Disclaimer: I do not own Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize
Chapter 27- Blind Date
Next day started pretty similar as the Scooby Gang woke up and had breakfast with their future selves before going to the viewing room and taking their usual positions on the couch there.
"Two more left for year 1, right?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah, just two", Buffy said as she picked up the remote.
"Well, stuff always ends up being the worst near year's end", Willow said.
"Tell me about it", Xander said as Buffy turned it on.
Two toy soldiers were crawling on the sidewalk as the man selling them convinced two boys to buy them. A blind woman was tapping the way with her cane and as the boys went off, the man moved out some toy trucks from her way, and then the woman walked past him tapping her cane as a man watched her.
"A 'thank you' would be nice", Tara said.
"LA just moves too fast", Willow told her.
A Vampire came flying over some bales in a warehouse and Angel raised his stake but another jumped him from behind as he dropped it. Angel then punched that Vamp and kicked the other before punching him away and as the previous grabbed him, he punched him. The other grabbed him as Angel tried to reach the stake before jumping in his grip and kicking the other away before flipping the one holding him down and staked him. The other kicked him back but Angel deflected the next blow and threw him off before wrapping his neck in a chain, hoisting him up and sliding him along an overhead track into a piece of wood from some stacked pallets, dusting him.
"Nice moves", Dawn commented.
"Well, he's 200 and has fought a lot", Buffy said with a shrug.
Angel was about to leave when he heard a man groaning. It was a dark-skinned middle-aged man holding his stomach, stumbling into the factory. Angel ran to check up on him and heard something. The blind woman then grabbed him by the throat and threw him against the wall. Angel came back swinging but she dodged his punches and pushed him back. He then leapt, trying to fight but she deflected his blows and smacked him back. Angel tried to spin kick but she ducked, though her glasses were knocked down, showing her eyes were all white. Her POV looked different. She blocked Angel's blow and threw him across the room through some wood and when he got up, she was gone.
"She is blind and she can fight?" Willow said in shock.
"And she can beat Angel up too?" Dawn wondered. "How is that?"
"Her martial arts technique looks pretty different and efficient. Maybe Angel doesn't know how to counter it", Buffy said, as surprised as the rest.
"Her point of view of seeing seemed pretty different", Giles said too.
"So she's the latest enemy, and she is supposedly blind", Tara commented. "Nice combination."
"She is Daredevil basically", Xander said. "Blind but badass, only she's a bad guy."
At Angel Investigations the next day, Wesley and Cordelia looked into her, Wesley saying Angel might have discovered a new Demon Species as Cordelia jokingly called it Hellen Kellerus Homicidalus, while Wesley said it may not be a Demon but a human who honed their senses around their disability, as while typing, Cordelia eventually found the woman whose name was Vanessa Brewer who'd been arrested in 1993 for fleeing a homicide spot but there were no charges, and then arrested in 1995 for aggravated assault but no trial, and in this year she was a suspect for double homicide for which she was on trial, and Wesley realized Angel had encountered her when she was on bail, and Cordelia asked Wesley to look at who was defending her.
"Let me guess? Wolfram and Hart", Xander said.
"So she's a blind assassin who has been doing this for years and gets off because of her blindness", Willow said as all were disgusted.
"Sick freak of nature", Dawn told them all.
Vanessa was sitting on a court bench as Lindsey defended her from the charges by bringing up her blindness and then Angel walked in, throwing Vanessa's glasses which she caught as the court room erupted into noise while the judge banged his gavel. Lindsey turned to see Angel free himself of the bailiff's grip and run out while Vanessa put on her glasses and the judge banged for order.
"How did they not see her catching the glasses?" Dawn asked.
"Someone acting like Angel did in a courtroom will attract a lot of attention", Buffy pointed out.
Angel stepped out of the elevator onto his desk as Wesley said the human eye could only register a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum but her eyes were out of that range while Cordelia said she was probably Superman and wondered why they should be interested in her, and Angel said Wolfram and Hart represented her which meant she worked for them, so that was their interest here.
"And when Wolfram and Hart are on somebody's side, we all know it's not a good person", Willow said.
"It's not Superman, Cordy, she's evil Daredevil", Xander said to Cordelia.
At Wolfram and Hart, Lindsey saw some older people talking to Vanessa as Holland Manners said it was a pleasure doing business with her and Lee complimented Lindsey, calling him the man of the hour as Lindsey asked if he wanted something, and Lee confessed he found Vanessa attractive.
"Well, wouldn't disagree with that", Xander said. "But she's a horrible assassin. Not my type."
"That's Demons, right?" Tara asked as he sputtered and all laughed at him.
Vanessa smiled in their direction as Holland waved while Lee said Vanessa liked Lindsey and patting his back, walked off as Lindsey walked to the group and shook hands with the men while Holland complimented him. Vanessa took Lindsey's hand in both of hers and thanked him before leaving with the men as Holland asked Lindsey to come to his office, and asked if Vanessa unnerved him, to which he said a little as he said she made him feel like his spine's fused, but also admired her talent, and also noted Lindsey's stress, who brought up his bad choices like sending Faith after Angel but Holland assured he'd a success in court so he'd probably move up, and then wondered why Lindsey didn't seem happy lately.
"Remind me never to be in a room alone with this guy", Xander said about Holland.
"He seems to have a certain quality, as if he knows what's going in your mind", Giles agreed.
"He's being friendly right now, but I find it the creepy kind of friendly", Buffy said.
"Yeah, like a wrong move and he's gonna get really angry", Willow added.
"Even Lindsey is afraid of him right now even though he pleased the guy", Tara noted.
"He just has that kind of effect", Dawn said.
Holland said Lindsey was probably dissatisfied with his life and said he'd searched a lot at Lindsey's age, and had put the world as well as his place in it together. "And actually, the world isn't that complicated. It's designed for those who know how to use it."
"That is very true", Giles said, and he was as unnerved by Holland as the rest of them. This man was dangerous, not because of any power, but because of his knowledge and he knew how to use it too.
Holland then got down to business, telling Lindsey to make a tragic backstory of child abuse for Vanessa since her new job involved some kids arriving from overseas who posed a threat and now Lindsey was a bit surprised as Holland told him to get on it. Lindsey asked about the children but Holland didn't tell him much and told him to get on it, patting his shoulder.
"Now they wanna kill a bunch of kids too? So surprised….not!" Dawn said.
"Lindsey doesn't want to do it", Tara noted.
"Wait what? So he isn't pure evil?" Dawn asked.
"No one is", Willow said.
"So, he doesn't want to kill the kids then?" Dawn asked.
"Nope", Tara shook her head.
"Guess he draws the line at kids then", Xander noted.
"Doesn't make him a good person though. He still did horrible things to innocent people for clients. Just because they weren't kids doesn't mean they deserved to go through that", Buffy pointed out to them.
"Yes, he may have a small conscience somewhere, but he clearly does not use it", Giles agreed.
Angel angrily picked up his phone and threw it against the wall as Cordelia and Wesley hesitantly arrived in the office. Angel said Vanessa had been acquitted due to a hung jury and was angry that she'd murdered a man and been let off while he couldn't even testify, and said this was Wolfram and Hart's game with their rules and their world was structured for power, not truth, and it worked because they had no guilt, torment or consequences, like him when he was Angelus, saying he missed the clarity sometimes while Cordelia added that he didn't miss the part where he would try to kill his friends and Angel just sat down with a sigh, saying nothing changed.
"He misses being Angelus?" Xander asked, confused.
"No, he said he misses the clarity that he had there", Tara corrected. "Wolfram and Hart's system has just frustrated him that much."
"My bad", Xander said.
Then Lindsey walked in through the outer office. "I need your help." Angel asked. "What do you mean?" Lindsey told him. "I want out."
"What?" Buffy said, as surprised as the rest were. "Seriously?"
"That I didn't expect", Willow said.
"They're like…..archenemies already", Xander shook his head. "And he's shamelessly coming to ask for help?"
"Will Angel even help him?" Dawn wondered.
"When he finds out kids are involved, he will", Tara told her.
"Well, he surprised me", Buffy said. "If he has come to Angel of all people for help in this, then he does want to change."
"Maybe he's asking for help for both the kids and himself", Willow said. "A cry for help. Like Faith."
"Hopefully, that is the case", Giles hoped.
The doors to Angel's office closed as Cordelia and Wesley left Angel and Lindsey alone, Lindsey saying Angel would probably think this a trick, and Angel asked if Lindsey was afraid of him, saying he smelt fear, and said he didn't think this was a trick but rather a big joke. Lindsey said he didn't want to be here just like Angel didn't want him to be here, but he had no choice. Angel said he always had a choice, since he had sold his soul four a 5 th floor office and company car, and Lindsey reminded Angel's own father was a silk and linen merchant with some servants, though Angel said they only had one. Lindsey then told Angel. "Well, our files aren't 100 percent, - but I guess it's fair to say that - you've never seen anything like real poverty. I'm talking dirt poor - no shoes - no toilet. Six of us kids in a room, and come flu season it was down to four. - I was seven when they took the house. They just came right in and took it. - And my daddy is being nice, you know? Joking with the bastards while he signs the deed. Yeah, so we had a choice. Either you got stepped on or you got to stepping and I swore to myself that I was not going to be the guy standing there with the stupid grin on my face - while my life got dribbled out..."
"So, you're dribbling out other people's lives then in revenge, noted", Buffy said, feeling bad because of his backstory, but knowing they didn't justify his actions.
"Every villain is the hero of their story", Xander told them all. "Lindsey seems just like that."
"It's because he is", Tara agreed with him.
Angel asked him to get to the point, and Lindsey mentioned Vanessa Brewer, Angel angrily pointing out he'd got her off. Lindsey then mentioned she was supposed to kill some kids, and he himself had done some hairy deals, but this he couldn't do. Angel asked him about the job but he knew nothing other than the kids being from overseas and the job a couple of days away. There'd be more in the files at the vault and Angel told him to get them out, but Lindsey didn't want to go back since the place had mind readers and he'd be killed, but Angel said it was an acceptable risk, and told him panicking wasn't change, he had to make a decision by himself which most people never did. Lindsey asked if Angel would be convinced if he got himself killed, and Angel said it'd be a start.
"Okay, not getting it, he helped Faith so why doesn't he want to help Lindsey?" Dawn asked, just confused. "Nothing against Faith of course."
"In Faith's case, he could relate to her, and he saw the signs easily, since she showed remorse for everything she did", Tara pointed out. "Lindsey is uncomfortable with kids dying, but he had no problem with everything else he did up till then, so in his case, it is much harder to believe."
"And I still don't trust him much", Buffy added.
"Thanks", Dawn said for the explanation.
Later Angel, Cordelia, Wesley and Lindsey planned the break-in, Lindsey telling them the vault was at sub-lever two and hall was outside the boiler room, telling the plan as Angel told Cordelia this was a two-man job, and Lindsey told Angel his pass would let Angel access the vault and he could leave it downstairs for him. He also told Angel it was guarded by a Preggothian Demon so Wesley decided to make a battle profile of it for Angel, and then Lindsey remembered they had shamans to detect Vampire intruders, but Angel had a plan.
"How's he gonna get in without the shamans knowing?" Xander wondered.
"Maybe if there's another Vampire there, then he would be safe", Buffy suggested.
"But how's he gonna get a Vampire to do that for him?" Willow asked.
At night, Angel talked to Gunn who was behind the stake gun mounted on the pickup truck, and said he could get a hold of one but asked why, and Angel said for justice and the right thing, but Gunn wasn't interested as he aimed the stake at a mattress leaning against the wall, and Angel told him he was low, making Gunn raise it a little and fire as the mattress was hit at heart level, and then he asked Angel for a reason, to which he said it was dangerous, and Gunn agreed.
"I appreciate his help, but he's still looking for trouble", Buffy said about Gunn.
"Well, he did lose his sister a while ago, and it takes time for a certain mentality to leave you", Tara pointed out to Buffy.
Next day, Lindsey walked into Wolfram and Hart, clipping on his security badge while Angel cut a blow torch and cut a circle into the sewer's roof while Lindsey stepped out of an elevator, walked down a deserted hallway and was about to pass it when Lilah almost ran into him, the two greeting each other as she apologized, saying she was always in too much of a hurry, and Lindsey said they all were, and she cocked her head to the room behind her, Lindsey realizing she wanted to do some research and he said he did it too so he didn't look like an idiot. Lilah said she thought he never touched a book, but he said if the amoebas found out they read, they lost all respect. He closed the door to the back-records in her face as she walked off. Lindsey opened the door and after checking she was gone, stuck his pass to the bottom of the case holding a fire extinguisher.
"They pretended to like each other pretty well", Willow commented.
"Yeah, they should get an Oscar for that", Xander agreed.
Angel had finished cutting the circle and taking off his glasses, checked his watch, then attached 2 magnetic clamps to the circle and pulled it open. Lindsey was back upstairs as Angel took off his overall, revealing a business suit and checked his watch again while Lindsey talked to a security guy.
"Angel is in a suit again", Buffy said.
"He knows what we like seeing", Dawn quipped as they chuckled.
A huddled figure in a red robe was behind the guard as Lindsey talked to the guard and checked his watch while looking at a monitor where Gunn walked through the front door into the lobby and started a distraction, commenting how evil white folks had a mecca here, while Angel and Lindsey were still in the sewer and office respectively. Gunn then accused someone of stepping on his foot, though the nearest guard was 8 feet away and said he was assaulted in a haven of justice, saying his civil rights had been seriously violated but then commented they could cater to Demon and dead men but not black men.
"I saw a black lawyer in the background so not accurate there", Willow commented.
"Well, it's an act, so maybe he doesn't mean it", Xander said.
Angel and Gunn both checked their watches as he said he'd love to stay and chat, and then two of his people came in with a body-sized bundle as Angel climbed the hole while the shaman lifted his head with a squeal. Lindsey looked at the monitors as the guard picked up a phone, informing of a Vampire on the premises. Gunn cut the cord of the bundle while smiling at the guards and walked out with his friends as the wrapping fell to reveal a Vampire in Vamp face, while Angel walked into the hallway on sublevel 3. Lindsey watched him pick up the pass and switched the camera to a different view.
"Okay, that was a genius plan", Buffy said.
"And it worked", Tara said with a smile.
"It was risky, but it paid", Giles also agreed.
Lindsey told the guard his hands were full and left while the guards chased the Vampire and pressed buttons on their nightsticks, making stakes protrude and they fought the Vamp, one eventually staking and dusting him.
"Well, Vamp is down, and Angel is in", Willow said.
Angel ran Lindsey's card through a lock and punched in a number. A door slid open as Angel clipped the card to his lapel. He heard some growling noises behind him and turned to punch an ugly looking demon in the face, throwing him against the wall. When the demon got back up and came at him again, Angel opened his hand and blew some powder into the demons face. It froze in place. Angel put one finger against the demons forehead and gave it a slight push, toppling it backward. He dusted his hands off with a smile, thanking Wesley.
"Well, that was easy", Xander said.
"Don't jinx it", Willow warned.
Angel picked up his attaché case and entered the vault. There were all types of weapons and artifacts mounted along the walls as well as some file drawers recessed into one wall. Lindsey stepped out of an elevator. Angel checked the drawers. Lee came up beside Lindsey, talking about the Vamp in the lobby. Angel was putting some CD cases labeled Wolfram and Hart - Restricted Access into his briefcase. On his way out he saw a round metal tube covered with symbols. He hesitated, then walked over to stare at it. He glanced at the open door and the unconscious demon on the other side, then opened his briefcase and took the tube. An alarm went off as soon as he moved the tube and a grate slid down to block the door, while all kinds of alarms went off up in the security office. Angel dropped the tube in his briefcase and slid headfirst under the gate, which closed behind him.
"Okay that was close", Tara said.
"And the place is gonna be locked up soon with all those alarms", Buffy noted.
Lindsey's phone rang and he picked up as Angel told him to get out and dropping into the sewer, ran off. Lindsey saw 2 guards and changed direction but they were everywhere now herding people along the hallways as Lilah said it was a sweep, commenting she'd miss her lunch on seeing the time in Lindsey's watch, and then Lee saw Holland lead 2 dark-skinned women into his office as Lindsey realized they were mind-readers.
"Now he's gonna have all their minds read", Willow realized. "And Lindsey will be caught."
"Well, Angel did say he'd be convinced if Lindsey died", Xander shrugged.
"You think he deserves to die?" Dawn asked.
"Honestly, can't tell yet", Buffy said. "He wants to change, and did do something, but unlike Faith, he didn't have a mental breakdown, and he never lost his soul. But then again, he's human so I don't think he should die."
"Yes, whatever bad he did for Wolfram and Hart, he did on his own, just because he doesn't want kids dead doesn't change that", Tara agreed.
"Well, at least the kids will be saved with this information", Giles pointed out the bright side.
Lawyers were lined up against a wall in Holland's office as Lee wondered why there was no warning and Lilah reminded him these were random, and the two mind readers worked their way down the line, lingering on all of them for a few moments, and looked at Lindsey for a second again before Holland led them away, and talked to him. Holland then turned to face the lawyers and said disloyalty hurt him. He then nodded to a bald guard who stepped behind the lawyers. Holland stood in front of Lindsey, saying such things needed to be dealt with. Holland and Lindsey looked at each other before Holland went to stand in front of Lee, saying he knew of his secret meetings with Klein and Gabler.
"Ah! So he had something to hide too", Buffy noted.
"In a place like that, everyone would have something to hide", Willow said.
"So I'm guessing Lindsey wasn't caught", Dawn shrugged.
Holland said Lee planned on taking his clients when he joined them, but Lee started he'd been misread as he was trying to fool Klein and Gabler but was cut off when Holland nodded to the guard and he shot Lee in the head, splattering the blood on Lindsey's face.
Everyone flinched a little, not having expected that as Giles said. "So one of them goes down."
"Yeah, but I don't think anyone cared there", Tara said. "They're like corporate bloodsuckers, only even worse."
"They literally even killed a worker", Willow commented.
Holland said terminating employees was never pleasant. The others started leaving but Holland then stopped Lindsey.
"Looks like he is not so easily fooled", Buffy said as all realized Lindsey won't be getting off easy, or not at all.
Angel came up in the elevator to his office and Cordelia and Wesley noted Lindsey wasn't with him, saying it could be bad but Angel said if Lindsey had made it out he'd be here and if he hadn't, there would be no need to go back for him as they'd work to do, and set the files on Cordelia's desk, telling her they'd have to go through them all till they found 'em, and Wesley pulled out the metal tube, noting the ancient Aramic on it while Cordelia put the disk into the zip drive. Wesley agreed to translate it while Cordelia noticed all of the files were encrypted.
"Great, isn't it?" Buffy muttered.
"Hey wait, I remember, they called me for this", Willow popped up.
"So you're gonna be in this?" Dawn asked.
"No, I helped from the phone", Willow said. "But who knows you may see me?"
"Would be awesome if we do", Xander said with a smirk.
Lee's body was dragged out by the feet as Holland said he knew what Lindsey had done, and then said this was a delicate moment so the bald guard Phil would put a bullet in Lindsey at his nod, and Lindsey said he didn't want to betray them, just wanted out, and Holland said he had a crisis of faith, asking if he'd been in love, not romantic one, a but the sharp clear sense of self a man gained on finding his place in the world. He said most men were cowards who moved with the crowds but few made their own destinies and knew how to handle a crisis, and then said Lindsey had all the qualities required for that but didn't know his place in the world. He decided not to kill Lindsey and gave him a few days off to think about it, knowing he'd do the right thing, and so Lindsey realized he could go as Holland told him to look deep inside so he'd find that love.
"I can't believe he let Lindsey go", Buffy noted.
"Maybe Holland is testing Lindsey to see just what he will do", Giles said. "And make their next plan regarding him accordingly."
"Could be it", Tara agreed.
Cordelia talked to Willow on the phone, as Willow instructed her what to do, and she turned to Angel and Wesley, telling them Willow had been hacking encrypted files too that day.
"I think she misheard me", Willow said. "I said I'd been doing that all day one day not too long ago." [1]
"Maybe it's her excitement from talking to you", Buffy said.
"I kind of wish you appeared in person", Dawn said.
"Maybe I'll come in one of these", Willow shrugged.
Cordelia then told them Willow said 'hey', so the two said it back and then eventually, following Willow's instructions, Cordelia manage to get in and thanked Willow, hanging up as Angel and Wesley stepped over the desk to have a good look.
"So I guess I helped save the day", Willow said with a smile.
"Good job, Willow", Tara said as the two exchanged a little kiss.
"Go Will", Buffy, Xander and Dawn said together as Giles just gave a smile.
They looked at Vanessa's file, noting she'd blinded herself on purpose when she was 21, spending 5 years in Pajaur to study the Nanjin which explained her powers, and Wesley said the order of the Nanjin believed in enlightenment by seeing through the heart instead of eyes, so Vanessa would be more sensitive of her surroundings than even a sighted person, making her unstoppable.
"Okay, better than even a sighted person? Now my Daredevil comparison is even more accurate", Xander said.
"So she did this to herself? Some people can do anything for power", Buffy said.
"And she got it too, but she used it for bad stuff", Willow noted.
Angel said no one was unstoppable and then they noticed her current job did involve 3 children who were seers who'd been brought here, and they were blind too and had the power to see into the heart of things. They were a holy triumvirate. That was when Lindsey arrived, saying their power was a threat to Wolfram and Hart and apologized for his lateness, and then said they'd to move fast, asking about when the children were getting into the country, and according to the file, they were already there and were in a safehouse with their guardian till their mentor came from the East. Angel told Cordelia and Wesley to intercept the mentor while they brought the kids to him.
"So he did make the right choice in coming to them again", Buffy noted. "But what impact will it have on him?"
"Yeah, I don't think Wolfram and Hart are gonna let it go", Willow said.
"At least they know about the seer children though, and they'll save them", Tara noted.
"If they figure out a way to bypass female Daredevil's powers", Xander pointed out.
"I'm sure Angel can figure it out", Dawn said confidently.
An older man set hot chocolate and sandwiches for the 3 blind children on the floor, and walked off, only to be stabbed by Vanessa's cane as he dropped dead while Vanessa walked to the 3 children. She got ready to the stab the first kid but Angel pulled her away and slammed her to a pillar, telling Lindsey to get the kids out. Vanessa threw Angel to the floor and kicked Lindsey in the stomach, kneed his face and smacked him back.
"Her senses truly are a threat", Giles said as all watched, tense.
Angel charged as she dodged then deflected his blows before punching his face and kicking him back while Lindsey crawled to the kids. Vanessa smacked Lindsey from behind, and he got up, trying to punch but she deflected, punched his face twice and threw him into Angel. She then picked up her cane, turning to the kids before stabbing Angel who was behind her and smacked him back. Angel deflected some blows but was thrown into a wall and fell down but stayed perfectly still, watching her, and now she couldn't detect him.
"Wait, she can't detect him", Buffy realized.
"He is completely still, and has no heartbeat", Willow said. "Or body heat."
"Go Angel", Dawn said with a smirk.
"So I guess sudden changes in the air pressure is what she can't react to", Xander realized. "So Matt's better than her."
Angel jumped to his feet when her back was turned and froze as he disappeared from her vision. Vanessa made some stabbing and cutting motions in his direction but didn't connect and suddenly, Angel punched her away. She was back up, looking for Angel who had come close to her, avoiding a blow after which he froze again, ready to punch. He then punched her face and rolled away before smacking her face back with the cane and was off again, avoiding her. Then he pushed her into a table from behind and when she was back up, she looked for him again even though he was a few feet from her. As she got ready to take a stab in his direction, he grabbed her cane and diverted it into her own body, stabbing her, then let her drop to the ground. Lindsey assured the kids they were all right.
"And she is gone", Dawn cheered. "Finally."
"Smart way to defeat someone like that", Buffy commented.
"Yes, brilliant strategy indeed", Giles agreed.
"Kids are saved too", Tara smiled.
"So a happy ending for this one", Willow said.
"Looks like it", Xander agreed.
Angel sat in his office at night as Wesley arrived with a parchment, informing him the children were safe with their mentor, and he then lay the parchment down, saying these were the Prophecies of Aberjian, and he had translated some of them. It mentioned the children Angel saved, and Wesley said he knew why Angel was drawn to it, it didn't mention him by name but it mentioned a Vampire with a soul, and Angel felt he somehow knew what it was due to being drawn to it, and Wesley said there was a design hidden in the chaos, and he had his place in it.
"Prophecy?" Buffy questioned. "He never told me about it. I had no idea!"
"Maybe he thought it won't be important", Willow said.
"But what would that be?" Tara asked.
"It only says Vampire with a soul though, not specifically Angel", Dawn pointed out.
"Spike", Xander said in realization. "So it can be about either one."
"It's just a prophecy, it can be wrong too", Giles said. "But for some reason, I feel this one is not wrong, and it might have something to do with us being brought here."
"You think they brought us here because of this prophecy?" Buffy asked.
"I think it might be one of the reasons, yes", Giles said with a nod.
Lindsey walked into Holland's office with the disk Angel had stolen, and Holland was packing his stuff as Lindsey returned the disk while Holland said he'd done a noble thing by saving the children, and he also knew Lindsey had made copies. Lindsey said he'd done it to keep himself safe and Holland asked what safe meant to him, to which he replied not being at war with Wolfram and Hart and having his own life. Holland said no one had their own life and was part of something larger, in this case Wolfram and Hart.
"He might not be a good person, but he does speak the truth", Giles commented.
"Bad guys who speak the truth. Worst kind of bad guys ever", Buffy said.
"Why?" Dawn asked.
"Because they have a point", Buffy told her.
Holland said he'd handpicked Lindsey because of his potential to see things as they were, and it wasn't about good or evil but who had most power, and then said something had changed in Lindsey, he had a lot of nerve now, and had stood up to them and won. Very few people could do that, and they needed people like that working for them. Lindsey was shocked he was getting his job back, but Holland said he was getting a new permanent job with a thunderous raise an ungodly benefits. This office was his, while Holland was going upstairs, saying he knew Lindsey pretty well and that he'd take it. He picked up his box and walked out as Lindsey said he may not know him that well, to which Holland said it was his decision. It was his if he wanted it and if he didn't, he could go. Holland left. Lindsey leaned back on the edge of the desk. After a moment he got up and walked towards the doors - and slowly closed them. He looked around the office, sat down in the chair, felt the desk, and took the phone off the hook. After a moment he turned the chair to look out over the city lights below. It blended into Angel looking out over the city lights too. The screen went black.
"Okay, what the hell just happened?" Dawn asked. "He got a promotion for betraying his boss? Really?"
"Looks like it", Willow said.
"I don't think he'd do that without any strings attached though", Tara told them.
"Yeah, there has to be a catch", Buffy agreed.
"But what would it be?" Xander wondered.
"His conscience", Giles said as all turned to him. "Lindsey showed he still had an ounce of morality inside of him, so Holland gave him more power to corrupt him and see if he can extinguish that ounce left. And looks like he succeeded."
"Oh boy!" Buffy said as everyone's eyes widened, realizing Giles was right about this. "And he took it, so now he's gonna become even worse than before."
"Here I thought he could change", Dawn muttered.
"Some people change, others don't", Willow told her. "Lindsey tried to change, but he ended up making the wrong choice again."
"And it's going to cost him one day", Tara said.
"I hope it does", Xander said.
"So next one was last of year 1, right?" Willow asked.
"Yes, that was it, which means something that will shake it all up", Buffy said, bringing them to it. "Let's watch it."
And this chapter's done. I like Lindsey and find him an interesting character, but at the end of the day, he threw back all his chances of redemption. Though to be honest I like Lilah a lot more, she's the best part of Wolfram and Hart, and she's consistent too, unlike him. Lilah is a cruel, sadistic, evil, ambitious bitch, and she knows it and revels in it. I really wish they'd done more with her after they wrote Lindsey out, she was such a cool character and they should have shown more of her backstory IMO, including how she became this way, since I doubt she started out like that. Lindsey got annoying when he became obsessed with Darla.
Anyway, enough ranting of my Lilah love, let's move on.
[1] So it is implied here that Willow and Tara were working on Adam's files when Cordelia contacted them, but the timeline is iffy here, because Willow finished hacking those files in "Primeval" less than a day after Angel left Sunnydale. Angel returned to LA before the beginning of "War Zone", and "War Zone" itself spanned at least four days. This means that Willow had to have been done hacking Adam's files before the events of "War Zone" were over, and therefore long before this episode even began. So I'm just gonna pretend that Cordelia misheard something Willow said so that this makes more sense.
Anyway, hope everyone enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter where we finally end Season 1. YAY! Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!