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Chapter 2- Releasing a power
The wedding was taking place in a big, moonlit park, and Lorne had planned it again as he was putting on the finishing touches. "Yeah, put it there, yeah there, right." It was put where it was supposed to as Lorne looked cheerful. "And its done, we are all set people for this big night."
"He plans weddings really well, its his speciality or what?" Steve asked Fred from where the two were sitting together.
"Lorne has a lot of specialties from singing to planning any event to just being nice all around, and also not being judgmental", Fred told Steve with a smile. "He is great."
"Can't disagree there", Steve nodded. "You're great too."
"Awww, thanks, you're also great", Fred shrugged.
"We interacted first during a wedding too", Steve reminded and Fred remembered that.
"Yeah, that was a nice wedding, this would be a good one as well", Fred told him. "But Illyria feels really bored, since she likes slaughter and all that."
"Really?"
"Really. Though I'm used to having her in my head, she is part of me now."
"I know, which is why I'm trying to get used to her fully too", Steve assured her.
"She does like you though."
"I remember that very well. Wanted to mate with me right on first meeting."
The two snickered at that bit as Fred added. "That, and she has a high opinion of you because you can lift Thor's hammer in spite of being a mortal."
"Well, you can say my thanks to her", Steve smiled. "Thor said there was an enchantment on it though, which allows me to lift it."
"'Whosoever be worthy', right? What exactly does make one worthy?" Fred inquired, wanting to know more.
"Thor said it was put on due to his arrogance at the time, but when he acted selfless and became the kind of man his people would be proud to follow, he became worthy and it came back to him", Steve told her, seeming deep in thought now.
"So, you're all that too, right?" Fred inquired.
Steve was humble as always, downplaying himself. "I guess…..well, Thor says I am. Tony does too. Nat, Bucky and Sam say the same."
"I'd say you are considering you went down in ice to save New York", Fred pointed out to him. "And the Avengers all followed you against Magus, even Thor, a literal God. Matt, Angel and even Spike have said to me separately they find you inspirational."
"I'll thank them all too."
"Point is, if a God, a Devil, and two Vampires of that kind listen to you, you are a great leader. That, combined with your selflessness and kindness, would make you very worthy of that hammer", Fred told Steve, pointing at his heart. "So I guess the serum gave you muscles but what makes you Captain America comes from in there."
They shared a smile as Steve told Fred. "Well, from what I've seen, you're kind and selfless too towards your friends."
"Thank you", Fred said as both looked to the front, watching the rest of the preparations, and of course proceedings which would begin pretty soon.
Giles was sitting in a corner with Xander. "I cannot believe I came to Angel's wedding of all people."
"We came because its Cordy's wedding too", Xander reminded his older friend. "She'd feel pretty bad if we didn't come."
"Yes. And it is good that she had no hesitation calling you, considering your previous relationship", Giles commented.
"We were good for a time but let's be honest, it was never gonna last after high school considering we both wanted different things", Xander told Giles with a sigh. "I am happy with Anya, and she is happy with Deadboy, who at least can be perfectly happy now."
"Yes, that is a good thing", Giles agreed since no one wanted Angelus around at all for very obvious reasons. Even if now they had many more heroes to deal with him and contain him in time for re-ensoulment, no one wanted a mess like that anytime.
Willow and Tara put Miss Kitty Fantastico the second into a pet enclosure at the corner, as Matt and Faith did the same to Bear the Puppy, who wagged his tail.
"Don't be sad, mommy and daddy are just nearby", Faith assured Bear, patting his head. "If you want us-"
"Bark loudly", Matt shrugged to snickers from the other three. "I'll hear it anyway."
"Now you two be good to each other", Tara raised a finger in a sweet, motherly tone.
"Oh they are the best of friends I'm sure", Willow told her as Bear wagged his tail at Miss Kitty and yipped while Miss Kitty responded with a 'meow' and sat down as Bear ran circles around her, all four grinning and laughing at the scene.
"See? Told you all", Willow smirked.
"Nothing to worry about then, come on", Tara and Willow walked off, holding hands, as Matt and Faith followed them while holding hands too.
"Should we get baby Connor here?" Faith asked Matt jokingly.
"Don't think Angel and Cordy would appreciate that since they want their son to see it properly", Matt responded as the two chuckled, Matt still hearing Bear and Miss Kitty playing and 'talking' behind them in the enclosure.
Tony and Thor stood together, looking around at the preparations as the former commented. "This is the second wedding I've been to in months."
"Well, it is our friends and allies", Thor shrugged. "We should be there for them in there times of happiness and sadness both."
"You know, I never met your parents but I'm pretty sure you sound like them now", Tony pointed at Thor who simply chuckled and shook his head.
"My parents were great and wise people so I thank you for the compliment, Stark", Thor patted his shoulder.
"First a Devil and a Slayer, now a Vampire and a former Power That Be, strange how the world works", Tony sighed, thinking back when he had just become Iron Man. "If someone told me this could happen 10 years ago, I would laugh, now-"
"Seeing is believing my friend", Thor told him as he noted Pepper approaching with baby Morgan. "I believe that is my cue."
He walked off as Tony took Morgan from Pepper. "How is little Stark doing?"
"As well as you can imagine", Pepper told him, looking around. "Its just like ours, but with more people."
"I know."
Sam was sitting with Rhodes as he looked at Steve and Fred chatting. "Cap went and finally got himself a girl, Natasha told me she used to try to set him up all the time."
"If he wasn't so shy he'd have one ages ago", Rhodes shrugged. "I mean, he looks nice and is Captain America."
"Or I guess he needed the right partner and now he has one", Sam smiled.
Spike and Buffy as well as Natasha and Bucky were walking together, Spike saying. "If someone told me like one year ago I'd come to the wedding of my git of a grandsire I'd stake that person. Wouldn't care if dust or blood came out."
"Awww come on, we know you like him", Natasha smirked as Spike scoffed but they knew he was putting up a front.
"Bloody hell not!"
"Really?" Bucky asked with a raised eyebrow, remembering Spike's conversation with him. "Because I remember you saying-"
"No you don't! I never said anything!" Spike cut him off in the most unconvincing tone.
"Awww, what did he say?" Buffy asked.
"Shall I tell?" Bucky asked Spike.
"Nope!"
"So you don't deny you said anything now, huh?" Natasha asked as Spike realized they'd got him now.
"Blimey!"
"He said he admires Angel", Bucky shrugged as Spike looked like he wanted to stake himself.
"I knew you were in love with him", Buffy told Spike jokingly who puffed his face.
"I hate this."
"Hey guys, the food here is so great", Anya said as she ran up to them, eating some herself. "Especially the shrimp, that is just-"
"Thanks Anya, I'm gonna eat some", Spike walked off to get some as Buffy, Natasha and Bucky snickered at his retreating form.
Daisy bumped into Matt's shoulder. "Sorry."
"No problem."
"You know Matt, we were both in Saint Agnes Orphanage before if you didn't remember."
"Really?" Matt asked as he turned to her.
"Really, been a long time though, they all talked about you a bit", Daisy told him.
"Must be because of this", Matt pointed to his glasses.
"Oh yes."
"So, how were you there?"
"Well, I was called Mary Sue Poots."
"Oh, that was you?"
"Yup."
"So, still a Mary Sue?" Both snickered.
"Depends on who you ask."
"Think I might be too", Matt told her as they shared a laugh.
"Anyways, was good meeting you, stay in touch", Daisy told him as they shook hands before she walked off
"I will."
"That was Daisy, right?" Faith asked, looking a little jealous.
"Yes, we were both in Saint Agnes Orphanage, it turns out."
"Ah, right, right", Faith nodded. "Right."
"Think these days we team up more for weddings than for fighting threats", Clint told Wanda as they shared a chuckle at that.
"It'd be nice if it stays that way, you know?" Wanda told him as they shared another chuckle.
"We all would love that", Clint agreed with a nod there.
Peter, Dawn and Felicia were just sitting together as Dawn looked at everyone else. "Look at them all, talking adult talk, we're just barely at the age now."
"Think they would talk to us if we try to talk to them", Peter commented.
"Yup, just don't bring up the college rumors about is", Felicia told him.
"Rumors? What rumors?" Dawn asked.
"Oh you don't know?" Felicia inquired.
"No, we really don't", Peter said.
"Well, many students think we're in a polyamorous relationship for whatever reason", Felicia revealed as Peter and Dawn blushed.
"Seriously?" Both asked at the same time.
"Yeah, seriously."
"Think we were better off not-knowing", Dawn then said.
"You can go, no metal detection for you", Gunn said to Logan, standing alongside Groo, both acting as security, and all three shared a laugh.
"Think the machine couldn't handle it anyway, bub", Logan tapped their shoulders and walked inside as Storm came in after.
"There will be for the rest", Groo said.
"Fine", Storm shrugged, allowing herself to go the procedure, and gesturing to the other X-Men to do the same.
"You know, I think next one should be ours", Bruce said to Betty as they sat together, holding hands.
"In that case, propose to me about a month later, then we can plan it", Betty said with a shrug as they shared a peck.
Cordelia was getting ready by herself when Stick appeared to her and she smiled on seeing him. "Thanks for attending, Stick."
"Congratulations, princess."
"Thanks, Stick."
"But you could do better than a suckhead."
"HEY!"
Angel was almost ready too as Wesley stood behind him, holding baby Connor. "I think you look perfect."
"I have to be for her, for both us", Angel replied as he turned around and took Connor, kissing his forehead. "We'll all be a happy family soon, Connor."
A cloaked figure approached the entrance to the Deeper Well.
Demon soldiers charged him, but the figure raised his hand and chanted. "Eradico!"
Several purple energy beams released from his palm, striking the Demons and making them explode.
Lightning flashed and Drogyn emerged. "Your purpose here has been wasted." The figure made to chant again, but Drogyn blitzed over, grabbing the Warlock's wrist in one hand and his neck with the other, then slamming the man against a tree, making his hood fall over, revealing his face.
Ethan Rayne!
"You come only to die."
Ethan began to chuckle, until Drogyn tightened his grip on his neck.
"Actually, no. There won't be death nor for me, not for my master."
"The Old Ones could not have sent a message, they lack that power in death."
Ethan choked out laughter once again. "Who said I served the Old Ones?"
Lightning flashed again as Drogyn looked confused, and a shadow appeared behind Drogyn, which grabbed him and sank his teeth into the Immortal's neck.
The Battlebrand made to fight but arms wrapped around his own as his lifeblood was taken by his attacker, growing weaker as it grew stronger.
Ethan got up and watched as his savior teared out Drogyn's neck while he brought the body to the ground, crouching over the now corpse, staring up at the sky with the life now gone in his eyes.
The light from the lightning illuminated his appearance, red eyes, fangs, and pale skin.
"Good, Michael, now let us continue." Ethan made to go forward.
Then he heard his pale companion mutter something.
"What was that?"
"No more, this is the last. I shall kill for you no more." Michael growled at the dark warlock, but despite his terrifying visage, he was more pitiful to look at.
A once genius biochemist, now a monster of his own making, a Vampire born of science.
Michael Morbius, a Living Vampire.
"If all goes well, my dear fellow, no longer shall you be cursed with such a thirst." Ethan spoke charmingly, like the day he had found Morbius, offering him a cure to his curse.
Michael looked back at the now lifeless Drogyn, before following after the warlock.
The two then entered the Deeper Well, the Living Vampire seeing all of the sarcophaguses. Morbius asked in fear, "What are they?"
"Demons, the Old Ones to be precise. The would-be rulers of the world during the age that predates humanity, of course, they were not unchallenged. Now though, they are nothing more than husks that refuse to leave a world that no longer tolerates them, but now, they are nothing, only fuel."
Ethan then raised a crystal ball which once belonged to a powerful saint who used to battle Demons. The crystal ball was the size of a baseball.
Ethan chanted while doing gestures with his other hand. "Essentiam Veterum mitte, omnia in energiam puram converte."
The essences of the Old Ones from all of the sarcophaguses gathered together and shot towards the crystal ball, being absorbed into it where it was converted into pure energy.
With their essences gone, the sarcophaguses were nothing other than normal sarcophaguses. The essences of the Old Ones had been absorbed and converted into pure energy.
Except Illyria, every single Old One was dead!
"Now let us awaken him", Ethan smirked.
Angel and Cordelia now faced each other, saying their vows.
Cordelia went first. "For so long I wondered if I would ever find my prince, my soulmate. Then I met someone who became my partner and friend, who was always there for me. Then three years in, I found everything that I'd ever been looking for my whole life in him. And now here we are, with our future before us, and I only want to spend it with you, my prince, my soulmate, my friend. Unless you don't want to. You go!"
Some chuckles.
Angel then spoke next. "I thought this was going to be the most difficult thing I ever had to do. But when I saw you walking down the aisle, I realized how simple it was. I love you. You are the person I was meant to spend the rest of my life with."
"You may kiss the bride."
Angel and Cordelia kissed, now married, with all cheering for them.
If this was 3 years ago, Buffy would have felt jealous and depressed, but now she knew she and Angel were never meant to be, they were happy with other people.
Connor cheered too as Wesley raised him.
Lilah nagged him from the side. "You do realize that about a year ago, I was the arch enemy to some of these people, and that's not including the fact I was on the opposite-"
"Lilah, shut up and enjoy our friends' wedding, please."
And she "reluctantly" did so.
Harmony was crying hysterically. "Oh my God! My best friend has gotten married, I can't-"
Groo handed her a handkerchief and she blew into it. Then she was back to normal and wrapped her arm around his while kissing his cheek. "Thank you, my prince."
"You're welcome my princess."
Fred was clapping next to Steve when she became Illyria suddenly, some noticing but not caring.
"You all clap for them", Illyria noted. "Just because they put rings on each other."
"We clap because we see their love for each other and are happy they will spend it together now forever", Steve explained to her as she tilted her head in curiosity.
"Do you feel the same way about Winifred?" Illyria asked as Steve blushed, wondering what to say, only for Illyria to become Fred again.
"Like I said, she moves fast, don't think of it", she assured him.
"Thanks."
Later, Cordelia was chatting happily with Willow, Faith, Tara, Dawn, Buffy, Felicia, Fred, Natasha and Wanda.
Angel was sitting on a bench, a bit away from the party, looking up at the moon, smile on his lips, and then Matt approached with two glasses and a fifty year old bottle of Glen McKenna.
"Donald Sullivan sent a bottle to me and Foggy as a thanks. Been saving it for a special day."
Angel took the glass offered as Matt unscrewed the bottle. "Thought now would be a good time."
"Donald Sullivan, God, how long ago was that?"
"Feels like years."
"I'm starting to feel them."
"That's what this is for." Matt poured the scotch in Angel's glass before his own. Raising the glass, Angel met his and they clinked the glasses.
"To happiness."
Angel couldn't but chuckle at the irony. "To happiness." They drank as Angel said. "Oh that's good."
"Really, really good."
"We're not going to share this with the others, are we?"
"Hell no."
"Thank God."
The two shared a "look" and burst into laughter, Angel throwing an arm around Matt's shoulders as they sat together with smiles.
Ethan and Morbius entered an Egyptian tomb, walking on the stone floor, and Ethan sensed the power below. "Break the stone."
Morbius began breaking down the stone floor with his strength as Ethan held up the crystal ball with the essences.
The stone floor was broken to reveal a huge sarcophagus. Holding up the crystal ball Ethan chanted.
"Hail to the true master of this world. He who defies Man, Gods, and Devils, for pursuit of power and peace. He, the true champion of humanity, our protector. The symbol of power itself! Our abandoned Savior! Arise, the great, the eternal, Apocalypse!"
The essences all flowed out of the ball into the big sarcophagus which glowed as Eldritch energy then surrounded it, forming various symbols while a powerful wind blew, throwing the two back as various things fell here and there.
The Eldritch symbols were making a humming sound, then all the symbols closed in towards each other before exploding as the roof of the tomb was blown away, though it was night so Morbius had no issue there.
An Earthquake was occurring too.
Pieces of the sarcophagus lay here and there as the Eldritch symbols coalesced to form a giant shape which turned tangible.
It was a being, blue and grey in color, with lips blue as well, his entire being radiating great power and authority. There was long cloak flowing behind him, and he had chest armor and a belt, Mystic Eldritch symbols on both.
"My power...it is diminished, yet even now, newly awakened, I feel my strength returning to me."
He looked at the two before him as Ethan got down on one knee. "Oh great master, we have travelled long and far to bring you back to this world. I pledge only to serve you….master Apocalypse."
Apocalypse looked down at Ethan Rayne, walking toward him slowly, each footstep of his causing the Earth to shake.
The great being put his hand on Ethan's head as he screamed painfully, his appearance changing. He turned bright to the point of gaudiness. His flesh was now a waxy yellow. His lips became pale blue. His eyes glittered as if their irises were set with rubies.
A black cloak appeared behind him as bees flew out of his mouth and surrounded him, Ethan falling down on both knees.
Apocalypse then removed his hand and declared. "You shall cause….Pestilence."
Ethan coughed out the bees, now surrounded by them all, and stood up, feeling more powerful than ever. "I shall do as you ask, Master."
Apocalypse then turned to Michael. "And what do you wish, my child?"
"I just want my suffering to end", Morbius begged as Apocalypse looked down upon him with his piercing gaze.
"Agreed. No more shall you suffer," Michael slumped over in relief as Apocalypse lay his hand on the Living Vampire's bowed head, "Now, you shall conquer, my Horseman of Death."
Another painful transformation occurred as Morbius screamed, his fangs sharpened while his nails turned to black claws, his nose flattening to appear more bat-like, and his skin becoming extremely pale, chalk white in color.
He fell to his knees, screaming, before standing up, feeling the greater power of his new appearance flow through him.
"And now, my Horsemen, I need two more. Once I have them, we shall conquer all."
And that's Chapter end, Cangel gets married while Ethan Rayne and Morbius the Living Vampire awaken Apocalypse, the final Big Bad of this series.
And yes, the main villain is Apocalypse. I just figured it'd be fun if the final apocalypse is Apocalypse himself.
This story shall also take inspiration from Stand with Ward and Queen's 'Apocalypse of infinite earths' and Bl4ckHunter's 'The Wrath of Apocalypse' so thank you to them.
For Apocalypse's look here, just see this- 'Apocalypse by alecyl' on DeviantArt.
Ethan was captured by the Initiative but given who he is, I think he could make an escape after it went down in Sunnydale.
Morbius here will be played by Cillian Murphy (nothing against Jared Leto who could redeem himself for his atrocious Joker by playing Morbius better) but I feel Cillian Murphy would fit the role nicely too.
Ethan himself wasn't powerful enough to draw the essences of the Old Ones, the crystal ball he had was.
Thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help with these bits again.
And, I'm sure you all know where Angel's and Cordelia's wedding vows were taken from. They just fit really well here IMO.
RIP Drogyn.
Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter.