Chapter 11: The Rescue
When Angel reached the door that led down from the roof he felt a pinch on his back and then another. His sight faded to black and he went numb as he fell to the floor. Wesley came to and sat up. When he looked abound he saw Faith standing over Angel with the tranquilizer gun.
"Nice job." Wesley said as he stood up. "There are some chains in my car... where's Connor?"
"Dunno. He disappeared while we were fighting. Angelus said something about being back."
"He's always trying to pull another trick."
"Yeah, I thought so too." Faith began to drag Angel down to the car and shackled him. With Faith's help, Wesley managed to get him into the back seat and drove to the hotel as fast as the car could go. As they were coming into the hotel they found Willow near the door. She grimaced when she saw what Faith and Wesley were dragging.
"Willow?" Wesley said, dropping Angel with a look of confusion.
"Wesley...um, I re-souled Angel."
"Ah."
Faith began taking the chains of Angel. He didn't wake for another few minutes. He woke with a start as if he was escaping from a nightmare. He took one look around and walked to Willow.
"Thanks."
"Anytime, but how did you lose your soul?"
"A demon. He wanted me to kill Connor. I have to find him, he's not safe."
"Wait." Willow stopped Angel before he gun-hoed his way to Connor. "He took your soul? What makes you think he wont do it again?" The question cut through Angel like a knife.
"Not much but-"
"She has a point. We're not safe. It's getting light so even if Angelus did return he wouldn't have many places to go." Wesley cut in taking charge. "Faith you get the chains."
"I'll help." Willow sounded eager, and everything was quiet in Sunnydale, so there was no need to rush. "I can do a locator spell to find Connor." Wesley smiled at the suggestion.
"Good, now-"
"Stop..." Angel objected. "I need to find my son. He's hurt and weak but he's still stronger than most of you."
"I'll go with Willow." Faith offered as she lifted the chains.
"No. You need to find this demon. The sooner it is gone the sooner you can look for Connor." Wesley seemed comfortably rested at the leader's position, but took a softer tone to his old friend. "The sun is rising, there isn't much you can do."
He nodded and followed Faith to the basement to be chained up. He described the beast that took his soul. Wesley and Fred began their search and it didn't take them long before they found it.
"It's a Yevesky demon, but it's extinct." Wesley said and put the book up to Angel. "Did it look like this?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"Interesting."
* * * *
"Connor?" Willow walked through the halls of an apartment building. It was getting easier to follow him because of a small blood trail. When she turned the corner of the 4th floor she saw a door ajar. It was obvious that there was a forced entry, and the bright green locator spell led her inside. She entered cautiously and found a young man sitting in a corner on the floor holding a kitchen knife in one hand and the other putting pressure on his neck.
"Connor." He held the knife higher, trembling. The owners of the apartment walked in, a man and a woman.
"What's going on? Honey, call the cops!" The man shouted.
"No, that's not necessary. Um, he just needs help. I'll get him and leave." Willow said quickly. The woman reached for the phone. "Freeze." The owners and Connor 'froze' as they were, completely motionless. She dragged him to the elevator, then to her car, receiving weird looks from those she passed. Before she left she unfroze the owners of the apartment. When she came back to the hotel Faith had gone, Fred and Wesley were hovering over some old, and dusty books and she assumed that Angel was tied down in the basement.
"I found him!" Willow announced as she dragged Connor inside. "Unfreeze." Connor took one look around and passed out. Fred rushed up, she turned pale when she saw his wounds.
"Bring him upstairs, Fred get the first aid kit." Wesley's voice came from behind the counter as he stepped around it.
"You're going to need more than that, munchkins. Which is why I brought help." Lorne came in followed closely by a woman dressed in a nurses uniform. "She works in a demon hospital just outside of L.A." He showed a smug grin.
"I figured Angelus fed on him so I guessed on the blood type. AB positive."
"Good guess." Wesley led her upstairs and carried Connor.
* * * *
Faith walked through the sewers of Downtown Los Angelus. Wesley had told her that the demon fed off life. It could also store it. In other words it ate souls and since Angel is already dead all it did was bring back Angelus. The demon stores the souls in it's stomach before it's digested. Fred had a theory that Willow's spell might have ripped the soul from the demon's stomach, hopefully seriously wounding or killing it.
Faith was either going to kill it or find it's body or Angel might not be 'himself' permanently. Faith half hoped it to be alive, she was itching for a good fight and she might be able to beat some information out of it.
She suddenly felt cold, and light headed. The demon emerged from a nearby tunnel.
"Ah, a slayer. How delicious."
* * * *
Fred was cleaning the wounds on Connor's chest. The nurse had left after he had a two pints of blood in him, she had left him connected to an IV. She said he would heal fine on his own now that he was patched up. Willow had gone to find and help Faith, and Wesley was continuing his search on a way to kill the demon. It was getting darker and Connor was starting to come to. He stirred and slowly opened his eyes. He saw Fred and sat up as quickly as he could manage. She was sitting on a feeble chair by the bed. Connor grabbed her by the neck pushing her towards the wall, pinning her. His eyes were empty and bloodshot. Everything seemed to be clear to him for a fraction of a second. Then he slowly felt himself slipping as the blood rushed to his head.
"Angelus...where is he?" he loosened his grip to let her speak.
"He's not Angelus anymore. Angel is back."
"Liar!" he pressed his hand harder against her windpipe but stopped when he felt two puncture would on the side of her neck. He let go and took a step back.
"He did that to you?"
"Angelus did but he's gone now." She explained.
"So where is it now?" He swayed slightly to the side but kept his consciousness.
"I don't think you should see him right now, maybe you should lie down."
"You wont help, I'll find him myself." He stepped out into the hallway slamming the door behind him. He cautiously made his way down the hallway towards the lobby. He heard movement in the lobby and a clanging of chains in the basement and covered the distance quickly and unnoticed. He made his way down the steps and faced the recently re-souled Angel. Connor's eyes were beginning to get heavy. Every time he moved it would bring him closer to the quiet darkness of unconsciousness. Angel's eyes filled with pain and tears as he saw his son stand before him about to pass out from the wounds he inflicted.
"I'm sorry, Connor. I never wanted you to see me like I used to be, let alone experience it." He waited for a reply. Connor cleared his throat and sat in a chair in front of his father.
"I dont want to hear I'm sorry."
"Connor, I-"
"Let me finish." He sighed after a moment "...What you did was, well it wasn't the worst beating I've taken but it was in the top five. A month of torture wasnt anything new, but I didnt expect it to be from you. Betrayel isnt new for me, I'm just tired of finally trusting someone when I now what will come out of it. This is more my fault then yours."
"Thats not true, Connor. None of this is your fault."
"It is. You're here to show the world what it can be...and I wont be a part of that. I know that now." Connor said the last part softly and so painfully that Angel let tears roll down his cheeks freely. Connor leaned forward in his chair, getting closer to his father. "I realized I don't belong here, and I have faith in you but I don't want to be here anymore and I know that you don't want me here either." Angel opened his mouth to speak but Connor raised a hand to his face to quiet him. "I don't want to hear it. I haven't felt at home like you thought I would...actually, things were a lot simpler in Quor-toth." He got up and paced around the basement, no longer in fear of falling into the abyss of unconsciousness. "There, it was either kill or be killed, simple... which is why I want to go back and I know you can find a way to get me there."
When Angel reached the door that led down from the roof he felt a pinch on his back and then another. His sight faded to black and he went numb as he fell to the floor. Wesley came to and sat up. When he looked abound he saw Faith standing over Angel with the tranquilizer gun.
"Nice job." Wesley said as he stood up. "There are some chains in my car... where's Connor?"
"Dunno. He disappeared while we were fighting. Angelus said something about being back."
"He's always trying to pull another trick."
"Yeah, I thought so too." Faith began to drag Angel down to the car and shackled him. With Faith's help, Wesley managed to get him into the back seat and drove to the hotel as fast as the car could go. As they were coming into the hotel they found Willow near the door. She grimaced when she saw what Faith and Wesley were dragging.
"Willow?" Wesley said, dropping Angel with a look of confusion.
"Wesley...um, I re-souled Angel."
"Ah."
Faith began taking the chains of Angel. He didn't wake for another few minutes. He woke with a start as if he was escaping from a nightmare. He took one look around and walked to Willow.
"Thanks."
"Anytime, but how did you lose your soul?"
"A demon. He wanted me to kill Connor. I have to find him, he's not safe."
"Wait." Willow stopped Angel before he gun-hoed his way to Connor. "He took your soul? What makes you think he wont do it again?" The question cut through Angel like a knife.
"Not much but-"
"She has a point. We're not safe. It's getting light so even if Angelus did return he wouldn't have many places to go." Wesley cut in taking charge. "Faith you get the chains."
"I'll help." Willow sounded eager, and everything was quiet in Sunnydale, so there was no need to rush. "I can do a locator spell to find Connor." Wesley smiled at the suggestion.
"Good, now-"
"Stop..." Angel objected. "I need to find my son. He's hurt and weak but he's still stronger than most of you."
"I'll go with Willow." Faith offered as she lifted the chains.
"No. You need to find this demon. The sooner it is gone the sooner you can look for Connor." Wesley seemed comfortably rested at the leader's position, but took a softer tone to his old friend. "The sun is rising, there isn't much you can do."
He nodded and followed Faith to the basement to be chained up. He described the beast that took his soul. Wesley and Fred began their search and it didn't take them long before they found it.
"It's a Yevesky demon, but it's extinct." Wesley said and put the book up to Angel. "Did it look like this?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"Interesting."
* * * *
"Connor?" Willow walked through the halls of an apartment building. It was getting easier to follow him because of a small blood trail. When she turned the corner of the 4th floor she saw a door ajar. It was obvious that there was a forced entry, and the bright green locator spell led her inside. She entered cautiously and found a young man sitting in a corner on the floor holding a kitchen knife in one hand and the other putting pressure on his neck.
"Connor." He held the knife higher, trembling. The owners of the apartment walked in, a man and a woman.
"What's going on? Honey, call the cops!" The man shouted.
"No, that's not necessary. Um, he just needs help. I'll get him and leave." Willow said quickly. The woman reached for the phone. "Freeze." The owners and Connor 'froze' as they were, completely motionless. She dragged him to the elevator, then to her car, receiving weird looks from those she passed. Before she left she unfroze the owners of the apartment. When she came back to the hotel Faith had gone, Fred and Wesley were hovering over some old, and dusty books and she assumed that Angel was tied down in the basement.
"I found him!" Willow announced as she dragged Connor inside. "Unfreeze." Connor took one look around and passed out. Fred rushed up, she turned pale when she saw his wounds.
"Bring him upstairs, Fred get the first aid kit." Wesley's voice came from behind the counter as he stepped around it.
"You're going to need more than that, munchkins. Which is why I brought help." Lorne came in followed closely by a woman dressed in a nurses uniform. "She works in a demon hospital just outside of L.A." He showed a smug grin.
"I figured Angelus fed on him so I guessed on the blood type. AB positive."
"Good guess." Wesley led her upstairs and carried Connor.
* * * *
Faith walked through the sewers of Downtown Los Angelus. Wesley had told her that the demon fed off life. It could also store it. In other words it ate souls and since Angel is already dead all it did was bring back Angelus. The demon stores the souls in it's stomach before it's digested. Fred had a theory that Willow's spell might have ripped the soul from the demon's stomach, hopefully seriously wounding or killing it.
Faith was either going to kill it or find it's body or Angel might not be 'himself' permanently. Faith half hoped it to be alive, she was itching for a good fight and she might be able to beat some information out of it.
She suddenly felt cold, and light headed. The demon emerged from a nearby tunnel.
"Ah, a slayer. How delicious."
* * * *
Fred was cleaning the wounds on Connor's chest. The nurse had left after he had a two pints of blood in him, she had left him connected to an IV. She said he would heal fine on his own now that he was patched up. Willow had gone to find and help Faith, and Wesley was continuing his search on a way to kill the demon. It was getting darker and Connor was starting to come to. He stirred and slowly opened his eyes. He saw Fred and sat up as quickly as he could manage. She was sitting on a feeble chair by the bed. Connor grabbed her by the neck pushing her towards the wall, pinning her. His eyes were empty and bloodshot. Everything seemed to be clear to him for a fraction of a second. Then he slowly felt himself slipping as the blood rushed to his head.
"Angelus...where is he?" he loosened his grip to let her speak.
"He's not Angelus anymore. Angel is back."
"Liar!" he pressed his hand harder against her windpipe but stopped when he felt two puncture would on the side of her neck. He let go and took a step back.
"He did that to you?"
"Angelus did but he's gone now." She explained.
"So where is it now?" He swayed slightly to the side but kept his consciousness.
"I don't think you should see him right now, maybe you should lie down."
"You wont help, I'll find him myself." He stepped out into the hallway slamming the door behind him. He cautiously made his way down the hallway towards the lobby. He heard movement in the lobby and a clanging of chains in the basement and covered the distance quickly and unnoticed. He made his way down the steps and faced the recently re-souled Angel. Connor's eyes were beginning to get heavy. Every time he moved it would bring him closer to the quiet darkness of unconsciousness. Angel's eyes filled with pain and tears as he saw his son stand before him about to pass out from the wounds he inflicted.
"I'm sorry, Connor. I never wanted you to see me like I used to be, let alone experience it." He waited for a reply. Connor cleared his throat and sat in a chair in front of his father.
"I dont want to hear I'm sorry."
"Connor, I-"
"Let me finish." He sighed after a moment "...What you did was, well it wasn't the worst beating I've taken but it was in the top five. A month of torture wasnt anything new, but I didnt expect it to be from you. Betrayel isnt new for me, I'm just tired of finally trusting someone when I now what will come out of it. This is more my fault then yours."
"Thats not true, Connor. None of this is your fault."
"It is. You're here to show the world what it can be...and I wont be a part of that. I know that now." Connor said the last part softly and so painfully that Angel let tears roll down his cheeks freely. Connor leaned forward in his chair, getting closer to his father. "I realized I don't belong here, and I have faith in you but I don't want to be here anymore and I know that you don't want me here either." Angel opened his mouth to speak but Connor raised a hand to his face to quiet him. "I don't want to hear it. I haven't felt at home like you thought I would...actually, things were a lot simpler in Quor-toth." He got up and paced around the basement, no longer in fear of falling into the abyss of unconsciousness. "There, it was either kill or be killed, simple... which is why I want to go back and I know you can find a way to get me there."
