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And thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help here.

Chapter 11- Freed

Wo Pang sat cross-legged on the floor before a circle of votive candles. The sounds of fighting came from outside. A moment later, Wo Pang's guard flew through the beaded curtain and landed unconscious on the floor in front of him.

Cordelia, Wesley and Groo stepped through after him, grim expressions on their faces.

"Must acquire better guards."

Wesley informed him. "Angel's soul has been stolen."

"I have no need for the Vampire's soul."

Groo inquired. "Then where would it be?"

Wo Pang cast a handful of bones into the circle in front of him and read the message contained within their pattern.

"That I cannot discern but it is still viable within the muo-ping."

"What is this muo-ping?" Groo asked.

"It's still safe in the container."

Cordelia quipped sarcastically. "Angel's soul has been misplaced. I bet that sort of thing happens all the time. What do you have as a back-up plan to re-ensoul somebody?"

"There is no other way known to me. Without the muo-ping… you're screwed."

"And what happens if the muo-ping breaks or gets opened?" Groo then asked.

"Then like all things, the soul can be returned or destroyed."

A sharp wind blew through the ceremonial chamber, extinguishing the candles around them.

Daredevil panted and pushed himself off a wall he was leaning on, wiping some blood from the corner of his mouth. There was some progress, but it was still bad.

He rushed forwards and crashed through a window into a garage where people were trapped in a cage, with Demons and Vampires turning to him.

One charged as Matt grabbed his wrist and elbowed him thrice, throwing him down, and stomped on him a few times, taking him out, and as the next one charged him, Matt flipped him to the other side before taking out a stake in time to dust a Vamp charging him.

He then threw his club and it deflected off the wall before hitting another Demon, taking that one out as well.

Matt then jumped on top of a car and as a Demon tried to kick, he grabbed its foot and threw it off, and then another climbed up, trying to punch but Matt ducked and kicked his feet from underneath him, making him fall down.

Matt got down and grabbing the Demon by the foot, threw him off too. The next one attacked but Matt blocked his punch and decked his chest before lifting him and throwing him over the car's hood.

One more tried to kick him but Matt opened the car door and closed it on his foot, making him scream in pain before he slammed his head on the car and kicked his other knee, taking him out.

The next struck with a bat but Matt grabbed him and flipped him onto the car as the bat dropped. One more came at him with a knife but Matt grabbed him in a chokehold alongside his knife hand and pushing him off, kicked him away.

The next tried to attack but Matt decked his knee, making him fall, then punched him twice and grabbing his head, slammed him to the ground.

A Vampire charged but Matt kicked his knee, sending him down, and leaping, kicked his face, throwing him down before staking him as well.

One more Demon tried to kick but Matt grabbed his foot and threw him down hard, taking him out. He charged as the next tried to kick but he spun and grabbed his foot, throwing them both down while elbowing him out.

He then threw down a shelf on two Demons charging him, taking them out too. The next one tried to punch but Matt blocked and slammed him onto another shelf, then blocked the next one's punch and twisted his arm before kicking the back of his knee and throwing him off.

One more tried to kick but Matt kicked that one down and out first. As the next tried to kick, Matt grabbed his foot, then got behind him and pulled him back before taking him out.

Another grabbed him from behind but Matt elbowed his gut and face, freeing himself, and then elbowed his throat, knocking him out too. The next one tried to punch but Matt blocked and elbowed his head before throwing him down.

One more attacked but Matt blocked and kicked his chest, then flipped him down with his feet and broke his arm. As the next charged, Matt blocked and pushed him off before elbowing him, and then punched him multiple times on the chest and face, the crosses on his knuckles burning this one up as it was a Vampire.

He then kicked that Vampire against the railing, and finally staked him.

Matt then dropped himself down on the steps, sitting on them and collecting himself, panting as he recovered from the exhaustion and damage.

He then picked himself up and unlocked the cage, freeing the terrified but awed people. As they went off, the tired and injured Daredevil went outside, knowing he had to save the city still.

He had made enough progress to scare Demons as some didn't come out, but he needed to deal with others. With renewed determination, Daredevil went back out into the sunless city.

Angelus called out from his cell in the basement over the video monitor on the lobby counter while Fred researched and Gunn put the finishing touches on a homemade flamethrower.

"Awfully quiet up there. I've had time to think and I've realized something important. Being evil is wrong. I want to be good. I want to be Angel again. You hear me? I'm ready."

Gunn sneered. "I'm ready, too, fangboy." Gunn shot a gout of flame across the lobby, unnerving Fred.

"He knows, doesn't he? That his soul is missing."

Gunn shrugged. "Probably knew before we did."

Fred sighed. "I hope that shaman can help us."

"That shaman should have never been brought here. Now instead of just worrying about the big bad rock-eater, we got Darth Vampire living in the basement."

Fred pointed out. "Bringing Angelus was our best chance."

Gunn asked. "That you talking or Wes?"

Fred reminded. "You were pushing for it, too, Charles."

Gunn regretted that. "Then maybe I did the wrong thing."

Angelus could hear it all. "Like smacking your girl around? I bet you Wes would never hit her. He's all proper and English. And that accent— oh, chicks just love a good accent. Makes 'em all buttery in their nether regions. Isn't that right, Fred?"

Gunn stared at Fred but she said nothing.

"You know, I had a bit of an Irish brogue back in the day. If you like, I can use it on you when I rape you to death. Or—"

Gunn yanked out the power cable. "Son a bitch."

Fred tried to assure him. "He's just… it's just words."

"Yeah."

"And that's the only way he can hurt us. He knows he's never getting out."

A grate in the rear of the basement room slid open. Angelus turned around and smiled as Lilah stepped out of the shadows with a crowbar in her hand, limping due to her wounded abdomen.

She was filthy, her clothes ripped and torn. "The great Angelus…"

"Oh, come on. You can do better than that, huh? Try playing up the awe and the reverence a bit", Angelus acted dramatic. "The great Angelus."

"Great… being locked in a cage."

Angelus mocked Lilah's current condition. "Yet managing to display better grooming habits than you. Look at yourself, Lilah. All these years wanting to meet me… you couldn't run a comb through your hair, maybe slap on a little lipstick? Evil doesn't have to mean sloppy."

"Stop it."

"Oh, feeling touchy, are we?"

Lilah wasn't talking about the taunts. "The Beast. I want you to stop it."

"Oh", Angelus started talking again. "Not sure I really want to. Don't get me wrong— I'm not a big fan of the horn job. Although he did bring on permanent midnight. Gotta give him props for that."

"Can you do it or not?"

"Hmm… why is your thong in such a bunch, counselor? You're a professional."

Lilah laughed out loud. "Workin' the sewers. Beast took everything. Killed 'em all."

"Saw the damage. He does have a flair for it.

Lilah revealed what had happened. "Not just at the office. Everybody. Field ops, liaisons, people out sick that day… but not me. Not yet."

Angelus watched Lilah's feet inch closer to the safe line on the floor. "Why is he picking on us? We're the bad guys!"

"Apparently not bad enough. But there is a bright side. You have a devoted boyfriend who loves and cares for— oh, wait. You don't", Angelus laughed. "Your life really is crap."

Lilah quipped. "And yet I'm not the monkey in the box." She made her offer. "I want that thing destroyed. You're the only one who can do it."

"Maybe… we can work something out."

Gunn started. "What Angelus said about me… I didn't mean to hurt you. I would never do that."

Fred did agree there, but she had other issues. "I know. I just can't help but think if you didn't attack Wes—"

"Attack?" Gunn was angry. "That's how you see it? I attacked him? What do you call what he was doing in the office before I walked in?"

"I don't know what—"

"He was kissing you! Don't lie to me. It's the one thing you're not good at."

Fred couldn't deny it. "It just happened."

"Because you let it", there was a beat. "I've never felt so much for anyone. I would do anything for you but it's not enough, is it?"

"Charles, I—"

"I can't do this anymore, Fred. I'm tired of you looking everywhere but at me."

Fred looked up as the front door opened and Wesley entered, followed by Cordelia and Groo.

"Like that."

With that, it was over.

Gunn walked off as Wesley approached and saw Fred was upset.

"What is it?"

Fred shook her head and covered. "I just… can't make heads or tails of this banishing text. You guys have any luck?"

"The shaman didn't have the soul. Doesn't know who took it. Doesn't know how to find it", Groo informed.

Cordelia said sarcastically. "Other than that, everything's peachy. Any word from Lorne and his contacts?"

Fred shook her head.

"Damn it!"

They all turned as Gunn ran for the basement door. On the monitor, Lilah approached Angelus' cage with the crowbar. They all followed Gunn down the stairs.

Lilah turned as Gunn and the others dashed down the stairs toward her. As Angelus reached out through the bars to grab her, Gunn fired a trank dart into him. Lilah dropped her crowbar and ran across the room, ducking back into the sewers.

Gunn kept the rifle trained on Angelus and told the rest. "Lilah. Ran off into the sewers."

Wesley and Groo headed after her as Angelus collapsed to the floor.

"Groo, wait. You should stay here and make sure it isn't a setup. There might be others."

Groo nodded and started searching the dark corners of the basement.

Lilah ran through the tunnels, holding her wounded belly with Wesley in pursuit. She came to the end of the tunnel and climbed up a ladder, Wesley right at her heels.

Gunn kept the rifle trained on Angelus' still form and motioned to Groo. "Check the locks." Groo shook the door to the cage. It was solid. He kicked the crowbar away from the cage and across the room. Gunn finally lowered the rifle.

"What kind of brain fart made that witch try and let Angelus out?"

Cordelia wondered. "I want to know how she even knew he was here."

"Perhaps she stole the soul", Groo suggested.

Gunn agreed. "She's a mucky-muck at Wolfram Hart. It's her job to know."

Fred remembered. "I thought the Beast killed everyone at Wolfram Hart."

Gunn shrugged. "Maybe she cut some kind of deal with it.

"So we must see if they're connected", Groo realized.

Wesley threw himself against a door, cracking it open. He entered an antechamber and Lilah leapt out of the shadows, swinging an iron pipe. But her wound made her sluggish and Wesley easily dodged the blow and disarmed her.

"You're a son of a bitch, you know that?"

She walked over to a stool and sat down.

Wesley started. "When I said go underground, I didn't think you'd—"

He noticed her abdomen was still bleeding, soaking through her shirt.

"Is that where the Beast…"

"Can't make it stop."

Wesley offered. "I could take a look at it."

Lilah was still too proud. "No, I'm fine. Some Demons found me in the sewers but the horn-headed do-gooder showed up."

Wesley realized Daredevil, whom Lilah still didn't know was Matt, had saved her, and inquired. "How did you know we had Angelus?"

"Big magick, taking a champion's soul. Makes ripples. I still know some people who like ripples. It was your idea, wasn't it, to bring him?" Wesley looked away. "Great minds…"

"…aren't foolish enough to release him."

"I wasn't."

"So the crowbar…?"

Lilah revealed her act. "I had to make him believe I was desperate."

"Not much of a stretch, really, is it?" A beat. "And you always wanted Angelus."

Lilah pointed out the true state of things. "No. Wolfram Hart did but it doesn't matter anymore. I just… I just want my life back. All my pretty things… I'm selfish that way. That's why we wouldn't have worked out."

Wesley told her. "There are many reasons we wouldn't have worked out, Lilah."

They stared at each other for a beat and Wesley finally looked away. He spotted a book lying on a dirty cot in the corner and picked it up, curious. "Rhinehardt's Compendium?"

"I need to find a way to make it pay."

He flipped through the book. "I've already checked. There's nothing in here that even remotely describes… him." He stopped on a page with a prominent drawing of the Beast. Puzzled, he flipped quickly through the book again.

"It's identical to my copy except for this passage. How's that possible?"

Lilah revealed to him. "It's not a local copy. Pulled some favors, got it on the pan-dimensional black market."

"But still… it should be the exact same text", Wesley considered. "Unless…."

"Unless what?"

Wesley realized something was off. "Well, we'd have to check more books from other dimensions but what if there were other references to the Beast at one time that had somehow been removed? But what would something that powerful need to hide?"

Angelus lay unconscious in the cage while Gunn paced the basement. "Lilah or not, someone is doing the Beast's dirty work."

Cordelia agreed. "That would explain how giant lava-boy could tiptoe past us to take out Manny."

Groo added. "And butcher that family, those priestesses."

Fred, to her surprise, defended Lilah by pointing out some facts. "Even though Lilah's evil, I don't see her hacking up all those people."

Gunn shrugged. "Okay, maybe it's not just her. Maybe the big bad Beast has minions doing his dirty work."

"Morons. The big rock doesn't have minions. It is the minion."

Angelus sat up, still a bit groggy from the drug.

Fred denied it. "No, it's not. We've seen what it can do."

Angelus smirked. "You've just seen the warm-up act."

"What are you saying?" Cordelia asked.

Angelus told her. "I'm saying, there's something bigger. Something worse."

He looked up at Cordelia.

"The Beast… has a boss."

Angelus got to his feet and faced the confused looks from those outside the cage.

Gunn wondered. "Worse than the Beast?"

Cordelia was in disbelief. "That's… that's not possible."

"How did you survive this long being so retarded?"

Gunn snapped. "Cut the Fu-Manchu. What do you know?"

Angelus went back to taunting mode. "Quite a bit, bright boy. Maybe I'll fill in the blanks sometime."

Groo inquired. "How do you know there's something worse than the Beast?"

"'Cause I've got a brain, brawny. The Beast I knew was big on the smash and slaughter. Had the brawn to be really good at it, too. But the big picture? Not his strong point. But whoa… flash forward. Now he's all rain of fire, destroying the Ra-tet, blotting out the sun… big moves for a guy whose head's made out of rock."

Cordelia suggested. "Maybe he got smarter."

Angelus at this point beat her in sarcasm. "And maybe I'll sprout some wings and flutter away. There's something else out there. More powerful, more vicious… pulling all the strings." He shuddered. "I don't know about you but I'm just dying to find out what it is."

Matt lay on his back, panting, looking beaten up, and surrounded by bloodied Demons and piles of dust. He slowly sat up and groaned from all of his injuries, ranging from bruises to even fractured bones.

He then got on his knees and sensed a Demon next to him getting up, so he grabbed it by the face and started smashing it on the ground brutally, and then staggering up, did a flip, stomping on its chest and taking it out.

He then got to his feet and limped away, using his hand to steady himself against a wall, while thinking it would be handy to have some Demon healing right now.

In that moment, his Hell-Mark flashed and he felt his wounds fade away, as his bones mended too.

Matt realized that he needed to gain better harmony with Adam if he wanted to use more of those abilities as a human.

Matt returned to the hotel but heard Lilah there with the rest, and wondered why she was there, so he climbed up and came into his room through a window, then quickly changed his clothes, keeping the suit away, and was back with his lawyer suit and cane, though no glasses, and he walked downstairs.

"Hey guys", he greeted them all. "Any improvements from before?"

"Well, we believe the Beast has a master now, and this master has erased all traces of the Beast from this Dimension, which is why Angel didn't remember it, and my version of the book did not have a passage on the Beast, while Lilah's does", Wesley revealed to Matt.

"Lilah's here?" Matt asked.

"Oh don't act innocent, I've seen what you can do, you have that mark on your chest you bastard", Lilah sneered as Matt chuckled. "And I saw you become that Demon thing too."

"Got it", Matt said, realizing she thought he could do special stuff and become the Devil due to his Hell-Mark, but did not know he was Daredevil. "And how does Angelus remember?"

"He wasn't around when this wipe was done", Fred pointed out. "Angel was."

"Right", Matt nodded.

Groo started. "Does Abaddon-?"

"Adam", Matt interrupted him. "His name is Adam."

There were surprised looks by all as Wesley noted. "It seems things have changed between you two."

"They have", Matt agreed. "I gave this name to him."

Groo then put up his question again. "Does Adam know the Beast somehow?"

"No, Adam has only known humans since he was trapped among the Murdocks since his creation", Matt pointed out.

"What are you talking about?" Lilah asked, not knowing about this deal fully.

"Sorry, members only", Lorne said, some bitterness in his voice as he held Connor away from her, and Connor started crying. "It's true what they say, babies truly can sense evil."

Lilah simply rolled her eyes at that as Lorne sang a little to calm the baby down. "I have climbed highest mountains. I have run through the fields-"

"I shall be going out again to protect the people", Groo then spoke up as he prepared to go, but Cordelia stepped in his way.

"Come on Groo, you need to rest, you can't keep doing this", Cordelia told him.

"I am the Groosalugg, the brave and undefeated. Who else but I to defend the weak and innocent?" Groo asked selflessly with a smile as he went out to protect the people once more.

"He seems nice", Lilah spoke up before adding. "In the boring good boy kind of way."

"Your people took him once, you'd know", Fred sneered at her.

"I'm going to my room to meditate", Matt told them as he went up too. "Let me know if something happens."

"Why does he need to meditate?" Lilah asked but got no answer.

Fred and Wesley reviewed their research. "This is hopeless. The Orb of Thesulah is the only way I can find to restore Angel's soul but that only works if it's moved on to an afterlife or something, not floating in a jar somewhere."

Wesley assured her. "We'll find a way to bring Angel back."

"How?"

"The way we always do. Skill, perseverance… luck."

Fred smiled. "Not a lot of that going around."

"We'll be all right."

Fred's tone was pointed. "As long as we stick together."

Wesley now decided to bring something up. "Fred, what happened between me and Gunn… I didn't mean… that's not what I wanted. Could you tell him that?"

Fred sighed sadly. "I don't think he'll listen. We're not… we're not together anymore."

Wesley was taken aback by the news. "Oh. Not because of what I did?"

Wesley was a reason, but not the only reason. "Things just haven't been right. Not for a while."

Wesley moved toward her. "I think this is part where I'm supposed to say I'm sorry. And I'm really trying to be but…" He leaned in as if to kiss her but Lilah and Cordelia entered, interrupting.

Fred turned away, back to the books as Lilah asked. "Any progress?"

If Fred got the double meaning, she didn't show it. "Not really."

"Pity."

Wesley told the two ladies. "I made some headway cross-referencing but there's no telling how long it'll take to get anything definitive."

Cordelia asked. "But you have made some progress?"

Lilah smiled. "Sure looks like he's trying." She glanced at Fred who looked away, embarrassed.

Wesley said. "I'll relieve Gunn, see if I can get anything else out of Angelus."

Lilah asked. "So what now? Ouija board?"

The front door opened and Fred's eyes lighted up as Lorne re-entered.

"Lorne! Did you find out anything?"

"Zip, zilch", Lorne told her. "And talked to every contact that hasn't beat it for higher ground. Nobody's heard bo-peep about Angel's soul."

Lilah gave her own suggestion. "Forget about the goody-goody. You want to kill the Beast and give his boss a run for his evil? The answer's downstairs in a cage. Sic Angelus on him."

While Angelus could do that, the risk was too high, and Cordelia pointed it out with a question of her own. "Do you know what Angelus would do if we let him out?"

"Kill you all in a bloody shower of violence… but, hey, greater good."

"We'll find another way. I'm sure if we just all—"

"What? Hold hands and sing a hymn? That might be a little hard when the Beast is ripping your guts out", Lilah headed for the stairs with a pronounced limp.

Cordelia started. "Lilah, I know things look grim right now…"

"Don't go Watchtower on me, Saint Cordelia. I don't think I could stomach it."

"Man, I'd love to punch your face in."

Lilah stopped and turned with a smile. "Are you trying to turn me on?"

Cordelia shook her head. "You know what's sad about people like you, Lilah? It all comes down to fear."

"Fascinating. Now that we've got that settled…" Lilah turned back to the stairs.

"You're too scared to believe in anything because you're too scared to hope. You won't even open your eyes to the possibility."

Lilah let out a laugh. "You don't get it, do you, twinkie? I'm what I believe in. And you think I got this far by sticking my head in the sand? The Beast that eviscerated me has a boss and that boss is going to end life as we know it and nobody is coming to save us! Not Angel, not the Powers That Be, not the Avengers, not Daredevil, not Spider-Man and not the Forty-damned-second Cavalry! So if anybody has scales on their eyes… "

Cordelia's head rocked back and when she looked at Lilah again, her eyes had gone a milky, opaque white.

"…it's you."

Cordelia immediately spoke up. "I can bring him back. I know how to re-ensoul Angel."

Wesley stood guard over Angelus with a crossbow. They both looked up as Fred descended the stairs.

"Hey, we were just talking about you. At least I was, anyway."

Wesley inquired. "What is it?"

"Cordelia had a vision. She knows how to put his soul back."

Angelus laughed. "I guess the Powers saw how bad you guys suck."

"Doing better than you."

"Fred…"

"Oh!" Angelus began his mocking again. "She really has put on the spunk, hasn't she, Wes? Not the same shy bitch-cow we pulled out of Pylea."

Fred responded. "There's only one bitch here and I'm looking at him."

Angelus wasn't done yet. "Oh, come on. We all know it's for the best. Now you can go for the real prize. Mmm… man, I'm telling you, if I swung that way… look at him. All rugged and handsome. And brains! Man, he's damn near perfect."

"Thank you." Wesley and Fred turned to go.

"Except the part about banging Lilah for the past few months. That kinda takes the shine off."

Fred stopped and stared at Angelus, incredulous, then noticed Wesley's expression.

"Fred…"

"No, it's… it's none of my business. I should…" She turned and ran up the stairs, Angelus chuckling in the background.

Matt and Gunn later dug a large hole in the woods as Gunn asked. "So, how are you and the Devillish side doing?"

"Well, there is some difficulty in uniting the human and Devil halves to bring out Adam", Matt informed him before sensing something. "We're about to reach the coffin."

They found the wooden box and Gunn used a crowbar to pry it open, when a clawed hand shot out but Matt commanded. "Stop!"

The soul eater stopped as Gunn used his ax to chop off the head and told Matt. "Damn! That thing is handy!"

"Tell me about it", Matt quipped.

Lorne and Wesley sat at the counter as Cordelia and Fred entered carrying strangely formed conglomerations of wood, bone and feathers.

"Seven talismans, built to spec."

Fred commented. "Sometimes I hate this life."

"Dumpster-diving for week-old buffalo wings? Definitely not in the job description."

Fred responded. "Try de-clawing scavenged road-kill for three sacred talons."

"Never do I have the happy frolicking puppy visions. Always bones and death and… "

Matt and Gunn returned with the soul-eater's head.

"We got the skull of the soul-eater", Matt set it down on the counter with a nauseating squelch."

Cordelia started. "I'm just saying…"

Wesley noted. "It looks… rather fresh."

Gunn shrugged. "We moved up its expiration date." Matt and Gunn shared a chuckle.

"Cordy?" She shut her eyes and concentrated.

"I just see the skull. It doesn't have any… you know, parts."

"Right", Wesley turned to Gunn. "Take it to the kitchen and remove the flesh and soft tissue."

Gunn picked the head up with a sigh and went off to do as told with Matt while Lilah came down the stairs. "It's just like being at work except suits by Liberace."

Lorne wasn't in the mood really. "Wesley, would you please warn this walking infection that I haven't forgotten how she poked my head open like a Capri-Sun and while my love for humanity allows me to tolerate her presence, if need be I will smack her down! Be a doll, Thanks."

He got up and left the room also, leaving Lilah and Wesley alone.

"In all the excitement, I thought you would have escaped by now."

Lilah shrugged. "Well, I would have but it's Thursday, which means everyone who should be in the weekly briefing is… dead."

"So you have nowhere else to go."

"Just waiting to prove that your Powers That Be are all hat and no cattle. And if they do pull it through, well then, braid my hair and call me Pollyanna. The upside of being in it for yourself, Wes? You always end up on the winning team."

Fred came out from the back, looking for Wesley. She stopped when she saw him with Lilah.

"Wesley?" A beat. "Cordy had a… a question." She looked away, then walked out.

In the basement, Wesley set the skull down in the center of a ritual circle on the floor in front of Angelus' cage. Matt knelt to Wesley's right while Fred lay down sticks in a runic pattern across from him. Cordelia, Gunn, Lorne and Lilah stood nearby watching.

Angelus asked them all. "Have you all lost your minds? You're going to use black magick to restore my soul. People, this never goes well. Am I the only one paying attention?"

"Ten-to-one, the entire hotel gets sucked into a hell dimension", Lilah shrugged.

"Well, us losing our minds is still preferable to you losing your soul", Matt shrugged.

Angelus quipped. "Talk about eleventh hour desperation. Face it, you're grasping. No jar, no soul."

Matt noted. "You sound pretty desperate yourself."

Cordelia asked Wesley. "Do you have the vial?" He handed her a small glass tube. "Let's be realistic. Even if your precious champion makes another guest appearance, you can't stop the apocalypse. Bottom line is, you're going to lose."

Cordelia held the vial over the center of the circle and poured blood onto the skull.

"The last thing you smell will be each other's blood."

Fred shrugged. "That's your opinion."

Lilah agreed. "You tell him, honey."

"You shut your fat mouth." Lilah rolled her eyes and Angelus chuckled.

Angelus mocked them. "Look at you. Heroes. So tangled up in your own crap, you can't even find the world to save it."

"You want to shut up or do I make you?" Matt asked, and that made Angelus shut up.

Cordelia asked. "Does everyone have their talismans?"

Everyone held up the bundles of bones and feathers. Cordelia went over to the cage and stood before Angelus.

She threw a handful of sand on him to initiate the spell and Angelus was hurled across the cage and slammed into the wall. He struggled to his feet, gasping, as Wesley started the incantation.

"In degara…"

"Don't kid yourselves…"

"Fortis murus…"

The flames on the candles shot high into the air.

"I'll still be around long after your corpses rot."

"Kesta sartuum…"

The entire hotel shook and creaked around them.

"Mundi ethericon…"

Angelus screamed and doubled over in pain as a glowing wispy-white cloud rose from the center of the circle and snaked toward him.

"I promise you, this isn't…"

"Chimera nihilo…."

"…the end!"

The cloud encircled Angelus and lifted him off the floor. He moaned in pain as the glowing energy enveloped his body. The soul-eater's skull exploded and the energy disappeared. Angelus dropped to the floor, stunned.

Cordelia called out. "Angel?"

Angel looked up. "I'm so sorry."

"It worked", Lorne realized.

"Maybe", Matt noted.

Angel called out. "Fred?"

Fred asked. "What?"

Angel remembered guiltily. "You came down the stairs. You had blood and I grabbed…"

Fred assured. "I'm fine."

Cordelia realized. "The spell, it worked. I feel it."

"I don't sense evil", Matt told the rest of them.

Wesley pointed out. "We have to be sure."

Gunn suggested. "Get Lorne to read him."

"Angel? Are you aware of what's happened?" Wesley inquired as Angel struggled to his feet.

"I'm back. There's… something else. Something worse than the-"

"The Beast, yes. And we need your help to fight it. But first you have to sing for Lorne."

Angel was confused. "I…"

"To prove it's really you."

"Oh, right", Angel cleared his throat and sang. "Raindrops keep falling on my head…" He kept humming the tune as Lorne broke into a huge smile.

"Oh, yes. Yes! Sweet fancy B.J. Thomas, it's him. It's Angel."

Gunn asked. "You sure?"

"Yes, yes! The aura's totally changed and the vibe screams "soul"", he turned to Cordelia. "Oh, bless you and your beautiful landline to the PTB, honey."

He hugged Cordelia and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Good to have you back, Angel", Matt said with a smile.

"Sorry about all I said earlier", Angel said regretfully.

"It wasn't you", Matt assured.

Fred suggested. "We can let him out."

Angel didn't want to go. "No. I'm staying in here. I'm doing what's best for the group."

Cordelia wondered. "Since when is locking up the leader what's best for the group?"

Angel made a point. "Since when does your vision come with a guarantee? For all we know, this spell… it's only temporary. And god forbid…" He sighed. "I can give orders from down in here and the new ones are: no more back-biting, fist-fighting, fraternizing or vengeance. From now on you focus on one thing: making it out alive. I haven't and will never give up on you. We'll get through this thing… together."

Lilah shook her head in amusement. "I can't believe we didn't crush you people years ago." Angel ignored her.

"Wes, you and Fred get back to Lilah's books. We need any new information we can get on this new player. Lilah, make some coffee. Earn your keep around here. Lorne, I want you out working low-pro real estate. If this thing is bigger than the Beast, it's going to be laying down roots and it'll need square-footage."

Lorne nodded. "Good to have you back, boss."

"In the meantime, Matt, Gunn, work damage control. Sweep the surrounding blocks for civilians. Save who you can."

Matt nodded and told Angel. "You can come out, you know?"

"No", Angel shook his head.

"Talk some sense into him", Cordelia said to Matt.

"I will once I come back", Matt assured as he walked off to do some work as Daredevil.

A while later, Matt as Daredevil beat down the latest Demon when he got a call. "Yeah." He was shocked by that, it hadn't worked? Really?

"What? How?"

It didn't matter, he had to get back. "I'm coming back."

The group was gearing up, with Matt outside to avoid Lilah from knowing he was Daredevil, as they were taking weapons from the cabinet and arming themselves. Gunn told the rest. "Matt's on point, three-party follow-up. Me, Wes and Fred in the truck."

Cordelia sat on the couch holding an ice pack to her head. Gunn looked over at her concerned. "Cordy?"

"I don't understand how the spell didn't work."

"Dud ex machina. There's a surprise", Lilah shrugged.

Cordelia told them. "We'll be fine. Go. He'll want to feed. A lot."

Wesley explained to the rest. "Our only advantage is Angelus might think we want to capture him. But we will have our friend freeze him and then get his soul back."

Gunn agreed. "Angelus is on the loose because we brought him in this world. It's our job to take him out of it."

Lilah loaded and cocked her semi-automatic pistol.

The others left, leaving Cordelia and Lilah behind.

Fires burnt everywhere but there were no people around, only piles of dust and beaten and bloodied Demons.

"No fun, this sucks", Angelus groaned.

Cordelia sat on the sofa, dejected, the ice pack pressed to her head. "And he let me think I was talking him into it."

"Those evil geniuses… get ya every time", Lilah quipped.

Cordelia agreed. "The Beast and then Angelus and now there's something worse… I thought the spell was—"

"Divine intervention? Trust me. You have more chances of winning the lottery six times in a row. I had the numbers done."

Cordelia started. "It just makes me question—"

"What's it all for, huh? I would, too, if I were about to die."

Lilah and Cordelia looked up at the balcony and reacted as Angelus leapt off of it toward them. Lilah raised her gun and fired as Angelus somersaulted to the floor. He was too quick and the rounds impacted harmlessly against the far wall.

She dropped the empty gun in frustration as Cordelia raised her crossbow and fired. Her aim was true and the bolt flew directly at Angelus… but he caught it in mid-air.

"This time…" He whipped the bolt back at her and it embedded itself in Cordelia's thigh. She dropped to the floor with a scream. "…you stay down!" He turned to Lilah. "As for you, luscious thing, I mean, you were going to let me out of that cage so, let's see, I'll give you a 10-second start? Ten, nine…"

Lilah didn't hesitate. She bolted down a side corridor and out of sight.

"Now there's a girl who takes advantage of her opportunities."

Gasping in pain on the floor, Cordelia reloaded the crossbow and fired. This time the bolt went wide and slammed into the wall next to Angelus' head.

"Don't be jealous, kitten. She's just the warm-up. I'll save the good stuff for you."

He smiled wickedly and walked off down the hall.

"Eight, seven…"

Gunn's truck moved slowly down the ravaged street with Matt running out front in the lead. He used the scent from Angel's hair product to track him but due to the fire, smoke, ash and blood all over the city, it was harder.

He came to a stop and the others got out and met up with him.

"It doesn't make sense.

Wesley asked. "What doesn't?"

Matt informed them. "Angelus would want to feed but his scent ends here and it's not a highly-populated area."

Gunn was shocked. "It ends here? Somebody pick him up?"

Matt pointed out. "He would go to the place where he could wreak the most damage."

Wesley realized. "Which doesn't necessarily mean highly-populated."

Fred made the full realization. "He doubled back." They all ran for the truck.

Angelus stood over Connor's crib. "So sweet, so small. I don't know whether to hug him or bite him. Maybe I should raise the little bastard, teach him the craft, father and son!...but I don't do diapers."

Then he turned to see Lilah and she ran. Angelus looked down at the now crying Connor, and shrugged. "You ain't going anywhere."

Then he went after Lilah.

Lilah ducked into the shadows as he moved past further down the hall. She waited until he was out of sight, then came out of hiding and limped in the opposite direction.

Angelus popped up behind her from around a corner.

"Boo!"

She raised her axe to strike but he easily wrenched it from her grasp and knocked her to the floor.

Suddenly, Groo rammed into Angelus, sending both of them falling over the railing of the stairs and onto the ground. All the fighting had weakened and wounded Groo so he wasn't in top form.

They staggered up as Angelus said. "I've been waiting a long time to do this again."

With that, he kicked a table at Groo which he stepped back to avoid, and Angelus leapt over the table, kicking him away.

As Groo got up, Angelus landed 3 punches to his face and as Groo tried to strike, Angelus grabbed him and pushed him the other way, damaging a pillar.

Then Groo punched Angelus once on the face, and then gave him two uppercuts, the second sending him flying off and crashing to the ground.

Groo walked to him but Angelus got up and decked his face, then chest, and tried to strike again but Groo blocked and decked Angelus' face, then his stomach twice, and tried to hit again but Angelus blocked and punched his face before giving a strong kick to his chest that sent him back.

Angelus then grabbed Groo by the waist and slammed both of them down to the ground, shattering a table. They struggled and got up as Groo kneed Angelus' gut, freeing himself.

He then tried to strike twice as Angelus dodged, and they stood ready to fight, Angelus dodging another blow. He then blocked another and spinning, elbowed Groo's chest, punched his abdomen, and kicked his foot.

He then punched Groo's face and elbowed him, sending him back again. Groo then tried to punch as Angelus dodged and kicked his knee twice.

He then tried to punch but Groo blocked and also blocked a knee from him, and then Groo punched Angelus twice, before staggering him back with a punch to the abdomen.

Angelus tried to punch again as Groo blocked and punched him back. Angelus struck once more but Groo grabbed him and head-butted him, dazing him, and lifting him up, slammed him to the ground, breaking the concrete too.

"I shall put you back in your cell", Groo said as he staggered up. But Angelus wasn't done, and taking the opportunity, leapt up and dropped a ceiling light on Groo's head hard, shattering it and finally knocking the former undefeated warrior of Pylea out.

"Well, I defeated the undefeated, that was fun", Angelus quipped but heard the others coming back so he leapt out the window while Lilah ran down to Groo.

"Come on, wake up you dumb piece of muscle and protect me!" She snapped, shaking him as Cordelia walked behind Lilah, slowly raising a dagger, ready to stab Lilah in the neck, but Groo opened his eyes and got up in that moment, making Cordelia put the knife away and make it disappear into thin air as the rest returned.

Later

Matt stood over Connor's crib. Angelus hadn't been able to kill Cordelia, Lilah or baby Connor, thanks to Groo, but Cordelia was wounded, and Angelus was still out there, and still a threat.

Groo himself was wounded too, and settled on a bed to recover from all his fighting and the battle with Angelus.

Matt smiled at all the little movements baby Connor made in his sleep, and then got serious as he pressed a number, and the call started before it was picked up.

"Hey." He exhaled before saying. "We have a problem." A little pause. "It's Angel...he lost his soul."

Another pause as they reacted.

"It's a long story, but we're short staffed at the moment, and not all of us are at a hundred percent. We need you. I need you."

Matt smiled.

"See you soon. I love you."

Then he ended the call and picked up baby Connor.

"Guess who's coming to save daddy?"

Guess who's coming to save daddy? Quite obvious.

So big change, Lilah gets saved! Honestly, she was my favorite villain on the show (suck it Senior Partners!) and deserved a grander exit than what she got here. I have something in mind (not in this story though, in a later one) but she shall survive Angel Season 4 over here.

Hope Groo battling Angelus was enjoyed.

Thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for the help once more, and see you all next time with another chapter.