Fight, Boy, Fight

Chapter 28

I was waiting for them to get back, Cas flew them to the Birch residence. After a few, they were back, Cas put a knocked out kid on the bed.
Dean said" Cas, you realize you just kidnapped a kid." I walked to Sam and Dean,
Cas said" If the angel we seek truly bought this boy's soul- when a claim is laid on a living soul, it leaves a mark, a brand."
Sam said" What, like a shirt tag at camp?"
" I have no idea. But I can read the mark... and find the name of the angel that bought the soul."
Dean said" How?"
" Well, painfully, for him. The reading will be excruciating."
" Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on."
" Dean."
" He's a kid, Cas, a ki- Sam."
Sam said" Any permanent damage?"
" What?"
Cas said" Physically, minimal."
" Oh, well yeah, then by all means, stick your arm right in there."
" Dean, if I get the name I can work a ritual to track the angel down."
" I'm all for that, but come on. There's gotta be another way."
" There is no other way."
" You're gonna torture a kid."
" I can't care about that, Dean. I don't have the luxury." Cas stuck his hand into the kid, the kid started groaning and screaming in pain. I dug my face into Dean's stomach, Dean's hand held the back of my head, I covered my ears with my hands. Dean's hand moved, I peeked out, taking a hand off my ear," He'll rest now."
Sam said" Did you get a name? What is it?"
" I thought he died in the war."
" What, he was a friend or something?"
" A good friend."
Dean said" Yeah, well, your frat buddy is now moonlighting as a crossroads demon."
" Balthazar, I wonder."
Sam said" So we can find him now, right?"
A man said" Balthazar. Thanks, Castiel, we'll make good use of the name." We moved as the angel attacked, Cas started fighting him." And by the way, Raphael says hello." Both blades slid towards us, then Cas and the angel crashed through the window. We ran to the window and looked down, the angel disappeared. I looked at my brothers,
" My car."
Dean said" Okay. Silver lining." Sam looked at Dean,
Cas said" He's gone."
Sam said" All right, Cas, who was that guy?"
" A soldier of Raphael. He must have followed me when I answered your call."
" Raphael? The archangel? I'm sorry, what's going on here?"
" I can explain later. Right now, we have to-"
Dean said" No, not later, now. Stop, all right? There's too many angels, Cas. I don't know who's on first, what's on second-"
" What is second?"
" Don't start that."
" It is simple, Raphael and his followers... they want him to rule heaven. I and many others, the last thing we want is to let him take over. It would be catastrophic."
Sam said" You're talking civil war."
" Technically, yes. Which is why we have to find Balthazar and his weapons before Raphael does. Whoever has the weapons wins the war."
" Help yourself."
Dean said" And what happens if Raphael wins? I mean, what does he want?"
Cas said" What he always wanted- to end the story the way it was written."
" You mean the apocalypse, the one we derailed?"
" Yes, that one. Raphael wants to put it back on the rails."
" Why?"
" I need myrrh."
Sam said" Myrrh?" Cas was gone,
Dean said" Friggin' angels." Then we turned as we heard something, we saw Cas at the table." Why does Raphael wanna bring back all this crap?"
Cas said" He's a traditionalist."
" Why didn't you tell us this?"
" I was ashamed. I expected more from my brothers. I'm sorry. Now I need your blood."
" Whoa, whoa, hey. Agh!" Cas cut Dean's palm," Why don't you use your own?"
" Wouldn't work, I'm not human."
" Ugh!" Dean wrapped his hand to stop the bleeding, Cas said something in another language. I heard sirens,
Sams aid" Uh, Cas, how long does this spell take?"
Cas said" Got him, let's go."
Dean said" Whoa, whoa, wait, what about him?"
" Don't you think the police will take him home?"

We showed up outside this huge house,
Dean said" Huh. I was expecting more Dr. No, less Liberace." I looked at him, confused, then followed him as they started walking.

Angels showed up, we were prepared,
Sam said" Hey there. Yeah. I got one of those too." Then another angel flew behind him, angel blade to Sam's neck, I looked at Dean.
The angel said" You think you can knife fight an angel?"
Dean said" Who's fighting? Peace out, douchewad." He pressed the banishing sigil, I covered my eyes, then peeked out once the bright light went away.

Cas got Balthazar exactly where we needed him, in the holy oil ring.
Dean said" No time like the present." He threw the lighter down and it lit the oil on fire, trapping Balthazar.
Balthazar said" Holy fire. You hairless ape. Release me."
" First, you're taking your marker off Aaron Birch's soul."
" Am I?"
" Sam."
Sam said" Unless you like your wings extra crispy, I'd think about it."
Balthazar said" Castiel, I stood for you in heaven. Are you gonna let one of them-"
Cas said" I believe the hairless ape has the floor."
" Ha ha ha. Very well." He held his hands at his head then put them down," The boy's debt is cleared. His soul is his own."
Dean said" Why are you buying up human souls anyway?"
" In this economy? It's probably the only thing worth buying. Do you have any idea what souls are worth? What power they hold? Now, release me."
" Suck it, ass clown, nobody said anything-" Cas got rid of the flame," Cas, what the hell?"
Cas said" My debt to you is cleared."
Balthazar said" Fair enough." He disappeared,
Dea said" Cas, are you out of your mind?" Cas disappeared," Cas! Oh, friggin' angels. Come on!"
———
Dean said" Gosh, I didn't realize I had this much stuff back here."
Sam said" Well, ahem, I need some space. Kind of picked up some stuff along the way." They closed the trunk... trunk then Sam saw Ben's halloween costume." What the hell is that?"
" Oh, that's, uh, Ben's halloween costume."
" Wendigo?"
" Yeah."
" Accurate." Dean closed the trunk and we walked to the sides,
" Hey, so, uh... are you okay?"
" Me? Yeah, I'm great."
" Really? Because there's been a few times you got me wondering."
" Come again?"
" Well, like where were you when Cas... was giving the holy-taser treatment to that kid?"
" I was right there."
" Really? Because, honestly, I felt like I was the only one raising a card."
" Right. I mean, I was with you. But, I don't know, we needed the intel."
" Yeah, I know, but we tortured that kid to get it. I just didn't get the feeling that you even cared."
" You're wrong."
" I mean, I'm just trying to figure this out, because something's different with you. You know that."
" Yeah, yeah, I know."
" Really?"
" Yeah, I mean... I've been hunting nonstop for the past year. Kind of out in the wild, you know? So yeah, I suppose I'm a little rough around the edges."
" Yeah, I get that. But I just don't think I'm getting the whole scoop. You went to hell, Sam. And believe me, I know what that does to a guy."
" To you."
" What?"
" You know it does to you. It tortured you, you know? I think it still does. But, Dean, heh, I'm okay."
" So you're saying, what, that you're stronger than me?"
" No. I'm just saying we're different." He got in, I looked up at Dean, he opened my door and I crawled in. He closed the door and got in, I looked at them.