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 once more, specifically one certain scene, and Chunk127 for the inspiration.

Chapter 6- Quickening

Hyperion Hotel

Darla was lying on the couch in Angel's suite, Angel sitting in a chair as she asked. "You figure out a way to do it?"

Angel shook his head. "No. I was thinking about the last time you were here."

"Mmm – that", Darla sat up. "Kind of hard to forget."

Angel sighed. "I know. I've tried."

Darla stood up and began to walk around. "Hey, you're the one that came in here all 'the world is a cold and lonely place.'"

Angel replied. "I had a bad day."

Darla looked at him. "So, you threw me through those glass doors, slammed me against the wall, pushed me onto the bed and took what you wanted."

Angel shrugged. "It seemed like the thing to do - at the time."

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Gunn walked in carrying a loaded crossbow, followed by Matt, Wes, Fred and Cordy.

Wesley said with some concern. "Sorry to intrude. We had a bit of a breakthrough with the Nyazian Scroll translation. I thought you should know."

Fred then cut him off. "It turns out that some of the irregular verbs Wes was using were problematic when converted to Ga-shundi because of the Nyazian trick of converting both nouns and verbs, which he discovered by... " Wesley stared at her. "Sorry. I'll shut up now so he can tell you what he figured out."

Wesley then picked up. "The Tro-clan isn't a person or persons. It's a confluence of events."

Cordelia finished. "Which means it not only involves you, Darla and the child, but other horrible things we don't know about."

Matt was about to speak but Cordelia raised a finger. "And don't you say it's you."

Matt shut up as Angel asked with a bit of a smile. "That... That's good. Right? I mean, doesn't that mean that the kid isn't this evil, apocalyptic thing that we feared?"

Wesley continued. "Not necessarily. There are a few Nyazian phrases related specifically to the thing being born that I haven't been able to complete."

Matt sighed, wondering why a baby had to be evil in this situation as Angel said. "So it's important that you do so."

Gunn looked at Darla. "Because we need to know what kind of bun is in the oven."

Darla walked back to her chair. "I know one thing about it. Something's protecting it."

Fred asked. "How do you know that?"

Darla sat down. "Because I can't get rid of it."

Fred frowned. "Sorry I asked."

Gunn raised the crossbow. "So you're saying, if I shot this into your stomach, it wouldn't do anything?"

Darla spread her hands. "Fire away."

"No, don't!" Matt immediately put his hand over the crossbow, lowering it as Angel stepped between them.

"No one is firing anything."

Wesley looked at them. "Angel's right. Clearly something wants this thing to come to term. - We'll wait for it to be born then we'll chop its head off."

Fred asked. "Well, what if it doesn't have a head?"

Cordelia said. "We're gonna need a really big mallet."

Gunn told them. "If it skitters, we should have a net or something. Maybe a flame thrower."

Angel's eyes widened. "Flame thrower? No, no. There'll be no throwing of flames. Nobody's gonna do anything until we know exactly what's going on. Now, if anybody has a problem with that they should leave - now."

Darla got up, shrugged and walked towards the door. Angel pulled her back. "Not you."

Angel sighed and took a step closer to the others. "Come on, guys. How about it?"

Gunn finally nodded as Matt let go of the crossbow.

"Cordy?"

Cordelia stepped closer. "You want me to protect the vampire bitch who bit me *and* her evil love child?" She hauled back and clocks Darla full on the nose, sending her stumbling back against the chair. Cordy smiled at Angel. "Okay, I'm in."

Darla leaned on the chair and moaned. "Oh, come on, tough girl. You're a Vampire. A punch in the nose shouldn't hurt that much."

"It's not that, she is having contractions", Fred said.

"No, these are fake, Braxton Hicks", Matt said as they all looked at him in shock.

"And how do you know, you can't even see?" Darla asked angrily.

"Oh he knows", Cordelia told Darla with a smirk.

"I hate this! I hate you all!" Darla screamed at them.

Wolfram and Hart

Lilah was watching the security cameras that had been set up in Hyperion on Linwood's order, and they had glitched for a week due to the spell to conceal them from almost everything, but now they were working.

Lilah watched Matt working, and noticed the symbol on his chest, deciding to look into it, and also noted he was a lot fitter than when they used to go out.

Then she noticed a pregnant Darla and was shocked. "Darla?"

Vampires weren't supposed to give birth. She quickly pulled out her cell phone. "Linwood? It's Lilah. You're not gonna believe what I'm looking at."

Hyperion Hotel

Angel supported Darla as she hunched over. "All right, easy, just lie down."

He helped her onto the bed as the others left and closed the door behind them.

"I'll be right back", Angel followed the others out.

"Guys, we got to figure out what's inside of her now, before it skitters out", Angel said to the rest.

Gunn suggested. "We should get a demony doctor in here. You know, someone who understands how her vampire girl parts work." Cordelia looked at him. "You know what I'm saying."

Cordy asked. "Well, didn't she already try that whole shaman, voodoo, witch doctor thing?"

Angel nodded. "Yeah. She did."

Fred wondered. "I don't suppose she ever went to like a normal doctor or a hospital?"

Cordy quipped. "Hey, there's an idea: hospital. Oh, wait, they don't admit vampires."

"Maybe we don't need to", Matt said as they turned to him. "The mystical nature of the pregnancy was messing with me, but maybe I haven't tried hard enough."

"What are you saying?" Angel asked.

"Perhaps if I focus, I can tell what it is", Matt suggested. "Wouldn't hurt to try."

After a beat, Angel said. "Sure, go ahead."

Matt nodded and opening the door, walked in as Darla looked up at him.

"Can you please, uhhh, move your shirt up a little?" Matt requested.

"Why? You want to feel it? Or you have a fetish for pregnant women?" Darla asked as Matt groaned but she still did as asked.

He ran his hand over her abdomen, trying to feel it, and he could feel the heartbeat. As he continued, he realized what it was.

"So, what's my little parasite?" Darla asked mockingly.

"It's….it's human", he said as the team now looked surprised.

Gunn asked in confusion. "Human as is in humanoid? As in cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers?"

"No, human as in boy, and there is no evil here", Matt said to them all.

Wesley said to Angel with a slight smile. "A boy. You're carrying a boy."

"Great", Darla said sarcastically as Matt removed his hand and she lowered her shirt.

"Gonna have a son." A slight smile creeped across Angel's face. "I'm gonna have a son."

Matt walked off, past them, patting Angel's shoulders. "Congratulations."

Wolfram and Hart

The conference room was crowded. There were people and beings sitting at the table filling out papers. One grey skinned demon was taking a lie detector test.

"Alright then, sir. Are you now or have you ever been a vampire? - Are any of your friends vampires?"

Linwood said to a bald psychic. "Thank you for coming. And correct me if I'm wrong, but the role of a psychic - is to be psychic. To predict the future, so that Wolfram and Hart doesn't find itself in this kind of predicament."

Bald psychic begged. "I can't apologize enough, sir."

"You're right. You can't." Linwood laughed. "But I'm not without compassion. I'm gonna give you a chance to save your job - and your skin."

Bald psychic smiled relieved, then frowned and leaned in a bit closer to Linwood. "No, you're not. - You're gonna have me killed."

Linwood put a hand on his shoulder. "Now, why couldn't you have had that kind of foresight when we needed it?"

Someone put a plastic bag over the bald guy's head from behind and pulled him away from Linwood.

The mind reader told Linwood. "They are telling the truth."

"Thank you." Lilah stepped up to Linwood. "Intelligence is just coming in. No one seems to know how Darla could be pregnant. There is a rumor about a prophecy involving a vampire birth, but the Scroll it's recorded on seems to be missing."

Linwood asked. "Do you have any idea how many groups and cults and organizations would kill to get their hands on this baby? We've got to get it before anybody finds out."

Lilah assured. "Yes sir. And we will."

Linwood added. "We need to get, dissect it, and find out what it means. And, that mark on your ex's chest, why didn't you mention it?"

"Sir, we dated during the end of our college years. Trust me, if he had it back then, I would have known", Lilah told him.

"He showed any powers?" Linwood asked.

"No", Lilah shook her head before thinking. "The sex was great though."

Linwood frowned and said. "I have sent an image of that mark to find out about it, and the Senior Partners are looking to assign blame so I'll step up and blame you because she was resurrected on your watch and I can't think of any better scapegoat."

He patted her shoulder and left as a slightly miffed Lilah pulled out her cell phone.

A guy wearing nothing but a turban and a loincloth was meditating in front of a candle with his eyes closed. He lifted one hand and opened it to reveal a crumpled piece of paper. His eyes remained closed and he didn't move as the paper suddenly burst into flame and burnt up on his palm.

A phone rang. The guy reached behind him and pulled out a cell phone and answered it without opening his eyes.

"Yes? - I understand."

He lowered the phone and extinguished the candlewick between his finger. Then he stood up and opened his eyes to look at a sword blade leaning against the wall across the room from him.

He held out his hand and after a beat the sword flew across the room and the handle slapped into his hand. He whipped the blade around the air as if fighting some invisible foes.

Hyperion

As Angel and Darla were walking out of the room, the window suddenly exploded into glass fragments and in burst the ninja as Angel shielded Darla from the glass.

As the ninja charged, Matt, having thrown down his cane and glasses, rushed him, tackling them both out the window. They fell onto a dumpster and rolled onto opposite sides before getting up.

The ninja twirled his sword and tried to strike as Matt leapt and flipped behind, then ducked to avoid another strike before leaping and kicking him back. He backed to avoid 3 more strikes before the ninja suddenly hurled his sword but Matt spun away to avoid it, then leapt as he felt the sword fly back to him from behind and the ninja caught it.

'Ninja with telekinesis, got it', Matt thought to himself as he picked up a trash can and threw it at the guy's head, staggering him back, then rushing to him, grabbed his hand and punched his face about five times before kneeing it, then hurled him to a corner, and as the ninja tried to get up, he leapt and punched his face hard again.

The ninja hurled his sword once more but Matt avoided, then caught it with his hand as the ninja tried to pull it back to his hand but Matt resisted, the two struggling.

Angel then ran out and picking up the ninja, decked his face twice before back handing him in a spin motion. He held out his hand again as Matt let the sword go but Angel intercepted it, and ran the sword through the ninja's chest, finally killing him.

They nodded at each other before Matt heard 3 cars screeching to a stop nearby and realized they were full of Vampires.

"I think we should get out of here", Matt said.

"Why?" Angel asked, and Matt gestured to the cars and Angel realized what it meant. "Word's spreading fast. Let's go."

Two minutes later, the whole of Angel Investigations was emptied out as they got to Angel's convertible with Angel, Wesley and Fred at the front, and Matt, Cordelia, Darla and Gunn at the back, and Cordelia was on Matt's lap for space as Angel immediately bolted, the 3 cars following them soon enough.

"Remind you of something?" Matt asked as Cordelia got comfortable. Cordelia suddenly adopted a naughty smirk and blush.

"Good times."

"Every moment with you was a good time."

Before Cordy could go "awwww", Darla groaned loudly.

"I'm with the knocked-up vampire on this one, which is something I never thought I'd say. Get a room." Gunn told the two.

"Guys, army of vampires on our tail, not really the moment for this." Angel grunted as he swerves to avoid a blacked-out car pulling up in front of them.

"Next time, get a bigger car!" Cordelia snapped back.

They drove down an alley, but a van blocked the exit, and vampires pulled up behind them and they were surrounded.

"Should have put on your horns for this one." Wesley couldn't help but say.

"Too much of a hurry", Matt sighed.

"Angel, you and Gunn take the dozen behind us. Wes, Cordy, and Fred, protect Darla. I'll get the rest." Matt said before when the Vamps all bowed down, to their surprise.

"The miracle child. For his time has come. Praise be, praise be, praise be."

Cordelia asked. "Hey, I'm all for being idolized, but - what the hell is going on?"

Angel asked them. "What do you want?"

The Vampire leader informed. "To protect the miracle child."

Angel seemed a little relieved. "Protect? Ah, that's good. We're all here for the same thing."

"As it has been prophesied - by our great potentate Ul-thar, we vow our lives to protect this - special child."

Angel said aside to Darla happily. "You hear that? Our kid. Special."

The Vampire leader then ordered. "Now let us kill the humans so we may use their blood to nourish the mother - and her miracle child."

The others all groaned as Darla was smiling. "Guess I'm getting dinner after all."

Angel begged. "Darla, you might wanna join the fight."

Darla didn't sound sorry. "Sorry, darling. I'm gonna have to be Switzerland and sit this one out." She asked the vampires. "Now, you did say you were just gonna kill the humans, right?"

The Vampire leader. "Yes, just the humans. Then we will nourish you, slice you open, wear your entrails as a belt and consume your eyeballs before we worship the miracle child."

Darla groaned too as she said. "Okay, I'm in."

Angel said to Matt. "Matt, you and I can hold them off for as long as we can, the rest of you, get Darla away."

Darla protested. "Oh, I'd rather stay and fight. Show these youngsters a thing or two about real carnage."

Angel told her. "That's thoughtful, but, you know, you should go."

Matt suddenly got an idea. "Wes, what were the abilities of a Hell-Mark again?"

Wesley started listing them. "Conjure hell-fire and control lesser Demons."

"So", Matt asked. "Can Vampires be considered lesser Demons?" He turned to Angel and Darla. "No offense."

"None taken."

"A lot taken."

"Yes, they can be", Wesley nodded in the affirmative before assuring Angel and Darla. "No offense."

"Again, none taken."

"Again, a lot taken."

And then Matt stood up, getting out of the car, and unbuttoned his now glowing chest, then proclaimed in a voice not his own.

"I command you to stop!"

The vamps froze and shook as they did, looking at Matt with wide, fear filled eyes.

"Kneel!"

They did, eyes glued to the ground.

"You shall harm none of us, be they human, vampire, or otherwise."

The Vamps nodded their heads, and dared not speak.

"Now leave!"

They were gone in an instant, and the Team stare at Matt with his Hell-Mark's glow starting to fade.

Darla then spoke up. "Who's this guy again?"

"Very special guy, indescribable", Cordelia said to her.

Matt sat back down with a sigh, buttoning his shirt as Angel asked in concern. "You okay?"

"Just drive", Matt said, not wanting to talk about it as Angel did.

"Where are we going?" Fred asked.

"Somewhere safe", Angel replied.

Cordelia asked. "Where's safe? The hotel is definitely out."

Gunn started. "How about if we go to..."

"Vegas? Sorry, Gunn, too high profile, but I agree we need to get out of dodge", Angel told him.

Wesley started. "Actually..."

Cordy was annoyed. "God! I hate it when you say that word! 'Actually' means that your oversized gi-normous brain thought of something that the rest of us failed to consider, right?"

Wesley looked at the rest. "Just, other people seem to know a lot more about this kid's importance than we do. The only thing that can help us is back at the hotel." He turned to Angel. "We can't protect your child unless we get the scrolls."

Angel sighed. "Okay then. Quick stop."

A while later, Angel pulled up in a dark alley. "Why 're we stopping here?"

"It's only a couple of blocks from the hotel. I'll go the rest of the way on foot." Cordy slid into the driver seat as Angel got out and looks up at the surrounding buildings.

Gunn asked her. "Hey, who said you get to be wheel man?"

Cordelia asked him. "Who said it had to be a man?"

Angel turned to Wesley. "The scrolls?"

Wesley informed him. "In the cabinet back in the office."

Angel said to the group. "If I'm not back in five minutes, leave without me."

Cordy asked. "Leave to where?"

Angel told them all. "Anywhere. Somewhere safe."

"Angel?"

Angel turned to her. "Yeah."

Darla said after a beat. "Just get out of here."

Angel jumped onto the hood of the car and from there to the bottom rung of a fire-escape ladder and made his way up the side of the building.

Angel later ran along the corridor in the Hyperion, dropped down into the lobby and looked around at the destruction and various bodies, one guy having chicken feet.

"Angelus."

Angel turned around and saw Holtz standing there, to his horror.

"I've been looking for you."

Darla was still in the back of the car. Wes was sitting on the trunk facing Fred, standing behind the car. Gunn was sitting on the side of the passenger door. Matt was standing outside too as Cordy started the car.

Gunn reminded. "He said five minutes!"

Cordy sighed. "It's been six and a half."

Darla rolled her eyes. "It's so typical of him."

Fred suggested. "It probably wouldn't hurt to wait another minute, right? I mean, what's the worst thing that could happen in another minute?"

Darla let out a blood-curdling scream as Fred trailed off. "Ask a stupid question..."

Matt informed them. "Her water is broken."

"There is a blanket in the trunk", Wesley told them.

Cordy wondered if Wesley was serious. "What are we gonna do? Deliver the kid right here? Shouldn't we go somewhere?"

Fred wondered. "What's keeping Angel?"

Gunn got the blanket out of the trunk and he and Wes helped a screaming Darla to lie down in the back seat.

"I'm gonna go check up on Angel", Matt finally said as they looked at him in shock.

"Are you crazy?" Cordelia snapped. "There is-"

"If I don't come back, go", Matt told them. "Please."

He then the jumped onto hood of the car and from there to the bottom rung of a fire-escape ladder and made his way up the side of the building as the others all looked at each other, tense, and Darla continued screaming.

And done here.

Matt can't detect the cameras because a spell has coated them, but he can still sense something is being hidden from him.

And now Matt has used his Hell-Mark at last.

Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter. Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!