Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel Cinematic Universe, Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize

Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.

Thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help here.

And now finally we're on 'You're Welcome', 2nd best episode of this show behind 'Not Fade Away', and my version won't be a gut punch unlike the actual one.

Chapter 11- We can beat this

A dark room was lit only by red and white candles arranged on a table in a circle. A loud knocking on the door caused the tables to shake as it was beaten down from the outside. The door handle rattled as it fell to the floor.

Angel, Cordelia, Matt, Faith, Fred, Wesley, and Gunn were in the doorway with flashlights.

Matt then sniffed and sighed sadly, his head down.

"What?" Cordelia asked.

"They're dead", Matt said grimly, staggering away as he put his hand on the wall for support.

Fred saw the bodies and said. "Oh, God."

Matt was affected badly by this, his own mother being a nun.

"Hey", Faith held Matt's other hand, trying to comfort him, and he grasped back.

Gunn asked. "Why would Greenway do this? It was just a stupid racketeering charge. I told him we'd get him off with probation, so long as he shut down operations."

Wesley shone his flashlight around the room, inspecting the scene.

Angel pointed out. "He's a Wolfram & Hart client. Our client. Oh, and he's evil. What are the odds?"

"Too many", Cordelia scoffed. "What do we do now?"

Angel snarled. "Now? I find Greenway, and I kill every inch of him."

Wesley walked forward to investigate the altar. "You won't. 5 holy women. This wasn't random. It's ritual. He's jumped dimensions."

"What?"

"Also, not shockingly, our client practices black arts. He's escaped through a pan-dimensional doorway, disappeared into any one of infinite universes."

Cordelia asked. "Fred?"

"My equipment's not calibrated to track anything out of this dimension. Even if such a thing is possible, it would take months or maybe years—"

Angel threw up his hands. "That's it."

Cordelia started. "Angel-"

"I can't do this anymore."

"Do what?" Gunn asked.

Cordelia tried to soothe him. "Angel listen to me-"

"I'm done with all of this. Living with it. Running Wolfram & Hart." Angel threw up his hands. "I quit."

He exited as Matt regained his bearings and said with conviction. "We'll get him."

And then he erupted into flames as all backed off, Adam now appearing in the area, and he jumped through Dimensions to look for Greenway.

"This has affected him badly too", Wesley noted sadly.

"Mom's a nun, what do you expect?" Cordelia pointed out.

"He puts on a strong front, but he loathes the staff and clients, he's here to help you lot", Faith confessed to them before adding jokingly. "And for the cash."

In spite of the atmosphere, that joke brought very light chuckles.

Angel was sitting on the edge of his desk talking to Cordelia, Faith, Stick, Fred, Gunn, Wesley and Lorne.

"There's nothing more to discuss. I'm resigning."

Lorne quipped. "Gee, it seems like a ripe topic for discussion to me."

Wesley started. "What happened last night was tragic. It's a terrible setback, but—"

Angel stood, walking around to his desk chair. "Setback, Wes? It's status quo. Evil wins, 'cause instead of just wiping it out, we negotiate with it. Or worse...for it."

Fred pointed out. "Angel, we're doing the best we can."

Angel told them. "It's not that you guys aren't doing your jobs. It's that we shouldn't be doing these jobs in the first place... or I shouldn't."

"Can't really blame him", Stick agreed with Angel this time. "It's like if I was working for the Hand, it just isn't right."

"I understand why, Angel", Faith told him. "But you're giving up. The Angel I know would never give up."

"The job put even my son in danger", Angel said as all of them looked at the sleeping baby. "The very one we tried to protect was under threat due to this damn job!"

Gunn pointed out to them. "I'd say we've all had a bellyful. Any thought about what would happen to us if we tried to say bye-bye? The ramifications, I mean. You think the Senior Partners are just gonna let us breeze on out the front door?"

"Guys, can we have the room?" Cordelia now asked the rest.

"Sure", Wesley agreed as they all walked out one by one, Fred taking the sleeping baby with her. Cordelia closed the door behind them, then sat in front of Angel, both of them silent.

Two minutes passed.

"Do you want to say something?" Angel finally asked.

"Remember when it was just you, me and Doyle?" Cordelia reminded as Angel looked at her. "We tried our best to fight the good fight, help the helpless, even when it was one life at a time, we struggled and persevered." She tried to sound chipper. "Now look at us, our once greatest enemies are now our employees and bosses." But she knew it sounded hollow even to her.

"I don't want to raise Connor in a world filled with grey." Angel looked at Cordelia, his resolve, his will, broken. "How are we supposed to fight this?"

Before Cordelia could respond, she suddenly got a vision for the first time since awakening.

There were symbols painted on the door of Eve's apartment.

There were symbols tattooed on 'Doyle's' chest.

Angel was doubling over in pain.

Cordelia gasped as Angel looked at her. "What?"

"I think the line is still open", Cordelia told him.

The elevator opened as Eve walked out, looking around carefully, an amulet around her. It was a perception filter amulet, in that anyone who'd look at her while she wore it wouldn't see who she is, rather someone else in her place.

With that, she started sneaking around and saw the whole team minus Matt in a room, Cordelia explaining her vision to them.

Hiding in the corner, she listened.

Spike was sitting on his couch, playing 'God of War 4'.

"You made the biggest mistake of your life, and I'm gonna make you pay. Oh, yeah", he punched video game control buttons. "Come on you oversized chicken!" She landed on top of Kratos. "NO! NO! GET OFF YOU-" And then Kratos died. "Bloody hell." He sighed while pressing more buttons. "Really should knock on a bloke's door... especially one that's got no qualms about killing trespassers."

'Doyle' was standing in Spike's doorway.

"Come on", he sat on the couch beside Spike. "Is that any way to talk to your benefactor? Just wanted to visit."

Spike walked to the refrigerator and took out a beer. "Been doing the job. Feels good. Of course I get thrown out of 12 story buildings, and had to wrestle with some Fyarls. Anyways, you get your vision and I'll go out again."

"That's what I like—" The cell phone rang. "That's what I like to hear." 'Doyle' walked a few feet away, talking on the cell phone. "Yeah."

"We've got a big problem."

"Can this wait?"

"Kinda not. Cordelia Chase got a vision."

"Really."

"And it will lead Angel right toward you."

Spike was pressing the video game controls frantically. "Come on! You stupid baldy!" He threw the controls down and started rattling the TV and game box.

"Well, now... I guess this calls for a change of plans."

Angel walked off of his private elevator into his apartment. From the other room, he heard Doyle.

Cordelia was sitting on the edge of the bed watching the tape of a promotional spot she and Doyle made in the early days of Angel Investigations, Connor in her arms.

"If you need help, "then look no further. Angel investigations is the best. Our rats are low—"

"Rates", a younger and much less damaged Cordelia's voice interjected.

"It says rats", Doyle continued anyway. "Our rates are low, but our standards are high. When the chips are down, and you're at the end of your rope, you need someone that you can count on, and that's what you'll find here, someone who will go all the way, who'll protect you no matter what. So don't lose hope."

Cordelia paused the video and told Connor. "See him, baby, that's your Uncle Doyle. You were named after him, Connor Francis."

She turned to Angel. "Sorry. I was snooping. I found this."

"No, it's—it's OK. I just... You couldn't sleep?"

"Nope."

Angel looked at the television, sitting beside Cordelia. "Been a long while since I've seen that."

"The first soldier down", Cordelia said.

Angel sighed. "Yeah."

"Doyle pissed me off so righteously going out like that, but he knew. He knew what he had to do. Didn't compromise. Used his last breath to make sure you'd keep fighting", Cordelia remembered. "I get that now. We, on the other hand, we did compromise."

"Yeah, and looks like we aren't doing okay either", Angel noted. "The Powers That Be are not in my corner anymore." He rolled his eyes. "Based on reports of the vigilante, it looks like Spike is their new champion."

"So Spike's helping the helpless, we run Hell Incorporated, the world has become bizarro now", Cordelia quipped as she put Connor down to sleep. "Though, I guess giving up isn't the right thing to do."

"You know me, right?" Angel asked and she nodded. "Remind me who I am, might help."

Cordelia shook her head. "Uh, no. That's for you to figure out, bubba. I can tell you who you were. A guy who always fought his hardest for what was right, even when he couldn't remember why. Even when he was miserable, which was, let's face it, a not small portion of the time. He did right. And that gave him something. A light, a glimmer. And that's the guy I fell in love with."

She sat down, holding Angel's hand as they kissed each other.

Matt walked back into the firm, stroking his hair as Lorne saw him. "My sweet prince."

"Lorne", Matt simply greeted while passing by him, and Lorne didn't need Matt to sing to read his aura.

Faith walked to Lorne. "What happened?"

"He's wrecked, spiritually speaking."

Matt walked into his office, sitting down, as Faith walked in with Lorne behind her, closing the door.

Turning his head to them, Matt explained. "We found Greenway, hiding in some Hell hole, literally. When we did, Adam forced him to reveal what he did with the nuns' souls. It took awhile, but after Adam slaughtered everything that got in his way, we freed them, and sent Greenway to Hell."

"Mephisto?"

Matt shook his head. "No, didn't want to risk it. We went to another Hell-Lord. Lucifer, though he prefers Satan."

"Well that's...neat?" Lorne said, unsure, but Faith kept her eyes on Matt.

"Why him?"

"He's one of the few Hell Lords and Demon Kings that Adam and I didn't piss off, so far. That plus he seemed to enjoy the thought of Adam doing him a favor." The whole experience made Matt sick, and Lucifer's appearance resembling the regular depictions of the biblical Devil didn't help.

"Cordy had a vision after months", Lorne revealed.

"I should meet Angel then", Matt started getting up.

"Nope", Faith grasped him and pushed him down on the couch. "Lie down, I order you."

Faith turned to Lorne. "Give us some time."

"Sure", Lorne nodded and walked out, closing the door.

"Feel better, partner."

Matt practically fell on the couch, and Faith picked up his head, sitting, and brought his head onto her lap, running her hand through his hair as he stopped to rest.

"You are so busy saving everyone, sometimes, you really need to keep some of that energy for yourself."

With that, they both rested.

Eve and Lindsey were sitting together in a chaise lounge patio chair naked, wrapped in a blanket, under the open night sky.

Eve was resting her head on his chest while he stroked her hair.

Eve asked. "You're not worried at all?"

Lindsey told her. "She got a vision. That means the Powers That Be are getting nervous. Taking an interest. Higher stakes. That likes me fine. Not sitting at the $5 table anymore." He kissed her forehead.

Eve reminded. "You know the house always wins."

"So the question becomes whose house are we in? The Senior Partners gave that eurotrash vampire everything I've worked for, after personally torturing me for months. I couldn't let that slide. They didn't see me coming. Maybe they're getting too old for this."

Eve looked back up at Angel. "It all comes back to Angel, doesn't it? He's still the center of your universe."

"No, baby", Lindsey touched her neck. "You are." They kissed.

Cordelia was sitting at Wesley's desk reading through volumes of text. Wesley was pacing the room, also reading. The desk was covered with dozens of thick, old books.

Cordelia stopped reading and looked up. "Remember how I said, "Let's not have your department looking for those symbols I saw in my vision. Let's do this like we used to, you and me cracking the books"?"

"Yes."

"Well, that was dumb. What'd you ever listen to me for?"

"I don't know. I think I sort of missed this. You and me and the books", Wesley spoke in a 'hip' manner, "kicking it old school, as they say." He winced, shaking his head. "And I never will again."

Cordelia chuckled. "I get it, the job is getting to us."

"We fall deeper", Wesley sighed.

"The vision might just be a lifeline for us", Cordelia added. "Wes?" She stood, walking up to Wesley. "Do you love Lilah?"

"What?" Wesley asked, now caught off-guard.

"It's a 'yes' or 'no' question."

No answer.

"I won't judge."

Wesley sighed, and then nodded. "Yes." He looked up. "Why do you ask?"

"I think you should let her know soon", Cordelia told Wesley. "It may or may not work, but the two of you should still put it all on the table. I mean, she was evil, still is, but maybe she's not the worst after all. She saved Connor a few weeks ago."

Wesley considered as she said. "Maybe she can be saved from her evil, evil ways." She sat on the edge of Wesley's desk. "I just wanted to tell you that, so you don't have any regrets." She caught a book that was about to fall. "Hey! That's them." Cordelia showed Wesley the book, already opened to an appropriate page. "Those. The tats. Look." She held up a sketch pad where she drew the symbols from her vision to compare to the book.

Wesley knew what they were. "Protection runes derived from the Enochian alphabet. The ones from your vision are symbols, some kind of concealment spell. "Clouds before the all-seeing eyes.""

"Mmm. OK. This part I didn't miss. Cryptic poetry", Cordelia quipped and sat at the desk.

Wesley explained. "They protect the bearer from being viewed remotely from higher powers, seers, mystics. Or, transposed to today, any means of modern surveillance."

Cordelia realized. "Somebody really wants to stay hidden."

Matt had finally finished his rest and walked through the building before stopping, sensing something. Something was sneaking around here.

Lindsey walked down a corridor in the basement of Wolfram & Hart. He stopped at a door marked "Maintenance: Restricted Access", swiping a keycard in a reader to unlock it, and walked through the door, closing it behind him.

Lindsey walked down a staircase and found himself facing a net of green laser beams. He walked right through them without incident. Once past them, he looked up into the security camera and waved "hello".

In the security office, Lindsey didn't show up on their monitors.

Lindsey continued walking.

A demon in a white lab coat was pressing buttons on a handheld electronic device when he was stabbed from behind. The demon fell to the ground with a grunt, blood oozing from his mouth, revealing Lindsey standing behind him.

Lindsey took out his pocketknife and cut the cord holding a crystal around the demon's neck and took the crystal. Lindsey kicked the demon off the platform he was standing on.

Cordelia walked down the hallway when she saw Spike walking to her. "Hey Spike, long time no see. By that I mean a few weeks."

Spike changed into Vampire façade.

"Okay, now I've seen both sides, no more 'long time no see'."

Spike walked to Cordelia purposefully. "Aah! Aah!"

He grabbed her and bit her neck as Cordelia screamed. "Aah!"

Spike stepped back voluntarily from biting Cordelia's neck, but moments later, he was charged by Angel, who knocked him to the ground.

Angel punched Spike in the face, and Spike responded with a kick to Angel's chest, then put Angel in a headlock. "You took me on and then we stopped, remember, old man?"

"Touch Cordelia again..." Angel broke free of Spike's grip, lifted Spike into the air and threw Spike to the ground, "get ready for our very last rematch."

Spike got to his feet. "She's evil, you gourmless tit."

Cordelia held her neck indignantly. "Excuse me? Who bit whom?"

Angel asked. "Did you call me a tit?"

Cordelia remembered. "Didn't you have a soul?"

Spike pointed at Cordelia and told Angel. "I thought she didn't. Or not her own."

"I do."

Spike replied. "So do I."

Cordelia told Spike. "Well, clearly, mine's better."

Spike stepped to her. "Look—"

Angel grabbed Spike by the lapels and threw his back into the wall. "I see fangs, I'm gonna play dentist."

Cordelia asked. "And we called this guy the big hero?"

Spike asked Angel. "You called me a hero?"

Angel defended himself. "I didn't know you were eating people."

Spike headbutted Angel, sending them apart, both reeling and holding their foreheads in pain. "Ow! God. It was a taste test, you git. I needed to know if what my source said is true."

He turned to Cordelia. "And, actually, well, you don't taste alien. They taste weird and—"

Angel asked. "What source?"

Spike revealed. "I've got a guy. Has an in with the powers that whatsit. Gets these visions."

Angel and Cordelia looked at each other as the former asked. "Visions?"

Spike confirmed. "Yeah. Said Cordelia had been replaced by an alien. Figured it must be the Skrulls, as I came to know of them in the Avengers."

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "His vision's clearly wrong."

Angel added. "No one has replaced anyone, Spike. Besides, Magus made Carol kill most of the Skrulls, she has only now gotten out of rehab."

Spike realized. "Well, looks like tattoo boy was wrong this time."

"Wait", Cordelia raised her eyebrows. "Tattoos? What kind of tattoos?"

Spike shook his head. "I don't know. Symbols. Tribal-like."

Angel asked. "This guy with the visions, did he have a name?"

Spike revealed. "Called himself Doyle." Angel and Cordelia froze, staring incredulously at Spike.

Meanwhile, down the hall, Eve was watching them talk, talking on her cell phone. "No, he didn't kill her. She's still alive."

She walked out of view. "Now they're talking. A lot."

Lindsey replied. "Hey, it was a long shot. Listen, babe, I'm almost there, all right? So get out of the building. Right now."

Eve hung up the cell phone, and when she looked up, Matt, Faith and Stick were standing right in front of her, smiling knowingly.

"Hello Eve. Nice amulet", Matt quipped.

Faith ripped it out as the perception filter was gone. "Oops!"

"Clearly, you're a goddamn moron!" Stick quipped. "I wouldn't come back here after hurting the baby."

Faith then grabbed Eve's ear. "Let's go, bitch."

Faith threw Eve into a chair, and she was surrounded by Angel, Cordelia, Matt, Faith, Stick, Lorne, Lilah, Fred, Gunn, Groo and Wesley, with Connor on his pram nearby. Spike was sitting near the window.

Angel told her. "We've got a problem, Eve."

Eve played victim. "Damn right, you do. When I tell the Partners you assaulted me—"

Angel paced. "A couple weeks ago, a man approached Spike. Told him that the Powers that be have some missions for him. Spike, braintrust that he is, went along with it."

"Hey", Spike said, insulted.

Angel stood in front of Eve now. "He's the one who told Spike to bite Cordelia while making him think she's a Skrull. And you made my baby sick."

"Not this again", Eve started to stand, gesturing to Lilah. "She fed him your baby's blood."

"Yeah, a long time ago, not 2 weeks ago, and I accept responsibility, unlike you", Lilah sneered at Eve.

Cordelia stepped in her Eve. "Get out of that chair and I will feed you those Manolo Blahniks." She looked at the shoes. "Which are stunning, by the way." She smirked.

Faith said. "I'll break them, then we'll feed them to you."

Angel said. "Seems to me like you and this guy are working together."

"And now you'll tell us who he is", Matt added with a snarl.

Eve sat down. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about. But you can't keep me here. I have to leave."

Angel snarled. "But the thing that really, really pisses me off, alongside making my son sick, is that this guy seems to be going by the name of Doyle."

Eve lied. "Doesn't ring a bell."

Cordelia walked closer to Eve. "It does to me." She yelled in Eve's face. "It rings a big fricking gong", she pointed at her, "and I wanna know who has the nerve to be using that name."

Angel added. "I'm gonna give you one chance to tell me where he is."

Eve started. "Look, I don't know what—"

"Come on, let me put the beating on her", Stick cracked his knuckles and neck as Eve paled. "I've been waiting to stick this bitch since day one."

Lilah told him. "Get in line, Casper."

"The building has emptied", Matt then realized.

"What? Why?" Faith asked.

Harmony arrived. "Excuse me, boss?"

Angel said. "Not now, Harmony."

Harmony asked. "OK, but do I get the afternoon off, too?"

Angel was confused. "What are you talking about?"

Harmony revealed. "Everybody's gone. The whole building cleared out a few minutes ago."

"Like I said", Matt realized. "Something's happening."

Groo tapped his comms. "Team, report." He got nothing. "They are not responding, building truly has emptied."

Angel asked Eve. "What's going on, Eve?"

"Let me put the beating on her", Stick said again.

Lindsey had entered a futuristic-looking round chamber with blue fluorescent lights and white walls. At the center was a round submerged underground holding tank and attached to it were some computerized and mechanical controls.

Lindsey triggered the lights to come on and the control panel to light up. A tube had come up out of the panel, and Lindsey removed the demon's crystal from his pocket to place it inside the tube, where it was a perfect fit.

An iris closed over the crystal, closing the crystal inside the tube. The tube recessed into the panel, and a timer started increasing in seconds. Steam vented from the center of the room, and the bars that held the underground tank submerged retracted.

"Wakey, wakey."

Gunn came back into Angel's office. "I checked the server. A message went out. Code 7, right before the building emptied."

Angel asked. "What's a code 7, Eve?"

"I don't know", Cordelia glared at her. "Seriously."

"OK, this is getting us nowhere. Torture her."

Stick walked to Eve. "Finally."

From out of nowhere, Harmony tackled Eve, knocking her into Angel's desk with a primal grunt. "Harmony!"

Harmony stood and grabbed Eve's neck. "Is this OK?" She shrugged. "I mean, I am evil, technically. I don't mind torturing her for the team."

Angel nodded. "Yeah. OK."

Stick was annoyed. "WHAT?! Blondie gets to beat her?! FUCKING BLONDIE?!"

"Stick, calm down", Matt told him. "We've a baby here."

The ghost slumped in a seat. "I've never been so depressed."

Lilah agreed with him. "Join the club."

Wesley awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder, patting her there as she looked at him. "Uhhh, I'm sorry, we'll make sure you get first crack at the next one."

Lilah was amused but genuinely touched by Wesley's gesture and just gave him a smile.

Harmony punched Eve's face. "Come on, you hussy!" She backhanded Eve. "Spill it!"

"OK. OK. Stop. It's a fail-safe. They built a fail-safe—" Harmony punched Eve in the face again, harder this time."

Angel pointed out. "Harmony, she's talking."

"She is? Already? Well, that sucks." She let Eve go.

"Look, the Senior Partners were never certain they could keep you under their thumb, so they created a fail-safe. Housed it in the sub-levels of the building."

Fred asked. "What kind of fail-safe?"

Eve revealed. "I don't know what it is, exactly, but it's huge and alive... and specifically designed to destroy you."

Angel then asked. "How can I stop it?"

Eve told him. "The only way to shut it down's in the chamber itself."

Fred wondered. "Well, if that's true, then who activated it in the first place?"

Gunn agreed. "You were with us when the building cleared out."

Wesley realized. "Had to be someone else. Someone with the ability to slip past Wolfram & Hart security systems."

Lorne added. "Like our magically tattooed faux Doyle."

Angel asked Spike. "Spike, I don't wanna go in blind. Anything else you know about this guy?"

Spike shrugged. "Not much. Average size. Dressed like an urban cowboy."

"You seemed to recognize the name we gave you a few weeks ago", Matt reminded Angel.

"Yeah, does the name ring a bell?" Faith asked too.

Angel thought about it and an imaginary lightbulb went off as he realized who it was at last. "Brad Scott."

Cordelia remembered and muttered. "Oh boy."

"You guys know something I don't?" Lilah asked the rest.

"Ain't that always the case?" Stick shrugged.

Wesley realized. "He's back."

Angel spoke his name. "Lindsey."

Groo asked. "Who?"

Angel ordered. "Lock the building down, make sure he can't get out. Don't trust security systems. He won't show up because of those tattoos of his."

"That's why I couldn't catch him", Matt noted.

Wesley assured. "There could be a way to fix the tattoos. I'll need some help."

Lorne shrugged. "My dance card's free."

Groo asked Angel. "Who is Lindsey?"

Lilah shrugged. "A goddamn moron who was the golden boy but left the place, of course I got the job in his place so I guess I should thank him, him being back and all."

Cordelia said. "He left to find himself."

Angel snarled. "Yeah, he should've stayed lost."

"Not wrong there", Lilah agreed as she walked off. "Just gonna get something from my office."

Wesley walked to Lilah and they shared a kiss as he genuinely said. "Be careful."

"Good luck", she responded and walked off to her office, and opening her drawer, took out a gun, loading it, then she walked into a corner and pressed her hand to the wall, opening it to reveal a secret elevator.

Lilah pressed the button and the doors opened as she walked inside and let the doors close.

Angel ordered. "Harmony, guard Eve. She moves, eat her."

Harmony grinned widely. "Really? Thanks." She looked at Eve like lunch.

"Angel, you're not going down there alone."

Angel pointed out. "The fail-safe's meant for me. I'm not gonna risk anybody I care about."

Spike offered. "I'll go."

Angel quickly said. "OK."

"I'm going too, ghost remember?" Stick asked with a smirk.

"I come as well, can't do a thing to me", Matt added.

"I'm not letting you go in there without me either", Faith said, patting Angel's shoulder.

"And I am head of security, so I need to help in the securing", Groo added.

Angel smiled, looking at them all gratefully, then told Cordelia and Fred. "Be ready to evacuate. If this thing gets past me, get the hell out of the building."

He walked to the door.

"Past us", Cordelia walked to Angel's desk. "No, no. Cordy—"

Cordelia grabbed a samurai sword off the wall behind Angel's desk. "Yeah, save it, Angel. You can order me around all you want, but I know my rights." She unsheathed her sword. "And I wanna see a lawyer." She looked at Matt and Gunn. "Another lawyer I mean."

Angel, Cordelia, Matt, Faith, Spike, Stick and Groo walked down the basement steps into the room guarded by a net of green laser beams.

Spike looked at them. "What the bloody hell is this?"

"Let's find out." Angel walked into the laser net, triggering an alarm. Doors unlocked, and zombies walk out of closets poised for a fight.

Angel snarled. "Zombies. Oh, swell."

"Should have let me walk into there", Stick quipped as all groaned.

"Well, undead means no holding back", Matt said, his arm-blades coming out.

Lindsey turned around to see Lilah standing there, smirking at him.

"Admit it, you missed me", she quipped.

"Well, I did save your ass", Lindsey shrugged, walking to her as they stood a decent distance.

"And spanked it too", Lilah reminded with a little glare.

"I think I was entitled to a feel after saving it", Lindsey quipped. "How you been, Lilah?"

"Evil, but work with the good guys now", Lilah told him. "Have a boyfriend too."

"The Watcher, I've heard", Lindsey nodded, the two circling each other.

"How you been?" Lilah asked.

"Tried to find myself, heard Angel got handed on a silver platter what I'd worked hard for", Lindsey said with a sneer.

"And it just burns you, doesn't it?" Lilah asked in a taunting tone, shaking her head. "You chose to walk away you idiot. You don't get to come back and throw a tantrum now after all this time."

"Coming from someone who is pure evil", Lindsey pointed out to her.

"At least I'm honest about it, while you just flip and flop", Lilah told him.

"So, why are you here really?" Lindsey asked Lilah.

"To put an end to it", Lilah said as she took out her gun and aimed at Lindsey, slowly pulling the trigger.

Angel and Spike fought some zombies as Cordelia blocked one's blow and kicked it back. Then she took out 3 more swiftly as Matt stabbed two with his arm-blades and spin-kicked another away, Faith elbowing one out and punching another out as well before kneeing one's face, and Groo slammed one into the wall while smacking another away as Stick just smacked two hard, sending them both out.

Angel yelled in frustration while throwing one off. "We don't have time for this."

Spike assured. "Go on. We'll hold them back."

"Yeah, we got you covered", Faith added.

"We hold the fort, you lot go", Matt said too.

Angel and Cordelia ran past the zombies, leaving Matt, Faith, Spike, Stick and Groo with them.

"Come on, lads. No need to be gentle. We're all dead men here."

"Different kinds of it", Stick shrugged.

"Just the two of you", Groo pointed out.

Spike then kicked one down and tossed another down too as Matt sliced one with his arm-blade in a spin motion, with Faith bringing another down on her knee, Groo throwing one away and Stick punching another off.

Just as Lilah pulled the trigger, Lindsey held out his hand and the gun was telekinetically snatched from Lilah, firing randomly onto the ceiling as he caught the gun. "Uh-oh, missed me." He waved the gun sarcastically as Lilah glared. "My turn."

He threw the gun off and charging Lilah, grabbed her by the throat, choking her as she gasped, trying to pry his hand off, but he was too strong.

"Bye-bye Lilah."

"Hello, Lindsey." Lindsey turned to see Angel and Cordelia standing to his side and grinned, throwing Lilah to a corner as she held her throat, coughing and dazed.

"And the hero arrives right on schedule. And with a date."

Cordelia replied. "Yeah. Dinner and a show... and you're both."

Angel walked slowly toward Lindsey with his arms crossed. Lindsey asked. "Is this the part where I get all weak in the knees? Promise I'll never do it again?"

Angel sneered. "It's a little late for that, Doyle."

Lindsey nodded sarcastically. "There's always time for redemption. Isn't that your whole thing? Isn't that what you're doing with Lilah."

Angel pointed out. "You had your chance. Lilah is still running on hers. I guess some people, they just never change."

Lilah had passed out by that point so she was unable to hear that bit.

Angel started to backhand Lindsey, but Lindsey caught his hand mid-thrust and punched Angel in the ribs before throwing him hard across the room. Angel rolled across the floor into the opposite wall.

Lindsey sauntered to Angel.

"I did."

"You just gonna lay there and bleed?"

Angel urged. "Cordy, get out of here."

"No", Lindsey pointed to the door behind Cordelia, causing it to close behind her. "Hang out."

He smirked. "This won't take long." He pulled out a pocketknife.

"Angel!" Cordelia threw Angel her sword which he caught.

Lindsey looked at Angel's sword, then at his own small pocket knife. "Oh. Well, it's not the size that matters, big guy." He transformed the pocketknife into a hefty sword, grinning. "It's how you use it."

Angel ordered. "Shut it down."

Lindsey shrugged. "Say please."

Angel said. "I wasn't talking to you."

"Oh, right. On it", Cordelia ran toward the stairs to the control panel.

Angel commented. "So go and get yourself a little mojo? Should never have come back, Lindsey."

Lindsey responded. "What can I say? I missed you and Lilah. Caught up with her, time for you."

The two clashed swords as Cordelia examined the control panel and tried a blue button but it shocked her.

Lindsey pinned Angel against the wall during their sword fight, but Angel pushed him away. They continued to fight.

Lindsey punched Angel then backflipped high into the air, landing on his feet on top of the holding tank.

"Little something I picked up in Nepal." He grinned. "You like it?"

Angel shrugged. "They sell that crap at the airport."

Angel leapt into the air nearly effortlessly, landing on the holding tank. He and Lindsey resumed their sword fighting.

Lindsey kicked Angel in the knee, causing Angel to scream in pain and recoil. Lindsey laughed. "You know, all my carefully laid out plans, my designs, when you get right down to it, that was pretty sweet, too, huh?" He grinned. "Reason enough for me to come back. You, me... fight to the death... " He pointed his sword at Angel, "yours."

Angel reminded. "I've seen your tough act before, squirt. First time we ever met, you put on a show."

They fought as Angel was knocked down but got up. "Huffing and puffing, telling me I couldn't lay a hand on your scumbag client."

Lindsey reminded too. "So you kicked him out a window."

Angel cocked his head to the side. "Good times."

"It was a defining moment", the vents around the holding tank let out steam as the tank started rumbling under their feet. "Kind of like this one."

Cordelia looked over toward the tank seeing something scary swimming around in it. "Oh, crap."

Matt swiftly sliced down 3 zombies as Faith kicked one into two more, and Spike tossed one down before spin kicking another out, and Groo brought one down on his knee, with Stick smacking one hard into a few more, taking them all out.

"Good fight for corpses", Spike quipped, cracking his neck.

"Don't speak so soon", Matt warned him as more zombies arrived.

"Bugger."

Faith commented. "You just had to say it."

Wesley was reading from a scroll as Gunn paced behind him and Fred gathered ingredients. Lorne was pacing in the background with a stick of smoking incense, baby Connor poking his head out and watching.

Wesley started listing items. "Woodbury lichen."

Fred said. "Check."

"Where's our danbeetle skeleton?"

Gunn assured him. "Already in the bowl. Man, I should be down there. Got enough Betty Crockers. I should be throwing some hurt."

Wesley read. ""Sprinkle ingredients with the arterial blood of an unclean."" He looked at Lorne. "A demon."

"We're unclean? Like you're so April fre—" He realized Wesley was looking at him. "You sure that thing said arterial blood?"

"Sorry."

"Why don't they ever need the urine of an unclean? I've got plenty of unclean urine", he looked at Connor. "The nipper would have even more than me."

Gunn pulled out a dagger; Lorne let out a nervous chuckle. "Look. Uh... I think I'm making some right now." He looked down.

"Well, you're not the only pe-er anymore", Fred quipped to Connor, covering his eyes. "Don't watch."

Angel and Lindsey fought as Angel gained the upper hand, decking Lindsey and managing to cut open his shirt, and now Angel saw his tattoos. "That must have stung."

Lindsey smirked. "Worse then when you cut off my hand."

The sword fighting continued, but Lindsey took Angel's sword. Angel flipped behind then kicked Lindsey's sword into the air and leapt onto the balcony to catch it.

Lindsey leapt onto the balcony with the samurai sword to continue the fight. Angel knocked Lindsey back and they fought more.

Lindsey lunged toward Angel, stabbing him through the heart with the sword.

"Angel!" Cordelia called out in horror.

Lindsey kicked Angel off the balcony, across the room. Angel landed on top on the holding tank. Lindsey leapt down to stand over him and mocked. "Who is this? Who is this?" He took off his shirt. "I came to fight the Vampire with a soul. Guess you shouldn't have sold it, huh? Look at you, from champion to pathetic corporate puppet in just a few months. You used to have fire in your heart."

He squatted down to Angel's level. "Now all you got in there is that big honkin' sword. How's that feel, champ?"

"Could be worse..." Angel pulled the sword out, "if it had been made out of wood, you dumbass."

He threw off the sword and stood up.

Angel and Lindsey engaged in hand-to-hand combat now, fighting with punches, headbutts and kicks. "Now you are gonna give it up."

Cordelia pressed buttons on the control panel until the tube emerged. The covering iris widened to reveal the crystal inside, and when Cordelia took the crystal out, the system made a "powering down" noise.

Cordelia admired the crystal. "Like that was so hard."

Lindsey was horrified. "No!"

Cordelia grinned widely at Lindsey. The tank sank back into its underground holding spot, keeping the animal inside it contained for now.

Lindsey's power seemed to have faded now as well, since he was only able to throw weak punches at Angel, and Angel didn't even feel the need to fight back. "All those tattoos, all those new tricks you've learned..." he punched Lindsey in the stomach, knocking him to the ground, "just don't matter."

Lindsey tried to stand. "Doesn't matter what you try." Angel punched Lindsey down. "Doesn't matter where I am or how badass you think you've become."

Lindsey got to his knees, but Angel punched him in the face again. "'Cause you know what?" He grabbed Lindsey by the neck, holding him face-to-face.

"I'm Angel."

He threw Lindsey across the room; Lindsey landed against the wall. "I beat the bad guys."

Lindsey chuckled as he struggled to get to his feet. Cordelia stood beside Angel. "You OK?"

Angel assured. "I've been worse."

Lindsey staggered. "So what now, huh? Think you got it in you to kill me?"

Angel shrugged. "I really don't think I have to."

Cordelia had mock concern. "Sweetie, your epidermis is showing."

Lindsey looked at his tattoos. They floated up off of his skin and vanished into thin air, leaving him unmarked and thus unprotected.

Fred sprinkled ingredients as Wesley read from the magical scroll. "Fabula mundi, sanguis incesti, vincula solve, invisa revela." He gasped. "I think I can feel it working."

Lindsey watched as the last of the tattoos vanished from his skin. "Damn!"

There was a flashing light and whirlwind appearing above them. Angel said. "I think the Senior Partners would like a word."

Lindsey looked up to see a portal was forming in the air above him, then looked at Angel. "Why does this keep happening to me?"

Lilah, now awake, staggered up with a groan. "Because you're a complete idiot."

Lindsey chuckled nervously and was sucked into the portal, which closed behind him as Lilah called out. "And that's where it gets you."

Cordelia asked Lilah. "How did you get here first?"

"Secret elevator honey", Lilah shrugged.

"Of course", Angel nodded with a sigh.

A pouting Eve walked onto the elevator with the whole gang standing behind her to make sure she left. Cordelia, holding Connor in her arms, snarked. "It's really been a pleasure. Let's never keep in touch."

Angel added. "It's a new game, Eve. If I were you, I'd start thinking strategy."

Eve sneered. "And here I am thinking revenge."

Angel pointed out. "And what do you imagine the Senior Partners are thinking?"

"Whatever it is, won't end well for you", Matt told her.

"So if I were, I'd get out", Faith added.

Before the elevator doors closed on Eve, Lilah put her hand in the middle, stopping them.

"Eve, I want you to know, no matter where you go, no matter how far and deep you hide, we will know, and when we have decided, you will die. Slowly." Then Lilah gave a charming smile. "Take care."

The elevator doors closed on Eve.

Lorne then said. "Well, I'm thinking seabreeze, compadres. I gave up a lot of blood for this gig."

Harmony complained. "And I didn't get any. I kept begging Eve to run, but... " She shook her head.

Spike added. "Well, I've been prancing around thinking I had a destiny. Love to drown my embarrassment in a few pints."

Matt came along. "Cheer up, Spike. Just imagine how happy Buffy will be when she hears about your hero days."

Spike began to smile, since he knew sexy time was back on the table again.

"Thanks bestie", he said, as Angel growled.

Fred agreed. "We should all go get a drink. We haven't done that in...ever."

Gunn nodded. "I'm in. Cat and Fiddle?" He pressed the elevator call button.

"It ain't Josie's, but I could sure use that drink", Matt said.

"Amen to that, hubby." Faith was with him on that.

Stick was just leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. "Oh sure, rub it in."

"We plan to." Angel quipped, finally getting something over the old man.

"Yes, beverages are needed after a day like this." Groo said, and then offered his arm to Harmony, who smiled and looped her arm with his. "Your beating of the traitor was quite thrilling."

"Awww, thanks", Harmony said as the others watched with smiles and rolled their eyes good naturedly.

"Well, time to go", Lilah shrugged as she walked near the elevator.

"Let's get it", Wesley turned to Angel. "Unless, of course, you're busy packing."

Angel agreed. "A drink sounds good. I'll go get my coat."

The elevator bell sounded just as Angel walked toward his office. The elevator doors opened and the others walked onto it, minus Cordelia. "You guys go ahead. We'll catch up. Oh, and Wesley? You still work the best mojo in town."

She smiled admiringly as Lorne pointed incredulously to Wesley. "I bleed from the neck, he gets the props."

"I'll give you your props", Matt assured Lorne.

"I knew it, Devillicious!" Lorne said.

He chuckled. The elevator door closed.

Cordelia walked into Angel's office with Connor as he put on his blazer.

"So..." She walked to Angel. "you feel good?"

"I do. I just...I kind of feel bad about it", Angel said.

"My God, you are a piece of work", Cordelia said with a smile, then turned to Connor. "You don't turn out like that."

"I just don't feel like I deserve..." He shrugged. "I mean, all I did was beat up a tiny Texan. It's not like I helped anyone."

He sat on the chair arm.

"Sure you did", Cordelia raised her eyebrows.

"Who?" Angel asked.

"Boy, I really do fall for the dumb ones", Cordelia quipped while cooing at Connor. "Not you, honey."

"Dada", Connor reached out his arm to Angel as Cordelia handed Connor to his father.

"Hey buddy", Angel kissed his forehead.

"You know how you're always trying to save, oh, every single person in the world? Did it ever occur to you, you were one of them?"

"No, it never did", Angel said.

"Well, you made the list, gorgeous", Cordelia assured. "And you needed some help. We all did."

"And now we've been helped", Angel smiled in realization.

"We all did our part", she sat beside Angel as he laughed.

Angel said. "Lindsey wasted a lot of energy trying to make me doubt myself. I know it's not even close to over, but I do feel like I can do this." He looked at her. "Wolfram & Hart, whatever's coming, I feel like we can beat it."

"I know", Cordelia smiled.

"You do?" Angel asked.

"Yeah, I was forgetting it, but now I know, and you know too", Cordelia told Angel.

"Yep."

"We're bigger than this. We'll win in the end", Cordelia said.

"Mama."

Both of them turned to Connor, who was looking at Cordelia.

"W…What di-"

"Mama."

"Oh my…" Cordelia's heart soared as she lifted Connor up, hugging him to her chest. "You just called me-"

"Mama."

"You called me mama", Cordelia had happy tears as she kissed Connor's forehead and looked at Angel. "He called me mama!"

"Well, after his mother sacrificed herself to save him, you were his mother, you've always been his mother since then, and he knows it too", Angel smiled at her as he stood up.

"Mama", Connor said again.

"Yes, I'm here baby", Cordelia rocked Connor and kissed his forehead.

Angel and Cordelia then kissed each other passionately and lovingly on the lips, content to be with each other.

They could beat this.

And we're done, hope all enjoyed my version of the 100th episode, thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help again.

My version had 3 things the original didn't- Lilah and Lindsey reuniting, Cordelia still alive (Because fuck Joss 'creepy piece of shit' Whedon!) and Connor saying 'mama'. AWWWWWW!

Anyway, now I'll be doing a different plotline for the next few chapters, you'll see what it is, once its done we'll be back to Angel Season 5 with everyone's favorite 'Smile Time'. Hell yeah!

Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter.