SPN Reverse Bang: The Greatest Treasure - Part One

[anoradh]

Masterpost

Part One

When Castiel was a small child, he always loved stories. His mother would buy him book after book and he would devour them all greedily and repeatedly, with undiminishing delight. Late at night, long after everyone else had gone to sleep, he would lie awake and allow the pages of the holobooks to transport him to distant worlds. Safely hidden underneath his blankets, he would take part in epic battles, navigate treacherous solar flares and explore the secrets of the universe. When he finally fell asleep, the wonders of those adventures would shape his dreams and he would wake every morning filled with determination that some day, he would make them all come true.

Castiel’s favorite story was the one about the infamous pirate Captain Lucifer Morningstar. Captain Morningstar was once the most dreaded pirate in all the Etherium. He and his band of bloodthirsty space buccaneers travelled from planet to planet, looting and pillaging a thousand worlds. They were the stuff of nightmare to any merchant ship captain that worked his trade in the galaxy, and with good reason. Captain Morningstar’s ship, The Pale Horseman, could appear at any time, without any warning, and swoop down on its unsuspecting victim. Showing no mercy, the space pirates would gather up the loot and vanish as suddenly as they had appeared. No one knew whence they came or where they went. Rumor had it that there was a hidden planet, somewhere on the outskirts of the galaxy, where Captain Morningstar amassed his unimaginable riches: Treasure Planet. Most people believed that it was just a legend, but Castiel knew differently. He knew that one day, he would be the one to find Treasure Planet.

*****

None of this explains, however, why, shortly before his eighteenth birthday, Castiel finds himself once again standing in the doorway of his mother’s inn, flanked by two robot constables, facing his mother’s disappointed glare and a room full of gawking guests. Doing his best to avoid his mother’s narrowed eyes, Castiel tries to move away from the nearest robot constable, but he is prevented by a steely grip on his shoulder.

“Not so fast,” the constable says. He turns to Castiel’s mother. “Mrs Harvelle.”

Ellen sighs and puts down the tray she’s holding. Behind her, Castiel’s sister Jo and their cousin Gabriel are whispering to each other and making sympathetic faces at Castiel.

“Yes?” Ellen asks wearily. “Let me guess. You caught him solar surfing in the quarry again, didn’t you?”

It’s not really a question. After all, it’s not the first time that this has happened. Whenever Castiel feels the need to get away and be alone for a while, he takes his home-built solar surfer and flies, until his restlessness is lost in the joy of the open sky. He’s a good flier - an excellent flier, in fact - and he takes full advantage of that, as he performs dangerous moves that would make his mother lock him in his room for the rest of his life, should she witness them. Unfortunately, his favorite obstacle course runs straight through a quarry that’s closed to the public and there are times when he is too caught up in his flying to remember not to be caught.

“That is correct, ma'am,” the other constable says.

Ellen rolls her eyes and shakes her head, glaring at Castiel. “I see,” she says. “Well, it won’t happen again.”

The first constable releases Castiel’s shoulder. “I am sure it will,” he says. “Be aware that this is his final warning. We have impounded his vehicle. The next time that he is caught trespassing in a restricted area, he will be arrested and sent to juvenile hall.”

The other constable makes a stiff bow. “Have a good day,” he says. He and his colleague turn on the spot and roll out through the open door.

After they’ve left, everything goes perfectly silent. It is as if the world is reduced to the staring contest taking place between mother and son. Ellen has her hands on her hips and is watching Castiel with hard, reproachful eyes. Castiel’s head is lowered, his dark, windswept hair falling over his eyes, but he keeps his gaze unrepentant. He knows only too well what will happen if he shows any signs of relenting. Finally, Ellen sighs again and shakes her head.

“Go help your sister clear the tables!” she tells him. “I will deal with you later.”

Her words seem to work as some sort of signal and the crowded inn is once again filled with noise. The guests return to their meals, chattering excitedly and throwing not-so-discreet glances at Castiel, as he accepts a bus tub from Jo and quietly begins gathering up dirty dishes.

*****

Ellen's inn is called The Roadhouse. The name is misleading, because there aren't really any roads nearby. At least none worthy of the name. The Roadhouse is located on the outskirts of a small seaside town on the mining planet of Montressor. It is not a very busy town; there are no big quarries nearby, only the small one where Castiel was caught earlier. They don’t get many visitors from out of town, since not many people have reason to pass through, but they get enough business from the locals for the family to live fairly comfortably.

The inn once belonged to Ellen’s husband Bill, but when he went off into space, he left it to her. She manages it well, but it hasn’t been easy, taking care of the inn and raising two children on her own. Gabriel, Castiel's older cousin from town, came to live with them permanently a couple of years ago, after his parents died, and he's helped relieve some of her burden, but obviously, he's had his own issues to deal with. Castiel tries to help his mother as best he can, as does Jo, but he knows that lately, he’s mostly been adding to her worries. He doesn’t want to and he never means to. It never used to be that way, before. When they were small children, playing together, Jo was the obstinate one and Gabriel was the troublemaker. Castiel was always the obedient child. That was before everything changed.

*****

Castiel is sitting on the low roof outside his bedroom window, staring out across the vast, open space that stretches out beyond the town's small pier. It's late afternoon and the sunshine of the morning is hidden behind a curtain of heavy clouds. The approaching twilight is painting the world grey. Castiel almost feels as if it's trying to reflect his own mood.

His mother cornered him earlier, as she had promised, but instead of the lecture that Castiel had been expecting, she wanted to talk. It isn't her usual style. Ellen has always made it abundantly clear that she loves her children more than anything, but she does it through her actions, not her words. If she is upset with them, she makes that clear too and while she has no problems using words for that, they aren't often spoken in the calm, concerned tones that she used with Castiel earlier.

Unfortunately, in this instance, talking proved useless. Their conversation ended in an argument, which ended with Castiel slamming the door behind him. Unlike his mother and sister, Castiel is slow to anger, but at those rare occasions when he loses his temper, he holds nothing back. Of course, he's always filled with remorse afterwards, but he's never been good at saying 'sorry'. That's why he's currently hiding on the roof.

Castiel knows that his mother just wants to understand, so she can help. He wishes that he could explain to her what he is going through, but he can't even explain it to himself. He just feels as if there's this hole inside him and no matter how hard he tries to fill it, it just keeps growing. A part of him fears that one day, it will end up consuming him. He knows that part of it is this place, that he doesn't belong here; his fate awaits elsewhere. The trouble is that he doesn't know if he'll ever be able to leave. After all that his mother has been through, he doesn't know if he can make her lose her son, too. And therein lies the source of his despair.

When someone climbs out the window behind him, Castiel does not bother turning around. He knows who it is. There's only one person in Castiel's life who has never learned to respect his privacy when he makes it known that he wants to be left alone. Sure enough, a moment later, Gabriel comes to sit beside him.

“What's up, coz?”

Castiel continues to stare in front of him and takes no notice of Gabriel. He knows better than to hope that this will make Gabriel leave him alone, but he really doesn't feel like talking any more.

Gabriel sighs. “Look,” he says, “she'll get over it. You aren't the first teenager to cause their parents grief, you know. Personally, I think that solar surfing through a near-abandoned quarry seems pretty harmless. I'm almost disappointed in you. I'd have expected more from my cousin.”

At this, Castiel can't resist rolling his eyes, but he still doesn't reply. He hears Gabriel sigh again, but thankfully, he remains silent. Gabriel may not be willing to leave Castiel alone to lick his wounds in private, but contrary to what most people think, he usually does know when to shut up. Whether he chooses to do so is a whole other question. For some reason, he is usually willing to make the effort for Castiel.

They sit for a long while in a silence that may not be companionable, but at least isn't awkward. Castiel has no idea what Gabriel is thinking, but he is too deeply lost in his own gloomy mind to care. Another window is open, this one located in the roof beside him and leading into the dining room. It's nearly empty now that most of the guests have gone home. Ellen is refilling a glass for Mr. Singer, an old friend of Castiel's father and a regular patron of the inn, and Castiel hears him say,

“How are you holding up, Ellen?”

Castiel can't see his mother's face, but he can picture her forced smile, as she replies, “Me? I'm fine, Bobby.”

Mr Singer makes a sceptical noise. “Of course you are,” he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “And I'm sure that whole lunch theater business earlier was just your son having some harmless fun. Again. Nothing to worry about. After all, most young men are escorted home by robot constables on a regular basis.”

There is a moment of silence, then Ellen pulls out the chair opposite Mr Singer's and sinks down onto it wearily. “I don't know what to do,” she confesses somewhat desperately. “I've tried everything. I've tried talking, yelling, threatening, pleading. Nothing seems to get through to him. He just won't let me help him and it's killing me.” She pauses, as if to draw a breath. When she speaks again, her voice sounds calmer. “He wasn't always like this, you know.”

“I know,” Mr Singer says. “I remember.”

“He was the sweetest little boy,” Ellen continues, as if she didn't hear him. “A little serious, perhaps, and a little quiet, at least around others. Not with me. He'd follow me around wherever I went, always happy to help. Jo was more independent, always wanting to go outside to play or running off into town to see her cousin. The number of times she just disappeared... I thought she'd be the death of me. I never dreamed it'd be my sweet Castiel who would end up breaking my heart.”

“Ellen.” Mr Singer's voice is quiet, as if he doesn't know what to say. Castiel doesn't blame him. There really isn't much he can say.

Ellen pays no attention, the words spilling forth from her as from a broken dam. “I just wish he'd talk to me, tell me what's on his mind. He's such a clever boy, Bobby, you have no idea. He built his first solar surfer when he was eight. Oh, he was so proud! And then his father left...” Her voice cracks and she has to wait a moment, before she can continue. “Something happened to him that day, Bobby. He's been slipping through my fingers ever since. I think he blames himself, somehow, although how he could think that it was his fault, I have no idea. He has no friends, he's failing in school, he keeps getting arrested and whenever he's home, he's always up in his room or on the roof. I know Gabriel's tried reaching him too, but Castiel won't talk to him either. The only time he really smiles is when he's with Jo and I think it's only to make her smile.”

She grows silent and Castiel is horrified to hear her sniffle and blow her nose. Ellen never cries. It's one of the things that he's always admired most about her, how nothing seems to break her. Nothing, it seems, but him. Mr Singer is talking, saying something about giving him time, but Castiel stops listening. Instead he pulls his legs up against his chest and buries his face in his knees. He can't remember ever feeling this miserable, and that's saying something. Gabriel is still sitting beside him, a warm, silent presence. Castiel has no idea what he's thinking, but he's grateful that Gabriel doesn't try to cheer him up or comfort him. He thinks he deserves to feel this miserable.

They sit up there for a long time. Castiel loses track of how long. All he knows is that there is less light trickling in through the cracks between his arms and legs. The heavy clouds finally begin to release their burden and large, cold raindrops fall on his head and back, trickling down his neck and underneath his collar. Only his face, hidden in his folded arms, remains dry.

A gentle hand falls on his shoulder. “Castiel!”

Castiel refuses to move. He wants wallow out here a while longer.

The hand grips his shoulder and shakes him, hard. “Cas!”

Castiel makes a noise of protest. “Just leave me alone, Gabriel!” he says, his voice muffled.

“No!” Gabriel says and shakes him again. “Look!”

Castiel raises his head. Gabriel is pointing at the sky. Castiel looks in that direction and completely forgets how worthless his entire existence is. A ship is approaching, descending too quickly out of the darkening grey sky. How it's still flying, Castiel has no idea. The mast is half-broken and the sails are torn. The engine keeps dying and sputtering back to life with a sudden burst of flames out of the exhaust. The round metal hull is barely holding together and it leaves a thick trail of smoke behind as it approaches one of the town's small piers.

Castiel and Gabriel barely have time to exchange a quick glance before they're on their feet and jumping off the roof. Castiel follows hot on Gabriel's heels as they run towards the piers. They are barely halfway there when the ship finally crashes onto the pier with a loud clanging noise. The two boys put on an extra burst of speed and reach the ship, just as the door to the cabin flies open.

A huge shadow fills the frame of the open door, looming threateningly over the boys. They unconsciously move closer together as they stare up at the stranger. He is tall and dark, with a bald head and eyes that look nearly black. The expression of his face recalls the thunderclouds above. Castiel feels Gabriel straighten slightly, as if summoning his courage, before he speaks,

“Hey,” he says, “are you okay, mister?”

His question is answered when the man suddenly takes a stumbling step forward, clutching his side with one hand and a large chest with his other. The way he more or less falls onto Gabriel demonstrates clearly that no, he is most certainly not okay. Throwing a helpless glance at Castiel, Gabriel grabs hold of the man, supporting him from one side, while Castiel supports him from the other. Together, they half walk, half drag him up the narrow path to the door of the inn.

While they're walking, the man keeps muttering beneath his breath. Castiel can only catch a few words. He hears something about a one-legged man, a band of buccaneers and the sound of metal. The man is also muttering about his chest and something about a word. None of it makes much sense, but then, the man's head is bleeding, so he obviously hit it against something hard.

Leaning forward, Castiel exchanges a worried look with Gabriel.

“We should probably get a doctor,” Gabriel says. “Can you get him inside on your own?”

Castiel nods and helps shift the man's weight, so that he is leaning fully on Castiel.

“Hurry,” he tells Gabriel. Gabriel nods and sets off back down the path towards the town.

Somehow, Castiel and the injured man make it to and through the door to the inn. The moment they cross the threshold, however, the man's strength completely gives out. The man tumbles to the floor and Castiel is helpless to do anything but try to soften his fall.

“Castiel!” His mother is on him in matter of moments, closely followed by Mr Singer. “What...?”

“His ship crashed onto the pier,” Castiel says. “He's injured. Gabriel's gone to get the doctor.” He glances down at the man, who is struggling to pull his chest closer to his body, and speaks more quietly, so the man won't hear him. “I think there may be something wrong with his head.”

His mother and Mr Singer both stare down at the man, clearly unsure what to do. Then his mother springs into action.

“Jo!” she calls. “Joanna Beth!”

There is a thundering of footsteps down the stairs and Jo appears, looking annoyed. Her expression changes into one of surprise when she sees the man on the floor.

“Who's that?”

Ellen disregards the question.

“Go heat some water,” she says, “and bring it out here. And get my first aid kit, too, will you?”

Jo opens her mouth to speak, but her mother gives her a hard look and she closes it again. As she turns to head back up the stairs, her eyes catch Castiel's and he knows that there will be a full interrogation later.

“Boy.”

The rasping voice makes Castiel jump. He looks down at the injured man and finds that the man is looking back at him. Hesitantly, Castiel kneels beside him.

“Yes?”

The man makes a wet, choking sound and begins to cough. Castiel wants to help, but there is nothing that he can do. He can only watch and wait, until the man is able to speak again. Ellen has got some napkins from one of the dining room cupboards and is examining one of the man's wounds with Mr Singer's help. The wound looks deep, but the man ignores it and the people tending to it, as he stares up at Castiel.

“My... my chest,” he gets out between coughs, his fingers grabbing uselessly at one of its handles. “Help me. My chest. ”

Castiel reaches out and helps the man pull the chest closer. He watches as the man punches a code into the lock mechanism and the lid flies open. To his surprise, the chest is nearly empty. A thin layer of coins barely cover the bottom. On top of them lies a square object wrapped in cloth.

“He'll be coming after me,” the man gasps, reaching inside the chest to take out the square object. “He wants this, but he can't have it.” He grabs Castiel's arm and pulls him closer. “Do you hear me, boy? He - can't - have - it.”

Castiel automatically accepts the item that the man pushes into his arms.

“What is this?” he asks. “Who can't have it? Who's coming?”

The man coughs again and blood trickles from the corner of his mouth. When he finally lies back, his eyes are closed and his face is eerily calm.

“The cyborg,” he says, so silently that Castiel almost doesn't hear him. “Watch out for the cyborg!”

With that, he finally stops breathing. Mr Singer puts a finger to his pulse and, at Ellen's questioning look, shakes his head sadly. Castiel feels paralysed with horror. He has never seen a man die before. Ellen and Mr Singer get to their feet and Ellen comes over to run a soft hand through Castiel's hair.

“You okay, honey?” she asks.

Castiel nods.

“You sure?”

Castiel nods again. His mother nods, too, but she doesn't stop running her fingers through his hair. Not that Castiel wants her to. He even leans into her a bit, finding comfort in her touch and the fact that for once, she isn't upset with him.

“Want some hot chocolate?” she asks him. Her tone makes him think that he isn't the only to relish their closeness.

“Maybe later,” he says.

An uncomfortable clearing of the throat reminds them of Mr Singer's presence.

“What's that he gave you, Castiel?” he asks.

Castiel starts slightly in surprise and looks down at the object that he's holding pressed to his chest. Somehow, he had almost forgotten that he had it.

“I don't know,” he says. “It feels like some sort of rock.”

Somewhat reluctantly, he moves away from his mother's touch and gets to his feet. His mother and Mr Singer follow him over to a table, on which he places the item. He is about to unwrap it, when there is the sound of footsteps running down the stairs.

“Mom, I've got the first aid...,” she begins to say, but she cuts herself off when she sees them standing by the table. Her eyes dart towards the door and they widen when she sees the body still lying on the floor. “No way!”

Ellen takes a step towards her, but stops when a rumbling noise rises, coming from somewhere above them. It sounds like a huge engine, coming nearer. It keeps growing louder and soon, there can be no mistaking it. A large ship is landing, just outside the inn.

Without meaning to, Castiel finds himself looking over at Mr Singer. Meeting the man's worried gaze, he can tell that they are thinking of the same thing. The dying man's final warning. Castiel hurries to pick up the still wrapped item and stuff it inside the trench-coat he's wearing. He follows Mr Singer to one of the windows and the two of them peer carefully out through the blinds. Darkness has fallen completely, by now, and the heavy rain obscures their vision even more, but Castiel can make out the outline of a large sailing ship in the background and a large group of smaller shapes moving determinedly towards door. There is something strange about how the foremost figure moves, but Castiel does not allow himself to dwell on it. Instead, he leaps back and turns to his mother and sister.

“We've got to go,” he tells them.

Ellen looks like she's about to object, but Mr Singer silences her with a curt, “The boy is right. We'd better get out of here.”

Castiel grabs his mother's hand in one of his and his sister's hand in the other, pulling them towards the stairs. They have barely made it halfway up, when the blast from an energy weapon destroys the lock of the front door. Castiel is running first, with Jo and Ellen closely behind him and Mr Singer bringing up the rear. They run into the master bedroom, just as the sound of voices begins to rise from downstairs. Most of them are just an excited rumble, but one of them rises above the rest. It is a man's deep voice and it sounds upset.

Ellen is standing by the closed door and listening to the sound of destruction coming from below. There are crashes as of furniture being thrown over and drawers emptied. The smell of smoke is creeping in through the crack between the door and its frame. Ellen makes a pained noise and Jo walks over to put her arms around her mother.

“It'll be okay, mom,” she says, but her voice is choked.

They can hear the men moving closer to the stairs. It won't be long before they reach the bedroom door and then they'll all be caught. There's nowhere left for them to run. Castiel looks around the room desperately. His eyes fall upon a large, heavy chest of drawers. Running over, he starts to push it towards the door. The others immediately catch on and run to help him. Together, they stack the furniture of the room against the door. It'll buy them some time - some, but not enough.

The only other way out of the room is through the window. Unfortunately, they are on the second floor and Castiel isn't sure they'll make the jump. Still, it's their only option. A broken leg is probably better than being caught by the ruffians downstairs. With that thought in mind, Castiel hurries over to fling the window open. What he sees nearly makes him fall through it.

Gabriel is sitting there in a large carriage with a soft hood. Doctor Murphy sits beside him, holding the reins. A pair of tortorses, large tortoise-like creatures that move as fast as the smaller motor-driven vehicles, wait in front of the carriage, moving impatiently in their harnesses.

“Come on, then!” Doctor Murphy calls to Castiel. “Jump!”

Instead of obeying his command, Castiel turns back to the people in the room with him.

“Mom, Jo,” he says. “Come here!”

They all make the jump onto the carriage unharmed. Once they're settled enough not to risk falling off, Doctor Murphy urges on the tortorses and they set off at speed. Castiel sees his mother look back at the inn and he turns to follow her gaze. Flames are now climbing out of the windows and licking the walls. As they watch, the roof catches on fire and heavy black smoke rises towards the dark sky. Castiel tears his gaze away from the painful sight and turns to his mother. Ellen's jaws are clenched and he can tell that she is trying not to cry. Not knowing how else to comfort her, he leans against her and buries his face against her neck. On her other side, Jo does the same. Ellen puts one arm around either of her children and they leave behind the remains of the only home that Jo and Castiel have ever known.

*****

Doctor Murphy drops them off at Mr Singer's house on the other side of town. Castiel knows that Mr Singer is a widower and that he has lived alone for longer than Castiel has been alive, but he doesn't know much more about the man than that. Not many people do. Mr Singer is a very private man. He was a friend of Castiel's father, but it wasn't until after Bill Harvelle left that Mr Singer began his daily visits to the inn. When Castiel was younger, he thought the reason was that Mr Singer was in love with Ellen, but he has since discarded that theory. Nothing in the way that they treat each other speaks of anything but friendship. Instead, Castiel suspects that the reason that Mr Singer comes to the inn every day is to keep an eye on his friend's family. Why he should feel the need to do so, Castiel can't guess, but he can't deny that he's happy that Mr Singer was there tonight.

According to rumour, Mr Singer works as a historian. He is mapping the history of the Etherium, gathering stories and legends and writing them down. Castiel has often seen him talking to the other guests at the inn, both the people from town and those from other parts of the galaxy. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that Mr Singer's house is full of books, both holobooks and older ones made of paper. There are bookshelves on nearly every wall and piles of books everywhere. The rest of the house looks clean and tidy, but the scattered books give the impression of absolute chaos. Castiel doesn't have to look at his mother to sense her disapproval. He, on the other hand, loves it. If he could choose, this is what his house would look like.

Mr Singer leads them into his study, where naturally there are even more books. The walls here are covered in bookshelves and there is a huge pile, twice as tall as Castiel, stacked against two of the shelves. Mr Singer waits for Ellen and Jo to sit down on the big sofa before going to the kitchen to make them some tea. Gabriel sits down next to Ellen and Castiel sits down next to Jo. Jo is leaning her head on Ellen's shoulder, but she reaches out and takes Castiel's hand. He tries to smile at her, but he doesn't think he's successful. Instead, he squeezes her hand reassuringly.

“We saw them land as we were driving up the path,” Gabriel is saying. He's explaining to Ellen how he and Doctor Murphy came to be outside the window. “They looked like the kind of people that are best avoided. The doc was able to drive us around to the back of the house instead without them noticing. We were just trying to figure out how to get you out of there, when Cas stuck his head out the window. It was just a happy accident that we happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

Ellen gives Gabriel a one-armed hug, her other still wrapped around Jo.

“I'm just glad you found us,” she says.

“Mom,” Jo says weakly, “the inn...”

Ellen sighs heavily.

“Yes,” she says. “The old Roadhouse.”

Mr Singer is walking back into the room, carrying a tray with five steaming mugs.

“I just spoke to Sheriff Mills,” he says. “It seems that whoever those men were, they got away before she and her men had a chance to capture them. They were also very thorough in their destruction. I'm sorry, Ellen, but I'm afraid the Roadhouse is no more.”

Jo makes a choked, pained noise, but Ellen merely nods.

“I thought as much,” she says, accepting the mug that Mr Singer hands her.

Mr Singer hands Castiel his mug last and when he does, he doesn't let go immediately.

“So,” he says, “I'm hoping you were able to keep hold of that item the stranger gave you.”

Castiel blinks at him. Once again, he had forgotten about the item. He puts his mug down untouched and reaches into his trench-coat to take out the package. The others all lean forward slightly to watch, as he places it on the table in front of them. They all seem to be holding their breath, as Castiel unwraps the fabric to reveal the item that has already caused them so much sorrow.

It turns out to be a stone tablet, mostly rectangular in shape and covered in some strange writing. There is also an odd sign carved in the top left corner. It looks like a circle with a triangle on top. Inside the circle, there is something that could be a letter or could just be a sign, and there are what look like letters surrounding the circle. Castiel has no idea what it means.

“What the...?” Gabriel says. “That's what they were after? A piece of rock with some cryptic writing on it?”

“I imagine that the writing is somehow important,” Mr Singer says, examining the tablet closely.

“Do you have any idea what it means, Bobby?” Ellen asks.

Mr Singer shakes his head, looking bewildered.

“I don't even know what language that is,” he admits. “I've never seen anything like it. All I can say is that it looks ancient. They seem to be some sort of hieroglyphs or runes. I'll search in my books, but it could take me years to find anything.”

He reaches out to pick up the tablet, but Castiel stops him. He's been studying the tablet, too, and even though he can't explain it, he thinks he knows what it says.

“They're directions,” he says, “almost like a map.”

Four sets of eyes immediately move from the tablet to his face, each with the same expression of astonishment.

“You can read it?” Gabriel asks, sounding excited.

Castiel nods.

“In a manner of speaking,” he says. It isn't exactly like reading. He doesn't really understand the individual words, but somehow, he can still decipher the message. It's like the words on the tablet are sending images into his head, which his brain then translates. He wouldn't know how to explain that, however, so he doesn't even bother to try. “It mentions the Magellanic Cloud, the Coral Galaxy, the Cygnus Cross and the Calyan Abyss.”

At least he thinks that's what it is. The final two images aren't as clear as the others.

“The Magellanic Cloud? The Cygnus Cross? The Calyan Abyss?” Mr Singer repeats. “But that would take us to the other side of the Etherium. Does it say what the map is for?”

Castiel doesn't answer. He needs to concentrate. The further into the text he gets, the more difficult it becomes to decipher. The images are mostly a blur now and he has to struggle to bring them into focus. When he finally does, he can't hold back a gasp. The final image is of a bizarre-looking planet surrounded by two rings. It's a familiar image. It's the image that has haunted his dreams since he was a little boy.

“Treasure Planet. They're directions for Treasure Planet.”

His announcement is met with silence. Then Gabriel begins to laugh.

“Good one, coz,” he says. “You almost had me there for a moment. So I guess you really can't read these squiggles? That's a let-down”

Ellen is shaking her head, looking disappointed. Jo is frowning at the tablet. Mr Singer, however, is watching Castiel with narrowed eyes.

“Is that it, Castiel?” he asks sternly. “Were you just joking?”

Castiel shakes his head, feeling indignant. How can his family think that he would make such a tasteless joke at a time like this?

“No,” he insists. “No, they really are directions for Treasure Planet. I swear it.” He turns to Ellen. “Mother, please, you have to believe me.”

Ellen just looks at him sadly.

“I would like to,” she says, “but Treasure Planet, Castiel? You know that's just a legend. A story we read when you were a child. You're not a child anymore.”

Her words bring back the memory of what she said earlier that evening and suddenly, Castiel finds it difficult to breathe. If there is one thing that his mother should know about him, it's that he doesn't lie. He has never lied to her. Even when he doesn't know what to say to her, he prefers silence to a lie.

“Mother,” he says weakly.

To his surprise, Mr Singer comes to his defence.

“Ellen, I really think that you should give the boy the benefit of the doubt. I believe he's telling the truth.”

Ellen stares at him as if he's lost his mind.

“The truth?” she asks. “Bobby, you can't be serious. Treasure Planet? That's Captain Lucifer Morningstar's hideout.”

“And it holds the loot of a thousand worlds, I know,” Mr Singer agrees. “But it's more than just a legend. My research has led me to believe that it's a real place and that it can be found...” He pauses, obviously for dramatic effect. “... beyond the Coral Galaxy and near the Calyan Abyss. Don't you see, Ellen? There's no way that the boy could have known that, so how do you explain that the place where he claims this... this map would lead us is in the region where Treasure Planet is most likely to be found? It can't be mere coincidence.”

“But Bobby...”

“And if that's true,” Mr Singer continues, his voice rising and his cheeks flushed with excitement, “then that means that we have a chance of actually finding it. Imagine it, Ellen! All those treasures, all that history. All the answers that can be found there. The person who finds it would make history!”

Castiel finds himself nodding along. Without realising it, he's stood up and is standing beside Mr Singer, grinning madly. He knows now what he has to do. Finally, he's discovered what it is. His destiny. It is what it's always been.

“I'm going to find it,” he declares. “I'm going to find Treasure Planet.”

The effect isn't quite what he had hoped for. His mother flies to her feet and bears down on him with her eyes blazing.

“Oh no, you're not!” she says. “You are staying right here and finishing school. You are not going off on some mad adventure that will most likely get you killed! Forget it!”

“But mom,” Castiel protests.

“No!” Ellen says, actually stamping her foot. “I am not letting my boy go off alone into space. It is madness! Tell him, Bobby!”

Mr Singer has picked up the tablet and is looking at it reverently. At Ellen's appeal, he starts slightly and turns to look at Castiel.

“Absolutely,” he agrees. “Only an idjit would let the boy go off on his own.”

Ellen looks satisfied. She gives Castiel a look to say that the discussion is over. Feeling utterly betrayed, Castiel opens his mouth to argue, but Mr Singer cuts him off.

“Which is, of course, why I'm going with him.”

Both Ellen and Castiel turn to stare at him and say in unison, “What?”

Mr Singer only grins and nods.

“You heard me. We're going off to find Treasure Planet.” He puts a hand on Castiel's shoulder. “I'm going to see if I can't find us a ship, preferably one with a captain and crew. I have some savings I can use. Hopefully, it won't take too long, so if there's anything you need to take with you, then you'd better get it quickly.”

“Hells yeah, there's something he's bringing,” Gabriel interrupts. “Me! No way am I letting my little coz go off into space without me. He'd either be lost within days or he'd lose himself in that emo head of his and forget to have fun. I'm definitely coming with you.”

“Gabriel,” Ellen protests weakly.

“I'm sorry, Aunt Ellen,” Gabriel says, walking over to kiss her cheek, “but I'm an adult, now. There's nothing you can do to stop me.”

Ellen sighs and shakes her head, then turns to Castiel with a determined look that he knows all too well.

“No,” she agrees, “but Castiel isn't an adult and I can stop him.”

“Only for a few more weeks,” Castiel protests. “I'll be eighteen next month.”

“Yes, you will,” Ellen agrees, “and you will be celebrating your birthday here on Montressor - with me and Jo. If Bobby and Gabriel want to go gallivanting off to the end of the universe, then that's their choice. I don't like it, but I can't do anything about it. But they'll have to do it without my baby boy.”

Castiel can't believe that his mother would do this to him. He can understand her concern, but surely, she must understand that keeping him here would drive him insane.

“Ellen,” Mr Singer says quietly. “Can I talk to you? In private?”

Ellen glares at Castiel a moment longer, before nodding and following Mr Singer out of the room. When she's gone, Castiel sits down heavily on the sofa next to his sister.

“I can't believe that you thought mom was just going to let you run off into space,” Jo says, snorting with laughter. “What the hell, Cas? I thought you were supposed to be clever.”

Castiel just glares at her. Gabriel comes to sit on the armrest next to him.

“I'll bring you back a gold doubloon,” he offers.

Castiel doesn't reply. Instead, he shoves Gabriel off the armrest. He has no patience for his cousin's jokes, not when he feels as if his entire destiny is crumbling before his eyes. He knows that he's the one that's supposed to find Treasure Planet. How can he be thwarted by the fact that he was born just a few weeks too late?

It isn't long before Mr Singer and Ellen return to the room. Castiel's mother is looking sad, but resigned. She walks up to Castiel and pulls him into her arms.

“If anything were to happen to you,” she whispers, “I don't know what I'd do. You and Jo are my world, Castiel. Without you...”

Her voice cracks and she seems unable to continue. Castiel holds onto her, feeling torn between sympathy and hope. He doesn't want to cause his mother any more grief, doesn't want to add to her reasons for worrying about him, but if he doesn't get to do this, his life will lose all meaning.

“I have to do this, mom,” he whispers into her hair. “I can't stay here all my life. There's something waiting for me out there, I can feel it.”

Ellen lifts her head from his shoulder, so she can look him in the eyes. Her cheeks are wet, but she's smiling.

“I know, honey,” she says, caressing his hair. “That's why I've decided to let you go. You're like your father; you can't be caged. You need to fly free. My Castiel. My beautiful angel.”

“What?”

The outraged exclamation makes them jump apart. Jo is standing in front of the sofa, looking furious.

“No,” she says. “No, no, no! No way! Mom! You can't seriously be telling me you're just going to let him go?”

Ellen takes a step towards her.

“Jo.”

“No!” Jo crosses her arms stubbornly. Castiel sighs. He recognises the gesture. Sure enough, “If he gets to go, then so do I.”

Ellen shakes her head.

“No,” she says.

“Why not?”

“Because,” Ellen says, putting a hand on Jo's arm, “you're only thirteen. There'll be plenty of time for you to go travelling when you're older. This is Castiel's adventure. You'll find yours in time.”

Jo pouts angrily, but Castiel can see that she's not going to argue. They both know when it's useless. Once Ellen's made up her mind, nothing can sway her. Or so Castiel thought. He glances over at Mr Singer. The man obviously must have said something to make Castiel's mother change her mind. Why Mr Singer should care enough to speak to her on Castiel's behalf, Castiel can't guess, but he's certainly grateful.

“Mr Singer,” he says, walking over to stand next to the man. Mr Singer raises a questioning eyebrow at him. “I just wanted to say thank you. You didn't have to...”

Mr Singer raises a hand to stop him. Castiel is glad. He isn't any better at saying 'thank you' than 'sorry.'

“I suspect that I did,” he says gruffly. “Maybe a few months of sailing in space will make you appreciate what you have here more. It's sure to make a man of you and make you stop all that sulking.”

Castiel can think of nothing to say in response. He wasn't expecting that level of bluntness.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Mr Singer says. “Since we'll be spending quite a lot of time together from now on, how about you call me Bobby?”

*****

As he promised, Bobby quickly finds them a ship with a captain and a crew that is willing to take them across the Etherium. He, Castiel and Gabriel all agree that the true destination of their journey should remain a secret between the three of them. If it became known that there is a map to Treasure Planet, there are more than a few people who would do anything necessary to get their hands on it. Besides, the dying man's warning still rings clearly in Castiel's ear and after what happened at the inn, he knows that there is already somebody who is looking for them: the cyborg.

Leaving his mother and sister isn't easy. As anxious as Castiel is to get away from the dull monotony of his everyday life, the idea of not seeing his family for so long is still painful. He has never spent more than a day away from his mother and he knows that he's going to miss both her and Jo. The fact that they'll probably spend most of their time apart worrying about him and Gabriel doesn't help. He wishes that there was some way for him to reassure them, but they are all aware of the dangers of space travel.

By the time they reach the spaceport Crescentia, however, his anxieties have been replaced by sheer excitement. Crescentia - named that way due to its crescent shape - is the nearest spaceport to Montressor and it takes them only a day's trip on the space ferry to get there. Castiel, who has spent his entire life in the small, quiet town where he was born, is almost overwhelmed by the chaos that greets him when he steps off the ferry. The houses on Crescentia are mostly built on or near the horns of the crescent, with the port and markets are located in between. It is a lovely sight with its many domes and archways, but not many travellers take the time to admire its beauty. The streets are full of sailors and merchants, and every moment ships arrive and depart.

As he follows Gabriel and Bobby through a labyrinth of paths and walkways, he cannot help but stare at everything around him. It looks exactly like the images in his holobooks and he finds it hard to believe that he is actually there. Every moment, he fears that he will wake up and discover that it was all just another dream.

Bobby and Gabriel have stopped in front of him. They seem to be discussing which way to go. From what he can hear of their discussion, Castiel gathers that neither one seems to have any idea where their ship is anchored. Gabriel is pointing in one direction and Bobby is gesturing towards the other. Barely refraining from rolling his eyes, Castiel walks up to a robot that's busy sweeping the pavement. The robot is able to provide him with clear direction how to find the ship that they are looking for. Neither Bobby nor Gabriel notice him talking to the robot, because they both look astonished when Castiel strides past them, telling them confidently, “This way!”

The Crossroad King, as the ship is named, is a large, three-masted schooner. Even Bobby seems impressed when he sees her, if his low whistle is anything to go by. He leads the cousins up the lowered gangplank and onto a deck that's bustling with activity. There are crewmen up on the yards or climbing the ratlines; some are even hanging in the air on crates that are being loaded.

A woman is standing by railing, overseeing the activities. She is young and pretty, with brown hair and dark eyes, but the way she holds herself speaks of authority. When she shouts out an order, the sailors hurry to obey. Bobby walks up behind her.

“Captain?” he says, his tone making the word a question.

The woman turns around. One of her dark eyebrows is raised and her lips are twisted in a crooked smile.

“Not me,” she says. “The captain is over there.”

She points at a man standing on the quarterdeck, talking to one of the sailors. He too has dark hair and eyes, and his face is currently looking rather red, as if he is having trouble suppressing some emotion. Judging by the sailor's cowering attitude, Castiel guesses it's rage.

“Crowley!” the woman shouts. “The passengers have arrived.”

The captain finishes reprimanding the sailor, who returns to work with a sullen face, then makes his way down onto the main deck to join them.

“So,” he drawls, “one of you is Mr Singer. I doubt it's either of the whelps, so that leaves you.” He gives Bobby a critical look. “I thought I made it clear that I don't do pleasure cruises. This isn't a family trip, so maybe you should have left the children at home.”

“Hey!” Gabriel protests, as Castiel glares at the captain. “Watch who you call a child, buddy!”

The captain turns to face him. His gaze is as cool as ice and it makes Gabriel shift uncomfortably, but he still holds his ground, even when the captain steps forward into his personal space to stare down at him.

“Watch who you call 'buddy', son,” he says. “You may call me 'captain' or 'sir', and I will call you whatever I please. Is that clear, boyo?”

Gabriel swallows and nods. It is a rare occasion when someone manages to silence Gabriel and Castiel can't help but feel reluctantly amused, even though he's still a bit indignant at being called a child.

The captain takes a step back, looking satisfied.

“Good,” he says. “Glad we got that settled. Now, allow me to introduce Ms Masters, my first officer. She keeps this ship running, although her methods may sometimes be... unconventional, shall we call them?”

Ms Masters smiles another of those crooked smiles.

“If you say so, Captain,” she says.

“Pleasure, I'm sure,” Bobby says, though his dry tone contradicts him. “I'm Bobby Singer. This is Gabriel Harvelle and that's his cousin Castiel. Castiel may be young, but I can assure he is absolutely necessary for our... expedition. He's the only one who knows where we're going.”

Castiel forces himself to keep his face impassive, as both the captain and Ms Masters turn to look at him.

“I see,” the captain says. “Well, then, I suppose young Castiel had better join us in my state room, while we plot out our course.”

He turns on his heels and starts to walk away. Castiel exchanges a look with Bobby and Gabriel, before following after the captain.

*****

The state room turns out to be an elegantly decorated cabin. There is a large desk near one wall, a number of cabins along another and a large desk nailed to the centre of the floor. The captain goes to stand behind his desk, leaning against it with both hands. Ms Masters stands beside him with her arms crossed and an amused smile on her lips, as if she's expecting some sort of entertainment.

The captain fixes Bobby with a stern look.

“If this trip is to be successful,” he says, “I will need to know our final destination.”

Castiel glances at Bobby. They agreed that their destination ought to remain secret, but they never really discussed whether or not they should let the captain in on that secret. Castiel doesn't think that they should. There is something about the captain and his first officer that makes Castiel reluctant to trust them. Fortunately, Bobby seems to feel the same.

“I told you, captain,” he says. “That's a secret. We will give you directions for you to follow, as per our agreement.”

The captain rolls his eyes.

“Do you have any idea how difficult it is to plan for a journey when you have no idea where you're going or when you will next be able to replenish your supplies?”

Bobby merely scoffs at this.

“The instructions I gave you are enough to help you plan our journey,” Bobby points out, “and you agreed to the terms.”

The captain doesn't look happy, but he has no choice but to concede.

“Fine,” he says. “But someone is going to have to talk to our navigator and help him plot a course. I suppose the obvious choice would be young Castiel, but that would perhaps draw unwanted attention to the fact that he is apparently the only one who knows where we're going. Not to impugn your judgement, Mr Singer, but this crew that you hired seems less than trustworthy.”

Bobby nods thoughtfully.

“You may have a point,” he says.

“I'll do it,” Gabriel says. “I aced my astrography course. Cas can let me know where we need to go.”

“Very well,” the captain agrees. “Ms Masters will take to you to Mr Winchester. As for young Castiel, we still need to find something for him to do. As I said, I won't have idle hands on my ship.” He thinks for a moment. “I think I know just thing. Ms Masters, after you've introduced Mr Harvelle to the younger Mr Winchester, you should take his cousin to the galley. I'm sure the older Winchester can find something for him to do.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” Ms Masters gives him a lazy sort of salute and walks over to the door. She opens it and gestures at the cousins to walk through. “After you.”

****

Castiel waits on the main deck, while Ms Masters leads Gabriel onto the quarterdeck. He can see them walk up to a giant of a man, with whom Gabriel shakes hands. Ms Masters tells the giant something, which makes him frown, but he nods. He turns to Gabriel and the two of them begin talking to each other. Ms Masters leaves them and walks back down to Castiel.

“This way,” she says and leads him over to a door, behind which are the stairs that lead down to the galley. A man is standing there among the pots and pans, obviously busy with preparing a meal for the crew. His right side is facing them, so Castiel can only see his profile, but he can tell that the man is young. He doesn't seem to be much older than Gabriel, which would put him in his early twenties. From what Castiel can tell, he also seems to be quite good-looking.

“Winchester,” Ms Masters calls to him. “I've got someone here to meet.”

The man finishes chopping up the vegetables he's working on, then turns to face them. Castiel was obviously right in his assessment. He is young, maybe five years older than Castiel himself, and he is exceptionally handsome. He's more handsome than anyone Castiel has ever met, but that isn't the reason why Castiel has to stifle a gasp. At some point in his life, the man must obviously have lost both his left arm and leg. As is usual in such cases, the missing limbs have been replaced with ones of metal and mechanics - cybernetic limbs. The man is a cyborg.

If the man notices Castiel's reaction, he doesn't say anything. Instead, he walks over to them with a gait that seems to stir something in Castiel's memory. He thinks back on the night when his mother's inn was attacked. The man who led the attackers had moved in the same manner.

Seemingly oblivious to Castiel's suspicious stare, the man grins at him.

“And who might you be?” he asks Castiel, giving him an obvious once-over. If Castiel didn't know better, he would almost say that the man's tone sounded flirtatious.

Ms Masters answers for him, slinging an arm around his shoulders and pushing him forward towards the man.

“This is Mr Harvelle,” she says. “The captain has sent him to help you out in the galley. Wasn't that nice of him?”

The grin slips off the man's face and he frowns at Ms Masters.

“Now hold on just a minute,” he says. “I don't need any...”

“Captain's orders, Winchester,” Ms Masters interrupts. “Now get to it. Chop-chop!”

She smirks and winks as Castiel, before turning and heading back up the stairs. Both Castiel and the man watch her leave. When she is gone, the man sighs and grimaces.

“Awesome,” he says. “But whatever. Can't very well argue with the captain. We don't want to start a mutiny, now, do we?”

He grins again. Castiel doesn't smile, but simply regards him quietly. The man's grin begins to slip again.

“Right,” he says. “So, Mr Harvelle, huh? Got any other name?”

“Castiel.”

The man blinks at him.

“Castiel?” he repeats. When Castiel nods, he raises. “Okay, Cas it is. And you can call me Dean. Now, Cas, why don't you start peeling those vegetables over there? I've a feeling the crew is beginning to feel hungry.”

Castiel steps up to the counter that Dean indicated, on which he finds a pile of vegetables and a knife. When he tries to pick up the knife, however, it slips out of his grasp and rises into the air in front of him. As Castiel watches in astonishment, it changes shape and colour, turning into a pink, bloblike creature that stares at Castiel's with huge, round eyes.

“Um,” Castiel says, unsure how to react.

Dean turns around from where he's been stirring one of the pots. When he sees the creature, his face lights up.

“Morphy,” he exclaims, “there you are. I was wondering where you'd gone off to.”

The creature gives off a sound like a purr and whizzes over to nuzzle Dean's face affectionately. Dean laughs and swats at it playfully.

“Alright, alright,” he says. “That's enough.”

“What is that?” Castiel asks. He's never seen anything like it.

Dean beams at him. Beside him, the creature turns into a smaller replica of Dean.

“He's Morph,” Dean says. “He's a shape-shifter. I rescued him during one of our travels and he's stayed with me since. Haven't you, Morphy?”

The creature replies by nuzzling his cheek again. It looks rather funny to see the tiny version of Dean nuzzle the large one and against his will, and Castiel smiles. He's beginning to think that Dean can't have been the cyborg that the dying man mentioned who destroyed the inn. Dean seems too open and too friendly.

It does seem like a rather strange coincidence, however, to find a cyborg on board this particular ship. Castiel needs to be sure.

“You're a cyborg,” he says. The change of topic may seem rather abrupt, but then Gabriel is always telling him that tact isn't his strong suit.

Dean looks over at him with an eyebrow raised.

“I met a man once,” Castiel continues, “back home. On Montressor. He was a big, black man with a bald head. I never caught his name. He mentioned a cyborg.” Dean is still just looking at him, his expression unchanged. “I thought maybe it was you.”

Dean gives a small chuckle, still petting Morphy, who has turned back into a pink blob and is twisting and purring happily under Dean's hands.

“It's possible, I guess,” Dean says. “I mean, that description you gave is kind of vague. Doesn't sound like any buddy of mine, though, so I doubt it. Plenty more cyborgs in space.”

Castiel nods. Dean could be lying, but without proof, there isn't much that Castiel can do. He'll simply have to keep his eyes open.

They work in silence for a while, Dean only breaking it from time to time to tell Castiel what to do. After a while, they hear Ms Masters' voice from up on the deck.

“Everything's ready, captain! Crew, prepare to cast off.”

Castiel wishes he could be up on deck to watch as the ship leaves the spaceport behind. It's a moment that he's been dreaming of all his life. The captain ordered him to stay in the galley, however, and he doesn't dare disobey orders. Apparently, his eagerness is still easy to read.

“Go on,” Dean says, smiling indulgently. “I've got this. Go watch the launch!”

Castiel throws him a grateful glance and races up the stairs.

*****

The launch is smooth and just as magnificent as Castiel could have hoped. He hangs over the railing and watches as Crescentia grows smaller behind them. His heart pounds with excitement. This is finally it. He's finally going off into space. All those adventures that he dreamed about as a small boy are about to come true.

He's so distracted, trying to take in everything around him, that he doesn't hear the footsteps behind him. A hand lands on his shoulder, making him jump and spin around to find Dean standing behind him.

“It's something, isn't it?” he asks.

Castiel nods. A large group of huge fishlike creatures are swimming near the ship. They gleam white against the dark space behind them.

“Space whales,” Dean says, following his gaze. “At least that's what I call them. Sammy could probably tell you their real name.”

A jet of greenish goo suddenly erupts out of one of the space whales, like a sickly volcano. Even though the space whale is too far from the ship for any of it to hit Castiel, he flinches. Dean laughs.

“Yeah,” he says. “They do that sometimes. I'm sure Sam could tell you about that, too.”

“Sam?” Castiel asks, distractedly.

“My brother,” Dean says. Castiel turns around to see him pointing at the giant helmsman. “He's the science geek of the family. Always curious about how and why things work the way they do. Me, I find it enough just to know what they do.”

Castiel nods again, but he isn't really paying attention. Gabriel is standing next to Sam, obviously talking his ear off. Sam looks rather pained, but he doesn't tell Gabriel to shut up. Castiel admires his patience.

“Have you been space sailors for long?” Castiel asks.

Dean shrugs.

“Pretty much all our lives,” he says. “Dad was a sailor and when mom died, he brought us along on his travels. We've been all over the Etherium. I always loved it, but Sammy hated it. He wanted a 'home'.” Dean pronounces the word as if he finds it ridiculous. “I tried to tell him that the ship was our home, but he could never see that. As soon as he was old enough, he went off to university. It was only after dad died that he began travelling again. Guess he realised that we Winchesters were never meant to have our feet on solid ground for very long. Sailing's what we're best at. “

“But you're a cook,” Castiel points out, “not a sailor. Or are you going to tell me that you steer the ship from below deck?”

Dean turns back to him and points a finger between his eyes.

“Damn straight I do,” he says. “Where do you think this ship would be if there was no one to keep the men's bellies full? The galley's the most important part of the ship and don't you forget it. A hungry sailor is a useless sailor.” He takes a few steps backwards and reaches for something behind one of the masts. “And a dirty ship is a disgrace. Get to it!” He hands Castiel a mop and a bucket, then grins and disappears down into the galley again.

*****

Over the next few days, Castiel becomes acquainted with most of the other crew members. It is not an entirely pleasant experience. Dean continues to be friendly and his brother Sam turns out to be both nice and interesting to talk to, but the rest of the crew members are less pleasant. Some of them, like the ship's gunner Mr Walker, seem merely coldly disinterested, but others are outright hostile.

Castiel's first encounter with one of the latter occurs on his first evening on board. He is almost done swabbing the deck, aided by Dean's shape-shifter pet Morphy. Morphy's help consists mostly of keeping Castiel company, but the little creature is amusing and he keeps Castiel from becoming too bored. Darkness is already falling when Castiel finally puts down the mop and stands back to inspect his own handiwork.

“What do you think, Morphy?” he asks his small friend. “Do you think Dean will find it adequate?”

Morphy immediately shifts into his imitation of Dean and echoes,

“Adequate, adequate.”

Castiel smiles and reaches out to pet him. It feels strange when Morphy is in this shape, especially since Morphy immediately begins purring and nuzzling up against Castiel's face, the way he did with Dean earlier. Still, Castiel doesn't exactly mind. He feels strangely gratified that Morphy has taken to him so quickly.

“Shall we go and tell him?” he asks.

Morphy immediately turns back into his own shape and zooms away in the direction of the galley. Castiel moves to follow him, but finds his path blocked by a group of crew members who are standing near the door to the galley and talking quietly among themselves. They don't notice Castiel until he's nearly among them and then they quickly grow silent. Castiel can't help but find their behaviour suspicious, but he ignores them and begins to walk past them. Before he can reach the stairs to the galley, however, one of the men stops him by grabbing his arm.

“Listening in our conversation, were you?” he asks.

Castiel shakes his head and tries to pull his arm out of the man's grip.

“No.”

The man doesn't release him. His face looks fairly ordinary, just like the men back home, but his eyes are different. They look almost yellow in the fading light.

“Liar,” he breathes softly. “Cabin boys should mind their own business. I think maybe we need to teach you that.”

The rest of the group hisses and laughs, but Castiel ignores them. He can easily tell that they're just minions and the man who spoke to him is their leader. The man's face is calm, but his hand on Castiel's arm is still enough to send a frisson of fear down Castiel's spine. There is something about those yellow eyes that speak of cruelty and malice.

“I wasn't listening,” he says. “I was just going to the galley. Leave me alone!”

The man's smirk doesn't reach his eyes. He pulls Castiel closer, so that his putrid breath washes over Castiel's face. Castiel wrinkles his nose and tries to turn his head away, but Azazel's face follows him.

“I don't think so,” he says. “I think...”

But Castiel never learns what he thinks, because at that moment, he is interrupted by a cybernetic hand grabbing his wrist. A wave of relief washes over Castiel to see Dean standing there, glaring at the crewmen.

“What's going on here?” he asks sternly.

No one answers. Dean's grip on the yellowed-eyed man's arm tightens, until the man lets out a cry of pain and lets go of Castiel's arm.

“Azazel?” Dean demands.

Azazel opens his mouth to speak, but is interrupted again, this time by a female voice.

“Mr Winchester. Mr Azazel. Is there a problem here?”

Ms Masters has come to stand beside Castiel with her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. For such a small woman, she has an immense presence and she is somehow able to loom over men that are a head taller than her. Azazel looks at her and she meets his stare without flinching. After a long moment, Azazel is the first to look away. He lets go of Castiel's arm.

“No, ma’am,” he says. “No problem at all.”

Ms Masters turns to look questioningly at Dean. Dean grins, but Castiel can tell that it's fake.

“No problem,” he confirms. “I was just coming to check on my cabin boy. Castiel?”

Castiel frowns at him. Something feels off, but he can't put his finger on it. It has something to do with how Azazel looks at Dean. He shrugs it off for now.

“I'm finished,” he says. “The deck is as clean as I can make it.”

Dean nods.

“Very well,” he says. “I'll need to inspect it, of course. You can wait for me down in the galley. Ms Masters.”

He bows at the first officer, who gives them all a suspicious glare and walks away. Castiel wants to stay with Dean, but Dean gives him a stern look and Castiel does as he was told. Before he goes below deck, he sees Ms Masters walk back towards the quarterdeck, where the captain is waiting for her. Turning back, he also sees that Dean and the other crewmen seem to be having a rather intense discussion. Castiel frowns at them for a few moments, before sighing and going down into the galley.

Part Two