( DEAD AND GONE )

DUNGEON
[ ☾]

A long hallway is dark with sporadic lamps. Lashing sounds and screams in the distance. "This is a bonus, Castiel. We were tracking Muriel, cowardly holdout that she is..." Malachai says and Muriel is shown, bound and bloody and bruised about the face. "...and wonder of wonders, she led us to you." Castiel is also bloody and beaten.

"Not knowingly." Muriel says.

"I stand corrected. Not knowingly." Malachai says. "Stupidly."

"I've explained in detail. I don't know how Metatron's spell worked." Cass says. "Therefore, I can't assist in reversing it. I was an unwitting accomplice."

"Ohhh. A dupe. The great Castiel. Valued and trusted Castiel." Malachai walks over to a tray of metal devices, medical or dental, with clear torture value. "Top-of-the-Christmas-tree Castiel. No more than a dupe." He pauses. "Dupe or mastermind, you were inside the circle. You know where Metatron's weakness lies."

"No. I don't." Castiel says.

Malachai sighs. "Theo." He says as Theo advances.

"No!" Castiel yells as Theo pulls his head back, and slides a silver angel knife down his chest. "Ahhh, ahhh!" He groans in pain.

"You'd suffer, even die for your beliefs. I get it. But is Metatron..." Malachai turns to Theo. "...whose poll numbers have totally tanked..." Theo laughs. "...worth your life? More importantly, is Metatron worth her life?"

"No. No, she's innocent." Cass says. "You leave her alone."

"Hm. I have no intention of touching her." Malachai looks at Theo, who nods and Muriel pants in fear. "Virtue is its own punishment."

"Please, no!" Castiel yells.

"Nooooo!" Muriel yells as Theo stabs her in the chest with a silver angel-knife.

DUNGEON
[ ☾]

Muriel's body lies on the ground and Castiel is in cuffs. "Angels butchering angels. Is this what we've become?" Asks Castiel.

"Just following your example, Castiel. How many did you kill in Heaven? How many in the Fall?" Malachai is going off Castiel's look. "Oh, you didn't know? A host of angels died when they fell – Azrael, Sophia, Ezekiel." At this last name, Cass turns very thoughtful. "'Died' doesn't even describe it. Devastation. Wings shredded, unspeakable agony at your hands. So, I think you would want to provide any information you have, considering...All right. I leave you in the hands of an artist." Malachai turns to Theo. "I don't care what's left."

"Don't ask for mercy. There is none." Theo walks and shuts the door, then returns to Castiel, and picks up a drill. "I'll give you one last chance for this to end."

"Give me a quick death." Castiel closes his eyes and holds up his face in anticipation of the blows.

"I need you to speak to Metatron. Everyone knows you have influence." Says Theo and Castiel now opens his eyes and looks in astonishment at Theo. "He'll listen to you. Ask him to raise me to Heaven. You can do this, Castiel. I'll be a soldier for Metatron, do anything he wants."

"You – you serve Malachi." Castiel says.

"I thought he was the answer, but he's crazy." Says Theo.

"You're... noticing this now? You were more than willing to do his dirty work."

"I did what I had to." Says Theo.

"When you were sure he would defeat Bartholomew." Castiel says.

"But no one will survive this war."

"So, you prefer to sit it out in Heaven." He says.

"I can talk to him about restoring your grace."

Castiel calculates. "Well, it's, um, it's true. Metatron and I do have a working relationship." He says and Theo smiles.

"I knew it!"

"You're clever, Theo." Says Castiel.

"You're allies." Theo says.

"And he could use a skilled soldier like yourself." Castiel pretends to reconsider. "Oh, but I don't know."

"I-I'm a team player, Castiel." Theo says.

"All right. Well?" Theo gestures at his manacles and opens them up.

"I'll – I'll need a moment to make contact." Castiel says and Theo waits. "And you have something that I'll need."

"Anything."

Cass grabs one of the medical implements and slices Theo in the throat, letting his white grace slip out. He opens his mouth and swallows it. "Mm." Castiel groans as the grace fills him up and his eyes turn blue. Theo stares in dazed recrimination, blood dripping from his neck.

Castiel looks at him, then puts a hand to his forehead. Theo screams, his angelic white light bursts out of him, and he falls to the ground his eyes burned out. Malachai, whistling, comes back downstairs. He sees bodies everywhere and rushes back into the cell and sees Theo's body on the ground.

"No. Oh, no."

BUNKER MAIN ROOM
[ ☾]

Dean is heading into kitchen as Kevin is walking out with a sandwich with Elena in tow. "Hey. You seen Sam?" Dean asks.

"He went out." Kevin says.

"Where?"

"I don't know. You notice he's doing that a lot?" Kevin says as Elena glances at Dean.

Dean looks thoughtful. "Yeah." He says and his phone rings. Kevin walks out as Dean is answering. "Yeah."

"Dean, I don't have a lot of time, so listen. The leader of the opposition is an angel named Malachi." Castiel says.

"How do you know that?"

"He had me. I, uh, I was tortured." Says Castiel. "But I got away."

"How?" Dean asks.

"I... I did what I had to. I became what they've become. A barbarian."

"What are you – Cas, where are you?" Dean asks.

"It's better I stay away. They're gonna want me even more now. But I'm gonna be all right. I... I got my Grace back. Well, not mine per se, but it'll do."

"Wait, you're – you're back? You got your mojo?" Dean asks.

"I'm not sure. But I am an angel."

"And you're okay with that?" Dean asks.

"If we're going to war, I need to be ready."

Dean pauses. "Cas." He says.

"Dean. There's more."

"What?" Dean asks.

"Didn't you say Sam was healed by an angel named Ezekiel?" Castiel asks.

"Uh... Yeah, why?" Dean asks.

"Ezekiel is dead."

"What?" Dean asks. 

"He died when the angels fell." Cass says as Dean's face has a very concentrated 'oh this is bad' expression and looks at Elena.

Kevin is dozing over a book as Dean and Elena approach. "I need a spell. ASAP." Dean says.

Kevin wakes up exhaustedly. "Everyone always needs a spell, and it's always ASAP." He says.

"All right, listen to me. An angel can't be expelled by another human." Dean says. "Okay, only by the host, right? But, what if there was a way to power down the angel, so that it wasn't in charge for a few seconds?"

"What?"

"For instance, if – if hypothetically, I wanted to speak with the vessel but not have the squatter listen in."

"Why?" Elena asks.

"Why? We've got tons of possessed humans out there. Kevin with me? And when the angels kill each other off, the humans are taking it in the teeth." Dean says. "So what if I wanted to clue the human in so that he, or she, could spit the angel out? That would be a good thing, right?"

"Uh ... yeah?" Kevin says.

"Okay. So, hit the tablet. Let's go!" Dean turns to walk out and Elena follows him.

"Now?" Kevin asks.

"Yesterday, Cinderella!"

OVERPASS
[ ☼ ]

"I've been thinking this over, Metatron." Gadreel says. "I will join you as second in command."

Metatron wears an expression of great relief and pleasure. "Bravo, Gadreel! This move will erase the mark that has hounded you through the centuries. Heaven will be restored, as will your reputation as one of Its greatest heroes." He says.

"I thank you for this opportunity."

"There is just one more thing." Metatron says.

"Yes."

"I need to be sure of your fidelity." Says Metatron.

"You have it." Gadreel says.

"No, I mean really sure. We have enemies who pose an imminent threat to our effort. They must be neutralized."

"Slain?" Asks Gadreel. 

"In a word." Metatron says.

"That... That is not who I am."

Metatron pulls a yellow card out of his pocket. "Yeah. Here's the first name on your to-do list." He says and hands the yellow card to Gadreel, who reads the name, and sighs. "Decide."

BUNKER MAIN ROOM
[ ☼ ]

"All right, so this masterpiece we just painted – it's gonna work, right?" Dean asks.

"The sigils are supposed to briefly hobble the possessing angel." Kevin says. "If the info's correct."

"Wait, what?" Elena asks.

"I only had time to get a little from the tablet. The rest came from an old Men of Letters book. As soon as your blood touches the ignition sigil, the spell kicks in." Kevin pauses. "Dean, what's going on?"

"I told you." Dean says.

"You told me theoretically." Kevin says. "Dean, we just painted sigils in the storeroom. What the hell?"

"You're gonna have to trust me, okay, trust that I told you everything that I can for now." Dean says. "Can you do that?"

"I always trust you." Kevin says and Dean nods. "And I always end up screwed."

"Oh, come on. Always? Not always."

Later, Sam is shelving beers when walks in. "Hey, where you been?" Dean asks.

"Hey. Beer run." Sam says.

"Long beer run." Dean says and Sam chuckles. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah. Uh... Sure." Sam says and Dean ushers him into the storeroom. "This sounds serious." While Sam is walking in, before he turns around, Dean shuts the door and pulls out a knife to slash his palm. Dean slaps his hand against the door and a flare of light emits from the sigil, and Sam turns around, startled. "What's going on? What are you doing?"

"I got to tell you some stuff fast." Dean says. "It's gonna piss you off."

"Okay."

"Those trials really messed you up." Dean says.

"Yes, I know that, Dea—" Sam starts.

"No, you don't. I mean messed you up like almost dead. No more birthdays, dust to dust." Dean says. "Well, that messed me up, so I made a move, okay, a tough move about you without talking it over because you were in a coma."

"Wait, what? When?" Sam asks.

"You were in the hospital, okay, and they said you were gonna die." Dean says.

"What did you do?" Asks Sam.

Dean pauses, mouth working speechlessly for a moment. "I let an angel in." He says.

"In what?"

"In you. He said he could heal you and he is." Dean says.

"He's still in me? Wait." Sam laughs. "That's impossible, Dean. That couldn't happen. I never invited him in."

"I tricked you into saying yes. It seemed like the only way."

Sam sighs. "So... Again. You thought I couldn't handle something, so you took over!" He yells.

"No, I did what I had to do! You would've never agreed to it, and you would've died."

"Well, maybe I would've liked the choice, at least." Sam says.

"We can do this – later. You can – you can kick my ass all you want." Dean says. "Right now, we got bigger problems."

"Bigger?"

"The angel lied to me. Okay? He – he's not who he said he was. He said his name was Ezekiel." Dean says. "Cool guy, according to Cas, but it's not Ezekiel."

"Who is he?" Sam asks.

"I don't know. Apparently, Ezekiel is dead. Whoever this guy is can end you in a heartbeat if he wants to, so you have got to dump him." Dena pauses. "Are you hearing what I'm saying? I think you're well enough now, but you got to expel him. Sam? Sam—" Sam walks past Dean. "Hey!"

Sam turns around and swings a punch at Dean and he goes down. Sam walks out, furious. Kevin and Elena look up as Sam walks towards Kevin. "Hey, Sam." Kevin says as Elena walks up to him.

       "Are you okay?" Elena asks. Sam stops, then continues in, slowly, calmly, and with deliberation.

       "Hey, do you notice anything a little bit off about Dean lately?" Kevin asks. "Between you and me, I'm a little bit worried about him."

       "Don't worry about Dean. Dean will be fine." Gadreel looks at Kevin for a moment then reaches out and grabs his head. Dean is rounding the corner into the room, as Kevin screams. He sees a white light flooding out of Kevin through his eyes.

        "No! No! No! No! Kevin?!" Dean says as he and Elena run forward as Kevin's body drops to the floor. Gadreel extends a hand and holds them off.

        "Sam?" Elena asks.

        "There is no more Sam." Gadreel says as they gasp in pain. "But, I played him convincingly, I thought."

        "How did you..." Dean starts.

        "I heard you talk with Kevin Tran tonight." Gadreel says.

FLASHBACK

BUNKER MAIN ROOM
[ ☼ ]

        "You told me theoretically. Dean, we just painted sigils in the storeroom. What the hell?" Kevin asks.

        "You're gonna have to trust me, okay, and trust that I told you everything I can for now." Dean says. "Can you do that?"

END FLASHBACK

BUNKER MAIN ROOM
[ ☼ ]

        Gadreel packs a bag while he talks to Dean and Elena. "Alter a sigil... even the slightest... Alter the spell." Gadreel holds up his hand to show the dust of markings on his fingers. "Sorry about Kevin, but ultimately ... it's for the best. I did what I had to." He places the yellow card on Kevin's chest. He turns and looks at Dean, possibly feeling guilty, then walks out.

       As he walks towards the stairs, Dean and Elena are released. The gasp and look at Kevin. His eyes are burned out as the door to the bunker shuts.

        "Kevin? Kevin?" Dean asks. A tear slips from his eye and he bows his head in sorrow.