Months Earlier
The road was slick with rain, the wipers of the windshield clacking loudly as the lights of the impala cut through the darkness down the road. Thunder struck, heaven angry and demanding as it rumbled the sound of war to the earth.
With a glance, Dean could see dead set eyes on his right, and he himself couldn't help but work out the clench in his jaw.
Lightning lit up the interior of the car, highlighting the perpetual dark circles under their eyes. Dean's palm tightened around the leather of the wheel as the thunder rolled through the sky, vibrations resonating throughout the car. The sound of old rock music through the stereo was drowned out by the noise of the rain and seeming constant rumbling assaulting the black car.
"Come on Cas." He muttered, eyes glancing heaven bound, "get down here."
Sam glanced towards Dean; instincts nearly propelling him to chastise, maybe tell him to stop. Even so, remained the fact that Dean wasn't the only one who wanted answers.
"We need answers, Cas. Don't be a coward."
The heavens gave no answer; no trumpets, no opening of the clouds, only the downpouring rain and the flashes from above.
If only to play the devils—or angel's, in this case—advocate, Sam spoke, voice low but still holding a touch of sympathy, "maybe he's in the middle of something, Dean-"
He scoffed, "five freakin' minutes Sam, he can spare five freakin' minutes."
"What if he can't hear us?" Sam's question hung in the air, carried away by the wind and rain, discarded and forgotten as if it was never spoken at all.
The thunder roared, lightning flashing just as the Impala hit a pothole, the resounding bang shaking through the cars undercarriage as Dean released a string of profanities. The car skidded, left, right, left, hands gripping tight to the worn down leather wheel as he tried to steady Baby across a road long since flooded. The wheels spun helplessly in the current, barely catching on the asphalt underneath.
Sam was thrown against the side of the car in the violent skid, hand holding tight onto the door as the car threatened to spin out of control. The wind whistled in tandem, pushing up against the car and fighting against Dean's attempts to regain control.
"Dean, watch it!" Sam's warning was nearly lost in the roar of the storm, headlights illuminating a mass in the road splayed across the road, a dark obstacle in the middle of their path.
Dean gritted his teeth, "Hang on!" in a final desperate maneuver, Dean slammed on the brakes, twisting the wheel to the side and sending them sliding in circles, the world outside a blur of water, wind, and darkness. The Impala finally came to a shuddering stop, completely perpendicular to the road it had managed to stay on.
Breathing heavily, Sam and Dean could only exchange wide eyed glances, adrenaline pumping in their veins and muscles tense. The rain continued to pour in concordance with the wind shaking the car in great gusts.
"You okay?" Sam managed, releasing his hold on the door.
"Yeah," Dean huffed, his hands sliding from their death grip on the wheel, "Just peachy."
"What the heck was that?" Sam's gaze firmly out of his window, trying to see the figure on the road. He fumbled with the door handle, pushing his weight into it and stepping into the torrential rain. Dean followed suit, rounding the car and sloshing through the water. Their shoes and clothes were soaked in seconds, both Winchesters pulling out a flashlight, shining it across the road.
There was no dark figure slumped over, only red stained water. "That's-"
"A lot of blood." The pair couldn't help but watch as the blood dispersed in the water, flowing off the road and to the other side. Dean's jaw tightened, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach as the blood ran off the road.
"It's just… gone," Sam yelled over the sound.
Dean turned, looking to the side of the Impala, slowly walking around the car, "I don't think I hit it."
Sam turned his attention to the sides of the roads, flashlight shining and yet coming up empty, "but what was 'it'?"
"Deer?"
Sam glanced towards the Impala, "You said it yourself, we didn't hit it," He squinted from the rain pelting his face, a hand pushing back his sopping hair from his vision. The wind whistled through the trees, and the sky lit up again with lightning.
"We gotta move, Sammy. No dents on her, but if we wait, Baby will get stuck in this mess."
Sam nodded, water streaming down his face as he hurriedly made his way back to the Impala, sloshing through the flooded path. They both clambered into the car, tugging the doors closed.
"You called."
They flinched in their seats, heads snapping to the back. Blood dripped down his forehead, soaked through his shirt and trench coat as he rested slumped across the bench. Anything not covered in blood was drenched in rainwater. His eyes glowed an uneasy shaking blue, the same blue glowing from his stomach, bright, pounding, and oozing into the world.
"Cas?"
"What the-"
"What happened to you?" Sam asked, eyes grazing over the visible wounds and the amount of blood soaking the seat. His hand flew to the glove compartment, yanking it open to find the first aid kit.
"We have to go." Castiel's voice was commanding, the rumble of thunder supporting his words, even as they were strained in his agony.
"We're not going anywhere—where were you, Cas?" Dean's jaw tightened, glancing towards Sam as his brother was pulling out their supplies, needle, thread, and alcohol. "Can't you mojo yourself back together?"
"They cut him open with holy fire," Balthazar's voice sliced through, appearing at Castiel's side.
The Winchesters flinched at his sudden appearance, Dean cursing and hitting his steering wheel. Balthazar was covered in blood, dirt and mud, some bleeding cuts stitching themselves back together as he turned to Castiel, tugging at the buttons on his brother's shirt.
"Hey Cassie," Balthazar spoke with a strained smile, watching Castiel squirm in his pain. "I should've known this is where you'd go, back to the squabbling Winchesters you adore so much." Pulling back the shirt, he paused for a second, muttering "oh dear,"
"What, what's wrong, can you fix it?" Sam asked, trying to get a better view in the dim interior, lit up only because of Castiel's grace oozing into the atmosphere.
Balthazar turned to Dean, "Start driving-"
"No we're not going anywhere until someone starts explaining what's going on—what happened to Cas?" Dean shot back, eyes firm.
Balthazar's laugh was sharp, "You insolent human," disbelief at the audacity easily identifiable on his face, "if you don't drive, we will be smote to the Apocalypse, and for you two that's not an exaggeration."
"We're at war, Dean," Castiel's voice was strained, forced into the air with shaky breaths.
"Yes, we are, with a very angry Archangel that knows exactly where we are."
With a look from his brother, Dean pushed the key into the ignition, twisting for the car to come to life. As he slid her into drive, she skittered for a moment in the puddles, before getting traction and following her driver's directions. Dean's eyes kept sliding to the backseat, "I want it to be clear I think this is a bad idea."
Balthazar squints his eyes in mock care, "Good for you."
"Guys," Sam pushed in, cutting off Dean who was ready with a retort. He turned to Balthazar, "can you heal Cas?"
"As much as I love my dear brother, healing him does nothing when we have mere seconds before an army of angels is surrounding us." Balthazar drawled, hand still on Castiel's shoulder. "Keep driving-"
And with that, Balthazar was gone, sending Dean reeling, cursing loudly. "Cas what the heck?"
"Angels are after us?"
Cas managed a nod, "me." He seemed to think hard, watching helplessly as he fell apart, "Raphael would-" he winced, "take you too."
"Great, and where did that son of a-"
"The righteous man has no faith, does he Cassie?" Balthazar muttered from where he reappeared, shoving a paper into Sam's hands, "Be a dear and recite those lines."
Sam took a half second, swallowing hard before reciting the Enochian on the page.
"So angels are coming after us?" Dean asked, "Shouldn't they be here already?"
"Our side is keeping them occupied for the time being, and your dear brother is now hiding us from being tracked," Balthazar replied, holding a stone against Castiel's wound, an inky substance oozing into it, before the stone completely crumpled into dust. "Your wings are covered with holy oil," Balthazar muttered, "only a fool would fly with them like that, and unfortunately for me you are one."
"Is Cas going to be okay?" Dean demanded, hands gripping onto the steering wheel in the continued torrential rain and concern for his friend.
"Oh don't get all worked up, Winchester. I've dealt with worse, and so has Cassie here, right Cassie?"
Cas grimaced as Balthazar held his hand over the wound, sealing it closed, "I'm fine, Dean," the angel reassured, still slumped against the side of the car. With that wound closed, the other injuries over Castiel's vessel began to heal themselves.
Balthazar pulled out a vial of holy oil from what seemed to be thin air, uncorking the vial and dipping his fingers into the shimmering liquid.
Sams hand grabbed onto Balthazar's arm, concern covering his face, "What are you doing?"
Balthazar took his arm back with a sharp tug and frown, "Do you want to die? Because I really want to keep living. Keep reading," With a crack of lightning, Sam begrudgingly kept reciting the page.
"Balthazar, whatever trick you're playing we're not in the mo-"Dean snapped to the back, making eye contact through the rearview mirror.
"For goodness sake-" Balthazar pulled his shirt upwards, showcasing burned symbols into his vessel's flesh, "It keeps us hidden from Raphaels forces." Dean bit his tongue to keep back his response when he saw Cas' tired expression, while Sam continued repeating the words. "now can I do my job without all of the needless questioning?" He didn't wait half a heartbeat, "thank you."
It took only a moment more for the markings to be complete, Castiel seeming to brace himself in the corner of the Impala. "Now this will hurt just like the last time," Balthazar murmured under his breath, and then with one swift motion the symbols caught fire. The flames danced across the symbols, the smell of burnt flesh filling the car, Castiel grimacing and jaw clenched tight to prevent any noise as his body shook from the tension.
Sam winced as he watched his friend squirm in his pain, Dean grimacing as he smelt and saw the display in his rearview.
It took a few more moments before Balthazar smothered the flames with the dirty trench coat. After a quick visual inspection, Balthazar nodded to Sam, letting him know he didn't have to continue the words.
"So now what?"
Balthazar reclined into the backseat, a smirk on his lips, "Now, you two drive like your tails are on fire, preferably change directions within the next hour, and we all pretend this never happened."
"Woah, hold your horses, no one's going anywhere until we can finally get some answers."
"Dean, I am at war. I do not have the luxury of being at your beck and call whenever you have a question." Castiel snapped back.
"Oh, so you could hear me?"
"I'm here, aren't I?"
"If it wasn't for your incessant whining, Cassie wouldn't have gotten hu-"
"Balthazar." Castiel shuts him down fast, a dark glare across the backseat.
"Cas, if something happened to you, how would we know?" Sam asked quietly.
"Hey, Cas is fine, Cas will be fine," Dean interjected, anger covering his fear.
"Dean if there's truly a war-"
"Cas will be fine, somethin's got him up and kicking before-"
Castiel took a breath, looking to Sam, "If I were to die,"
"No, no ones dying end of discussion." Dean said it as if it was final.
"If I were to die, Samandriel or Balthazar would find you two and take you into hiding."
"Hey, I don't want to be stuck with him-" Dean said, pointedly looking towards Balthazar.
Balthazar returned with a cheeky smile, "trust me darling, I'd rather be on the other side of the world drinking wine."
"Dean, it's the only way to prevent the apocalypse. Sam is Lucifer's vessel, and if something has happened with Michael's other vessel, he will want you."
Dean clenched his jaw, "So what? That's your plan? Make us play hide-and-seek with archangels?"
Cas nodded softly, "yes-"
"No, we have stuff we need to do, hear me?"
"We're not asking you to like it, but if I have to drag your sorry limp body across the world because you wouldn't listen to me, I will." Balthazar snapped, leaning over the front bench, "I'd dare say I would prefer that quiet."
Sam fidgeted with the paper covered in Enochian, "So what's your plan, Cas?"
Castiel quieted, mulling in his thoughts, "As of now, heaven is too divided for him to make a move. I have to gain any advantage I can."
The angels' gazes grew unfocused as their hands reached their temples, sending a glance towards each other. "As lovely as this chat has been, Cas and I have to go."
"If you need me, call." Castiel's words were quiet as he buttoned back up his shirt.
Before the brothers could utter a word, with a whoosh of their wings, they were both gone.
Dean hit the steering wheel again, grumbling under his breath, "Freakin' angels."