Disclaimer- I do not own any of the Angel Characters or Locations.
Chapter 14
Connor slowly began to stand up from behind the lobby desk. He was covered in white dust and debris. He looked around and saw the bodies of his family on the floor of the Hyperion. He slowly went around the desk and walked out into the middle of the lobby. "They took Dawn….and Darla." Connor thought to himself as he stepped over the debris on the floor. "They didn't hurt me like they could've, Juliet must have told them not to.."
"Connor…" Angel's voice moaned from behind.
Connor turned his head and saw Angel slowly standing up from the floor. "Dad…" he said.
"Are you alright?" Angel asked.
Connor slowly nodded his head as he looked around the lobby. "Where's Cordelia?" Connor asked as he began to search the lobby.
"Bloody hell…" Spike whined.
"Spike?" Angel asked only hearing his voice. Suddenly he saw a couch that had been completely thrown and capsized lift up and then thrown a few feet away. Spike stood up from where the couch was.
"Ouch…" Spike said.
"Cordelia!" Connor said. Suddenly he came the bodies of Fred, Cordelia and Lorne. Connor crouched down to the bodies and tugged on Fred and Cordelia. "Wake up!" he said. Connor saw their heads begins to move as if they both had headaches, and sighed seeing that they were waking up.
"Buffy." Angel and Spike said at the same time. They looked at each other and then ran over to the side of the staircase where Buffy had fallen. They saw her face first on the floor Spike took hold of her and turned her over on her back. She was pretty banged up, Angel noticed that she was still breathing and was somewhat conscious.
"Buffy…" Angel murmured. Suddenly Buffy's eyes began to open.
"Angel?" she whispered.
"You don't look good." Angel said.
"I'm fine I think." Buffy said. "I'm a little dizzy but I can already feel my wounds healing."
"Great.' Angel said.
"Where's Willow?" Buffy asked.
Spike looked around, "She's over near the office, she's conscious and trying to help Wesley."
"And Dawn?" Buffy asked. Angel and Spike looked at each other. "What?" she asked.
"They took Dawn." Angel said.
"And Darla." Spike said.
"What! Why would they take Dawn?" Buffy asked.
"I don't but….they obviously came here for them. I think they were sent." Angel said.
"You think it's that law firm? Um…Wolfram and Hart?" Spike asked.
"I don't think so. They would never be this messy. Plus if they did send demons they would be more trained and specific…" Angel said.
"We have to go after them." Buffy said slowly standing up.
"Um…we've been unconscious for at least ten minutes. The trail is cold." Angel said.
"No it isn't…" Connor said helping Cordelia up and then walking across the room and towards Angel. "I can still sense them…what's wrong Dad? Am I a better vampire then you?"
Angel eyed his son. "You can still track them?" Buffy asked.
"Absolutely." Connor said.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Buffy said.
Buffy picked up a sword that was lying on the floor of the hotel, Connor picked up one of the mace that Angel and Buffy were using. Connor began to head towards the door with Buffy following him. "I'm coming with you." Angel said picking up another sword.
"Me too." Spike spoke from behind.
"No…" Angel said.
"Excuse me?" Spike asked.
"You need to stay here look after the injured. And hold down the fort if someone returns…" Angel said.
Spike looked at Angel. He was hesitant but then nodded his head. "Okay lets go." Angel said. And the three of them walked out of the shattered hotel lobby.
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"You need to move it a little to the left." Julie instructed two demons were setting up some time of altar. "No, no! The table needs to be right in the middle of everything!"
Julie's voice echoed in the large warehouse they were setting up in. There were several demons in the building at least 50, all branded and unique just like the other ones were. Julie supervised as the demons put down a beautiful carpet in front of the table. "And we should have the candles lit too." Julie said.
Julie then felt someone walking towards her; she quickly turned around and saw Drusilla staring at her. "I don't understand, Juliet." Drusilla said.
"What don't you understand, Dru?" Julie asked.
"Why are we putting such beautiful things in such an ugly place? This warehouse is so large and cold." Drusilla said.
"Drusilla, you're a vampire, aren't you cold all the time?" Julie asked.
"Nevertheless, this is no place for a proper ritual." Drusilla said.
"Didn't you and Spike live in a warehouse of some sort back in Sunnydale and didn't you do some type of rituals there?" Julie asked.
"We lived there, yes…. but when my Spikey performed the ritual to bring me back to full health…we were in a church." Drusilla said.
"Sure…okay we'll do something in a church next time. But this is more convenient at the time, Dru." Julie said biting her nails and turning back to see the demons working on the altar. "Hmm…I wonder why I didn't work on this earlier…I mean it seems pretty ridiculous that I am just setting up now."
"Grandmum….i can sense Grandmum." Drusilla said.
"Really?" Julie asked. "With your vampire senses or psychic senses?"
"Both…" Drusilla said.
"Well, I guess that means we need to get ready. Dru, you need get into the dress I got you." Julie said.
"Why?" Drusilla asked.
"Because this going to be your big family reunion. And you want to look nice for you family don't you?" Julie asked.
Drusilla slowly nodded her head, "Now go get dressed." Julie said.
"Okay…" Drusilla said childishly and scuffled off away from the demon activity.
Julie sighed and looked back at the demons working. "I swear if anyone breaks those vases, I'm going to kill you!"
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Connor looked around quickly and began to walk fast as Angel and Buffy followed him. "Wow he's like our own Scooby Doo…" Buffy said.
Angel smirked, "Well find them, Buffy." He said with a serious voice.
"Well we better, with your son leading the way." Buffy said.
"Yah he's…. something." Angel said.
"You know when I came here Darla and the gang I didn't know that we would be getting into all of this. I mean I knew we were going to help you with something but I had no idea it was an Apocalypse." Buffy said. "No offense, but I have enough problems back in Sunnydale, I don't have time to fight some ultimate evil here too…"
"Why would I be offended by that?" Angel asked.
"So why couldn't you pick up the demons' trail but Connor could?" Buffy asked.
"How should I know? Maybe he really is a better vampire then me." Angel said.
"That's not a good thing…" Buffy said. "I mean I did hear that you guys were having troubles."
"Well I mean he did lock me in a box and sunk me to the bottom of the ocean for 3 months and everything but that's water under the bridge." Angel asked.
"Water under the bridge…. interesting choice of words." Buffy said.
"You guys do know that I can hear you?" Connor suddenly said. He was a few feet away from them far enough where a normal person could not here what they were saying at that voice level. But this was Connor…
"Yeah I know." Angel said.
"Just making sure." Connor said still walking quickly.
Tracking these demons was too easy. Connor could tell that these demons wanted him to find them. He had wished that Julie had given him a little more information before giving him this mission. Connor had no idea where he was going and what was going to happen. But he knew that all he had to do was trust in Julie and she would see him through.
"Why do you think they took them?" Buffy asked. "Dawn and Darla…I mean what could they possibly want with them?"
"I don't know…but I'm sure this has something to do with Cruor." Angel said.
"Of course." Buffy said.
"How are you feeling?" Angel asked.
"Better…thanks for asking." Buffy said looking up at Angel.
"I think we've found them." Connor said.
Buffy and Angel looked away from each other and ahead of Connor as he pointed towards a old looking building. "Why do demons always choose old warehouses in L.A.?" Buffy asked.
"Let's check it out." Angel said as he began to walk closer to the building. Connor looked at Buffy who shrugged at him and began to follow Angel.
Doubt began to stain Connor's mind. Julie was very vague on what would happen after Connor got Angel to the building. He made his grip on his mace tighter. "I trust her" He thought as he began to follow Buffy.
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Spike watched as everyone in the hotel tried to get everything back into order. He was surprised, that Cordelia was fine, as fine as any of the humans were. She was sitting on one of the round couches that they had put back in their correct positions. Fred worked with Willow and Wesley who were not able to put up much of a fight after being knocked out near the beginning of the attack. Lorne was sitting on another couch and didn't look too good. "I should've gone with them." Willow said. "I could've helped."
"I don't even think the Slayer, Vampire and Superhuman should've gone. You don't heal like they do." Spike said.
"Why didn't you go, Spike?" Cordelia asked standing up.
"Someone had to stay back and watch over you bloody humans." Spike said. "And whatever you are." He said eyeing Lorne.
Gunn and Xander worked on setting everything back up in its original place. Everything, that wasn't shattered, or destroyed. Kate sat on the floor near them with a large bruise on her head. "It's strange that they didn't kill any of us." Fred said finishing bandaging Wesley.
"Well…I suppose they figured were dead." Wesley said.
"No. I've seen enough of these demon attacks to know that a demon doesn't figure your dead. They make sure of it." Fred said.
"I gotta agree with Fred." Cordy said with humor in her voice, which was uplifting since the hotel's mood was in such dread.
"What the hell…" a familiar voice said from behind Spike.
"Oh my god." Spike saw Cordelia say looking past him. Spike turned around and saw Rupert Giles standing at the shattered entrance of the Hyperion Hotel.
"Rupert?" Spike asked with an eyebrow up.
"Giles!" Cordy said jumping up and running towards Giles and hugging him.
Giles smiled holding her, "Cordelia, it's been a while."
"Heck yeah its been." Cordy said letting go but kept her smile wide. "Wesley get your butt over here!"
Wesley stood from Fred and walked towards them. Wes extended his hand and Giles grabbed it graciously. "Nice to see you again, Rupert." Wes grinned.
"You too, Wesley." Giles said.
"Not that I'm not happy to see you here. But what are you doing here?" Wesley asked.
"Well…um." Giles said confused. "Didn't Buffy tell you that I was arriving?"
"Uh…" Wesley said as everyone looked at each other.
"No." Cordelia said.
"What are you guys talking about?" Fred said. "Buffy told everyone that a guy named Giles was coming to help."
"No one listens to Buffy, Fred." Cordelia said. "That's one of the reasons why I moved to L.A., I was tired of hearing her talk."
"Hey have some respect." Xander said from a few feet away.
"Hey she's not my captain." Cordy said. "I'm happy to have the unpredictable, sometimes evil, vampire as a leader. It's less frustrating."
"Has Buffy informed you on what was going on here?" Wesley asked.
"I believe so. She told me about a demon named Cruor and how there was suppose to be some big Apocalypse. " Giles said.
"That's about it." Cordelia said.
"I see…" Giles said.
Fred walked towards Giles and extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you." Fred said shaking his hand.
"Oh yah I forgot." Cordelia said. "This is Winifred Burkle, but we just call her Fred. We saved her from another dimension called Pylea. And she's super smart. And that's Gunn over there next to Xander, he's a L.A. native who's been dusting vampires since forever. That blonde woman over there is Kate, she used to be an LAPD cop and now she works with the CIA. She's here for the same reason you other guys are here. Kate doesn't work here. And that green demon over there is our friend Lorne. He used to live in that dimension called Pylea but now lives here. He's an empathy demon so he can basically read people's destinies by hearing them sing."
"Well…thank for those introductions, Cordelia." Giles said. "Is Gunn the man who can see the those visions."
Gunn smirked. "Oh no." Cordelia said. "Your talking about Doyle, I guess Angel told you about him before."
"Yes, Angel had come to Sunnydale to warn Buffy of danger that your friend, Doyle has seen in a vision." Giles said.
"Yeah…well Doyle died a couple of years ago." Cordelia said.
"Oh I'm sorry to hear that." Giles said.
"It's alright. He died a hero." Cordelia said.
"So…Buffy told me about some ancient scrolls that needed some assistance with?" Giles said.
"Oh, yes." Wesley said. "Me and Willow have been studying these ancient scrolls that Kate brought in." He headed towards the office and Giles followed.
"I should've gone with them." Willow said.
"No…I have to once agree with Angel. If it did turn out to be trap they would need us to be the back up plan." Spike said.
"I guess…" Willow said. "But what's the worst that can happen?"
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Drusilla looked up in her beautiful red dress. Her eyes were piercing towards the entrance of the warehouse. "What is it Dru?" Julie asked walking towards her.
"They're here." Drusilla hissed.
"Great." Julie said. "Is the child set?" she asked one of the demons. It nodded back at her.
"And Darla?" Julie asked looking towards the corner and saw the woman being harassed by the vampires. "Perfect, it is time."
The door suddenly opened. Connor appeared with his teeth gritted. Behind him came Angel and Buffy. Angel looked around the warehouse there were at least 50 different types of demons crowding the large room. He looked near the corner and saw Darla being held by three male vampires. "Darla." He mumbled.
"Oh my god." Buffy said looked straight ahead and saw a type of alter, there was a long table with flowers, gold and silver around it. It was like a shrine, and one the table lay Dawn wearing a beautiful gown.
"Dawn." Angel said.
Suddenly two figures came from a part of the room, which was dark. It was two females who held hands as they came to Angel and Buffy stayed a far distance away from them but were in front of the alter. "Oh my god." Buffy said. "Drusilla?"
"Dru?" Angel asked.
"It's the Angelbeast!" Drusilla said.
"Drusilla I thought you left L.A." Angel said.
Drusilla stared at Angel but didn't answer his question. "Who the hell are you?" Buffy asked the woman standing next to Drusilla.
"Hello, Buffy Summers." Julie smiling and then turned to Angel.
Angel cringed at the sight of her. He looked over and saw Connor next to him and looked tensed then he ever did. "Juliet." Angel said.
"It's nice that you remember me, Angel." Julie said.
"Angel, you know her?" Buffy asked.
Angel nodded. "Back when you were Angeleus?" Buffy asked.
"When I was Angelus and when I had a soul." He mumbled.
"Oh yes definitely after he had a soul. We had some good times didn't we?" Julie said.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Angel said.
"What? I can't visit some old friends?" Julie said.
Buffy looked at Julie. "So are going to have a little reunion or are we going to fight to the deaths?"
"Buffy." He whispered eyeing all the demons.
"I don't care if we're outnumbered. They have my little sister." Buffy said.
"Please Slayer. There will be no violence. Well… at least not on your part." Julie smiled flirtatiously. Suddenly at least a dozen demons came from nowhere apprehending the three.
Angel realized that it would be suicide to fight them, at least for Buffy and Connor. Though Buffy struggled with the couple of demons on her, but it was useless. "Now lets began shall we? We don't have all night." Julie said.
"Bring me, Darla!" Julie said. Three vamps dragged Darla from the corner to Julie across from Angel, Connor and Buffy. "Angel!" Darla screeched. "Don't worry about me!"
"Darla, I really doubt he is." Julie grinned. "Darla it is time for you to become the only thing you were ever right to be."
Suddenly Julie's hand began to glow a green light. Julie reached her hand towards Darla's stomach and then suddenly went pass her skin. Darla screeched in pain. Julie moved her hand around and Darla began to glow a yellow, holly light and then the light vanished. Julie removed her hand from Darla's abdomen and her hand became normal again. "Its done, she's human." Julie said. "Do it." She told one of the vampires that were holding Darla.
"With pleasure." He said suddenly sinking his teeth into Darla's neck.
"No!" Angel yelled but the demons' grip on him became even tighter.
The vampire then stopped drinking from Darla and bit his own wrist. "Oh no…" Buffy said. "They're going to…."
The male vampire then offered the dazed Darla his bloody wrist and she gladly accepted throwing her mouth on his wrist and sucking the blood. "No…"Angel cried.
The vampire pulled his wrist away from Darla and her body went limp and she fell into the arms of the two other vampires. She was dead…for now. "What the hell is your game, Juliet?" Angel yelled with his eyes red with anger.
"No game, Angel. Just some necessary procedures." Julie said. "It's time for the girl."
"Dawn! Get up! Please!" Buffy screamed.
"She can't hear you. She's under my control now." Julie said. It was true, the teenage girl seemed to be in a trance, lying on the alter. "Dru, the sacrificial stake please."
Drusilla grabbed a sharp, thick, wooden stake from behind her and handed it to Julie. "Thanks." Julie said turning her back to the trio and walked towards the dazed Dawn.
Julie came upon Dawn and looked down at her. "I am so grateful for your sacrifice, child." She said. "Excessum incontaminatus virgo multus pravus!" she cried
"Excessum incontaminatus virgo multus pravus!" She chanted. "Multus pravus!" she screeched plunging the stake into the heart of the young girl.
"No!" Buffy screeched as tears ran down her face.
The stabbing seemed to break Dawn trance and she suddenly screamed in pain. Dawn eyes opened wide and she looked around not understanding where she was as she gasped for air. Julie's eyes were pitch black reflecting everything around them. Julie pulled out the bloody stake and turned back to the others. "Yes!" Julie screamed.
Suddenly Angel saw Connor slip out of the hold of his apprehenders and he began to walk towards Julie. "Connor now! You don't understand witchcraft!" He yelled attempting the pull away from the demons and suddenly actually was let out of the hold. Angel quickly thought that they let him go too easy but he wasn't going to ask why. Angel hurried to Connor pulling him back.
Connor looked back at Angel emotionless. "Hey baby." Julie said to Connor.
Angel eyed Julie and then back at Connor. Julie held the stake carefully, "Its time." She said."
"Yes!" Drusilla clapped her hands.
"Okay, Connor….do it." Julie said.
"I…I don't know what to do…." Connor said.
"Yes you do…do what you've been taught to do your entire life." Julie said offering him the bloody stake.
Connor grabbed the dry end of the stake. "Connor what is she talking about?" Angel asked.
"Aww!" Connor screeched quickly twisting around and stabbing his father in the heart with the stake.
"Oh my God!" Buffy screamed. "Please no!"
Angel eyes cringed looking up at his son who glared at him. Connor removed the stake from Angel and looked back at Julie. "Now Drusilla!" Julie yelled.
"Pravus per animus quasso hoc totus." Drusilla chanted. "Pravus per animus quasso hoc totus!"
"Chant with her, Connor!" Julie said as she began to chant herself. "Pravus per animus quasso hoc totus."
"Pravus per animus quasso hoc totus." Connor said attempting to recite what he heard Drusilla and Julie say.
Angel croaked in pain until he suddenly burst into dust. Buffy's teary eyes widened as she saw him become dust. Suddenly something strange happened, Buffy had seen many vampires die before and never did she see a vampire's dust act strangely. The dust of Angel swirled into a circular motion instead of falling to the floor. The dust particles glowed a purplish color as it formed into a big ball. Suddenly the huge ball of dust split into two balls of dust. One ball flew towards, the alter near Dawn's body but closer to the floor and the other one flew near Buffy the floor. The ball of dust near Buffy began to create a humanoid form. Angel appeared out of the dust, a naked Angel crouching in a fetal position shaking.
The demons holding Buffy suddenly let her go. She looked at them and then ran towards Angel. "Oh my God!" she said pulling off her jacket and covering Angel. Buffy looked up at Julie, Drusilla and Connor and looked down at them. "How could you?" She screamed at Connor.
Connor stared at Buffy but did not answer. She then began to help an unresponsive Angel to his feet and attempted to hurry towards the exit. But two demons guarded the door. "Let them go." Julie said. The demons moved away allowing Buffy to stagger out with a naked Angel.
When the door shut, Connor looked up at Julie. "Why did you let them go? And what did we do to Angel?" He asked.
"Don't worry Connor." Julie said embracing and kissing him. "We have exactly what we need right here." She said looking towards the floor near the alter.
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"As you can see, we've been able to translate some of the passages referring to this Cruor character. And his last rampage but we still haven't been able to translate the other stuff." Wesley said standing over Giles as he sat down looking over the Scrolls.
"Yes, well one of the reasons why you are having such a problem is that its made up of several different languages." Giles said.
"What?" Wesley asked.
"Apparently someone didn't want it to be easy for someone to decipher these scrolls." Giles said peering at the papers.
"Do you know some of the languages?" Wesley asked.
"Some of them are familiar, I mean I'm not fluent but…. I can tell the difference between most of them." Giles said.
Suddenly the two men heard someone scream from outside the office. Wesley suddenly ran to the door and Giles hurried behind him. "Someone help!" Buffy yelled dragging herself and Angel into the hotel.
"Oh my God!" Willow said. "What happened."
"I'm not sure….what they did to him." Buffy said sitting him on a couch. She put her jacket covering his private area. "Can we get him some clothes?"
"Of course." Fred said running upstairs.
"Where's Connor?" Cordelia asked.
"Oh you mean Judas?" Buffy said.
"What are you talking about?" Wesley asked.
"Your little miracle child has been sleeping with the enemy." Buffy said.
"I don't understand." Cordelia said. "Are you saying that he betrayed you guys?"
"It wouldn't be the first time." Gunn said.
"What about Dawn and Darla?" Willow asked Buffy.
Buffy looked at Willow but didn't answer at first. "They're both dead."
There was suddenly a piercing silence through hotel. "But I have a feeling that only one of them will be dead for long." Buffy said.
Angel looked around the room. "How do you feel, Angel?" Cordelia asked.
"A little woozy…but I actually feel good." Angel said.
Fred ran down holding a dark button down shirt and long black pants. "I got some clothes." She said.
Lorne came closer to Angel, "Um…. impossible…" He said.
"What Lorne?" Fred asked.
"I know Lorne." Angel said. "I feel it."
"How is this happening?" Lorne asked.
"What are you talking about?" Xander asked.
"You want me to sing don't you?" Angel asked.
"It would help." Lorne said.
"Raindrops keep falling on my head. And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed. Nothing seems to fit. Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling" Angel sang softly.
"My lord." Lorne said.
"So it's true?" Angel asked.
"Will someone please tell me whats going on?" Buffy asked.
"Angel is a…" Lorne said.
"Human." Angel said.
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"He's here." Drusilla said smiling down.
"It took a lot of effort to bring you back here." Julie said also looking down.
"Daddy….I've missed you." Drusilla said.
"How is this possible?" Connor asked.
"Magic, honey…you were there you saw it." Julie said.
"Your back for good now." Julie spoke to the naked shivering man on the floor near the alter, which held Dawn's corpse. "Angelus."
The man looked up at Drusilla, Julie and Connor and slightly showed off his infamous grin as he still looked liked a scared puppy shaking on the floor. "Hmm…" he hummed.
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