Los Angeles, California

Wolfram & Hart

Angelus licked his bloody lips and tossed the dead lawyer in his hand towards the conference table. "Now, I heard from a little birdie that one of you degenerates can assist me." Angelus shifted back to his human features wearing a dark smile across his handsome face. "Since this place is owned and ran by Satan himself, that's good for me. Because I really need someone to think outside the box." Angelus stepped forward picking his fingernail. "So, any volunteers?"

None of the lawyers moved an inch. They stared at the Master Vampire with wide frightened eyes. Though Wolfram & Hart was an evil law firm, most of its employees were human.

With a heavy sigh, Angelus rolled his eyes and said, "Ugh, fine... I promise I won't kill you." He said with boredom.

A young blue-eyed man in his mid to late twenties, wearing a clean fitted suit and shaggy hair stepped forward much to everyone's surprise. "I'll help you." He said confidently.

Angelus turned his eyes to the young lawyer and raised a highbrow. "Really?" He stepped forward closing in on the lawyer who refused to fidget away. "What's your name?"

"Lindsey."

"Lindsey, you're going to help me? You didn't even ask me what the problem was. That's mighty irresponsible of you, counsellor." The politeness in Angelus' voice was forced and mocking.

The man stood tall in the face the evil vampire. "It doesn't matter. You're a legend, 'Scourge of Europe', Master Vampire, Angelus. I will help you... for a price."

Angelus tilted his head to the side finding a bit of enjoyment in the young lawyer's confidence. Suddenly, a hand wrapped around the lawyer's neck and squeezed it hard cutting off his airway. "Or, I'll just kill you, free of charge. Don't test me, boy."

The young man struggled for breath but nodded his head. "Yes, sir." Lindsey croaked.

Angelus dropped him down to his knees and watched as he coughed running a hand through his hair.

"See, was that so hard?" Angelus smirked then snapped his eyes to the other lawyers. "This meeting is adjourned. Leave quickly." Angelus warned and watched the lawyers scramble past him and the young man still on his knees recovering. "Please, don't get up." Angelus moved around the man heading towards the large black leather seat and sat down.

Finally regaining his strength, Lindsey stood up on shaky knees and turned to Angelus.

"I need you to find a way to remove a human soul."

Lindsey looked at Angelus with surprise, "Remove a human soul?"

"From a demon."

"You want to remove a human soul from a demon?"

Angelus frowned with irritation, "Is there an echo in the room? Yes, that's want I want. I didn't stutter and the next time you repeat after me, I'll cut off your hand." He threatened to eye the lawyers right hand. "Now, sit down," Angelus patted a hand on the table to an empty chair, "we have many things to discuss."

Sunnydale, California

Sunnydale High Library

Hours had passed since Faith hit the streets in search for the souled vampire. But Buffy was nowhere to be found. Out of frustration and the sunrise approaching in an hour or so, Faith decided to call it and walked back to the high school where she would no doubt find her friends diligently working.

"Faith," Giles said looking up from the book in his hand as he came from the office. "No sign of Buffy?" Faith shook her head with disappointment. "It's good you're here. I'm afraid the ghosts that are haunting are far worse than we could even imagine. Take a look." He led her to the long table. "These letters contain references to an ancient power known as the First."

"The First? The first of what?" Faith frowned.

"Evil. Absolute evil, older than man, than demons—very few have ever heard of it, fewer believe in it. In fact, this was all we could find on it. The First predates the written word. It is a force that transcends all realities, all dimensions, and if focused, could have the power to turn Buffy."

"Turn Buffy?" Faith's brows furrowed as she worked it out in her mind. "You mean, turn her against us. Make her evil again."

"Evil, despite having her soul. If we can't find Buffy in time, we could lose her to Evil."

Faith turned her eyes from the books spread about to her Watcher. "So this is really bad. I think if you, me, and everyone else split up we could cover more ground. We don't have long until sunrise."

"Even then, it could be too late."

"Let's hope not. This soul-having Buffy is making me like her." Faith begrudgingly admitted.

Sometime Later

Abandoned Factory

Buffy vigorously paced back and forth across the open down factory room. Her fingers were threaded into her hair. Behind her, standing off to the side was her ghost sitting on a conveyor belt with her legs crossed.

"We've been over this already, what else are you good for, Buffy? Except for killing, destroying... You've been to countless world-changing revolutions. You know the power of a revolution. Revolutionise yourself." In a flash, Buffy's ghost appeared in front of her abruptly stopping her feet. "You were always meant to be Evil. You're not a good person, Buffy. Don't fool yourself."

Buffy looked up at her ghost, "Get away from me!" She continued to pace walking through the ghost.

The ghost morphed into Angelus. "Come back to me, my Buffy."

Buffy slowly turned hearing the deep velvet voice of her lover. Her eyes reached his handsome face. His hair was long, tied neatly back. His attire was from a century so long ago. She felt her green eyes fill with tears reminding herself of the large empty void of him not being with her created. "You're not Angel." The sadness in Buffy's eyes melted away the longer she looked at her lover's ghost standing in front of her.

"No, I'm not. Ye told him to leave." His Irish brogue was thick in his words. "Ye weren't born to endure this pain. Ye're so much stronger than that. In two hundred and eighty-seven years, have ye learned nothin' about ye'r'self? As long as ye're alive, ye were meant for Evil."

"Then I'll die." She said softly.

"Ye haven't the strength to kill ye'r'self."

Buffy shook her head and looked out the window of the factory and started for the door. "I don't need strength. I just need the sun to rise."

"You're not supposed to die! That isn't part of your destiny!" Buffy's ghost called out after her but Buffy never stopped walking keeping her back turned to the evil ghost.