Two of A Kind
Chapter 3: Is It Just Me?
By: Rogue-Slayer13
Disclaimer: The characters of Btvs and Ats belong to Joss Whedon, not myself. People wonder where I get some of the straight from the show dialogue, and just so everyone knows, anytime I have any, it comes from Buffy-vs-Angel. com.
Summary: See previous chapter
All italics are thoughts, while only partial italics or emphasized.
A/N: I've decided to change this fic up a bit and have it go more along the lines of the show. This could be for the better or it could be for the worse, not really sure yet.
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Illyria walked down the hallway without anyone taking any notice until she walked passed Spike.
"It's like you're not even 'ere," commented the vampire.
"Do not presume I require any creature's attention," replied Illyria sharply.
"Wouldn't dream of it Blue. Still, you can't enjoy haunting this place. Less than what you were, not knowing what to do with yourself. Believe me, I've been there."
"Shouldn't you be socializing with your new toy?"
"She's not a toy," said an aggravated Spike.
"Your mate then."
"She's not even that."
"Well whatever she is, shouldn't you be wasting your time with her?" stated Illyria as she turned and walked away.
"Somebody's cranky."
Spike turned as Faith came to stand next to him.
"Tell me about it," sighed Spike.
"C'mon Big Boy, let's go grab a muffin." Faith took Spike by the sleeve and lead him toward the cafeteria.
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"Angel, I'd like you to meet Senator Brucker," said Hamilton as he caught Angel and Gunn in the hallway.
"Senator, welcome to Wolfram & Hart." Angel shook the woman's hand.
"Oh, I go way back with this firm, back when Holland Manners was in charge."
"I think you'll find things have changed a bit since then. Charles Gunn."
The senator took Gunn's offered hand and shook it.
"Charles is the head of our legal department," said Hamilton.
"Why don't we step into my office?" suggested Angel.
"I think that's a great idea," said Senator Brucker as Angel lead the group toward his office, only to be stopped by Wesley.
"Angel, there's been another fatality in Funville," said Wesley. "That abandoned amusement park downtown?" added the former watcher at Angel's puzzled look.
"And?"
"And? It's the third one in three nights Angel, and all the signs point to a Boretz demon."
"Oh, bloody Boretz. Nasty little buggers," commented Spike as he and Illyria came up to the group.
"What am I supposed to do about it?" asked Angel.
"The last victim was a teenage girl that was ripped to shreds, Angel."
"We can't save everyone, now can we?" Angel turned back toward his office only to be stopped by Wesley putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Whatever happened to being compassionate toward the little people?" asked Wesley as Angel turned around.
"Nowhere in my job description does it state that compassion is a necessity."
Wesley stood dumbstruck as Angel disappeared into his office with Senator Brucker and Hamilton.
"Are you coming Gunn?" asked Angel from the doorway.
"Sure." Gunn snapped out of his daze and went into the office.
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"He did what!?" Faith couldn't believe what Wesley and the others were telling her about Angel.
"He completely brushed aside the death of a young girl as if it were a piece of junk mail cluttering his desk," said Wesley.
"Do vampire's even get junk mail?" asked Faith.
"That's hardly the point," said Wesley. "Angel's no longer trying to help the helpless."
"Now he's turning honest senators into pedophiles and signing away children to be raised by demon cults so they can be sacrifices," added Gunn.
"This doesn't sound like Angel," said Faith in disbielf.
"I wouldn't believe it myself, but I've seen it and it's all true," said Lorne.
"Well what can we do? I mean Angel's and evil ass vampire in cahoots with the enemy, that's way too strong for the six of us to take on." Faith looked around the office.
"We've got a Boretz issue to deal with right now, but once that's settled we'll have to think of something," said Wesley.
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"I can't believe I'm saying this, but this place is kinda creepy," said Faith as she, Spike, and Illyria walked through Funville.
"I think it's all the clowns," commented Spike. "I've always hated the buggers myself."
"Are you saying that you're afraid of clowns?" asked Faith.
"No, I just get this strong urge to stab 'em in the eyes every time I see one," replied Spike.
"If Angel does not consider the casualties of the creature as being worthy of avenging, then why are we bothering to do so?" asked Illyria, putting an end to the clown discussion.
"Angel needs rearrange his priorities," said Faith.
"It does not serve his interest," said Illyria.
"What are you on about?" asked Spike as he looked over at the god-king.
"I have seen this before." Illyria looked at Spike and Faith. "Your leader has been corrupted."
Spike stopped walking.
"In the first place, Angel's not my leader. In the second, what the bloody 'ell do you mean corrupted?"
"It's always begins the same. A ruler turns a blind eye to the dealings of battles from which he cannot gain . . . and a deaf ear to the counsel of those closest to . . ."
"Shh," said Faith as she looked around. "Do you smell that?"
"The odors of everything in this world of men are equally pungent," commented Illyria.
"Bloody 'elpful," commented Spike as they began walking again. "You're wrong about Angel. Not that I don't think the sod could end up being a megalomaniacal bastard. It's just that if he did . . . I'd know it. I'd feel it."
"You'll have proof soon enough. A corrupted ruler on such a path sees treachery and betrayal all around him. Ha cannot suffer intimates and will eventually turn against them."
"I guess I don't have to worry about that, 'cause Angel and me have never been intimate. Except that one . . ."
"Mark me," said Illyria. "He will murder one of you."
"He already has."
"Holy crap!" shouted a startled Faith as Drogyn stepped out of the shadows.
"Drogyn?" Spike stepped toward the man.
"Who is this?" asked Illyria.
"The guardian of the Deeper Well. Green's keeper of your graveyard, so to speak."
Illyria glared at Drogyn.
"My jailer."
Drogyn squinted at the god-king.
"Illyria . . ."
"Boretz," said Faith as she looked above Drogyn just as the Boretz demon jumped to the ground.
After a brief fight the Boretz was destroyed and Spike went over to pick up the fallen Drogyn.
"What the 'ell are you doing 'ere?" Spike picked Drogyn up by the arms and put him on his feet. "And don't give me any of your 'ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies' bugaboo."
"I came to find you," strained Drogyn.
"How'd you find him in a city of ten million?" asked Faith.
"I can find anyone who's come to the well."
"He's bleeding," commented Illyria.
"You're all torn up, mate. What did this to you, the Boretz, was it?" asked Spike.
"No, it' was Angel."
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"How many of those do you have?" asked Gunn as he looked across the table to where Wesley was reading one of his reference books that link him to every book in the Wolfram & Hart archives.
"Three," replied Wesley.
"Don't those cost a lot of money?"
"I really don't care how much of an inconvenience this is for Wolfram & Hart." Wesley set down the book.
Gunn nodded in agreement before something on the page of Wesley's book caught his attention.
"What's that?" Gunn pointed to the symbol drawn on the page and the caption on the opposite page.
Wesley looked at the drawing which was of a circle with eight spurs coming off of it that looked like thorns and then to the caption which read: you're looking in the wrong place.
"I have no idea, but I think I should go show Angel," said Wesley.
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Wesley walked into Angel's office to find Angel sitting at his desk talking to Hamilton.
"Can I help you?" asked Angel.
"Well, something unusual came my way and . . ."
"We're kind of in the middle of something here. Why don't you try me later?" Angel cut off Wesley mid sentence.
"Yes, later, then." Wesley walked back out into the hallway.
"Hey Wes?"
"Yes?"
"Shut the door."
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"Hey, is Angel in there?" asked Lorne as he caught up to Wesley in the hallway.
"He is." Wesley continued walking.
"Something's going on with him," said Lorne. "He cut loose six of my clients without even telling me. I've spent all day talking them off ledges and out of pill bottles."
"I sense that suicidal celebrities are beneath Angel's concern," said Wesley as the two got to Wesley's office where Gunn was waiting.
"What'd he say?" asked Gunn as the three walked into the office.
"Nothing," said Wesley as he walked toward his desk. "He and Hamilton were discussing business strategy."
"Hamilton?" asked Gunn as Wesley sat down at his desk.
"It's like Angel suddenly started channeling Leona Helmsely," said Lorne.
"He's not himself, at any rate," said Wesley.
"What's happening to him?" asked Gunn as the telephone rang and Wesley answered it.
"Yes? Spike."
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"What's going on?" asked Wesley as he, Gunn, and Lorne walked into Spike's apartment.
"Our friend 'ere," Spike nodded toward where Drogyn was sitting on the couch. "Has an interesting bit o' news."
"What is it?" asked Wesley.
"I was attacked last night," said Drogyn.
"By who?" asked Wesley.
"It was a Sathari . . . part of a clan of demon assassins. They fell upon me last night. The poison from his four blades wearing heavy on my limbs."
"Interesting bit of rah-rah, mate," said Spike from his spot perched on top of the end table. "Get to the goods."
"Once I bested him, I tortured the Sathari for hours until he confessed who had sent him. It was Angel."
"Tell them why," said Faith.
"He said Angel was worried I'd find something in the Deeper Well that would uncover the truth about his involvement."
"Involvement in what?" asked Gunn.
"Helping Illyria escape."
"I thought that was all predestined," said Wesley.
"Yeah, what about that bit?" asked Spike.
"I thought so too, but I now believe that Illyria's resurrection may have been planned."
"Why would Angel do that?" asked Lorne.
"I don't think that was the point."
"Then what was?" asked Gunn.
"The assassin said something about a sacrifice . . . someone trusted and dear."
"Are you saying that Angel was responsible for what happened to Fred?" asked Wesley.
"He may not have chosen her specifically, but . . ."
"Whoa! Let's put a kibosh on that sentence before it turns into an ass kickin'" said Lorne.
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"This still makes no since," said Faith.
"Angel's been doing a number of things out of character lately. We've all noticed it," said Wesley from his spot on the couch.
"But why now?" asked Lorne.
"Yes, why the sudden need to tie up loose ends like Drogyn, unless . . ."
"He's preparing to make his move," said Illyria from her spot in the corner.
"I guess we'll just have to go and ask him," said Faith as she stood up.
"Blue, you're not interested in any of this are you?" asked Spike as he grabbed his coat.
"The intricacies of your fates are meaningless," replied Illyria.
"Great, you can stay 'ere and keep Drogyn company." Spike handed Illyria a video game controller. "Play a little Crash Bandicoot if you get bored."
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"You picked a great time for a visit," said Gunn as he, Faith, Wesley, and Spike drove back to Wolfram & Hart.
"Yeah," said Faith from her spot next to Spike in the back seat. "I mean, do I have perfect timing or what?"
"It certainly seems to be working to our advantage," commented Wesley.
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Angel had just finished revising a contract and had handed it to Harmony when Wesley and the other's came into the lobby.
"Angel . . ."
"Long dinner?" Angel looked at the five of them.
"We need to talk to you. Now." Wesley turned and headed toward Angel's office with Lorne and Faith.
"Boy's dead serious," said Gunn as he followed Wesley.
"You coming or do I 'ave to bring you?" asked Spike, since Angel hadn't moved.
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To Be Continued . . .
It's got a bit of straight from the show dialogue, but I'm getting away from that. I really didn't like where this fic was going, so I thought changing it up a bit couldn't ruin it that much. Please read and review!