Chapter 9: A Call to Arms
The Call to Arms
Confession is good for the soul...
It seemed to Castiel that once his dealings with Crowley had been made known to Dean, Sam, and Bobby, that admitting his sins to his fellow Rebel Angels wasn't difficult. After they had left Eleanor Visyak in the care of the Winchester brothers and Bobby, Castiel had asked Balthazar to summon his rebel lieutenants. Balthazar didn't like what Castiel proposed but did as asked.
It was a difficult meeting. Castiel lay bare the mess he had gotten himself into and the pending alliance with Hel. He made it clear that all blame for this lay with his own choices and hubris. He still believed that Angels needed understand free will. He still believed God did not want a second Apocalypse. He still believed Raphael sought only power for power's sake. He admitted that he no longer knew if he, himself, sought that same power for the same reason.
He asked that they report what he'd said to the other rebels and that they all needed to make their own decision about whether to continue fighting under his command. Knowing that they would be meeting almost certain death, or seek mercy from Raphael. He would not give up and he would not hide should his former allies want to try and kill him.
***
Castiel stood unnoticed watching Balthazar play catch with Hel's hound Garm in the backlot of Bobby's Salvage yard. It had been a day since he'd admitted his dealings with Crowley to the other rebels, and perhaps two since his last meeting with Hel. Crowley now had the means to open Purgatory, as did they. No doubt Hel would find a way as well. Still, for the first time since he'd allowed Crowley to seduce him, Castiel felt clean.
There were always quiet moments during battle, moments when everything seemed normal and watching Balthazar play with Garm was one of them. Had anyone bothered to look they would have seen a battered baseball seemingly hurtling through the air of its own accord. Castiel laughed at the sight. Balthazar de-cloaked himself and turned to meet him.
”Unusually chipper Cassie, things gone completely to hell?” Balthazar quipped.
”Yes. You should probably fake your own death and steal the GWMD's while you still have the chance Balt,” Castiel said good-humouredly.
Balthazar arched an eyebrow and striking an exaggerated pose announced. ”It has come to this. Humour, Cassie? Really how could you...” He clasped Castiel by the shoulders and earnestly continued, “Been there, done that, thought I might see this battle through to its bloody conclusion.”
Castiel said nothing for a long time, just stood still with his friend’s hands upon his shoulders. He called to Garm and fed him Eleanor's soul. The hound disappeared returning some minutes later. Frost and snow covered him and he looked like a ghost hound running between the car wrecks. Balthazar brought his hands down to his side.
”I have to go. I'll be in touch,” Castiel said.
”I'll be here,” Balthazar said quietly. Garm growled from a nearby car wreck and they returned to playing catch and waiting for the end of the world, mark two.
Crowley's Lair...
It had taken a solid forty-eight hours of torturing the former Dr Eleanor Visyak but Crowley had the spell. Technically, it had been Castiel that had squeezed the spell and blood from the doctor's body.
The angel had run off to get the last of the ingredients. A flutter of wings and Castiel walked into Crowley's office with one bottle of Virgin's Blood.
”Here. You will have everything ready by tomorrow?” Castiel asked.
”Of course kitten, don't trust your partner? What is the world coming to?” Crowley asked insincerely.
”Endless torture and pain if you don't do the spell right. I for one don't fancy being Raphael's chew toy and I doubt you wish to join my brothers in the Cage,” Castiel snapped and left.
Crowley summoned his lieutenants and ordered them to ready their forces at the Hell’s gate previously opened by Azazel. Raphael had promised it open in return for Crowley sharing the bounty of Purgatory, a promise Crowley had filed away as Plan C. He was confident that sheer numbers would allow him the time to complete the spell while Raphael and Castiel held their grudge match.
Frankly, he didn't much care which side won as long as he gained all the power. After all, why rule Hell when you could rule the Universe?
Ken Lay's heavenly retreat...
Raphael sat in the study of Ken Lay's heavenly memory and sipped the cognac cupped in her hand. Raphael found having a female vessel suited him and he wondered why it had taken so long for him to acquire one.
There was a knock on the door and one of his Lieutenants walked in the room. ”We are hearing reports of Castiel's followers abandoning him. Apparently they now believe the rumours of his demon deal. Do we hunt them down?”
Raphael swirled her drink and sniffed the aroma. ”No. We'll wait until after Castiel is a burnt cinder. Then, when they come crawling back we'll welcome them, debrief them and kill them,” she said and dismissed the subordinate.
The Archangel looked at the map currently spread out on Lay's mahogany table. It showed the current state of war and where her forces and Castiel's rebel forces were fighting. It had taken longer than she would have liked to adapt to the messy way Castiel and the Rebel scum battled but the tide was turning and these latest rumours only confirmed what Raphael had always known: Castiel was nothing more than a jumped up piece of dirt. Hardly better than the mud-monkeys themselves, it was little wonder Michael failed to destroy Lucifer and Raphael felt no pity for her the former General of Heaven's sticky end.
Raphael ordered another garrison to join the one already positioning itself around Crowley's laboratory and then ordered another two to position themselves close to the Wyoming Cemetery where the Devil's Gate was built. Raphael herself would be at the Laboratory and she would take care of Crowley herself. It was only right that her first act as Queen of Heaven be the removal of the eyesore calling himself the King of Hell.
part 2