Chapter 4: Breaking Away

Castiel landed with a light thump just outside Crowley's current fortress. As always, he could feel his shoulders drawing tight, disgust filtering through him. He hated coming to meet Crowley in his hideouts. The air always stunk of blood and bodily waste, and the atmosphere was always laden with pain and fear and despair.

It reminded him of going to Hell for Dean and Sam's souls, but without the added benefit of a mission to distract him from the ugliness. Worse, it reminded him of the things he'd done while working with Crowley. Like what he'd done while they were hunting Eve. He'd once forced Dean to torture Alistair under the argument that Dean was more proficient at such things than an angel, but after what he'd done then...he was glad Dean hadn't seen it, hadn't yet discovered just how proficient he'd become at committing such atrocities.

It made him wonder, for half a moment, what he might have become capable of if he hadn't made the choice he had.

He shook the thought away. He had other things to think about. Like how he was going to handle his confrontation with Crowley.

A strong approach would be best. To that end, he set his shoulders and let his Grace rise to the surface, filling him with Heavenly energy. Then he strode forward and rammed the doors of the fortress open with a crash. Demons scattered out of his way. He took no notice of them as he made his way forward, towards the heart of the compound. He caught sight of himself in a metal surface, eyes shining blue and his body snapping with energy and purpose, every inch an angel of the Lord on a mission.

Exactly the image he wanted.

He found Crowley where he had expected to find him, in the central chamber that the demon had turned into his laboratory and torture chamber. The demon looked up from his current work table at his entrance. "Well well, Castiel. Nice of you to drop in."

"I don't think opening Purgatory is a wise decision." He saw no point in beating around the bush. "It's dangerous. Soul energy is unpredictable, even at the best of times."

"That's why we use a ritual to control it, darling." Crowley smirked. "You do remember, don't you? Ritual? Blood of a Purgatory native? Chanting? Cute little symbols on the wall, all that? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now."

"I'm not. I just think there might be other ways. Safer ways." He stepped into the room.

"Sure you do. Need I remind you, you've already tried those safer ways. You've tried the weapons of Heaven. You've tried recruiting angels. You've even tried rewriting history, if memory serves. And where has that got you? Nowhere. You're backed into a corner, Feathers." Crowley smiled, but it was a sharp, predatory expression.

"That may be true. But that doesn't mean I'm out of options. Besides..." Castiel moved forward to look at the notes scattered on the table, the products of his and Crowley's months of work. "How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you won't try to usurp all the power for yourself?"

"How do you know I won't double cross you, do you mean? Well, you don't. But then, I have the same problem with you, don't I? One might even say I have a bigger problem in fact."

Something in Crowley's tone made Castiel turn. The demon was staring at him with a cold expression. Castiel felt himself tense. Something was wrong. Still… "I've kept my word."

"Have you? See, I disagree." Crowley smirked. "See, it turns out, it's rather amazing what humans will do. Especially for a reprieve from an inconvenient deal. Little things like, for example, a bit of spying. Say, on a certain house."

Castiel's foreboding intensified. "What do you mean? Have you discovered where the woman is?"

"Sadly, not just yet. But...I do know where you were this morning." Crowley's expression darkened. "You went to the Winchesters."

Castiel scowled back. "They've been useful."

"And now they're a liability. They know our plans. In fact, I 'd venture a guess they know more now than they did before. Considering that you and your second-in-command were there for quite some time."

"I thought they could prove useful again."

"Please. Spare me. They don't trust you. They trapped you in a ring of Holy Fire. There's no way in bloody Hell that you managed to convince them to support this plan. I know those two, and they're far too bloody righteous to go through with this. No...you went there for something else."

Crowley reached into a pocket and pulled out a small device. "It's amazing what one of these can do. Set it up just right, and you can learn...well, anything you want. And if I, for instance, had one of my human minions install a listening device in Robert Singer's home...well, amazing what I might learn, isn't it. Like, for instance, the fact that you went there to make amends with the Winchesters."

A listening device. It was possible Crowley was bluffing, but equally possible that he wasn't. "I told you, I was hoping..."

"You were hoping they'd take you back. You went to them for help. You…." Crowley gave him an ugly look, one that almost turned his human face into an imitation of his demon one. "...betrayed me. Betrayed everything we've worked for this past year."

"I..."

"As I said, spare me. Bottom line, Castiel, you're a poor liar." Crowley's mask of rage faded. "You want out, fine. As it happens, I've got another buyer interested in the same deal."

Castiel went cold. "Who?"

"Hello, Castiel." The feminine, familiar voice froze him in place for a split second before he whirled around.

Raphael stood at the top of the stairs over the door, a cold smirk on her face. Castiel whirled back to Crowley.

Crowley sneered. "Meet my new business partner. Although, I believe you're already acquainted."

"Raphael will only use you and discard you. He does not share power." He suspected it was futile to try, but he had to make the attempt.

"Yes, well, what's business without a little risk? Besides...I could say the same thing about you." Crowley shrugged.

Raphael disappeared. Castiel reacted immediately, flinging himself away and calling his angel blade. He thought about trying to smite Crowley, but he had a feeling the archangel would have measures in place to prevent it. And Crowley had an angel blade.

He was outnumbered two to one, and outmatched. He did the only thing he could do.

He fled.

His first transport was to the most random location he could think of, a nameless mountain in the middle of Virginia. His second stop was the North Pole, and his third was the Sahara Desert. Then and only then did he take the risk of transporting to Bobby's house.

The hunters were cleaning ammo and weapons in the living room when he stumbled into existence. All of them looked up with expressions of alarm. Dean rose to his feet. "Cas..."

"Quiet." He held up his hand. Then he moved to Bobby and placed a hand on his forehead. 'Crowley knows of my decision and our discussion this morning. He knows I have betrayed him, and he has allied himself with Raphael. He says he learned of this through a listening device implanted in your house. Where would such a device be?'

Bobby was fortunately quick to learn. His response was fumbling, and involved some repressed cursing, but it was immediate. 'Had a repair guy out to fix the internet the other day. Wager it's somewhere around there.'

'You must find it and destroy it. In the meantime...you know the whereabouts of Ellie Visyak?'

'Yeah.'

'Tell me. She must be rescued before Raphael can find her. If Raphael finds her before we do…'

'That'd be a right balls-up. All right. I'm trustin' you though, so don't you screw up.'

An image of a location floated into his mind. A remote cabin, covered in warding sigils, and a middle-aged woman with a cynical expression, dressed in neat clothing.

'Thank you.' He let Bobby go and transported himself away.

Author's Note: Short chapter.

Next up...there are some problems...