Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow II: The Rising Sun
Notes: Alright, this is the sequel to Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow. If you haven't read that one, I suggest you do, otherwise, you may be a bit lost. I am incorporating part of the Angel crew in this one; however, I want Cordelia to be in it. Therefore, I'm disregarding all of the events that happened in Angel. If my timeline is correct, Cordy would be dead about now, which would go against my intentions. So, I hope you enjoy this one. Please review so I know if you like where I'm going with it. Thanks.
Prologue:
Lucian gazed into the reflecting pool, his eyes so focused the images blurred into a constant rippling motion that radiated tranquility. He sat on a large, smooth rock in the cave of life, his hands resting palm-up on his knees. Before him, the lives of every person inhabiting every world in existence played forth. He watched as people lived and died; he celebrated with them in their victories and cried with them in their defeats. Lucian was the third member of the Powers that Be.
The others, Veronica and Cassius, rarely ventured into the cave of life. Though they had the power to interfere in the lives of men, they chose to respect the doctrine of free will. However, when events dictated that such interference would be necessary to maintain the balance of good and evil, the Powers would insert their dominance. They had done so in their decision to send Kara Summers and Callum Borland back through time to prevent the destruction of Sunnydale, which ultimately saved the world.
Lucian had watched the events unfold in the pool. His heart had broken when Callum was killed in an explosion engineered by the First. But he rejoiced when Kara found love with Kennedy, the potential turned slayer. Never for a moment had he doubted that light would prevail over dark. For centuries, good and evil had clashed, but good always won. He prayed he would never see the day when evil triumphed.
He sighed and blinked. A strange thought crept into his mind. A cool wind blew through the cave and looking down at the waters of the pool, he saw them change before his eyes. He could see into the drawing room, a transitory reality in which the Powers that Be existed. Veronica was sitting by the door, deep in meditation. Lucian watched as Cassius slowly approached her. He stopped in front of her and withdrew an ornamental blade from inside of his robes. Then, thrusting his arm forward, he pierced her heart.
"Oh, no," Lucian whispered, leaping to his feet. The water rippled and the image distorted. He could hear Veronica calling out to him in his mind, warning him to stay away. He smiled grimly, remembering how he had never listened, even when he was a little boy. Rushing out of the cave, he raced through the tunnels that led to the portal to the other realm. When he reached the door, he was out of breath, but he pushed forward.
Stepping through the portal, he found himself standing in the drawing room, a warm fire roaring in the fireplace beside him. He could see Veronica lying in front of him, her blood reaching out across the wooden floor. Cassius was nowhere to be found. "Veronica?" He asked, stepping forward slowly. He knelt down beside her and took her hand in his. "Can you hear me?"
Veronica's eyes fluttered open and she smiled slightly. "Lucian," she whispered, her voice fading. "You can't stay here, he'll kill you too."
"No, he won't," Lucian assured her.
"You don't understand, Lucian. I've seen it in the waters. You have to leave this place," Veronica said adamantly, coughing up blood. She reached out and touched his forehead. "There's only one way," she said.
The skin underneath her fingertips suddenly grew warm and Lucian found himself getting light headed. He let go of her hand and nearly fell over. "What's happening?" He asked, his voice rough and scratchy.
"I'll send someone for you," Veronica said. Suddenly, the world went dark before his eyes and Lucian fell to the floor, fading from sight in an instant. Veronica struggled to gather enough power to send forth her message. Closing her eyes, she controlled her breathing to a steady rise and fall. Then she sent the vision and her breathing stopped.
...................................
Cordelia sat at her desk at the Hyperion Hotel, bored out of her mind. Angel and Gunn were off hunting some nasty sort of demon that was killing tourists down by the harbor. Fred and Wesley were out having dinner at some swanky restaurant Cordelia only wished she could afford to dine at. That left her, completely alone, with nothing to do, in a massive and empty hotel. Sighing, she picked up a magazine and began flipping through it.
A sharp pain suddenly filled her mind and she cried out. Grabbing her head with her hands, she fell out of her chair and slumped to the floor. The images wracked her brain and she could barely breathe. Then, as instantly as they came, the images stopped and left her mind blank and calm. Breathing heavily, Cordelia pulled herself into a sitting position. Blinking her eyes, she calmed her breathing. She had never seen anything like the images in her vision before. One of the Powers that Be had died, murdered by another. But that wasn't the most amazing part of it.
The third Power had been sent through space and time, from the realm of the immortals, the gods, down to the realm of men, in living flesh. More importantly, he was currently lying unconscious on the side of the road just outside of Los Angeles completely vulnerable and alone, without any powers. Cordelia quickly stood and grabbed the phone. She tried calling every member of the crew, but no one was answering.
"Damn," she said, slamming the phone down. "Okay, think this through. I can pick him up. Angel left his car," Cordelia said aloud, rushing into Angel's office. She grabbed his car keys off his desk and grabbed her jacket. Slinging it on, she practically ran out of the hotel. Jumping into Angel's car, she stuck the key into the ignition and listened as it roared into life.
"He's so gonna kill me for this," Cordelia said as she threw it into drive and peeled off down the street.
