DISCLAIMER: Angel and all related characters are owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and etc.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'll add the disclaimer to characters I invented when they come to be.

Inside the Los Angeles branch of Wolfram and Hart, everything was normal. Angel was in his office with the new Devil, discussing future plans to destroy any remnants of the Circle of the Black Thorn. Gunn was walking over to Medical to see if his client was well enough to sign a contract.

Illyria and Spike were in the training room. Spike thought he was beating the Ancient. She did this to make him feel somewhat better. Finally, tired of the childish game, she punched him in the face and left the room. Spike bounced off the wall and lay still for a moment.

Illyria walked into the lobby, surprised to see Spike following her. He still looked bruised from her last attack.

"Your kind is weak. The blood is unnatural." Illyria told Spike with her usual coldness.

"Look, luv, even though I chose to be this way doesn't mean my blood is unwanted." Spike said while feeling his face to count how many bruises he had received from the ex-god.

They glared at each other in silence before Spike turned on his heel and stalked towards Gunn's office.

Gunn had gone up to the Medical to get his client's signature. He hated working at Wolfram and Hart, but the one thing that was the worst was visiting Medical. He didn't know why; he just did. It may have been because that was the last place he saw Fred when she was alive. Gunn entered the room his client was in and was just about to introduce himself, when the client began yelling.

"Where is the damn contract you want me to sign?" the client asked angrily.

"You do understand that you can't see your son until the mother has informed him about the demon aspect? But even then you still have to pay child support." Gunn said expertly. This was one of the perks working for the firm: showing the intelligence you have even if it was filled with regret.

"Yeah. I get everything that you just told me." The client's temper seemed to decrease as he signed the contract. Gunn was about to leave when a question for the man surfaced in his mind.

"How did you end up here?"

The client laughed and said, "I was with another demon. What can I say I love being with demons. They're quite enjoyable on certain levels."

Gunn left the man laughing at his own obsession. He was glad he was never (or hoped to be) romantically involved with a demon. He thought it was crazy. He went down the stairs and into his office.

"Oh great, now I have a vamp to worry about." Gunn groaned when he was the peroxide-blonde vampire standing in his office.

"So racquetball on Thursday?"

"Racquetball on Thursday."

With that final agreement, the Devil got up and left the office. Angel moved to the window staring outside in a world of his own. He had only been lost in his thoughts for not even a minute when Harmony came flouncing in.

"Hey Boss. There's a new file for you. This girl's psycho. She, like, beats people for no reason. Maybe she's a Slayer." Harmony said in her usual manner.

"I want the person's description. And get everyone in here."

"When you say 'everyone' do you mean Gunn, Spike, and Illyria?"

Angel gave Harmony a look of annoyance. She left the office and came back almost at once with a thin file. She left looking emotionally upset.

She'll get over it.

By the time Angel had finished scanning the file, the group had come into his office.

"What happened to you?" Angel asked when he noticed Spike's injuries.

"Nothing. Why do you want us?" Spike snapped. He wasn't in the mood for something idiotic.

"Someone has been attacking people. But this person's strength is equaled to a Slayer." Angel said with no reaction on his face. "It's getting dark, so we should scout out the areas she's been spotted."

"How many are there? Areas, I mean." Gunn questioned Angel.

"Only three and it's too many for someone with that power. Spike, you're with Illyria-"

"Wait a minute. I'm not goin' with her." Spike panicked, pointing to Illyria. "She's the one who beat me up."

"I thought you said it was nothing." Gunn said turning to Spike, amusement written on his face. The vampire in question did not respond.

"I promise on my past Qwa'ha Xahn I will not injure the half-breed." Illyria vowed half-heartedly, not really caring either way if something happened to Spike.

Angel ignored Illyria's comment. "Fine. Illyria go with Gunn."