Just One Word: Cathartic
Cathartic
“Here, pretty bird.”
Castiel’s reflexes were sharp. At the voice, he turned just in time to have Alloces wrap a hand around his throat and lift him off his feet. The Fallen’s lips split into a slow, smug, satisfied grin. Castiel grabbed his arm, gripping it as tightly as Alloces gripped his throat.
“Where’s your faith now, bird?” He sneered, holding him high off the ground. The show of physical strength was quickly understood, and Castiel began to plan.
“It’s always with me.” Quickly he reached out and placed his fingers against the Fallen’s forehead. There was a rush of air, the dizzying sensation of instantaneous travel and they landed heavily in the Turkish country side, miles away from the nearest human settlement surrounded only by rolling hills and scrub brush.
Alloces no longer had a hand on his throat, standing a few feet away from him, looking around to quickly get his bearings. Gathering his power, Castiel lashed out. Hard. There was a crack of thunder and Alloces was lifted off his feet and thrown through the air.
The Fallen threw open his own demonic wings, righted himself and landed easily on his feet, skidding to a stop before straightening up. Shaking his head, he brushed the dust off his clothes, his wings lazily folding closed, “Still a fucking coward huh, Castiel? Can’t even fight with honor.”
“My cause is honorable.” Castiel tilted his head, braced for the next attack.
“Yeah, a soldier of God. You know, those Islamic terrorists say the same thing. You might want to watch a few of Osama’s videos, the similarities are uncanny.” Alloces rolled his shoulders, cracks his neck and then his knuckles. “I’m going to make this as painful as possible.”
“I will show you mercy.”
“And that’ll cost you your life, bird.”
Alloces rushed in, quicker than a human eye could see. But, he wasn’t human, though his vessel was. Castiel spread his wings, kicking up hurricane force winds. They slowed Alloces advance, but that only put the Fallen inches from him.
“Nice special effects.” Alloces fist broke across his cheek, quickly followed by the other, “How’s it go, bird? “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also”.”
“Matthew, 5:39.” His hands burning hot, Castiel grabbed Alloces hand and twisted until the wrist snapped. “”But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.””
Laughing, the Fallen struck again, fist crushing his chest. He followed the first strike with another, and another, “Exodus 21:23-25, always one of my favorites, bird. Still filled with God’ wrath, I see. Does anything ever change up there?”
This time, the force of the down stroke and the winds created by a single beat of Castiel’s wings threw Alloces’ back. A second beat, stronger winds and Alloces skin was cut, some pieces even stripped away. The Fallen hit the ground and rolled before managing to get his feet under him and stand again.
“I will make your death so fucking painful, dear Father will bleed for you.” He ground out between tightly clenched teeth. “There won’t be enough of you left to fit on the head of a pin. Fucking bird.”
“There won’t be anything of you left, Alloces.” Castiel said calmly. Another rumble of thunder caused the Fallen to look up, then quickly sidestep as a bolt of lightning lanced down from the sky and struck the ground where he had been standing moments before. Still calm, Castiel called down another bolt, but the Fallen was again one step ahead.
“Oh come on, Castiel, powers?” Alloces called over the cacophony of thunder and wind. “Fight me! Don’t rely on Him to stop me! He can’t do a damn thing!”
His hands curled into fists, Castiel struck out with two lightning bolts in quick succession, but neither hit its target.
“You want to fight with powers, bird? Fine, I’ll fight with powers!” The ground under their feet rumbled ominously and then exploded into the air followed by a pillar of Hellfire. Castiel was forced to move as the Hellfire twisted like a snake and lunged for him. Now on the defensive, Castiel whipped up more winds, but they did nothing to stop the torrent of flame. He called on the earth, shooting jagged spikes of earth through the flames, towards Alloces.
Hellfire spread along the ground, turning everything in its path to black ash, filling the air with acrid smoke and the smell of sulfur before disappearing back down through the cracks in the ground.
“You know what the real problem is with you holy warriors?” Alloces called from the smoke, his voice seeming to come from every direction at once. Breathing hard, Castiel closed his eyes and focused on the sounds around him. “It’s not just the constant, fucking, overbearing, faith crap or the Goddamn righteousness you vomit up at the drop of the hat. No, that’s just minor stuff. Even humans can pull off the Holier than Thou act. The real problem is…”
Castiel spun, beating his wings down to blow away the smoke and reveal a vast empty field.
“… you glow in the fucking dark.” Alloces whispered in his ear. “Any last words, Castiel?”
“”Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail”.”
And lifting his eyes upwards, Castiel watched the lightning he summoned strike them both. He couldn’t hear anything over the rush filling his ears, feel anything but the liquid heat engulfing him, or see beyond the white wash in his vision.
Then he staggered free as Alloces shoved him away. Barely managing to stay on his feet, Castiel tried to stand upright, but the pain from his burned and blacken flesh kept him doubled over. He turned to face Alloces, but the Fallen was gone, scraps of his clothing the only signs of his presence. With a whispered prayer of thanks to God, Castiel began the slow process of healing his vessel. He called on the rains to douse what Hellfire remained, while his flesh slowly healed and his bones knit back together. It was a painful process to endure, but he wouldn’t leave his vessel. If he left, his vessel would die and he wouldn’t let that happen to such a righteous man. This was his vessel for all the days he would walk on the Earth this time.
“Isaiah 51:6,” A voice said from above, one he recognized. “You’re always so determined in battle, Castiel.”
“I failed to strike him down, Raphael.”
Cool fingers pressed to the burning skin of his forehead and his vessel began to heal faster as Raphael added his own power. “His time will come. Have faith, brother. But now is not the time for vengeance. You need to rest and heal. Your path is with Dean Winchester, not this distraction.”
“Forgive me.”
“Always brother. Now rest, knowing your brothers are with you and watching over you.”
Gratefully, Castiel put himself into the hands of his fellow angels and in the hands of God.
[ooc: shrpcryinthedrk used with mun permission]
“Here, pretty bird.”
Castiel’s reflexes were sharp. At the voice, he turned just in time to have Alloces wrap a hand around his throat and lift him off his feet. The Fallen’s lips split into a slow, smug, satisfied grin. Castiel grabbed his arm, gripping it as tightly as Alloces gripped his throat.
“Where’s your faith now, bird?” He sneered, holding him high off the ground. The show of physical strength was quickly understood, and Castiel began to plan.
“It’s always with me.” Quickly he reached out and placed his fingers against the Fallen’s forehead. There was a rush of air, the dizzying sensation of instantaneous travel and they landed heavily in the Turkish country side, miles away from the nearest human settlement surrounded only by rolling hills and scrub brush.
Alloces no longer had a hand on his throat, standing a few feet away from him, looking around to quickly get his bearings. Gathering his power, Castiel lashed out. Hard. There was a crack of thunder and Alloces was lifted off his feet and thrown through the air.
The Fallen threw open his own demonic wings, righted himself and landed easily on his feet, skidding to a stop before straightening up. Shaking his head, he brushed the dust off his clothes, his wings lazily folding closed, “Still a fucking coward huh, Castiel? Can’t even fight with honor.”
“My cause is honorable.” Castiel tilted his head, braced for the next attack.
“Yeah, a soldier of God. You know, those Islamic terrorists say the same thing. You might want to watch a few of Osama’s videos, the similarities are uncanny.” Alloces rolled his shoulders, cracks his neck and then his knuckles. “I’m going to make this as painful as possible.”
“I will show you mercy.”
“And that’ll cost you your life, bird.”
Alloces rushed in, quicker than a human eye could see. But, he wasn’t human, though his vessel was. Castiel spread his wings, kicking up hurricane force winds. They slowed Alloces advance, but that only put the Fallen inches from him.
“Nice special effects.” Alloces fist broke across his cheek, quickly followed by the other, “How’s it go, bird? “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also”.”
“Matthew, 5:39.” His hands burning hot, Castiel grabbed Alloces hand and twisted until the wrist snapped. “”But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.””
Laughing, the Fallen struck again, fist crushing his chest. He followed the first strike with another, and another, “Exodus 21:23-25, always one of my favorites, bird. Still filled with God’ wrath, I see. Does anything ever change up there?”
This time, the force of the down stroke and the winds created by a single beat of Castiel’s wings threw Alloces’ back. A second beat, stronger winds and Alloces skin was cut, some pieces even stripped away. The Fallen hit the ground and rolled before managing to get his feet under him and stand again.
“I will make your death so fucking painful, dear Father will bleed for you.” He ground out between tightly clenched teeth. “There won’t be enough of you left to fit on the head of a pin. Fucking bird.”
“There won’t be anything of you left, Alloces.” Castiel said calmly. Another rumble of thunder caused the Fallen to look up, then quickly sidestep as a bolt of lightning lanced down from the sky and struck the ground where he had been standing moments before. Still calm, Castiel called down another bolt, but the Fallen was again one step ahead.
“Oh come on, Castiel, powers?” Alloces called over the cacophony of thunder and wind. “Fight me! Don’t rely on Him to stop me! He can’t do a damn thing!”
His hands curled into fists, Castiel struck out with two lightning bolts in quick succession, but neither hit its target.
“You want to fight with powers, bird? Fine, I’ll fight with powers!” The ground under their feet rumbled ominously and then exploded into the air followed by a pillar of Hellfire. Castiel was forced to move as the Hellfire twisted like a snake and lunged for him. Now on the defensive, Castiel whipped up more winds, but they did nothing to stop the torrent of flame. He called on the earth, shooting jagged spikes of earth through the flames, towards Alloces.
Hellfire spread along the ground, turning everything in its path to black ash, filling the air with acrid smoke and the smell of sulfur before disappearing back down through the cracks in the ground.
“You know what the real problem is with you holy warriors?” Alloces called from the smoke, his voice seeming to come from every direction at once. Breathing hard, Castiel closed his eyes and focused on the sounds around him. “It’s not just the constant, fucking, overbearing, faith crap or the Goddamn righteousness you vomit up at the drop of the hat. No, that’s just minor stuff. Even humans can pull off the Holier than Thou act. The real problem is…”
Castiel spun, beating his wings down to blow away the smoke and reveal a vast empty field.
“… you glow in the fucking dark.” Alloces whispered in his ear. “Any last words, Castiel?”
“”Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail”.”
And lifting his eyes upwards, Castiel watched the lightning he summoned strike them both. He couldn’t hear anything over the rush filling his ears, feel anything but the liquid heat engulfing him, or see beyond the white wash in his vision.
Then he staggered free as Alloces shoved him away. Barely managing to stay on his feet, Castiel tried to stand upright, but the pain from his burned and blacken flesh kept him doubled over. He turned to face Alloces, but the Fallen was gone, scraps of his clothing the only signs of his presence. With a whispered prayer of thanks to God, Castiel began the slow process of healing his vessel. He called on the rains to douse what Hellfire remained, while his flesh slowly healed and his bones knit back together. It was a painful process to endure, but he wouldn’t leave his vessel. If he left, his vessel would die and he wouldn’t let that happen to such a righteous man. This was his vessel for all the days he would walk on the Earth this time.
“Isaiah 51:6,” A voice said from above, one he recognized. “You’re always so determined in battle, Castiel.”
“I failed to strike him down, Raphael.”
Cool fingers pressed to the burning skin of his forehead and his vessel began to heal faster as Raphael added his own power. “His time will come. Have faith, brother. But now is not the time for vengeance. You need to rest and heal. Your path is with Dean Winchester, not this distraction.”
“Forgive me.”
“Always brother. Now rest, knowing your brothers are with you and watching over you.”
Gratefully, Castiel put himself into the hands of his fellow angels and in the hands of God.
[ooc: shrpcryinthedrk used with mun permission]