Part 1, Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Castiel found Judas sitting cross-legged in the middle of his circle, staring at his coin, turning it over and over in his fingers, the magazines he'd been given earlier stacked neatly at his side.
"I didn't know they were planning to reach out to you," he started, in Aramaic--it would hopefully reassure Judas that he meant no harm, if they spoke in the Weapon's native tongue. "I'm sorry, I would have stopped them if I did."
Judas snorted a little laugh, then glanced up at him. "Are you planning on releasing me, then?" he asked, in the same language.
The angel hesitated. He did plan on releasing Judas, of course, but... "It would be good of you to help us."
Judas shook his head, gave the angel a brief, sad smile, and turned his attention back to the coin. "I've already given my answer. If you want more details, ask them."
"Not with that," Castiel said. "We have the Colt. That should work."
"What, then?"
"I...if I were to get separated from them...we don't know what Lucifer will bring with him, but his support will not be minimal. You could help keep them safe until they face him."
Judas was silent for a long moment. "I could," he admitted.
"Will you?"
Another long silence.
"I'm not trying to force your hand," Castiel tried. "Whatever you decide, I'll release you. I promise. But we could use your help."
"I can't..." Judas took a deep breath. "I can't promise to get them out alive. Even if I were to go farther than..."
"I know you can't," he said. "But anything you can do..."
A cloud moved across the moon, and the coin caught a shaft of moonlight. Judas stopped turning it, studied it for a long silent moment, then sighed. "Very well," he finally said. "I'll come. And I'll help you defend them, to the best of my ability."
"Thank you. That's all I ask," Castiel said, then broke the circle as promised.
Judas rose smoothly, slipping the coin into his pocket. "I need to hide this, and I don't think the others would be entirely comfortable if I stayed here unbound. When and where should I meet you?"
"Here, tomorrow morning, early," Castiel said. "We'll probably leave before dawn."
Judas inclined his head, his hair screening his face from view. "I'll be back by then."
Castiel watched him leave, fading into the shadows in the scrap yard faster than an ordinary human would have been able to. The Weapon being at least temporarily in their camp made their minuscule chances slightly larger. Even though they were all still far likelier than not to die tomorrow, at least he'd done everything he could, given the circumstances, to alter that near-inevitability.
Dean joined him moments later, and blinked at the empty circle. "What happened to Judas?"
Sam was right behind him. "He's gone?"
"He promised me that he'd be back in the morning," Castiel assured them.
"Wait, you let him go?" Dean asked, clearly not seeing the advantage to Castiel's play.
"You weren't going to be able to force him to help," the angel pointed out. "And he said he'd be back."
"And you believed him?"
"Judas doesn't lie," he said. "He may be ill tidings with a human face, but he does not lie. I'm not entirely certain that he even can. If he said he'd return, he will." He paused, and thought for a moment, before adding, "Unless he happens to get attacked between now and then, I suppose."
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. I guess. Did you at least keep the coin?"
He shook his head. "It does belong to him."
"So you let him walk away with it."
Castiel nodded. "It seemed only fair."
"I hate to say it, but we do need some kind of insurance," Sam said. "Even if Judas doesn't turn on us on his own, if Lucifer manages to find him, or Michael..."
"It was left in the circle with him, and I couldn't exactly take it away without ruining whatever goodwill I'd managed to build up," Castiel said. "He has already taken it to hide. And he will be back in the morning. He's agreed to provide backup at least for the first stages of our mission."
"He can do that?" Sam asked.
"Yes," Castiel said. "There are a great many things he can do, above and beyond his kiss. If nothing else, he can help identify demons if we get separated."
"Would have been nice of him to clue us in on that," Dean muttered.
"From what I understand, you weren't exactly giving him reasons to be friendly," Castiel pointed out. "He's agreed to help us despite that. And he will be here tomorrow, as promised. I'm sure of it."
"Yeah, I hope you're right about him."
"I am," Castiel said calmly. "You'll see."
Sam and Dean exchanged a look, then Sam sighed. "All right. I guess we'll see him tomorrow, then."
They went back to rejoin the others, for the few hours they knew for sure they had left.
Previous: Part 1, Chapter 3 Next: Part 1, Chapter 5
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Castiel found Judas sitting cross-legged in the middle of his circle, staring at his coin, turning it over and over in his fingers, the magazines he'd been given earlier stacked neatly at his side.
"I didn't know they were planning to reach out to you," he started, in Aramaic--it would hopefully reassure Judas that he meant no harm, if they spoke in the Weapon's native tongue. "I'm sorry, I would have stopped them if I did."
Judas snorted a little laugh, then glanced up at him. "Are you planning on releasing me, then?" he asked, in the same language.
The angel hesitated. He did plan on releasing Judas, of course, but... "It would be good of you to help us."
Judas shook his head, gave the angel a brief, sad smile, and turned his attention back to the coin. "I've already given my answer. If you want more details, ask them."
"Not with that," Castiel said. "We have the Colt. That should work."
"What, then?"
"I...if I were to get separated from them...we don't know what Lucifer will bring with him, but his support will not be minimal. You could help keep them safe until they face him."
Judas was silent for a long moment. "I could," he admitted.
"Will you?"
Another long silence.
"I'm not trying to force your hand," Castiel tried. "Whatever you decide, I'll release you. I promise. But we could use your help."
"I can't..." Judas took a deep breath. "I can't promise to get them out alive. Even if I were to go farther than..."
"I know you can't," he said. "But anything you can do..."
A cloud moved across the moon, and the coin caught a shaft of moonlight. Judas stopped turning it, studied it for a long silent moment, then sighed. "Very well," he finally said. "I'll come. And I'll help you defend them, to the best of my ability."
"Thank you. That's all I ask," Castiel said, then broke the circle as promised.
Judas rose smoothly, slipping the coin into his pocket. "I need to hide this, and I don't think the others would be entirely comfortable if I stayed here unbound. When and where should I meet you?"
"Here, tomorrow morning, early," Castiel said. "We'll probably leave before dawn."
Judas inclined his head, his hair screening his face from view. "I'll be back by then."
Castiel watched him leave, fading into the shadows in the scrap yard faster than an ordinary human would have been able to. The Weapon being at least temporarily in their camp made their minuscule chances slightly larger. Even though they were all still far likelier than not to die tomorrow, at least he'd done everything he could, given the circumstances, to alter that near-inevitability.
Dean joined him moments later, and blinked at the empty circle. "What happened to Judas?"
Sam was right behind him. "He's gone?"
"He promised me that he'd be back in the morning," Castiel assured them.
"Wait, you let him go?" Dean asked, clearly not seeing the advantage to Castiel's play.
"You weren't going to be able to force him to help," the angel pointed out. "And he said he'd be back."
"And you believed him?"
"Judas doesn't lie," he said. "He may be ill tidings with a human face, but he does not lie. I'm not entirely certain that he even can. If he said he'd return, he will." He paused, and thought for a moment, before adding, "Unless he happens to get attacked between now and then, I suppose."
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. I guess. Did you at least keep the coin?"
He shook his head. "It does belong to him."
"So you let him walk away with it."
Castiel nodded. "It seemed only fair."
"I hate to say it, but we do need some kind of insurance," Sam said. "Even if Judas doesn't turn on us on his own, if Lucifer manages to find him, or Michael..."
"It was left in the circle with him, and I couldn't exactly take it away without ruining whatever goodwill I'd managed to build up," Castiel said. "He has already taken it to hide. And he will be back in the morning. He's agreed to provide backup at least for the first stages of our mission."
"He can do that?" Sam asked.
"Yes," Castiel said. "There are a great many things he can do, above and beyond his kiss. If nothing else, he can help identify demons if we get separated."
"Would have been nice of him to clue us in on that," Dean muttered.
"From what I understand, you weren't exactly giving him reasons to be friendly," Castiel pointed out. "He's agreed to help us despite that. And he will be here tomorrow, as promised. I'm sure of it."
"Yeah, I hope you're right about him."
"I am," Castiel said calmly. "You'll see."
Sam and Dean exchanged a look, then Sam sighed. "All right. I guess we'll see him tomorrow, then."
They went back to rejoin the others, for the few hours they knew for sure they had left.
Previous: Part 1, Chapter 3 Next: Part 1, Chapter 5