Chapter 2
It had been nearly an hour since Angel had woken up in the bizarre limbo-like state. Spike and Illeria were still unconscious and Angel pondered the recent events. Nothing made sense—he knew that he had been brought to this place, but he had no idea how or why. He knew that somehow he had eluded the demons that The Wolf, The Ram, and The Hart had sent after him, but the details were hazy. Recalling the events that led up to his current situation just left him with more questions.
"Where are we?" Spike's voice echoed in Angel's ears. Angel shifted his gaze towards the vampire.
"We came here after we escaped the battle. Maybe The Powers That Be rescued us," Angel hypothesized. "Wherever we are, we're not dead."
"Hey, you don't know that mate. Does this look like living to you?"
"Spike," Angel said gravely, "you know as well as I know that this is not anywhere near the fate of a dead vampire."
Spike looked distant for a moment, and shuddered. "You've got a point there."
"Your squabbling annoys me. We must find a way to leave this place." Illeria roused herself from slumber.
"You know, now that you're part of the team, you could deal to be a bit less abrasive, luv. It's about time you got off your high horse and joined us," Spike quipped back.
"Be quiet, worm. I am part of no team. Our enemy is the same, so we battle together. And I require no horse to ride, that is something a lesser being would need."
Spike exchanged glances with Angel, who tried to stifle his grin. Spike outright burst into laughter. Illeria scowled angrily.
"You mock me? I should kill you where you stand."
Spike's laugh became contagious and soon Angel joined in, thus infuriating Illeria further. "What?" she belted angrily. "Why do you laugh?"
"Oh, you see," Spike tried to explain, "I wasn't saying you actually were on a horse. It's a saying, y'know. One of those human things."
"Of course," Illeria faltered. "I knew that." She looked away, her gaze becoming vacant and forlorn. "My chest tingles and blood is rushing to my face. I do not like this feeling."
"Heh, that's called embarrassment, luv. Another one of those pesky human emotions."
"Emotions create signs of weakness," Illeria bemoaned. "My divinity is blemished and faulty. I act rashly and I cannot stop."
"Oh now," Angel said, feeling a bit of empathy for the former God, "It's not so bad. There are nice emotions, like love."
"Yes, I have seen love," Illeria snarled. "Love has hurt more than any of these other putrid emotions. When I tortured the very souls of beings, they knew the source of their pain and had no hope in their hearts. These emotions are pitfalls that entice you into believing they will provide pleasure." Illeria paused for a moment. "Emotions are perfect devices of torture. When I regain my strength and again shape reality as I see fit, I will force every being to have emotions."
"Well that's certainly a bleak look at things," Spike commented. He then cocked his head slightly and smirked. "But you're gonna have to shut up and deal with it, because that's just how things are for us humans," he said sarcastically.
"I am no human. And neither are you, worm. You would do well to remember that you are just the carcass of a human held together by a dark curse. You remark as if you are park of the race of beings that you parasitically infect."
"Now listen here," Spike growled.
"Alright, you two," Angel interrupted. "This is getting us nowhere. We have to figure out where we are."
"Oh and how do you suggest we do that, oh fearless leader?" Spike snapped. "Wait, I've got it… Why don't we just float here unable to move for a little while? I'm sure we'll just up and figure something…"
"You're all awake," Dorian said, a warm smile on his face. As Dorian smiled, the warmth waved over the group in a blissful pulse. Even Illeria could not help but crack the tiniest smile, as hard as she tried to hide it.
"Where have you been?" Angel said, his memories flooding back to him of the conversations he had with Dorian.
Angel then paused and looked at his comrades. Illeria seemed to be nothing less than panicked, and Spike had a confused look on his face.
"I completely forgot everything you said to us," Angel admitted.
"You did not forget," Dorian smiled sadly. "As I said, I am and I am not. While I am, my words are. Inevitably, while I am not, my words are also not."
As Angel came to a sad realization he said, "So whatever you tell us, we're not going to remember."
"Yes and no. Yes, you will not remember this, and no, there will be nothing to remember."
"Oh, you know," Spike finally snapped. "This is bloody ridiculous. If we're not going to remember anything then why are we wasting our time here? It's time to go hunting and I wager I could use the heads of a wolf, a ram, and a hart as some lovely trophies."
"Yes, your time here is soon to end," Dorian said. "As is mine. What I have said will have no bearing on your fate."
"If it has no bearing," Angel asked, "then why have you brought us here?"
"It was necessary to save you, that part of my fate was preordained. And in what winks of time I can irk out before I fade completely, I will guide you as best I can. Angel, you are now the vessel of my foresight."
Angel nodded.
"Spike was correct. As I cease, so too shall your fleeting moment of peace. You will be back where you will get no rest until your path is complete."
"Oh, great. A good pat on the back, goodbye, and good luck?" Spike asked.
"Luck has nothing to do with it, champion. What will be will be."
"Right, and what will be will be my foot up some supernatural arse…"
Spike looked around. "What was I saying?"
Angel turned towards him. "Huh?"
"You are delusional. It is to be expected," Illeria replied snidely.
Angel turned around to inspect his surroundings. They were familiar. It was the old hotel that once housed the efforts of Angel Investigations. But there was no clue as to how he got there.
"Well. Uh. At least there are no demons here," Angel said with a puzzled shrug.
"Actually, mate, I think there's nothing but demons here," Spike replied. Angel looked from the vampire to Illeria.
"I guess you've got a point," he said wryly.
"So how now, fearless leader?" Spike asked. "Got a good master plan in reserve?"
"Actually, yes," Angel replied. "It's desperate, but it just might work."
Illeria snorted. "Your plan will likely be full of holes and worthless, like the original one. I watched Wesley die because of it."
"My plan," Angel continued through gritted teeth, "is to restore Illeria's strength."
"What!?" Spike exclaimed.
"My words before were folly," Illeria hastily said. "Your plan is flawless."
"Except for the whole exploding issue," Spike said. "You've gone out of your bloody mind this time, Angel."
"We'll find a balance, alright? We can make her strong enough to fight the Senior Partners but not enough to make her explode."
"I'd say you're walking a fine line there. Even if we can pull it off, how will we do it? Illeria's strength has been sapped into another dimension, remember?"
"Well, I guess the best place to start would be with Wes's dimensional weapon."
"Fine, perfect. And where is that right now?" Spike asked, already knowing the answer.
Angel knew as well. "I guess we're going to pay Wolfram and Hart another visit. Somehow I don't think this time anyone is going to call me 'sir'."
"Conversation has grown weary. Will we now cause more damage?" Illeria questioned.
"All the damage you want," Angel said, his face emotionless. "All the damage you want."
It had been nearly an hour since Angel had woken up in the bizarre limbo-like state. Spike and Illeria were still unconscious and Angel pondered the recent events. Nothing made sense—he knew that he had been brought to this place, but he had no idea how or why. He knew that somehow he had eluded the demons that The Wolf, The Ram, and The Hart had sent after him, but the details were hazy. Recalling the events that led up to his current situation just left him with more questions.
"Where are we?" Spike's voice echoed in Angel's ears. Angel shifted his gaze towards the vampire.
"We came here after we escaped the battle. Maybe The Powers That Be rescued us," Angel hypothesized. "Wherever we are, we're not dead."
"Hey, you don't know that mate. Does this look like living to you?"
"Spike," Angel said gravely, "you know as well as I know that this is not anywhere near the fate of a dead vampire."
Spike looked distant for a moment, and shuddered. "You've got a point there."
"Your squabbling annoys me. We must find a way to leave this place." Illeria roused herself from slumber.
"You know, now that you're part of the team, you could deal to be a bit less abrasive, luv. It's about time you got off your high horse and joined us," Spike quipped back.
"Be quiet, worm. I am part of no team. Our enemy is the same, so we battle together. And I require no horse to ride, that is something a lesser being would need."
Spike exchanged glances with Angel, who tried to stifle his grin. Spike outright burst into laughter. Illeria scowled angrily.
"You mock me? I should kill you where you stand."
Spike's laugh became contagious and soon Angel joined in, thus infuriating Illeria further. "What?" she belted angrily. "Why do you laugh?"
"Oh, you see," Spike tried to explain, "I wasn't saying you actually were on a horse. It's a saying, y'know. One of those human things."
"Of course," Illeria faltered. "I knew that." She looked away, her gaze becoming vacant and forlorn. "My chest tingles and blood is rushing to my face. I do not like this feeling."
"Heh, that's called embarrassment, luv. Another one of those pesky human emotions."
"Emotions create signs of weakness," Illeria bemoaned. "My divinity is blemished and faulty. I act rashly and I cannot stop."
"Oh now," Angel said, feeling a bit of empathy for the former God, "It's not so bad. There are nice emotions, like love."
"Yes, I have seen love," Illeria snarled. "Love has hurt more than any of these other putrid emotions. When I tortured the very souls of beings, they knew the source of their pain and had no hope in their hearts. These emotions are pitfalls that entice you into believing they will provide pleasure." Illeria paused for a moment. "Emotions are perfect devices of torture. When I regain my strength and again shape reality as I see fit, I will force every being to have emotions."
"Well that's certainly a bleak look at things," Spike commented. He then cocked his head slightly and smirked. "But you're gonna have to shut up and deal with it, because that's just how things are for us humans," he said sarcastically.
"I am no human. And neither are you, worm. You would do well to remember that you are just the carcass of a human held together by a dark curse. You remark as if you are park of the race of beings that you parasitically infect."
"Now listen here," Spike growled.
"Alright, you two," Angel interrupted. "This is getting us nowhere. We have to figure out where we are."
"Oh and how do you suggest we do that, oh fearless leader?" Spike snapped. "Wait, I've got it… Why don't we just float here unable to move for a little while? I'm sure we'll just up and figure something…"
"You're all awake," Dorian said, a warm smile on his face. As Dorian smiled, the warmth waved over the group in a blissful pulse. Even Illeria could not help but crack the tiniest smile, as hard as she tried to hide it.
"Where have you been?" Angel said, his memories flooding back to him of the conversations he had with Dorian.
Angel then paused and looked at his comrades. Illeria seemed to be nothing less than panicked, and Spike had a confused look on his face.
"I completely forgot everything you said to us," Angel admitted.
"You did not forget," Dorian smiled sadly. "As I said, I am and I am not. While I am, my words are. Inevitably, while I am not, my words are also not."
As Angel came to a sad realization he said, "So whatever you tell us, we're not going to remember."
"Yes and no. Yes, you will not remember this, and no, there will be nothing to remember."
"Oh, you know," Spike finally snapped. "This is bloody ridiculous. If we're not going to remember anything then why are we wasting our time here? It's time to go hunting and I wager I could use the heads of a wolf, a ram, and a hart as some lovely trophies."
"Yes, your time here is soon to end," Dorian said. "As is mine. What I have said will have no bearing on your fate."
"If it has no bearing," Angel asked, "then why have you brought us here?"
"It was necessary to save you, that part of my fate was preordained. And in what winks of time I can irk out before I fade completely, I will guide you as best I can. Angel, you are now the vessel of my foresight."
Angel nodded.
"Spike was correct. As I cease, so too shall your fleeting moment of peace. You will be back where you will get no rest until your path is complete."
"Oh, great. A good pat on the back, goodbye, and good luck?" Spike asked.
"Luck has nothing to do with it, champion. What will be will be."
"Right, and what will be will be my foot up some supernatural arse…"
Spike looked around. "What was I saying?"
Angel turned towards him. "Huh?"
"You are delusional. It is to be expected," Illeria replied snidely.
Angel turned around to inspect his surroundings. They were familiar. It was the old hotel that once housed the efforts of Angel Investigations. But there was no clue as to how he got there.
"Well. Uh. At least there are no demons here," Angel said with a puzzled shrug.
"Actually, mate, I think there's nothing but demons here," Spike replied. Angel looked from the vampire to Illeria.
"I guess you've got a point," he said wryly.
"So how now, fearless leader?" Spike asked. "Got a good master plan in reserve?"
"Actually, yes," Angel replied. "It's desperate, but it just might work."
Illeria snorted. "Your plan will likely be full of holes and worthless, like the original one. I watched Wesley die because of it."
"My plan," Angel continued through gritted teeth, "is to restore Illeria's strength."
"What!?" Spike exclaimed.
"My words before were folly," Illeria hastily said. "Your plan is flawless."
"Except for the whole exploding issue," Spike said. "You've gone out of your bloody mind this time, Angel."
"We'll find a balance, alright? We can make her strong enough to fight the Senior Partners but not enough to make her explode."
"I'd say you're walking a fine line there. Even if we can pull it off, how will we do it? Illeria's strength has been sapped into another dimension, remember?"
"Well, I guess the best place to start would be with Wes's dimensional weapon."
"Fine, perfect. And where is that right now?" Spike asked, already knowing the answer.
Angel knew as well. "I guess we're going to pay Wolfram and Hart another visit. Somehow I don't think this time anyone is going to call me 'sir'."
"Conversation has grown weary. Will we now cause more damage?" Illeria questioned.
"All the damage you want," Angel said, his face emotionless. "All the damage you want."