[Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester]
A woman was asleep on the couch. The TV and lights began to flicker. The woman sat up, looking alarmed, and when she exhaled, her breath was visible. She walked to a cupboard and started pulling out weapons as the phone rang.
A voice on the answering machine said, "Hey, it's Olivia. I'm not in. Leave a message."
Olivia took out an EMF reader, which started beeping and flashing.
"Olivia, it's Bobby. Call me or Kennedy back, would you? We got something big. We could use your help."
Olivia loaded a gun and walked around the apartment. She heard a noise and a thin, tall man appeared beside her. He was bruised and battered. She looked shocked.
"You!" Olivia cried.
Olivia fired at the ghost and he disappeared. She pulled out a bag of salt and covered a doorway entrance with it. The ghost appeared in front of her on the other side of the salt line.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Olivia said.
She backed up and turned around. A blonde, beaten woman grabbed Olivia around the throat, strangling her. Olivia screamed.
BOBBY'S HOUSE
Bobby was sitting at his desk with a pile of books in front of him. Kennedy was sitting in a chair adjacent to the desk, with a book on her lap. Sam was sitting in a chair in the opposite corner talking to Dean, who was standing.
"Well, then tell me what else it could be," Sam said.
"Look, all I know is I was not groped by an angel," Dean replied.
"Okay, look, Dean. Why do you think this Castiel would lie to you about it?"
"Maybe he's some kind of demon. Demons lie."
Bobby and Kennedy looked up from the books at the brothers. Kennedy glanced at Dean. He did have a point and she was inclined to believe him.
Sam frowned at his brother. "A demon who's immune to salt rounds and Devil's Traps... and Ruby's knife? Dean, Lilith is scared of that thing!"
"Don't you think that if angels were real, that some hunter somewhere would have seen one... at some point... ever?" Dean shot back.
"Yeah. You just did, Dean."
"I'm trying to come up with a theory here. Okay? Work with me."
"Dean, we have a theory."
"Yeah, one with a little fairy dust on it, please."
"Okay, look. I'm not saying we know for sure. I'm just saying that I think we-"
Dean cut him off. "Okay, okay. That's the point. We don't know for sure, so I'm not gonna believe that this thing is a freaking Angel of the Lord because it says so!"
"You two Chuckleheads want to keep arguing religion, or do you want to come take a look at this?" Bobby asked.
Sam and Dean walked over to Bobby's desk.
Bobby continued. "I got stacks of lore -- Biblical, pre-Biblical. Some of it's in damn cuneiform. It all says an angel can snatch a soul from the Pit or from where they reside in Heaven."
"What else?" Dean pressed.
"What else, what?"
"What else could do it?" Dean asked.
"Airlift your ass out of the hot box? As far as Kennedy and I can tell, nothing."
"Dean, this is good news," Sam said.
"How?" Dean wondered.
"Because for once, this isn't just another round of demon crap. I mean, maybe you were saved by one of the good guys, you know?"
Kennedy tilted her head, looking annoyed. "Okay. Say it's true. Say there are angels. Then what? There's a God?"
Bobby glanced between her and Dean. "At this point, Vegas money's on yeah. Kennedy, I thought you believed."
Kennedy scoffed. "Oh, yeah. Sure. I believe in a God who let my family die."
"We don't know, guys," Dean admitted.
Sam looked at his brother and friend a moment. "Okay, look. I know you aren't all choirboy about this stuff, and clearly Kennedy isn't at all choirgirl about this, but this is becoming less and less about faith and more and more about proof."
"Proof?"
"Yes."
"Proof that there's a God out there that actually gives a crap about me personally? I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it."
"Why not?"
"Because why me? If there is a God out there, why would he give a crap about me?"
"Dean-"
Dean cut him off. "I mean, I've saved some people, okay? I figured that made up for the stealing and the ditching chicks. But why do I deserve to get saved? I'm just a regular guy."
"Apparently you're a regular guy that's important to the man upstairs."
"Well, that creeps me out. I mean, I don't like getting singled out at birthday parties, much less by... God."
"Okay, well, too bad, Dean, because I think he wants you to strap on your party hat."
"Fine. What do we know about angels?"
Bobby picked up a pile of fat and weighty books and put them in front of Dean. "Start reading."
Dean looked at the pile of books and turned towards Sam.
"You're gonna get me and Kendy some pie," Dean told him before he grabbed a book from the top of the pile.
EXT. DINER CAFÉ
The Impala pulled up and stopped.
Sam was driving whilst talking on the phone. "Yes, Dean, I'll get the chips. Dude. When have I ever forgotten the pie? Exactly." He got out of the car and saw Ruby waiting. "I got to go. Yeah, all right. Bye."
He walked over to Ruby who asked, "So, is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"Did an angel rescue Dean?"
"You heard."
"Who hasn't?"
"We're not 100% sure, but I think so."
"Okay. Bye, Sam." She started walking away.
Sam grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait. What's going on?"
"Sam, they're angels. I'm a demon. They're not gonna care if I'm being helpful. They smite first, and then they ask questions later."
"What do you know about them?"
"Not much. I've never met one, and I don't really want to. All I know is that they scare the holy hell out of me. Watch yourself, Sam."
"I'm not scared of angels."
Ruby walked away, leaving Sam alone.
EXT. BOBBY'S HOUSE
Sam pulled up to the house.
Bobby approached the car window. "Keep the engine running."
"Why?" Sam wondered. "What's going on?"
"Kendy and I got a friend one state over -- Olivia Lowry. We've been trying to reach her for three days on this angel thing. It's not like her to ignore this many calls."
"Olivia Lowry -- a hunter, right?"
"Yeah. We're gonna go check on her. You guys follow us."
Dean approached the driver's side as Bobby and Kennedy headed to their own car.
"Scoot over," Dean ordered. "Yeah." He grabbed the bag of food Sam had gotten and looked inside. "Dude?"
"Yeah?" Sam said.
"Where's the pie?"
INT. OLIVIA'S HOUSE
Bobby and Kennedy entered the house, both armed with guns, followed by Dean and Sam who were also armed. They searched for Olivia.
"Olivia?" Bobby and Kennedy called.
They saw Olivia dead and covered in blood on the floor. Bobby and Kennedy walked away, leaving the room.
"Bobby? Kennedy?" Dean called.
Sam pointed to the doorway. "Salt line."
Sam and Dean looked around the room.
Dean picked up the EMF meter. "Olivia was rocking the EMF meter."
Sam nodded. "Spirit activity."
"Yeah -- on steroids. I never seen a ghost do this to a person."
Bobby and Kennedy reentered the room, phones in hand.
"Bobby, Kennedy, you two all right?" Dean asked.
"Kennedy and I called some hunters nearby..." Bobby began.
"Good. We can use their help."
"...except they ain't answering their phones either."
"Something's up, huh?"
Kennedy frowned at him. "You think?"
Bobby and Kennedy walked out of the room and Sam and Dean looked concerned.
WHITE COUNTRY HOUSE
A phone rang and went to voicemail since no one answered. A male's voice spoke. "Yeah, this is Jed. I'm not around. Uh, leave a message."
"Jed, Dean Winchester again -- friend of Bobby Singer and Kennedy Ryan. Look, we think something's happening. We think it's happening to hunters. Just want to make sure you're okay. Call me back."
In the house, here was blood, broken glass, salt thrown on the floor, and a gun lying beside a body which was bloody and had its chest ripped out.
EXT. WHITE HOUSE
Dean and Sam were walking down the stairs, exiting the house.
Dean said into his phone, "We're in Jackson. It's not pretty. He looks even worse than Olivia. What about you and Kennedy?"
Bobby was in his car, driving, also on the phone. "R.C. Kennedy and I checked on Carl Bates and R.C. Adams. They've redecorated... in red."
"What the hell is going on here, Bobby, Kennedy? Why did a bunch of ghosts suddenly want to gank off-duty hunters?"
"I don't know, neither does she, but until we find out, you guys better get your asses to my place."
"We're on our way."
Dean and Sam were driving and pulled up to a stop at a service station. The ignition stopped, and Sam put the gas pump in the car. Sam walked to the restroom while the gas was pumping. Dean was asleep in the passenger's seat.
Sam was washing his hands in the bathroom and when he breathed out, his breath was visible. The bathroom mirror was covered with a foggy mist and Sam wiped it away with his hand. He was startled to see Henriksen's reflection.
"Hi, Sam," Henriksen greeted. "It's been awhile."
"Hi, guys. It's been awhile. So, how do we survive?"
"Henriksen," Sam noted. "Are you -- Did you..."
"I didn't survive... if that's what you're asking."
"I'm sorry."
"I know you are."
"Look, if we'd known Lilith was coming-"
"You wouldn't have left half a dozen innocent people in that police station to die in your place. You did this to me. She was after you, and I paid the price. You left us there to die!"
Henriksen attacked Sam, grabbing him hard, and threw him around. Sam noticed a small brand on Henriksen's hand. He was thrown against the mirrors and Henriksen knocked Sam's head on the sink. Sam fell to the ground. Dean entered and shot at Henriksen, whose ghost disappeared.
INT. BOBBY'S HOUSE
Lights flickered and Bobby's breath became visible. He heard laughter and walked towards the noise, grabbing an iron poker from the fireplace. The lights flickered and the radio started playing up. Bobby watched as a ball bounced down the stairs. When it stopped at the bottom, he turned and saw two small girls, very much alike, staring at him.
In her room, Kennedy noticed her lights flickering and her breath was visible. She grabbed an iron rod she kept near her bed and looked towards the open door to see her parents.
IMPALA
Dean was driving. Sam was in the passenger's seat with bruises on his face.
Dean looked at his phone. "Damn it, Bobby, Kennedy! One of you pick up!" He glanced to Sam. "How you feeling, huh? How many fingers am I holding up?"
"None," Sam replied. "I'll be fine, Dean."
"Henriksen?"
"Yep."
"Why? What'd he want?"
"Revenge, 'cause we got him killed."
"Sam."
"Well, we did, Dean."
"All right. Stop right there. Whatever the hell is going on, it's happening to us now, okay? I can't get ahold of Bobby or Kennedy, so if you're not thinking answers, don't think at all."
BOBBY'S HOUSE
Dean and Sam entered the house, guns cocked and ready.
"Bobby? Kennedy?" Dean called.
He found an iron poker on the ground.
Dean gestured to the stairs. "I'll go. You check outside."
Sam walked through the junkyard. Bobby was in a car with the two girls, who were keeping him quiet.
"Bobby? Kennedy?" Sam called. "Bobby? Kennedy?"
Dean was upstairs, searching. Kennedy was in her closet and her parents were keeping her quiet.
"Bobby? Kennedy?" Dean yelled.
A door opened slowly and no one was visible.
"Come out, come out, whoever you are," Dean said.
A young woman with shoulder length brown hair appeared behind him. "Dean Winchester. Still so bossy. You don't recognize me?"
Dean flashed back to Meg when she was blonde and possessed. "Meg?"
"Hi. It's okay, I'm not a demon."
"You're the girl the demon possessed," Dean realized.
"Meg Masters. Nice to finally talk to you when I'm not, you know, choking on my own blood." She held up her hands. "It's okay. Seriously, I'm just a college girl. Sorry -- was. I was walking home one night and got jumped by all this smoke. Next thing you know, I'm a prisoner..." she put a hand to her head, "in here. Now, I was awake. I had to watch while she murdered people."
"I'm sorry," Dean apologized.
"Oh, yeah? So sorry you had me thrown of a building?"
"Well I thought-"
"No! You didn't think! I kept waiting, praying! I was trapped in there screaming at you! "Just help me, please!" You're supposed to help people, Dean! Why didn't you help me?"
"I'm sorry,."
"Stop saying you're sorry!" She slapped Dean and knocked him to the floor.
"Meg. Meg..." Dean began as he was kicked. "I didn't know."
"No... You just attacked. Did you ever think there was a girl in here? No. You just charged in, slashing and burning. You think you're some kind of hero?"
"No, I don't."
Meg grabbed hold of Dean's jacket. Her hand had a brand on it. "You're damn right. Do you have any idea what it's like to be ridden for months by pure evil... while your family has no idea what happened to you?"
"We did the best we could."
Meg shoved Dean and kicked him again.
KENNEDY'S CLOSET
Kennedy was still being held captive by her parents.
She glared at them. "Let me go."
Her mom shook her head. "Can't do that, darling. Are you scared?"
"No. I'm pissed that I'm being held captive by my dead parents."
"It's your fault," Kennedy's father said.
"How is your death my fault? I wasn't even home."
"If you hadn't gone to that sleepover, you might've been able to save us from that vampire."
INT. CAR
The girls were still holding Bobby captive.
"Are you scared, Bobby?" girl one asked.
"We were scared, Bobby," girl two told him.
"When the monster came for us... and grabbed us tight."
"And we couldn't even scream. You were right there, Bobby."
"You were in the house."
"You were so close."
Sam was outside searching for Bobby and Kennedy. His breath became visible and he called, "Bobby? Kennedy?"
"You could have saved us, Bobby," girl two said.
"We're here, Bobby? Kennedy?"
"You walked right past that door," girl one stated.
"The monster had us," girl two added. "And you didn't find us. And now they won't find you."
INT. BOBBY'S HOUSE - UPPER FLOOR
Dean was still on the floor with Meg standing over them as she said, "It wasn't just me, Dean. I had a sister. A little sister. She worshipped me. You know how little siblings are, right? How they'll do anything for you. She was never the same after I disappeared. She just... she just got lost. And when my body was lying in the morgue beat-up and broken..."
"Meg," Dean called.
"Do you know what that did to her? She killed herself!" She kicked Dean in the stomach. "Because of you, Dean! Because all you were thinking about was your family, your revenge, and your demons! 50 words of Latin a little sooner, and I'd still be alive. My baby sister would still be alive. That blood is on your hands, Dean!"
"You're right," Dean agreed.
Meg kicked at Dean again.
CAR YARD
Sam spotted a reflection and worked his way up a pile of cars towards Bobby.
"Bobby! Hold on, Bobby! I'm coming! Bobby!"
Sam used a crowbar to pry open the doors to the car where Bobby was being held. The girls pushed him backwards and he landed on another car below, bleeding. One of the girls jumped on him. Sam used the crowbar to fight her, while Bobby did the same with the other girl. The girls disappeared.
HOUSE
Dean was still on the ground. He took out a gun and aimed it at Meg.
"Come on, Dean, did your brain get french-fried in Hell? You can't shoot me with bullets."
"I'm not shooting you," Dean said.
Dean aimed his guns and shot at the ceiling. A chandelier fell and landed on Meg.
"Iron," Dean told her.
Dean ran up the stairs to continue searching for Kennedy and heard faint banging from her closet. He picked up the iron rod from the floor and opened the closet. Her parents turned and he swiped the rod at them and they disappeared.
"You okay?" Dean asked.
Kennedy nodded. "Yeah. Where's my uncle?"
"Uh, Sam was looking for him. You sure you're all right?"
"Yes, Dean."
The four of them gathered in the study.
"So, they're all people we know?" Sam asked.
"Not just know," Dean replied. "People we couldn't save. Hey, I saw something on Meg. Did she have a tattoo when she was alive?"
"I don't think so."
"It was like a-a mark on her hand -- almost like a brand."
"I saw a mark, too, on Henriksen."
"What did it look like?" Bobby questioned.
"Uh, paper?" He took the paper from Kennedy and started sketching the mark. "Thanks."
Sam held the drawing up for Dean to compare.
"That's it," Dean confirmed.
"Kennedy and I may have seen this before," Bobby noted. "We got to move."
"Whoa," Sam said.
"Follow me."
"Okay, where are we going?"
"Some place safe, you idiot."
Bobby and Kennedy picked up some books and led Sam and Dean to a basement room, which was made entirely of iron and covered with pentagrams and Devil's Traps.
"Bobby, Kennedy, is this..." Sam began.
"Solid iron," Kennedy said with a small smirk. "Completely coated in salt. 100% ghost-proof."
"You two built a panic room?"
"We had a weekend off," Bobby reasoned.
"Bobby. Kennedy," Dean called.
"What?" Bobby and Kennedy asked.
"You're awesome."
Dean continued, seeing a poster of a swimsuit model. "Oh."
Sam and Dean were making iron salt bullets.
"See, this is why I can't get behind God."
"What are you talking about?" Sam questioned.
"If he doesn't exist, fine. Bad crap happens to good people. That's how it is. There's no rhyme or reason -- just random, horrible, evil -- I get it, okay. We can roll with that. But if he is out there, what's wrong with him? Where the hell is he while all these decent people are getting torn to shreds? How does he live with himself? You know, why doesn't he help?"
"I ain't touching this one with a ten-foot pole," Bobby said.
"Yeah."
"Found it," Kennedy suddenly told the men.
"What?" Sam asked.
"The symbol you saw -- the brand on the ghosts..."
"Yeah?"
"Mark of the Witness."
"Witness? Witness to what?"
"The unnatural," Bobby explained. "None of them died what you'd call ordinary deaths. See, these ghosts -- they were forced to rise. They woke up in agony. They were like rabid dogs. It ain't their fault. Someone rose them... on purpose."
"Who?"
"Do Kennedy and I look like we know? But whoever it was used a spell so powerful it left a left a mark, a brand on their souls. Whoever did this had big plans. It's called "the rising of the witnesses." It figures into an ancient prophecy."
"Wait, wait. What -- what book is that prophecy from?" Dean questioned.
"Well, the widely distributed version's just for tourists, you know. But long story short -- Revelations. This is a sign, boys, girl."
"A sign of what?" Sam and Dean asked.
"The apocalypse," Kennedy answered.
"Apocalypse?" Dean repeated. "The apocalypse, apocalypse? The four horsemen, pestilence, $5-a-gallon-gas apocalypse?"
"That's the one," Bobby confirmed. "The rise of the witnesses is a -- a mile marker."
"Okay, so, what do we do now?" Sam wondered.
"Road trip," Dean said. "Grand Canyon, Star Trek Experience. Bunny Ranch."
"First things first," Kennedy stated. "How about we survive our friends, my parents, out there."
"Great. Any ideas aside from staying in this room until Judgment Day?"
"It's a spell," Bobby told them, indicating the paper in front of him, "to send the witnesses back to the rest. Should work."
"Should," Sam repeated. "Good."
"If Kendy and I translate it correctly. I think we got everything we need here at the house."
"Any chance you got everything we need here in this room?" Dean asked.
Kennedy met his eyes. "So, you thought our luck was gonna start now all of a sudden? Spell's got to be cast over an open fire."
"The fireplace in the library," Sam realized.
"Bingo."
"That's just not as appealing as a, uh, ghost-proof panic room, you know?" Dean commented.
Sam, Dean, Bobby and Kennedy prepared to leave the panic room.
"Cover each other," Bobby instructed. "And aim careful. Don't run out of ammo until Kennedy and I are done, or they'll shred you. Ready?"
They made their way out of the room and headed towards the stairs. A ghost sat on the stairs; a young man in his early 20s with curly hair.
"Hey, Dean," Ronald greeted. "You remember me?"
"Everybody on the floor now! He's got the laser eyes."
"Ronald, huh?" Dean said. "With the laser eyes? I wish I could say it's good to see you."
"I am dead because of you. You were supposed to help me!"
Bobby shot at Ronald. "If you're gonna shoot, shoot. Don't talk."
Sam, Dean, Bobby and Kennedy made their way to the living room. Sam created a salt circle, Dean started the fire, and Kennedy kept watch.
Bobby glanced to Sam. "Upstairs, linen closet -- red hex box. It'll be heavy."
"Got it," Sam replied.
The two girls and Kennedy's parents appeared in the living room again.
"Bobby," girl one said.
"Kennedy," her mom called.
Dean shot at the girls and Kennedy shot at her parents, wincing slightly.
Bobby glanced to Dean. "Kitchen. Cutlery drawer. It's got a false bottom. Hemlock, opium, wormwood."
"Opium?" Dean repeated.
"Go!"
The girls and Kennedy's parents reappeared as Dean left for the kitchen. Bobby was drawing with chalk on the desk while Kennedy made sure they had almost everything, and tried to focus on their tasks while the girls and the adult ghosts were there.
"Bobby," girl one said. "You walked right by us while that monster ate us all up."
"You could have saved us," girl two told him.
Bobby picked up his gun and shot at the girls.
"Kennedy," her father said. "You should've been there to help."
"You could have saved us," her mother added.
Kennedy picked up her gun and shot at her parents again.
Upstairs, Sam found the red box in the cupboard.
Meg appeared behind him and asked, "You know what really pisses me off, Sam?"
Sam turned to see Meg and fired at her.
She continued. "You saw how I suffered for months. I thought you must have learned something. I thought I died for something."
"Meg," Sam said.
"But what you're doing with that demon, Ruby... How many innocent bodies has Ruby burned through for kicks? How many girls like me? And you don't send her back to Hell? You're a monster!"
Sam raised his rifle and shot Meg.
Dean was in the kitchen looking for the false bottom in the drawer. The doors to the kitchen suddenly closed.
"Dean?" Bobby and Kennedy called.
"I'm all right, Bobby, Kendy!" Dean answered. "Keep working!"
Henriksen appeared next to Dean.
"Victor," Dean said.
"Dean," Henriksen stated.
"I know."
"No. You don't."
"It's my fault you're dead. And the minute I heard about that explosion, I thought, "I should have known." I should have protected you."
Dean reached for the gun behind him, but they went flying across the room.
"Unh-unh. Not so fast. You think you left and Lilth came and we all died in a beautiful blast of... white light? If only. 45 minutes."
"What?" Dean questioned.
"Over 45 minutes. Lilith said she wanted to have some fun. The secretary was first. Remember her? Nancy, the virgin. Lilith filleted Nancy's skin off piece by piece. Right in front of us, made us watch. Nancy never stopped screaming."
"No."
"I was the last."
"Victor..."
Henriksen reached inside Dean's chest and gripped his heart. "Tell me how it's fair. You get saved from Hell -- I die? Why do you deserve another chance, Dean?"
Sam entered and shot Henriksen, rushing to check on Dean as soon as Henriksen was gone.
"You all right?" Sam asked.
"No," Dean replied.
"Let's go."
Sam helped Dean up and they carried the hex box and other ingredients to the library.
Ronald appeared again as Dean was reloading his gun.
"Ronald," Dean said. "Hey, come on, man. I thought we were pals."
"That's when I was breathing. Now I'm gonna eat you alive."
"Well... come on, I'm not a cheeseburger."
Dean cocked his gun and pointed it at Ronald, but he vanished. Bobby recited some Latin words and the windows blew open and a wind filled the room. The wind moved the salt so they were no longer protected. Meg appeared and Sam quickly shot at her, as Bobby continued reciting the spell. Ronald appeared and they shot at him. Sam and Dean continued firing as the ghosts appeared. Henriksen knocked Dean's gun from his hands when he was reloading and approached him. Dean grabbed another gun and shot it, only to find it empty. He quickly picked up an iron rod and hit Henriksen. Meg appeared and pushed Sam against the wall, trapping him there with a desk. Sam tried to push the desk away without success.
"Sam!" Dean called.
"Cover Bobby and Kennedy!" Sam told them.
Bobby continued reciting the spell and Sam kept trying to get out from behind the desk. The two girls were sitting on the desk waiting. Kennedy's parents were next to the girls, staring at their daughter. Kennedy had a gun on them, ready to shoot in case they did anything. Meg plunged a hand into Bobby and Kennedy's backs.
"Dean!" Bobby yelled as Dean caught the bowl. "Fireplace!"
Dean threw the bowl in the fireplace, which turned blue. The ghosts all disappeared. Bobby and Kennedy fell to the ground.
"Bobby? Kendy?" Dean called.
Sam pushed the desk away, freeing himself.
Dean and Sam helped Bobby up, then Dean helped Kennedy up. The two nodded, indicating they were okay.
Sam was asleep on the couch. Dean was asleep on the floor nearby, and woke to find Castiel standing in the kitchen. Dean checked on Sam, saw he was asleep, and walked over to join Castiel.
"Excellent job with the witnesses," Castiel complimented.
"You were hip to all this?" Dean asked.
"I was, uh, made aware."
"Well, thanks a lot for the angelic assistance. You know, I almost got my heart ripped out of my chest."
"But you didn't."
"I thought angels were supposed to be guardians. Fluffy wings, halos -- you know, Michael Landon. Not dicks."
"Read the Bible. Angels are warriors of God. I'm a soldier."
"Yeah? Then why didn't you fight?"
"I'm not here to perch on your shoulder. I had larger concerns."
"Concerns? There were people getting torn to shreds down here! And, by the way, while all this is going on, where the hell is your boss, huh, if there is a God?"
"There's a God."
"I'm not convinced. 'Cause if there's a God, what the hell is he waiting for, huh? Genocide? Monsters roaming the earth? The freaking apocalypse? At what point does he lift a damn finger and help the poor bastards that are stuck down here?"
"The Lord works..."
"If you say "mysterious ways," so help me, I will kick your ass. So, Bobby and Kennedy were right... about the witnesses. This is some kind of a... sign of the apocalypse."
"That's why we're here. Big things afoot."
"Do I want to know what kind of things?"
"I sincerely doubt it, but you need to know. The rising of the witnesses is one of the 66 seals."
"Okay. I'm guessing that's not a show at Seaworld."
"Those seals are being broken by Lilith."
"She did the spell. She rose the witnesses."
"Mm-hmm. And not just here. 20 other hunters are dead."
"Of course. She picked victims that the hunters couldn't save so that they would barrel right after us."
"Lilith has a certain sense of humor."
"Well, we put those spirits back to rest."
"It doesn't matter. The seal was broken."
"Why break the seal anyway?"
"You think of seals as locks on a door."
"Okay. Last one opens and..."
"Lucifer walks free."
"Lucifer? But I thought Lucifer was just a story that they told at demon Sunday school. There's no such thing."
"Three days ago, you thought there was no such thing as me. Why do you think we're here walking among you now for the first time in 2,000 years?"
"To stop Lucifer."
"That's why we've arrived."
"Well... bang-up job so far. Stellar work with the witnesses. That's nice."
"I tried. And there are other battles, other seals. Some we'll win, some we'll lose. This one we lost. Our numbers are not unlimited. Six of my brothers died in the field this week. You think the armies of Heaven should just follow you around? There's a bigger picture here. You should show me some respect. I dragged you out of Hell. I can throw you back in."
Castiel vanished, leaving Dean alone in the kitchen. Later, Dean woke up. Sam was already awake and up and about.
"You all right?" Sam asked. "What's wrong, Dean?"
"So..." Dean began. "You got no problem believing in... God and angels?"
"No, not really."
"So, I guess that means that you believe in the Devil."
"Why are you asking me all this?"