Dean drove in the Impala, on his way to the Campbell base to meet up with Sam. "Hey. I'm about eight hours out of the Campbell base," he informed him on the phone. "Uh, change of plans. I need you to meet me. I'm in PA. Town called Easter," Sam replied. "What are you doing in Pennsylvania?" he asked. "Caught a case." That was fast. "A case? When? It's been, like, a day and a half." He could picture Sam's shrug as he responded, "I like to work." No, he didn't. Not his Sam. "Apparently," he mumbled out loud. "Glad we hashed that out. Call me when you roll into town." Sam hung up on him.

"Who died and made you boss?" Dean asked, looking at his phone. Just then, it started ringing with an unknown number. It was a 206 area code- Washington State. "Hello?" he answered it. "D-Daddy?" His heart dropped in his chest. "Bug? Is that you?" The call dropped. "Hello? Mack? Mckinley!" He stared at his phone with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Something was seriously wrong. He was suddenly faced with a dilemma; did he go to Pennsylvania and work some new case with Sam, or did he book it to Washington and hope he wasn't too late to track down his daughter?

He dialed Sam again. "Okay, I know you're fast, but no way are you that fast," Sam quipped. "Shut up, Sam. Mack just called me." Sam was silent on the other end. "Okay. What did she say?" The blasé tone Sam asked the question with pissed him off. "Nothing. The call dropped before she could say anything," he snapped. "Then how do you know it was her?" Sam asked. "Well, she said the word 'Daddy' and that was it," Dean amended through clenched teeth. "She sounded scared, Sam."

"Okay, so what do you want to do?" He frowned. He still wasn't sure. All he knew was that Mack was in Washington State, and she was in some sort of trouble. "I-I don't know," he shook his head. "C-can you do the case without me?" Sam hummed, "I could really use the backup, Dean. Do you even know where she is?" Man, he wished Sam would stop acting so indifferent about this situation. If he was acting like himself, Dean was sure he would be dropping the case and promising to meet Dean in Washington State so they could work on tracking down Mack together.

"It was a Washington State area code," Dean informed him. "I don't know anything else." Sam was silent, as if considering his words. "Alright, how about we work this case and then after we can figure out what the deal is with Mack?" Dean frowned. Sam never called Mack Mack. He always called her Kinley. Just another thing to add to the list of reasons Sam didn't seem like himself. Besides that, "I'm not sure we have time to work the case first, Sam. I'm telling you, something is wrong. I think she might be in trouble."

"Well, we can't really do anything about it since all you got is an area code, Dean. Just get here to Pennsylvania, and then we'll figure something out." Sam hung up again before he could respond. Despite his instincts telling him he needed to drop everything and book it to Washington State, he gave in to his brother's logic and headed to the other side of the country to meet Sam in Easter for the case. He should have gone with his instincts, because at that very moment, in Washington, Mack was getting the worst punishment she'd ever had from John Winchester for sneaking out to call her father.

Three police officers- all partners- were dead of unnatural causes. The first had been liquified into a pile of blood, the second was covered head to toe in boils and the third had locusts literally eat their way out of his skull. Back at the motel room Sam had booked, Dean looked through papers while Sam worked on his laptop. "Sweet. Blood, boils, locusts," he muttered. He still couldn't shake the feeling in his gut telling him he should be in Washington State looking for his daughter. "Three of your more popular Egyptian plagues," Sam noted.

Dean picked up the jar they'd trapped the locusts in. "Yeah, but these guys… ate their way out of a cop's melon. I don't quite remember that in the King James." Sam nodded, "Meanwhile, a kid named Christopher Birch was shot in the head last month after a vehicle pursuit. Hatch, Gray, and Colfax were the three officers involved, and they all filed the exact same police report."

"'Suspect exited vehicle brandishing a firearm. We were forced to fire. Just a kid with no face and a planted gun,'" Dean shook his head in disgust. "Bunch of dicks. So they pop the kid, plant the piece." Dean set down the jar, crossing the room to the fridge. "Maybe Colfax is right," Sam suggested. "You know, maybe Heaven has a hate-on for cops." Dean raised an eyebrow. "So we're listening to the guy with a bug in his custard? That's- that's the, uh, the theory you want to go with."

"Dean, angels got to have something to do, right, now that we're post-apocalypse?" Dean cracked open a beer, struck by an idea. "We should call Cas." Sam stared at him like he was crazy. "You're kidding me, right?" he scoffed. "Dean, I tried. It was the first and second and third thing I did, soon as I got topside. You tried when Mack ran away. Son of a bitch won't answer the phone." Dean sat down at the end of one of the beds. "Well, let's give it a shot. Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray to Castiel to get his feathery ass down here."

"You're an idiot," Sam shook his head. "Stay positive," Dean snapped. "Oh, I am positive," Sam shot back. "Come on, Cas! Don't be a dick. We got ourselves a… plague-like situation down here, and… do you… do you copy?" Dean opened one of his eyes and then the other, staring at the spot behind Sam's chair. "Like I said," Sam cleared his throat, "son of a bitch doesn't answer-" he noticed Dean's expression. "He's right behind me isn't he?"

"Hello," Cas greeted. Sam gaped. "Hello?" Cas blinked. "Y-yes." Sam imitated Cas' voice, "'Hello'," he went back to his normal voice. "'Hello'?" Cas seemed very confused. "Uh, that is still the term?" he asked. "I spent all that time trying to get through to you, Dean tried eight months ago, and now he calls once about some case and it's," he imitated Cas again, "'Hello'?!"

"Yes," Cas nodded, then looked around the room. "Where's Mack?" Dean's heart was trying to escape his chest. Seeing Cas again, hearing his voice… and then to have him ask about that… "S-she's not here," he said. Cas looked at him and his world stopped. Oh God, having those blue blue eyes concentrating on him again… "What do you mean 'she's not here'? Where is she?" Dean's throat closed up, unable to answer. "Dean?" Son of a bitch. "S-she… I… I don't know." The look on Cas' face killed him. "You don't know?"

"S-she r-ran away… E-eight months ago…"

"She what?!" Sam and Dean both jumped as suddenly all the glass in the room suddenly smashed. Cas looked absolutely livid. "Why didn't you call me?!" Dean suddenly found himself getting angry as well. "I tried! Didn't you hear what Sam just said?! I called you eight months ago when she went missing! BUT YOU NEVER FREAKING ANSWERED!" He was on his feet, getting in the angel's space. "I looked for her for weeks on my own and couldn't find anything! She just vanished!"

The fire seemed to leave both angel and hunter as they stood there inches from each other, green meeting blue. Off to the side, Sam waited awkwardly at the table for them to finish. "Where have you been, man?" Dean whispered brokenly. "I… I'm sorry, Dean," Cas swallowed. "Things in Heaven have been… hectic, to say the least. You… you really have no idea where she is?" Dean suddenly remembered the phone call he'd received. "Well, I… I did get a phone call about ten hours ago… From Washington State… She sounded scared, Cas… I think she's in trouble."

Sam cleared his throat, drawing both of their attention. "Okay, not that that's not important, but can we maybe, uh, focus? What made this time different, Cas? Why'd you answer this time and not any of the other times we've tried to get in contact?" Dean was getting ready to tear his brother a new one when Cas left his side to pick up the jar of locusts. "I came for this," he answered. "Oh, well, it's nice to know what matters," Dean quipped. "It does help one to focus."

"Seriously? You couldn't take five minutes to give Sam answers about how he was suddenly back from Hell or time to help me find Mack, but you care about some stupid bugs?" Cas looked over at him again. "I don't know who brought Sam back from the cage… or why." Dean noticed how he didn't speak to why he didn't come when he asked for help finding Mack. "So… it wasn't God?" Sam asked. "No one's even seen God," Cas answered. "The whole thing remains mysterious."

"A-and the killings… you and the Halo Patrol aren't responsible for them?" Sam pressed, totally focused on the case. Dean had no idea how he could do that. His niece could be in serious trouble, but he was putting all his energy into a job. "No. But they were committed by one of our weapons," Cas explained. "There's only one thing that could have brought this into existence. You call it the Staff of Moses."

"The Staff?" Sam asked in surprise. "It was used in a dominance display against the Egyptians, as I recall," Cas looked over at Dean again. "As soon as we find and stop whoever is using the Staff, I will find Mack, Dean. I swear to you, if she's in any sort of trouble as you suspect, whoever has hurt her will pay." That made him feel a little better, but he was still concerned about how much time they were wasting with this case instead of trying to track her down. "Hold on," Sam interrupted again, "b-but I thought the Staff turned like a- a river into blood, not one man."

Again with Sam's singular focus. It was really rubbing Dean the wrong way. "The weapon isn't being used at full capacity. I think we can rule out Moses as a suspect," the angel set down the jar of locusts. Dean swallowed, trying to force himself to focus the way the other two were. "Okay, but… what is- what is Chuck Heston's disco stick doing down here, anyway? I mean, don't you guys put your toys away?"

"I told you, Dean. Before the apocalypse, Heaven may have been corrupt, but it was stable. The Staff was safely contained. But it's been hectic, chaotic ever since the war ended," Cas sighed. "In that confusion, a number of… powerful weapons were… stolen." Dean blinked. "Wait, you- you're saying your nukes are loose?" He was starting to realize why this was what drew Cas' attention. "Yeah, I'm afraid so. But you've stumbled upon one of them. We must find the weapon that did this," Cas indicated the jar of locusts. "I need your help."

Sam scoffed, "That's rich. Really." Cas grunted, tossing the jar at Sam, who caught it in surprise. Cas proceeded to go on a rant featuring air quotes that Dean didn't think he was using the right way. "Sam, Dean, my 'people skills' are 'rusty'. Pardon me, but I have spent the last 'year' as a multidimensional wavelength of celestial intent. But believe me, you do not want that weapon down here. Help me find it. Or more people will die."

"Alright," Dean nodded. "Okay. Well, if the angels didn't pull the trigger, then that brings us back to motive." Cas didn't understand. "What?" Sam translated for him. "Back to the case. Right now, we got three dead cops. Only thing linking them… is this." Dean handed Sam the newspaper clipping for him to show Cas. "'Father of slain suspect calls for investigation.'"

Cas transported them to the Birch home where they confronted Christopher Birch's father about killing the cops. While they were doing so, Aaron Birch, Christopher's brother, came in with a piece of the Staff. "Shouldn't it be bigger?" Sam asked curiously as they stared at Aaron. "Yes," Cas confirmed. "It's- it's been sawed off." Aaron was still getting angry at them for yelling at his dad. "Leave him alone! It wasn't him!" His father yelled at him, "Aaron, get out of here!" Cas pressed two fingers to the father's forehead and he fell back on the couch, unconscious.

"What did you do to him?" Aaron asked in surprise. "It's alright. He's just sleeping," Dean assured him. Aaron turned the Staff to point at Dean and Cas reappeared next to him, taking it away from him. "Cas, take it easy!" Dean told him, then looked at Aaron. "Listen, we're not here to hurt you, okay? But we need to know… where did you get this thing?"

"Please don't kill my dad. It was me. I did it," the young boy begged. "Nobody's killing anybody," Dean shook his head. "What's your name?" Aaron swallowed, "Aaron. Aaron Birch."

"Okay, Aaron Birch, where did you get this?" Dean nodded at the Staff piece in Cas' hands. "You won't believe me," the boy shook his head. "Try me," Dean pressed gently. "It was an angel." That surprised the Winchesters and Cas. "An angel?" Dean echoed. "Those liars, they killed my brother, and nothing bad even happened to them. It's not fair. So I prayed to God every night that he would punish them. God didn't answer. But he did."

"His name- did he give you a name?" Cas questioned him. "No. He just said I could have justice, but I was gonna have to take it myself. He… he gave me the stick." Dean blinked, "He just… gave it to you? Ah, come on. He didn't just give it to you, did he, Aaron?" Aaron swallowed guiltily, "I bought it."

"You bought it," Sam chuckled. "With what? What's your allowance?" Dean gave his brother a look, then focused on the boy. "What did the angel want for it?" he asked gently. "What did you give him for it?"

"My soul."

They all gaped. "You sold your soul to an angel?" Sam asked. "Can that even happen?" Dean addressed Cas. "It's never happened before," Cas frowned. "An angel's buying souls. That could explain why he cut the Staff into pieces." Sam blinked over at him, "Why?" Cas shrugged, "More pieces, more product."

"More 'product'?" Dean shook his head in disbelief. "Who is this guy?" Cas glanced at him," We'll find him." The angel pressed two fingers to Aaron's forehead, rendering the young boy unconscious. "What did you do that for?" Dean demanded. "Portability," Cas replied, putting Aaron over his shoulder. They were suddenly back in Sam's motel room, and Cas dumped Aaron on the bed. "Cas, you realize you just kidnapped a kid?" Dean pointed out. His mind went to Mack, wondering if that could have been what happened to her… "If the angel we seek truly bought this boy's soul, when a claim is laid on a living soul, it leaves a mark, a brand."

"What, like a- like a shirt tag at camp?" Sam asked. "I have no idea," Cas answered. "But I can read the mark and find the name of the angel that bought the soul." Dean didn't like the sound of that. "How?" Cas looked over at him, "Well, painfully for him. The reading will be excruciating." Dean really didn't like the sound of that. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on," he protested. "Dean," Cas glared at him. "He's a kid, Cas. A ki- Sam?"

"Any permanent damage?" Sam asked Cas. Dean couldn't believe this. "What?!" Cas' expression remained cool and calculated as he answered. "Physically, minimal." What the actual hell? "Oh, well, yeah, then by all means, stick your arm right in there," Dean rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Dean! If I get the name, I can work a ritual to track the angel down."

"And I'm all for that. But come on. There's got to be another way." He was close to tears now. "There is no other way," Cas replied. "You're gonna torture a kid?" Dean's voice broke a little. "I can't care about that, Dean! I don't have the luxury." Without another word, Cas pushed his hand into Aaron's chest. Dean started to advance, but found himself restrained by Sam. They both watched as Aaron screamed and his body lit up from the inside. He stopped screaming and fell back unconscious when Cas withdrew his hand. Dean had tears in his eyes.

"He'll rest now," Cas murmured softly. "Did you get a name? What is it?" Sam asked, ever focused on the task at hand. "I thought he died in the war," Cas' voice remained quiet. "What, he- he was a- he was a friend or something?" Cas looked over at Sam, sighing, "A good friend." Dean couldn't keep the anger out of his voice, tears still in his eyes, "Yeah, well, your frat buddy is now moonlighting as a crossroads demon."

"Balthazar. I wonder…" Cas trailed off. "So, we can find him now, right?" Sam asked. Just then, another angel appeared in the room. "Balthazar," he said. "Thanks, Castiel. We'll make good use of the name." The angel attacked Cas with an angel blade, Cas blocking it with his own. "And by the way, Raphael says hello." Dean recognized that name; it was the teenage mutant ninja angel he and Cas went after back when Cas first started his God hunt… The angel and Cas continued to fight in the room, both losing their blades. Grappling each other, they jumped out the window that was still smashed from when Cas had gotten angry earlier.

When Sam and Dean looked down, the angels had fallen onto one of the cars parked on the street. The angel disappeared, leaving Cas standing alone next to the smashed vehicle. "My car," Sam frowned. Dean smirked down at Cas, "Okay. Silver lining." Cas reappeared behind him and Sam. "He's gone," he said. "Alright, Cas, who was that guy?" Sam asked. "A soldier of Raphael. He must have followed me when I answered your call."

"Raphael? The archangel? I'm sorry, what's going on here?" Cas grabbed a bowl from the kitchenette cupboard. "I can explain later. Right now we have to-" Dean cut him off. "No, not later. Now. Stop, alright? Too many angels, Cas! I don't know who's on first, what's on second."

"What is 'second'?"

"Don't start that," Dean snapped. "It is simple: Raphael and his followers, they want him to rule Heaven. I- and many others- the last thing we want is to let him take over. It would be catastrophic." Sam frowned, "You're talking civil war." Cas nodded, "Technically, yes. Which is why we need to find Balthazar and his weapons before Raphael does. Whoever has the weapons wins the war." Cas pulled Sam's weapons bag from under his bed. "Help yourself," Sam muttered sarcastically.

"And what happens if Raphael wins?" Dean queried. "What- what does he want?" Cas fixed Dean with an intense look, grabbing a flask of holy water out of Sam's bag. "What he's always wanted- to end the story the way it was written." Dean's stomach churned. "You mean the apocalypse, the one we derailed?" Cas nodded, "Yes. That one. Raphael wants to put it back on the rails."

"Why?"

"I need myrrh," Cas mused, vanishing. "Freakin' angels," Dean grumbled. Cas reappeared behind him, drawing on the kitchenette table with chalk. "Why does Raphael want to bring back all this crap?" Dean demanded. "He's a traditionalist," Cas replied simply. "Cas, why didn't you tell us this?" Cas glanced over. "I was ashamed. I expected more from my brothers. I'm sorry. I need your blood." He grabbed Dean's wrist, slicing open his palm. Dean tried to ignore the way Cas' touch made him feel as he protested. "Whoa, whoa! Hey! Ahh! Why don't you use your own?"

"It wouldn't work. I'm not human." Dean closed his hand, letting the blood drip into the bowl. Cas let go of his wrist and he pulled his hand to his chest, watching the angel add holy water and myrrh to the bowl before intoning. Outside, they heard police sirens wailing. "Uh, Cas, how long does this spell take?" Sam asked as the wailing intensified. "Got him. Let's go."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dean nodded at Aaron on the bed. "What about him?" Cas looked over at the child, then back at Dean. "Don't you think the police will take him home?"

They found Balthazar hiding out at an old mansion. Raphael and two other angels showed up, fighting them. Dean used a banishing sigil to send one of them away, Cas killed another, and Balthazar turned Raphael to salt with a crystal. "You came back," Cas addressed Balthazar. "Well, now Raphael will have to go shopping for a new vessel. Should give me a nice long head start on him. Until next time." Cas echoed, "Next time."

"No time like the present," Dean said, flicking a lighter and dropping it. A ring of fire appeared around Balthazar. "Holy fire. You hairless ape! Release me!" Balthazar demanded, enraged. "First you're taking your marker off of Aaron Birch's soul." The angel glared, "Am I?!"

"Sam?!"

Sam entered the room, holding the jar of holy oil. "Unless you like your wings extra crispy-" he uncorked the jar- "I'd think about that." Balthazar ignored them, focusing on Cas. "Castiel, I stood for you in Heaven. Are you gonna let-"

"I believe…" Cas interrupted, "the hairless ape has the floor." Balthazar looked from him to Dean, laughing. "Very well," he inhaled, clasping his hands to his forehead, and exhaled. "The boy's debt is cleared. His soul is his own." Dean frowned, "Why you buying up human souls, anyway?" Balthazar scoffed, "In this economy? It's probably the only thing worth buying. Do you have any idea what souls are worth? What power they hold? Now… release me."

"Suck it, ass clown. Nobody said anything-" Cas lowered his hand, lowering the flames. "Cas, what the hell?" Dean demanded. "My debt to you is cleared," Cas addressed the other angel. "Fair enough," Balthazar nodded, vanishing. "I'll go find Mack now, Dean," Cas said, vanishing as well. "What? Cas! Freaking angels! Come on!" Dean scrubbed a hand over his face. The only upside was the knowledge that Cas was out looking for Mack.