Down the Rabbit Hole

Skin Deep Part 2

Soundtrack:

Santana Smooth

Owl City Good Time

Rolling Stones Tops

Dean was sat watching over Sam when Bobby opened the panic room door, bag in hand.
"Time's up, Dean."
"Yeah, just a second." Dean knelt down beside Sam and placed a note next to his head. "Alright, this is where we're gonna be, Sam. You get your lazy ass out of bed and come meet us. Sammy, please." He gave him one last doleful look before heading for the door.

Cas was sat in the lab, waiting for the eclipse when Balthazar appeared beside him.
"You rang, Cas?"
"Yeah. We have a problem. Dean Winchester is on his way here." Balthazar gave him a surprised look.
"Really? Oh. How'd he even know where we were?"
"Apparently we have a Judas in our midst." Cas replied, getting to his feet and placing the jar of blood he was cradling on the work top. He motioned to Balthazar to follow him into the other room.
"Ah. Holy hell. Who is it? I bet it's that bloody little cherub, isn't it?" Balthazar came to a faltering stop as his gaze fell on the lifeless body on the table.
"I don't know, but I need you to find out." Cas told him.
"Of course. Um, right away." Balthazar walked forward as if in a trance until he reached Lacey. He gently tilted her chin up and checked her pulse. "Right away. But what do you want me to do about Dean?" He turned back to face Cas.
"Nothing. I'll handle him myself."
"Castiel? Are you alright?" There was genuine concern in Balthazar's tone, mixed with fear.
"First Sam and Dean, and now this. I'm doing my best in impossible circumstances. My friends, they abandon me, plot against me. It's difficult to understand."
"Well, you've always got little old me." Balthazar assured him. Cas nodded before disappearing and re-appearing behind him, stabbing him with an angel blade.
"Yes, I'll always have you.."
"Cas..." Balthazar let out a final breath before his light encompassed the building and his body dropped to the floor.

A short while later, Dean and Bobby were parked across from the Lab, scoping the place out.
"I count a dozen mooks, probably more." Bobby told him as he lowered his binoculars, leaning against the roof of the car.
"Demons?"

"Angels."
"Well, how the hell are we gonna take out that many angels?"
"We don't. We'll ninja our way in." Bobby suggested.
"Awesome. Yeah, 'til they hear your knee squeak." Dean replied, sarcastically.
"Shut up."

"Oh, what now you got thin skin?"
"No, shut up. You hear that?" Bobby cocked his head, listening. There was a loud noise in the distance, coming closer by the second. Dean glanced at a nearby puddle was vibrating, causing ripples.
"What the hell is that? , maybe?" As the noise got louder Bobby glanced up a the sky.

"Holy mother of..." A large black demonic cloud was heading towards the building.
"Get in the car! Get in the car!" Dean shouted as he dived in the front seat, Bobby in the back.

A moment later the car was flipped upside down by the smoke.

Back inside the building Cas looked up from his ritual instructions at the sound of the angels posted outside screaming in pain. Seconds later the windows were completely blacked out by demon smoke. A smug looking Crowley reappeared beside Cas.
"Never underestimate the King of Hell, darling. I know a lot of swell tricks. Now, I think it's time to renegotiate our terms." Cas disappeared and reappeared behind Crowley. As he turned to face him Cas placed his hand on Crowley's forehead as if to smite him. But nothing happened.
"Sweaty hands, mate." Cas looked at him in confusion.
"I don't understand."
"You can palm me all you want. I'm safe and sound under the wing of my new partner." Raphael appeared beside him, still in his female vessel.
"Hello, Castiel."
"Raphael. Consorting with demons, I thought that was beneath you." Cas taunted.
"Heard you were doing it. Sounded like fun."
"You know, Castiel, you've said all sort of shameful, appalling, scatological things about Raphael. I've found him... her... to be really quite reasonable."
"You fool. Raphael will deceive and destroy you with the speed of thought."
"Right, right, cause you're such a straight shooter." Crowley bit back. "She... he has offered me protection against all comers."
"In exchange for what?"
"The Purgatory blood."
"Castiel, you really think I would let you open that door? Take in that much power? If anyone is going to be the new God, it's me." Raphael told him.
"He's gonna bring the apocalypse and worse." Cas warned.
"Hey, this is your doing, mate. I'm merely grabbing the best offer on the table. Now you have two options." He imitated Cas's voice. "Flee or die." Cas picked up the jar of blood and tossed it at Crowley before disappearing.

Outside Dean regained consciousness, he gingerly dragged himself out of the shattered glass.
"Bobby. Bobby? Come on, we gotta go." He said as Bobby began to come round. Once Bobby had crawled out of the car they headed for the now deserted front of the building. It was eerily quiet as they made their way inside and down to the lower floors. A soft light flickered ahead and when they reached the door it was emanating from they found themselves at the top of the stairs leading into the lab. Below them Crowley was painting sigils on the walls in blood and chanting as Raphael looked on. Dean pulled an angel blade out of the weapons bag and threw it at Raphael, who without even turning caught it. Crowley turned to glance at them.
"Bit busy, gentlemen. Be with you in a moment." He said before flinging them, telekinetically, down the stairs. Dean groaned and got to his feet. He was about to confront Crowley again when something caught his eye and made his blood run cold. A few feet away, Lacey lay on one of the steel tables, her body covered in deep cuts and slashes. Feeling like his body was made of lead, Dean took a few steps towards her. When he reached her he stared down, completely in shock. He gently brushed some hairs out of her face, they came away coated in blood.
"What in the..." Bobby was by his side, shock etched into his features. On the other side of the lab, Crowley's chanting came to an end, but nothing happened. Dean went to stand in front of Lacey, shielding her.
"Hmmm... maybe I said it wrong." Crowley muttered, thoughtfully.
"You said it perfectly. All you needed was this." Crowley whirled round to find Cas standing there. He put another jar down on the side, the contents had been emptied.
"I see. And we've been working with...." Crowley reached out and ran a finger down the wall before gingerly putting it in his mouth. "Dog blood. Naturally."
"Enough of these games, Castiel. Give us the blood." Raphael threatened.
"Game's over. His jar's empty. So Castiel, how'd your ritual go? Better than ours I'll bet." Crowley surmised. Cas smiled at them and began to glow so brightly that everyone in the room had to shut their eyes. Once the light had faded Cas addressed them all at large.
"You can't imagine what it's like. They're all inside me. Millions upon millions of souls."
"Sounds sexy. Exit stage Crowley." Crowley snapped his fingers and disappeared. Raphael stared after him, a terrified expression on his face.
"Now what's the matter Raphael? Somebody clip your wings?" Cas taunted.
"Castiel, please. You let the demon go, but not your own brother?"
"The demon I have plans for, you on the other hand..." Cas snapped his fingers and Raphael exploded. "So you see, I saved you." Cas said as he turned to Dean and Bobby.
"Sure thing, Cas. Thank you." Dean told him warily.
"You doubted me, fought against me. But I was right all along."
"Okay, Cas, you were. We're sorry. Now let us defuse you, ok?"
"What do you mean?" Cas glared at him.
"You're full of nuke. It's not safe. So before the eclipse ends, let's get those souls back to where they belong."
"Oh no, they belong with me." Cas told him.
"No, Cas, it's scrambling your brain." Dean protested.
"No, I'm not finished yet. Raphael had many followers, and I must punish them all severely."
"Listen to me, listen." Dean tried to reason with him. "I know there's a lot of bad water under the bridge, but we were family once. I'd have died for you. I almost did a few times. So if that means anything to you, please. I lost Sam and I've almost lost Lacey. Don't make me lose you too. You don't need this kind of juice anymore, Cas. Get rid of it before it kills us all."
"You're just saying that because I won. Because you're afraid. You're not my family, Dean. I have no family." As he spoke, Sam appeared behind him and picked up the discarded angel blade and stabbing Cas through the back with it. Cas turned to face him, pulling out the blade and dropping it as if it was nothing. "I'm glad you made it, Sam. But the angel blade won't work, because I'm not an angel anymore. I'm your new God. A better one. So you will bow down and profess your love unto me, your Lord. Or I shall destroy you."