? I've met with you two exactly once. You threatened me...you told me that you were going to take Hell away from me," She stared harder. "Believe me, lambs, I wouldn't have helped you out for free, you know? I've never made any kind of deal with you two."
"Oh yes you did," the Angel answered quickly. "We were wearing different forms at the time, to be sure, but make no mistake, it was you who freed us."
"What are you bleedin' talking about!?", Rowena shouted back in protest. "I've never freed anything like you in my entire..." She stopped, and the blush in her cheeks went white. Her shoulders slumped in realization and her eyes went wide. "Oh," she said softly. "Oh...oh dear me..."
The Demon nodded. "Uh-huh. By the way, thanks for that."
Suriel looked back at Rowena in confusion. "You know them as well? Who are they?"
"Wanna tell her yourself, Brother?", Gabriel answered, staring down the Angel and Demon. "C'mon, you know you want to. Nothing like the Big Reveal. It's got it's own chapter in the Supervillian Handbook."
The Demon snorted. The Angel's eyes blazed with fury. "It hardly matters, " the Angel replied. "You have no business here in Heaven, Gabriel. And as for you, Sister, " he hissed, flicking hs eyes quickly towards Suriel. "I would like to thank you for your temporary custodianship of Heaven. Your services, however, are no longer required."
Gabriel took a dangerous step forward. "Oh, that's rich," he snarled. "Of all the people that have no business in Heaven..." Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Rowena was inching back into a ruined building, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, her eyes still wide with fear and staring, unblinking, at the Angel and the Demon. Gabriel saw her and shook his head in disappointment. He turned back, looking directly at the Demon. "It's time for you to go." He held his Blade in front of him, Suriel stepping up to his side, as he faced the group. His eyes scanned the teenagers standing behind the Angel and Demon. "They have nothing to do with this, fellas. How 'bout letting the field trip go home, huh?"
"The Heralds stay," the Angel snarled. "You think they're helpless? Allow us to demonstrate how mistaken you are about that." He turned around and faced a lanky teen wearing alligator boots. "Jesse, please show them the door." He smiled back at Gabriel and Suriel triumphantly.
"Ummmmmm, Brother," the Demon said quickly, grabbing the Angel's arm. "Wait a second, maybe we should actually handle this ourselves...there's something that you should know about..."
The Angel ripped his arm free. "What are you talking about? We never counted on Gabriel being here as well as Suriel. We need Jesse's power now more than ever."
"Yeah, normally I'd agree with you there, but..." the Demon said in a rush, turning his eyes nervously towards Jesse. "Oh...oh crap."
Red and black swirling energy flew out of Jesse's hands, engulfing everything. Lightning flashed in the clouds of power, and the very air seemed to scream.
Castiel watched the black blood drip from his Angel's blade into the sand on the beach of Atlantis. He noted in wonder that he didn't even need to shake it off, it seemed to flow off of the silver metal of it's own will, as if the Angelic metal repelled it.
He lifted his tired head and scanned the beach. Bodies, Angel and Old Ones alike, were piled up in the surf. He saw Gabriel organizing the remaining Angels from the Host into ranks to go into the city. He lifted himself out of his crouch and worked his way over to him, wincing at the pain from seemingly every single joint.
Gabriel turned his eyes towards him as he approached. He nodded once more to the Angels, and came over the rest of the distance to Castiel.
"Brother...Castiel, isn't it?", Gabriel asked, his face smiling. Castiel smiled back involuntarily. It was uncanny how Gabriel could make people do that, no matter what the situation was.
"It seems that the Portal has been opened." He grimaced and stared back at the city. "Three times, linked." He shook his head. "No wonder Father was upset."
Castiel's eyes widened in wonder. "Father...?", he croaked out hoarsely. "You mean to say...it was Father that sent you here...?"
"Well, yes," Gabriel replied frowning. "Who else has the command of the Hosts of Heaven?"
Castiel stared back at him, incredulous. Of course, he thought, his shoulders slumping. This is seven million years in the past. Father hasn't...disappeared yet.
"Well, thank you anyway," Castiel replied, his gaze turning back to the city. "Is there any way to close it?"
Gabriel followed his gaze and shrugged. "We can control the breach, for now. It will, naturally, have to be sealed at all three openings. Which means time-travel." He shuddered. "Never was a fan." His eyes looked back at Castiel, glinting mischievously. "You, on the other hand..."
Castiel nodded. "Yes, Gabriel, you are correct. I'm not from this time period."
Gabriel nodded knowingly. "How far have you come?", he asked, his eyes turning out to the sea and the approaching sunrise.
"Far," Castiel replied. "From the time of the third breach, as a matter of fact."
"Well, that's something," Gabriel grumbled. " We know where two of them are." He looked back at Castiel. "We can seal the one here, I believe, if the other two are sealed as well. Do you have any idea where the second may have occurred?"
Castiel let out a deep sigh and looked a the sand.
"I do, actually."
Gabriel smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, that's good news then, Castiel! If you can shut down the other two, we can seal the Portal once again."
Castiel grimaced and looked away.
"What's wrong?", Gabriel asked. "Castiel?"
"I know where the second breach is, Gabriel, because I...I am actually responsible for causing it."
Gabriel's face hardened. "Unfortunate, Brother," he said after a while. "Then, you know what has to be done to seal it.", he said as a statement, rather than a question.
Castiel nodded, turning his steel-blue eyes back to Gabriel. "Actually, I might be able to stop all three. All at once."
Gabriel's eyes widened.
"In Father's name, Castiel, what has been happening to you?" he whispered. He stared at Castiel for a bit, then shook his head. He rested his hand on Castiel's shoulder. "I want you to know...if there's anything...anything that I can do to help you..."
"Actually there is," Castiel said, turning to see Crowley walking up to them. Gabriel frowned at him questioningly, but looked back at Castiel.
"The Emperor escaped. He had an Angel with him. Me, actually...my former self. I need you to help me locate them both."
Gabriel's face drained of all color. "Castiel...do you mean to...?" He grabbed Castiel by his shoulders and glared at him. "Is there no other way?", he whispered at him in a rush.
"Did I miss something?", Crowley asked, frowning at the two Angels. "Looks serious..."
Gabriel kept staring at Castiel, then slowly released his shoulders and nodded. Castiel looked at Crowley and shook his head.
"No, Crowley. Everything's fine. We need to pick up something before heading back, though."
Crowley cocked his head. "So, we're going home, then are we?"
Castiel nodded. "Gabriel has the power to send us back. And now we know what caused the Portal to appear. Crowley...it has to be stopped. With the Portal opened, the Old Ones are nearly free..." He glanced at Gabriel. "The Seven Archangels...they are the Guardians of the Lock that keeps them imprisoned. If they are removed, or killed..."
Crowley nodded, rubbing a hand against his beard and whistling low. "Well, that explains why Archangels have been targeted", he mused. "With them out of the way, and Purgatory opened..."
"...The Old Ones return," Castiel finished. He glanced back to Gabriel, who was watching him, a grim expression on his face. "We can't allow that to happen."
"Obviously," Crowley replied sarcastically. He looked back at Gabriel. "Castiel, go on ahead. I'd like a word with your big brother there, if I may."
Castiel narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
Crowley shrugged. "He's got a stake in this too, doesn't he? I just want to make sure he's fore-warned, so to speak."
Castiel shook his head. "Crowley, you can't tell him about future events. The timeline will not allow it. I've told you, Fate and her sisters..."
Crowley waved his hand in the air. "Yes, yes, God's plan, I'm not an idiot, Castiel. Look, I won't tell him any specifics. I just want to cast a pebble into the lake, if you get my meaning."
"You want to...?" Castiel asked, frowning.
"I want to fix the game," Crowley answered quickly. Castiel still looked confused. Crowley rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"I'm going to cheat, OK?!", he yelled, waving his arms. Castiel crossed his arms, frowning deeply.
"Just...move along choir-boy. Trust me...no spoilers!", Crowley said, making a shooing motion, crossing his fingers over his heart, and then walking over to Gabriel.
Castiel watched him go and shook his head. It didn't matter what Crowley told Gabriel anyway. Fate was fate, and it was stronger than all of them.
He looked back out over the sea. The sun was halfway past the waves now. Castiel watched in wonder at the mix of color and light over the crystal blue water, and wondered how many of these he was going to see again.