Until We Meet Again, My Angel

Chapter 23: Farewell, My Love

     The Angels were standing in three rows. The first row had two Angels, the second had three, and the third had four. No, wait... five. Two Angels in the back row were standing too close together- an Angel Dean didn't recognize, and-
"Gabriel!" Sam shouted, shocked.
   The Archangel was being held hostage, his captor crushing one arm against his windpipe. 
"No, that's not possible," Cas protested, "They said they'd let him go!"
"Well, they didn't!" Sam yelled.
"Why do you care?" Dean questioned.
"Because, I-" Sam paused, "Because he helped me."
"Castiel!" The Angel holding Gabriel shouted, "You may have weasled your way out of a court-mandated death, but we have our own sentence!"
   The boys glanced at each other before the Angel finished, "Come quietly, and your end will be quick. Fight, and we will gladly kill you as slow as possible! Which, for Angels," Gabriel's captor flashed a wicked grin, "is a very long time."
   Dean stared at Castiel expectantly, waiting for an order. The Fallen Angel let his trench coat fall from his body, gliding right over his midnight wings as if they weren't there. Without speaking, Cas opened the motel door and exited, and the Winchesters filed out after him. Castiel stood there, flanked by the Hunters he'd once been chosen to protect, his wings still folded behind him, and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, "You don't have to do this. Let Gabriel go, Arariel! He is innocent!"
   The Angel, Arariel, laughed- it was a guttural sound, void of humor. "He is as guilty as you are," Arariel had an athletic frame, he was broad-chested and muscular, with brown hair and eyes to match. "He murdered one of our sisters!"
"Adriel slaughtered an innocent girl!" Castiel shouted angrily, "Gabriel was responding to my distress call!"
   Arariel tilted his head and rolled his eyes, then said, "Yes, Castiel, we were all at the trial."
"Gabriel was found innocent!" Cas protested.
"So was O.J.!" Adriel snapped.
"Cas..." Dean whispered, "They're not gonna leave peacefully."
"I know," Castiel admitted. Then, with a grin, he added, "That's why I'm glad these wings aren't just for show."
"What do you-?" Dean was cut off as a swirl of black feathers rocketed off of the ground and held him ten feet in the air.
   Adriel laughed, though his fear flashed across his face for a second, and said, "Castiel, these are humans! We are your family! What's so special about being a Winchester?"
   Staying above the Hunters' heads, Castiel announced, "We will not surrender."
   Sam took a challenging step forward and shouted, "We will fight for each other- for what we believe in!"
   Dean puffed his chest, smiled defiantly, and added, "And for the greater good!"
   Castiel smirked and said, "That's what being a Winchester is. And that's why I will always choose them over you!" Without any other words, Cas swooped down and used his right wing to swipe the front Angels' feet out from under them. As the Holy threats fell to the ground, Sam and Dean jumped at the chance and pinned the Angels down, unleashing a barrage of strikes. Reaching into the pocket of his victim's suit jacket, Dean found an Angel blade. After stabbing his Angel in the throat, Dean turned to his brother and yelled, "Sammy! Check their pockets!" Sam looked to his brother, then back to the Angel he was sitting on, and snagged a silver dagger from it's jacket. Sam ran the Angel through with the shining blade, squinting as the Angel screamed at the light pouring from their eyes and mouth, and stood, panting.

   Wow, Dean thought, this is awesome!  The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, and he spun just in time to see a blonde Angel hurling a blade at him. The world around Dean moved in slow motion, he ducked under the weapon driving his own blade into the heart of his assailant. The Angel screamed, there was a flash of light, then silence. Dean moved faster than he ever had before, he coud hear and feel the attackers coming before he could see them, and the world slowed when he did  see them.
   Arariel still had Gabriel. The Angel looked panicked, slowly backing away but not leaving the parking lot. Dean turned back to his fellow warriors and saw Sam and Castiel, back-to-back, each kill an Angel at the same time. Only the last row of Angels was left, and Dean spun on his heel to face them. The Hunter's ears picked up the sound of footsteps and wings beating, and suddenly he was flanked by his family. Sam stood to his left with an Angel blade in each hand, and Cas was on his right, his wings were outstretched, shieldig the Winchesters' backs.