Again I am so sorry for the long wait.
I hope you will like this chapter anyways and i myself hope that I will be able to write a bit faster on this fanfic from now on.

Chapter 17

"What? Team up with you? Forget it!"

Castiel glared at his opponent and growled.

He could hardly believe his ears when he realized those words.

A proud and mighty Seraphim as he was should team up with a third-rate crossroad demon?

Crowley could wait for that for a long, long time!

"Think about it Castiel. What if we were one team? You and me against heaven and hell. Forget Michael and Lucifer. With my brain and your muscles we can destroy them all and form this world according to our fantasies."

Castiel narrowed his eyes and another deep, menacing growl came from his throat.

"You dare to want to incite me against my brother Lucifer? Thanks to him, I finally know what I really am and what has happened to me!"

"Oh yeah? Do you know? Do you think just because you've regained your strength, you can now do whatever you want? Lucifer has only given you the long cord. In truth you are just his little puppet."

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it? Then how do you explain to me the fact that the others have taken your memories?"

Again the demon grinned.

"Naomi has really done a good job with you; I have to give her that."

Castiel raised his eyebrow and tilted his head questioningly.

"Who is Naomi?"

Crowley threw his head back and laughed loudly, and this action alone seemed to stir up the fire of anger in Castiel's body even more. However, no matter how many times he tried to get up again, he fell back again and again and after two more attempts, he gave it up. The crossroad demon watched him quizzically. He still had that grin on his face, which didn't mean something good and his next words confirmed this as well.

"My goodness Cas, they must have washed your head very thoroughly when you do not even know the name of the angel who did this to you."

"W-what? What do you mean?!"

"Go and ask your brother. Apparently Lucifer haven't told you everything."

Again Crowley's eyes began to sparkle.

"And my offer still stands. Team up with me."

It seemed to be too much information's at once for Castiel, because he had the feeling that the world would spin before his eyes. Then he regained courage and tried to shove all of his questions and thoughts in the back of his mind and to banish them for a moment. If he wanted to survive, he couldn't lose his concentration now. His eyes got their radiant glow back, but for more he was not able to because his power reserves were almost completely consumed.

Crowley also knew that the Seraph was at the end and delight was sparkling in his eyes as he looked at him.

"Just look at you Cas. You are finished. Give up and join me. I can help you and I will not be like Lucifer."

"Stop it Crowley, it's enough!"

"Stop it? But Castiel. I haven't even started yet. But if you want to do this the hard way..."

The words were followed by a deep growl and the sound of claws digging into the sandy soil came to Castiel's ears. Another growl followed, and then another and another, until he stopped counting. His eyes were paralyzed with fear when he saw the hell hounds which began circling him slowly.

"Crowley?! What are you doing?!"

The grin faded from Crowley's face and his expression became cold and serious.

"If I can't have that power, then nobody should have it! Make up your mind for life or death Castiel. And decide quickly..."

The angel turned his eyes back to Crowley and looked at him blankly.

Then he seemed to recollect and a growl came from his throat now.

"It was you! You have lured me and Dean into this trap ad months ago, haven't you?! All of this has happened because of you!"

Crowley didn't answer, looked at him in silence and with a mocking glint in his eyes.

"Why Crowley? Why did you do that?"

The demon stepped over to him and knelt down in front of the Seraphim to look right into his face.

"You want to know why I did it? Because I wanted to kill you! I knew from the beginning what you are! And when Lucifer was out of the cage, it was only a matter of time before he started to look for you and wanted to pull you over to his side and I wanted to avoid that with a vengeance. If a Seraphim would work with the devil, heaven, earth and hell itself would burn. You would destroy us all and I will not let that happen! I will correct this mistake and kill you if you will not choose my side! You have the choice Castiel: life or death. Choose!"

He narrowed his eyes as the Seraph tried to get back to his feet, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not make it. The wounds robbed him of the power and the pain clouded his vision. The blade Crowley had used to cut through his wings had caused wounds that burned like pure fire and he felt as if this wound would weaken him the most.

"W-what kind of knife was that?! My wings...what have you done?" the angel gasped and he fell back into the dust and writhed in pain.

Foul breath stuck in his nose and he could already feel the hot breath of the hellhounds on his face as they came closer and closer.

Again, the demon grinned and with a volatile movement of his fingers, he let the dagger, which stuck behind Castiel in the ground, fly back into his hand. He gently ran his fingers across the bloodstained blade before his eyes turned back to the fallen angel.

"It is a very special knife. With it I would even be able to kill Michael."

Castiel's eyes were numb with shock.

"What? Where did you get it?!"

"As if I would tell you something like that! You can be glad that I did not immediately kill you with it! So, what's your answer? Do we have a deal or not? I have not got all day!"

The angel narrowed his eyes yet again and looked at him defiantly.

"Never!"

Crowley's look remained hard and cold.

"All right. What a shame. I really could have used someone like you on my side..."

Castiel closed his eyes and he was preparing himself for the end.

He heard the scrape off the claws on the floor as the hellhounds approached him. When he opened his eyes, he looked right into the face of a hellhound and the beast opened its throat and presented him his fangs that would drill into his throat any second.

But then suddenly the dog's eyes widened and a whimper came from his throat as blood ran from his eyes and he was thrown several meters away and crashed into one of the old bodies of a car.

"What the…?!"

Crowley's eyes widened and he quickly stepped back a few steps when a shadow appeared behind Castiel and came closer and closer.

"No one dares to do something like that to my little brother! Certainly not a wretched, demon as you are Crowley!"

Crowley narrowed his eyes to slits.

"Lucifer!"

The fallen angel stood with outstretched wings in front of his little brother to protect him. His eyes were stinging and cold and even some of the hellhounds took a few steps back from him.

"You want to harm my little brother? Then you must first pass me by!"

The demon swallowed hard and even took a few steps further back as Lucifer's eyes began to shine.

"I think it's better if I go now..."

In his mind he sent an order to his hellhounds and the beasts pounced on the fallen angel who cried out in anger, when one of the dogs bit in one of his magnificent snow-white wings and tugged at it. Another grabbed his leg, and yet another grabbed his arm with his fangs.

The Lord of Darkness briefly closed his eyes, focused and when he opened them again he sent his forces against the hounds and threw all of them away at once.

Some of them tore it up in the air, some others crashed into the bodies of old cars, and those who had survived ran away, whimpering.

When Lucifer had regained control over his powers and looked around, he stated that Crowley was gone. And not only that, but Sam, Dean, and even his brother Gabriel this miserable coward had taken with him.

But he could think about this later, because now Castiel was more important than anything else, because the young Seraphim was still writhing in pain on the floor and as Lucifer looked closer, his eyes fell immediately on the deep wounds he had sustained in battle. Especially the wounds on his leg and his wings looked bad and seemed to torment him particularly.

He carefully took the angel in his arms and stood up with him.

"Come on, little brother. I'll bring you back and take care of your wounds. And if you're better again, I want an explanation, why did you approached the Winchester brothers without my permission, do you understand me?!"

Castiel only whimpered and hid his face in shame in the chest of the fallen angel, who then wrapped himself in silence.

He spread his wings out, jumped into the air and only a little later they were gone...