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Busting down the door, Angel looked around the main office, before heading downstairs to his apartment, where he found Wesley lying under a plank of burning wood. Lifting the heavy plank aside easily, Angel picked up the unconscious, but alive, Watcher and carried him outside, where a crew of fire fighters and ambulance orderlies were waiting. Angel placed Wesley on a stretcher and watched as he was placed into an ambulance and driven away to the hospital
"Where do you think you're going?"
Angel whirled around to face Kate standing before him, her arms crossed
"Going to see my friends," Angel replied
"No, you're not. You're a witness in a major crime scene. You're not going anywhere"
"You gonna stop me. Just try me, Kate. You won't like it, I guarantee"
"I'm glad we're not friends"
"You wanna be enemies, fine, I can handle that. But right now, my good friend and girlfriend are both in the hospital cause someone is trying to get to me. Now, get out of my way before I make you and let me get on my way"
Kate stepped aside, although Angel could see the hatred and resistance in her eyes, as he got into the Plymouth and drove away to the hospital
††††††††††
Wesley was alive and in a stable condition. Heading over to Cordelia's room, he went to the small crib where his newborn son lay asleep. Angel held his son's hand, a small smile on his face, as his son yawned. The smile faded when Angel moved to Cordelia's bed, holding her hand. She was now still, her eyes staring at the ceiling, trapped inside her own mind as the visions continued to attack her
"Cordelia, I wish you were here now. I wish you could see our baby. God, I wish that this didn't have to happen. But know this, I'm gonna get you back. I need you back"
He kissed her forehead, then her hand, before seeing a mark upon her hand
"That doesn't look good"
††††††††††
Angel arrived in the room of the Oracles, but his face fell when he saw their dead bodies lying before him. However, the spirit of the female Oracle appeared before him
"Tragic, isn't it?" she asked, "Death. How it affects everything"
"Who did this?"
"A warrior of the Underworld. Vocah. He seeks to destroy you"
"Just like everybody else," Angel muttered
He showed her the mark he had memorized from Cordelia's palm
"That is his mark. Your seer is in danger. Only the words of Aberjjian can save her"
"Where can I find Vocah?" Angel asked
"Where he is need for the summoning by those who summoned him"
"Wolfram and Hart"
Removing the scythe from the male Oracle's back, Angel watched as the spirit of the female Oracle faded away, before leaving the room
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"Yo, what's happening there, man?" Gunn asked
"I need your help," Angel replied
"I figured that. Didn't think you'd rock up here just to see how I am"
"My work colleagues are in the hospital. One in the neurology ward, the other in intensive care. Whatever attacked them will probably try again"
"Yeah, I can keep an eye on them," Gunn said, "Something's going down?"
"Yeah, something's going down"
"Right then, I'll get onto it"
††††††††††
"Ritual summonings are always fickly," Holland said, "There's the blood rituals, the Latin rituals and everything else involved. Hopefully they'll be nearly done by now"
"Wouldn't you hate that if they weren't nearly done?" Lilah asked
"This better go right. We'd hate to let the Senior Partners down on this"
"We won't," Lindsey said
Holland got into the limousine, as Lilah faced Lindsey
"Remember when Peter Victors let the Partners down and they made him eat his own liver? Don't know what made me think of that"
She smiled and got into the limo, as Lindsey sighed and followed her. The two limousines pulled away and drove off, as Angel watched them go, before following them
††††††††††
There were five vampires chained to a large box, as three holy men and Vocah walked into the room. Vocah grabbed the scroll of Nyazian from the box and started reading from it, as Holland, Lindsey, Lilah and a few other lawyers arrived
"Damn, they haven't even reached the Latin yet," Holland muttered
He took his place, watching the ceremony progress, as Lindsey and Lilah stood nearby. Vocah continued his reading, as the monks repeated after him. However, Angel came crashing through the window, swinging his scythe around. Vocah saw him and placed the scroll upon the box, before summoning a scythe and connecting blades with Angel
"Lindsey, go," Holland said
Lindsey hesitated for a moment, before grabbing the scroll and reading the spell from it. The monks, however, were watching the battle between Vocah and Angel
"Five are without sun," Lindsey read
The monks ignored him
"Say it," he said angrily
"Yet they live," the monks said
Lindsey started chanting in Latin, as Angel ducked the blade and slashed at Vocah's leg. The warrior kicked Angel in the chest, before slashing at his face. Angel dodged the swing, striking Vocah in the stomach with the butt of the scythe, as Vocah hit him with the staff of his scythe. Angel stumbled back, ducking the blade and rolling past Vocah, as he whirled around, kicking Angel in the face and throwing him against the wall. Meanwhile, the five vampires were dusted in a whirlwind of magic, as it was sucked into the box and exploded outwards. Lindsey struck the wall, as Holland ordered the lawyers to take the box out. The monks were unconscious, as Lilah left with Holland, while Lindsey remained
Angel kicked Vocah in the stomach, before swinging at his head. Vocah ducked the blade, whirling around with a roundhouse kick that threw Angel down. He quickly rolled back, avoiding the blade, as Vocah slashed at his stomach. Angel sucked his gut in, locking blades with Vocah and throwing him down. Vocah lunged at Angel, who placed the scythe blade upon a rafter and lifted himself up over Vocah. The demon sailed past, as Angel dropped down and kicked him in the back
Vocah whirled around, slicing at Angel's head, before swinging the scythe around rapidly. Angel dodged the blade as best as he could, locking blades with Vocah and shoving him against the wall, pressing the staff of his scythe up against Vocah's mask. He pushed hard, removing the mask and revealing Vocah's maggot infested face
"Nice," Angel said, before planting the blade in his face
Removing the scythe, Angel turned around to face Lindsey, who was still holding the scroll of Nyazian
"Give me the scroll," Angel said
"You didn't ask nicely," Lindsey replied
"Give me the scroll or I'll make you give me the scroll"
"That the best you could do? You need these scrolls to save your seer. Your link to the Powers. It's written that you should be cut off from the Powers"
"So, after all I've done for you, you go back with Wolfram and Hart?" Angel asked
"Got a nice offer," Lindsey said, "Too good to pass up. I belong with Wolfram and Hart"
"Seems like only yesterday you were willing to leave them. Got cold feet?"
Lindsey smiled and held the scroll over an open flame. However, with expert aim, Angel threw the scythe, slicing Lindsey's hand off. He cried out in pain, clutching his bloodied stump, as Angel walked over and picked the scroll up
"Don't believe everything you read," he said
He smiled slightly, before walking away, leaving Lindsey hissing in pain, holding his stump and silently swearing revenge
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Next chapter: Final chapter
