Demons and Angels
Part Two
Written by Donald E. Fleming II
Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II
Disclaimer: Original Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vistas Studios. Angel and other related characters are the property of Warner Bros. Other Gargoyle characters are the property of The Gargoyle Saga (TGS) writing staff. All characters are being used without permission of their creators.
Note: This story begins at approximately the same time as Part One of "A Sunnydale Werewolf in Manhattan" and concludes shortly after the start of Part Two, for those continuity freaks out there.
Previously...
"How is Angelus?" Demona asked. "I hadn't seen him since Romania."
"Yeah, well, he's not the same bloodthirsty killer he was back in the good ole' days," Spike said. "He ran into some gypsies in Romania who restored his soul."
"A shame," Demona said. "I kind of liked him the way he was. Where is he now?"
"In Los Angeles, believe it or not," Spike said. "Helping the hopeless, as Cordelia likes to say."
Sunnydale Interlude
"His name is Fang," she said. "Or at least, that's what he goes by now. I have had… dealings with him in the past."
"You can tell Thailog that he can go to Hell for all I care," she snarled. "I have no interest in his petty schemes."
"Even if it concerns your company," he taunted.
That caught her attention. "What are you talking about?" she asked, even as she realized what Thailog wanted.
"He wants Nightstone, Demona," Fang said. "And of course the only way he can get it…"
"Is if something rather fatal were to happen to me," Dominique said.
There was a large scorch mark on the woman's chest. Kate took out her cellular phone and called for an ambulance even as her fingers sought out a pulse, not surprised when she couldn't find one.
Dominique Destine was dead.
Demons and Angels Part One
June 18, 2000
Los Angeles, California
It took Angel a while to get back to the hotel. Once he got there, he took the service elevator to the top floor and headed towards Dominique's penthouse. As he neared the door, he sensed that something was wrong.
The door was open and as he drew near, he could see that the lock had been shot open. After he rushed inside, he paused as he turned to look at the door again. Something was definitely wrong if he was able to enter without being invited in. He looked towards the stairs leading up to the bedroom.
"Demona," he called out. He caught sight of movement beyond the door and rushed up the stairs.
Kate heard him coming up the stairs and went to the door. Angel paused when he saw her.
"Kate, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"I could ask you the same thing," she responded.
"I came to ask her a few questions."
Kate looked over her shoulder towards Dominique's body. She had covered it with a sheet from the bed. "I don't think she'll be answering anyone's questions anymore," she said.
Angel caught sight of the sheet-covered body and brushed past Kate. He quickly went over and knelt by the body. "What happened?" he asked as he pulled the sheet away briefly.
"Fang was here," Kate said. "He killed her."
There was a large scorch mark on Dominique's chest, similar to the one on the guard that Fang had killed at the Nightstone Plaza. Angel put his hand to her throat to check for a pulse. There was none. Yet. He gently picked her and walked over to the bed.
"What are you doing?" Kate asked. "There's nothing you can do for her, Angel. She's dead. Fang murdered her."
"Yeah, I know," Angel said as he gently placed Dominique's body onto the bed. "She hates it when that happens."
"What…" Kate started, but then her ears caught the sound of a moan. Her eyes went wide as she saw movement on the bed.
"Wait a minute," she said, stunned. "That's not possible. She was dead a minute ago."
"Yeah, well, that was a minute ago," Angel said. "She should be okay now."
"Who…what is she?" Kate asked.
Angel thought for a moment. "She's an immortal," he said. "She can be killed, but it usually doesn't take her long to get back up again."
"You mean like in 'Highlander'?" she asked. Great, she thought. That's all I need. First vampires, then demons, and now Mutates and immortals. What's next, gargoyles?
"Yeah, something like that," Angel said. He turned his attention back to Dominique. "Dominique, can you hear me?" he asked.
She groaned briefly before starting to sit up. "Ohhhh," she moaned as her hand went to her chest. "What happened?" She saw Angel standing over her and almost panicked.
"Easy, Dominique," Angel said as she tried to get up.
Dominique began coughing as her injuries began to heal. She had a feeling she knew just how badly she'd been hurt. The front of her chest was blackened and scorched and she had a feeling that the sternum had been shattered. Her heart had been crisped and portions of her lungs had been cooked to a cinder. She was in a lot of pain. But at least she wasn't dead anymore.
"That miserable, no-good, thieving wretch!" she snarled. Fortunately, Angel was standing in front of her when she said that, otherwise Kate would have seen her eyes flash blood red. "I'm going to tear out his entrails and feast on his heart!"
This was followed by another round of harsh coughing as her lungs continued to regenerate.
"I don't think you'll be doing much of that," Angel said. He paused as he looked back over his shoulder at Kate. "At least not yet," he added.
"Is she going to be okay?" Kate asked. She was still getting used to the fact that the woman who was dead a few moments ago was now alive. Alive, and severely pissed off!
"I think so," Angel said. "She just…"
"I had a little accident, that's all," Dominique quickly put in. "Nothing major. I just…"
"Died," Kate said. "You don't have to lie to me, Ms. Destine. I saw Fang leaving here. I know he murdered you." She looked at the Nightstone exec. "Or at least he tried to. You want to explain to me why?"
"Not particularly, no," she said. She sat up and drew what remained of her bathrobe around her. "If you don't mind, Detective Lockley, I have some things that need to be taken care of, so if you'll excuse me..."
"Detective Lockley!" they heard a voice call out from downstairs. Kate turned and went to the door. She saw several uniformed officers enter the penthouse, weapons drawn. She looked back at Angel and Dominique.
"I suggest you make yourself scarce, Angel," she said. "The last thing I need is to explain what you're doing here, especially after what happened with Faith."
Angel looked towards the balcony. "I've got no way out," he said, indicating the sunlight streaming through the open doors. "Besides which, it's a long way down to the pavement."
"I can cover for him, detective," Dominique said. "Need I remind you that I hired Angel for a job. He has a right to be here."
"I don't think you understand…" Kate started, but then Dominique stood up and glared at her.
"I do not need your approval, detective," she snarled. "As I've said, Angel has a right to be here. You, however, I did not invite in, and I am now asking you to leave!"
"Listen..." Kate started to fire back, but then Angel stepped in between the two, separating them.
"This really isn't the best time for this, ladies," he said. "Kate, believe me. This isn't an argument you're going to win." He then turned to Dominique. "Can you give me a minute alone with her?"
Dominique looked at the detective for a minute. "Fine," she said. She turned and headed for the closet, grabbed a change of clothes and stormed into the bathroom.
"Kate, I know you want to do your job," Angel said as the bathroom door closed. "But believe me, this is something that is way out of your league."
"I'm sure you really believe that," she said. "But that doesn't change the fact that someone just tried to murder her, and that puts me in the game, Angel."
"Kate..." he started, but she quickly cut him off.
"Now I understand that there's some kind of history between the two of you," she said. "But if you really want to help her, you'll let me do my job."
"She doesn't need your help, Kate," Angel said.
"Fang just tried to kill her!"
"She can't be killed," Angel said. "She's immortal, remember?" Angel paused as he looked towards the door, hearing the officers downstairs heading up towards the bedroom.
"She may be immortal," Kate said. "But the rest of us aren't. What happens if Fang tries again while she's at Nightstone or out having dinner in some crowded restaurant?"
"All the more reason for the police not to get involved," Angel said. "Do you think the LAPD is capable of handling Fang on their own? You saw what happened to that guard at Nightstone. Just imagine what would happen if he cut loose on an entire SWAT team, Kate. They'd never stand a chance."
"Well, that all depends on who gets the in first shot, now doesn't it," Kate said. "She may be immortal, but I'm betting Fang isn't. All I would need is one clear shot..."
"Detective," she heard someone call out. She turned to see a uniformed officer standing in the doorway, his weapon drawn and trained on Angel.
"It's okay, Hanson," she said. "I've got things under control up here." She waited until the officer holstered his weapon before continuing. "Go back downstairs. I'll be with you in a minute." When the officer left, she turned her attention back to Angel. "Listen," she said pointedly. "Personally, I don't give a damn about what's going on between the two of you. But I've got a job to do, and the last thing I need is for you to get in my way."
"Kate, listen..." he started.
"No, you listen," she snapped. "Ever since we met, my life has been turned upside down by you, and I'm sick of it. I should just lock you up and throw away the key, especially after you tried to hide a known fugitive like Faith. But as much as I'd like to, I can't, because I've got nothing to hold you on. Yet." She paused, looking at the bathroom door. "But if you get in my way again, I swear to God I will. And I'll make certain that the cell they throw you in has a nice eastern exposure, so you can watch the sun rise."
Angel watched as Kate turned and left the bedroom, pausing for a moment to consider her words before heading over to the bathroom. He cautiously knocked on the door.
"Demona?" he said, making certain no one else heard him.
The door opened as he gave it a slight push. He looked in and saw the gargoyle-turned-human by the sink, bracing her hands on the vanity as she waited for her injuries to fully heal.
"By the Dragon, I hate getting killed," she moaned.
"I know the feeling," he said.
She looked over at him for a moment. "I heard what she said to you, Angel. I get the feeling there are some unresolved issues between the two of you."
"She hates me," Angel said.
"Why?"
"She blames me for the death of her father," he said.
"Did you..."
"No," he said. "He was on the take, but he didn't know that the guys he was working with were vampires. When I started getting too close to what they were doing..." He paused, looking in the mirror at Dominique's reflection, since he no longer had one. "They took him out, and I wasn't able to stop them."
"And so she blames you," Dominique said.
"She has a right to," Angel said. "I tried to save him, but I couldn't."
"If he wouldn't invite you in, there wasn't much you could do," she said.
"I should have done more," Angel said.
Dominique turned and looked at him. He's changed so much from the vampire I met in that cave long ago, she thought. When I taught Jenna's grandmother that spell, I did it out of anger and a lust for revenge. Now it looks like I've given him a chance at redemption, the same chance I've been given. "Angel, you cannot blame yourself for things that are beyond your control. You tried to save him, but you couldn't. It is time to put that behind you."
"Strange sentiment, coming from you," he said.
"I've made my share of mistakes in the past, I'll admit," she said. "But I am trying to make up for them."
"You could start by telling me what this is really all about," Angel said.
"Very well," Dominique said. She let out a heavy sigh, grimacing for a moment as she felt a slight twinge, then leaned back against the vanity. "It all started in Paris, five years ago..."
Los Angeles Police Department
Kate sat at her desk and looked at the security photo of Fang one more time. Something about this just doesn't make sense, she thought. And she hated it when things didn't make sense. She looked at the newspaper clipping of Dominique Destine. There's something else you're not telling me, she thought. You're hiding something, but what? She set down the pictures and picked up the phone. There's one way to find out. She dialed a number and waited. Finally, someone on the other end picked up.
"Hello, 23rd Precinct, Manhattan? This is Detective Kate Lockley in Los Angeles. Can you connect me to Detective Matt Bluestone?" She picked up the picture of Dominique Destine again. What are you hiding? she wondered as she waited.
"Detective Bluestone," she finally heard Matt say.
"Matt, it's Kate," she said.
"Kate?"
"Kate Lockley," she said. "Detective. LAPD. We worked together on the Rorshenko bust back in '93 while you were still with the F.B.I."
"I remember," Matt said. "What can I do for you? I assume this isn't a social call."
"It's not," Kate said hesitantly. "I need some information on a couple of individuals."
"Okay, shoot," Matt said.
"The first is Steven Fisher," she said, using the name Dominique Destine had reluctantly provided her. "He used to be a small time crook in New York."
"Steven Fisher?" she heard Matt say. "That name sounds familiar."
"He goes by the name Fang now," Kate said. "I don't know if you're aware of this, but…"
"Yeah, I know about him," Matt said. "So he's finally come out of hiding. We've been wondering what happened to him."
"We?" Kate asked.
"The NYPD," Matt said. "Most of us know about Fang. We've been keeping an eye out for him ever since he disappeared back in '96. I take it he's out there now."
"Yeah," she said. "Listen, Matt. I'm going to need all the info you can give me on this guy. Normal crooks I can handle, but with all the weirdness that's been cropping up lately…"
"What kind of weirdness?" Matt asked.
"I could tell you some stories, pal," she said. "I really need this favor, Matt. I know you're probably still sore about what happened after we brought down Rorshenko, but like I said, I really need this info. I don't like the idea of this freak job flying around my city, and I mean that in the literal sense. I've got enough to deal with as it is."
"I'll see what I can do," he said. "You said you need info on a couple of individuals. Who's the other one?"
Kate paused, looking at the photo. "A woman. Redhead, about 35 years old. Seems she may have a prior history with Fang."
"What's her name?" Matt asked.
"Dominique Destine," she said.
There was a long pause, and Kate wondered if Matt was still listening to her. She could swear she heard him talking to someone else. "Matt, are you still there?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm here," he said. "Listen, are you sure about this? I'm not saying that it's not her, but..."
"Matt, is something wrong?" she asked. "Is there something I should know?"
"Well," she heard him start hesitantly. Oh, please, she thought. Don't tell me the two of you are involved... "Ms. Destine is kind of a...unique...individual," she heard him say finally.
Kate quickly looked around, making sure no one else was in earshot. "I kind of figured that out for myself," she said.
"What happened?" Matt asked.
"Fang killed her," Kate said bluntly. "And about five minutes later..."
"She was walking around, as if nothing had happened?" Matt said.
"Not quite," Kate said. "She was wanting to rip his guts out is what she wanted to do."
"Yikes," Matt said.
"I'm guessing you've seen it for yourself, then," Kate said.
"No," Matt said. "But my partner has." She heard him pause then. "Listen, Kate," he said. "I'll send you what I can, but to be perfectly honest, this is probably something you'd want to steer clear of. Dominique Destine is not someone whose bad side you want to get on. Believe me, I've seen her bad side for myself."
"You know," she said. "You're the second person who's told me that. If I didn't know better, I'd swear there was something you and Angel aren't telling me."
"Angel?"
"He's a...private investigator," Kate said. "At least that's what he tells people."
"Do you want me to try to dig up some info on him?" Matt asked.
"No," Kate said. "I already know everything I want to know about him."
"Okay, Kate," Matt said. "I'll get on this as soon as possible."
"Thanks, Matt," she said.
"Anytime," he said.
"And, Matt?" she quickly said.
"Yeah?"
"It was good to hear your voice again," she said.
There was a long pause. "Yours too, Kate," she heard him say finally before she heard him hang up. She set down the phone and sat back, pausing for a minute to pick up the picture of Dominique Destine.
What are you hiding? she thought.
Angel Investigations
"You do realize that it's a lost cause," Wesley said.
"Says you," Cordelia said.
"And I happen to be right," Wesley said. "I mean, just look at it. It's ruined."
Cordelia looked at the ruined jacket. "I don't know. With a couple of stitches..."
"I'd say that it needs more than a few stitches," Wesley said. "It would be cheaper to simply buy another jacket."
"Are you kidding?" Cordelia said. "Do you know how much something like this costs?"
"I couldn't even begin to imagine," Wesley said.
"Imagine what?" Angel asked as he came in. He paused as he saw Cordelia fussing over the suit jacket. "Isn't that..."
"Ms. Destine's," Cordelia said. "I was hoping that it can be fixed."
"Why?" Angel asked. He went over and lifted up one of the tattered sleeves. "I mean, it's completely ruined, Cordelia. There's not much else you can do with it except toss it."
"Are you kidding?" she gasped. "Throw away this..."
"Rag," Wesley quipped.
"It's not a rag," Cordelia said. "It's a very expensive suit jacket that's...well...been well worn."
"I'd say it's more than a little 'well worn'," Wesley said. "Demona transformed from a human to a gargoyle while she was still wearing it. I can only imagine what her clothing bill must be like."
"Okay," Cordelia said. "So it's a bit abused. It'll still make for a great momento of the case."
"Speaking of which..." Wesley started. "What have you found out?"
"The whole thing started in Paris," Angel said. "About five years ago. That's where she met Thailog." He turned his attention to Cordelia. "Were you able to turn up anything on him?"
"Not much," Cordelia said. "Just the usual PR stuff Nightstone Unlimited had on him before he went missing. No birth records, no driver's license. The guy was even more reclusive than Howard Hughes." She paused. "Which is probably what you'd expect to find on a guy that just popped up out of nowhere within the last five years."
"That seems to bear out Demona's assertion that Thailog is a clone," Wesley said. "But I am still curious as to where he came from."
"Demona told me he was created by David Xanatos," Angel said. "An experiment that didn't turn out quite as planned."
"Apparently not," Wesley said.
"Demona was a little sketchy on how she ended up in Paris," Angel said. "There's a gap in her memory which she claims was caused by the Weird Sisters."
"Excuse me?" Cordelia said.
"I've heard of them," Wesley said. He went over to the bookcase and retrieved one of the heavier volumes. He flipped through several pages until he found what he was looking for. "Here we are. It says that they are three of the Children of Oberon, a trio of women who act as his messengers and are supposed to be guardians to the gates of Avalon." He looked up at Angel. "Why would they become involved with Demona?"
"Demona didn't tell me," Angel said. "But she did say that they were the ones who granted her immortality."
"Nice gift," Cordelia said.
"Not really," Angel said. "One condition of the spell is that her life is eternally bound to Macbeth's, sharing each others pain until one of them kills the other."
"Macbeth?" Cordelia asked. "Like in the play? That Macbeth?"
"Yeah," Angel said. "He's a real person. Nothing like the character in the play, though." He looked at the book Wesley had opened before continuing. "Anyway, when Demona met Thailog in Paris, she apparently fell in love with him, which enabled him to take advantage of her. He came up with a plan to have her make Macbeth fall in love with her in her human form so that they could get control of his wealth. After nine hundred years, both Macbeth and Demona had amassed sizable fortunes, so Thailog saw it as an opportunity to add to what he had stolen from Xanatos earlier."
"Typical male," Cordelia snorted.
Angel tried to ignore that, though it did throw him off a bit. Wesley picked up on Angel's hesitation. "Is that when the two of them formed Nightstone Unlimited?"
"Yes," Angel said. "Demona and Thailog combined their wealth, intending to add Macbeth's after Demona married him and arranged for him to disappear, planning to have him declared legally dead some time later. Thailog had other ideas. He gave Macbeth a weapon, hoping that the two of them would kill each other so he could get sole control of Nightstone."
"I don't get it," Cordelia said. "Why would Demona and Macbeth want to kill each other?"
"They used to hate each other," Angel said. "He blamed her for betraying him to Prince Canmore and the English in 1057, and she was convinced that he was going to do the same thing to her, even though they were allies at the time."
"Nine hundred years," Cordelia said. "Long time to hold a grudge."
"When you're an immortal like Demona and Macbeth," Wesley said. "Sometimes, that is all you have to look forward to." He looked at Angel. "You said 'used to hate each other'," he said. "Have they finally come to terms with one another?"
"It looks like it," Angel said. "Demona didn't go into specifics about when they put an end to their feud, but I'm guessing it happened recently."
"Good for them," Cordelia said. "Nice to know that some people can put the past behind them."
Angel knew that Cordelia was referring to the recent tension between both himself and Kate Lockley that resulted from the series of incidents involving both Faith and the death of Kate's father. And now, with Kate caught square in the middle of things again... "I'll be downstairs if anyone needs me," he said. He headed for his office, pausing for a minute to consider the suit jacket Cordelia was still fussing over. "I still think..." he started as she draped it over her arm.
A business card fell out and fluttered to the floor.
Cordelia paused to pick it up. "Whoops," she said as she picked it up. "Looks like she forgot something in her pocket." Then she looked at the card. "Uh, oh."
That caught Angel's attention. "What?" he asked.
"Looks like she's still keeping things from you," Cordelia said as she handed the card to Angel. The vampire took it and his face went dark as he read it.
"What is it?" Wesley asked.
"Demona's working with Wolfram and Hart," Angel said.
Wolfram and Hart
Lilah Morgan was on her way across the lobby when her cell phone rang. She quickly answered it. "Hello?"
"Ms. Morgan, this is Holland Manners," came the voice on the other end. "I'd like to see you in my office as soon as you get in."
She paused for a moment. "Of course," she said, slightly nervous. The recent incidents involving Angel had left a blemish on her record. She kept wondering when she was going to be 'terminated' for the mistakes. She looked up at the security cameras. He must know I'm already in the building, she thought. She suppressed a sigh. "I'll be right up."
"Good," Holland said. "Don't keep us waiting."
Lilah looked down at the phone as she heard Holland break the connection. She put the phone back into her purse, pausing for a minute to touch the small revolver she had recently begun carrying with her before heading for the elevator
Holland Manners' office
She paused outside the door, taking a deep breath before opening it and going inside.
"Ah, Lilah," Holland said as she entered. "Good, so nice of you to join us." He paused as he turned to a figure seated in a chair. "I want to introduce you to an old friend of mine." He got up and walked over to her as the figure turned in the chair. "Lilah Morgan, I'd like to introduce you to Doctor Anton Savarius."
"Hello," she said nervously.
"Enchanté, mademoiselle," Sevarius said as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. "It is so good to make your acquaintance. Holland has told so much about you."
"Thank you," she said before turning to Holland. "But I don't understand..."
"I'm assigning you to handle a few legal matters," he said. "Anton is here on behalf of a patient who is in need of a few 'specialized' services."
"I see," she said. "And his patient's name is..."
"Alexander Thailog," Holland said. "He was part owner of..."
"Nightstone Unlimited," Lilah said quickly as she recognized the name. "But I thought he disappeared..."
"There was a...'misunderstanding'...between himself and his partner, Dominique Destine," Sevarius said. "Suffice it to say, the unpleasantness that followed left him somewhat less than whole."
"Right now, Mr. Thailog is under Anton's care until he can recuperate," Holland said. "Once he has recovered, he will be needing our services to help him resume control of Nightstone once Ms. Destine is taken out of the picture."
"As in..." Lilah started, but she already knew what Holland was referring to. "Understood."
"Good," Holland said. He stepped over to Sevarius. "I have a few things to discuss with Ms. Morgan. If you will excuse us?"
"Of course, Holland," Sevarius said. "It was good to see you again." He got out of the chair and headed for the door. After he was gone, Holland closed the door and turned towards Lilah. "So, what do you think?" he asked.
"He's a bit creepy," Lilah said. "Reminds me of that crazy Dr. Frank N. Furter from 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'." She looked at the door. "He doesn't..."
"Not to my knowledge," Holland said as he went back to his desk. "But with Anton, you can never tell." He sat down and looked at her. "I want you to give this your full attention, Lilah. No slip-ups like the last time."
"I'll do my best, Mr. Manners," she said.
"Actually, I expect more than that," Holland said. "So you better be prepared." He paused to take a file out of his desk drawer. "This is all we have on Ms. Destine and her past associates."
Lilah looked at the thick file before picking it up. "Looks extensive," she said. "I'll get right on this." She turned to leave.
"And, Lilah," Holland quickly said. When the young woman paused to look back at him, he added. "Next time, I would prefer that you not come into my office with a gun in your purse."
Lilah blanched slightly. "Yes, sir," she said as she left.
As soon as the door closed, Holland turned to look at the shadows. "I think the senior partners will be pleased."
A figure stepped out of the shadows. "They have a lot invested in this. And I don't think they'll take to kindly to another failure."
"Don't worry, Garlon," Holland said. "As soon as Demona is out of the way, we'll be one step closer to releasing Maeve from Avalon."
"You better be right about this," Garlon said. Holland turned away for a moment, and when he turned back, Garlon had disappeared.
Dominique's penthouse
Sunset
Dominique Destine paced back and forth in her bedroom, waiting for sunset. She paused as she looked towards the balcony. At least, they're giving me some privacy, she thought bitterly. Two cops were downstairs, guarding her, with several more out in the hallway. Her idea, she thought, remembering the heated conversation she had had with Detective Lockley after Angel left. When she told Kate she didn't need protection, the detective had told her it was more to protect the hotel staff than her. She muttered at that, then let it pass. No sense letting it bother me, she thought. It's not as if they're going to be able to keep me here. She stopped pacing as she saw the sun begin to dip below the horizon, then quickly shed her housecoat and staggered as she felt the change take hold. Her body altered radically as it underwent the painful transformation from human to gargoyle, and she had to fight to suppress the scream that was building up in her throat.
After the change was over, she sagged against the bed for a minute before getting up and heading for the dresser. Putting on her usual 'evening attire', Demona went over to the bedroom door, which the hotel staff had finished replacing several hours ago, and carefully set her ear against it, listening carefully for any indication that her 'bodyguards' were on their way upstairs. Smiling to herself when she heard nothing, she carefully locked the door, noting for a moment that if anything were to happen, she was going to have a hard time explaining her disappearance if they felt the need to check on her.
Setting the thought aside, she went to the balcony doors and opened them, pausing for a moment to look out across the city. Not much has changed since the last time I was here, she thought to herself. Of course, knowing that Angel is here puts a whole new spin on things. Now I have a chance to set things right between us.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped out onto the balcony and launched herself out into the night. Back in her bedroom, the phone began ringing.
Somewhere in the Hollywood Hills...
"You were supposed to bring her here!" Thailog bellowed with rage.
"Look, I'm sorry," Fang said. "What was I supposed to do? Let that dumb cop shoot me while I'm trying to carry the body? I panicked, okay? I won't make the same mistake twice."
"You bet you won't," Thailog said menacingly. He started to advance on the fugitive Mutate as fast as his damaged body would allow him. "I should have known better than to think you could be of any use to me."
"Hey, c'mon," Fang protested. "I tried. Besides, for all we know, she's on a slab at the county coroner's office right now."
"Not very likely," they heard a voice say. They turned to see Anton Sevarius enter the room. "Ms. Destine's recuperative powers are quite phenomenal. The chances of her not regaining consciousness before the medical examiner arrived are quite slim. And since there has been no word on the news about her death, we can assume that she did."
"I'll bet it gave that cop quite a scare," Fang said.
"Without a doubt," Sevarius said. He turned to Thailog. "I have good news, by the way. I talked with my good friend, Holland Manners, and he has agreed to help us."
"Excellent," Thailog said. "I knew that keeping ties with Wolfram and Hart would be in my best interest."
"Yes," Sevarius said. "Although, I must admit that there is something I suspect Holland is not telling me about his firm's 'senior partners'. I've heard some rather disturbing news of late about them."
"Such as..." Thailog asked.
Sevarius smiled. "Nothing that need worry you, my boy," he said. "Just a few mutterings I heard about someone called Angel. It's nothing that concerns us."
"I wonder," Thailog said.
Angel Investigations
Angel hung up the phone.
"No answer?" Cordelia asked.
"No answer," Angel said.
"Great," she said. "So what do we do now?"
"We should confront her," Wesley said. "Let her know we know about her connection to Wolfram and Hart."
"Hold on," Cordelia said quickly. "Let's not jump the gun here, Wes." She held up the business card. "This could have been planted on her. You know, someone who knew she was coming here."
"But who would have known?" Wesley said. "Don't forget, this is Demona we are talking about. She is a powerful sorceress. She may even have helped Wolfram and Hart acquire some of the mystical objects..."
The door opened, and Wesley quickly closed his mouth as he turned to see Dominique Destine enter the office. Once the door closed, she dropped the illusion she was wearing, revealing the azure gargess.
"Am I interrupting something?" she asked.
"No, no," Cordelia said, setting aside the jacket. "We were just discussing..."
"What's your connection to Wolfram and Hart?" Angel asked bluntly.
The question seemed to faze Demona only slightly, though Cordelia shot a horrified look at Angel. "They were my attorneys when Thailog and I decided to expand some of our operations out here," Demona said matter-of-factly. "Why? What does my past association with Wolfram and Hart have anything to do with..."
"Why did you see fit to withhold this little bit of information?" Wesley challenged.
"It wasn't important," Demona said bluntly. "Besides, I broke my ties with Wolfram and Hart two years ago after I learned they'd had dealings with Maddox Technologies."
"Because of conflict-of-interest issues?" Angel asked.
"In a way," Demona said. "It had more to do with the fact that Nicholas Maddox and his associate Mavis O'Connor were both members of the Unseelie Court, better known as Madoc Morfryn and Maeve." Her eyes flashed blood red at that point. "They kidnapped my daughter and tried to force her to tell them how to get to Avalon so they could overthrow Oberon and seize control of the world. In their war, they killed dozens of gargoyles, and my daughter almost ended up being one of their last victims."
"I thought that was only a rumor," Angel said. "I mean, I heard that something had happened, but I couldn't imagine..."
"It happened," Demona said. "And fortunately, Madoc failed in his quest. I personally saw to that." She remembered that moment, a little over a year ago, when she had swooped down on Madoc, striking him with the iron mace that ended his life, and brought an end to the Second Unseelie War. And if not for one human's selfless act of courage, I would have lost my daughter, she thought, remembering Elisa, laying in bed, dying from the elfshot Madoc had meant for Angela... She sighed heavily as she set the memories aside. "During the dissolution of Maddox Technologies, I learned of their connection to Wolfram and Hart. I immediately broke off all relations with them." She crossed her arms. "They weren't happy about it, but they didn't have much of a choice in the matter." She looked at Angela. "Why do you ask? And how did you find out in the first place?"
Cordelia held out the small business card. "This fell out of your jacket pocket," she said. Demona took the card and looked at it.
"Wolfram and Hart's been giving us some trouble lately," Angel said.
"Their clientele has been rather 'questionable'," Wesley added.
"Questionable in what way, if I might ask?"
"Vampires, demons," Wesley said. "And if you are correct about their connection to the Unseelie, it seems we can add them to the list."
"I was going to give Holland a call and ask him if he's had any word from Thailog or Sevarius." She crumpled it up in her hand. "I guess I won't be now."
"Holland?" Angel asked.
"Holland Manners," Demona said. "He's the one who handled things for myself and Thailog." She sighed. "I guess I should have known any that would deal with Sevarius would be less than trustworthy."
"How does he know Sevarius?" Wesley asked.
"Anton never told me," Demona said. "He liked to keep his secrets."
"It doesn't really matter," Wesley said. "If Anton Sevarius has ties to Wolfram and Hart, then it is possible that Thailog may ally himself with them for whatever diabolical plan he has in store."
"He's after Nightstone," Demona said.
"Are you sure?" Angel asked.
"Fang told me as much," she said. "Right before he killed me."
"When did this happen?" Cordelia asked. "And who's Fang?"
"Earlier today," Angel said. "Fang broke into her penthouse and killed her, just like he killed that security guard last night."
"I'm guessing he was going to take my corpse back to Thailog," Demona said. "But I don't know why. Thailog knows that any attempt to kill me will only be temporary."
"Maybe he's planning to do the same thing to you that you were going to do to Macbeth," Cordelia offered.
"I sincerely doubt that," Demona said, not surprised by Cordelia's statement. Obviously, he told them what I told him, she thought. "Thailog is too clever to use such an obvious ploy. He knows that I'll expect it. And at any rate, I've already made certain 'arrangements' should anything 'permanent' happen to me."
"Like what?" Cordelia asked. "What kind of arrangements?"
"Angela, my daughter, will get full control of Nightstone in the event of my death," Demona said. "I originally formed Nightstone with Thailog as a means to an end. A way to finally rid the world of humanity by using the resources of Nightstone to create a bio-engineered virus."
"Good Lord!" Wesley started.
Demona raised her hand. "I was stopped, as you can no doubt imagine, and I have since come to realize that while the world is filled with humans who should be wiped out, there are those who don't deserve that fate."
"Such as..." Wesley started.
"The Slayer, for one," Demona said. "I see great potential in her." She looked at Angel. "I'm certain you've seen it for yourself."
"Yes," Angel said.
"I also owe my daughter's life to another human," Demona said. "A New York City Police detective named Elisa Maza. She saved Angela's life a few years ago when she fell victim to the Hunters, and last year she nearly lost her life saving Angela's when Madoc tried to kill her." She shuddered slightly. "She took an elfshot arrow meant for Angela."
"Elfshot?" Wesley asked. "You said Detective Maza 'almost' lost her life. I was under the impression that there is no cure for elfshot, and any injury sustained would ultimately prove fatal."
"You are correct," Demona said. "When elfshot strikes, the cost is a mortal life. And a mortal did die, only it wasn't her."
"I don't..." Wesley started.
"I have access to certain magical talismans," Demona said. "Don't forget that I am a sorceress. I used one to save her life, at the cost of my own."
"I think I understand why," Angel said. "A debt needed to be repaid."
"Precisely," Demona said. "I doubt I will ever be able to repay the debt in full, but it is enough that I no longer view her as an enemy."
"Well, hopefully you can extend that to the rest of us humans," Cordelia said. "Because I for one have enough hassles in my life as it is."
"I can imagine," Demona said.
Los Angeles Police Department
"What do you mean, 'she's gone'?" Kate yelled into the phone.
"Just what I said," the officer on the other end replied. "She's gone. When she didn't answer the phone, I went upstairs to check on her and she wasn't up there."
"Was there any sign of forced entry?" Kate asked.
"We didn't see anyone try to come in through the front door," the officer said. "My partner and I were downstairs the whole time."
"I don't mean through the front door," she said. "I meant..." She paused as she considered her next words. "Did you check the balcony doors and the skylight to see if anyone broke in that way?"
"Well," she heard the officer say, and she could practically see him rubbing the back of his neck. "The balcony doors were open, but I don't see how she could have gotten out that way. I mean, it's a hell of a drop down to the pavement."
"No sign that someone forced their way in?" she asked.
"Nope," the officer said. "But I still don't see how..."
"Henderson, listen," she said. "What I'm going to tell you may sound incredible, but it's the truth. The guy who tried to grab her earlier today got out the same way he got in. He flew out."
"You're kidding," Henderson said.
"I'm not," Kate said. "The guy's name is Steven Fisher, but he prefers to use the name Fang. A few years ago, he was...experimented on...by a geneticist by the name of Anton Sevarius. Sevarius altered his body, turned him into something that was no longer human."
"Holy..."
"I know," Kate said. "At first, I couldn't believe it myself until...until I got a good look at him. And Ms. Destine is the one who told me about him in the first place." She paused, hoping that the cop on the other end believed her. "Henderson, I need you to go over that place again. She's got to be somewhere in the area. After all, it's not as if she..." She paused as the thought struck her.
"Detective?" Henderson asked as he waited for her to continue.
"Yeah," she said quickly. "Listen, I'll be over there in a little while. There's something I need to check on first." She hung up the phone. She considered calling Matt Bluestone a second time, but shoved that thought aside. There was something he didn't want to tell me about Dominique Destine, she thought. And she and Angel have a history together. Could it be that what she's hiding is the fact that she's not entirely human herself?
June 19, 2000
23rd Precinct
Manhattan
Matt Bluestone paused as he sat down, looking towards Captain Chavez's office.
"Is something wrong, Matt?" his partner asked.
Matt looked over at Elisa. "It's nothing," he said. "Just got a call a little while ago from a...an old friend. Someone I knew when I was still with the FBI."
"Is it something serious?" Elisa asked.
Matt considered telling her. "Nah," he said, not wanting to add to her worries. He knew the attacks in the Labyrinth were still on her mind. Goliath and Talon had caught something down in the tunnels, but Elisa hadn't told him precisely what it was yet. "Kate just needed a little...info...on a case we worked on a while back."
"Kate?" Elisa asked.
"Kate Lockley," Matt admitted. "She's a detective out in Los Angeles." Matt smiled at Elisa. "I think you'd like her. She's got a lot of spunk."
"Great," Elisa said. She paused as she heard her phone ring and quickly picked it up. "23rd Precinct. Detective Maza speaking." She paused for a moment. "Are you sure about that, Derek? Well, I guess that does let Sevarius off the hook, doesn't it?"
The mention of Sevarius' name caught Matt attention for a moment, but then he saw Captain Chavez heading for her office. As much as he wanted to hear what was going on in the Labyrinth, he needed to talk to Maria. He got up and headed for her as he caught the tail end of Elisa's conversation with her brother. "Yeah, I'll tell the guys tonight, Derek." Another pause. "What did you say his name was?" she asked. "Oz?"
"Captain, can I talk to you for a minute?" Matt asked.
"Sure, detective," she said as she entered her office. Matt followed her in and waited until she sat down. "What can I do for you?"
"I need to take off for a few days," Matt said.
"Why?" Maria asked.
"I got a call from an old friend out in Los Angeles," Matt said. "She needs a little help on a case she's working on."
"She's a cop?" Maria asked.
"Yeah," Matt said. "Her name is Kate Lockley. She's a detective with the LAPD."
"Her own people can't help her?" she asked.
"She said that the case is a little bizarre," Matt said.
"Bizarre in what way?" Maria asked. "Are there gargoyles out in Los Angeles?"
"She didn't say," Matt admitted, then thought of something. "She did say she might have a lead on someone we've been looking for for a while. Steven Fisher."
That caught Maria's attention. "Okay," she said. "But I can only spare you for a few days, Bluestone. And I want you to check in when you get out there. I don't want you pulling a disappearing act like the last time. I get enough of that from your partner as it is."
"Understood, captain," Matt said. He left the office and headed for his desk. He paused for a moment to look at Elisa's vacated chair. Must be on her way home already, he thought, realizing that it was the end of the shift. Oh well, I'll ask her what's been going on when I get back. He sat down at his desk and opened the bottom drawer, pulling out a file. He set the file on the desk as he picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"This is Detective Matt Bluestone," he said after he heard someone answer. "When is your next flight to Los Angeles?"
Angel Investigations
"So how should we proceed?" Wesley asked. "If Thailog and Sevarius have allied themselves with Wolfram and Hart, then we could be in for a great deal of trouble."
"The first thing we do is figure out where Thailog is," Angel said. He looked to Demona. "Any ideas?"
"Several, in fact," she said. "Thailog will be someplace isolated, away from prying eyes. When he abducted my daughter last year, he hid out in one of our old abandoned warehouses. And while I sold off several of Nightstone's West Coast holdings to distance ourselves from the black market for more legitimate practices some time ago, I am certain that Thailog managed to keep a few secret from me so he could make use of them later."
"Well, that's a start," Angel said.
"You might want to look into anyplace near medical supply warehouses," Demona said.
"Why?" Wesley asked. "If you don't mind my asking?"
"Thailog was crippled in a fire years ago," Demona said. "It was during a 'disagreement' that I had believed resulted in his death." She looked at Angel. "I guess you didn't have a chance to tell them everything."
"I wanted to see if your story would pan out first," Angel said.
"Of course," Demona said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"How badly was Thailog crippled?" Wesley asked.
"Rather severely," Demona replied, this time with a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "He has extensive scarring on his body, and his wings are completely useless now. He can't even walk properly without the use of his cane. And there is one other thing for which I am very happy."
"What's that?" Cordelia asked.
"He suffers a great deal of pain when he enters the stone sleep," she said. "It is the one thing that makes my own transformations bearable."
"You seem to be taking a great deal of satisfaction in his suffering," Wesley said.
"I have every right to," Demona retorted. "He used me, betrayed me. He's tried to kill me and my daughter on several occasions, and he siphoned funds from my company from under my nose. I think I have every right to see him suffer for what he's done."
"That may be," Wesley said. "But still..."
"I don't think that's an argument you're going to win, Wes," Angel said. "When it comes to retribution, Demona's got it down to an art."
"Very well," Wesley said. "So, I guess we begin by checking to see if any medical supply warehouses have reported any thefts in recent weeks."
"That would be a good start," Angel said. "Cordelia..."
"On it," Cordelia said. She quickly went to her desk and began pulling up entries on the computer. "Okay, we've got several possibilities over the past few weeks."
"Where at?" Angel asked.
"Let's see," she said. Focusing her attention on the screen, she wrote down several addresses. Demona noted that one was close by.
"What was stolen?" she asked.
"Morphine, Codeine...painkillers, mostly," she said. "You did say that Thailog was in a lot of pain."
"Yes," Demona said. "And those would be what he would use to help alleviate the pain. When were the items stolen?"
"Last week," Cordelia said. "According to this, the guard said he didn't see who stole the stuff. But he did say that whoever it was, tore a big hole in the roof."
"Sounds like Fang's handiwork," Demona said. "I think we should..."
"We should what?" they heard a voice behind them say. They turned and found Kate Lockley standing by the door, with her gun in her hand.
"Kate," Angel said.
"Care to explain what's going on?" she asked. She paused as she turned her attention towards Demona. "And what she's doing here?"
Angel turned towards the azure gargess. "This is..." he started.
"I know exactly who she is," Kate said. "Or maybe I should say who she's pretending to be. A creature who pretends to be human so she can prey on unsuspecting innocents, just like you, Angel." She turned her attention back to Demona and raised the gun, pointing it straight at her. "Am I right, Ms. Destine?"
To be concluded...
