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"We've got nothing on the Beast whatsoever?" Angel asked
"Sorry to say, but that is true," Wesley replied, "It's like the Beast doesn't exist. Whatever references there were, it all has been wiped clean"
"What would have the power to do that?" Cordelia asked, "Now we have no way of finding out any weaknesses or whatever it could be planning"
"Maybe I could help," came a voice
Everyone turned around to see Gwen Raiden standing before them. She smiled sheepishly at Gunn, the memory of his death all too clear, before giving the same smile to Angel, the memory of their kiss also all too clear
"Really?" Cordelia asked, "How can you help?"
"I was doing business with a client when the Beast killed him," Gwen replied, "Simply tore him apart. And this bright light appeared when my client died"
"Did he have anything on him at the time of his death?" Wesley asked
"Yeah, he had this relic thing. The Beast took it from his chest"
Wesley started going through his books, eventually coming across one and showing the page to Gwen
"Which one did he look like?"
"That one there," Gwen said, pointing out the picture
"The Ra-Tet," Wesley said, "The little girl in the White Room. She was one of the Ra-Tet. And Gwen's client? Another one. Two down out of four"
"Who are the Ra-Tet?" Fred asked
"Mystical beings. They help the god Ra sail across the sky when the sun rises. If you kill all four Ra-Tets and use their relics, you can blot out the sun and bring darkness"
"So that's what the Beast is doing," Gunn said, "Bringing out darkness"
"And with it, all the vampires and demons will be having a free-for-all," Angel said, "Wesley, do you know where another one of these guys are?"
"Um, this sabretooth one was last seen in Death Valley"
"Great, I'll go to Death Valley and bring the kitty in"
"Angel, you're not going alone," Cordelia said, "And it's a four hour drive each way"
"Don't worry, I'll take Gwen," Angel said, "I'm sure there's something we can talk about"
He grabbed his coat and a sword, before leaving with Gwen, as Cordelia crossed her arms and glared at his retreating back
"Don't worry princess," Lorne said, "He'll come back to you. He always does"
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Four hours later, in Death Valley…
Angel and Gwen made their way down the cliff side, before making their way to the cave. However, once they entered the cave, they found a grisly scene. The sabretooth cat Ra-Tet had been literally torn apart, its body parts all over the place
"Damn, we're too late," Angel said
"Who are you people?"
A short, stout man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and straw hat stepped out from another room. Angel raised an eyebrow at the seemingly ordinary man
"Who are you?"
"I am Manjet, one of the Ra-Tet. Off days I like Manny. Hey, if I pay you, will you give me a lap dance?" he asked Gwen
Her hand crackled with electricity, but Angel stopped her
"I'm Angel and this is Gwen. We're here to protect you"
"Oh yeah, Superhunk and Spandexia. Here to protect me? Think she'll give a lap dance?"
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Five hours later, at Gwen's residence…
"You'll be safe here," Gwen said, "This entire place is monitored"
"Whoa," Gunn said, taking in the massive mansion, "How'd you pay for this?"
"The Axis of Pythis sure came in handy"
"Very nice place," Manny said, looking around, "I'll be comfy here"
Gwen placed him in the panic room and gave him a handful of men's magazines
"Okay, we'll do shifts," Gwen said, "I'll go first with Denzel, Angel, you go with Cordelia and Wesley can guard with Fred"
"Sounds good to me," Gunn grinned
Everyone went to get some rest while Gwen and Gunn kept guard. After two hours, they changed their shift with Angel and Cordelia. However, the couple sat a distance from each other, refusing to talk to each other. Angel was still upset over Cordelia's comment about his past, while Cordelia was maintaining her distance from her lover. Knowing Angel wouldn't talk to her, she preoccupied herself with a book, sipping her coffee, while Angel stared angrily into space, sipping his blood
Within an hour, Angel and Cordelia were getting woken up. Gunn shook Cordelia awake, while Gwen zapped Angel with her electric powers, shocking him awake
"Great one, falling asleep on the job," Gwen fumed
"Check Manny," Angel said
Gwen went to the panic room with Gunn, opening it and finding Manny's body lying on the floor, his head split open and his blood sprayed all over the walls. Gwen went to the control room, checking all the video feeds, showing that the cameras died ten minutes before Angel and Cordelia started their shift
"Well, this is not good," Angel growled, "Wesley, what is the Beast after?"
"He's after these objects," Wesley replied, showing him a book, "When combined together, he can perform a spell to blot out the sun and bring permanent darkness"
"Wait a minute, those are metal, aren't they?" Gwen asked, pointing to a picture of wings that were part of the totem, "Get me close and I could melt them"
"Yeah, but we gotta work out where he's doing the mojo," Gunn said
"The answer is amongst you," Angel muttered, "Connor!"
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Connor was lying on his bed, reading a book that his mother had given him, when a knock came at the door. Thinking it might either his mother or father, Connor got up from the bed and answered the door, seeing the Beast before him
"Hello, Connor"
Connor turned away from the door and started running, as the Beast walked into the room. Leaping at a wooden post, Connor pushed off and spun around in mid-air, kicking the Beast in the face. The Beast growled and brought his fist down overhead. Connor blocked the blow with both arms, but the move pushed him to his knees, as the Beast then slugged him across the face, before tossing him out of the window. Connor fell three stories, slamming into the road, just as the Plymouth pulled up. Angel quickly ran to the shadows, as Cordelia dropped beside her son, pulling him into her lap and brushing his hair away from his face, while the others joined Angel on the doorstep, Wesley and Fred carrying banishment spells
"Oh baby," Cordelia cried, "It's okay. Mom's here. It's gonna be okay"
"Dad, he's in there," Connor called
"It's okay, Connor, I'm here now," Angel said, dropping the blanket aside
Drawing his sword, he entered the building, followed by Gunn, Gwen, Wesley and Fred. They entered Connor's apartment, where the Beast was performing his spell. He looked up and smiled when the group entered, rising up to his full height
"It is futile what you are planning to do"
"I'm gonna try anyway," Angel growled
He ran forward, striking with his sword. The Beast blocked the blows and shoved him aside, as Gunn moved in, slashing with his sword, while Gwen delivered a kick to the Beast's chest. Wesley and Fred started performing a banishing spell, as Angel slashed the Beast across the face. He was booted in the stomach for his troubles, sliding along the floor, as the Beast backhanded at Gwen, but she ducked and rolled, kicking him in the groin. Gunn slashed the Beast along the chest and got belted, as the Beast then smacked Gwen aside, before continuing his own spell. A beam of energy shot from the small totem, blasting through the ceiling and reaching up into the sky, just as Wesley and Fred completed the spell. A portal opened up behind the Beast, as Angel, Gunn and Gwen struck at the same time, knocking the Beast into the portal. However, it was too late. The spell had been done. Connor and Cordelia watched as the sun was covered by black energy, which then spread across the sky, instantly turning it dark
"I told you you didn't stand a chance"
Angel and the others whirled around, seeing the Beast before them
"I made you an offer all those years ago. Why do you fight against me, Angelus?"
Smirking, the Beast then leapt out of the window, disappearing from sight. Confused, the group left the apartment, joining Cordelia and Connor, who was now healing
"Angel, I had a vision," Cordelia said, "It was you, well Angelus, standing in a field of bodies and you were talking to the Beast"
"Well, he did just call Angel Angelus," Gunn said
"I don't know the Beast," Angel protested, "I've never met him before"
"Well, I guess that means only one thing," Wesley said, "We need Angelus"
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