DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of
the characters of the television shows "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or
"Angel," nor do I own any rights to the shows. They are owned by
creator Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt
(co-creator of "Angel"), Mutant Enemy, Sandollar
Productions, Kuzui Enterprises, 20th Century Fox
Television, and the two networks, UPN and the WB.
NOTE: CONTAINS SPOILERS for ANGEL, season 5.
PROLOGUE:
A Bar – Night
Spike and Lorne are sitting at a table. They are sipping on drinks, both looking awkward.
SPIKE: And what was the point of you inviting me here again?
LORNE: I wanted to get to know you better, Spikey.
SPIKE: The name's Spike, ya twit.
LORNE: Spike, Spikey, whatever. It's all the same to me. But as I was saying, I figured this would be a great place for us to get to know each other better.
SPIKE: (confused) And why's that?
LORNE: You're a lush --
SPIKE: (protesting) Hey!
LORNE: -- I like to drink. There's nothing better than bonding over alcohol, don't you think?
SPIKE: I suppose not. (thinks) I guess everyone else said no.
LORNE: Righty-o you are, buckaroo. I just wish Angel would unwind like you do. He takes things so personally all of the time. You'd think a vampire wouldn't be able to wrinkle. (takes a sip of his drink) I guess you'd also think a vampire couldn't have a soul.
SPIKE: Speaking of Angel, where is the bloke?
LORNE: Doing what he does best.
An Alley – Night
A lone dumpster sits in the alley. All is quiet, except for the occasional gust of wind. A man and a woman enter the alley holding each other tightly and sneaking in kisses as they walk. They reach the dumpster and stop. The man pushes the woman against it and they begin making out. Both of their faces are in shadow, so it's hard to make out how they look. The man stops.
MAN: You are a wild one.
The woman doesn't respond. Instead she grabs the back of the man's head and pulls his face into hers. They continue to make out.
Los Angeles Streets – Night
Angel is walking down the streets looking around. He passes many people as he makes his way to where he is going. Although his facial features are dark, he resembles the Angel of old – the champion. He walks briskly, making sure nothing gets past him. As he approaches an alley, a scream rings out. His head turns in the direction of the sound.
An Alley – Night
Angel enters the alley and stops abruptly. He sees that the woman has the man pinned to the wall. The man continues to scream in terror. Angel slowly walks up to them. The man sees him.
MAN: Please, help me.
ANGEL: (to the woman) Why don't you pick on someone your own size? (thinks) Or at least your own species?
Both the man and the woman's faces are still shadowed out. She looks at the man, then to Angel. Angel continues to walk closer to them. With a low growl, she grabs the man and throws him at Angel.
The man collides into Angel and they both go flying to the ground. Angel quickly gets up and looks down the rest of the alley. It is empty, with the exception of the lone dumpster. There is no sign of the woman. Angel picks the man up.
ANGEL: Are you okay?
The man dusts himself off.
MAN: Yeah, I'm fine! (he pauses, confused) What was that thing?
ANGEL: It'll probably be better if you didn't know.
The man begins to walk out of the alley. Angel stands watching the man leave. He then turns looking down the alley once again. Disappointment fills his face.
Los Angeles Streets – Night
The woman is running down the street. She gets to the front of an apartment complex and stops. She walks up the steps and stops at the door. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a set of keys. She unlocks the door and looks back.
The woman is Harmony. She is vamped for a split second before morphing into her human face. She is looking frightened. She enters the apartment and closes the door.
Wolfram & Hart, Gunn's Office – Night
Gunn is sitting at his desk, reading over a file. He has a confused look on his face, as if he doesn't fully understand what he is reading. He throws the file down and groans in disgust. He turns in his chair and looks out of the window.
MALE VOICE: (O.S.) Frustrating, isn't it?
Gunn turns around and sees Dr. Sparrow, the doctor who'd given the brain upgrade.
GUNN: What are you doing here?
DR. SPARROW: I came to "fix" your little problem.
GUNN: I don't know what you're talking about.
Dr. Sparrow laughs and walks closer to Gunn's desk, looking very serious.
DR. SPARROW: You know exactly what I'm talking about, Charles. The brain's not as sharp as it once was, is it?
GUNN: I'm just --
DR. SPARROW: (interrupting) -- tired? No. You know there's something wrong. (he smiles) And I'm the one who can help you.
GUNN: Okay. You've got my attention. How are you planning on helping?
DR. SPARROW: Let's just say, if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.
Gunn leans forward in his seat. He is suspicious, yet interested.
END OF PROLOGUE