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TITLE: THE END OF ALL THINGS
AUTHOR: AVES
DISCLAMER: YEA I KNOW JOSS OWNS IT BUT WHAT IS HE DOING WITH IT NOW?
CHAPTER 11
SURPRISE
What had become a sort of "inner circle" of the heroic forces were gathered in Angel's office. Buffy, Faith, Willow, Spike, Marcus, Connor and his father were all gathered together. Dawn, who was still a bit shaken up from her conversation with Illyria had insisted on staying with Buffy and was also with the group. All listenened intently as Giles explained his findings. "The scroll that we found behind Wesley's bookcase has revealed quite an abundance of information regarding our situation. It seems an ancient Sumerian kind had the gift of visions, and he recorded his findings on this scroll."
"And so far you haven't told us squat about what he said," Spike rudely broke in.
The watcher flashed him an annoyed look, "Yes, I'm getting to that please be patient." He addressed the group again. "It seems the king had visions of portals to hell opening up and consuming the Earth."
"Hellmouths," Buffy stated.
"Yes," Giles replied. "The specific text speaks of three dark warriors serving the three gods. They will open the three points of Hell swallowing the world."
"Three points of Hell?" Willow asked. "How do we find these?"
"I think we can pinpoint the areas fairly accurately." the watcher answered. "We already know there are Hellmouths in Cleveland and what used to be Sunnydale."
"and the third?" Faith asked.
"Mexico." The group turned to see it was their new ally, Marcus, who had answered the question.
"How did you know?" Giles asked.
"Because most of my life has been spent on it." he replied.
The entire group looked stunned. "You want to tell us why you're just now telling us this?" Buffy said.
The warrior shrugged. "It was never important until now."
Buffy looked at Cordelia, "Did you know about this?"
Cordy shook her head. "I had no idea, like I've said my job was to bring him here to help you. Beyond that you know about as much about him as I do."
"Yes well he is correct," Giles interupted. The watcher went to a shelf and pulled out a rolled up paper, "This is a map of North America. If you draw a line from Sunnydale and Cleveland down to where they meet you will see they meet in a mountainous region of Southeastern Mexico."
"It's called Diablo's peak by the locals," Marcus interjected. "A church was built there in 1789 to protect the villages from the evil that supposedly haunted the region. The first group of priests that stayed there were wiped out, murdered. The church realized that a more aggresive means were necessary. An order called the Sword of St. Peter was created. A group of warrior priests that followed the code of the church but were trained in every known fighting style on earth. They were also taught about, and how to combat vampires, demons and the like."
"This is all real fascinating," Spike interupted, "but what are we going to do about these Hellmouths?"
"I believe I have a plan of action," Giles answered.
"Good ole Rupert," Angel said, "always on the case." Some of the group eyed the vampire wondering about his odd behavior.
Giles continued, "I believe we can theorize that Wolfram and Hart are the three gods. The warriors I do not know, however, whoever they are they will be sent to the three Hellmouths, therefore we shall go there as well. Buffy and Connor, you shall lead the Sunnydale defense."
"Home sweet home," Buffy said.
"Angel, you and Spike shall lead the Cleveland force, and Marcus and Faith shall go to Mexico. Each team will contain a group of Slayers. Willow I will need you to remain here and coordinate the forces from here. Do you think you can keep communications open between us and each group?"
"Just call me mission control." Willow smiled.
"What about Blue?" Spike asked. "She's good in a pinch."
"Can we trust her?" Buffy asked, "I mean, she's an ancient evil god-king."
Spike shrugged. "Don't know if she can ever be fully trusted, but she won't fight for the big bad that's for sure."
"All right she can go with the Cleveland force," Giles said.
"So is that the plan?" Angel asked.
"Yes," Giles replied, "Why do you have something to add?"
"Yea," the vampire replied as he walked around the room stopping behind Dawn. "You are all really stupid." he said as grabbed Dawn from by the throat from behind, his face now vamped. "Hey there girlie. Do you taste as sweet as big sister?"
"Oh dear God," Giles whispered. "He's Angelus."
Angelus smiled evily, "That's right Rupert." He looked at Buffy, "Surprise honey I'm home!"
Angel realized he had no one but himself to blame for the intense pain he was feeling. After all, most of the things Drusilla was doing to him he had either done to her himself or taught her to do. He had to admit her technique was flawless, and it hurt like Hell. She was on top of him and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "You aren't screaming loud enough Daddy. Does Drusilla need to open you up all the way?" Angel winced at that prospect. The skin on his chest had been literally peeled back, his muscles exposed, and he knew that Dru had no problem with revealing his interal organs to the outside world.
"Listen, Dru you don't want to do this, you can't trust the Senior Partners." Angel pleaded.
The female vamp laughed. "Trust? I don't trust the funny men with the beastly heads, I don't need to. They're going to bring Daddy back and we'll have a big end of the world party!"
"Dru, come on I'm right here. Remember the fun we used to have? Those nights in Paris. You, me and Darla, waking up the neighbors and then killing them whey came over to complain about the noise?"
"Yes," Drusilla moaned, "Daddy always made his girls quiver."
Angel smiled his deception seemingly working, "Dru they might say that Angelus is out of me, but my taste for you isn't. I know your probaly going to kill me but can I have one last taste of my girl before I die?"
Drusilla laughed insanely and pulled out a stake, "Your little girl might be crazy be she isn't stupid. You want to drain me and use my power to break free and get back to your nasty friends. Bad Daddy for trying to fool little me." She trace the point of the stake around his heart. "I do miss the way Daddy tastes. I might eat his heart." Angel screamed and Drusilla drove her hand into his chest and wrapped her hand around his heart. "Ooh , Daddy makes such beautiful music, sing some more," she moaned as she tightened her grip. "Sing a pretty farewell song before your little girl eats you up!"
Angelus held his hostage close as he looked for a way out of the room. Buffy was furious and terrified at the same time. "You hurt her and nothing will save you from me!"
"Oh come on Buff," Angelus smiled. "I wouldn't hurt sweet little sister here, well at least not without you being chained up somewhere being forced to watch."
"Angel please," Cordelia began.
"Tsk, tsk," the vampire interupted, "The name is Angelus. Angel is gone, poof, pesky soul go bye-bye, and I got to say looking good Cordy, recovered from being possessed quite nicely I see. Now here is the way it's going to work. I'm going to take little sis here as insurance. We're going to walk out of here, and if you're all good little boys and girls the little one might be able get off with me just having a little fun with her."
"There's now way your getting out of here with that girl," Spike declared.
Angelus smirked at him, "Well looks like my goody alter ego isn't the only Slayer whipped vampire around. What happened Spike? She let you have a taste and you got all weak?" Angelus kept Dawn in front of him as he made his way to the door his back now to it. "Now, I'm gone, if anyone tries anything I snap pretty girl's neck". The vampire reached his free hand back for the doorknob, but as soon he got it it disappeared from his hand, "What the hell?"
"Willow now!" Buffy screamed
"Sepearte," Willow said and Dawn and Angelus were flung apart by magical force. Dawn fell into Willow both hitting the wall hard knocking the wind out of them while Angelus flew out the door in the lobby in front of a shocked crowd that was standing outside. One of the slayers ran up to him.
"Mr. Angel are you?" The girl never finished her sentence because her neck was snapped by the vampire.
"No!" Faith screamed and lunged at Angelus who side stepped and drove his knee into her gut.
"Sloppy Faith, I guess you'll always be second string." The vampire looked around quickly and saw the infirmary. "Oh good, sick and weak, perfect hostage material. He moved swiftly toward the infirmary easily killing two of the Slayers trying to stop him. Buffy, and some of the others gave chase but got there in time only to see Angelus with Xander in a chokehold.
"Angel what are you doing?" Xander gasped.
"Shut up!" Angelus snapped. "Buffy, Spike, Marcus and Cordelia ran into the room.
"Xander!" Buffy cried.
"All right you are really pissing me off!" Angelus growled. "I had a sweet little tasty hostage, something I could really sink my teeth into, but now I have to settle for this thing. Do you have any idea how badly that makes want to kill him right here?"
"Ok, you want something you can sink your teeth into take me," Buffy said. "You've always wanted me, now you can have me."
Angelus smiled, "Oh I do want you Buffy, and while the offer is tempting I'd never have you as a hostage. You might get lucky with one of your Slayer tricks and I lose my advantage. No, wimpy boy might not be the prettiest hostage but he'll have to do."
"Then take me," Cordelia said.
"No my lady," Marcus said, "I will not allow it."
She smiled and put a hand on his shoulder, "It's ok, my role in this is almost done, be strong." She turned back to Angelus. "So what do you say? I'm not a slayer. I'm just a girl I know you'd love to tear into. Let him go and you can have me."
Angelus looked her over unsure, "What's the catch?"
"None," she replied. "You get me, you get to leave."
"Walk over here," the vampire commanded.
Cordelia started to move toward him but Buffy grabbed her hand. "I can't let you do this."
Cordy smiled at her, "You will let me. Xander is hurt and Angelus will kill him as soon as he's clear. I don't have to worry about that."
Buffy agreed reluctantly and let her go, "Be careful."
Cordelia walked over to Angelus who quickly grabbed her and shoved Xander at Spike. "Oh I'm going to enjoy you," he said as he smelled her. "Wait, your not human!"
"Surprise Angelus," Cordy said as a blue light engulfed them both and they disappeared leaving the rest in the room dumfounded.
"What the bloody hell just happened?" Spike asked.
Angel could not remember the last time he felt so much pain. Drusilla had her hand in his chest and twisting his heart. His screams seemed to just encourage her in her torture. "I remember when Daddy made me scream like this," she purred. She began to slowly slice open his throat with the nails of her other hand. Angel tried not to scream but he could not deny the fact she was slowly killing him.
Angelus found himself on top of a building Cordelia still in his grasp. He squeezed her neck. "What happened! How did you hide what you are from me? What did you do?"
Cordelia just smiled, "I've known for awhile that the Senior Partners were going to try to bring you out. I just used my neat little demon powers to hide certain details from you. I bet the last thing you remember is me kissing your good side."
Angelus roared, "Your what did it! You made me forget! I should kill you!"
Cordy chuckled, "I'm not alive anymore, remember?"
Angelus growled and threw her to the ground. "I might not be able to kill you but I'll wipe out all your friends, and I will never go back to being Angel! See ya Cordelia, too bad your not human anymore. I'd love to violate you and drink you dry." The vampire ran away from Cordy and jumped off the roof. Cordy shook her head in frustration. "We are all in very big trouble."
Hamilton looked at the Hyperion from his hiding place with his strike force. He was next to ademon with huge eyes and ears. "Where is Angelus?" he demanded.
"They do not know," the demon hissed. "The Powers' messenger offered herself as a hostage and then disappeared."
"Damn her," Hamilton growled, "We must find him." The lawyer addressed the other demons. "All right we leave."
One of the demons objected, "No! why not attack while their guard is down!"
Hamilton grabbed the creature by the throat and lifted it off the ground. "We have wasted two armies in this war. Our goal is clear, their is no need to waste any more resources which is why I don't rip off your head for your insolence, understood?"
"Yes, Mr. Hamilton," the demon croaked.
"Excellent," Hamilton replied. "Now we return to base, I have a meeting with the Senior Partners in two hours. They demand a progress report and I look forward to telling them that Angelus is back and our next little surprise is about to be revealed."
Drusilla licked blood from the wound at Angel's neck and slowly started to tear at his heart with her nails, "I can't remember the last time Daddy and I had so much fun."
Angel just responded with a grunt of pain. Drusilla had made nearly every part of him scream with agony. His chest, his heart, his throat, his ears. His ears? A loud high pitched wail assaulted his ears, and he noticed he wasn't alone as Drusilla had removed her hands from him to cover her ears, and her wail was almost as bad as that sound. Angel saw her collapse and right before her blacked out he could have sworn he saw a demon in a bad suit walking towards him.
Angelus was not happy. Not a soul was to be found on the streets of L.A. "This is worse than when the Beast turned the world black. That's the bad thing about an impending apocalypse so hard to find a good meal." Cordelia's little trick had cost him a chance to really hurt Buffy and he swore to have another opportunity. Angelus smelled the air hoping he'd find something human. He didn't find what he was looking for but a familiar scent caught his attention. "Drusilla," he smiled. "Looks like I'm about to have a little family reunion."
Angel opened his eyes to find himself standing in a bar, "Where am I? Ugh I've had enough spell induced visions for one day."
"Hey bro, you gonna order a drink or stand there all day?"
Angel looked to the bar and was shocked to see who the bartender was. "Gunn?"
Gunn stopped cleaning a glass to talk to his old friend, "Taking a vacation from saving the world are we bro?"
Angel looked around, "What is this?"
"Sit down and let me tell you what's what," Gunn said.
Angel took one of the barstools, "Gunn, where am I?"
"Let's just say you're at a crossroads," Gunn replied. "This is where you decide if you're going to get your sorry butt up and fight, or just lay down."
"What are you talking about, I've been fighting."
His reply was met with a smack to the head. "Ow! What was that for?"
"To knock some sense into that thick head of yours. Yea, you been fighting, but when was the last time you fought to win?"
"What do you mean?" Angel asked.
"Gunn is correct Angel," a voice with a crisp English accent said.
Angel turned to see Wesley Wyndam-Price walking to the bar.
"English!" Gunn greeted him, "Good to see you."
Wesley gave Gunn a high five and then turned his attention to Angel. "You were prepared to die in your battle with the Black Thorn. Your goal ultimately was to lose."
Angel shook his head angrily, "No, I wanted to give the world a moment of hope, of peace."
"A moment?" Wesley asked. "You are content to let us die for a moment? Angel you have a chance to fulfil your destiny here, and not just for a moment."
"What destiny?" Angel asked. "I signed away the Shanshu."
A new voice, female, startled him. "You know Angel your really cute, but your really stupid."
"Fred?" Angel was becoming more shocked by the moment asWinnifred Burkle was now on Angel's other side her arm around him."Hey handsome man, you have to save the world from the bad monsters."
"How?" Angel asked. I don't know what the Senior Partners' plan is. I don't know how to stop it. I don't even know where I am."
"Angel you always act like the battle is yours to fight alone, but you've never been alone." another new voice said.
Angel turned to see a face he had not seen in nearly five years. "Doyle?" Angel ran up to his old friend and gave him a bear hug. Doyle patted him on the back and smiled at the vampire.
"Good to see you Angel, nice friends you have here, we've been comparing stories."
Angel turned away, "Yea, friends I got killed."
"How you figure that?" Gunn asked.
Angel's mood became somber as he looked at the faces of those he had lost. "You all died because of decisions I made. Wesley, Gunn, and Fred would all still be alive if I hadn't taken over Wolfram and Hart."
"Yes, but you did Angel and no matter what decision you made we all followed you." Wesley said.
"We may have died following you bro, but our lives weren't wasted following you." Gunn added.
"You gave us all purpose," Fred said, "If you had not come into my life I would have never escaped Pylea. I never would have experienced a lot of things," she said as he glanced at Wesley.
"Point is boyo, you still got a job to do. "It's the same as it's been since the beginning, help the helpless, fight the good fight, and kick the Senior Partners' buttsall the way back to hell." Doyle said with a grin.
His old friend's enthusiasm didn't help Angel's mood."How?"
"It's like Doyle said," Wesley began, "You've never been alone, and you aren't now. Buffy and her allies are by your side for a reason. Spike, Illyria, Marcus, Connor, they are all proof you are not alone. Let your allies do their job, and you do yours."
"This would be a lot easier if you guys were with me." Angel said.
"We don't always take the easy road to remdemption Angel," a new yet probably the most familar voice of all to him filled his ears. He was surprised to see a gorgeous blonde woman smiling at him. "Hello my Angel."
The vampire could hardly believe his eyes,"Darla."
"Long time no see lover," the woman said.
Angel was beyond stunned, "What are you doing here?"
"Hoping I can talk some sense into you. This is it my boy, no turning back. This is the battle you were destined for. Forget about the past, don't worry about the future, this time is yours."
Angel lowered his head, "I really was ready to die in that alley. I didn't have a plan after that."
Darla lifted his head in her hand, "Don't worry about that. Plans are being made right now that will help you win this battle. Yours is a quest for redemption, do you want that?"
"I did," Angel replied, "but I signed that away so I could defeat the Black Thorn."
"You can't sign away destinies you twit!" Wesley butted in. "God you are so daft!"
"Angel, fight this fight, trust your allies, and know you are never alone." Darla continued.
Angel noticed that all those around him were starting to fade away. "What's happening?" he asked.
"Time for us to jet bro," Gunn answered.
"Wait," Angel cried, "There's still so much I don't understand."
"There's nothing left to tell you," Wesley responded.
We believe in you Angel," Fred said, "and so do those you fight with."
Angel turned back to Darla who had yet to fade. "Don't let our son grow up in a world without hope," she said as she leaned in and gave Angel one last kiss, "and remember it's our love for him that will help save the world."
Angel watched her fade out as her words registered with him, "It's Connor!"
Angel awoke from his dream, vision, whatever it was in a lot of pain. His chest was on fire but he was thankful to see it was no longer split open. He could see someone and sewed him up and his vampire healing had done the rest. In a few hours the pain would be nothing more than a very unpleasant memory. He took in his surroundings and saw he was in a very modest apartment.
"It's an old friend's, he skipped town when the nastiness started. I figured we would be safe here for awhile."
Angel recognized the voice and saw its owner looking outside a window. "Lorne?"
"Hey Angelcakes, seems I can't stay away huh?"
"What are you doing here Lorne?"
"I was leaving big guy. I really was. Midnight train to Georgia, was all set ready to go, then I don't know, I guess I just wanted to see you guys one last time. I started to go to the Hyperion to see if you made it. I saw lots of demons. L.A. is not a good place to be right now. Anyway, I felt a wave of pain hit me, It was intense. My handy empathic abilities led me right to you. I saw psycho vamp girl doing a number on you so I let out one of my famous piercing wails. You both went out and I got your cute little booty out of there."
"I don't suppose you stake Drusilla while you were at it?" Angel asked.
"No sorry Angel. I've done enough killing no matter what it is." Lorne replied a slight bitter tone in his voice.
Angel noticed Lorne was not that happy to be around him, "Look, Lorne I know I asked you to do something you didn't want to do."
Lorne stuck out a hand to silence him, "Angel I don't want an apology. You didn't make me kill Lindsey. So let's not get into tearful reunions or reconciliations. I'm going to make sure you get back to the Hyperion, and then I'm really done."
Angel nodded, "Okay, and Lorne, thanks, if there is anything I can ever do."
Lorne shook his head, "Just stop what's going on out there, it's getting real scary."
Angel got dressed and looked out the window. "It's happening Lorne, the big one. I don't know what the Senior Partners are planning, but it's big."
Lorne patted Angel on the shoulder. "Come on big guy, let's get out of here. "You've got a big evil to stop."
