Chapter Sixty-Four

Collison

TW/CW:

Valerius Estate: August 23, 2010 – Night

Marcus stepped onto the balcony where Azrial was leaning over the railing. He walked up next to her, unsure what to say. He'd been hesitant to push into her life more than needed, afraid that he'd cause her more pain when he eventually had to return to Elysium. Crowley's words had landed like a whip, reminding him exactly what was at stake. What he could lose forever if even one wrong move was made. The sad fact was this could be all the time they had left. He may return to their family, but she would be gone. A memory and nothing more. His fingers wrapped around the balcony railing, cool metal biting into his sweating palms. Gentle fingers brushed against his hand, and he glanced down at Azrial. She was staring out over their estate with a melancholy smile.

"You are still so beautiful," he whispered.

Her eyes shifted to him, glowing in the moonlight. "Despite aging?" she teased.

He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, hesitating to remove his hand. "You aged like a fine wine, my love. Even if you had not, I would love you just as much as I always have."

Azrial's lips twitched. "Again, with that silver tongue," she said wistfully. "How I've missed it."

He went to wrap his other arm around her waist just as she leaned into his chest. Her arms wound around his back, fingers brushing just below his shoulder blades. He buried his face in her soft hair, breathing in her unique scent. Elysium tried to recreate it on the winds when his longing for her reached uncomfortable highs, but it could never manage it. It was a beautiful mix of subtle sweetness and the freshness that followed a strong storm.

"Stay with me tonight," she whispered.

"I will stay with you as long as you wish," he vowed.

She lifted her head, running her eyes over his face. "Promise?"

There was a tightness to her voice that he'd never heard. It was desperation, he realized. Her fingers were digging gently into his shoulders, holding him as tightly as he held her.

"I will remain until you send me away," he promised.

"And if I never do?"

The question was stilted, catching strangely in her throat as she once more buried her face in his chest. His eyes fell shut, and he rested his chin on her head, dragging his fingers through the ends of her hair.

"Then here is where I shall remain until the world collapses in on itself."

He felt the shuddering breath Azrial took before she finally looked up. "I never stopped loving you, loving our family. I loved you all so much that… Would you still love me if you knew the truth?" Her eyes fell, a choked laugh ripping from her throat. "I gave up. I was willing to die just to make it stop hurting."

"Talk to me," he gently requested as he lifted her chin. "Tell me about your life after me, love."

Azrial looked hesitant—afraid, he realized with a start. She truly thought he'd leave and forsake her if he knew the truth. Her fingers squeezed his shoulders one more time before she unwound her arms from his body. She took his hand, tugging him back into the villa. He knew they had to have this conversation, but he would do anything to stamp out the deep sadness in her eyes. All he could do now was listen. Listen and hope he found the right words to offer comfort if needed.

Line Break

The days passed quickly after that, a blur of activity and a keen awareness that it was all going to end soon, one way or another. Bobby felt steadier than he had in a long damn time. Seeing Karen again had changed a lot for him. He'd been able to tell her about how his life went, and Azrial's words from months ago had been prophetic. Karen was utterly pleased with how he'd stepped up to care for the kids who kept coming into his life with no end in sight. When they reached the topic of Azrial and Crowley, hard to avoid given his wife had been risen from the damn dead to have this conversation, she smiled knowingly at him.

"I'm so glad you're happy. No matter what happens, I'm so proud of the man you are. That despite the world trying so hard to change it, you're still the loving and kind man I fell in love with."

Those words still echoed in his head, especially on days when training got difficult or the world pressing down on him got a bit too noticeable. Despite the circumstances, he felt like he'd finally exited survival mode. He was living—fuck, he was thriving in some ways! He was able to be more open with his family, and his boys had quickly noticed he was more willing to let them lean on him or curl up against his side after a long day. He'd been trapped between Sam and Dean one night on the couch until both their angels brought them to bed. All in all, Azrial's birthday gift had changed his life, as sappy as that was.

Then, there was Azrial and Marcus. He'd approached Crowley after Karen had left when he couldn't find the two, and the demon was as smug as anything.

"You weren't the only one getting over your guilt. I think we can finally start discussing how things may work, especially since it seems more and more likely that he'll be sticking around now."

The unspoken guilt, hesitance, and fear had bled from Azrial and Marcus. He knew with one lookthat the man had learned what happened to Azrial. All of it. There was a heaviness in his eyes that Bobby had seen in Crowley's from time to time when looking at Azrial. The sadness that it had all happened, but the acceptance of the darkness it left in her. That there were good days and bad for the archangel. It was freeing, especially since he and Crowley didn't have to censor anything now if she was having a rough day. All and all, he was damn pleased with the progress.

"They're still having trouble shifting?" Crowley asked curiously.

Bobby shook away his thoughts, turning his attention to Crowley and Azrial. Their angel was curled against Crowley's side, eyes shut and rubbing her temples to ward off a headache.

"I don't know what else to do," Azrial said. "This is such an outlandish situation. They are positive they can enter their true forms. Hell, Samael tried, and it was flawless. His vessel was left as a wolf."

"Maybe it's time to throw in the towel," Crowley reasoned. "They don't need human bodies on the battlefield."

"They do at the start," Azrial grumbled. "Otherwise, our whole advantage goes to shit."

"Wait, if they can leave their vessel despite it being stuck as a wolf, then doesn't that mean that their vessel is cursed and not them?" Bobby asked.

Azrial's eyes opened, her brows scrunching in thought. "In theory, that's what it means."

"Then why not have Gabriel create a single vessel, have one of them hop into it, and see what happens?" Bobby suggested. "I know creating more than a dozen of the things would be exhausting, but just doing one to see if it works shouldn't take too much energy."

He grunted, not realizing Azrial had moved until she kissed him firmly.

"You handsome, brilliant man," she said, each word accented by a kiss.

Bobby didn't get a chance to thank her for the compliment before she was gone in a flurry of feathers. He blinked owlishly at Crowley, but the bastard just chuckled.

"She isn't wrong. You are handsome and brilliant."

Bobby rolled his eyes but couldn't quite stop his smile. "You're both biased."

"Of course we are, doesn't mean we're wrong. Now, did you want to get some more training in while she's busy?"

"Yeah, why not. Can't hurt."

Line Break

Gabriel wiped the sweat away from his brow, trying to ignore Azrial's keen gaze. There was a nervous energy rattling off his little sister that was making it difficult to focus, not that he blamed her. He couldn't believe they hadn't thought of this earlier, but better late than never.

"Alright, who's gonna be our guinea pig?" he asked, laying the empty golem on the ground.

The golem had no form. It would hopefully allow Azrial's trapped flock to imprint their prior vessels on the golem. It took more energy, but that small edge may be the difference between life and death. Samael and Mora exchanged a loaded look, but before either could make the first move, a happy caw filled the air. Dina flew forward, shedding their raven form right above the golem and slamming into it. Azrial caught the now motionless raven, just in case Dina still needed it. The golem glowed brightly, and Gabriel shielded his eyes from the light. A strangled gasp had him blinking away spots as he glanced back at the ground.

"It fucking worked," he breathed. "Azrial, it worked!"

His sister was frozen in shock, watching Dina struggle to their feet. The angel of beauty was donned in a heavy wool dress with fur around the neck, wrists, and bottom trim. Dina's waist-length red hair was braided down their back, thin ribbons of green throughout. Their high cheekbones accented their freckles, and they placed a hand against their flat chest.

"Azrial?" Dina muttered, voice horse. "It worked?"

Azrial practically picked Dina up, sobs wracking through her body. Gabriel smiled, not bothering to stem his own tears. A hand on his shoulder made him look over, and he grinned at Balthazar as Castiel slowly approached Azrial and Dina.

"Thank you," Balthazar said. "Just…thank you, Gabriel."

"Guess they're bunking with you then?" Gabriel teased.

"If Dina still wants me, then yes," Balthazar said softly. "We'll see what happens."

"Looks like it's gonna be a long few days," Gabriel said thoughtfully. "I think I can only manage three of those a day before I pass out. Then again, that's on my own, so it may change when I have Azrial's grace to draw on."

"Let's give them a few more minutes," Balthazar said.

Gabriel smiled, watching his little sister and Castiel help Dina to their feet, the angel of beauty leaning heavily on Castiel as they tried to find their new center of gravity.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea."

Line Break

Above Earth: August 23, 2010 – Night

Raphael slipped out of Heaven through one of the few spots that remained open for reapers and other death deities to traverse through. It left him feeling sick, but it worked, and he was quickly searching Earth for an entrance to Hell.

He didn't bother with a vessel, staying away from human sight. Appearing in front of Lucifer in human skin wouldn't endear him to his brother, and truthfully, he couldn't stand the pests. He had no energy to lie about his intentions when time was running out. More than once, he'd felt ice creeping over him like Azrial was standing behind him and ready to slit his throat. The moments never lasted, but it was unsettling and spurred him into acting sooner than he planned. Even above human sight, he could feel an odd tension pulling at the world.

There it is!

The spot where Earth touched Hell was a tear. It mimicked the gash left behind by a blade, red energy bleeding out into the soft blue, whites, and greens that made up Earth. Raphael dove toward a wrinkle between dimensions, ducking into Hell without any issue. It didn't leave him as sick as when he left Heaven, but once he was in Hell, he felt drained. It was as if the dimension knew he didn't belong that he was other, and it was preventing him from utilizing the full scope of his power. His wings twitched, trying to push off the oily feeling that dripped over them.

"Well, isn't this a sight?"

Raphael turned, surprised to see Dagon. She was eyeing him with distrust, her claws tightly gripping a whip. "Take me to Lucifer," he ordered.

Her eyes narrowed, wings ruffling in distaste. "Why?" she hissed. "This isn't your place, archangel."

"I come to help our brother," he snarled. "Take me to him, now, or I will kill you and find him myself."

Dagon didn't look pleased at the ultimatum and eyed him skeptically. She grunted, waving a clawed hand as she turned away.

"Follow," she ordered.

He was left to fly after her, shoving down the kernel of doubt that still echoed around his mind. It was time for change, and the only way he was going to gain power was with Lucifer. It would be worth it in the end, even if the only two archangels left were him and Lucifer. It may even be better that way.

Line Break

Dean watched Azrial trade blows with Samael and Mora, mouth moving uselessly. He'd thought he'd been getting good—Hell, he'd thought that Crowley and Bobby were the closest anyone would get to Azrial.

"The archangels really are on another level," he whispered in awe.

Castiel hummed at his side, his eyes tracing the fight. Samael had reclaimed his shield, the massive thing brimming with angelic grace despite being in a vessel. Mora had a whip wrapped around one arm and a short blade in the other. They were both trying to corral Azrial, but each time they looked to have her cornered, Azrial slipped between them.

"If this is what they can do in a vessel," Dean began.

"I know," Castiel said. "We will be giving all the archangels, even your brother, a wide berth."

"They're moving so damn fast, even like this." Dean ran a hand through his hair, glancing at Castiel. "Are we really going to be okay out there?"

Castiel leaned over, kissing the side of his head. "Dean, you won't struggle with the demons. If the Host turns on us, we may face some issues, but even then, I'm confident in our partnership. Unless Lucifer or Michael come at us, I think we'll be okay."

"And Raphael?" Dean asked skeptically.

"Will not survive long if Azrial or Gabriel lay eyes on him," Castiel promised. "He won't be given the chance to glance our way."

Dean turned his attention back to the fight, worry pooling in his chest. He knew the odds weren't great; he always had. He was at a point where he could keep up with Bobby and Crowley, sometimes even win if he got crafty and cutthroat enough, but it still didn't feel like enough. He could lose everyone he eyes cut over to Castiel, who was watching the spar with a calculating gaze, his lips pursed in thought. Even now, the angel looked like sex on legs. More than that, though, Dean's heart sped up whenever he looked into Castiel's eyes. He wanted a future with the angel, whatever that even meant, given their line of work.

"Marry me," Dean breathed without thinking.

Castiel snapped his head toward him, shock clear in his eyes. There was a crash in the sparring pit, along with cursing, but Dean couldn't pull his eyes away from Castiel to find out what happened.

"Dean, are you...really?" Castiel asked, hope shining in his eyes.

"I know I don't have a ring or anything," he said quickly, "but I love you Cas. I want to marry you."

Castiel dragged him into a kiss, and Dean grabbed the front of his shirt. It wasn't demanding or dominating like some of their kisses could get. It was sweet and coaxing, promises of what their future could be once everything settled down.

Line Break

Lucifer stepped into the throne room, running his eyes over Raphael. His little brother did look spooked, just as Ramiel reported. Dagon looked annoyed at Raphael's intrusion, and Asmodeus watched him warily.

"And what brings you here, Raphael? Spying for Michael?"

He walked past his brother to his throne. Raphael winced before his face melted into an indifferent mask.

"No, I'm here for myself. I'm hoping we can work together."

"Together on what?" Lucifer asked.

"Really?" Raphael asked drily. "I know you plan on going to war with Michael. Why else would Gabriel be creating such a large dimension to protect his pathetic humans."

"A rather large leap in logic, considering Gabriel stayed hidden for years before this. What aren't you telling me, Raphael?"

His brother frowned, conflict burning in his eyes. "What do you want me to say?" Raphael demanded. "I've come to offer to help you—isn't that enough?"

Lucifer laughed, Dagon and Ramiel joining him. Asmodeus shook his head at Raphael, a pitying look in his eyes that Lucifer didn't bother to correct.

"Are you still so naïve?" Lucifer demanded. "You come here knowing we plan to wage war and expect us just to accept you?" He shook his head, not bothering to hide his disbelief. "I should kill you."

"But you can't," Raphael snapped, anger burning in his eyes. "You don't have your blade. That means you can't kill Michael or Gabriel either. That alone indicates you need my help."

"Do you think that will stop me?" Lucifer spat. "You fail to realize there are worse things than death, little brother. Worse fates than being cast into the Empty to sleep forever."

"I am not here to argue you that," Raphael said. "But isn't it foolish to challenge Michael without a weapon to counter him?"

"What are you offering me, Raphael?" Lucifer said flatly. "This back and forth is boring me."

"Let me help you take down Michael," Raphael said. "I'll help you conquer Heaven and finally put humanity in its place."

"What would you want in return, and what do you offer as proof you can manage such a thing?" Lucifer demanded. "You come with honied words, but I need action, Raphael. The time for politics has long passed."

His brother fell silent, a dark look flashing through his eyes. "I want control of the flocks," Raphael said flatly. "All of them."

Ramiel snorted. "So you can turn them against us?" he demanded. "Do we look like fools, Raphael?"

Lucifer raised a hand to stop Ramiel from continuing. "That is a massive boon you ask, little brother," Lucifer said. "What proof do you have that you can actually aid me?"

"I killed three of Gabriel's flock under Michael's nose," Raphael proudly declared. "Including Cassiel."

Lucifer stared at Raphael as his generals voiced their disbelief. It bothered him that he couldn't detect a lie.

"How?" he asked softly.

"I made it look like Gabriel was calling for them," Raphael said dismissively. "They were so desperate to find him back then. Once Cassiel was gone, his flock was split between Michael and I."

"That doesn't mean you can take another archangel in battle!" Dagon argued. "Especially Michael!"

She was right. Raphael's confidence didn't make sense unless he'd already-

"It was you," Lucifer hissed.

Raphael stepped back, clearly surprised at his anger. "What?"

Lucifer pushed to his feet, fury burning through his body. Grace lashed off his skin, his snake head hissing in annoyance.

"It was you, Raphael. How did I not see it?" he sneered. "You killed Azrial during the fighting in Heaven. You killed her during our meeting. Both times, you left me to take the blame."

Raphael stepped back, but Lucifer grabbed his throat. His brother quickly drew his blade, but Lucifer slapped it out of his hand. Ramiel calmly picked it up, anger burning in his eyes.

"Michael may have let us go," Lucifer said quietly. "Left us to rot in hell without additional binds if Azrial hadn't been killed."

"You can't know that it was-"

Lucifer threw Raphael against the wall, relishing the pained whine as his little brother tried to push to his feet.

"Gabriel would kill himself before lifting a finger against Azrial, his first fledgling. Michael would worry far too much about what Death would do if anything happened to his precious daughter. I knowI didn't do it, which I don't think you counted on." Lucifer pulled Raphael off the floor, dragging him toward where Ramiel was standing. His second already had the item he wanted in hand. "Lastly, it would explain why you're running scared from not just Gabriel but also Michael."

"I'm not running!" Raphael yelled, desperately trying to get out of his grip.

Lucifer ripped the collar from Ramiel's hand, anger driving his actions more than anything. "I haven't tried this on an archangel, but I'm happy to use you as an experiment. Thank you for delivering your blade to me, little brother. I'll certainly put it to better use than you did."

He latched the collar around Raphael's neck and dropped his brother on the ground. He watched in fascination as Raphael screamed in agony while his grace was brought down to the level of a mere angel. Lucifer's three generals looked bloodthirsty—not that he blamed them. Michael may have cast them down here, but it was Azrial's death that had made the golden boy lock them away. If she'd never been killed, they would have been able to move through Hell and Earth as they pleased.

"Give him to Alastair. He can play with him after meeting the daily quotes. Oh, and Raphael?" His brother looked up, his eyes filled with pain. "I promise I'll be telling Michael and Gabriel."

Raphael tried to lunge at him, but Dagon snapped her whip around his neck and sent him back to the floor. Ramiel offered him the confiscated archangel blade, and Lucifer sat down to examine it as Raphael was dragged away.

"What now?" Ramiel asked softly.

"I have a weapon," Lucifer mused softly. "And a hostage."

"It's time, isn't it?"

Lucifer glanced to his right. "Yes. I will give Michael two weeks to gather an army. Two weeks before the world as it is ends."

"To your victory," Ramiel said with a bow.

Lucifer smirked as Raphael's blade willingly transformed for him. Oh, yes. Victory was all but guaranteed now.