I'm freaking out because I'm on the court for my friend's Sweet Sixteen that's today and I don't feel ready and I feel like I'll mess up the waltz. I'm giving you an extra upload because I know your comments will get my mind off of things and help kinda calm me down.

Foreclosed mansion somewhere in Lincoln, Nebraska

    Cassandra landed in a dark room, instantly coughing and waving her hand from all of the dust. She tucked the address into her back pocket and blindly wandered around in search of a light switch. Her hands skimmed over the walls and she cringed and shuddered in disgust every time she hit a cobweb. After a few minutes of mindless walking, her finger hit a small point of plastic that felt like something similar to a switch. She flipped it up and turned, watching as a chandelier in the middle of the room flickered to life, illuminating every piece of covered furniture and every cobweb that clung to the walls.

    "Well, Castiel, don't you have nice taste," she muttered, throwing her backpack down on the ground beneath the light switch. Letting out a deep sigh, Cassandra started to tug the white sheets from the furniture. She'd cough and wave all of the dust away every time but learned to suck it up. She was going to be here for weeks at a time which meant she needed to be comfortable. She stopped when she pulled a sheet from a glass case full of swords and knives. Glancing over her shoulder and around the room to make sure Castiel didn't appear, Cassandra popped open the case and grabbed one of the swords.

    She ran her fingers along the blade before smirking, swinging it around. It felt a bit heavy in her hand but she knew that she could grow used to the weight if she was taught how to use it it properly. Cassandra continued to swing it as if she were in battle when a voice cut her off.

    "Cassandra!" She yelped and lost grip of the sword, the weapon crashing to the ground as she whipped out her angel blade. Castiel raised a single eyebrow at her and she rolled her eyes, sighing as she pocketed the blade and swiped the sword from its spot on the floor. "The weapons are for later," Castiel scolded, snatching the blade from her grasp and gently setting it back in the glass case.

    "Where are we anyways? And why a mansion? It gives me the creeps," Cassandra asked, shivering slightly. Castiel shook his head and ran his hand over the top of the case, locking it. She eyed the glass case before looking back to Castiel.

    "Because this mansion is full of angelic weapons. Your weapons." Cassandra's eyes widened and her lips parted slightly in shock. "Michael was supposed to take you on your eighteenth birthday to start your training but he couldn't find you. I assume you were some type of medication then?" Cassandra nodded and Cas sighed. "He had these weapons made for you. We weren't sure if the Apocalypse would happen in your time, but he decided to take advantage of it instead of killing you."

    "Kill me?" Castiel nodded.

    "Nephilims are against the laws of Heaven. They're abominations and they can be merciless. They could destroy the Earth with a single scream if they really wanted to. There were many long arguments and debates on whether or not to let you live before Michael finally volunteered you as a weapon," Cas explained. Cassandra nodded and started to pace around the room, rolling her bottom lip between her teeth in thought. She stopped just in front of the fireplace and turned to face the angel.

    "Great. So if I'm a weapon for Heaven but I took the side of the humans, then why does Hell want me so bad?"

    "Lucifer." Cassandra scoffed, shaking her head.

    "Of course it's Lucifer," she muttered. "It's always Lucifer." She turned to look at Cas. "So how'd it go with telling Sam and Dean? Is Bobby okay?" Cas sighed.

    "Well, the doctors say that Bobby can never walk again." Cassandra's face fell. "But he's strong. He'll get through it. And Sam and Dean, well, they're what you call pissed. The tension's thick between them and you were their peacekeeper and distraction."

    "That actually makes sense." Cassandra clapped her hands together. "So what are we starting with?" Castiel gazed at her softly before glancing around the room. His eyes skimmed over all of the weapons that were scattered around the main room of the mansion before landing on the Nephilim across the room from him.

    "Rest, Cassandra. You're still worn out from your combat with Michael and those demons back at the motel. Also, I can tell that you're a little sore from Zachariah's stabbing. I assumed he would have healed you, too, but I guess not since you wouldn't have died." Cassandra furrowed her eyebrows.

    "What do you mean I wouldn't have died?" she demanded, her voice growing louder. Cas eyed her in confusion and cocked his head to the side. Didn't she know? He figured she would have caught on by now.

    "Cassandra, only a weapon of Heaven can kill you. An angel blade or an archangel sword. It's your Grace. All of your suicide attempts over the years should've killed you but your Grace saved you." Her eyes widened and she shook her head, stepping towards Castiel in denial.

    "No. No. I almost died. I did die. I had flatlined once and they brought me back. I can die, Castiel. I can die."

    "No, Cassandra. The doctors didn't bring you back, you did. Your Grace pushed passed the barrier of the medications and healed as many of your wounds as possible. What the doctors called a miracle was actually Grace," Cas explained. Instead of relief like Cas expected, he found that disappointment had taken over in her eyes. Some part of escaping death had bothered her and Cas didn't know why. He figured she would've been happy. She spun on her heel and stormed off down the hall. "Cassandra?" Cas called out. "Cassandra, where are you going?"

    "To rest," she yelled back. The echo of a door slamming shut bounced around the mansion and Cas let out a sigh, glancing over to the glass case that held the swords. If only she knew how powerful she truly was.

~*~

Seven Days into Training

    Cassandra let out a grunt as she was flung back against the wall, a picture frame next to her falling to the floor from her impact. She struggled against the force that kept her pinned to the old wallpaper, crying out as her airway started to restrict. She felt as if someone were choking her, sucking the life out of her. Castiel stepped towards her, arm outstretched and his hand slowly curling into a fist.

    "Fight back, Cassandra!"

    "I can't!" she managed to choke out.

    "Yes, you can! Channel your power and fight back. Never let your guard down! You expect a battle to be fair! A battle will never be fair!" Castiel roared. Cassandra wiggled, desperately trying to escape the force that kept her pressed against the wall. She screamed, the lights flickering and the paintings on the wall rattling. "Stronger!" Cassandra screamed even louder, a couple of light bulbs shattering. Castiel faltered and dropped his hand, Cassandra toppling to the floor roughly. She coughed and picked herself up with shaky legs, clenching her fists at her sides. "You're stronger than this, Cassandra. Use that power."

    She charged forward, tackling Castiel to the floor. The rolled around before Cassandra managed to pin him to the ground, straddling him. She pulled a regular kitchen knife from her jacket and went to drive it through his chest when Castiel reached up and grabbed her wrists, flipping them over. Her eyes widened as she struggled to free her hands from his grasp, the blade raised above her this time.

    "Okay! Okay! You win!" Cassandra yelled out. Cas rolled his eyes and stood up, holding a hand out to pull Cassandra up. She took it,  scoffing as she brushed the dust from her leggings. "I thought you were supposed to be searching for God with Dean's necklace," she grumbled. Cas sighed.

    "I can multitask, y'know. Cassandra, you're not trying hard enough."

    "I am!"

    "What I just saw there was hesitation! You know that blade won't hurt me so why didn't you stab me?" Castiel shouted. Cassandra glanced away, her gaze dropping to the floor. Cas grabbed onto her shoulders and shook her, wanting an answer. "You would have died if this wasn't training! Why did you hesitate?"

    "Because you're human!" she screamed back. "When I held that blade above you all I could see was Jimmy's face! I saw his wife and his daughter and I saw a family! All of those vessels will lose their lives and their families! I can't do it!" Her voice cracked and by now her eyes were starting to water. Castiel's face fell and he sighed, letting go of Cassandra's shoulders.

    "Cassandra, this is an empty vessel. Jimmy died when Raphael killed me. You aren't killing anything," he said softly.

    "No, but how many of those other vessels still have human souls in them? How many have families? How many are just screaming in the back of their mind, desperately trying to escape? I can't do that, Castiel. I can't kill an innocent human." Cas sucked in a sharp breath and stared blankly over her shoulder, trying to find the right words to say.

    "If they are truly innocent then they will go to Heaven. Trust me when I tell you that they'd rather be in Heaven than live with what they saw as a vessel." Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest and didn't reply. She stayed silent and glanced away. "I'm going to go continue my search for a couple of days. When I come back I expect you to stab me with this." He handed the kitchen knife back to her. "Keep practicing." With that Castiel disappeared into thin air, leaving nothing but the flutter of his wings.

    Cassandra scoffed and rolled her blue eyes, staring down at the knife in her hand before letting her arm drop to her side. "Yeah, because it's just so easy to stab someone," she muttered in disbelief before turning and walking to the kitchen. She pulled open the fridge door and eyed the food stuffed upon the shelves. Nothing seemed appetizing to her but her stomach growled in hunger from her lack of nutrients. Cassandra couldn't remember the last time she ate. It had to be the snacks on the Interstate when she had taken off. That was weeks ago.

    The phone Cas had given her buzzed and she pulled it from her back pocket, studying the screen.

    Dean Winchester

    3:52pm

    I know you're training but if you get the chance, call me. Sam left...again.

    Cassandra bit her lower lip as she stared down at the text message. Castiel had made it clear that she was not to contact either Winchester unless it were truly an emergency. She sighed and ignored the text just as she did the others from the past seven days, knowing that Cas would find out if she replied or not. Her disobeyment just meant harder training which also meant being thrown around like rag doll.

    Dissatisfied with her food choices at the mansion, Cassandra decided to go out somewhere instead. She was craving a good burger at the moment and the diner down the road claimed to have the best bacon cheeseburgers in town. She licked her lips and grabbed her wallet from the counter before disappearing.

    Cassandra landed just outside of the small sixties themed diner and she glanced around to make sure no one had seen her before making her way inside. Castiel wasn't too keen on her leaving the mansion, but he did tell her that she could wander around town for a bit as long as she kept a weapon on her at all times. Cassandra's angel blade rested in her boot, the reminder of its presence constant what with the handle scraping against her black leggings.

    She sat down in a random booth and waited for a waitress to bring her a menu, mindlessly tapping her finger on the tabletop.

    "Yes, you can! Channel your power and fight back. Never let your guard down! You expect a battle to be fair! A battle will never be fair!"

    Castiel's voice echoed throughout Cassandra's mind and she sighed, resting her elbows on the table and leaning forward as she clutched her hair. He was right and she hated to admit it. Cassandra was too weak to take on another angel or demon. What happened back at the motel had just been luck and timing. If Heaven threw her into the battlefield with Michael or Lucifer then she wouldn't last a second.

    "Ma'am?" The voice was distant. "Ma'am, are you alright?" Cassandra's head snapped up and she saw a waitress staring down at her with worried eyes. The blonde cleared her throat and nodded, forcing a smile on her lips.

    "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry."

    "Are you sure?" Cassandra nodded. "What can I get you to drink then?" Cassandra smiled up at the waitress.

    "Just a water, please." The waitress nodded and retreated to get her drink, leaving Cassandra to study the menu. She sighed and opened it up, her eyes skimming over the choices. She didn't know how many times she had read over the specials. Her mind was foggy and she could hear Angel Radio starting up again. A water was set down in front of her and Cassandra looked up. "Thank you."

    "Are you ready to order?"

    "I'll have the bacon cheeseburger. Medium, please." The waitress nodded and she scribbled it down, flashing Cassandra a smile before leaving. Cassandra pulled her phone from her pocket, furrowing her eyebrows to see a message from Sam. Sam hadn't tried contacting her ever before, even when she had left the first time.

    Sam Winchester

    4:15pm

    Be careful. Lucifer has his vessel but it's temporary

    Cassandra Moore

    4:15pm

    What do you mean it's temporary? Doesn't he have to have his true vessel?

    Sam Winchester

    4:16pm

    It's complicated. To put it simply, I'm his true vessel. He got in mind and I think he'll be coming for you next. Stay safe and keep training. We all need to be at our best.

    Cassandra never replied. She only stared down at the phone with wide eyes, her breath shaking. Lucifer had his vessel. He was able to approach her anytime he wanted if he found her, which meant demons would be searching for her at all hours.

    The cheeseburger was set down in front of her along with a smile from the waitress and a cheerful, "Enjoy, sweetie!" Cassandra simply thanked her before staring down at the burger. Suddenly on edge, Cassandra wanted nothing more than to run back to the mansion. If it weren't for the fact that her stomach was screaming out for food then she would have. She would have gone back and pushed herself to train harder than she ever had.

    Cassandra picked up the burger and took a bite, closing her eyes and letting out a silent moan of delight. For a brief moment all problems concerning the Apocalypse had escaped her mind, the taste of the burger clouding her thoughts. Angel Radio seemed to die out and she wondered why considering Lucifer had his vessel. Cassandra finished chewing and set down the burger, trying to tune back into the chatter.

    "Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?" Her gaze snapped up to see a blond man sitting in front of her. Cassandra's lips parted slightly and she furrowed her eyebrows, glancing around the diner before looking back to the man.

    "Buddy, listen—"

    "'Cause it sure hurt when I did." Cassandra stared at him blankly before his irises glowed a deep red and her eyes widened. She gasped and went to slide out of the booth when he reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her. "You can't go anywhere. You're trapped." Cassandra turned to see the waitress grin at her, her eyes flickering to a deep black. "I've been keeping an eye on you for a long time, Cassandra." She cocked her head to the side before it hit her.

    "You had demons on me the whole time," she said in realization.  He grinned and nodded.

    "Sandy Myers. Billy King. Michelle Spears. Professor Dirk." Cassandra's face fell and she stared back at Lucifer blankly. Her friends were never her friends. They were all demons updating whoever they could on her whereabouts. "You see, the angels struggled to find you for years once you were prescribed those happy pills. Azazel had demons on you because he knew you'd be useful to me when I got out, but then he pieced together your connection with Sam Winchester and I knew that everything would play out perfectly. Once a majority of the seals had been broken I had one of my demons start some trouble to lead the Winchesters your way and vwa-la. Look where we are now," Lucifer explained.

    Cassandra leaned back in her seat, staring down at the plate. Her whole life had been planned out for her. It was a setup. She was never truly safe in all her years as a normal human.

    "Was it only my college years?" Lucifer chuckled, shaking his head.

    "Honey, it was your entire life. Michelle, the friend you miraculously made when you were five, she was a demon then, too. The real Michelle was stuck as a backseat driver just screaming to get out." Lucifer snatched one of her fries and popped it in his mouth.

    "She was just a kid," Cassandra whispered. Lucifer shrugged.

    "To make an omelette you have to break a few eggs. A few sacrifices here and there are nothing compared to what you and I can do. All you have to do is leave those boys and turn against Heaven. You and I, side by side. Well, Cassandra, I see a bright and powerful future ahead of you," Lucifer told her. Cassandra rolled her eyes despite the fear coursing through her veins.

    "You sound like an ad for one of those shitty prep schools." Lucifer narrowed his eyes at her but never acted. Cassandra leaned forward, her palms pressed flat against the table. Her face was inches from the fallen archangel's and she locked a sharp glare on him. "I will never join you, Lucifer. Do you understand me?"

    "Oh, don't be like that, Cassy."

    "Don't call me that!" Lucifer's lips curled into a smirk.

    "Come on, Cassandra. The uncles are always the fun ones, right? Well, let me tell you now I am loads of fun. Training with me will be the best decision you will ever make. Just imagine all of that power and skill. All you have to do is walk out of this diner with me." Cassandra nodded and licked her lips, glancing away for a brief moment before looking back to the blond in front of her.

    "And if I walk out of here alone? If I drive my blade through your demons? If I turn you down?" The grin never faltered from Lucifer's lips but she could see the anger in his eyes. She could see the determination to get her on his side.

    "Then you're an enemy and we will stop at nothing to kill you. I don't want to kill you, Cassandra. You're my blood. I love you." Cassandra sighed and pulled out her wallet, dropping a twenty down on the table.

    "Well, considering you've never met or seen me until now, I don't believe any of your family love crap for a second." She stood up, swiping her phone from the table. "Thank you for ruining my much needed meal but I'll be on my way." Cassandra started to walk out but Lucifer's voice stopped her.

    "You're a week into training and you've shown little progress. The humanity inside you is keeping you from killing because you still believe that all is rainbows and unicorns. This is the Apocalypse, Cassandra. Your weakness and hesitation will get you killed just as that angel's told you. You think you can beat me and your father? At this rate you'll die at the hands of a measly little demon. Choose your side wisely." Her fists clenched at her sides and she closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath as she desperately tried to keep her anger in check. She didn't want him to know that his words got to her. She didn't want him to know her weaknesses. But the smirk on his lips told her that he already knew.

    Cassandra eyed her waitress and cocked her head to the side, studying her. She saw a bright soul inside of the body, but she also saw the demon's true face. It was horrible and disfigured from the soul's time down in Hell. Lucifer watched in curiosity as the blonde calmly walked towards her, pulling the angel blade from her boot and driving it through the demon's chest. The orange light flickered in and out before fading completely, letting Cassandra know that she had killed the demon. She pulled the blade from her chest and let the dead vessel drop to the floor. She had just killed an innocent human that a demon possessed. Lucifer's eyebrows rose in shock, impressed.

    "Looks like you just killed a human. You proved me wrong," Lucifer said simply, smirking up at the blonde.

    "You're next," Cassandra spat before disappearing into thin air. Lucifer only sighed and reached forward, grabbing another fry. He wasn't going to stop until he had Cassandra on his side of the war. And this...well, this was just the beginning.

~*~

Twelve Days into Training

    Cassandra was greeted by being flung into a wall by Castiel, dropping roughly to the ground as the attack had caught her off guard. She propped herself up and stared at Cas in confusion, opening her mouth to speak when he lifted her by her shirt and threw her across the room. Cassandra rolled into the glass case but it never showed any sign of damage.

    "I told you not to have any contact with the Winchesters until we were finished and you still contacted Sam!" Cas roared. Cassandra rolled her eyes. So that's what he was mad about.

    "Castiel, he was warning me," Cassandra said. She dodged a blow from the angel and somersaulted out of the way, springing up from her position on the floor. "Lucifer made contact with him." She ducked, dodging another punch. "And said he was going after me." Cassandra grabbed onto Cas' trenchcoat and lifted him from the ground, flinging him to the other side of the main room. "And he did." Castiel's eyes widened and he stopped, giving Cassandra the chance to throw him into the wall with her powers. Castiel struggled against her.

    "What do you mean he went after you?" Castiel questioned, the blonde still walking towards him with a determined look on her face. She grabbed the kitchen knife from the coffee table where she had set it down the night before.

    "I mean he found me at the diner when I was eating and gave me a business deal. There were demons everywhere."

    "And the demons?" Cassandra drove the blade through his chest, Castiel's eyes widening in shock. She had finally managed to do it.

    "Dead." Cassandra stopped, nodding her head to the side. "Well, one is. And yes, the vessel was still alive when I killed it." Cassandra yanked the blade from his chest and let him down, the angel dropping to his feet. He steadied his balance before standing up straighter, nodding curtly at the Nephilim.

    "You've improved," he noted.

    "Lucifer pissed me off. Of course I improved. He made me out to be weak." She started to walk away when Castiel spoke up.

    "You are weak, Cassandra, which is why we're training you." Cassandra turned to look at Cas in disbelief.

    "You know what he said to me? He said that he's had demons on my ass since I was five. Five, Castiel. My whole life I've been hunted and I never even knew it. All of my friends were demons and I had no idea. Do you know what it feels like to learn that your entire life was a lie?" Cas's gaze dropped to the ground guiltily. Cassandra let out a laugh, shaking her head. "And you wanna know the best part? Azazel didn't kill Jess to get to Sam. No. He killed Jess to get to me. He needed me to cross the Winchesters' path and in order to do that Sam needed to hunt again, I needed to be a fucked up mess, and my neighbor needed to be a demon. Jess' death is my fault. Mine."

    "Cassandra, he was lying to you."

    "Was he, Castiel? Was he really?" Cassandra snapped. Cas couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes. He knew something and he was too afraid to say it. "Because it sure didn't sound like he was lying!" Cassandra was yelling by now. Shouting. Her voice bounced off of the walls and echoed throughout the open space sending shivers down Cas' spine. She was angry. "I believed that the only real monster in this world was religion with how it twisted people's views and fucked with their minds. But now I see it. Now I really see it." Castiel looked up, shaking his head.

    "Cassandra, what are you trying to say?" he asked softly. He didn't understand what she was going on about. He didn't know what Lucifer could've said that would make her like this.

    "I'm saying, Castiel, that the only real monster in this world is me. Innocent people died so that I could be used as a weapon by my father. Innocent people have been caught in the crossfire of a war that shouldn't even involve humans. Maybe it's not Lucifer and Michael that people should fear but me." Cassandra threw the knife down, the blade wedging itself into the laminate wood floorboards. Castiel sighed, shaking his head.

    "So what does this mean? Are you switching sides of the war? Are you going to work alongside Heaven and kill Lucifer with Michael?" Cas questioned.

    "What side are you on?" Cassandra retorted. Cas stared at her for a moment before answering.

    "I thought it was yours but now I'm not so sure. I thought I'd work with the humans. That's what you consider yourself, right? A human?" Cassandra's eyes started to water and she shook her head, sucking in a deep, shaky breath as she lightly shook her head.

    "I'm not sure what I am. Human or Nephilim, I'm still a monster. I'm still the reason people have died. Jess, my mom, Michelle. They've all died because of me." Cas shook his head and started to advance towards Cassandra but stopped when she took a step back, distancing herself.

    "Those deaths are not on you. They're on the angels and demons. You haven't killed anyone, Cassandra. Not without a real purpose."

    "Kill me." Cas recoiled at her words, his eyes widening in shock. Had he just heard her right? Was Cassandra really asking him to kill her? "You said that an angel blade can kill me." She pulled her silver blade from her boot and held it out to the angel standing before her. "So kill me, Castiel."

    "Cassandra, I'm not going to kill you. You're just upset. Think rationally here," Castiel pleaded. Cassandra nodded and placed the blade in his hand.

    "I am thinking rationally. Kill me and this can all be over. Michael and Lucifer will be stopped and you won't have to worry about either side getting ahold of me. Just kill me, Cas, please. Do it before I do it myself," Cassandra told him. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks and she stared back at the angel with bloodshot eyes. Cas sighed and his gaze dropped to the blade, nodding.

    "Okay." He stepped towards her and she closed her eyes, waiting to feel the blade pierce her skin. Castiel placed two fingers to her forehead and Cassandra dropped to the floor.

Lucifer and Cassandra have met and he seems to really want her on his side despite her loyalty to the Winchesters, but Lucifer's words left her with a major breakdown. She's getting stronger with Castiel training her. Where do you think Cas sent her?