



THE ROAD SO FAR

SAM

Hey, Dean.





DEAN

How long you been back?





SAM

About a year.





DEAN

What have you been doing?





SAM

Hunting.





DEAN

You been back practically this whole time?!





SAM

You finally had what you wanted, Dean.





DEAN

I wanted my brother, alive!





SAM

You wanted a family. You only gave it up because of the way we lived. But you had something, and you were building something.





LISA

I need you to go. You're a hunter. And now you know your brother's out there. Things are different. You don't want to be here, Dean.





DEAN

Yes, I do.





LISA

Me and Ben will be here, and... you come when you can. Just come in one piece.





DEAN

And you really think we could pull something like that off?





LISA

It's worth a shot.





INT. DEAN'S GARAGE - DAY

Dean pulls the tarp off the Impala, smiles.





FLASHBACKS to Gabriel, Lucifer and Raphael

CASTIEL (voice over)

Archangels are fierce. They're absolute. They're heaven's most terrifying weapon. Raphael. Come and get me, you little bastard.





RAPHAEL

Castiel.





CASTIEL

When the oil burns, no angel can touch or pass through the flames, or he dies.





RAPHAEL

Castiel. I'm warning you. Do not leave me here. I will find you.





DEAN

What are you gonna do now?





CASTIEL

Return to heaven, I suppose.





DEAN

Heaven?





CASTIEL

With Michael in the cage, I'm sure it's total anarchy up there.





TEASER

INT. POLICE LOCKER ROOM





JERRY, wearing a t-shirt, is toweling his face after shaving. He sees a spot of blood on the towel and notices a nick on his left cheek. He rinses it off, but it persists.





JERRY

Oh, come on.





JERRY rubs his right cheek. A patch of skin peels off and lands in the sink.





JERRY

Ohh. Oh. [ Exhaling sharply. ] What the hell?





A second cop, ED, has been dressing in the locker behind.





ED

Come on, man. Let's get going.





JERRY walks backward from the mirror, breathing rapidly and leaving bloody footprints. Blood seeps through the back of his t-shirt.





ED

Jerry?





JERRY

[ Bleeding from the mouth. ] Ed, I think I'm bleeding.





JERRY falls forward. Blood splatters at ED's feet. The camera pulls back to reveal a mash of flesh and blood where JERRY used to be. ED is horrified.





ACT ONE

INT. DEAN'S HOUSE - DAY





Birds are chirping as morning light floods into a bedroom window. DEAN is sleeping. LISA wakens next to him.





LISA

Hey, you.





DEAN

Hey.





A light peck becomes a long and passionate kiss. DEAN is distracted by the sound of a heartbeat. A horn blares and DEAN wakens from his dream. He is alone in the Impala, parked just off a busy highway.





INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY





SAM is inside, shirtless, working through a fitness routine of push-ups and sit-ups. These scenes are intercut with:





EXT. HIGHWAY - DAY





DEAN is by the side of the road, fully clothed, stretching to work the kinks out. The Impala pulls out and is back on the road.





INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY





SAM is doing chin-ups on a pipe suspended from the ceiling of the room.





A WOMAN emerges from the bathroom.





WOMAN

Don't stop on my account.





SAM

[ Laughs. ] I'm done.





WOMAN

Last night was a... [ clears throat ] high point, if you don't mind me saying.





SAM

Good.





WOMAN

All right. Well, I see you need to start your day. When did you say you were heading out?





SAM exhales, indicating impatience.





WOMAN

You didn't. Right. Damn, you know how to play that mystery card.





As she turns to leave, SAM clears his throat and holds up some cash.





WOMAN

Right. I almost forgot. Next time... [ gives SAM a note ] you can call me on my night off. If you want.





SAM

Okay.





WOMAN

Okay.





She leaves. The phone rings. SAM scrunches up the note and tosses it into a wastepaper basket. He picks up his cellphone.





SAM

Hey.





EXT. BURGER HEAVEN - DAY





DEAN

Hey. I'm about eight hours out of the Campbell Base.





SAM

Uh, change of plans. I need you to meet me. I'm in PA. Town called Easter.





DEAN

What are you doing in Pennsylvania?





SAM

Caught a case.





DEAN

A case? When? It's been like a day and a half.





SAM

I like to work.





DEAN

Apparently.





SAM

Glad we hashed that out. Call me when you roll into town.





SAM hangs up.





DEAN stares at his phone.





DEAN

Who died and made you boss?





EXT. HIGHWAY - DAY





A cop, TOBY, is parked on the side of a road. A car speeds by, clocking 70 mph.





TOBY

Well, now, you could do better than that.





He settles back to pour some booze into a giant-sized plastic convenience store cup. His cellphone rings.





TOBY

Why are you calling me? He's dead, right? That's it. Now, I don't want to talk about it. We do what we do -- we go to work, we go to the funeral. [ Sighs ] Calm down. This is nothing to do with you and me. You're just working yourself up. Don't call me. [ Hangs up. ] Idiot.





Something crashes through the branches toward the cop car. Boils break out on the TOBY's face and hands.





TOBY

God! God! Dispatch, this is -- Please, I -- I need... Please.





TOBY chokes and stills.





EXT. STREET - DAY





SAM is in a suit, is leaning against his car and reading some reports.





DEAN drives up in the Impala and exits it in the midst of a phone conversation. He is also in a suit.





DEAN

Ben...I know you're lying. Because I lie professionally, that's how. Now tell your mom that you broke the damn thing and take it like a man. Okay? Ok-- okay. [ Hangs up. ]





SAM

Wow.

DEAN

What?





SAM

You -- molding the minds of tomorrow. Who knew?





DEAN

Yeah, tell me about it.





SAM

How'd it go?





DEAN

With?





SAM

You and Lisa. How'd she take it when you bailed?





DEAN

Shockingly cool, actually.





SAM

Better for everybody.





DEAN

Yeah, I suppose. Still driving the plastic piece of crap, huh?





SAM

What's your mileage, again?





DEAN

Shut up.





INT. POLICE STATION - DAY





SAM briefs DEAN as they walk through the station to the morgue.





SAM

Officer Gerald Hatch, 17-year veteran, found dead in the ready room three days ago.





DEAN

[ Reading the file. ] Whoa. Somebody was over-hydrated.





SAM

[ Laughs. ] Basically, yeah. The guy just... liquefied. Most of the meat, bones, dense tissues -- they just turned to blood.





DEAN

Okay, I don't get it.





SAM

Nobody gets it.





DEAN

No. I mean, I get that. I'm saying, if the guy was a mop job, then what are we doing in the morgue? What's left of him to look at?





SAM

Not here to look at him. Here.





SAM opens a drawer, revealing the boils-covered cop.





DEAN

Ooh. Bad news.





SAM

Officer Toby Gray. They just brought him in. Found him dead in his patrol car, sitting at a speed trap on the outside of town.





DEAN

"Extreme allergic reaction."





SAM

Yeah. Boils. Covered from head to toe.





DEAN

Yeah, on the inside, too. It says his airways are chock full of them. This startin' to look a little witchy to you?





SAM

That was my first instinct, but I found zero signs of hexwork anywhere. Far as I can tell, witchcraft was not involved.





DEAN

There's got to be some sort of link between, uh, skid mark and bubble wrap here.





SAM

No question.





DEAN

All right, well, can I get a witness?





SAM

Yep. Uh... [ reads from notes ] Officer Ed Colfax. Saw Hatch go from a solid to a liquid.





DEAN

Another cop?





SAM

Hatch's partner.





SAM pushes the body back into its drawer.





EXT. STREET - DAY





SAM's car swings around a corner. DEAN's car pulls out in front of him and is first to park his vehicles at their destination in a leafy neighborhood.





SAM

Were you, uh... were you racing me?





DEAN

No. I was kicking your ass.





SAM

Very mature.





SAM and DEAN knock on the door of a suburban house.





DEAN

Hello? Officer Colfax?





The door opens to reveal ED in full dress uniform.





DEAN

Whoa. Lookin' sharp, Kojak.





ED

Who the hell are you?





SAM

We're the Fed, Ed. We're here to ask you a few follow-up questions about your partner's death.





ED

Don't worry about it. It's nobody's business.





SAM

Officer Colfax --





ED

Don't worry about it!





ED slams the door shut. Exasperated, SAM kicks the door in.





DEAN

Dude!





Walking toward ED's office, SAM and DEAN pass a wall of family photos with the faces scratched out. They find ED in his office, using a screwdriver to scratch out the face of his police portrait.





SAM

Officer Colfax?





DEAN

Hey, man, you all right?





ED

Don't worry about it.





DEAN

Right. Look, Officer Colfax -- Ed. We think that your partner died of unnatural causes.





ED scratches his hat.





DEAN

Did he have any enemies that you know of?





ED

You might say that.





SAM

Oh, yeah? Who's that?





ED

They both had it coming. Me too. I'll be the next to go, and then it'll be over. And God will be satisfied.





DEAN

Why does God want you all dead?





ED

'Cause of Christopher Birch.





ED knocks over a bottle of booze. He watches it spill for some time.





ED

Oh, damn it.





SAM

Who's Christopher Birch?





ED

He has no face.





SAM

Ed?





DEAN

Officer, you all right?





ED rights the bottle.





SAM

Who is Christopher Birch, Ed?





DEAN

Ed!





ED

Christopher Birch is a kid with no face... and a planted gun.





DEAN

Uh, you, uh... you got a little something...





Blood is dribbling from under ED's hat. ED puts his finger to it.





DEAN

...yeah.





ED

Damn. My head's been itching like a dirty jock.





ED falls forward. His face lands on the broken glass of the picture frame.





SAM

Ed?





SAM walks behind the desk and checks ED's neck for a pulse.





SAM

Dead.





[ Buzzing sound. ]





DEAN

You hear that?





SAM removes ED's hat. Locusts crawl out of a hole in ED's head.





INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY





DEAN is seated at a table, looking through papers. SAM is at the other end, working on his laptop.





DEAN

Sweet. Blood, boils, locusts.





SAM

Three of your more popular Egyptian plagues.





DEAN picks up a jar containing the locusts.





DEAN

Yeah, but these guys... ate their way out of a cop's melon. I don't quite remember that in the King James.





SAM

Meanwhile, a kid named Christopher Birch was shot in the head last month after a vehicle pursuit. Hatch, Gray, and Colfax were the three officers involved, and they all filed the exact same police report.





DEAN

[ Reading a report. ] "Suspect exited vehicle brandishing a firearm. We were forced to fire."

"Just a kid with no face and a planted gun."

Bunch of dicks. So they pop the kid, plant the piece.





SAM

Maybe Colfax is right. You know, maybe heaven has a hate-on for bad cops.





DEAN

So we're listening to the guy with the bug in his custard? That's -- that's the, uh, the theory you want to go with?





SAM

Dean, angels got to have something to do, right, now that we're post-Apocalypse?





DEAN opens a beer.





DEAN

We should call Cas.





SAM

You're kidding, right? [ Scoffs ] Dean, I tried. It was the first and second and third thing I did, soon as I got topside. Son of a bitch won't answer the phone.





DEAN

[Sitting on a bed. ] Well, let's give it a shot. Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray to Castiel to get his feathery ass down here.





SAM

You're an idiot.





DEAN

Stay positive.





SAM

Oh, I am positive.





DEAN

Come on, Cas! Don't be a dick. We got ourselves a... plague-like situation down here, and... do you...do you copy?





SAM

Like I said... [ clears throat ] son of a bitch doesn't answer -- he's right behind me, isn't he?





CASTIEL

Hello.





ACT TWO

INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY





SAM

Hello?





CASTIEL

Y-yes.





SAM

[ Imitating Castiel ] "Hello."

[ Normal voice ] "Hello"?





CASTIEL

Uh, that is still the term?





SAM

I spent all that time trying to get through to you. Dean calls once, and now it's [ imitating Castiel ] "Hello"?!





CASTIEL

Yes.





SAM

[ Normal voice ] So, what, you -- you like him better or something? [ Scoffs ]





CASTIEL

Dean and I do share a more profound bond. [ To Dean ] I wasn't gonna mention it.





DEAN

Cas, I think what he's trying to say is that... he went to Hell for us. I mean, he really took one for the team. You remember that? And then he comes back without a clue, and you can't take five friggin' minutes to give him some answers?





CASTIEL

[ Strongly. ] If I had any answers, I might have responded. But I don't know, Sam. We have no idea who brought you back from the cage... or why.





SAM

So... it wasn't God?





CASTIEL

No one's even seen God. The whole thing remains mysterious.





SAM

What the hell does that mean?





CASTIEL

What part of "I don't know" escapes your understanding?





DEAN

Cas, look, if Sam calls, you answer. Okay? You wing your ass down here, and you tell him, "I don't know." Just because we have some sort of a -- a bond or whatever...





CASTIEL

You think I came because you called? I came because of this. [ Walks to table where Dean's research is spread out. ]





DEAN

Oh, well, it's nice to know what matters.





CASTIEL

It does help one to focus.





SAM

Wait, so -- so you and the Halo Patrol, you guys aren't the cause of these killings?





CASTIEL

No. But they were committed with one of our weapons. There's only one thing that could have brought this into existence. You call it the Staff of Moses.





SAM

The Staff?





CASTIEL

[ Picks up the jar of locusts. ] It was used in a dominance display against the Egyptians, as I recall.





DEAN

[ Scoffs ] Yeah. That one made the papers





SAM

B-but I thought the Staff turned, like, a -- a river into blood, not one dude.





CASTIEL

The weapon isn't being used at full capacity. I think we can rule Moses out as a suspect.





DEAN

Okay, but... what is -- what is Chuck Heston's disco stick doing down here, anyway? I mean, don't you guys put away your toys?





CASTIEL

Before the apocalypse, Heaven may have been corrupt, but it was stable. The staff was safely contained. [ Sighs ] It's been chaos up there since the war ended. In that confusion, a number of... powerful weapons were... stolen.





DEAN

Wait, you -- you're saying your nukes are loose?





CASTIEL

Yeah, I'm afraid so. But you've stumbled onto one of them. We must find the weapon that did this. [ Indicates the jar of locusts. ] I need your help.





SAM

[ Scoffs. ] That's rich. Really.





CASTIEL

[ Grunts, tosses the jar of locusts at SAM. CASTIEL performs air quotes during this speech. ] Sam, Dean, my "people skills" are "rusty." Pardon me, but I have spent the last "year" as a multidimensional wavelength of celestial intent. But believe me, you do not want that weapon down here. Help me find it. Or more people will die.





DEAN

All right. Okay. Well, if the angels didn't pull the trigger, then that brings us back to motive.





CASTIEL

What?





SAM

Back to the case. Right now, we got three dead cops. Only thing linking them... is this. [ DEAN hands SAM a newspaper clipping. ] "Father of slain suspect calls for investigation."





INT. BIRCH FAMILY LIVING ROOM - DAY

Newspaper clippings are strewn on the coffee table. The camera pulls back to reveal DARRYL BIRCH intently reading a tabloid with a front cover story entitled, "POLICE OFFICER DIES AT PRECINCT."





[ A door slams, someone walks into the house. ]





AARON, a boy

Come on, dad. How many times are you gonna read that thing? You know what? We should just throw it away.





DARRYL

[ Mumbles, not looking up from the paper. ] Go out back and play.





AARON leaves, DARRYL begins to cut the story out of the paper. ]





SAM, DEAN and CASTIEL suddenly appear in the living room.





DEAN

Oh, Cas, a little warning next time.





DARRYL

What the... how'd you get in here?!





SAM

Mr. Birch, settle down. [ Shows FBI badge. ] Federal agents.





DARRYL

But you can't just walk in here!





SAM

[ Indicating the clippings. ] Quite a collection you've got there, huh?





DARRYL

What are you trying to --





SAM

Look, we know the truth, all right? Chris didn't have a gun on him when those cops shot him. They set him up.





DARRYL

Yeah. They're all getting theirs.





SAM

[ Accusational tone. ] And who's giving it to them, Darryl?





DEAN

Darryl? Did you kill Toby Gray and the others?





DARRYL

Me?! I didn't kill anyone! Look at how they died!





CASTIEL

You smote them with the Staff of Moses!





DARRYL

The hell kind of Fed are you?





CASTIEL

We don't have time for this. [ Steps up to DARRYL. ] Where is it?





AARON

[ Brandishing part of the Staff as if it were a gun. ] Leave my dad alone!





CASTIEL

Is that...? Yes.





SAM

Shouldn't it be bigger?





CASTIEL

Yes. It's -- it's been sawed off.





AARON

Leave him alone! It wasn't him!





DARRYL

Aaron, get out of here!





[ CASTIEL presses two fingers to DARRYL's forehead, DARRYL falls back onto the sofa, unconscious. ]





AARON

What did you do to him?





DEAN

It's all right. He's just sleeping.





AARON points the staff at DEAN.





CASTIEL teleports next to AARON, takes away the staff.





DEAN

Cas, take it easy! [ To AARON. ] Listen, we're not here to hurt you, okay? But we need to know... where did you get this thing?





AARON

Please don't kill my dad. It was me. I did it.





DEAN

Okay, nobody's killing anybody. What's your name?





AARON

Aaron. Aaron Birch.





DEAN

Okay, Aaron Birch, where did you get this?





AARON

You won't believe me.





DEAN

Try me.





AARON

It was an angel.





DEAN

An angel?





AARON

Those liars, they killed my brother, and nothing bad even happened to them. It's not fair. So I prayed to God every night he would punish them. God didn't answer. But he did.





CASTIEL

His name -- did he give you a name?





AARON

No. He just said I could have justice, but I was gonna have to take it myself. He... he gave me the stick.





DEAN

He just... gave it to you? Ah, come on. He didn't just give it to you, did he, Aaron?





AARON

I bought it.





SAM

You bought it? [ Chuckles. ] With what? What's your allowance?





DEAN

What did the angel want for it? What did you give him for it?





AARON

My soul.





SAM

You sold your soul to an angel?





DEAN

[ To Castiel. ] Can that even happen?





CASTIEL

It's never happened before. An angel's buying souls. That could explain why he cut the staff into pieces.





SAM

Why?





CASTIEL

More pieces, more product.





DEAN

More "product"? Who is this guy?





CASTIEL

We'll find him.





CASTIEL presses his fingers to AARON's forehead; AARON falls unconscious.





DEAN

What did you do that for?





CASTIEL

Portability.





Camera pulls back to reveal CASTIEL, carrying AARON over his shoulder, back in SAM's hotel room. CASTIEL places a still-unconscious AARON on the bed.





DEAN

Cas, you realize you just kidnapped a kid?





CASTIEL

If the angel we seek truly bought this boy's soul, when a claim is laid on a living soul, it leaves a mark, a brand.





SAM

What, like a -- like a shirt tag at camp?





CASTIEL

I have no idea. But I can read the mark and find the name of the angel that bought the soul.





DEAN

How?





CASTIEL

Well, painfully for him. The reading will be excruciating.





DEAN

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on.





CASTIEL

Dean.





DEAN

He's a kid, Cas. A ki-- Sam?





SAM

[ To CASTIEL. ] Any permanent damage?





DEAN

What?!





CASTIEL

Physically, minimal.





DEAN

Oh, well, yeah, then by all means, stick your arm right in there.





CASTIEL

Dean! If I get the name, I can work a ritual to track the angel down.





DEAN

And I'm all for that. But come on. There's got to be another way.





CASTIEL

There is no other way.





DEAN

You're gonna torture a kid?





CASTIEL

I can't care about that, Dean! I don't have the luxury.





CASTIEL pushes his hand into AARON's chest. AARON screams. DEAN advances. SAM holds him back. They watch as AARON screams and his body lights up from the inside. He stops screaming and falls unconscious when CASTIEL withdraws his hand.





CASTIEL

He'll rest now.





SAM

Did you get a name? What is it?





CASTIEL

I thought he died in the war.





SAM

What, he -- he was a -- he was a friend or something?





CASTIEL

[ Sighs. ] A good friend.





DEAN

Yeah, well, your frat buddy is now moonlighting as a crossroads demon.





CASTIEL

Balthazar. I wonder...





SAM

So we can find him now, right?





AN ANGEL appears.





ANGEL

Balthazar. Thanks, Castiel. We'll make good use of the name.





The ANGEL attacks CASTIEL with an angel blade. CASTIEL blocks it with his own.





ANGEL

And by the way, Raphael says hello.





The ANGEL and CASTIEL fight in the room until they both lose their blades. They grapple each other and jump through the window, falling several stories onto a car parked on the street. SAM and DEAN look out the window. The ANGEL disappears, leaving CASTIEL standing next to the destroyed vehicle.





SAM

My car.





DEAN

Okay. Silver lining.





ACT THREE

EXT. STREET - DAY





CASTIEL is standing by the wrecked car. SAM and DEAN are still up in the room.





CASTIEL

[ Now back in the room behind SAM and DEAN. ] He's gone.





SAM

Alright Cas, who was that guy?





CASTIEL

A soldier of Raphael. He must have followed me when I answered your call.





SAM

Raphael? The archangel? I'm sorry, what's going on here?





CASTIEL gets a bowl from a cupboard.





CASTIEL

I can explain later. Right now we have to --





DEAN

No, not later. Now. Stop, all right? Too many angels, Cas! I don't know who's on first, what's on second.





CASTIEL

What is "second"?!





DEAN

Don't start that.





CASTIEL

It is simple: Raphael and his followers, they want him to rule Heaven. I -- and many others -- the last thing we want is to let him take over. It would be catastrophic.





SAM

You're talking civil war.





CASTIEL

Technically, yes. Which is why we have to find Balthazar and his weapons before Raphael does. Whoever has the weapons wins the war.





CASTIEL pulls SAM's weapons bag from under his bed.





SAM

Help yourself.





DEAN

And what happens if Raphael wins? What -- what does he want?





CASTIEL

[ Gets a flask of holy water from SAM's bag. ] What he's always wanted -- to end the story the way it was written.





DEAN

You mean the Apocalypse, the one that we derailed?





CASTIEL

Yes. That one. Raphael wants to put it back on the rails.





DEAN

Why?





CASTIEL

I need myrrh.





SAM

Myrrh?





CASTIEL is no longer standing by the bed.





DEAN

Freakin' angels.





CASTIEL reappears behind DEAN. He is drawing on the kitchen table with chalk.





DEAN

Why does Raphael want to bring back all this crap?





CASTIEL

He's a traditionalist.





DEAN

Cas, why didn't you tell us this?





CASTIEL

I was ashamed. I expected more from my brothers. I'm sorry. Now I need your blood.





CASTIEL grabs DEAN's wrist and slices his palm.





DEAN

Whoa, whoa! Hey! Ahh! Why don't you use your own?





CASTIEL

It wouldn't work. I'm not human.





DEAN squeezes his hand shut. Blood drips into the bowl. CASTIEL adds myrrh and holy water and intones.





[ Sirens sound. ]





SAM

Uh, Cas, how long does this spell take?





[ Wailing intensifies. ]





CASTIEL

Got him. Let's go.





DEAN

Whoa, whoa, whoa. What about him?





AARON is still lying on the bed, unconscious.





CASTIEL

Don't you think the police will take him home?





EXT. MANSION - NIGHT





[ Crickets chirping. ]





DEAN

Huh. I was expecting more Dr. No, less Liberace.





DEAN, SAM and CASTIEL advance on the mansion.





CASTIEL is in an opulent foyer. A frog perched on the balustrade of a grand staircase is croaking. CASTIEL teleports upstairs, follows loud music into a room with a piano and strobe lights. The door closes. CASTIEL readies his angel blade.





BALTHAZAR

Cas. You're here.





CASTIEL

Balthazar.





BALTHAZAR

It's so good to see you. He told me you were floating around.





CASTIEL

He?





BALTHAZAR

I believe you two have flown together. [ He turns on the lights and the music stops. ] Oh, you know, the old frog in the throat.





The body of the ANGEL who attacked CASTIEL earlier is on the floor. A frog jumps out of his mouth and croaks.





CASTIEL

Even I know that that's a bad joke. I grieved your death.





BALTHAZAR

Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry about that, you know. I wanted them to think, you know, so... they wouldn't come looking for me?





CASTIEL What... is all this? What are you doing?





BALTHAZAR

Whatever I want. This morning I had a ménage à -- what's French for 12?





CASTIEL

You stole the Staff of Moses?





BALTHAZAR

Sure, sure. I stole a lot of things.





CASTIEL

You were a great and honorable soldier. We fought together.





BALTHAZAR

Yes, too many times to count.





CASTIEL

I know you. You're not some common thief.





BALTHAZAR

Common? No. Thief? Eh.





CASTIEL

I need your help.





BALTHAZAR

I know. I've been hearing all about you, and as far as I'm concerned, you and me, Cas, nothing's changed. We're brothers. Of course I want to help you.





CASTIEL

Thank you. I need the weapons.





BALTHAZAR

Don't ask that.





CASTIEL

Why take them? Why run away?





BALTHAZAR

Because I could! What? What? I me-- you're the one who made it possible. The footsteps I'm following -- they're yours. What you did, stopping the big plan, the prize fight? You did more than rebel. You tore up the whole script and burned the pages for all of us. [ Laughs. ] It's a new era. No rules, no destiny. Just utter and complete freedom.





CASTIEL

And this is what you do with it?





BALTHAZAR

Hey, screw it, right? I mean, dad's not coming back. You might as well blow coke and jump on the bed. You proved to me we could do anything, so I'm trying everything. What difference does it make?





CASTIEL

Of course it makes a diff-- it's civil war up there!





BALTHAZAR

I know.





CASTIEL

If we can beat Raphael, we can end this! Just give me the weapons.





BALTHAZAR

[ Laughs. ] Do you know what's funny about you? You actually believe that you can stop the fighting. It will never stop. My advice -- grab something valuable and fake your own death.





CASTIEL

You've gone insane. Your little holiday is over. Raphael knows you're alive by now.





BALTHAZAR

Oh, Raphael can try me anytime. I'm armed. I'm sorry, Cas. All else aside, I'm really, really happy to see you. Even though you still have that stick up your ass.





[ Thunder crashes. ]





BALTHAZAR

Was that you?





CASTIEL shakes his head.





BALTHAZAR

Oh, that's my cue then. Tell, uh, Raphael to bite me. [ Disappears. ]





Rear view of three ANGELS standing outside the mansion where SAM, DEAN and CASTIEL had stood before.





ACT FOUR

EXT. MANSION - NIGHT





[ Thunder crashes. ]





RAPHAEL

Watch them. They're all snakes.





RAPHAEL and two angels walk toward the mansion.





INT. - BALTHAZAR'S MANSION





CASTIEL is alerted to some developments.





EXT. MANSION - NIGHT





An ANGEL armed with an angel blade is patrolling the grounds.





SAM

Hey, there. [ Produces an angel blade. ] Yeah, I got one of those, too.





ANGEL

[ Appears behind SAM, holding the knife to his throat. ] You think you can knife-fight an angel?





DEAN

Who's fighting? Peace out, douchewad.





DEAN slaps an angel-banishing sigil painted on the side of the house. The ANGEL disappears.





[ Thunder crashes. ]





INT. BALTHAZAR'S MANSION





CASTIEL

[ To a threatening ANGEL. ] You're making a mistake. Please. There is another way. Brother, please. I don't want to hurt you.





The ANGEL advances on CASTIEL. CASTIEL throws his knife into the ANGEL's chest. The ANGEL screams and vacates the body.





CASTIEL

Why won't any of you listen?





CASTIEL is grabbed from behind.





RAPHAEL

They don't listen, Castiel, because their hearts are mine.





RAPHAEL grabs Castiel by the collar and throws him back against a set of double doors that fall open. RAPHAEL kicks CASTIEL while he's down, then pulls him up to punch him several times. CASTIEL falls half-way down the grand staircase. RAPHAEL kicks him to the bottom and teleports there to punch CASTIEL again.





RAPHAEL

[ Raising an angel blade. ] Somehow, I don't think God will be bringing you back this time.





BALTHAZAR

Hey! Look at my junk. [ Holds up a glowing crystal. ]





RAPHAEL

No.





RAPHAEL turns to salt from head to toe. The salt clatters to the floor.





BALTHAZAR

[ Chuckles. ] Same thing happened to Lot's wife. Iodize the poor sucker, and your kitchen is stocked for life. [ Laughs. ]





CASTIEL

You came back.





BALTHAZAR

Well, now Raphael will have to go shopping for a new vessel. Should give me a nice long head start on him. Until next time.





CASTIEL

Next time.





DEAN

No time like the present. [ Flicks a lighter and drops it on a circle of holy oil that surrounds BALTHAZAR. ]





BALTHAZAR

Holy fire. You hairless ape! Release me!





DEAN

First you're taking your marker off of Aaron Birch's soul!





BALTHAZAR

Am I?!





DEAN

Sam?!





SAM

Unless you like your wings extra crispy -- [ uncorks a bottle of holy oil ] -- I'd think about it.





BALTHAZAR

Castiel, I stood for you in Heaven. Are you gonna let --





CASTIEL

I believe... the hairless ape has the floor.





BALTHAZAR

[ Laughs. ] Very well. [ Inhales, touches his clasped hands to his forehead, exhales. ] The boy's debt is cleared. His soul is his own.





DEAN

Why you buying up human souls, anyway?





BALTHAZAR

In this economy? It's probably the only thing worth buying. Do you have any idea what souls are worth? What power they hold? Now... release me.





DEAN

Suck it, ass clown. Nobody said anything --





CASTIEL lowers his hand, lowering the flames.





DEAN

Cas, what the hell?





CASTIEL

[ To BALTHAZAR. ] My debt to you is cleared.





BALTHAZAR

Fair enough. [ Sound of an angel in flight. ]





DEAN

Cas, are you out of your mind?!





CASTIEL disappears.





DEAN

Cas?! Oh, friggin' angels! Come on!





ACT FIVE

EXT. ROADSIDE - DAY





DEAN is rearranging weapons in the trunk of the Impala.





DEAN

Yeah, well I didn't realize I had this much stuff back here.





SAM

Well, I need some space. Kind of picked up some stuff along the way.





DEAN closes the false bottom on the weapons cache. SAM places his duffel bag on top. He notices a mask there and pulls it out.





SAM

What the hell is that?





DEAN

Oh, it's, uh, Ben's Halloween costume.





SAM

Wendigo?





DEAN

Yeah.





SAM

[ Approvingly. ] Accurate.





DEAN closes the trunk. The camera pulls back to reveal that they are parked at the side of a creek. DEAN and SAM have a conversation leaning over the roof of the Impala.





DEAN

Hey, so, uh... are you okay?





SAM

Me? [ Chuckling. ] Yeah, I'm great.





DEAN

Really? 'Cause there's been a few times that you got me wondering.





SAM

Come again?





DEAN

Well, like where were you when Cas was, uh, giving the Holy Taser treatment to that kid?





SAM

I was right there.





DEAN

Really? 'Cause honestly, I felt like I was the only one raising a card.





SAM

Right. Uh, I mean, I was with you, but...I don't know. W-we needed the intel.





DEAN

Yeah, I know, but we tortured that kid to get it.





SAM

[ Sighs. ]





DEAN

I just didn't get the feeling that you -- that you even cared.





SAM

Y- you're wrong.





DEAN

Hey man, I'm just trying to figure this out because... something's different with you. You know that.





SAM

Yeah. Yeah, I know.





DEAN

Really?





SAM

Yeah. I mean... I've been hunting non-stop for the past year, kind of... kind of on the wild, you know? So, yeah, I suppose I'm a little rough around the edges.





DEAN

Yeah, I get that. I just don't think I'm getting the whole scoop. You went to hell, Sam. And believe me, I know what that does to a guy.





SAM

To you.





DEAN

What?





SAM

You know what it does to you. It -- it tortured you. You know? I think it still does. But, Dean... I'm okay.





DEAN

So you're saying, what, that -- that you're stronger than me?





SAM

[ Chuckling ] No. Just saying we're different.





SAM pauses, slaps the roof of the Impala and gets inside.





DEAN ponders, then gets into the car.



