"I HATE YOU!" Connor screamed as his fist impacted Angel's nose with a crunch. "You're not my father! You're just some walking corpse that drinks blood! You enjoy hurting me! You take everything from me! And now you're taking Cordy! I won't let you damn it!"
"Connor stop!" Cordelia said grabbing Connor's arm, "That wasn't me that you were with, that was some demon or spirit that was controlling me! It was using you because you don't understand how our world works!"
"NO! You love me. You told me you did." Connor said tearfully.
"That wasn't me. I'm sorry. I truly am Connor." Cordelia said sadly. As annoying as the boy's mood swings could be, he was just very lonely at heart and looking for a friend. Cordelia, her body anyway, had been all that and more while possessed. She just wished she could turn back time and stop Holtz from stealing Connor away to another dimension. So much pain could be averted.
Connor turned back to Angel who was holding his nose and trying to keep calm in spite of his son's outbursts.
"This is all your fault. It has to be." Connor growled again as he struck Angel again, turning his head. Connor stepped back when Angel's head snapped back with yellow eyes, prominent forehead ridges, and sharp fangs. Angel then delivered a blow of his own to Connor sending him sprawling to the floor. Before he could recover, Angel was atop him holding him down.
"Okay Connor, that's about enough. I've had enough from you. You're my son whether you think you are or not. That's a fact. You came from me and you were stolen away from me and raised in a Hell dimension. Time moved differently there so you returned to earth eighteen years later when only a few months had passed here. Now you have to deal with that." Angel growled to his son.
"Get off of me." Connor commanded. Angel punched him again.
"I'M NOT DONE TALKING. You're my son and I love you Connor. I really do, but you make it really hard to most of the time. You're tried to kill me on more than one occasion, nearly gotten my friends killed, and oh let's not forget that because of you I spent my whole summer in a box at the bottom of the ocean. NOT TO MENTION that you slept with Cordy. I don't care if she was possessed at the time, you knew, you KNEW how I felt about her. I have tried to have infinite FUCKING patience with you. I've tried being kind to you. I really have. All I get in return is you telling me how much you hate me, and your whining. Well you know what? If that's all you're going to contribute then get the hell out of my hotel." Angel said holding Connor's throat to the ground.
"What?" Connor choked out.
"You either adjust your attitude or you get out. Frankly, I don't care which way. I know you can survive out there and that's where you're going unless you get with the program." Angel stated.
"You're nothing but a monster." Connor said to his father.
"No Connor, a monster would have torn your head off. Me, I'm in pain just saying this because you're my son! I don't want you to go, but unless things change then that's what has to be." Angel explained, reverting to his human features and letting Connor up.
Connor got up and stood face to face with his father. He then looked at everyone in the room. Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Willow, Faith, Doctor Strange, and Cordelia. His gaze was fixed on Cordy for a good long while. Inside Connor felt like he was being torn apart. He regarded his father again.
"Things can't change." He said quietly as he walked towards the hotel doors. Cordy started to move after him but Angel put his arm up holding her back.
"Let him go. He made his choice." Angel said putting on a strong front, when inside his heart was breaking. Connor opened the doors and walked out into the recently fallen night without so much as second look back. Maybe he'd find a vampire and kill it.
"Angel? Wasn't that a little harsh? I mean I know things are rough and all but he's your son." Willow frowned.
"A choice had to be made Willow." Was Angel's reply.
"He'll be back." Faith replied.
"How do you figure?" Gunn asked.
"He'll get tired of being alone. Pretty soon he'll want some friends." Faith replied.
"How can you be so sure?" Wesley asked, hobbling out of Angel's office feeling the spot that Doctor Strange had healed.
"I did." Faith admitted before turning to Willow, "So look at you, Red. You've up and gone Super-Wicca on me."
Willow was a little tense at being around Faith. She had been since Faith went bad back in Sunnydale. She liked to think they had been friends before that. Back then Willow had been somewhat jealous of her because she grew so close to Buffy in such a short time, but also held her in a high regard. Willow searched for an answer in her head for a moment, mentally babbling. Willow smirked when she found an acceptable answer.
"Luckily without the whole Kryptonite thing." Willow smiled. Eh, everyone deserved a second chance. If she could get one, if Angel could get them, then Faith deserved them too.
"I believe that was a satisfactory first lesson." Doctor Strange said to Willow.
"It had a little bit more of the grabbing and squeezing than I would have liked but yeah, it was pretty amazing. I think I'd really like to learn from you. How are Mondays?" Willow asked, anxious to set up sessions with the sorcerer.
"Mondays are good as long as Dormammu or Nightmare don't attack." Doctor Strange smirked.
"We should probably get to New York. Buffy's probably wondering what happened to me." Willow stated.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. B's in New York now?" Faith asked.
"Well, actually I had to go to New York to study with Doctor Strange." Willow explained.
She apparently hadn't done a good job because Faith was lost.
"HEY! I've got an idea. Faith come to New York with us!" Willow thought.
"Hmm, well it's either that or go back to prison and repay my debt to society. I'll have to think about it." Faith said, "Okay I thought about it. Screw prison. I'm never going back there again now that I'm out."
"Just keep your nose clean and I'll stay off your back and try to keep others off it." Angel told her.
"No prob Angel." Faith replied winking at him in a way that had Cordy a little uptight.
"You know, you're always welcome here." Wesley said to her.
Faith smiled at the former Watcher, "Yeah I know. And Wes? Love the stubble. It's sexy."
"Are we ready then?" Doctor Strange asked the two women.
"I'm ready Faith. You'll like this Faith. It's like that one time that we were at the Bronze and you had that acid….." Willow stopped and frowned when everyone was looking at her.
"I knew that drug use went with that witch thing!" Cordy joked.
"Well it was high school. It was time to experiment. And I just did it that once." Willow defended.
"We better go Red. You might end up telling them about that moment we had in the broom closet." Faith winked.
Everyone looked at Willow, jaws somewhat dropped.
"Okay she's lying now." Willow said, "No really she is. Faith?"
"I'm lying." Faith stated.
Doctor Strange sighed, "I'm just going to start teleporting now."
With a few hand movements and some flashy lights and swirling mists, Doctor Strange and his party were gone leaving the Angel Investigations crew standing by themselves in the lobby. Angel turned and looked at his friends.
"So what's everyone going to do tonight?" he asked.
"I'm going to bed. My head is splitting." Fred said heading upstairs.
"Likewise. I'm bushed." Gunn responded following his somewhat estranged girlfriend upstairs.
"I have no idea what I was doing before all this trouble began, but I think I'll go back to it." Wesley explained, heading for the doors and to his apartment.
"I'm going to curl up with a nice bottle of vodka and sing in my native tongue. It's a religious thing." The demon Lorne said leaving as well.
Soon it was only Angel and Cordelia in the lobby.
"So." He said.
"So." She said.
"I'm thinking I want to see if my soul can't be removed by any moment of true happiness." Angel said with a smirk.
Cordy grinned conspiratorially, "Hmm, wasn't the thing that was your greatest happiness something that two people of consenting age do together?"
"I want sex." Angel smirked, "You know what its like to be a demon who hasn't had sex in a few years?"
"Nope, but like I'm going to turn you down." Cordy squealed in delight as Angel picked her up and carried her upstairs.
Buffy had managed to track down the hospitals where Xander, Dawn, and Scott were with Spike's help. Luckily they were the same hospital as it was the closest one to the fight with Morlun. Spider-Man had gotten Scott there and explained his mutant status would require special attention. He had also stayed to make sure he got it. Xander and Dawn had arrived a little later, each with only minor injuries thankfully. Buffy had sent Spike to seek them out in the hospital. She on the other hand had found Scott's hospital room and was walking in on two people talking.
"---said he's going to be alright." Spider-Man's voice said as Buffy walked in the door. Beside Spider-Man and a now thankfully awake Scott was Scott's wife Jean.
"Hey Jean." Buffy said.
"Hey Buffy. I like what you did with your hair." Jean smiled.
"Hey Scottie." Buffy said hugging her cousin gently.
"Hey Buffy. I take it we won?" Scott asked.
"Spike killed the guy." Buffy smiled.
"Spike? You're dating guys named Spike now?" Jean asked with a slight laugh.
"I don't know if dating is the right word. Yeah it probably is." Buffy said with a smirk.
"You're looking awfully chipper for someone who had the crap kicked out of them." Spider-Man said.
"Slayer healing powers." Buffy stated.
"Look who I found." Spike said entering, flanked by Dawn and Xander. Dawn immediately hugged Buffy, then Scott. Xander also hugged Buffy and looked at Scott.
"We don't need to hug." Xander stated, "I ripped that off of a guy named Oz."
"Ah." Scott laughed slightly.
"Who's this?" Spike said regarding the tall redhead.
"That's Jean, Scott's wife." Buffy explained.
"No, no it isn't." a new voice rang out. Buffy and the others turned and were confronted by the sight of another Jean in the doorway.
"What the hey?" Spider-Man said doing a double take.
"My sentiments exactly." Scott said moving away from the Jean next to his hospital bed.
Buffy narrowed her gaze at that Jean, deep in thought, "How did you know I was dating Spike when I mentioned his name?"
That Jean smirked, "Telepathic. Remember?"
The other Jean regarded her double, "Emma if this is you messing with Scott's head again so help me…."
Flames began rising off the Jean in the doorway.
"Oh calm down there Jeannie. Don't want you to wipe away the solar system or anything." The non-flaming Jean smirked.
"Jean? You died once right?" Buffy asked the one in the doorway.
"Kind of, sort of. Why?" the flaming Jean asked.
"Because I know someone who likes to play mind games by taking on the appearance of people who've died." Buffy growled.
The first Jean smiled and walked up to Buffy and became her mirror image.
"Should have known I couldn't put anything over on you. Was sort of hoping you'd pick up on what I said earlier. But no, you needed the person I imitated in order to figure it out. If that's all you have, you are SO going down." It said.
"The First." Spike growled.
The First regarded Spike and took his form, "You know mate, I liked you a lot better when you killed people. I mean now look at you, the Slayer's lapdog. What would Dru say?"
"I don't know, something insane?" Xander asked.
The First became Drusilla and put her finger to her mouth, "Shh kitten, Mummy is trying to talk. We mustn't be ill-mannered."
"Jean, you're the Phoenix again right? Kick its ass." Buffy growled.
The real Jean didn't like where this was going so she let the Phoenix Force within her build and build before lashing out at the First with a talon of pure energy. The First was gripped and screamed in agony in the form of Drusilla, before its screams turned to laughter form changed to that of the hero Superman who smiled as it forced Jean's energy talon back with ease, making the woman slam into the wall. Spider-Man moved to help the fallen woman up.
"You really think that a force as puny as you could threaten me?" the First asked Jean as it wore Superman's form.
"What do you want?" Buffy said as she pushed Dawn and Xander behind her.
"Just a moment of your time." The First said, becoming Buffy again.
"Sorry. Don't have one." Buffy replied.
"Yeah you do. I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I'm coming very, VERY, soon. And I also think that I deserve a little thanks for setting your exercise session today into order." The First said fluffing its hair.
"You were behind Morlun?" Spider-Man asked.
"Mmhmm. Just to see what the Slayer's made of. And I'm really unimpressed. You barely stopped Morlun and you think you can stop me? You must be out of your mind." The First said.
"You know, I think I speak for us all when I say get out." Spider-Man spoke up.
The First became an older man with grey hair and a kind smile, "Hush Peter. Your elder is speaking."
"Uncle Ben?" Spider-Man said in a hushed tone.
"Get out." Buffy said angrily. The First looked at her and immediately took on the form of the vampire known as the Master.
"Or what? You'll kill me?" the First said, towering over anyone in the room.
Buffy backed up slightly at the sight of the vampire that had once drowned her.
"I said get out." Buffy said quivering, slightly from fear, slightly from rage.
"I was going. This form was just the exclamation point for you. You think you know pain? You think you know fear? You know nothing. But I'll show you. I'll show everyone and everything. I just wanted to let you see how helpless you are against me. A primal force of the universe was just forced back by me." The First said gesturing to Jean, "And you think YOU can challenge ME? I've told you before little girl, I'm beyond any demon. I am beyond sin. Beyond hatred. Yet you still think you have a chance? You think it's all about you, about your silly concept of right and wrong. It's not about what's right. It's not about what's wrong. It's about power. I am power. And I will soon wipe away your pathetic, backwater, little universe. And do you know why I'm going to? Can you fathom it? Well I'll tell you. Because I can. And I will."
The entire room was silent as the First observed them. It began to speak again.
"From beneath you, it devours." The First said as its form became a cloudy, dark force with horns and faded away leaving a stunned and very afraid hospital room full of people to ponder its words.