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Chapter 98- Calvary

"Here we go with this", Buffy sighed as she turned the recording on.

Wo-Pang was in his monastery when a guard flew through the curtain again and landed unconscious in front of him as Cordelia, Wesley and Connor arrived. Wo-Pang cast a handful of bones into the circle in his front and read a message, saying he didn't know where the soul was but it was still in the container. He did not have any backup plan either and said they were screwed. And if the container broke, the soul could be returned or destroyed. A sharp wind blew, extinguishing the candles.

"So, the soul can be lost?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, it's a possibility", Summers nodded grimly.

"I didn't let that happen", Willow assured.

"Funny hearing him say screwed", Dawnster said and light chuckles followed.

At Hyperion, Angelus called out above, tauntingly saying he wanted to be Angel again. Gunn shot his finished flamethrower across the lobby as Fred realized Angelus knew his soul was missing. Gunn now regretted bringing in Angelus but Fred said it was their best chance. Gunn asked if it was her or Wesley talking and she reminded he'd pushed for it too, so he said he'd done the wrong thing. Angelus then spoke up, reminding Gunn of smacking Fred around, and said Wesley would never do it, due to being proper and English, plus that accent made girls buttery in the nether regions.

"Shut up!" Dawn said to him.

"Easier said than done, honey", Rosenberg told her.

"I know, just wanted to say it", Dawn shrugged.

"Was he right about the accent?" Giles asked and got looks. "Never mind."

Angelus said he could use his Irish brogue when he raped Fred to death, making Gunn disconnect the cable as Fred said words were the only way he could hurt them now as he'd never get out. A grate in the rear room of the basement opened. Angelus turned around and smiled as Lilah appeared with a crowbar in hand.

"And she had to come", Buffy said as everyone groaned. "Does she let him out?"

"No, she doesn't", Maclay assured.

"So she is back with her own agenda too, eh?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, that's true", Harris nodded.

"This is her first time meeting Angelus", Maclay pointed out as they nodded.

Lilah limped to Angelus, her clothes ripped and torn. She called him the 'great Angelus' as he told her to play up the awe and reverence. Angelus mocked Lilah's appearance, and she wanted him to stop the Beast. Angelus said he didn't like him, but still gave him props for permanent midnight. Lilah asked if he could do it or not but he only mocked her appearance. Lilah revealed the Beast had killed everyone that day, including those not at work, but she was still alive.

"The being possessing Cordy really considered them a threat, didn't it?" Dawnster asked, and got nods.

"Yeah, and Lilah is about to show us why", Summers said.

Lilah's feet were closer to the safe line as Angelus brought up Wesley the devoted boyfriend before remembering they weren't together anymore, and called her life crap. Above, Gunn told Fred he didn't mean to hurt her as Fred mentioned attacking Wesley, but then he pointed out she and Wesley had kissed in the office before, which she'd let happen. He said he had never felt anything like this for anyone before, and would do anything for her, but it wasn't enough. "I can't do this anymore, Fred. I'm tired of you looking everywhere but at me." Fred looked up as the front door opened and Wesley entered, followed by Cordelia and Connor. "Like that." He walked off as Wesley approached and saw she was upset. He asked the reason but Fred shook her head.

"So Fred and Gunn are over now", Buffy said with a sigh and got nods from the rest. "It's messed up, the whole thing."

"Tell me about it", Willow commented, shaking her head.

"Sucks for Gunn", Xander sighed. "He did love her."

"Yeah, guess he was more into her than she was into him", Rosenberg pointed out.

"He did all he could but eventually, it just didn't work out", Maclay said with a sad nod.

"Well, hopefully, they can both move onto something healthier now", Tara suggested.

Cordelia, Wesley and Connor informed Fred of the developments before Gunn ran for the basement door on noticing Lilah in the monitor, and the rest followed him downstairs. Lilah turned as Gunn and the rest dashed down the stairs. Angelus tried to grab her but Gunn fired a dart. Lilah dropped her crowbar and ran into the sewers as Gunn had his rifle trained on Angelus. Wesley and Connor were about to chase Lilah as Angelus collapsed but Gunn asked him to wait to make sure this wasn't a setup, so he stopped to check the basement while Lilah ran through the tunnels, holding her wounded belly with Wesley in pursuit. She climbed a ladder and Wesley followed.

"Lover games being taken to the next level", Harris quipped.

"With a wound like that, she won't get far", Giles pointed out.

Connor checked everything and kicked the crowbar away as they wondered if Lilah had taken Angel's soul, and thought she'd cut a deal with the Beast to survive. Wesley cracked a door open as Lilah swung an iron pipe but he easily dodged and disarmed her. She sat down as Wesley noticed her abdomen bleeding and offered to look. He then asked how she knew about Angelus to which she said magick taking a champion's soul made ripples, and knew it was Wesley's idea. She started the 'great minds' line but he called her foolish for trying to let Angelus out, to which she wasn't and the crowbar was to look desperate, which Wesley pointed out wasn't hard. Wesley noted she always wanted Angelus but Lilah said Wolfram and Hart did.

"Wrong", Summers said as all looked at her. "The prophecy says a Vampire with a soul will be important in the apocalypse."

"Which means…." Buffy trailed off as it hit them.

"They want him with his soul, not without it", Rosenberg confirmed. "They have it all wrong here."

"That's why the entire plan with Darla in Year 2", Tara reminded, and got nods. "Or they would have just taken his soul, they have the resources for it."

Lilah said she just wanted her life back and was selfish, which is why they wouldn't work out, and Wesley said there were many reasons they wouldn't. Wesley then spotted Lilah's book Rhinehardt's Compendium, and noted it had a drawing of the Beast and a passage about it which his book didn't have. Lilah said she'd got it from the pan-dimensional black market as Wesley realized they needed to check more books from other Dimensions, since references to the Beast in their Dimension had been removed.

"Oh boy!" Xander said.

"So that's why Wolfram and Hart is a threat, right? Lilah, after losing everything, managed to get a book from another Dimension about the Beast", Willow noted.

"So, the being possessing Cordelia removed all references to the Beast, right?" Buffy asked, and got nods from the future people.

"And since Angelus was dormant at the time, it didn't affect him", Maclay explained, and the past people nodded again.

At the basement, all agreed someone was doing the Beast's dirty work, so he could have minions, only for Angelus to awaken and call them morons, saying the Beast was the minion. There was something bigger and worse out there. He looked at Cordelia. "The Beast…..has a boss."

"And you're looking right at 'em", Summers said. "Well, not directly, but you know what I mean."

"Huh, bad guys are smarter", Dawnster commented and was shot looks. "I'm basing this on what I saw."

"As much as I hate to admit it, Dawnie is right", Tara said to them. "At least about this specific bad guy."

"Won't deny that, Angelus was a smart bastard", Buffy nodded.

"Evil, smart bastard", Giles snarled, and all knew he was thinking of Jenny while saying that.

The others were in disbelief as Angelus wondered how they'd survived this long by being retarded. Angelus said he knew the Beast had a boss due to having a brain, it was brawny and good at slaughter but not good at looking at the big picture, so what he was doing now- rain of fire, killing the Ra-Tet and blotting out the sun, those were big moves for someone like him. Cordelia suggested he was smarter to which Angelus said he'd sprout wings and fly off. He knew someone was pulling the strings and he was dying to find out.

"Can't do that when you're already dead", Xander quipped.

"Well, bringing in Angelus had a use then, he figured out the Beast works for someone", Willow pointed out.

"Yeah, that's one good thing", Rosenberg agreed.

"But the bad outweighs it", Dawn sighed.

"Again, they had no idea Cordelia was possessed", Tara reminded, and they had to concede.

Wesley and Lilah returned as Wesley told the rest Lilah hadn't taken Angel's soul, Lilah asking them to search her as her bleeding belly was seen. Wesley said the attack at Wolfram and Hart had injured her as Gunn wondered how she'd survived, and she said she'd gotten lucky. Wesley then said she was gathering Intel downstairs, though Gunn found the whole thing suspicious. When controlling the Beast was mentioned, Lilah was confused too, and then Wesley told them about the passage from Rhinehardt's Compendium.

"Here comes the reveal", Buffy realized.

"Yep, now they will know about the spell that erased it all", Maclay nodded.

"One step in the right direction then", Dawnster commented.

Wesley revealed references to the Beast had been erased in this Dimension, Lilah adding she'd gotten her book from way out of town, mocking Fred by saying she didn't think of that. Now they knew Angel didn't remember because his memory had been wiped clean like the books, while Angelus had been dormant during then. Wesley decided to compare the passage with what was taken out of Lorne's head but Gunn decided to go downstairs with his flamethrower. Lilah noted the tension between Fred and Gunn, getting a small smile as Cordelia told Fred to let him go as they needed Angel back, especially if it was as bad as she thought.

"You don't think, you know, because it's you", Summers snarled, clutching her fists again.

"Gunn needs to be careful down there", Giles pointed out. "It is Angelus."

"Yeah, wrong move and poof!" Harris agreed.

Gunn later watched over Angelus with the flamethrower as Angelus said one thing he liked about Gunn was he played to his strengths, but didn't find it much these days as the rest were trying to expand their horizons. He mocked Gunn completely, saying at least he'd the love of a woman until she'd dumped him for a guy with a bigger horizon. Gunn said it was her life, as Angelus said they should have seen it coming after the Professor, revealing Angel wasn't that stupid, and knew what had happened. He assured he wouldn't tell what Fred had done, but Gunn revealed it was him, making Angelus mock him more as he'd done Fred a favor and instead of being grateful, she'd run to the broody smart guy. For once in his life, Gunn wasn't dark enough, making Gunn release a blast from his flamethrower, so Angelus backpedaled, saying there was hope after all.

"You little bastard", Buffy sneered at Angelus.

"Come on Gunn, don't let him get to you", Willow begged him.

"Angelus just has a way of doing it", Rosenberg pointed out sadly.

"Yeah, he does", Xander sighed.

Wesley and Fred reviewed their research, before he asked her to tell Gunn he didn't want things to escalate between them both. Fred revealed they weren't together anymore, shocking Wesley who wondered if it was because of him but she said things had been going downhill for a while. He moved to her, about to kiss her when Cordelia and Lilah entered, making Fred turn to the books as Cordelia asked if Wesley had made progress and Lilah quipped he was trying as she looked at Fred.

"Jealous or amused?" Giles asked.

"Bit of both", Maclay shrugged.

"She is complicated", Dawnster commented.

Wesley walked off to relieve Gunn as Lorne arrived, revealing he'd found nothing but was shocked to see Lilah, though he got over it quickly. Lilah said to kill the Beast and give it's boss a run for their evil, they should sic Angelus on them. He'd kill them all too, but for the greater good. Cordelia and Lilah argued as Lilah limped up the stairs. Cordelia said it came down to fear for people like Lilah, but Lilah laughed and said the Beast's boss planned to end life, and Angel, The Powers That Be or the Forty-damned-second Cavalry won't save them. Cordelia's eyes then went an opaque white and she said she knew how to re-ensoul Angel.

"Of course you do, you have his soul!" Buffy snapped.

"The being is playing another trick", Summers told them. "This is going to be the worst one for our good guys."

"It plans to let Angelus out", Tara realized and got nods, as the atmosphere turned grim.

"As if they didn't have enough to worry about", Willow groaned.

"Yeah, it is playing its cards just right", Dawn said.

Wesley was watching over Angelus when Fred arrived, saying Cordelia had a vision of how to put the soul back, making Angelus quip the Powers could also see how badly they sucked. When Fred talked back, Angelus said she'd grown some spunk and wasn't the cow-bitch from Pylea. Angelus then sarcastically praised Wesley, calling him near perfect for Fred, and as they turned to leave, he revealed Wesley had been banging Lilah for the past 6 months so that took the shine off. Fred was incredulous but saw Wesley's expression, then said it wasn't her business as she ran up the stairs, Angelus chuckling.

"And now he managed to hurt them even more", Xander groaned.

"Angel knew everything and kept it secret because he respected his friends, while Angelus is using it against them", Rosenberg said. "Shows you the difference."

"Yeah, whole dimension of difference", Buffy nodded sadly.

"And he knows just the right time", Dawnster commented.

Gunn and Connor dug in the woods as Connor said he hadn't fought a soul-eater, to which Gunn said this one had been buried by the Chumash a 100 years ago.

"Oh, Chumash! Remember them?" Willow asked as they all thought about it.

"Yes, interesting Thanksgiving day", Giles commented.

"Sure was", Summers chuckled.

"Not for me", Xander said, sharing a look with Harris.

"Nope, never happened", Harris agreed.

Gunn's shovel struck something solid as they found a wooden box. Gunn tried to pry the lid off with a crowbar when a clawed hand shot through the wooden cover and grabbed Gunn's throat. Connor severed the arm at the elbow and then they noticed the box was empty. Gunn whipped around just as the soul-eater attacked from behind. Gunn tried to fight but was taken down, and so was Connor while the soul-eater melted into the shadows. They looked around as the creature circled them with blurring speed. It attacked again, backhanding Gunn who failed to strike. Connor tried to strike it with his sword but never landed a blow. It batted the weapon aside and seized Connor, forcing him to his knees. A yellow glow emanated from Connor's chest as it started to drain his soul. Gunn stood up, sword in hand and severed the creature's arm, breaking its hold on Connor, then whipped the sword around and decapitated it. Connor lay as the eyes in the soul-eater's disembodied head snapped open and its body started writhing on the ground. Gunn raised the sword and brought it down over and over, chopping repeatedly before stabbing it. Finally, it lay still. After some banter, Gunn hoped this was enough as they needed Angel if something worse than the Beast was out there.

"There is, but you ain't getting Angel", Xander said darkly.

"This was all for nothing", Tara said sadly.

"Yeah, it played them again", Maclay nodded.

"They could have died", Buffy noted. "That thing….."

"It will get what it deserves", Rosenberg assured.

The Beast kneeled before someone on an altar. "I am honored you've come. Fire, death and darkness have I bestowed in your name. Now this humble token I offer forged of my unworthy bones. A tribute to your power." It raised a dagger carved from a dark stone-like material.

"So that is made from him", Giles noted.

"Yes, it is", Dawn confirmed.

"Dagger made from his bones, real powerful", Harris said.

At the Hyperion, everyone was working on stuff when Gunn and Connor arrived with the soul-eater's head. They quipped they'd moved up its expiration date and shared a chuckle as Connor went to remove the flesh on Wesley's command while Lilah arrived, making a joke as Lorne said his love for humanity made him tolerate her presence but he'd still smack her if needed. He walked off as Wesley said she could have escaped, but she had nowhere to go. Fred then arrived and saw Wesley with Lilah, saying Cordelia had a question, then turned away and walked out as Lilah walked to the other side.

"Awkward", Dawnster said in a sing-song voice.

"One of the weirdest love triangles ever", Buffy commented.

"Yeah, it was real strange", Rosenberg agreed with a nod.

Later, the team made preparations as Lilah watched nearby. Angelus said using black magick would have consequences, Lilah adding the hotel might get sucked into a Hell Dimension.

"Yes, we know", Willow said grimly, sharing a look with Tara and her future self.

"Never try it unless really desperate, and if you do, be prepared to face the consequences", Giles nodded grimly.

Angelus taunted them as they started the process. Fred ended up mouthing off to Lilah who rolled her eyes while all held up their talismans, and Cordelia stood before Angelus, who said Angel had given up his soul because he'd given up on them. She threw a handful of sand on him to initiate the spell and he flew backwards as Wesley chanted, the whole hotel shaking and cracking eventually. Angelus screamed and doubled over in pain as a white cloud rose from the circle and snaked to him, encircling and lifting him off the floor as energy enveloped his body. The soul-eater's skull exploded and the energy disappeared as Angelus dropped to the floor, now apologizing to everyone, including Fred as he struggled to his feet, remembering the Beast had a boss.

"I know it didn't work", Willow shrugged.

"This was all an act, wasn't it?" Buffy asked, and got nods.

"So it's Angelus", Tara said grimly.

"Yes, he is acting now, and is going to be let out", Maclay said, horrifying them all.

"Bloody hell!" Giles said.

"Yeah, stings", Harris sighed.

Angel needed to sing for Lorne to prove it was him and he did, as Lorne said it was Angel, hugging Cordelia. Angel wanted to remain locked up because this may be temporary, so he'll give orders from down here, and assured Angelus was lying, he hadn't given up on them. He ignored a comment by Lilah, then gave orders to them all as they walked off but Cordelia said he was too scared, eventually assuring to leave Angelus and what he did inside the cage.

"But it's coming outside", Dawnster muttered grimly as they tensed.

Cordelia opened the locks as Angel walked out. She looked at him meaningfully and assured. "You're not Angelus." She turned to lead him upstairs when he violently yanked her back, turning Vamp. "Guess again." Cordelia kicked Angelus in the gut and decked him with a right hook, knocking him away from her. She ran into the cage and pulls the door shut, locking herself inside. Angelus reached through the bars and seized her, yanking her forward and slamming her head into the steel. She dropped to the floor, unconscious. "Stay down!" He headed up the stairs, his face shifting back to normal with a grin of anticipation.

"Oh no, he's coming, he's coming", Xander was ranting.

"You let him out!" Buffy snarled angrily at the being.

"Yeah, it did, and now in addition to the Beast and the being possessing Cordelia, they have Angelus to worry about", Summers sighed.

"He's gonna make it worse now", Dawn muttered.

Fred was working when Angelus arrived, apologizing for scaring her. Fred then apologized, eventually assuring him what was done was done. Angelus then asked for a hug when there was sound of glass breaking, and Fred turned, and Angelus was gone when she turned back. Wesley and Lilah stood over shattered coffee cups and a tray as she said she rebelled at making coffee, and Angelus arrived, saying he had his own mission. "I have to go save the world." He grabbed his coat and walked out with a flourish.

"Funnily enough, he did do that", Harris said and was shot weird looks.

"Just wait and watch", Maclay said to them.

"So bad guy saves the world from other bad guys, funny", Willow quipped.

Fred arrived, asking if they'd seen Cordelia, then saw her unconscious on the monitor. Later, they took weapons as Cordelia wondered why the spell hadn't worked. Wesley said they couldn't capture Angelus anymore, Gunn agreeing as he said now they must take Angelus out. Wesley told them to take any shot they could get as Lilah cocked her pistol. Wesley, Fred, Gunn and Connor walked out the front door, leaving Cordelia and Lilah.

"So they left the evil bitch with the evil being who considers her a threat", Buffy pointed out.

"Yup, too bad for evil bitch", Rosenberg quipped.

Outside, it was chaos with fires burning as Vampires and Demons picked off people. Angelus grabbed a man on a bench to find out he was dead, then held up a little girl to find out she was a Vamp. He ranted about no fast food in LA while Cordelia pressed an ice pack to her head at Hyperion. As she and Lilah talked, Angelus appeared on the balcony, leaping at them as Lilah fired. Angelus somersaulted onto the floor as Lilah dropped her empty gun and Cordelia raised her crossbow.

"Oh boy, he's here and they're looking outside for him", Dawnster groaned.

"Yeah, no fast food outside", Summers said darkly.

"So evil against evil", Xander noted.

"Yeah, looks like it", Tara nodded sadly.

Angelus caught the bolt in midair and hurled it back as it hit Cordelia's thigh, so she dropped to the floor with a scream as he told her to stay down. Angelus gave Lilah a 10 second chance for wanting to let him out of the cage and she bolted down a side corridor out of sight. Cordelia fired again but the bolt hit the wall next to Angelus' head as he assured he'd save the good stuff for her. Outside, the hunting team noted Angelus' scent ended in a less populated area, then realized he'd doubled back.

"Yeah, he did, like the smart bastard he is", Buffy groaned as they watched, tense.

Angelus hunted Lilah. Lilah was trying to stay ahead but her wound slowed her. She ducked into the shadows as he moved further down the hall. When he was out of sight, she limped in the opposite direction when he popped up behind her from around a corner. "Boo!" She raised her ax but he disarmed her and knocked her down. Lilah tried to make a deal for a team-up but Angelus said she wasn't scary anymore so he'd have to kill her. He leapt to attack her and she raised her legs, using his own momentum to hurl him up and over a nearby stairway banister. Angelus tumbled head over heels to the bottom of the stairs as Lilah struggled to her feet and pushed a supply cart down the stairs on top of him, then immediately turns and limped down the hall in the opposite direction as fast as she could. Suddenly a hand shot out of the shadows and seized her by the throat, pushing her up against the wall. It was Cordelia.

"I have a bad feeling about this", Xander said as all watched in apprehension.

"He's gonna kill us", Lilah said. "I know." Cordelia whipped out the Beast's dagger and drove it through Lilah's neck in one smooth motion, then dropped her lifeless body to the floor. Cordelia looked into Lilah's sightless eyes and sneered. "Why do you think I let him out, you stupid bitch?" The screen went black.

Everyone watched in horror as Buffy muttered. "So that's it."

"Yes, that's the being inside of her who did that", Summers nodded.

"Cordy….." Willow whispered, wondering just how she would react whenever she woke up and actually remembered this all.

"This is Lilah's end?" Dawnster asked.

"Yeah, considering how much of a big bad she was, pretty disappointing", Xander agreed.

"Well, life isn't a show or movie, you know?" Rosenberg sighed. "But yeah, still disappointing."

"One of the few times we were on her side out of everyone around, and that was the time she lost", Maclay said sadly, sad because Cordelia had been controlled into taking Lilah's life.

"So Miss Morgan passes on", Giles sighed.

"Yeah, she does, after almost 4 years of going up against Team Angel", Tara noted, a bit sad since when Lilah was around Wesley, she showed her softer side. The side that was capable of good if pushed in the right direction. "And someone worse finally killed her."

"Angelus and the Beast, and the being inside Cordelia", Buffy shook her head. "This is horrible."

"It gets better in the next one", Dawn assured them.

"Yeah, you can watch and see for yourself", Harris added.

"Sure", Buffy sighed, picking up the remote to watch the next one.

R.I.P. Lilah Morgan. You were an evil, cruel bitch, and I loved you for that, and I loved you with Wesley more than I loved Wesley and Fred. Your presence in this show will be sorely missed, and I am really sad you and Cordy were both done dirty like this.

Since like I said once before, or I think I said, Cordelia's character assassination and Lilah's actual assassination in one single fell swoop.

I hate that ending.

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