"Ah, Dromadus. So glad you could make it today."
"Crowley."
Castiel heard the approach of yet another demon of the upper echelon, along with whatever delegation it had brought along. This was the third of Crowley's meetings, and the angel knew by now what to expect. Sure enough, there was a pause, and then the visiting demon murmured,
"So, it's true. I heard you humbled an angel, but… I must admit, I find it difficult to believe."
"Ah, yes," Crowley agreed, his dress shoes walking into Castiel's permitted line of sight. "My newest acquisition. Not the easiest of pursuits, I can assure you. But its training is coming along nicely."
Castiel's face heated again and he swallowed back the fiery stabs of humiliation. He tried to focus on his gratitude that this Dromadus seemed uninterested in Dean—the hunter hung silently in his chains, left paralyzed by Crowley after he proved too much a distraction during the last meeting. Castiel wanted to glance over long enough to check on him, but didn't dare.
"For example," Crowley went on cheerfully. He kicked Castiel, digging a toe into his unprotected side. "Whose pet are you, angel?"
Castiel gritted his teeth, but forced himself through the now-familiar script. "Yours… your Majesty."
"That's right. I own you, don't I?"
Castiel shifted in his chains, wishing Crowley dead. He felt every eye in the court on him and knew it would only give Crowley more power, but what choice did he have? If he didn't play the game, Dean would end up on the rack. Castiel hung his head and spat out,
"…Yes, Master."
"Fascinating," Dromadus murmured. His footsteps echoed heavily in the brimstone chamber as he also approached Castiel, looming over the bound angel.
When the hand caught Castiel's chin, jerking his head up, the angel was careful to keep his eyes downcast instead of looking at Dromadus. The demon inspected him, taking the liberty of maneuvering Castiel's face in several directions to get a closer look. Castiel imagined stabbing him with his blade.
"Was this the one you aligned with in the quest for Purgatory? Castiel, wasn't it?"
"That was the name, yes," Crowley said coolly as Dromadus finally stood. "Hardly necessary now. It's just a slave."
"How strange it doesn't protest. I'd heard angels were a proud breed."
"I trained it not to speak unless I've allowed it," Crowley assured the visiting demon. "Had to break that habit early on. Tricky business, but I am the king, after all."
They circled him now, still inspecting, discussing him like he actually was some sort of domesticated animal rather than a sentient being. Despite Castiel's determination to protect Dean, he couldn't keep his shoulders from heaving with the deep breaths of his barely suppressed rage and mortification.
"I must say, I'm impressed, Crowley," Dromadus murmured, prodding Castiel with one foot. "I did not believe it possible. You can tell there's still a spark of defiance, but it remains obedient. Tell me… I have many souls in the southern tower. How many would you take for this angel?"
Castiel exhaled sharply as he bristled and yanked at the chains, unable to stop himself. He was to be bought and sold by demons? Like a commodity? His breaths came heavier now, too humiliated for words.
"Yes, still defiant," Crowley growled in warning. "Do you want me to get angry, slave?"
No. He knew the price, and it was more than he could pay, to see Dean suffer. Terrified he'd already cost Dean too much, Castiel forced down his outrage and fell still.
"No... Master," he whispered to the floor.
"Most impressive," Dromadus exclaimed, footsteps making another circuit around the pillar to examine Castiel further.
"Indeed." Thankfully, Crowley sounded mollified. "However, I'm sorry to say, this one isn't currently for sale. It's personal, you understand. But come, Dromadus. To business. How are things in the southern regions?"
Crowley's shoes turned back towards the throne, though Dromadus hovered over Castiel a second longer before finally turning away. Castiel sagged, closing his eyes and trying to will the horrible feelings away, of being put on display and bartered over without being able to fight back. The other visiting demons had gawked and poked and marveled at his obedience, but none had offered to buy him before.
Castiel knew Dean was still conscious, though temporarily paralyzed; he was guiltily relieved, as he doubted the hunter would have taken kindly to Dromadus. The angel wondered suddenly if Dean was ashamed of him for the pitiful picture he made.
Thankfully, the rest of the meeting focused on business, Crowley clearly using Castiel's capture as evidence of his power, re-strengthening ties with his visitors. By the time Dromadus left—with one final, discomfiting inspection of the chained angel—his fealty to Crowley was noticeably improved.
"You did well, pet," Crowley congratulated, striding over to the stone pillars where Castiel and Dean were bound. "I do believe I have Dromadus back under control. Interesting offer he made, wasn't it?"
Castiel didn't respond, knowing he wasn't meant to. Besides, just thinking about it made his skin crawl.
Crowley chuckled. "Hmm. Maybe once you're fully broken and I've had my fun with you—and never fear, that won't be for a few dozen centuries or so—perhaps I'll sell you to Dromadus after all." A hand lashed out to clench in Castiel's hair, making him grunt in discomfort, as the demon stood over him. "Who knows? If Dromadus is willing to pay, surely others would be as well. I could offer you to the highest bidder. I wager you'd rather die than suffer the indignity of the auction block, eh?"
Castiel hated that his heated cheeks gave him away, confirming Crowley's assessment. He'd been brought low before, but this...
But surely the threat was just to elicit a reaction; Crowley would never want to share ownership of Castiel. As he'd told Dromadus, it was personal. At least, Castiel hoped so.
Crowley shrugged and released his hold on the angel. "We'll see. For now, you belong solely to me. But as I said, you did well. You've earned Squirrel some breathing room."
He was out of Castiel's sight now, but a second later, the angel heard Dean shifting in his chains as he was granted movement again, and then a soft gasp as the gag was removed. Castiel braced himself, waiting for the hunter's furious onslaught towards the demon horde.
To his surprise, Dean didn't start shouting, nor did he address Crowley at all. Instead, his voice was soft, almost cracking.
"Cas? Cas… please."
Castiel's neck twitched to look at his friend, remembering just in time to keep his head bowed instead. The female demon was still holding that blasted poker too close to Dean's face. Crowley made a sound of approval at his silence, but Dean's voice broke even more.
"Don't let him do this to you. Please, Cas, I'm not worth this, you understand me? This is my fault. I dragged you down here. So whatever happens to me, I deserve it, but you don't. You hear me? Cas!"
Though Castiel wanted nothing more than to assure his friend that Dean did not deserve torture, that even now the angel didn't regret coming to look for Bobby, he couldn't. If he spoke out of turn, they would only punish Dean, and then everything he'd already let them do to him would be meaningless. Castiel shifted, but didn't look at his friend or answer.
"Damn it, fight back! I don't care what they do to me! I would rather be dead then let anyone 'own' you. I can't watch you be treated like this. I can't watch you let them! Don't let him use me to hurt you more than I already have. Please."
The words cut through to Castiel's heart, but still he didn't speak—only closed his eyes. Did Dean still not understand there was nothing Castiel wouldn't do to protect him, nothing he wouldn't refuse? Not even slavery to the King of Hell.
The cracking echoes of a slow clap made him tense as Crowley shifted back to him.
"Excellent," the demon exclaimed. "I knew Dean would be the one to break you. You're making such good progress, perhaps we'll move on to the torture sooner than I expected."
Crowley grabbed Castiel's collar by the metal loop in front and yanked the angel forward a few inches so that his arms felt ready to dislocate. Castiel grunted softly but didn't protest. Torture would be a welcome reprieve from this.
As though hearing his thoughts, Crowley seethed, "On the other hand, why rip you open so soon? First I'll parade you through Hell on your hands and knees so that every demon can witness the true strength of their king."
"Cas, fight him!" Dean shouted, voice colored with desperation.
"Of course," Crowley went on, ignoring Dean, "we've got the chains, we've got the collar… but to complete the picture of my angel slave, we still need the wings."
Castiel felt his heart stop, going rigid in Crowley's grip. Not even the thought of being sold to Dromadus could compare to such horror. No…
"Crowley, you son of a bitch! Cas, don't you dare!"
"Those sigils won't let you use your wings, but I bet just shifting them here would be no problem."
Except they would burn, probably down to bare bone. Hell was painful enough for his wings without being manifested… but to bring them out… Castiel swallowed, knowing that agony would be worse than any torture he'd endured yet. Mutely, he shook his head.
Crowley only chuckled. "Ah, Feathers. It might have taken me centuries to find a way to physically force those wings out. But I don't need to, do I? I have Dean."
"Cas, no! Please, please just let them have me. I- god, I've done enough damage, don't you add this to the list now." This time, Dean's voice broke fully, cracking in agony as he finished, "Don't make me watch this. Not this. I- I can't live with myself knowing I… Cas, I'm begging you, don't do this."
The sheer terror in his voice was even harder to bear than Castiel's own fear as Crowley took a step back.
"Show me your wings."
"Cas, please!"
The sudden blaring of an alarm made him jump, Castiel's head jerking up for the first time to see the horde of demons looking wildly around. His forced humility was momentarily forgotten as screams echoed from the other side of the heavy door at the far end of the chamber. The alarm ended abruptly; all eyes were locked on the door.
A second later, it exploded open, a burned out husk of a demon flying through the entrance to land in a sizzling heap in the center of the cleared out space.
Meg sauntered through the door, flipping an angel blade as her face lit with a dark, furious smile.
For a moment, no one moved. Castiel gaped, openly bewildered, but with the vague notion that maybe he shouldn't be all that surprised that Meg had stormed the Throne Room of Hell itself to find him. Fear gripped his heart then, as he registered the lone demon coming to a halt amid what amounted to a small horde of enemies.
"Meg," he whispered, forgetting not to speak. No one commented on it, the demon tasked to guard Dean too busy staring at the newcomer.
Twirling the blade into an overhand grip and sinking into a crouch, Meg's dark smile deepened as she growled,
"You've got something of mine, Crowley. I want him back."
"Get her! I want her alive!" Crowley snarled, raising his hand to point. The movement seemed to break the spell holding the demon army transfixed, and they surged in on Meg. She disappeared under the sea of punches and jabs.
"Meg!" Castiel shouted, frantically fighting to break free from the chains that bound him. He could see bright spurts of light emanating from the seething mass where she was stabbing demons left and right with the angel blade. But it would never be enough. What had she been thinking?
"Get her, you incompetent sots!" Crowley demanded over the sound of the melee.
A cry rang out, piercing Castiel's heart as he recognized the sound of Meg in pain. He struggled all the harder, to no avail. Even the demon guarding Dean had hurried forward in anticipation of victory, all eyes on Meg as the swarm finally parted.
Dean cursed softly, but Castiel couldn't make a sound as he saw her, held by a dozen demons, dripping blood from numerous gashes. Her weapon had been wrenched away. The feisty demon spat out a glob of blood, glaring up at Crowley as the king swaggered closer now that it was safe for him to do so. Castiel's blade was in his hand.
"Cas," a soft voice whispered from behind him, so sudden and unexpected that the angel jerked violently in his bonds. Sam! "Shh. I'm gonna get you out."
Castiel nodded, recovering quickly as he glanced back as much as he could. With all the attention on Meg, no one noticed the tall hunter squatting down beside the imprisoned angel and starting to work on the manacles. And on his other side… Castiel's eyes widened but he didn't make a sound.
"Bobby!" Dean mouthed, staring at the grizzled man as Bobby put a warning finger to his lips. Together, Bobby and Sam worked at both their manacles while Castiel bit his lip and shifted his gaze back to Crowley and Meg.
"There you are," Crowley growled, looming over Meg. "You whore." He slashed out with the blade, and though Castiel couldn't see the strike land from his vantage point, he heard Meg scream in pain.
His fists tightened.
"Thought I'd just forget about you?" Crowley taunted. This time he raised his hand, clenching hard and twisting. The sound of breaking bone echoed through the chamber, chased by another tortured scream. "Thought I'd forget how you stood against me?"
The manacles around Castiel's wrists came loose, Sam carefully setting them on the floor so that they wouldn't clatter. The angel lowered his arms slowly and twisted his head side to side as feeling returned with a pulsing ache. Without the sigils, his grace could finally start to collect itself, easing out the soreness. His eyes continued to follow Crowley as Sam now began to work on the chains at his ankles.
"Did you think," the king of Hell continued to rage, punctuating each word with another slice or blow, "I would just… forget… about… my… revenge?"
Free at last as the final cuff was loosened, Castiel rose to his feet. He could see Meg now, shuddering and doubled over with agony from horrific wounds on her face and body. Thunder gathered in the angel's heart as his gaze zeroed in on Crowley, the one who had hurt her, the one who had threatened Dean, the one who had put him in this infuriating collar and tried to convince him that he was something to be "owned".
Meg's eyes flicked black, and through the tormented gasps, she suddenly began to laugh.
"No. But there is something you've forgotten," she wheezed.
"Oh? Pray, do tell."
She leaned up towards him, dark and devastating. "Don't turn your back on Castiel."
To his credit, Crowley caught on immediately, whirling around just in time to see Castiel raise a hand.
Righteous light and fury flared back to life throughout Castiel's being, flooding his eyes so that they burned bright with the power of his grace. The female demon who had been tasked to punish Dean for any of Castiel's perceived disobedience was also the one standing closest, and couldn't react in time to save herself.
Her shrill scream rose high in the stone chamber as her body flashed and then crumpled under his smiting force, eye sockets sizzling when she hit the floor.
Castiel snagged the poker, still hot with Hellfire, as the demon fell, then turned his blazing glare towards the stunned horde.
"Meg," he growled, tone deadly enough that the majority of the demons started to shift backwards. "Shut your eyes."
She ducked her head and squeezed her eyes tightly closed. Most of those who'd been holding her down were among the crowd now trying to back away from the angel, allowing Meg to cover her head in an extra layer of protection, and so Castiel raised his hand again.
Crowley had dared think he would make Castiel into a pet? A slave?
All of Castiel's fury exploded outward in a concussive force of grace, leveling the first several rows of demons without him even needing to lay a hand on them. They fell, sibilant hisses of steam still rising from empty eye sockets, and finally the chamber erupted into chaos.
"Get them!" a demon shouted from somewhere, as part of the swarm converged towards Castiel and the rest either fled or tried to rush around him to where Bobby and the Winchesters were. A gunshot cracked and echoed, muffled shouts telling him that Sam had brought the devil's trap bullets, in addition to the demon killing knife he always carried. He glanced over his shoulder long enough to see that Dean was free, carrying the gun, and all three were in fighting stances.
Trusting them as seasoned warriors to hold their own, Castiel whirled back to his own targets and swung the poker he held like a club as he fought to get closer to Crowley. The king was prudently backing his way through the demons, glaring at Castiel and clutching his stolen angel blade. None of the demons trying to recapture the angel could even get close enough to lay hands on him. The poker wasn't as efficient as his traditional weapon, but when swung with the force of an angel, was enough to crush skull and spine.
"Clarence! Blade!"
Felling another demon who'd gotten too close, Castiel chanced a look in Meg's direction. Even though Crowley had wounded her badly enough that she had to pull herself across the floor, the indomitable demon had managed to reclaim her own weapon from the one who'd taken it, grappling him to the ground and running him through. Now, she held up the blood-soaked blade and tossed it towards Castiel.
He dropped the poker, caught the sword in mid-air, and turned back towards his enemies.
They fled.
Just as well, Castiel thought with rage. They weren't the ones he was determined to kill, at any rate. But when he swiveled back to where Crowley had been standing, he found only empty air. Had the coward run away with the rest of the demons? Castiel's eyes narrowed.
"Cas!" Dean shouted, as a warning went off in the angel's senses.
He spun away, just in time to deflect what would have been a killing blow, but not soon enough to evade Crowley completely. The blade grazed his arm, flooding the chamber with the white glow of grace and loosening his grip. Castiel grunted in pain as his weapon fell from his hand.
"You mangy feather duster," Crowley growled. He flung an arm out, knocking Castiel off his feet to slide several yards away. "I'll finish you off myself."
"You'll have to go through us first!" Sam appeared out of nowhere, followed by Dean and Bobby. All three converged to form a line separating Crowley from the downed angel. It appeared that their own enemies had all been beaten or sent running.
"You mess with Cas," Dean continued, aiming Sam's gun at the demon, "you mess with all of us. And we've ganked baddies bigger and tougher than you."
Despite the precarious nature of their current situation, Castiel felt the words seeping into his heart like a glowing balm. Regardless of anything—of everything—they'd been through, Sam and Dean still stood with him. Like… like a family. The one he'd always yearned for. It was enough to push the angel slowly to his feet.
"Then why haven't you used that gun?" Crowley asked Dean, obviously unimpressed with the show of loyalty. "You're all empty, aren't you?"
Dean's hesitation to answer said it all, and the smirk growing on Crowley's face clearly stated that he knew it, too. Not that it mattered; though Castiel was hesitant to use his wings more than necessary, he endured the burn long enough to flit from his current position to directly behind Crowley.
The demon spun, blade raised, but Castiel caught his wrist. His glare deepened.
"This is mine." His grip clenched down until Crowley's hand opened reflexively to release Castiel's weapon as the demon gasped in pain.
Castiel caught the blade and Crowley gulped.
"Bollocks."
Then he was gone in the blink of an eye. Castiel jolted, furious that the coward had run before he'd had time to kill him, but hardly surprised. It seemed Dean felt the same, as the hunter shouted,
"Crowley!"
"Looks like he hasn't changed much," Bobby grumbled, face twisting in displeasure. "Son of a bitch sure can't handle a fair fight."
Dean's attention shifted to the grizzled hunter as his anger fell away into concern. "Bobby," he gasped. "You alright? Did he… were you…"
"On a rack?" Bobby supplied for him with a wry snort. "Nah. Don't think he cared much about me either way. From what Sam's told me, sounds like I was just a way to get you here. And you fell right for it." He paused, then smiled. "Idjit."
"Like we would leave you here? Never," Dean growled. He reached out and grabbed Bobby, pulling him into a tight embrace. The slump of his shoulders as tension eked away and the softening of Bobby's face made the entire ordeal worth it.
"It's good to see ya, boy," the old hunter whispered. He pulled away, smiling at Dean, then Sam, then finally landing on Castiel. His expression sobered, then tightened into a glower. "Is that a collar?"
Blood growing cold with renewed fury, Castiel reached for the metal ring around his neck and ripped it apart, dropping the pieces to the ground. "Yes," he said shortly, not elaborating.
"Crowley. When I get a hold of him…" Dean didn't finish the threat, but it didn't bode well for the demon. He shook his head, then demanded, "Cas?"
"I'm fine," the angel assured him, which was more or less true. A little bruised, a little singed, and a lot pissed off, but nothing he wouldn't recover from. "Thank you for the assistance, all of you."
"Of course, Cas," Sam murmured, eyeing the broken collar with revulsion. He hesitated, then added, "Meg's the one who came through. For all of us."
"Meg…" Brushing past the three hunters, Castiel hurried to Meg's side. He knelt down, asking gravely, "How badly are you hurt?"
Meg, who'd been silent until now, quirked a wry smile at him. "What, this? I've had worse, Clarence. Don't worry about me."
"You came back for me," he whispered, touching her cheek. "You saved me… again. And I can't even heal you in return."
"You don't have to do anything in return, dumbass." Meg paused, then snorted. "Actually, there is something you can do. Next time I tell you something is probably a trap, don't go jumping into it without me there to keep you out of trouble, huh?"
A gentle smile spread across Castiel's face as he slid his hand on her cheek down to capture her chin instead, leaning in to seal a firm kiss over her lips. Meg froze in surprise, and he heard Bobby asking again what exactly he'd missed since being killed, but Castiel cared about none of this. Though he knew they needed to be leaving, he couldn't help but seize this moment. Meg wasn't pushing him away, leaning into the kiss, accepting it with an almost hungry delight.
Finally, Sam cleared his throat. "Um… Cas?"
Castiel pulled apart reluctantly, gratified by the stunned look on Meg's face as she stared at him. Right. Escaping. Castiel gave himself a shake, then gazed around with a frown.
"I- I don't think I can carry all four of you…"
"Meg, any chance there's a Gate close by?" Sam asked.
The demon nodded, trying to pull herself up farther but gasping in pain.
"No, don't move," Castiel immediately urged. "I can carry you-"
"Here, let me," Sam interrupted. He passed his knife off to Dean and hurried forward to carefully scoop Meg up in his arms, bridal style. "That way your hands are free if we meet any company."
Castiel nodded his gratitude, then grabbed both angel blades in a dual wield. His forehead pinched in a glower; any demons they did happen to come across would do well to flee immediately, before he spotted them. Gesturing for Dean and Bobby to join them, he turned to Meg.
"Point the way."