A/N: Note that the following story takes place before the events of Raison D'etre. Also I know that this story has had a severe lack of a certain King of Hell. I mean to rectify this, soon. I promise everything will come full circle.

"Dean, I'm serious. Get down from there!" Worry and exhaustion was all over the Archangel's face. It was really a mistake to bring Dean here of all place. But the boy had begged so many times. He wanted to see the tallest tree. Hyperion. Nearly four hundred feet standing...and he was here. He had been looking for Dean for hours and shouldn't have been surprised to trace his signature up the tree.

He should have been thankful. This was a rare opportunity with Dean that didn't involve Lucifer's guardian demon, Lilith present...Figures that the first time this happened, he lost him up a tall tree. There was hardly anything to be thankful for now.

"But you said this was the highest tree in the world. I can see the whole forest from up here!" Dean shouted from high above, his voice echoing.

"I know I said that kiddo, but it's dangerous. Hurry up and get down!" said Gabriel. How he got up so high on his own was anyone's guess. Getting down probably wouldn't be so easy.

"But Uncle Gabriel-" Dean began to complain.

"No buts! Just get down! The same...way you went up!" said Gabriel, cupping his hands around his mouth so his voice singled out for just him and came out stronger.

"But I don't remember which way I came up!"

Gabriel sighed. He took a quick glance of his surroundings and noted no one was around...Well, no one close by at least. There was a park ranger lodge nearby and a few animals...but at the moment, no one was monitoring Hyperion. With that in mind, Gabriel extended two enormous white wings and took flight until he was on the same branch Dean was on.

The five year old was beaming up at him, hands on his hips in pride. " You made it!"

"Dean, I brought you here to show you the tallest tree. I didn't mean for you to start climbing it first thing," said Gabriel exasperatedly. He picked Dean up under the arms and lifted him so the boy was against his chest. "See? Now you're even higher. Now, let's get down."

"Uncle Gabriel, I want to build a tree house here!" said Dean excitedly.

"A tree house? That's dangerous. Don't you like your other house better? It's a big palace, isn't it?" Gabriel asked.

"No," said Dean, crestfallen. "I can't see outside in my house...No one lets me see. But...But I bet it doesn't look like this!"

"No, I bet not," said Gabriel, nodding thoughtfully. "Tell you what...I think it's high time I give you an early birthday present."

"Really? What're you getting me?!" Dean asked ecstatically.

Gabriel snapped his fingers. Instantly, the branch they were around was surrounded by larger, stronger branches with leaves shadowing their bodies from the outside world. But another snap made a small, wooden cabin appeared just a few feet away on the same branch, stabilized by two neighboring branches on the outside. A perfect little tree house.

"Really?! For me?" Dean hopped down from Gabriel's arms onto the thick branch a little roughly.

"Careful Dean, you'll fall-!" Gabriel began to shout but the boy was already rushing towards the tree house door.

"Wooow," Dean marveled, pulling the door open and fitting inside easily and comfortably. "It's just my size and everything!"

Gabriel climbed in after him. The treehouse was Dean's size and almost completely empty except for a window and a few choice objects of light weight. "I'm glad you like it...I figured it's a...you know. A home away from home? That way whenever you come with me, we have a place to go."

"Is Lilith coming too?" Dean asked and Gabriel was disappointed to hear anticipation in Dean's voice.

"Just you and me," Gabriel clarified.

"Oh, okay," said Dean, undeterred.

"Look what I got you," said Gabriel, distracting him, pushing Dean gently by the small of his back towards a corner. There was a piano there, a small electric piano that sat on the floor. Excitement colored Dean's face and he lit up like Christmas Morning. He plopped down, cross-legged and pulled the piano onto his lap.

Gabriel knelt down beside him. "It's a good skill to have, the piano." He slid the button to indicate it was on and a green light in the corner turned on. "To play music even in complete solitude."

Dean pressed a few keys here and there, not playing any notes in particular. Almost hesitantly. It wasn't a perfected practice...after all the five year old was merely human still. But after playing around a bit, he leaned into Gabriel's shoulder.

"I love you, Uncle Gabriel," Dean whispered solemnly.

Gabriel wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "And I love you, Dean. I always will...Until I draw my last breath, I will always love you."

Heaven, One Year Before Attack on Manhattan

Urgent news had come from the patrol below. Only one soldier had returned after investigating the missing Scripture. This was a priority one mission and Raphael had sent his best to retrieve it. But the soldier that returned seemed to only come back with his life. They had been ambushed by demons and their squad leader, Anna had been captured.

It was a grave day indeed. What knowledge Anna held, if she knew the location of the Scripture was extremely vital. The garrison had formed in lines and as usual, Castiel took his place beside Balthazar. Balthazar was his favorite brother, and everyone who cared to pay attention knew it. But perhaps this was why they were always separated during missions and training. Castiel had been down to Earth all of two times, and both times General Raphael had assigned Uriel as his backup.

Not that he wasn't fond of Uriel, just that Uriel happened to be rash when it came to making decisions and as a squad leader, he didn't seem to care for the good of his squad, rather just accomplishing the mission at whatever cost. Turning to see him in the ranks, Castiel wasn't surprised to find a smug expression on the angel's face. No doubt he was thinking that if Raphael had sent him instead, he would have done a much better job and earned the praise of his superiors.

Raphael appeared at the front, joined by Gabriel. They didn't address them immediately, perhaps waiting for everyone who got the summons to arrive. It was no mistaking that everyone wanted to have Gabriel as their General instead of Raphael. He was the most popular angel in Heaven next to Michael. It was not only because he was kind, but because he simply had a playful spirit. He cared for his men, he never let them undertake a mission without weighing out the circumstances, and if things went raw, he was always there to lend a helping hand.

Heaven's soldiers were distinguished by their armor strip on the shoulder. Red meant Michael was your acting commander. Blue meant Raphael was your commanding general and lastly, green meant you answered to Gabriel. Castiel never truly spoke with his brothers under Gabriel, but the few times he did, he found them all a very light-hearted, care-free bunch.

Balthazar used to be under Gabriel's command before he was promoted to Lieutenant and ordered to lead Raphael's ground forces into battle. He was one of the few survivors of a not-so-secret assault on Hell not long ago. Castiel never asked him about it and Balthazar never offered to talk about it. It was just one of those topics that was probably too traumatic to speak of at leisure. Not that they had much leisure time to begin with.

It was definitely a tense atmosphere. The treaty with the demons stated that neither side could interfere with the will of man. It was a vague demand at best, but both sides usually took it literally. Coming up to the mortal realm , kidnapping and more than likely torturing angels was definitely a violation in that they could have been spotted. Angels took care to remain undetected. Demons did not. That's why they usually didn't come up to the mortal realm. Considering Raphael's past with the new King in hell, Castiel wouldn't be surprised if there was going to be talk of an assault. He was too low in rank to participate in the battle before, but he was nearly a Lieutenant now...and surely he would participate in this one.

Maybe they would even get to rescue Anna in the process.

"Don't look too excited or you might pull a hamstring," Balthazar muttered when he noticed Castiel beginning to try to see over the other soldier's heads to catch a glimpse of the two generals. From back here, it looked like they were having a little bit of an argument.

"I don't understand. Why have they gathered us here if they're not starting?"

"Because they're deliberating what to tell us," Balthazar replied, amused. "Stretch out, Castiel. Ignore all your own thoughts and focus on your hearing. It's what I'm doing."

Castiel concentrated on doing what he said. He closed his eyes to help stave off distraction.

And their voices came, from a distance but undeniably clear.

"We need to plan a strategy before we blindly throw them down in the human world. You know the rules of the treaty, we can't break that if we were to be spotted," Gabriel was saying in an exasperated tone.

"The treaty! Ha!" Raphael scoffed in his harsh tones. "Please. They broke the treaty when they killed dear Anna. Broke her mind to the point of no return. Do you know what her last words were to me before she perished? She said, 'He plays such a sad melody.' Don't talk to me about playing this rationally. Michael said we were to handle the situation and that is exactly what I plan to do, brother."

"That doesn't give us ground to give blind orders and expect that everything will work out as you think!" said Gabriel, scandalized. "They're just soldiers. If they march upon the manor, the humans will know everything about us."

"Not if there are no survivors," said Raphael heartlessly.

"I'm still not approving of what you did with Anna," said Gabriel. "Killing her? Her mind could have healed in time. We could have used whatever other information she may have had."

"I was saving her eternal misery. You and I know her giving the information to Hell was a treachery in it's own right. We would have executed her anyway," Raphael defended himself.

"We would have put her on trial...When she was of right mind," Gabriel corrected.

"I didn't see any disapproval from Michael regarding my decision, Gabriel. I hardly think I need to explain it to you,"

"This Scripture is extremely important, Raphael. Now that we know it's location at last, we can simply retrieve it. The two of us could retrieve it undetected in a matter of seconds without arousing suspicion. Why bother the soldiers with this task?"

"What seems to be your problem, Gabriel? Afraid he might make an appearance? Don't count on it. You took care of that potential situation rather quickly," Raphael sneered.

"This is not about that," growled Gabriel. "I'm merely concerned for the men you wish to send into what may become a bloodbath."

"They could use the practice," Raphael mused. "But do tell, Gabriel. Give me another alternative. Not you and me. That would be too easy. Besides, Dear Anna was just tortured to the point of her brain frying."

"This is an important mission, Raphael," said Gabriel through his teeth. "Why can't you and I just take care of this?"

"I have an idea," said Raphael unexpectedly. And suddenly Castiel didn't need to filter out all other sounds to hear them because Raphael addressed the garrison directly. "Everyone, this was just a drill. You're all dismissed. Commander, stay behind for a moment."

He was talking to Balthazar of course. The soldiers all peeked around at Balthazar too. Raphael was their general, but there was no denying that every soldier here looked to Balthazar for the lead. Balthazar gave a small nod and the crowd began to dissipate in matter of minutes.

Castiel was just about to turn too when Raphael called to his back. "You too, Castiel. Come here."

Uncertain, Castiel exchanged a look with Balthazar before the two of them made their way over.

"We have a mission for you," said Raphael, resuming the Commanding Officer tone. It was a little surprising to hear, even though that was how he always addressed them. Just that hearing him talk casually with his fellow General was different.

Raphael paced a line in front of them. "I won't lie to you. This mission is of utmost importance. As you both well know, the Scripture was located on the mortal plane. We sent a squad of angels to investigate the true location. The mission was a success, however, Lieutenant Annael was killed in action."

Or, Castiel thought. You killed her. Same thing, right?

"We are unsure of how much information Anna divulged to the enemy and exactly how many demons were given this information, whether they were Imperial class or not. But at this moment, we must throw caution to the wind. If we are to successfully retrieve the Scripture from Earth, we must expect that there will be resistance from Hell's side as well," said Raphael.

"Sir," Balthazar interjected. His tone was controlled, polite. But Balthazar had no love for Raphael and that was plain as day. Balthazar was just good at what he did. He earned his position as Commander. "If we are to receive resistance from demons, then shouldn't this be taken care of more discreetly? We may simply be able to set up wards on the location to prevent demonic entry."

"Commander, the demons want the same thing we want. I'm not going to deprive them of a fair chance," Raphael held up a hand when Gabriel opened his mouth to interrupt. "And Commander, this is only protocol that you're standing here listening to this. This mission isn't for you. It's for him."

He was looking right at Castiel. And the other two looked too. Castiel gawked. "Me, General? Why...me?"

"Because you show potential, Castiel. I'm not blind to that," said Raphael, lifting his head and showing what he must have thought was a proud expression. "And this is a perfect opportunity for you to take the position of Lieutenant. Perfect. Simply retrieve the Scripture successfully and you will be promoted."

"Lieutenant? But I'm not...," Castiel was confused. He could barely speak. He wasn't even the rank below Lieutenant yet, and they were talking about promoting him? Seriously? When had he shown that much potential? He had been in few real skirmishes. Sure, he prided himself in being a skilled user in lightning magic. But what did that mean in a real combat situation if the enemy also had offensive spells to combat? Some much stronger than his. He would consider his skill apprentice level at best, hardly master. What skill did he have in dictating the terms of a true military situation?

"Permission to accompany Castiel on this mission," Balthazar's pretense of respect was all gone even though his words stated otherwise. His voice was cold and his teeth were clenched tightly. He could read Castiel like a book, sensing his hesitance, and also knowing that this was a poor call on Raphael's part. Castiel regretted ever listening in on Gabriel and Raphael. He suddenly felt like he was just a game piece on a board where the Generals were watching and laughing from afar. This promotion wasn't real.

"Permission denied," said Raphael promptly. "This is a test of skill, Commander. Castiel must do this alone if he is to claim credit for it. It's a simple mission, Castiel. You retrieve the Scripture by any means necessary. If you have to destroy a few demons along the way, then I commend you all the more for it."

"Where exactly is this Scripture located?" Balthazar asked irritably. No denying that at least Balthazar seemed to give a damn.

"The group we sent in managed to find out that a human male by the name of Dominic Gunn is in possession of the Scripture. He's hosting a masquerade ball in honor of his find at a place called Rose Manor," Gabriel explained in a resigned voice.

"What's a masquerade?" Castiel asked, the word came out unfamiliar in his mind.

"A masquerade is where they wear masks...dance...mingle...human things," said Raphael dismissively. "Perfect cover for you to act human for the night without detection and take the Scripture. It's a rather easy task for a good price, if you ask me."

He didn't want to act human for a night. He may have expressed interest in human cultures in the past, but acting like one of them, even for just a few hours was not appealing. But Castiel knew better than to defy his superiors. There were dire penalties for that...even though he knew what this really was to General Raphael. "I accept this mission."

"Excellent," said Raphael, clasping his hands together. "You leave immediately. I even have an idea of dress code. No armor change unless necessary, Castiel. And keep your weapon concealed. The humans have a way of detecting these things, and we must be discreet as General Gabriel has already pointed out to me."

"It's a given," said Gabriel shrewdly.

It was clear that only one of the four of them was actually happy about this. Gabriel was frowning. Balthazar was glaring at Raphael with open hatred. But he too, knew better then to defy a direct order. If he was meant to back down, then he would. But truly, Castiel wished he could have helped.

He really could have used it.

Not long from then he was already prepared. Balthazar had accompanied him as far as a human dress shop where Castiel waited outside in the dawn where no incoming vehicles were around and no passerby was around to catch them in their odd apparel. His wings were tucked awkwardly against his back to the point where it hurt. These were limbs too, after all. But he had better get used to it.

Rose Manor was situated in an odd location. It was near Paradise Rock where the legends claimed that Lucifer had fallen long ago. In the mountains, there was said to be a temple that prayed to God, ironically enough.

Balthazar placed Castiel in a white tuxedo suit to match the other participants at the ball including Gunn himself. There was going to be over two hundred other guests, but it was Castiel who had to simply wait for Gunn to exhibit his great find. Apparently he simply dug up the Scripture in some ruins in Israel with a huge dig team assisting him. But they weren't really aiming for the Scripture itself. Treasure maybe? It should only appear as a simply document to Gunn.

From the legends surrounding the Scripture, its power was only usable if a Will user was holding it. Gunn was human, not a Will user, not a user of magic. But he found some use in it...it must have had some words on it that were interesting enough that he had to show it off.

While here, Castiel had done some digging on the man. Gunn was a shrewd sort. He was an extremely wealthy man and that came mostly from inheritance. It wasn't surprising that he wasn't exactly the pinnacle of good either. In his youth, he was drafted into the army to fight a war he cared nothing for. He left early mostly because of trauma after being ordered to destroy an elementary school in an air strike raid from his superior officer, killing twenty-three children still inside at the time. Trauma. Sure. Gunn expressed that it was his duty, but his commanding officers noticed a mental decline from there.

He claimed he had seen the Will of God afterwards...and kept saying that to anyone who listened. And he was sent home shortly after.

Trust Raphael to make Castiel pry the Scripture out of this madman.

Balthazar placed the final piece, a white mask over Castiel's eyes, held only by a think white elastic string that clung weakly around his head. It wasn't entirely annoying to have on, but he found it slightly constricting on his peripherals.

"You're going to do fine," said Balthazar assuredly. "I promise. Touch and go. Snag the Scripture and come back. You're finished. Then you're a Lieutenant just like me. And I promise, Castiel...No barking mad orders coming from me when you are."

"Good," was all Castiel could say. He really hoped he would have little to say with the humans. He really didn't want to draw too much attention to himself.

Balthazar patted him on the back. It was time.

Castiel slipped into the party easily. He took the name of one of Gunn's guests who failed to show up: Solomon Hock. Solomon was actually on vacation, and planned to send a letter confirming that he was unable to come. Luckily, this was supposed to be Gunn's first meeting with Hock and Hock was merely here to observe and hope to meet with Gunn regarding an investment into his find. Well Castiel wasn't going to be speaking to Gunn at all if he could help it. Just grab the thing whenever it made it's appearance.

When he stepped in, the manor took him by surprise. It was a huge gold and black marble entrance hall with a staircase at the north wall leading to an east and west wing. Lights were placed on the ceiling. Expensive chandelier. Guests had already arrived and it was something slightly medieval with the way the guests were dancing round and round to classical music playing in the background.

Balthazar had been right. The men were all wearing white...the women wearing lavish gowns of different colors and design. Actually, their clothing seemed to be only variety of color in the entire manor.

Already, Castiel was beginning to feel uncomfortable. He made his way to the long white tables where food and drink was served. The people who passed, masked as well, merely nodded to him in passing. None of them recognized him, obviously. He doubted they knew each other either. They were all here for the same reason Hock was supposed to be. Investments. Money. In short, they all wanted a little piece of what Gunn had to offer.

As he sat there, sipping some revoltingly sweet red liquid, his mind wandered. Why couldn't they just use a mind spell on Gunn to give the location of the Scripture? It was actually forbidden for the Celestial Command to do that at all, to play with the minds of human. That was a severe interference of Free Will if nothing else was. But considering the importance of the Scripture itself, surely this would be an exception to this rule? Especially if they were expecting unruly company to show up.

He may as well not think about the chain of command's thinking right now. Gunn had yet to show his face. Perhaps he was preparing a speech when he brought out the Scripture. Castiel really hoped he hadn't defiled the Scripture by writing the speech on it.

Just wait and see was the protocol for now.

"Welcome," A musical voice greeted from outside. A man of about twenty with slicked black hair was standing at a podium outside the manor with a clipboard in front of him. He hadn't looked up to see the last guest. The last of the cars had already parked. Considering the young man had been doing this all night, he didn't really need to look at him or her right now. "Name and Invitation please?"

He held out his hand expectantly.

The response given was a cloud of smoke blown in his direction.

"I don't have an invitation," The guest said. His voice was remarkably cold and detached. "I'm not on your list either."

The greeter looked up then, starting from the feet and going up from there slowly. Black boots. Black jeans. Black shirt. Black leather jacket. He was not wearing the mask required of the ball. His face was entirely covered except for his eyes by a black bandana tied around the back of his neck. And what eyes those were. Bright and green, though tight for the moment as though he was hiding some amusement.

Undeniably handsome, no doubt. But those eyes were piercing and cold, devoid of emotion. Something sinister rolled off him in waves.

"I...," The greeter struggled for words. "I can't let you in if you're not on the list."

And Dean smiled from beneath his "mask", eyes crinkling as his head tilted. "Oh, I think you'll make an exception...Just this once."