Disclaimer: I do not own Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize
Chapter 2- City Of
"Still wondering what we're gonna see", Willow said.
"Well, wonder no longer", Buffy said as the TV turned on finally.
The city of Los Angeles was shown at night, with people going on about their normal lives, as a voice said. "Los Angeles. You see it at night and it shines. Like a beacon. People are drawn to it. People and other things. They come for all sorts of reasons. My reason? No surprise there. It started with a girl."
"Is that…." Xander trailed off, all but Tara recognizing the voice.
"Who?" Tara asked. "Who are we talking about?"
"Just watch", Buffy told her.
Angel sat at a bar, playing with a glass sitting in front of him. He appeared to be slightly drunk as he said. "She was a really, really pretty girl. No she, she was a hottie girl. She, she had - I mean - her hair was... You know? - -You kind of remind me of her. Because, because – you know – the hair. I mean – the hair." Angel looked at the guy next to him, who was dark-skinned and burly.
All had to stifle their giggles as Dawn suddenly said. "Is the girl he's talking about you?"
"Suddenly, this isn't funny anymore", Buffy said.
"I have never seen him drunk", Willow said.
"Why are we seeing drunk Angel though?" Xander asked.
"I believe the answers will be told to us in due time", Giles said.
"And we're also getting background music for this", Dawn said.
"Based on observations and studies, this generation's attention span isn't very high, so things like background music will hold your attention", Giles said.
"Hey!" Xander said, looking at him offended, as all shot him weird looks and he had a lame look on his face now. "Guess that's me."
"So that's Angel?" Tara asked and all nodded.
Angel looked at 3 guys and 2 girls playing pool, as one of them came to the bartender to cash out. Angel looked at him, drunken, and laughed. "Girls are nice." The guy looked disgusted.
Everyone chuckled at the scene as Willow said. "Okay, he's funny this way. Never knew he could be funny too."
"Even I didn't", Buffy said, wondering why Angel was so broody in Sunnydale, and much less broody in LA.
When the cashing out was done, the guys and girls walked out. Angel now stopped laughing, his expression turning serious.
"Looks like it was an act", Dawn said as all were now interested.
"He's an amazing actor", Buffy said, remembering the time they had tricked Faith.
"Yeah, I still remember", Xander groaned, remembering that time.
Angel got up and walked out of the bar, following them.
"Okay, that looks cool", Tara said. "Especially with the music."
"Took the words right of my mouth", Willow agreed with her.
The guys and girls were talking when the guys got rough, startling the girls, and grabbed them, turning into Vamps.
No one reacted, since this was a rather common occurrence, unfortunately.
"I had a feeling that was going to happen", Buffy said.
"But they have trouble coming", Dawn pointed out as all looked excited for what would happen next.
Angel staggered to them, supposedly drunk, asking for his car which was big and shiny.
"Like the Batmobile?" Xander joked as all chuckled.
The Vamp told Angel off, who looked at his face closely and asked about breath mint.
The audience chuckled again as Xander said. "So he has a sense of humor. That's new."
The vamp threw the girl into some trashcans and swung at Angel. Angel blocked, knocking him down, then spun around to knock the second vamp running up in the face, then kicked out at the first vamp just getting back up. The third tackled Angel to the ground, but Angel catapulted him over his head and got back up. He saw two vamps charging him from opposite sides, then triggered the stakes concealed in spring-loaded wrist sheathes under his sleeves and staked both at the same time. They dusted.
"Okay, that was awesome!" Dawn cheered while all had dropped jaws.
"Why didn't you ever try that?" Willow asked Buffy.
"I'm asking myself the same question right now", Buffy said lamely.
"I am a terrible Watcher", Giles muttered to himself.
The first vamp came up and hit him over the head with a trashcan. Angel dropped to the ground.
"You shouldn't have done that", Buffy said.
Angel looked up with his vamp face. "You shouldn't have done that."
"He repeats after you", Willow joked as all chuckled while Buffy shook her head.
Getting up, Angel hit the vamp in the stomach then threw him. The vamp spun in the air and landed on top of a car's windshield cracking it. The girls watched, scared, and thanked him. Angel spun around and she looked shocked at his vamp face. He stared at her bleeding cut. "Stay away from me."
"Why is he doing that?" Dawn asked. "I mean, he can live without human blood, and not be enticed by it, right?"
"I think I know why", Buffy realized, touching her neck. "This has to be soon after our graduation from Sunnydale."
"When you made him feed from you?" Willow asked.
"Why did you do that?" Tara asked.
"He was poisoned and only a Slayer's blood could save him", Buffy explained. "Drinking it would have made him long for human blood again. He is trying to resist it."
"Poor guy", Dawn said, feeling bad for him, and Buffy, Willow and Tara too. Giles and Xander, not as much as them.
The girls backed off. Angel stalked down the alley looking disgusted. Breaking a slat from a wooden crate he staked the vamp still lying on the car's hood without even looking. The girls watched him leave. Angel walked off in the dark alley, disappearing in the dark of the night.
"Okay, even I am going to admit, that bit looked badass", Xander said, and no one really disagreed.
Angel walked down a street, entering an office building, then got into an elevator as it went down. Angel got out, taking off his coat as he walked into the apartment. He undid the empty wrist sheaths, stepping over to a weapons cabinet, then took off his shirt, revealing a black muscle shirt underneath, and dropped it over the back of a sofa. Someone appeared behind him as he froze.
"Trouble?" Dawn asked.
"No idea", Giles said.
Angel turned around to see a man who spoke in an Irish accent, saying he liked the place due to its bat-cave like air.
"Oh! It's Doyle!" Buffy said, recognizing him as they had met once.
"Angel's half-Demon Irish friend, right?" Willow asked and Buffy nodded.
"He sounds much more Irish than Angel does", Xander said and all chuckled, but also agreed. [1]
The man played with a deck of cards, introducing himself as Doyle as Angel said he didn't smell human. Doyle said he was very much human and then sneezed, blue spikes popping over his now green face, his eyes going red.
All looked a bit startled at that, his Demon face being a bit of a surprise due to how it looked.
"Damn!" Xander said.
"It looks creepy", Dawn added.
"You should look at Clem", Buffy told them as they got over it.
Doyle added on his mother's side and shook his head, the spikes disappearing. Doyle walked in, saying he came in uninvited so it was obvious he wasn't a Vampire. Angel inquired about his intentions and he said 'The Powers That Be' had sent him.
"Right! Them!" Giles said. "Still don't understand what they exactly want."
"None of us do", Tara said.
Doyle said he was going to tell a bedtime story as Angel joked he wasn't sleepy, and Doyle started. "Once upon a time there was a vampire. And he was the meanest vampire in all the land." There was a flashback to Angelus in vamp face biting Daniel, then flashback to Angelus biting a girl.
All looked uncomfortable on seeing Angelus as Tara asked. "That's Angelus?"
"That's Angelus", Buffy confirmed.
"All the other vampires were afraid of him, he was such a - bastard. Then one day he's cursed – by gypsies." There was a flashback to old gypsy lady speaking the curse as Angelus' eyes glowed, his soul returning while he looked around in horror.
"That's how it happened the first time, huh", Willow noted.
"They restore his human soul. And all of a sudden he is mad with guilt. You know: 'What have I done?' You know, he's freaked."" Angel said now he was sleepy.
"His storytelling is kind of fun", Dawn said.
"Yeah, but he's telling it to the wrong person, isn't he?" Xander asked.
"Yeah, well, it's a fairly dull tale. It needs a little sex, is my feeling. So sure enough: enter the girl." The screen flashed to scenes of Buffy, specifically one where she held weapons, looking around.
"Hey, it's you!" Willow said as Buffy chuckled.
"That looks so cool", Xander said.
"Where's that from?" Dawn asked.
"When I had run off", Buffy said, remembering as all sighed at that memory other than Tara.
"Pretty little blonde thing", Doyle whistled. "Vampire Slayer by trade. And our vampire falls madly in love with her." There was a flash to Angel and Buffy kissing. "Eventually the two of them, - well, they get fleshy with one another. Well, I guess the technical term is perfect happiness."
"They had to show that", Buffy groaned, uncomfortable as all groaned at the kissing bit, knowing that had to be the prelude to the lovemaking.
"But when our boy gets there", flash to Buffy and Angel making love, "he goes bad again."
"And now they showed it", Buffy said, all turning away. "I'm going to kill the future us."
"Yeah, add me to the kill squad", Dawn popped up.
Giles took off his glasses, cleaning them for a bit before putting them back on as the scene changed.
"He kills again. It's ugly. So when he gets his soul back for the second time, he figures hey, he can't be anywhere near Miss young puppy eyes without endangering them both. So what does he do? He takes off." It flashed to Angel walking away as Buffy watched.
Buffy felt her heart skip a beat at that. She had moved on from Angel, but that memory was still painful. No one commented wisely.
"Goes to LA", Doyle picked up a knife. "To fight evil - and atone for his crimes. He's a shadow, - a faceless champion of the hapless human race. –" Doyle then asked for beer and Angel said he didn't, with Doyle wondering if he only had pig's blood. Angel commented that Doyle had told him his life's story, but he already knew, so he should kick him out.
"He's not wrong there", Tara said.
Doyle looked at the bags of blood, saying he will explain what happens after. The Vampire is now doing his penance, but is cut off from the people he's helping. Angel said nobody cared about chatting as Doyle asked the last time he had drank blood, and Angel remembered it was Buffy.
"So I was right about that", Buffy said.
Doyle pointed out it left him with craving, and warned it would grow till he wanted to eat a human he saved, and then asked for a Billy Dee.
"I like this guy", Willow said as all chuckled at his behavior.
"He does seem fun", Xander agreed.
"And like you said, he sounds Irish too", Giles added, all chuckling again.
Angel and Doyle walked down the street, the latter holding a bottle in a paper bag, as Doyle said it wasn't just about fighting, but also showing there was love and hope still left in the world. A homeless lady asked him for a change and he asked her to get a job, calling her a lazy sow.
All ended up laughing as Xander said. "Now that is irony!"
"He is definitely fun", Dawn said.
Doyle said this was about saving souls, including Angel's own. Angel asked who had sent him, and Doyle said they never spoke directly, he only got visions, which were great splitting migraines with pictures.
"Don't want to know what that feels like", Tara said, all just wondering how bad it could be.
He said the one sending them was more powerful than them both. When Angel asked why him, Doyle replied he had potential but the balance sheet wasn't in his favor, and Doyle himself had something to atone for. He pulled a paper out of his pocket, which had the name of a 'Tina' in a coffee shop. She was a nice looking girl who needed help, and Angel's business was to know that, since he just took the names.
"Surprisingly vague", Willow said. "But not surprised, it's the Powers That Be."
Doyle said Angel was supposed to get into her life. High school was over now and this was time for grown-up talk.
"Yeah, high school's over", Buffy agreed. "This would be around the time we first went to college."
"He's not wrong there", Willow said.
Angel wondered why a woman he'd never met would talk to him, and Doyle joked about him looking into a mirror.
"His hair are funny", Xander said and all rolled their eyes.
Angel said he wasn't good with people and Doyle reminded him the point of the exercise, asking if he was game.
"He is", Buffy said, knowing he would help.
Angel pulled up near the coffee shop in his convertible, then sat at a table, drinking coffee. The waitress, who was Tina, had a chat about shifts with the guy behind the counter and walked to Angel's table while he leaned forward to look at a white dog, commenting on its cuteness but she walked past him without even noticing him as he straightened.
"That was a fail", Xander said as all sighed.
Angel tried to talk to her as she walked back, and as she turned around, she accidentally knocked over a coffee cup but Angel reached out and caught it without spilling a drop.
"Oh thank God", Giles said, all sighing in relief.
"And now it worked", Tara said.
Tina complimented his reflexes and thanked him while Angel asked if she was happy since she looked down. She wondered if he was watching her and he explained he was looking over there and she walked past. Tina said he didn't hit much on girls and he said he was new in town.
"Yeah, he doesn't, right?" Dawn asked and all shook their heads. "Though I think those looks are good enough."
All shot her looks as she did the zipper motion.
Tina advised him to not stay before he repeated his question, and she asked if he had 3 hours. Angel said he wasn't busy, so she told him she got off at 10.
"At least she is coming with him now", Willow said.
"Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing", Xander commented.
Angel leaned against his convertible as Tina arrived in a black dress, making Angel feel underdressed as she pulled out a bottle of mace, asking him to leave her alone and tell Russell the same.
"Okay, that I didn't expect", Buffy said.
"So someone is after her", Giles noted. "And she thinks Angel works for that person, who is Russell."
Angel managed to convince her he didn't know any Russell as she lowered her mace and apologized, while he asked who Russell was but she walked past him, though he wanted to help. She said she wanted to go home in Missoula, asking if he'd been there. Angel said during the Depression, before saying his depression, when he was depressed.
All chuckled as Xander said. "Well, that was a narrow save. The guy has no game."
"Look who's talking", Willow said, making him sputter as all laughed at him.
Tina said she'd come to be a movie star but they weren't hiring, still she had a fabulous party to attend to, saying the girl giving it owned her security deposit, and joked it was nice threatening him. Angel asked if she wanted a lift.
"So, party next I guess", Tara said.
Angel drove Tina to a fabulous Hollywood party, with Margo videotaping people as she asked Tina to smile and she did, while inquiring about the 'hunk of tall, dark and handsome', and Tina said he was just a friend before asking to talk with her.
"What is it about him?" Xander wondered.
"He is broody and mysterious", Buffy said. "Young girls like that."
"Then why were you all staring at me?" Dawn asked, and got looks again, so she did the zipper motion once more.
"So this is what a Hollywood party looks like, huh", Tara noted. "Can't have much peace."
All nodded in agreement.
Tina picked up a star as Angel asked about Russell and she simply said he was someone she made the mistake of trusting, while Margo arrived and so she and Tina walked off, with Angel wandering around, looking lost.
"I don't think he has even been in regular parties", Willow said.
An Oliver arrived, asking if Angel was an actor, and gave him a business card, saying he would be an agent if called, and Angel failed in his attempts to return the card while Oliver walked off.
"Those are agents for you", Giles said.
"To be honest, he could make a great model if he wasn't a Vamp", Tara commented, and no one really disagreed.
Angel heard a familiar voice. "You know, they asked me to come back and read for a third time! I'm and actress. I don't put up with things like that!"
"Oh is that…" Xander trailed off.
"Sounds just like her", Willow said, smirking.
"Now who are we meeting?" Tara asked.
"Sunnydale's most popular", Buffy said.
Angel spotted Cordelia talking to two guys in business suits and called out to her as she turned to him, recognizing him while Angel said it was nice to meet a familiar face, and she asked if he was living in LA, and he said he was while she said she was living in Malibu in a condo in a beach.
"For some reason, I don't think she is", Willow said.
"Yeah", Buffy agreed. "Since she went to work with Angel."
"I can't believe last time I saw her was graduation", Xander said, never having seen her since then. And they also felt a saddened on seeing her, since she was in a coma currently, and there hadn't been any improvement.
Cordelia said how acting was her life and asked if Angel was still a Vamp, doing a 'grrr', as she raised her hands and made a face.
All chuckled as Tara said. "That looked surprisingly adorable."
"And hilarious", Buffy added.
Angel reminded there wasn't a cure for that, as Cordelia joked he wasn't evil so not here to bite people, and Angel said he was with a friend while Cordelia said it was nice seeing him but needed to talk to people who were somebody, and then walked off. Angel commented it was nice she had grown as a person.
All chuckled as Buffy said. "Same old Cordelia."
Angel saw a black haired guy called Stacy talking to Tina, saying Russell wanted to see her, but she pulled away, telling Angel he was a creep, and asked to go.
"So leaving the party now", Buffy commented.
Angel and Tina stepped out into the parking garage when 3 guys arrived, one grabbing her while the other two tackled Angel as they fell into the elevator, the door closing as Stacy arrived, telling Tina he just wanted to see her, so she quit struggling.
"When a shady guy says someone wants to see you, you know its more than just seeing", Xander said, no one disagreeing.
They walked through the doors as Tina ran, the two catching her and getting into a Mercedes Sedan. Then Angel came out of the elevator, the two guys unconscious, and ran to see the Sedan, before leaping into his convertible in a heroic jump. For some reason, the keys didn't fit, and he turned to see an identical convertible parked four spots down. "Damn it!"
In spite of the situation, all chuckled as Dawn said. "And that's an epic fail, because the jump looked cool."
Angel drove the convertible for a head-on collision with the Sedan but the driver got scared and drove into a parked car. Angel got out of the car and kicked the Sedan's door to slam into the driver, grabbing his pistol away before aiming at Stacy, who told him not to get involved while Angel asked Tina to get into the car as she did. Stacy boasted he won't pull the trigger and Angel instead gave him a hard left. "Good call." He dropped the gun and got into the car.
"Well, that was fun", Buffy said. "At least she's safe for now."
All sighed in relief as Giles said. "But it can get worse."
Tina joked it was a good party and Angel said how it was too fabulous for him. Cordelia was then seen in her apartment, which was poor with plaster patches on dirty yellow walls, and she hung her dress on a bare closet, while her answering machine gave a message from a Joe who said they weren't getting any auditions and all had seen enough of her. There wasn't any need to call but they would if the situation changed.
"It translates to- "We will never call you again. Have a good life"", Dawn said.
"So she was trying to show a front at the party then", Tara said, all feeling bad for her.
"But she wasn't too bad, I mean, why is no one hiring her?" Xander asked.
"In Sunnydale, she may have been the best, but in LA, she was just another pretty face", Willow said. "The competition is stiff."
"And the people are sleazy", Buffy added.
Cordelia took out a star-shaped sandwich she'd stashed at the party, sighing, with the answering messages having no more machines.
"Looks like it's a good thing Angel hired her", Giles said, and even Xander agreed this time.
At Angel's apartment, Tina ruffled through her bag, saying with her Girl Scout Training, she could live out of this bag for days, while Angel offered tea, and asked if she liked milk or sugar, and she said she did but he told her he didn't have those as he didn't have many visitors.
"Actually, none until Doyle", Buffy said. "And now her."
Tina looked at his weapons, commenting they weren't ones he liked while he gave her tea, saying he had relationship issues too.
"Understatement of the century", Willow said, Buffy sighing.
Tina wondered if he'd comfort her now, but Angel said he'd give her a safe place to stay as they figured things out, and Angel said she'd enough people taking advantage of her. Tina almost cried, saying he was in the wrong town, and he gave her a dishtowel, asking about Russell's last name but she declined, saying he could get away with murder. Angel asked who he'd murdered, and she said she perhaps no one, but he liked pain as a friend, and no one could leave him, since a girl called Denise tried but then disappeared off the face of the Earth. "He finds you."
"Man, this guy must be really powerful in the city if he can do that", Xander said, all wondering how Tina would get out of this.
"He hasn't met Angel yet though", Buffy said, confident that Angel could protect her.
"Not anymore", Angel said, and later pulled a blanket over her as she slept, and looked up Denise Perkins' name from her address book. Angel then ran a search on 3 different computers in a library, bringing up an article on Denise with a rose tattoo on left shoulder, a crime report of a missing young woman, and a coroner's report with a close-up of the rose tattoo.
"So he did get away with murder", Giles said in disgust.
Angel walked through the sewers, hearing a moan, and ran up through the trap door, grabbing Tina to wake her as she ranted he was here while Angel asked if Denise had a tattoo, and Tina confirmed it was a rose. Angel confirmed she might be dead, as he Russell picked girls with no family and no one to care. Tina pulled away in fear as Angel tried to reassure her but she noticed Doyle's note lying over the sofa table, asking why he had that and if he knew who she was when he met her.
"Uh-oh", Buffy said lamely, all of them having a sinking feeling.
"Should have kept it in his pocket, where she can't find it", Tara said.
Tina started to pack up as Angel tried to explain, with Tina thinking Russell was playing a game, asking how much he'd paid Angel. Tina asked him to stay away from her and ran out of the apartment, the sun shining in through the windows. Angel grabbed her arm to stop her as she pulled him to the doors, direct sunlight hitting his arm as it went up in flames. Tina stared in horror as Angel vamped out, and ran out the doors, with Angel trying to follow but failing due to sunlight.
"Oh no!" Willow said, all feeling bad this had happened.
"Now she is not going to come near him at all", Tara said.
"And that means this Russell can get to her easily", Xander sighed.
Tina packed in her apartment, picking up a revolver, and turned to point at Russell who had arrived, saying he'd looked everywhere for her but she was here, and he owned most of the block, asking if she'd point the gun at him all day, and she asked about Denise.
"Well crap", Xander said. "Now he's going to kill her too."
"Not if Angel gets there first", Willow said as all held their breaths, wondering if he would be able to save her.
Tina asked the truth and he said he'd brought her a ticket to Penascola, and when Tina retorted she was dead, Russell said she'd called him yesterday, having gotten back to school and wanted him to pull some strings. He assured he didn't kill his friends, and could give her whatever she wanted, slowly taking the gun from her.
"Emotional manipulation", Tara said. "He makes a good show."
"Yeah, I was almost convinced", Dawn agreed.
Russell asked what she wanted, and she cried about wanting to go home, while he asked who'd lied to her, she said she thought he'd hired the guy, and his face had turned into the most horrible thing she'd seen, and then Russell vamped out. "Well, you're young."
Now that startled them all as Buffy said. "Okay, didn't expect him to be one, he is not stuck in any weird fashion sense."
"Not all of them are like that", Giles said in agreement.
"Reach quickly, Angel!" Willow said.
Russell leaned in to bite her as she gasped while Angel ran up to the apartment, opening the door to find Tina lying dead on the floor. He touched the bite marks on her neck and looked at the blood on his fingers.
"No", Dawn said, all feeling sad for Tina having died.
"That bastard", Xander snarled about Russell. "And well, unfortunately, first mission ended up being a fail."
"So was mine when I first came to Sunnydale", Buffy reminded as Willow and Xander winced, knowing she was talking about Jesse. [2]
Coroners zipped Tina in a body bag as Angel watched from a rooftop before jumping off and then stepped into his apartment, and told Doyle her attempted kidnapper at the party was called Stacy, a professional muscle who'd probably done time, and Doyle offered to ask around. Angel grabbed a phone book, describing the car and asking to call the chop shops, including ones not in the book, as Angel said the driver would lead him to Stacy and Stacy would lead him to Russell. Doyle assured Angel couldn't have known Tina would run out, but Angel didn't want to talk about it, and said he didn't want to open up or share his feelings, only find Russell and look him in the eye. "Then what?" Doyle asked. "Then I'm going to share my feelings", Angel said.
"Feelings being a few left and right hooks and kicks to the face", Buffy said, all nodding, looking forward to Russell getting his comeuppance.
At Russell's mansion, his lawyer Lindsey McDonald told him of a successful merger, while Russell looked at Tina's footage from the party, saying he was sorry to kill her soon.
"No you weren't", Willow snarled, everyone glaring at him angrily.
Lindsey took out a paper, saying Russell hadn't actually seen her in several weeks due to being in a conference yesterday, and a dark complexed man fled the scene with blood on his hands.
"So his lawyers also protect him", Tara said.
Russell was impressed as Lindsey said. "Wolfram & Hart is a full service law firm, Mr. Winters. It is our job - to see to it that our clients' lives run more smoothly."
"Wolfram and Hart", Giles said, all seething. "Of course it's them."
"Different kind of bloodsuckers, right?" Tara asked and everyone nodded.
They still wondered why Team Angel had taken over now.
Russell then saw a picture of Cordelia and wanted to meet her, with Lindsey asking if she would be long-term investment but Russell said he just wanted something to eat.
"Hey come on! She is better than that!" Xander said and was shot weird looks. "Which is also a bad thing."
"Since Cordy was around after that, I think its clear Angel saved her", Willow said, and all felt relieved, though they knew she would be getting into trouble at least.
Stacy was talking to a guy in the store when the window shattered due to a trashcan thrown by Angel, as he pushed him down a weight bench, asking about Russell's residence and security, though Stacy threatened him, but Angel told Stacy how Russell wasn't big on daylight and mirrors, and drank too much V-8. Stacy said Russell would kill anyone he cared about but Angel said there was none.
"I don't think he actually means that", Willow said, on seeing Buffy's expression.
"I think he means no one in LA", Tara said. "Plus, you were broken up at the time."
"Guess so", Buffy sighed.
Cordelia was sitting in her bed with eyes closed in Lotus position, trying to be positive but fell forwards, groaning about her hunger pangs sarcastically. The phone then rang as Cordelia jumped and grabbed it, as Margo saying she'd been a hit at the party and Russell Winters wanted to meet her tonight to help start her career, and would also send a Limo.
"Using a Limo to get your food, there's a joke in there somewhere", Dawn said, and all had to admit it was funny, even if Cordy was their friend.
Angel packed weapons in a black bag as Doyle commented he'd seen some wars in his time, and Angel said 14, not including Vietnam which was never declared.
"Huh, never knew that", Xander said.
"I did", Willow popped up.
Cordelia rode in the Limo, saying how people were attracted to her positive energy while Doyle wished Angel luck, saying he'd be with him in spirit, but Angel said he was driving. Doyle protested he was a messenger but Angel tossed him the bag, saying he was the message.
"So, the messenger is going to drive the message", Giles commented, all finding the figure of speech funny.
Cordelia was lead to Russell's room as he greeted her and the butler left, with Cordelia commenting she loved the curtains, and Russell said he'd old fashioned tastes.
"Yeah, the house does look old fashioned", Buffy said, now everyone noticing it more clearly.
Cordelia said she had a nice home and talked about it before saying the IRS had taken it all due to her folks never paying taxes.
"Poor Cordy", Xander said, both sad and guilty, remembering when and how he'd found out about that.
Russell asked if the acting career was going well and Cordy said she'd almost got a liquid gel commercial, while Angel's convertible drove to the gate, and he got out to talk to the guard, tossing his keys to Doyle. Angel distracted the guard, saying they were lost and asking what he was watching before knocking him out, and pulled the cable from the camera pointing at the gate, before taking off his light jacket and shirt and tossing them into the car, now dressed all in black, before getting his bag of weapons. Angel asked Doyle to tie the guard up while he'd either be out in 10 minutes or not at all.
"Russell's going to get his ass kicked", Willow said with a smirk.
Cordelia was talking to Russell while he assured she didn't have to worry anymore and asked what she wanted, when she apologized for getting weepy and looked around the room, noticing there were no mirrors and too many curtains "….hey, you're a Vampire!"
"She just figured it out", Giles said, impressed.
"Well, she was smarter than any of us gave her credit for", Willow pointed out. "Like, remember the time she investigated and found out about Ted's past? And she did it better than us."
"Yeah, I do", Xander said.
"Thanks Cordy", Buffy said. [3]
Russell denied but Cordelia was persistent saying. "Hey, I'm from Sunnydale. We had our own Hellmouth! I think I know a Vampire when I'm - alone with him… - in his fortress-like home. And you know, I think I'm just feeling a little light headed from hunger. I'm just wacky. And kidding! Ha, ha."
"Come on Angel", Tara said, all getting nervous for Cordy, even though they knew she had made it out of this alive.
Angel set an explosive charge while Russell said now they could skip formalities, vamping out as Cordelia ran, with Angel throwing a grappling hook up to the balcony and jumped over, and Doyle checked his watch, Cordelia continuing her run. Russell grabbed her with a growl when the fuse box blew and the lights went out, him letting go of her. "Russell Winters." "Angel?" Cordelia asked as he slowly stepped out of the dark at the end of the open landing. "I have a message for you- from Tina."
"Now he is going to get his", Buffy said as everyone smirked.
"Kick his butt, Angel", Dawn agreed.
Russell threatened Angel as Cordelia said. "You don't know who he is, do you? Oh, boy! You are about to get your ass kicked!"
"Yep", Willow nodded.
Angel pulled out a stake and charged as Russell disarmed him and they fought, Angel elbowing him back before trying to spin kick which he ducked to avoid. Angel tried to kick which he blocked but Angel kicked with his other foot, sending him back.
"Now that looked cool", Dawn cheered, everyone waiting for Russell to be staked.
The two struggled before Angel head-butted him away but was punched down while guard arrived, and Angel pulled the runner, tripping them all before getting up, and took a shot to the chest.
Tara touched her chest, remembering the shot as Willow held her hand for comfort, the two smiling at each other before they turned to the screen again.
Angel picked Cordelia up and turned as shots hit his back, and he jumped over the bannister to the floor below, Cordelia screaming as they ran out the front door. Doyle heard the shots and first tried to speed away, before stopping and turning back around, and charged the gate. The car hit and stopped, but the gate remained closed as Doyle groaned at its quality.
"This is not a movie!" Giles said, everyone chuckling at his reaction.
Angel and Cordelia came up to the car, the front dented and steaming as Doyle tried to talk about it. Cordelia got into the passenger seat while Angel fell into the back seat.
"She is saved now", Tara said and all sighed in relief.
"But Russell didn't get staked", Buffy said. "I would have loved to see that happen."
"We all would", Xander said.
Doyle dug the bullets out of Angel's chest as Cordelia joked about she was going to barf, dabbing at the wound with a piece of gauze as Angel flinched as she asked if she could go, and if Russell would look for her. They all just looked at each other.
"Not done with him yet", Willow said.
At Russell's building, he sat in a meeting, Lindsey telling him that local authorities had no details on the intruder who had broken into his home and started talking about private investigators, when the doors burst open and Angel walked in, Lindsey finishing about how they were looking for his whereabouts.
"You were saying?" Buffy asked as all sat up straighter, looking forward to this.
Lindsey barred Angel's way, handing him a business card. "I'm with Wolfram & Hart. Mr. Winters has never been accused and shall never be convicted of any crime – ever. Should you continue to harass our client, we will be forced to bring you into the light of day", Angel walked past him to Russell. "A place, I'm told, that isn't all that healthy for you."
"No, it's deadly to him", Dawn corrected.
Russell said they did things a certain way in LA while Angel said he was new here. Russell argued. "But you're a civilized man. We don't have to go around attacking each other. Look at me: I pay my taxes. I keep my name out of the paper, and I don't make waves. And in return I can so anything I want!"
"Not anymore", Buffy snarled at him as they glared daggers into him.
Angel put one foot on the chair between Russell's legs and leaned forward. "Really. Hmm. Can you fly?"
"Is he going to do what I think he's going to do?" Xander asked.
Angel kicked the chair backwards into the wall of windows behind Russell. Russell crashed through the window. He fell down screaming, catching fire and turned to dust. Angel heard the scream cut off. "Hmm. I guess not."
"Okay, forget staking, this was so much better", Buffy said, everyone having looks of satisfaction on their faces.
"He's such a badass", Willow said, and no one disagreed.
Angel walked out sticking Lindsey's business card into the front pocket of his jacket.
"So, you were saying?" Dawn asked and all chuckled.
The empty chair and glass hit the sidewalk as Lindsey pulled out his phone. "Set up an interoffice meeting for 4:00. Seems we have a new player in town. - No, no, there is any need to disturb the Senior Partners with this. Not yet."
"The Senior Partners", Giles said. "The powers that run Wolfram and Hart."
"So this is how the archenemies meet", Buffy commented.
Angel stared at the phone, then picked up and dialed a number, Buffy's voice coming from it. "Hello? Hello?" Angel then hung up.
"So it was him", Buffy said in realization as she remembered the day.
"You remember that?" Xander asked.
"Yes, someone called me on my first day of college but no voice came. I thought it was him", Buffy said. "Now I know."
Doyle asked what had happened to Russell as Angel joked he went into the light.
Everyone chuckled as Tara said. "It didn't agree with him."
Doyle said he didn't look to be in a celebrating mood while Angel said he only killed a Vamp, didn't help anyone, but Doyle said there was a happy girl upstairs.
"Yes, he did save Cordelia", Buffy said.
Then they heard a scream and rushed upstairs, Angel avoiding the sunlight while Cordelia said there was a cockroach and they needed to call an exterminator, with a name on the door, explaining if they were going to people, they should get some charge, for her to pay rent and it could be her salary. They needed someone to organize stuff after all. Angel asked if she wanted to charge people as Cordelia said they would meet rich people sometime, Doyle agreeing it could be a possibility.
"So now they will charge money for saving lives", Xander shook his head.
"It's not like any of them have normal lives", Willow said. "Angel is a Vampire with a soul, Doyle is half Demon, and Cordelia's condition is poor, so it's better to get paid doing what you do best."
Xander shut up, deciding she was right.
Cordelia said they could charge by a case-by-case analysis, and she would work for a flat fee, and asked if they could use her. After a moment, Angel handed her the box with a smile.
"He can", Buffy said, happy that Angel had given Cordelia some work to stay on her feet.
Cordelia said this was temporary till she became a star, and walked off, with Doyle saying Angel had made the right choice as she could provide a humanizing influence, but Angel pointed out he found her a hottie, which he didn't deny, but said she could use a hand.
"Someone's got a crush", Dawn said as they all chuckled.
"I don't think I can really blame him", Xander said, and no one disagreed.
Doyle pointed out more people in the city needed helping, and asked if Angel was game. At nighttime in LA, Angel looked out over the city. "I'm game." The screen went black.
"Now that was a nice shot", Buffy said about it.
"Is it just me or is he like 'Vampire Batman'?" Willow asked.
"Now that you say it, he is", Giles said.
"You know about Batman?" Xander asked Giles.
"I am old, not dead", Giles said, all laughing at him.
"So, was this it?" Dawn asked.
Then they noticed the screen having the option to play another recording after it.
"I think there is quite a lot of it", Buffy said, all of them deciding to watch some more, even if they still didn't know why.
And that's 'City Of' done, hope the reactions were enjoyed. 1 down, 109 to go, LOL! Funnily enough, my previous watch-it fic had a 109 chapters. It's a MCU watch-it fic in case you haven't read it titled 'A Beautiful Journey' and covers the films from Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home isn't canon in that story.
Also, I love Xander, he's overall my 9th favorite character in this verse, but he has a bias against both Angel and Spike. And I get he's wary, but many times he has crossed the line from being wary to being a bully, especially in Spike's case, so this is how I think he would react at first.
[1] Just a reference to David Boreanaz's bad accent, which is definitely not any kind of Irish.
[2] I found this an interesting symmetry. Both Buffy and Angel failed in their first notable missions of their Pilot episodes. Angel failed to save Tina here and she was killed, and Buffy failed to save Jesse who was turned into a Vamp.
[3] In 'Ted', Cordelia discovered Ted's past mostly by herself, showing herself to be a better investigator than Xander or Willow. Maybe it was foreshadowing of her eventual role in Angel Investigations.
So that's this one done, hope everyone enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter. Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!