Tariq: Thanks for the review. I do think that Angel and Spike have a weird relationship, although I wouldn't call it a friendship exactly. But they should have some sort of a bond, after all Angel is Spike's grandsire. I intend to make their relationship the same as it was on the show for the last couple episodes…loyalty to each other, but still having a dislike for each other.
Stri the Saran Wrap: Appreciate the review. I miss Wes too and I do intend to place him in the story. I think there are unresolved issues between him and Illyria, plus I don't believe that Fred's soul could just disappear like that. You'll see what I intend to do with Fred/Illyria later.
Shahid: Thanks for your review. I will place that quote in the story…well sort o, but not in this chapter. I intend to just tweak the phrase a little.
Hearns: Thanks for the review. Here is an update.
Dixiegrl: I tried to hurry with the update, but I needed to work on my other stories.
True Destiny Continues
Chapter 2: Big Bad Pt. 1
Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from the Angel series. I only own my original characters.
Angel slashed his sword outward; cutting the demon that had charged him in half. They had been fighting for about three hours non-stop and he was beginning to feel the weariness creeping into his bones. He knew the only reason he had even lasted this long was because of the boost of power he had received from feeding off of Marcus. The grief caused by the loss of yet another member of his team—no his family—was also pushing him forward to continue fighting.
Doyle, Cordelia, Fred, Wesley…they all died, in different ways, but yet still managing to leave some mark on this world before they departed. Doyle saved a whole clan of half-breed creatures…sacrificing his own life so that others could live without the fear of being hunted and killed. Cordelia. She had changed so much from her Sunndydale days, growing into a beautiful and brave woman that made every day working with her something to look forward to. She had also betrayed him by sleeping with his only child, but he knew it was merely because she had been possessed by the demon entity within her. The inner battle that was raging in her subconscious was lost, her body finally succumbing to her coma, but only after she came back and helped him one last time.
The loss of Fred, like Doyle, had been completely unexpected. It seemed that every time happiness touched them, even if it was for a little while, the darkness always had to seep in and pull the light away…the light being Fred's soul. All that was left now was her "shell", as Illyria always referred to it. Fred's body in all essence is still walking the earth, correction engaged in a heated battle at his side, but her soul was stripped away, leaving the presence of an old goddess behind to inhabit her being…Illyria. That was the hardest part, seeing Fred's face everyday, but knowing that she was truly gone and having to deal with a goddess that didn't yet understand the ways of humans.
Finally, Wesley, he had been the last to die, and his death was forcing the grief from all the others' deaths to the surface. Wesley went out in the way that every hero should go. He went out fighting…fighting the good fight of good vs. evil. His soul too seemed to have left his body when Fred died, but that didn't stop him from trying to help. He continued on, mechanically at best, but still continuing. He actually took Illyria under his wing per say and tried his best to teach her about the way humans lived in order for her to survive in this new world, even though the goddess was the reason Fred was gone. But that was just how Wesley was, no matter what, his sense of right and wrong always steered him.
Now as Angel cut the head off yet another demon, he wondered if the rest of them would make it through this. He chanced a glance to his right, noting that Illyria and Spike were taking on a demon twice their size, but they were still alive. That's all that mattered. His eyes flitted through the throng of demons and champions, seeing Buffy and her slayers, Faith and a young woman who fought surprisingly well, and finally landing on Gunn.
The healing that girl gave him apparently totally regenerated Gunn to full strength and he was slashing through demons like a mad man. Angel suspected it was the rage stemming from the news of Wesley's death that was urging Gunn to fight harder, to be stronger, to be tougher. Suddenly he felt demon blood splatter on to him from the side, and he turned to see who had killed whatever it was that had been creeping up on him. His eyes widened as he instantly recognized his savior.
"Connor I thought I told you to go home," Angel growled, stepping over the dead demon's body to grab his son's shirt roughly. What was he doing here? He distinctly remembered telling him to go home and now he was here, in the thick of it all, exactly where his father didn't want him to be. "Damn it Connor…you shouldn't be here," Angel said loudly, shouting over the cries and grunts resounding around him.
Connor stared his father down defiantly, pulling away from his grasp. "What was I supposed to do…just let you get killed," he retorted angrily. "No way! You need me…and I'm staying." Connor pushed Angel out of the way, taking down another demon that had been standing behind his father. "You can lecture me later. As you can see, now isn't a good time." Connor turned away from Angel and swung his axe, cutting down two more creatures, leaving his father standing watching him in what was a mixture of disbelief and anger.
Angel shook his head forcefully, allowing the haze of anger at his son to fade. In truth, it was really just fear he was feeling…fear for his son's life. After all he had risked to keep Connor safe, it was almost ironic that he still ended up in the thick of danger anyway. Angel brought his elbow back swiftly; catching whatever had been behind him in the throat. He then turned around to face his opponent, ducking and twisting, all the while hoping to god that his son, as well as the others, would live through this. Four members of his family had died already. He wasn't sure if he could take losing another.
Faith punched and kicked her heart out, knowing that she would die first before she ever even thought of giving up. She knew there was too many of them...to many demons to take down. She knew they all were in over their heads, but that didn't stop her from trying. She allowed her mouth to twitch upwards in a slight smirk at the thought of all the people in Los Angeles who were laying in their beds, watching television, doing god knows what while they all battled evil just so that the world could keep going. Faith looked quickly over her shoulder at the one girl who had accepted her just as she was…the person who had become like a sister to her in the last six months.
Milani was part demon and part something else. Faith didn't know, even Milani didn't know what exactly she was, but whatever she was, she had decided to fight on their side. Her powers and abilities could have been easily used for evil, but she didn't do that, instead using her supernatural strength to fight against the forces of darkness. She was currently chopping a demon in half, lashing her leg out simultaneously to kick the creature that had been ready to attack her from behind. Faith felt a searing pain slice through her cheek, the punch that had been delivered because her attention had been elsewhere. She spun around to face the thing that had just bruised her cheek, swinging her weapon out wildly, smiling in satisfaction at the splatter that was heard from the body separating. She forced her mind to stay in the game and pay attention to what she was there for…to fight. She would just have to hope that at the end of this, her new friend would still be standing.
While Faith had been silently wishing for her safety, Milani was busy dealing with issues of her own. She knew that she was stronger than most of the others fighting with her, but no amount of power could stop the fear and confusion that was running through her at this very moment…and it wasn't just from the fact that this was probably the toughest battle she had ever been involved in. It was the fact that she was in the presence of two individuals who bore striking resemblances to people who she thought she had left behind in the dimension she was from.
She didn't understand what was happening and the irony of it all was hitting her head on. Yes she knew that her dimension was a sort of alternate reality of the present reality she was in. Still seeing them was a shock. As soon as she had laid eyes on Angel, her mind had immediately started racing, her eyes not even able to believe that she was looking at someone who had been in her life for 22 years. The shock and fear had been hidden deep inside her, where no one else could see or notice it. She hadn't wanted to alert Faith or anyone else of…well she didn't know what. She didn't exactly understand what was going on herself.
And then there was Connor. As soon as he had dropped down from above, she had felt his presence. Seeing Angel had shocked her, but seeing Connor had almost caused her to go into full panic mode. She had watched the two of them argue briefly, before turning their attentions to the battle at hand. She too had returned her mind to the fight, or at least she had tried to. Even as she cut through demon after demon, slaying how many she didn't know because she had lost count, her conscious mind was still fighting against what she had seen with her own two eyes.
Connor and Angel, or Liam as she had always known him, was now here in this reality with her and she just didn't see how that could be possible. She had left them behind to protect them, hoping that whoever was after her would follow her here to this dimension. Instead, she was fighting along side the same people who she had hoped to protect. How could they be here and still in her world? What the hell was going on? She was confused and she would get to the bottom of it all, but right now she had to push it all aside and continue fighting for a world that would probably condemn her for not being human.
Buffy threw a sharp punch into the gut of the demon growling in front of her, finishing with a swift kick to the face, finally sinking her weapon deep into it's chest. She swept the wet strands of hair out of her eyes and did a quick sweep of her slayers. They were fighting well and fighting bravely. "Willow…you all right," she called out, her hazel eyes peering at the witch who had been her best friend for so long. Willow only nodded and continued to send bright balls of some sort of energy, striking demons down as soon as they were hit. She had never been great with physical fighting ability, but as a witch, she was able to be of some help…a great help actually, but she was beginning to feel drained. The closure spell and freezing spell had taken some of her power away. And now after a couple hours, she was beginning to think maybe she wouldn't last throughout this battle.
"I'm fine…I'm doing okay," Willow replied weakly, her tiny voice being drowned out amongst the grunts and sounds of the war they were in. Willow's green eyes met the eyes of her girlfriend Kennedy, sending her a message, telling her that she wouldn't last much longer. Kennedy ran over to her side, catching Willow just as she was about to topple over, calling out to some of the slayers to watch her back as she dragged her girlfriend against the wall in a small corner of the alley, slightly out of the way of combat. Willow had a distant look in her eyes and she was sweating profusely.
"Come on sweetheart…don't give out on me now," Kennedy pleaded, sneaking glances over her shoulder to make sure no demon was approaching them. She ran her fingers light across her lover's cheek, feeling tears creeping into her eyes. She would not allow this to happen. She couldn't lose her…not now…not after all they had been through to finally be together. She knew Willow was stronger than this…she just had to be. "Willow come on…you have to get up," Kennedy tried again, willing her girlfriend to listen, to somehow gain an increase of adrenaline to continue fighting.
"I don't know if I can," Willow whispered, grabbing Kennedy's hand in hers. "Go on. They need you. Just leave me here." Kennedy shook her vehemently, refusing to leave her side. "You have to go Kennedy! This is about more than us. You know that. Now go!" Willow gave her girlfriend the hardest shove she could muster, causing the young girl to move away only slightly because of her weakened state. Kennedy nodded, tears leaking out of her eyes, and ran back into the battle.