If there was one thing the man-turned-archangel understood, it was this: power didn't always come from strength. It came from knowing when to act.
And Gabriel? He'd watched the entire Supernatural timeline. He knew what was coming—Lucifer's pride, Michael's loyalty, Yahweh's silence, the apocalypse, the endless war…
He wouldn't stop it all at once.
He'd chip away at it.
Quietly. Patiently.
Just like a Trickster should.
---
Gabriel began small.
While Michael trained with divine blades and Lucifer debated philosophy with Yahweh, Gabriel wandered.
He spoke with the lesser angels as they were created—ones who would one day become soldiers, scribes, rebels. He made them laugh. Made them think. He whispered harmless little questions:
"Why do we all have to follow orders?"
"Is loyalty the same as love?"
"What if free will was the whole point?"
Nothing dangerous… yet. Just enough to plant seeds.
He started "accidentally" showing up where he wasn't supposed to be—like during the forging of the angelic blades.
"Oops," he said once, twirling a half-finished sword between his fingers. "Didn't know this was a weapons meeting."
"You shouldn't be here," Michael said, stern as ever.
Gabriel shrugged. "Just curious. Swords are cool, but maybe we try something… less stabby?"
Michael scowled. "They are tools of justice."
"Sure," Gabriel said, smiling. "Until they're not."
He left before Michael could argue back—but not before Raphael, silent in the corner, tilted his head in faint thought.
---
Next, he turned to Lucifer.
Gabriel liked him. Always had. And now, seeing him before the fall, he saw the tragedy even clearer.
Lucifer wasn't evil. He was just curious. Too curious for Yahweh's taste.
So Gabriel played the role of supportive little brother.
"You're not wrong," he told Lucifer one day, while drifting above a newborn star. "You're just early."
Lucifer looked up. "Early?"
"Yeah. You ask questions no one wants to hear yet. But that doesn't make them bad questions."
Lucifer watched him carefully. "You think Father agrees?"
Gabriel laughed. "Nope. That's why you gotta play it smart."
Lucifer narrowed his eyes. "You're different lately, Gabriel."
Gabriel smiled. "Maybe I just grew up a little faster."
---
He even tried with Yahweh—but the Creator was distant, more focused on building Heaven, drafting destinies, and crafting the first souls.
Still, Gabriel dropped ideas like breadcrumbs:
"What if we built in a reset switch?"
"What if angels could choose?"
"What if you just talked to Amara again instead of locking her up in a chaos coffin for eternity?"
Yahweh always responded with patience, but no real answers.
Gabriel knew he'd have to wait for the right moment.
In the meantime, he watched the archangels grow. Watched patterns form. Watched the cracks begin to take shape.
And he smiled, just faintly.
Because this time, someone was watching.
And this time, fate wouldn't be left alone.