They had set a plan in motion. There was no going back. She had called in Wo Pang. A mystic, well acquainted with Angel. For it had been he who had once removed Angels soul, bringing forth Angelus. This time however, something very different was going to be attempted. Different.
And dangerous.
The unknown lay before Angel. But it was also very familiar. An existence he had struggled with. Borne witness to. And vowed never to return to. He had been given a life. A gift. A reward. And he was about to do the unthinkable.
He was about to give it back.
The thought made him feel sick.
Hopefully it would be temporary. There were no guarantees. He knew that this may well turn out to be a complete disaster. Not only for him, but for the people closest to him.
Down in the depths of the second concealed basement below Angela's house was a room. It was solid lead, six inches thick. Air was recycled and there was a heating system installed, otherwise it would have been freezing. Wo Pang had pointed out that if things went the way they hoped, the temperature would not matter to him. Angela had reminded him that she was over 100 years old. The temperature mattered to her. The door had several different locking mechanisms. Two were mystical, and only Angela had the ability to open them. They were only going to be used if the unthinkable happened. If anything happened to her, anything within that room would remain there for eternity. She hoped this wouldn't be the case now.
Angel nodded at Wo Pang who simply bowed. He paced around the room, looking at the walls. Blank, except for two chains that hung against one wall, threaded through a pulley system embedded into the lead and hooked up to a winding mechanism on the side wall. They were cast from silver, thick and strong looking, with large cuffs attached to the end. A second set of cuffs were down near ground level, attached to the wall by more short silver chains. He picked one up and inspected it. It didn't look that dangerous. But he knew that at some point, it would make him weak as a kitten. He turned the cuff over in his hands. I'd forgotten that he thought to himself.
He ran his hand across the top of the steel bench in the middle of the room. It too had silver cuffs attached to chains welded to the bench, the ends embedded in the concrete floor. His mind was reeling. A distant memory tugging at him of another time.
Angela came to the doorway and stood quietly watching the man in front of her. She was extremely fond of Angel. Dare she say it. She loved him like a son. The son she never had. And she was going to help dismantle this man. She rubbed at her face with her hands. What if I'm wrong. What if this doesn't work and he remains. she stopped, unwilling to think it. He turned and smiled at her. It was a sad smile. he's frightened she nodded at him.
"It's time. We can't afford to wait. I don't know exactly how long it will take. Or how long before you are able to be released. So the quicker we begin" she said. He walked towards her "the quicker I'll be able to go back to Temperance" he finished her sentence with his own words. She forced a smile and nodded "exactly" she said softly, hoping that this wasn't a lie.
Wo Pang walked into the room carrying a large black leather bag. He placed it down on the floor and looked at Angel, and motioned to the bench. Angel swallowed and began undressing. He removed his shirt, jeans, shoes and socks and just left on his boxers. He sat on the edge of the bench. It was cold. He shivered. But it wasn't the cold of the steel. It was fear.
He forced himself to lay down on the cold steel bench. Angela and Wo Pang stood either side of him and attached the cuffs to his wrists and ankles, ensuring they were locked into place. The metal felt cold and heavy, weighing his hands and feet down. He felt the urge to vomit. "I'm going to be sick" he managed before he turned to the side and the contents of his stomach emptied onto the floor. He looked up at Angela "sorry" he murmered. She smiled and shook her head. "It matters not. I expect there is going to be a lot messier things happening shortly Angel. I'll clean it up later."
She stroked his hair and used her handkerchief to wipe his mouth. Then she had the urge to do something that took both her and Angel by surprise. She bent low and whispered into his ear. "I love you Angel. You and your family are like my own. I will do everything in my power to protect both you and them." and she kissed his cheek. A long soft motherly kiss. Angel closed his eyes and a single tear trickled out from beneath his lashes. He kept his eyes closed. He could not look her in the face again.
Angela stood up and nodded at Wo Pang.
He lifted a large glass container out of the bag and handed it to Angela. Then he produced a vial of a strange swirling purple mist. He grabbed Angels chin and pulled his mouth open and without a word, upended the contents into Angels mouth and then forced his mouth shut. Holding his chin so he could not open his mouth and spit out the contents. Angels eyes flew open, they were full of panic. They rolled into the back of his head and his body began heaving up and down. He tried pulling his head from side to side to release it from Wo Pang's grip, but he was unable to. Wo Pang leaned into him, forcing him to swallow the liquid that was burning into the lining of his mouth, foaming at its corners. His throat began to burn, his oesophagus, his stomach. He could feel it.
Out of the corner of his eye, he swore he saw Angelus's face laughing. A hood was pulled over his head and secured and then
nothing