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.

And thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help with this one.

Now this is my favorite episode of Season 4, my favorite crossover episode between both shows, and my 4th favorite Angel episode, and the episode that made Willow my favorite character in this whole franchise and my most favorite female character overall, so I better do it justice.

Plus, I had to take a break from writing this chapter because someone's goat ended up in my garden.

I'm serious!

Chapter 14- You need a couple of Witches

A strangled cry escaped Faith's lips as Angelus sank his fangs into her and began to drink when suddenly the roof burst open and Adam flew in, and grabbing Angelus, he ripped the Vampire off of Faith, throwing him through a wall as Faith fell down, gasping.

Angelus groaned in pain but didn't get a second to rest before he was pulled by the leg, and then slammed on the ground multiple times.

Adam stopped for a second, then slammed him a few more times before throwing him up onto the ceiling, and then Adam flew up and slammed Angelus against the ceiling before throwing him down, making a crater.

Adam landed, growling as he flew down and grabbed a battered Angelus from the ground by his throat, and reared his claws back, erupting with Hellfire.

"Don't", Faith stepped in his way. Adam heaved like an animal, the rage still clear in his eyes, even as he moved his gaze towards Faith.

"It may be Angelus, but its still Angel's body", Faith reminded him.

"Kill him", Wesley said as he staggered up, still in pain, "and you kill any chance we have of returning Angel's soul. Kill him, and you kill your friend."

Adam looked between the two of them, then the still Angelus, unable to move due to the pain. Then he snarled one last time as the Hellfire around his claws extinguished, and he carelessly dropped the Vampire to the ground.

"Sleep", Adam commanded as the Hell-Mark glowed, and Angelus' eyes closed as he followed the command.

He then started transforming back but to his horror, nothing happened.

"Kicked his ass", Faith muttered about Angelus, as she had won the fight, Angelus just caught her off-guard after that to drink.

Adam growled and picked up Angelus, then Wesley and Faith in the other arm, and fluttering his wings, flew off.

Fred was reading an old book at the counter when suddenly the ground shook, and then the door slammed open as Gunn and Groo entered, dragging an unconscious Angelus.

"Oh my God!" Fred said with wide eyes.

Angelus wasn't bound as Fred asked. "Why is he not bound?"

"Matt commanded him to sleep", Gunn revealed. "I think he'll follow."

Lorne walked out and started. "Well, what is all th-Oh! Angelus! He is in the hotel!"

"We need to get him back inside his cell quickly", Groo urged, as he and Gunn together took Angelus down into the basement to where his cage was, with Groo opening it as Gunn dragged Angelus inside.

"Where's Matt?" Fred asked back upstairs as Wesley and Faith.

"Uhh, yeah, he has a little problem", Faith said with a cringe as Adam kneeled down and stepped inside, barely avoiding the ceiling, and stood as straight as he could while kneeling.

"He cannot transform back into Matt", Wesley revealed.

"Stuck", Adam growled.

"Uhhh, sorry about that buddy", Lorne assured him while holding up his hands.

Cordelia was in her room, knowing Angelus had been captured now, and knew the others would try to re-ensoul him.

Her injury still gave her an excuse to stay here in her room with none the wiser as to what she was up to.

And she had cast a spell to prevent her sound from going out of the room, and not even Matt could hear her.

Her was stuck in his Devil form right now so he would be focused on trying to come back to normal anyway, which would mean she could make a plan on how to salvage this for sure.

Gunn locked up the cage as Groo said. "I hope he stays there until we find a way to get his soul back."

The year was 1902. The city was New York. Steamer ships disgorged immigrants by the hundreds. They stood in lines, hefting everything they own, waiting to be processed into the United States.

Filthy and disheveled, Angel made his way through the teeming throngs. Suddenly Angelus was there, standing right in his path dressed as he was in 21st Century Los Angeles.

Angel took no notice, however, and passed right through him. Angelus turned around and watched Angel walk off, confused and angry.

"Hey! What is that about?"

He saw Angel walking among the whole crowd and was disgusted. "The whole way over here he crouched in the filth of the animals just to avoid human temptation. This isn't my life. It's his!"

Why was he being made to witness this?

"It annoyed the crap out of me the first time around. This sucks."

Now the year was 1922, and the city was Chicago. A pair of dice rolled across the sidewalk as a couple of old bums played craps.

"Even odds, one over."

Angelus walked past the craps players and looked around at the bustling street outside of a blues club. "Early 20s by the cars. What is this? Chicago?"

He saw Angel sitting on a bench across the street. He was cleaned up now but stared vacantly into the night, obviously haunted by something.

"Oh, no. I remember this. I remember this place. I gotta get out of here."

Tires screeched as a car rounded the corner. "It's coming….again. I can't do it again. I won't."

Suddenly Angel bolted off the bench right in front of the oncoming car. He zipped in front of the car and scooped up a small puppy from the road just in time to save it from being run down.

Angelus winced. "Ah, no!"

A pretty young flapper girl ran out of the club and over to Angel, smiling happily at the sight of the puppy.

The girl took the dog from Angel's arms and smiled at him invitingly. "Oh, my stars! You saved him, mister."

Angelus groaned. "I'm in hell. This is hell and I'm in it."

"Oh gee big fella, how can I thank you?"

Angelus urged Angel. "We haven't fed on a human in decades. She's beggin' for it, you moron!"

Angel told the girl. "Get lost."

"Beg pardon?"

"Take a hike, Betty. Scram."

"Well, pound snow, you mook!" She glared at him and walked back into the club with the puppy.

"Why am I reliving his good deeds?" Angelus groaned before growling. "Devil Boy! His command to sleep put me in here! I hate him! I hate this!"

Lorne was hanging with Adam, taking a drink as he sang a little to cheer the Devil. "Rock your body right. Backstreet's back alright!"

"Lorne. Friend."

"Oh hell yeah, I'm your besty", Lorne said happily.

Wesley found a letter from Lilah, who he had been told had left shortly after he, Faith and Matt had gone out to track Angelus.

"Hey Wes, not bothering with the proper syntax here as I just wanted to leave a message for you. As you can see, I'm gone now. Can't stand those whiny do-gooders.

And you know me, can't live without doing the evil work at night. I know the firm is gone, but the Partners are still here, and no, I don't think they care about me.

But I'm the only living member of the LA branch now, and I am valuable to them, so I just have to play my cards right to get back on top of the game, you know how much I love it there.

As for this Beastmaster, its too busy with you to care about me, best to keep it that way till I'm back on top. You be careful though, try not to die or get maimed…too much.

I'll see you around."

Wesley smirked and shook his head, keeping the letter back down. So much like Lilah, caring only about herself and wanting to get back on top while staying alive.

But he'd read between the lines and knew she did care about his well-being, and wanted him to be all right too.

A while later Wesley, Faith, Fred, Gunn and Groo were at the counter with Adam and Lorne a little away, still hanging out.

"There is only one thing we can do now", Wesley said before turning to Faith and looking at Adam. "Finish what you two started."

"You mean re-ensoul Angel", Fred noted.

"Is it possible still?" Groo wondered. "We do not have the jar with the soul."

"It's not that simple, Groo, I've been doing some research", Fred told him.

"Yeah, it was a hell of a fight to take him out, I want him saved, not killed", Faith agreed. "So we save him."

"Only problem is the pesky little soul with the jar has floated away somewhere", Lorne spoke up grimly.

"Save Angel", Adam growled from next to him.

Gunn wanted to save Angel, but things weren't looking very good yet. "There's no way to find his soul, or who took it. We just can't find a way to restore Angel. I hate to think of this, but we may have to enact his last wish. We may have to kill Angelus."

"I don't think so."

They all turned to see Willow and Tara standing at the door.

"I think you need a couple of Witches", Tara finished for her girlfriend, as the two Witches walked in and set their bags down.

"Did we come at a bad time?" Willow asked,

Wesley was surprised. "Willow? Tara?"

"You're Witches?" Groo asked in surprise.

"Yes, hi", Tara greeted him as she held out her hand. "You must be Groo, right?"

"I am the Groosalug, former champion, undefeated Champion and ruler of Pylea, now honored member of Team Angel", Groo introduced himself as he shook her hand and kissed it, and then did the same with Willow.

"I am honored to meet you two, Witches, and since you two are here to help my friend, I shall serve your every need."

Willow and Tara shared a touched look at how sweet Groo was in spite of his size and stature as Tara told him. "Your heart is as big as your muscles, you know that?"

"Thank you for your praise", Groo said with a flattered smile.

"Hey Faith", Willow greeted her friend with a hug.

"Red", Faith smiled happily as she then hugged Tara. "Tara, nice to see ya two here?"

"You all right?" Tara asked.

"Yeah, I am", Faith assured.

Fred then smiled. "Hi, Willow! Hi, Tara!"

"Hey, Fred. It's good to see you", Willow greeted her for them both before seeing Wesley. "Oh, and it's the Marlboro Man. Or at least his extra stubbly, mentally unstable, insomniac first cousin of-oh, for the love of Hecate somebody stop me."

All chuckled as Fred assured. "It's okay. I'm a yammerer from way back."

"So we've 3 adorable ladies here", Faith quipped, looking at Willow, Tara and Fred as they smiled, flattered.

Wesley asked the 2 Witches. "Are there forces gathering? Did the call of magick draw you two here?"

"Oh, no. More like the call of Fred", Willow clarified to him.

"Of course", Wesley realized. "Bring in the only living person to ever re-ensoul Angel, and another powerful Witch who is connected with her to make it easier."

Fred told him. "They have fresh brains. I thought they might see some things we missed."

Willow praised Fred. "Well, hearing the thoroughness of your research methodology, I don't think that's possible."

"Yeah, you have done a lot of legwork already", Tara agreed there.

Fred smiled. "Oh, go on."

Then the Witches saw Adam in the corner with Lorne who had baby Connor in his arms and their eyes widened in shock.

"Yeah, uhhh, he took that form to take out Angelus and some others, now he is stuck in it", Faith told the two Witches what had happened.

"Oh….right….." Willow said weirdly. "We'll do something about that after we're done with Angel."

They knew about the Devil yes, but had never seen him up this close. It was terrifying! But also intriguing!

Then Tara approached him, and Adam tilted his head and stared at her curiously like he did with new people.

"Hello." Tara said with a smile. The act caused Adam to try and so the same, curling his lips trying to smile in return, but it just looked weird as he flashed his golden fangs.

Groo informed Tara. "His name is Adam."

"Hello Adam." Willow said this time as she joined Tara's side.

"Tara." Adam spoke the name for the first time. "Willow."

He then grinned again. "Friends. Come to save Angel."

"Yes, we have", Willow assured Adam.

"Well then, hope you succeed ladies", Lorne said with a smile and they saw the baby in his arms.

"Awww, is that Connor?" Tara asked and Lorne nodded, handing him to her.

"Hello Connor, I am Tara", Tara greeted him with a smile as she rocked, cooing at him. "We're here to save your daddy."

Willow took Connor from Tara, rocking and cooing at him too. "I'm Willow, and yes we are. You just sleep tight till then, daddy will wake you up."

"He can crawl too", Faith added. "I didn't see it yet, but it can."

"That is so nice, you are going to be so great when you grow up", Tara said in a childish tone, tickling him a little as he let out a laugh.

"He is so, so adorable, if I didn't want to re-ensoul Angel before, which I did because he's my friend, I would after seeing his cute son", Willow said as all chuckled, and she handed him back to Lorne.

"Good luck", Adam wished the two Witches.

"Thanks", Tara spoke for both of them.

"Oh I know they can do it, these two are something else", Faith assured Adam.

Willow then finally got down to business. "We should probably start the debriefing. Where's Cordy?"

Gunn sighed. "Yeah, Angelus shot her with a crossbow, and she is not up for visitors."

Wesley told him. "I think she'll want to see Willow. After all, she's travelled a long way with Tara and they have a history together."

Cordelia sat propped up in bed. A knock at the door and Groo entered, leading Willow inside. "Hi there."

Cordelia smiled. "Been a while."

Groo walked out as Willow sat down on the bed with a smile. "How have you been?"

"Higher power. You?"

"Fighting some evil."

Cordelia asked. "You heard about Matt?"

Willow noted. "Yeah, stuck in Devil form."

"What about Angelus? Did you go down and see him yet?"

Willow told her. "I'm way avoidy. Too many memories. I'm just glad I don't have to be in the same room with him when I re-ensoul him with Tara."

"You really think you two can pull it off?" Cordelia asked as her hand slipped beneath the covers and closed around a butcher knife.

Willow asked. "Putting his soul back? It's the first spell I ever learned. Not gonna forget that."

Cordelia asked. "What about the muo-ping?"

Willow agreed it was a problem. "The jar holding Angel's soul? Therein lies our boneage."

Cordelia pointed out. "Stolen right from our safe. And if we can't get the soul out of the jar, we can't put it back in Angel."

Willow agreed. "Yeah, the question is, how do we get the soul out if we don't know where the jar is?"

Cordelia added. "And apparently the thing's impervious to magick."

Willow revealed. "I know. I already tried a standard locator spell but zero joy."

Under the covers, Cordelia's hand loosened on the knife. Willow was apparently not a threat after all. She said. "Right. Plus Wesley's shaman says there's no way to extract a soul from a distance."

Willow sighed. "Soul trapped in a glass jar, impervious to magick, it is complicated."

Cordelia quipped. "Tough nut to crack."

Cordelia's words sparked an idea in Willow. Cordelia saw her expression and her grip tightened on the knife again.

Willow asked. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Cordelia replied. "I doubt it."

Willow suggested. "We just break the jar!"

Cordelia indicated a glass of water on the nightstand. "Can you hand me that drink?"

Willow was caught up with inspiration and Cordelia's question didn't seem to register. "That way we don't have to magick the soul out, we just break the glass around it."

Cordelia seethed. "Great idea. I'm really thirsty."

Willow continued. "And then Angel's soul is still released into the ether and there's something called Delothrian's Arrow. We don't even need to know where the target is. Cordy, this is fantastic! We're going to get him back."

She turned and ran out, closing the door behind her. An instant later, the butcher knife slammed into the door right where Willow's head was a moment before.

Cordelia sat in her bed, seething.

Adam was now in a room, still wondering how to go back to normal as Lorne assured him. "It'll be all right, buddy. I know you'll pull through and find a balance."

He then sang to cheer Adam up. "There'll be another song for me. And I will sing it. Oh, there'll be another dream for me. Someone will bring it."

Angelus saw Angel trying to calm down baby Connor after he had first been born.

Angel made a face and silly noises. "Do you like that?" The baby continued to scream. "Well, obviously. Okay. How about this one?"

Angel pulled on his ears, made another face and silly noises. The baby continued to scream. "Okay. I only got one more in me."

Angel sighed and morphed into vamp-face. The baby looked up at him, stopped crying and after a moment his eyes start drooping. A big smile spread over Angel's face.

"Yeah, that's my little guy! You like that, don't you? A bootchee-wootchee..."

Angelus was breaking down at this point. "That face terrified ALL OF EUROPE! Now it's being used to-I can't even," it was all too much for the Vampire as he turned away and was nearly in tears.

Now it was 1973 in Houston in a donut shop. Angel walked into the empty shop, his hair long, his clothes typical 70s attire. MacArthur Park played on the jukebox as the cashier wiped down the counter.

Angel headed for the jukebox and took out some coins as Angelus watched from the corner. "Bring on the pain!"

Angel made a selection on the jukebox and a Barry Manilow ballad started playing. He closed his eyes and sighed. Disgusted, Angelus sat down in booth, then heard a buzzing near his head and swatted at the air. "This sucks. The concerts are even worse."

A man and a woman emerged from the back and head for the door, holding hands. Angel watched them, unable to help the bloodlust within him. When they were gone, he sat at the counter, his head in his hands.

"You know what that's like? Every time you get close, I feel it. Wanting to tear their flesh apart the hunger. It's like a blade in my gut!"

A robber walked in as the cashier asked. "Hi, can I help you?"

The robber pulled a gun and fired at the ceiling. "Give me your money! Give me the cash in the drawer."

"O-okay."

"Open it! Now!"

"All right, all right-I-I just have to-" The cashier reached in his pocket for the key to the register and the robber shot him through the chest.

As the cashier dropped to the floor, the robber glanced over at Angel, then bolted from the diner.

Angel got up and went around the counter to help the cashier who was gasping and choking, a bright bloom of blood on his white uniform.

"It's gonna be okay. I'll get you to a hospital. You're gonna be okay. Everything's-"

"It hurts!"

"Yeah, I know."

Angelus mocked. "Doc, I think we're losing him! God, I love this episode." He swatted at the air again as the crackling sound returned.

"What is that buzzing?"

Cordelia sat on her bed, a glowing red charm resting in her palm. "Hear me, Angelus. Heed my warning. Awaken at once. Return from the darkness."

She waited a beat. Nothing happened.

"Or just lay there and let the red-headed and brown-headed meddlers put your soul back. Whichever."

Tara dropped some herbs into a jar filled with red liquid and it started to smoke as she told Wesley. "It works."

Wesley didn't quite get it. "I thought Delothrianís Arrow was used to protect good magicks."

Willow agreed. "It is."

"So how can you use it to break the jar? The muo-ping is a sacred object. It's holy."

Willow explained to him. "It's glass, therefore crunchable."

Tara then pointed out. "The sacred is what's inside."

Wesley realized he had missed this. "Oh! The heart of all life. You two have studied the Daharim."

Willow then told him. "It had to be something specific. There's lots of jars in the world. Can't shatter 'em all. Well, I mean, you could but good things come in jars. Peanut butter, jelly, those two-headed fetal pigs at the natural history museum", she saw Wesley's look. "Come on! Everybody loves fetal pigs."

"Sorry. I think my sense of humor is trapped in a jar somewhere."

"Yeah, you seem….different", Tara said, looking concerned.

Wesley sighed. "A lot's happened. Not just Angelus. I've been…I've changed. I've seen a darkness in myself." Wesley turned to Willow. "Of course you would know."

Willow agreed. "Yeah, darkness. Been there."

"But neither of you let it define you", Tara pointed out to the two of them. "Willow is good again, and you are here with the good guys, if you were so dark, would you be here trying to help them?"

Wesley realized she had a point and nodded. "Thank you." Tara really knew how to comfort people with her heartfelt words. Willow was so lucky to have her.

Willow then asked him. "So, Fred, what's her story?"

Wesley looked away, then did a double take.

Angel comforted the cashier as his last breath slipped away. "God, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

The cashier went limp in his arms. Angel looked down at the blood on his uniform, then scanned the shop for witnesses. He stood up and backed away, fighting the urges within him.

"Now who's the villain, Angel? Now who's the villain?" Angelus taunted him.

Angel shook his head and moves toward the door but hesitated, looking back at the dead cashier. Angel pulled the door shut and locked it, then went back to the cashier's body.

"I'm deep in. Soul or no soul."

Angel's face shifted and he sank his fangs into the cashier, drinking deeply.

Angelus smirked as Angel raised his head from the cashier's neck with a tormented scream.

Holding a white candle, Fred walked through the lobby ringing a small bell while Willow watched. As Fred passed by, Willow corrected her posture, lifting Fred's chin. "You're good. Good bells."

Fred laughed and continues on while Willow went over to the counter where Tara, Faith, Gunn, Groo and the rest of the spell ingredients were waiting. She smiled at Tara and held up a small silver sphere about the size of a pinball.

"Okay, time to the spirit world, harness the Delothrian ebb, focus it through my little marble of doom here and we'll restore the muo-ping's entropic equilibrium."

Gunn asked. "Jar go smash?"

Tara replied for Willow. "Smash-o-crash."

"All I need to know", Gunn looked over at the monitor and Angelus lying inside the cage.

"I'll be downstairs in case the prince of darkness wakes up", Gunn said.

"Matt did put him to sleep though", Faith pointed out.

"Still, can't be too careful", Gunn shrugged as he walked off.

"He does have a point", Groo agreed.

"In the meantime, I'll try to help out Matt", Tara said as she walked to Adam and Lorne.

"So, soul work's done?" Lorne asked.

"Mostly", Tara confirmed before calling. "Hey Adam!"

Adam turned to her as she said. "Well, uhh, try to focus on your other half, it will help."

Wesley entered and asked Willow. "Are you ready?"

Willow nodded. "Should be a snap."

A bright flash of red energy suddenly erupted in front of Willow and hurled her across the length of the lobby.

"Stay your hand, Witches!"

"Willow!" Tara ran next to her to support her as Adam, Faith and Groo looked around, scanning for threats.

Cordelia held the glowing red ember in her hands again and stared deeply into it. "You two will not interfere with what must come to pass."

Tara helped Willow to her feet. "You okay?"

"Yeah", Willow nodded before chanting. "Invadoria disparu!"

"You think to banish me?"

"There's someone in my head", Willow growled.

"Come on, let's take it out together", Tara said as she and Willow held hands, trying to fight it with their combined power.

Cordelia had the muo-ping with Angel's soul in her room. "As long as the soul is under my protection, it will never be freed."

Willow and Tara looked up at the ceiling and combined their powers to fight it together. "Vetsche invadoria disparu!"

The glowing charm in Cordelia's hand disappeared with a small flash of energy, snapping Cordelia's head backward. She looked up in surprise. "Oh. I bid my thongue."

Willow ran to the corner of the room and retrieved the small silver sphere as Wesley warned her. "He's enormously powerful. It's the dead Beast's master. He contacted Angelus the same way."

Fred noted. "He wants to stop us from getting the soul."

"The Beast is down, the lady is down, so that leaves the Hand Ninja Ikari and Angelus, definitely doesn't want to lose either of them", Faith noted. "Well, don't think it can fight our 2 lovely Witches."

Willow held up her hand, the sphere resting in the center of her palm as Tara held her hand to boost her, and they began the incantation. "Open the window, fill the stone. Inside, outside, two made one." A glowing field of crimson energy surrounded the sphere and it rose up off Willow's hand, hovering in the air.

Cordelia's gaze turned cold. "You two want to go? Fine." She whipped her hand forward, sending a massive burst of energy down toward the lobby.

Willow and Tara both shrieked in agony and doubled over as Groo asked. "Are you two all right?"

"This is like another apocalypse inside the hotel!" Lorne snapped, wondering what to do as baby Connor started crying and Lorne started calming him down.

"Witches more powerful", Adam said confidently.

Willow and Tara stood back up, their hands splayed out to their sides, their eyes glowing now. "Ahlesh ashtoreth!"

The lights dimmed, a low rumbling reverberates through the building and the entire hotel shook to its foundation.

Wesley was dry. "I think they can hold their own."

A gale force wind sprung up in the lobby, blowing Willow's and Tara's hair back.

"Semsa nahl! Eresh aílahm!"

Angelus saw Angel in an alley and groaned as Angel grabbed a rat and ate it.

Angelus was angry as he paced around. "Twenty years after that stupid donut shop, and your fingers never smelled of anything but rat! "I'm so sorry. I give up. I'm gonna live in a sewer!" Why do I have to go through this again?"

"Maybe 'cause it's not about you", Angel stood up as Angelus spun around to face him, "jackass."

The hotel stopped shaking but the rumbling continued, growing louder and more ominous.

Wesley asked. "Do you feel that?"

Groo noted. "There's something evil rising in the hotel."

"Yeah, the Beastmaster", Faith sighed.

Cordelia stared at the muo-ping, her eyes a blank whiteness. "Seiza jai níhast engaiÖ Seiza jai níhast engaiÖ."

Gunn looked up at the ceiling, apprehensive, as the rumbling and groaning within the walls got louder.

A huge demonic head appeared in the air over the lobby, snarling, eyes glowing with white-hot light as Adam growled back at it.

"Ignore it!" Tara told Adam before she and Willow continued. "Find your target, leave our side!"

They thrust their arms forward and the glowing red orb shot away like a bullet. Almost immediately, the demonic apparition disappeared.

Her eyes back to normal, Cordelia realized her spell did not work. "Okay, then. Huge floaty head not enough to scare you? Then why don't we try-"

The sphere suddenly whipped into the room and shot straight toward the muo-ping. Cordelia's hand flew up and she stopped it inches from the glass jar. She held her hand out palm-first and the sphere hovered in place, straining to get to the jar but held back by Cordelia's force of will.

"And now they are on my last nerve!" Cordelia summoned her energy and pushed the sphere away from the muo-ping.

Willow and Tara fought back, using their own formidable powers to counter-act Cordelia's spell.

"Maybe we should use a little more", Tara suggested.

"Right", Willow agreed as they held hands and Eldritch energy poured out of their hands. "Geth na haroth, Castellum tol! Break the glass!"

The Eldritch magic from both Willow and Tara was not something Cordelia was prepared for as the sphere slammed into the muo-ping, shattering it and releasing Angel's soul.

Cordelia stared at the broken jar in shock. "Oh shit!"

Angelus was outraged. "I don't believe this! You're the one behind this whole true-Hollywood sob-story?"

"Yes."

"I'll finish you off!"

Both Angel and Angelus declared at the same time. "I've been waiting a long time for this."

Angel and Angelus started fighting. Angel knocked Angelus down but he got back up.

Angel kicked Angelus who blocked, then dodged some blows and grabbed Angel by the neck. "Always so concerned with the human condition", he threw Angel down the alley. "It's no big mystery, man. They suffer, they die. That's what they're there for."

Angel lunged at Angelus, tossing him down and throwing him into some trash cans.

Angelus snarled as he decked Angel twice, then threw him across the alley. "This is for the Barry Manilow concerts, you son of a bitch!"

A rip appeared in Cordelia's room and now Ikari was there. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Do you want to kill Daredevil?" Cordelia asked and Ikari nodded. "Well then, kill Angelus who is downstairs in the basement."

"Then what?"

"I can give you Daredevil's name."

At this point, Ikari had no choice but to swallow his pride, and so he nodded. "Fine."

He then quickly walked out of the room, doing his best to avoid detection."

The Orb of Thesulah rested on the counter surrounded by candles within a sacred circle. Wesley stood to one side and waved burning incense over the orb. Fred stood on the other with an open book of spells. "So now Angel's soul is just floating around out there?"

"Yeah, until we can channel it into the Orb of Thesulah", Willow explained and turned to Tara and Fred. "Ready when you two are."

"Come on", Tara said as she chanted. "Give me power, allow me to protect, let me scour, and there be no disconnect!"

A mystical barrier appeared around Willow to protect her from any more attacks as Tara urged. "Do it! Now!"

Fred nodded and started to read. "Quod perditum est, invenietur."

Willow chanted with her. "Nici mort, nici al finitei, te invoc spirit al trecerii."

Angelus threw Angel away and kicked him into trash cans.

Angelus then picked up Angel, only to be punched twice. Angel dodged a punch, then knocked Angelus down.

Angelus knocked Angel down with a trash can, annoyed. "You disgust me!"

"Took the words right out of my mouth", Angel sneered.

Willow continued with the incantation. Her eyes were obsidian now, the power flowing through her, building. "Te implor, Doamne, nu ignora aceasta rugaminte. Lasa orbita sa fie vasul care-i va transporta, sufletul a el."

A cut appeared on Tara's cheek as the Beastmaster was now trying to get through her to stop Willow.

"I'm fine! Carry on!" Tara urged when suddenly Adam started roaring while grabbing his head.

"What's the matter?" Faith asked him.

"Help…..Witches!" Adam said with a growl, trying to find a balance.

Angel blocked Angelus' blows and tossed him away, knocking him down and said. "I drunk, it doesn't get much worse than that. But my time is never up, know that."

"Oh save me the redemption talk", Angelus scoffed as he got back up.

The orb began to glow as Willow chanted. "Este secris aceasta putere. Este dreptul poporuil meu de a conduce."

Cordelia did a motion with her hand again to try to get to Willow.

Another small cut appeared on Tara's cheek as she defended Willow with her power, while Adam staggered around.

Faith though she heard something from the basement and without a word, rushed downstairs.

Gunn was standing guard when he suddenly turned to see Ikari, and before he could react, Ikari knocked him out.

Angelus knocked Angel away with a metal pipe twice before Angel kicked him back.

The orb glowed brightly like a miniature son as Willow chanted. "Asa sa fie, acum."

Angelus and Angel started to glow and combine into one being.

In the basement, the chained Angel was mumbling to himself with Ikari kneeling over him. "I will keep you away forever."

"I will do that for you", Ikari shrugged as he lifted his sword to decapitate Angel.

Faith grabbed Ikari's wrist from behind, stopping him from killing Angel.

"Break me off a switch, son", she threw Ikari against the cage wall. "There's about to be a whoppin'."

Ikari punched Faith, and she elbowed his face before tossing him out of the cage as the sword dropped. He rushed her but she grabbed the cage's top and kicked him back.

He then got back up as they faced each other. "A Slayer."

"You sound scared."

"Trust me, I'm not." Ikari calmly rebuked her, circling around, but Faith matched his movements.

"Over the years, Slayers have come and gone like leaves in the wind. Some have even been welcomed into our order."

"Slayers working for you crazy ninja bastards? I knew they weren't the most independent gals, but seriously?"

"There were few of note that did not fall under the Watcher's thrall, even fewer shown the hard path of the Chaste, and the rare few, the enlightened, taken into the grasp of the Hand, to obtain a gift no Slayer has ever known before...immortality."

Faith remained silent as they continued to circle one another, Faith ready to pounce, but Ikari seemed relaxed, too much so for her liking, he hadn't even turned his body to face her yet.

"Lady Alexandra enjoyed having a Slayer by her side. She grew...close, to those who joined us, but they never lasted, as Murakami-sensei often told her."

Ikari finally stopped and turned to stare at the latest Slayer.

"Thanks for the history lesson, but never was interested in the olden days."

"I figured you would enjoy information of your past lives, before you join them in death."

And then Ikari threw some punches that Faith blocked as he blocked a kick and tried to punch but she ducked and got on his other side and they both deflected each other's kicks.

Faith blocked two more strikes and kicked Ikari's chest, sending him down but he got back up. She threw a punch, then spun to kick which he dodged and tried to spin kick but she blocked and decked his chest before hitting his face and tried to kick again as he got on her other side.

She tried to punch but now he grasped her arm and decked her face, but she blocked the next two and elbowed him in a spin motion.

She then grabbed him and kneed him thrice before he grasped her knee and flipped her down, but she rolled away to avoid his kick.

She got up and blocked some blows before giving an uppercut and kicked him away. He rolled and got back up, blocking 2 kicks and now giving Faith an uppercut and a punch.

Faith dodged two more blows and grabbing his face, kneed his chest twice before he freed himself with a flip, surprising Faith at how he was keeping up with her, a physically stronger and faster opponent, a Slayer, with simply his skill and experience.

Faith tried to punch but he side-stepped, grasped her arm, decked her chest and face and then kicked her away with a flip, sending her down to the ground…..right at the feet of Matt!

She stood up, seeing Matt was back, in his Daredevil suit.

"You're back?" She asked, overjoyed.

"We found a balance", Matt assured as they shared a kiss, and he turned to Ikari, who was ready to fight more.

"Shall I kick his ass for you?" Faith asked.

"I'm sure you can do it, but I think I have to do this", Matt pointed and Faith nodded, conceding, since it was his duty to take down the Hand.

Faith then stepped back as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen and the Fury of the Hand squared off, with the top door opening as Lorne ran in with Wesley, Fred and Groo. "They just came here! And….its the Hand guy!"

"Stay back, its his fight", Faith told them all.

Matt wasn't going to let Ikari's hypocrisy slide here.

"You betrayed your own code by fighting with demons. Why? Nobu was a man of honor, even if he was a member of the Hand. He would never betray their code like this."

"Do not speak to me of the Hand! You know nothing of us. Of me." Ikari said emotionally, and showed that his loyalty to the Hand was more than just blind devotion or brainwashing. He was loyal to the people who raised him. "I was promised your name, and a means to destroy you, and your allies. I would have vengeance for my masters."

"The Hand is dead. As is the Chaste. The war is over."

"Not while one of us still breathes."

Then Matt unstrapped his helmet, and finally shows his face to a wide eyed Ikari.

"The Old Man of the Chaste." He muttered to himself, since he'd done his research around the Defenders, and knew of Matt Murdock's involvement and friendship with them, but he never imagined a blind lawyer was Daredevil, he just thought Matt was there to help them legally.

"So, the blind warrior had a disciple all this time, in the form of their greatest adversary. How poetic it has come to this."

Ikari took off his own mask, both men's faces now exposed.

"Now, let us begin."

And he entered his stance.

"No, now it ends."

The two charged and circled each other as Matt punched Ikari's face, sending him back, then tried to punch but Ikari blocked, and he tried to punch back as Matt ducked and spun away to avoid a kick before trying to kick which Ikari blocked.

Matt threw 2 more punches that were blocked and then Ikari grabbed his arm and kicked his abdomen, but Matt freed himself and decked Ikari's abdomen before getting a punch to the chest and face in return.

Matt then elbowed Ikari's knee and elbowed him back before trying to punch and spin kick which Ikari dodged and punched Matt twice before spin kicking his chest as he was sent back.

Matt now charged with a few more punches that Ikari blocked and punched back before kicking, and then he tried to spin kick but Matt backed to dodge it and blocked 3 kicks before ducking and spinning to avoid a spin kick.

Matt then tried to punch but Ikari blocked before Matt blocked one too, and Ikari punched his face before being kicked back. Matt tried to spin kick but Ikari avoided and spin kicked his face, sending him back.

Willow and Tara now arrived to look at the whole scene too as the fight continued.

Ikari leapt with a spin kick which Matt blocked, then decked Ikari's chest and face before being kicked back again. Ikari then kicked Matt's chest before being decked on the face. They grabbed each other as Ikari kneed Matt thrice but Matt did a flip and pinned Ikari to the ground, punching him twice.

Ikari freed himself and pinned Matt down, punching his shoulder but Matt elbowed him back and tried to get up when Ikari leapt at him and grabbed him in a chokehold, the two struggling.

Matt then threw them both down as Ikari's back hit the ground, and Matt elbowed him twice before rolling up and punched his chest many times before being kicked back.

Ikari flipped up and charged Matt and just as he got up, Ikari spin kicked his face, sending him flipping to the ground again.

Matt rolled and getting up, tried to kick but Ikari dodged and decked his abdomen, and then his face, sending him down, and stomped on his back with his foot.

Matt tried to get up as Ikari grabbed his face and picking him up, hit his back multiple times before Matt spun and both of them were on the ground.

Matt then punched Ikari's chest twice but was blocked the third time and sent away. Ikari then got up and charged with a kick but Matt blocked and punched his feet twice before getting up and getting an elbow.

Ikari then decked Matt's abdomen and getting behind him, elbowed his back and kicked him away. Matt turned back to Ikari, blocking and dodging some blows, then elbowed his abdomen and punched his face twice before blocking his blow and punching his abdomen twice. Matt then tried to spin kick which Ikari ducked to avoid but Matt punched his abdomen and face and kicked him back, then with a spin kick, knocked him down.

Angel had gotten back up during that time, and staggered up, seeing the whole thing and the reactions of the others as he told them. "This is why the Hand were so feared. Their warriors were unrelenting, they feared nothing, and they had one focus, kill whatever their masters bid."

Matt then flipped up and as Ikari staggered up, Matt leapt and kicked his chest, sending him back again. Ikari tried to punch as Matt blocked and punched his face, then his chest and then his face again, sending him away.

He then growled, ducking and backing to avoid a spin kick from Ikari, and then punched his face twice before giving him an uppercut, and kicked his chest, sending him back again.

Ikari tried to throw a kick but Matt blocked and punched him back, then dodging 2 more punches, punched his side, and gave two punches to his face before punching him so hard he spat out blood. Before he could recover, Matt flip kicked him down.

Matt was then top of Ikari, an arm blade prepared to stab down. Ikari stared back defiantly, prepared for his end, but what happened next shocked and angered him.

"I won't kill you." The arm blade retracted and Daredevil got up and walked away.

Ikari made a move to attack, but stopped when his own sword stabbed him all the way from the back.

"But that doesn't mean I have to save you."

The blade was pulled out. Ikari fell to his knees as Faith raises the sword, he looked up at her, then she beheaded him with his own sword.

Faith then smiled at Matt as they approached each other, and she cupped his cheek as they kissed and embraced.

When they separated, Matt heard Stick's voice say. "Good job, Matty."

At last, the last member of the Hand had been defeated by the last member of the Chaste.

Matt and Faith then turned to Angel who looked at them happily and with some remorse, and then the Devil and Slayer reunited with the Vampire in a joyful embrace.

"Look, daddy is here", Lorne said as he walked down with baby Connor, handing him to Angel who looked at his son with a smile.

"Hey buddy, daddy's back."

Faith and Matt came outside to talk to Angel. "Hey."

Angel asked. "How're you two feeling?"

Faith quipped. "Like I did mushrooms and got eaten by a bear."

"Like I was trying to find a balance with the Devil", Matt shrugged.

Angel agreed. "That about sums it up."

"Yep."

Inside, Tara was grim as Willow, who was cleaning and covering her wounds, asked her. "What happened?"

"When I used my energy to protect you, I also used it to try and track down where the Beastmaster was coming from", Tara revealed, and Willow's eyes narrowed.

"And?"

"It succeeded."

Willow was surprised as she asked Tara. "Where did it come from?"

Tara looked up at Willow and with a deep breath, revealed. "Cordelia's room."

As Angel, Matt and Faith walked in, Willow and Tara turned to them as Willow called out. "Hey guys!"

"Yeah", Angel asked as the three walked to the Witches. "Thank you for what you two did for me, I can't even-"

"Oh don't mention it", Tara assured before turning grim. "I tried to track down the Beastmaster's power."

"Did you?" Matt asked.

"It came from Cordelia's room", Tara revealed, shocking all three of them.

"What? What do you mean?" Matt asked. "Cordelia is….how can it be?"

"Yeah, that's impossible", Faith agreed.

"It's not Cordelia, I sensed it, something is possessing her, its dark and evil, and it seems like it has been on her for a long time", Tara revealed, now shocking all three of them.

"It…..it makes sense", Angel realized. "She was with us the whole time. She stole my soul, and from within the room, she can do whatever she wants while using her wound as an excuse."

"And she used some magic to prevent me from listening", Matt realized.

"So, she's possessed, we can save her, right?" Faith asked.

"We'll try our best to get into her head and save her", Willow agreed just as "Cordelia" walked down and they all turned to look at her.

"Cordelia" saw the looks Matt, Angel, Faith, Willow and Tara were giving her and asked. "What? My leg got better now!"

Faith slowly inched towards the weapons cabin as Lorne asked the five. "What is it? You seem grim?"

"She's possessed!" Matt called out to the rest of them. "The Power possessing her is the Beastmaster! Tara read her aura, she knows!"

"Cordelia's" smug expression fell as now she got angry. "Oh crap, didn't realize that Willow's girlfriend was a soulreader. I really don't have time for this anymore."

She raised her hand as Matt and Faith were blown backwards.

"Bloody hell!" Wesley said in horror as he turned to Fred, who had Connor in her arms. "Keep him away!"

Fred nodded and backed off as Gunn and Groo charged "Cordelia" but were sent off too, when Willow and Tara held hands and chanted, glowing with Eldritch energy as a fireball hurled by "Cordelia" was dissipated.

Angel rushed her but she withdrew a bottle of holy water, smashing it in his face as he was forced back.

Wesley withdrew a gun in case things got too out of hand but a simple gesture made his hand hit the wall nearby, dropping gun as he was thrown back too along with Lorne.

Willow and Tara chanted together, Eldritch whips coming out of their palms and binding "Cordelia" as she was forced to her knees, while the rest recovered.

"What do we do now?" Faith asked as she, Willow, Tara, Matt and Angel made their way to the bound "Cordelia".

"We will have to get into her mind", Tara suggested as she and Willow held hands and put the other ones around the possessed woman's head, chanting again, with Matt, Angel and Faith near them.

Suddenly, a bright glow enveloped the Wicca couple, Vampire, Slayer, Devil and the Beastmaster and when it was gone, all six of them were unconscious.

"What happened?" Fred asked as Wesley, Gunn and Groo ran to the six.

"They're alive", Gunn assured as he checked their pulses.

"And?" Lorne asked.

"I believe they are doing something", Wesley assured them all.

"Something to save Cordelia from what is possessing her", Groo said firmly with a nod.

Willow, Tara, Matt, Faith and Angel found themselves in a different Dimension, it glowed dark, clearly the home of this Power.

Matt then heard a familiar voice and called out. "Cordelia?"

"Where is she?" Angel asked as Matt followed the whispers and all of them came across Cordelia.

"Cordy, its us!" Willow called out but she didn't register their presence, she was just looking around fearfully and muttering nonsense to herself while hugging her knees to her chest.

"Cordy", Angel slowly walked to her.

"She can't hear you!"

They turned around to see a beautiful dark-skinned woman with an evil look in her eyes marching to them. "Because her spirit belongs to me now, as does her body."

"Who are you?" Faith asked, prepared to fight.

"Oh honey, I am the Beastmaster!"

And we're done with this one. Some of this was also inspired by Rutkowski's version of 'Orpheus' in his 'Chooser of the Slain' so thank you to him.

Hope the whole thing was enjoyed, this is my favorite Season 4 episode and my 4th favorite Angel episode behind 'Not Fade Away', 'You're Welcome' and 'Five by Five'. So I hope I did it justice.

Plus, Faith in canon took Orpheus because she still wasn't fully recovered at the time and I believe Wesley's words before might have (unintentionally from his end of course) driven her to be a bit suicidal and reckless until Angel inspired hope within her.

But here she is not like that so she didn't take Orpheus, of course.

And BOOM! I was always gonna do the climax here, since I won't be degrading Cordy and Charisma like Joss Whedon did because he was a petty sexist who can't handle that a woman working for him does not revolve her life around him.

So now Matt, Faith, Angel, Willow and Tara are in Jasmine's Dimension, and she has her form from the show because I imagine she picked out this form before coming to Earth.

As for how they reached there, Cordelia's body is sort of a conduit/portal between Earth and Jasmine's Dimension, which I shall explain better later.

Anyway, next chapter is the climax for my version of Angel Season 4, because what happened after this episode, wasn't a fan of most of it tbh, it dragged out too much for me, even if the concept was fine.

Thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help again.

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