( THE TRUTH )

ROAD
[ ☾]

"Cas, can I talk to you outside?" Dean says as he and Castiel get out of the Impala.

"What?" Castiel starts.

"Exactly. What? What the hell happened? Back there. Purgatory. I told you I would get you out. We were there!" Dean yells. "It was like you just gave up. It's like you didn't believe we could do it. I mean, you kept saying that you didn't think it would work. Did you not trust me?"

"Dean..." Cas starts.

"I did everything I could to get you out – everything! I did not leave you." Dean says.

"So you think this was your fault?" Asks Castiel. A car drives up. Sam gets out of the Impala. Mrs Tran parks next to the Impala and gets out of her car.

"You can do this, can't you? You can get him back?" Mrs. Tran asks.

"How did Crowley find you?" Elena asks.

"Oh, I hired a witch, and she ratted us out."

"A witch? Why'd you hire a witch?" Asks Sam.

"To make demon bombs, of course! These are Kevin's notes." Mrs Tran gives Sam a notebook.

"You have any idea where Crowley took him?" Dean asks.

"No. But, uh..." She unlocks the trunk of her car. "...this guy might." The Demon she blasted with the Super-Soaker is inside the trunk bound by a Devil's Trap on the trunk lid.

"Oh." Dean takes out his demon-killing knife. "Let's talk."

WAREHOUSE/FACTORY
[ ☾]

Kevin is strapped to a chair in the room where Crowley tortured Samandiriel. A bloodstained table holds torture implements. "I thought privacy might make it easier to chat. Decision time, Kevin. How's this going to go? Don't be recalcitrant, Kevin. You know it brings out the worst in me." Crowley grabs a knife and cuts off one of Kevin's little fingers.

Kevin screams. "All right! Enough! I'll do it!" He yells.

WAREHOUSE/FACTORY
[ ☾]

Kevin is reading the stone tablet. His left hand is wrapped in a bloodstained bandage. "The next is... 'The demonic influence on the collective tapestry of the soul'." He says.

"Blah, blah, blah. Doesn't anyone ever edit this stuff?" Crowley asks. "So far, as a writer, God's a snooze. No fun at parties, I hear."

"Um, 'Demonic transport to the regions of Hell'."

"Tell me something I don't know! Think macro. This is stupefyingly micro." Crowley says.

"How macro?" Kevin asks.

"Game changing."

ATLANTIC, IOWA

WAREHOUSE/FACTORY
[ ☼ ]

The Impala and Mrs Tran's car drive along the fence outside the factory. Dean and Castiel are in the Impala. As Mrs Tran goes to get out of her car, Sam handcuffs her to the steering wheel. "Sorry, Mrs. Tran." Sam says.

"Wait! What?!" Mrs Tran yells as Dean opens the trunk of her car.

"This it?" Dean asks.

"Yes."

"My son is in there!" Mrs. Tran yells.

"Which means Crowley already has leverage. He doesn't need another hostage." Sam says as Dean stabs the Demon with his demon-killing knife. The Demon's eyes and mouth glow with bright orange light as he screams. Dean closes the trunk. Sam gets out of Mrs Tran's car.

"Oh, come on!"

WAREHOUSE/FACTORY
[ ☼ ]

"Yes?" Crowley blows on a pinwheel to make it spin.

"Well..." Kevin starts.

"Don't provoke me, Kevin. You still have nine fingers." Crowley blows on the pinwheel again.

"This section has to do with building defensive weapons against demons."

"Mm-hmm. You're familiar with that one, I believe." Crowley blows on the pinwheel.

"And this one... describes, uh... sealing the gates of Hell." Kevin says:

"So it's true. It's there. Clearly, humans cannot possess this thing. What was God thinking? We'll get back to that. We're just getting to the sexy part."

Meanwhile, Dean, Sam, Elena and Castiel walk down stairs and under pipes. They pass a sign that reads "Beware: Sharp Edges - Keep Fingers Clear."

At a sign from Dean, they step back out of sight as a Demon approaches. Dean stabs the Demon in the back with his demon-killing knife. Its head glows with yellow light as it dies.

"All right. I'll check that way." Sam goes to the left. Dean nods to Castiel and they go to the right.

Meanwhile, the stone tablet seems to shake in Kevin's hands. "Hold on. This is different. It's – it's not text. It's like a personal note?" Kevin asks.

"A personal note from God?"

"From... the archangel... Metatron." Says Kevin.

"The scribe... and suck-up. Took down God's word, picked up his cleaning." Crowley says.

"It's like a – a farewell note." Kevin says.

"Go on."

Sam and Elena walk down a flight of stairs. Sam sees four demons in a room below him.

"Upon completion of this task, I take my leave of my master in this world."

Sam and Elena walk inside the factory. Four demons block their way.

"Winchester." It says. "And the witch."

"Looks like you guys got us." Sam says.

As the Demons approach them, Sam takes out a bottle and throws it at the ground at the demons' feet. Sam covers his face as bright light flares and the demons burn up and disappear. The demons' shadows are burnt into the wall behind them.

Meanwhile, Dean and Castiel are walking through the factory. "We're very near Kevin." Castiel says.

Back with Sam and Elena, Sam kicks a door open. They enter the room and see the bloodstained octagonal table. "Oh, no." Sam says.

The future prophets surface from underneath the table. The boy Aaron Webber peers around a concrete block. "Hey. Uh...we're here to help." Elena says.

Meanwhile, Castiel and Dean are walking through the factory. Dean turns to find a Demon behind him. He prepares to strike the Demon with his knife, but the Demon sends him flying into chains hanging from the ceiling in front of a window. The Demon stretches out a hand towards Castiel.

Castiel takes a couple of steps backwards before placing a hand on the demons head and smiting him. Yellow light flows from the demons eyes and mouth before he drops to the ground. Castiel steadies himself on the wall.

Dean picks himself up and puts a hand on Castiel's shoulder. "What the hell's going on? You're not all the way back, are you?" He asks.

"So ends the transcription of the sacred word for the defense of mankind. Into the hands of God's children thus passes the compendium of tablets." Kevin says.

"Compendium?" Crowley asks.

"It's a collection of things, especially one systematically organized." Kevin says.

"I know what a 'compendium' is, Kevin. What does Metatron mean?"

Meanwhile, Dean picks a lock. "It's not working." He says.

"Dean, I'm going in." Cas says.

"Cas, no. You're not strong enough."

"There are more tablets? More than 'Leviathan' and 'Demon'?" Crowley says as  Castiel appears in the room with him and Kevin. "Castiel. Fresh from Purgatory. I wish you'd called first."

"Crowley." Castiel says.

"Which Castiel is it this time? I'm never sure. Madman or megalomaniac?"

"Kevin is coming with me." Castiel says.

"I think not. The Prophet's playing on my team now." Crowley says as Castiel's knife drops into his hand and he holds it up. Crowley holds up his hand and his own knife materializes in it. Kevin stands up and backs a few paces away.

"So this is how it's gonna be?" Castiel asks.

"It's all very West Side Story, but let's be logical. You look like hell, and I should know. You're not up for this." Crowley says. Light shines from Castiel. His eyes appear very blue and lit from within. "Maybe you can get it up, but you can't keep it up." The light coming from Castiel intensifies. Shadows of Castiel's unfurling wings appear on the wall behind him. "You're bluffing!"

"Do you want to take that chance?" Castiel stretches out a hand to Crowley. Crowley reaches for the stone tablet on the table. Castiel smashes the tablet and the table. Crowley disappears while holding half the tablet.

Dean bursts into the room and goes to Castiel, who is lying on the floor. The light that was emanating from Castiel is gone. Kevin picks up the remaining half of the stone tablet.

Mrs Tran is wiping blood from Kevin's face. "Cops are on their way. They're gonna pick up the prophets. Um, they'll all be heading home." Sam says.

"What about us?" Mrs. Tran asks.

"I called a friend of ours, Garth. He does what we do. Well... in his own way. He'll keep an eye on you guys. No more going off on your own." Sam says and Mrs Tran rolls her eyes. "You get that it was hiring that witch that got you into all this, right? How you holding up, Kev?"

"You kidding? I want to seal those bastards up forever." Kevin holds up his bandaged hand. "Took my finger."

"Cas thinks he might be able to fix that." Sam says. "In the meantime, just lay low till we get back to you, okay?"

Meanwhile, Castiel is standing next to Dean, who is putting things in the trunk of the Impala. "That was a bonehead move back there. You could have gotten yourself killed. Why didn't you wait for me?" Asks Dean.

"Well, I didn't get killed. And it worked."

"And if it didn't?" He asks.

"It would have been my problem." Castiel says.

"Well, that's not the way I see it."

"Hey, everything isn't your responsibility." Says Cas. "Getting me out of Purgatory wasn't your responsibility."

"You didn't get out. So whose fault was it?" Dean asks.

"It's not about fault. It's about will. Dean, do you really not remember?"

Dean laughs shortly. "I lived it, Cas. Okay, I know what happened." He says.

"No. No, you think you know. You remembered it the way you needed to."

"Look, I don't need to feel like hell for failing you, okay?" Dean asks. "For failing you like I've failed every other godforsaken thing that I care about! I don't need it!"

"Dean. Just look at it. Really look at it." Castiel touches Dean on the forehead.

FLASHBACK

PURGATORY
[ ☼ ]

Dean and Castiel are running uphill towards the portal. Castiel stumbles. "Cas! Damn it! Come on!" Dean reaches the portal and steps into it. He stretches out a hand to Castiel. "Come on!" Castiel grabs Dean's hand. "I got you! Hold on!"

"Dean!" Cas yells.

"Hold on!"

"Dean!" Castiel breaks Dean's grip. "Go!" The portal closes, taking Dean with it.

END FLASHBACK

WAREHOUSE/FACTORY
[ ☼ ]

Cas removes his fingers from Dean's forehead. "See, it wasn't that I was weak. I was stronger than you. I pulled away. Nothing you could have done would have saved me, because I didn't want to be saved." He says.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dean asks.

"It's where I belonged. I needed to do penance. After the things I did on earth and in heaven, I didn't deserve to be out. And I saw that clearly when I was there." Castiel says. "I... I planned to stay all along. I just didn't know how to tell you. You can't save everyone, my friend... though, you try."

Sam joins Dean and Castiel. "Hey. Everything okay?" He asks.

"Yeah. Just, uh... setting a few things straight." Castiel says.

"Good. Garth is gonna lay low with the Tra..." Sam starts.

OFFICE
[ UNKNOWN TIME ]

The scene abruptly changes to Castiel standing in a brightly lit room, looking confused. "Hello, Castiel." A Woman wearing a suit sits behind a desk.

"Where am I?" He asks.

"You don't know? You're home, Castiel." She says.

"Heaven? I've never been here before." Castiel says.

"Not many have. My name is Naomi. We rescued you."

"Purgatory." Castiel says.

"An incursion of angels, which cost us many lives." Naomi says. "Consider these chats your repayment."

"I don't understand."

"Tell me about Sam, Elena and Dean." She says.

"The Prophet is being kept safe. The tablet has split in two and the Winchesters are trying to recover the missing piece. Why am I telling you any of this?"

"It's not your concern. Help the Winchesters, come when they call." Naomi says. "You will report in to me regularly, and you will never remember having done so."

"No. I won't do that."

Naomi smiles. "Now, as you were. They won't even notice you were gone." She says.

WAREHOUSE/FACTORY
[ ☼ ]

"...track down the other piece. You're with us on this one, right, Cas? Cas, you okay?" Sam asks.

"I'm – I'm fine. And, yes, I'm with you – if that's all right." Castiel says and Dean nods. Castiel walks away.

"It is, right? You two are good?" Sam asks.

Dean looks down. "Yeah." He says.