Title: Coming Home
Author: Black Dragoon 50
Disclaimer: I don't own Angel. The WB and Joss Whedon do.
This story takes place after the episode "Deep Down"
Chapter 1: New Players.
October 12, 2002
Saturday 8:54 PM
Lobby of the Hyperion Hotel
"Connor, I love you. Now get out of my hotel." Angel turned to Fred and Gunn, "What the fuck was I thinking. I just kicked my own son out of his only home. I'm a horrible father. Cordelia would kill me if she knew. I.."
"Angel," Fred cut off the rambling vampire, "just calm down. Drink some blood. You need to regain your strength , before we go look for Cordy."
"She's right bro," The only way we'll find Cordy is if all of us are at one hundred percent, and you sure as hell ain't.
"That's a fairly obvious statement." Three heads whipped around to the new voice. "I believe this is yours Angel." An unconscious Connor was deposited at the feet of A.I.
"Who the hell are you?" Gunn reached for the axe on the left side of the couch. He groped for a moment on the couch for the axe, in that moment, the stranger struck. Faster than a human eye could follow, the stranger kicked the axe up into the air, swept Gunn of his feet with a vicious leg sweep, then, caught and buried the axe next to Gunn's bald and sweating head. Gunn got his first good look at the stranger. He was about 6 feet tall, broad shoulders, and long legs. He looked kind of like a Colombian drug lord with his dark brown, almost black hair in cornrows. He wore a pair of carpenter blue jeans and a burnt orange hooded sweatshirt.
"If I'm not mistaken, that is Briyan Montiviero." Fred turned and looked at Angel. Gunn let his eyes drift from the stranger and the axe to Angel for only a second.
"You know him Angel?"
"He knows me quite well actually. Give me your hand." Briyan pulled Gunn to his feet like he was nothing at all. "You want to tell them Angel, or should I?"
"Your story, but may I ask why you have my unconscious and bloody son is with you?"
"Little punk tried to kill me when I asked him if he knew an Angel. Kid's pretty good with a steel pipe, just not as good as I am. He smelled like you, so I brought him here." Angel didn't say a word at the fact that some one had returned Connor to him.
"Leave him at a homeless shelter, he's no longer welcomed here. Kid would shit if her knew he was back here." Gunn summed up the situation pretty well, because if Angel had waited another minute he'd have told Briyan to leave the kid here. Something was eating away at Briyan and Fred could see it.
"Before you ask any questions, listen to what we have to say." Fred got the feeling that if she didn't tell this guy he would snap, "Connor was taken from Angel and given to Daniel Holtz," Briyan winced and Fred wondered just how much this guy knew about Angel, "he was raised in a hell dimension known as Quortoth. Connor returned and tried to kill Angel. Cordelia cleansed him of Quortoth, and Angel took him in. Holtz has Justine, one of his followers, kill him and make it look like Angel did it. Connor then locked Angel in a coffin, and left him on the bottom of the ocean." Fred just trailed off as she started her next sentence. Gunn looked on at the spectacle before them. Angel stood over Connor's unconscious body in full vamp mode with his hands on the haft of the axe that had been buried in the floor not minutes before. Briyan drew as many stare from the two on lookers as Angel did. His eyes were gold like a wolves, ridges on his face like a vamp's, but along the jaw, nose, and mouth. His canines had increased in length as well, in fact, they were slightly longer than Angel's.
"Briyan you have to listen to me. Control the beast, remember everything I taught you. You must let Connor go. I have forgiven him as much as I can at the time," Angel was about to go on, when Briyan let his game face drop.
"Lucky punk." Briyan dropped the axe and took a look around the lobby. "Nice place you got Angel," he noticed the mug of blood sitting on the counter and took a big whiff, then he picked it up and took a big gulp, "pig's blood, good condition too."
"That is one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen." The sound of puking caused Gunn to turn around. He was greeted by the sight of Fred blowing chunks into the trash can. Something caught his eye, and he let everyone know, "The kids coming to, every duck and cover."
"What..the..who..where….Oh great." Connor sounded like he had been beaten with a lead pipe. He then realized where he was. Briyan couldn't resist the chance to play with him some more.
"Merry Christmas boy." Connor's look of absolute terror told the whole story. Fear, something Gunn knew he didn't have was evident, when he looked at Briyan. Connor backed across the lobby until he ran smack dab into Angel.
"Hi Dad," sarcasm dripped off of Connor's voice, "bye Dad, watch your back." Connor took off out of the hotel like a bat out of hell.
"That was entertaining."
"Shut up Briyan. That's my son. He's all alone probably scared shitless and doesn't have a clue about what to do. You should know that feeling."
"I do, maybe I'll hunt him down and talk to him later. Don't know if he'll listen, beating someone with a steel pipe doesn't usually make them listen to you."
"What are you doing here anyway Briyan? I thought we had a deal."
"We did, but I figured out what you meant all those years ago. But uh, I think your compatriots are more on the what are you, then the doing here. If you'll allow me to elaborate?" Angel merely cocked an eyebrow, one of his warning signs of losing patience, "I'm ½ werewolf. My mother was human and raped by a werewolf. I have full control over my transformation, but I cannot perform a complete transformation. It doesn't have to be a full moon, that's a myth, at least for true werewolves, I can transform in broad daylight if I want to. On the full moon though, my strength, speed and agility are increased by 10 fold." Briyan watch as the two humans absorbed everything he had told them. "Angel, I hate to impose, but can I crash here for a few days?"
Angel looked at Gunn and Fred before he spoke, "Sure, but on one condition, I….":
"Consider it done mi amigo."
"…need you to help us find someone."
"That's it, I was hoping for something a little more difficult.
October 12, 2002
Saturday 9:12 PM
Freeway, Cordy's last known location
Angel's black convertible slid off the road, just ahead of Briyan's black Titan motorcycle. Briyan waved for Angel to stay in the car. He pulled off his silver riding helmet. His black leather jacket whipped behind him in the strong wind as he walked to where Cordy's car last stood. One whiff was all Angel saw him take, before he came jogging over to the car.
"You're not going to find her on this plane of existence amigo. I'm sorry." Fred openly sobbed in the back seat, while Gunn lowered his head.
Angel leaned across Gunn who was in the driver's seat, " What do you mean?" Anger and sorrow in the voice of Angel cut to Briyan's heart. If she were dead, this would be the straw that broke the camel's back.
"Smells like the PTB. Did she have any contacts to them, I mean she was a seer after all."
Angel thought for a moment before he answered, "No, not that I know of anyway."
"Angel," Fred piped up from the back through her tears, "do you remember Skip, that was her contact to the Powers. She didn't say anything, cause she thought that you would kill him."
"Looks like we go back to the hotel and start all over again." All of Angel's hope had just gone down the drain. His only good chance to find Cordelia was gone. Briyan's wolf-like tracking abilities were his best chance, and know that the PTB were involved, he could just about kiss his goal goodbye.
"Maybe Wesley could help us. If he's half the genius that Angel says he is…okay, what aren't you telling me?" Somebody wasn't telling him something and that left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Bad history," that's all Angel said about it, "although you could be on to something. Fred, when we get back, call Giles and see if he can give us a hand. Where the hell do you think you are going?"
"Wesley's, my powers of persuasion have greatly improved since you saw me in action last." Briyan flipped down his visor and roared off towards Wesley's.
October 12, 2002
Saturday 9:42 PM
Wesley's Apartment
The sounds of some serious shagging greeted Briyan's superhuman ears. "Damn, bastards been busy since he left," was the thought that crossed Briyan's mind. Voices could be heard inside. The phrase Wolfram and Hart grabbed Briyan's attention. "They must be done shagging, that's my cue." Wesley's door seemed to implode right in front of Lilah's eyes when it meet Briyan's shoulder.
"Can I help you?" standing there in her white dress shirt and black thong, Lilah slipped into ice queen mode without a hitch.
"Lilah, stake whatever it is and be done with it," Wesley's sleepy voice drifted in from what Briyan assumed was the bedroom.
"Sleeping with the enemy Pryce? And I always thought Angel said that you were a stuffy Watcher. He'll be surprised to hear about this little piece of information." A gasp was followed by a quick struggle. Wesley stumbled out of his room wearing a hastily pulled on pair of blue jeans. One look at Lilah's face was all it took to tell him that this was serious. She was a shade of white that would make any Goth envious.
"Who are you? And I am no longer in the service of Angel, so it really doesn't matter does it.?"
"My name is Briyan Montiviero. I came here to enlist you in aiding Angel Investigations."
"When hell freezes over. I am no longer welcome there. That was made perfectly clear to me. They turned their backs on me when I needed them the most. I have no intention of helping them." A small chuckle passed through Briyan's tightly clenched lips, before he out on his gameface.
"Wesley, how the hell did a vamp get in here!" Lilah wasted no time as she gave a dive for the stake on Wesley's in table. She grabbed it and attempted to stake him, only to fly across the room. Wesley dove after her, but didn't make it a yard, before Briyan's right hand was on his throat and he was up against the wall.
"I am going to suggest that you do what I ask." Briyan let his gameface drop, before he addressed the half coherent Lilah, "You, get dressed and get out." Lilah shot Wesley a look before she got her clothes and finished getting dressed.
"I will fuck you over." Lilah spat as she walked out the door.
"Pryce, sit. You are going to listen and listen well."
October 12, 2002
Saturday 10:15 PM
Wesley's Apartment
Wesley sat in stunned silence at all of Briyan's revelations. For the last 15 minutes, he had filled Wesley's head with a lot of information. Only a couple of hours ago, he had been pulling Angel out of the water and handcuffing Justine to a pier post. Now Cordy's disappearance was attributed to the PTB.
"You want me to help you find Cordelia." It was a statement of fact, rather than a question from Wesley.
"No," a small look of relief passed over Wesley's face, "you are going to help us find Cordelia. Its either that or Angel finds out that your banging Lilah, and I doubt that he will appreciate that." Wesley showed no emotion as he stood.
"Get out of my apartment."
"You really don't want to piss me off. I'll give you two days to make your decision." Briyan stood and headed for the door, "Just one more thing Pryce, do you love her or even care about her?"
"Who?"
"The lawyer, if you do, get her out of that fucking hellhole."
"How do you know that?"
"Evil has its own scent. The stench is on her, but not a part of her. Not yet anyway." Briyan left Wesley sitting on his couch with his head in his hands.
October 13, 2002
Sunday 1 PM
Lobby of Wolfram and Hart Law Offices
"Lilah, I need to speak with you it's urgent." Gavin was half afraid that Lilah would make him the next Linwood, but he still pressed on. "It's about the boy."
"I don't care, unless you have him, don't bother with wasting my time."
"Then you don't wasn't to know that Angel kicked him out of the hotel."
"Gee, Gavin, what did you think Angel would do. Kiss him, hug him, and say I'm proud of you. The boy tried to kill him, Angel won't forget that."
"Neither will your boyfriend. I'm sure that having Justine tied up in his closet doesn't have anything to do with this." Lilah's momentary slip gave Gavin a near orgasmic sense of satisfaction. That bitch had gone over Linwood's head, and now she had given him a reason to go over hers. His cousin Lindsay would have been proud.
October 13, 2002
Sunday 3:45 PM
Las Vegas, NV, Demon Club "Machin Shin"
Lorne loved his life. No more club being destroyed, no more love sick children, and no more Connor trying to kill him. Vegas had one more attraction for him, groupies.
"Lorne, we love you."
"Lorne, you're a god. Sacrifice us."
"Lorne…."
"Jesu Christo Lorne, you're on fire mano."
"Tell me about it Ramon. Of course I might have if that Blasphere demonness had her way. Tells me that she likes her men crispy."
"I'll say, she's a hot number, pun intended, but ya gotta admit, she looks like she'd be good in the crypt." Ramon turned to the tap on his shoulder., "Okay, I'll make sure he gets it. You gotta a call on line 2. From a couple of guys calling themselves Angelus and Lupus. The angel and the wolf, that mean anything to you?"
"A lot actually. I hate to kick out an admiring fan, but this is a personal call." The Kravlait demon hung his had and muttered a thank you as he moped out the door. "Angel cakes, how are things? I tell you it is amazing out here."
"That's great Lorne, anyhow, I assume you remember Briyan?'
"Quite, must say I haven't seen him since the last time you brought him."
"We'll have to remedy that then won't we." Lorne squeal just about shattered tow sets of eardrums. Briyan had agreed to talk to Lorne in hopes of persuading him to come help. "It's been awhile. Too bad, you out in Vegas and I'm about to piss off the PTB."
"Oh, boy. What do you two children have planned." Lorne's mind was pulled in two directions. The annoying of the PTB by two of the toughest demons he knew and the aura of death surrounding a Swanstyp demon who was humming Elvis.
Angel decided to cut to the chase, "Briyan picked up the scent of the PTB. Fred said Skip was Cordy's contact to the Powers. We were hoping that you'd come back and give us a hand." Angel had the distinct feeling that Lorne had no plans to return.
"I'd love to broody, but I'm just so busy out here."
"To bad Lorne, I mean, its not like Connor locked Angel in a coffin in the bottom of the ocean," Briyan tried to play to Lorne's guilt. "That's where he was for the last 3 months. Then he kicked Connor out of the hotel. We don't know what he'll do next, he may go after Gunn or he may go after….." Briyan let his voice trail off and Lorne's imagination run wild.
"He wouldn't lay a hand on Fred, would he?" Sounded to both men like they had played him right.
"Lorne, right now, no one is safe. We need all the help we can get. Briyan may have even scared Wes into helping us. Can you top that?"
"No. But Angel this had better be solid, cause if I leave Vegas for a wild goose chase, you'll regret being immortal." Defeat was in Lorne's voice. But if what his contacts told him was true, than one of Heaven's own was coming down, and that meant a lot of trouble for anyone who had even a little darkness in their hearts.
October 13, 2002
Sunday 6:57 PM
Third and 22nd St. Apartment 1-D
The last vamp turned to dust and Connor began cleaning up. He had been killing non-stop since he left the hotel. Wesley of all people had helped his father. The man who tool him and gave him to Holtz. The man who couldn't give a damn about Angel. If Wesley Windham-Pryce hated Angel so much, then why did he help him. Just then, something surfaced in Connor's mind. A memory from Quortoth.
"The English one is the brains of the group. However, his love for the one called Fred separates him from the others. She is the weakness that will tear them apart."
That girl was the key to his revenge. Gunn had her. Wesley wanted her. Angel protected her. The three of them would fall apart if she were gone. Gunn and Angel had been ill at ease since Angel's epiphany. Cordy said that all the members of A.I. were, except for Fred. A slight creak from the floor outside, was followed by dead silence.
"Must have been a rat." Then the door came crashing in followed by Gavin Park and Wolfram and Hart's mercs.
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Here's a profile for Briyan.
Name: Briyan Montiviero
Age: 21
Birth date: April 23, 1981
Height: 5' 11''
Weight: 195 lbs.
Hair: Dark-brown
Eyes: Blue-grey
Blood type: AB-
Race: ½ werewolf, ½ human(Brazilian descent)