Hopelessly Human

18. Paint It, Black

Season Seven

[Meet the New Boss]

INT. CROWLEY'S LAB - NIGHT

"Well, all right then," Bobby said. "Is this good, or you want the whole "forehead to the carpet" thing?" He looked to Dean and Natalia. "Guys?"

Dean, Sam and Natalia started to kneel. Azrael made herself invisible, disheartened by her brother's actions and choices.

"Stop," Castiel told them. "What's the point if you don't mean it? You fear me. Not love, not respect, just fear."

"Cas..." Sam began.

"Sam, you have nothing to say to me; you stabbed me in the back." He spoke to Bobby, Dean, Dylan and Natalia. "Get up."

"Cas, come on, this isn't you," Dean said.

"The Castiel you knew is gone."

"So what, then?" Natalia asked. "Kill us?"

"What a brave little ant you are. You know you're powerless, you and your brother wouldn't dare move against me again. So I have no need to kill you two. Not now. Besides... once you were my favorite pets before you turned and bit me."

"Who are you?" Dean and Natalia questioned.

"I'm God. And if you stay in your place, you may live in my kingdom. If you rise up, I will strike you down. Not doing so well, are you Sam?"

"I'm fine..." Sam cleared his throat, "... I'm... fine."

"You said you would fix him - you promised!" Dean yelled.

"If you and your sister stood down, which you two hardly did. Be thankful for my mercy. I could have cast you back into the pit."

"Cas, come on, this is nuts! You can turn this around, please!"

"I hope for your sake, and Natalia's, this is the last you see me."

Castiel disappeared. Bobby, Dean, Sam, Natalia and Dylan looked around and at each other for a few seconds, until Sam's nose began bleeding.

"Sam, you okay?" Dean and Natalia asked.

Sam saw a vision of himself burning in Hell, then fell to the ground and cut his hand on some broken glass. He kept seeing glimpses of his body on fire.

"Sam. Sammy!" Natalia cried, shaking him before running into Dylan's arms.

EXT. WOODED MEADOW IN HEAVEN - DAY

"Understand," Castiel said. "If you followed Raphael, if you stood against me, punishment is certain; there is nowhere to hide. The rest of you, our Father left a long time ago, and that was hard. I thought the answer was free will. But I understand now. You need a firm hand. You need a father. And I am your father now. Be obedient, children. Or this will be your fate."

Castiel was standing, surrounded by dozens of dead angels, evident by all the scorched black wing marks.

"It is a new day. On earth and in Heaven. Rejoice."

EXT. BOBBY'S YARD

Dean and Natalia were crouched inside the Impala, seemingly upside-down, with their boots pressed against the roof.

Dean grunted. "Come on." He and Natalia grunted as metal sounded while they tried to push the dented roof out with their feet. "Come on, baby!"

They were on their backs.

"So, you two fixin' her or primal screamin'?" Bobby asked.

Dean extricated himself from the Impala, pulled Natalia from inside, and the siblings each accepted a beer from Bobby.