Angel:
I've got some money, but how long will it last me? I need some clean clothes, and I need some food. And I've started my search for the past. Most of the stuff in the store was nothing more than novels. There were some reference books, even some demon lore stuff, but nothing serious. There was, however, quite a large catalogue of newspapers. They went back to the mid-twentieth century through to the late twenty-second century. Every single one of them stopped suddenly, and I can only guess that there was some cataclysm – the End of Days in all probability – that stopped all the news. Either that or there was a big movement towards computerisation. A part of me wishes that the papers had covered it, just so I could see how the mortal population had dealt with it – whatever it was. So far there has been no mention of anyone I knew, but I haven't had a chance to look at many so I haven't given up hope. And of course I would have looked at more, but for that interesting encounter with Edward's friend. That was odd.
Suddenly, something catches my eye. No, it can't be. I look again. There is a blonde walking on the other side of the street, hidden by half-ruined buildings now. I move to get a better view. How's it possible? It's Buffy! She's walking down my street, arms full of groceries. How can she be alive? How's it possible! Could she have been turned? Is she a goddamn vampire? Maybe good Slayers never really die. It doesn't matter; I need to talk to her. I call out "Buffy!" She turns, sees me staring at her and takes off at a run, grocery bag discarded on the cold, hard sidewalk.
Without thinking, I take off after her, calling again "Buffy!" I'm certain it's her. The likeness is so uncanny; it couldn't possibly be anyone else. Still she runs, terrified. I suppose I can understand. It's dark, and I don't exactly look my best. Anyone would be scared. But I have to make her know it's me – that I don't mean to hurt her.
She's fast, but not as fast as me. I think I'm gaining on her, but then, before I can react she's ducked down an alleyway. She knows the lay of the land like the back of her hand, which is more than I do. I can only rely on my speed and my voice if I want to catch up with her. It's Buffy. She has to remember me. Why doesn't she stop? "Buffy!"
She gets through the alley on the other side, into a small square. She's cornered, but why is she so terrified? "Buffy, it's me. Don't you recognise me?" Of course, last time she saw me I tried to kill her. "I'm not evil anymore, Buffy. I'm human. See?" She cowers against the wall, tears in her eyes, hands held up before her.
Now I'm crying. Why doesn't she see? Why? I kneel in front of her, begging, pleading.
There's someone behind me, and I've been so involved with chasing down Buffy that I didn't sense him until he was upon me.
"You! Get away from my sister!"
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Champion:
Things just keep getting weirder and weirder – or at least weirder than usual. First of all, a hugely powerful demon was summoned from Hell and tried to kill all of my friends, which I suppose I should have expected seeing as how it is our sacred duty to stop the legions of The First. Then the lawyers raise something in a box, and it must be important because that hugely powerful demon died trying to protect it. And anything that important must be strong. And if that wasn't enough, now this homeless man, a crazy by all appearances, has chased down my sister. And he's quite fast for someone who, by all accounts, should be malnourished. Maybe it's a cunning disguise. Of course, he might just be insane. Either way, Eve is terrified and I have to step in. After all, she's my sister.
"You!" I yell at him. "Get away from my sister!" He turns – I don't think he even realised I was there – and stares at me. Something in his expression betrays his confusion.
"Your sister?" he asks incredulously, eyeing the heavy axe I'm holding in one hand.
"Yeah, who'd you think you were chasing?" He drags a grimy sleeve over his face, quickly wiping his eyes.
"Uh… someone else. I guess I was wrong." He tries to move away, but I step in front of him.
"No you don't get off that easily. What's your name?" He blurts out the name Angel before he's had a chance to think. Why, oh why, do I recognise that name? "Angel? Angelus! Monster!" I grip the axe tightly. "You were the one in that box." Of course! It stands to reason that they'd bring back the most sadistic vampire of all time to bring about the Light's destruction.
"What do you know about me?"
"Enough," I tell him. "What were you doing to my sister?" It might be me but he seems suddenly quite angry.
"Nothing, I told you I thought she was somebody else."
"Who?"
"It really doesn't matter. Look, I'm not a vampire!"
"Who said anything about a vampire?"
"You did! You called me Angelus, which is fair enough. Wrong time period, but, I guess, technically correct. Thing is, I'm not evil, I'm not even a vampire anymore. I'm human. You want to feel my pulse?" He holds out a wrist towards me. Now I don't trust him. I mean, there are no recorded cases of vampires ever becoming human again, and if I take his wrist I'd be putting myself in a very dangerous position.
"Maybe there's another way to see if you're telling the truth."
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Angel:
Damn! I was so sure. But that girl isn't Buffy. The resemblance is incredible, but, if she's this guy's sister, she can't have been around since I was alive – dead – undead – whatever. And he looks older than her, and I know for a fact that Buffy didn't have an older brother. But he at least knows about the Scourge of Europe, which begs the question – is it coincidence that Buffy's double is also a demon fighter?
He lowers his axe for a moment – I swear that it looks oddly familiar – and pulls a pair of handcuffs out of a pocket. I don't know why he's carrying handcuffs around – I can only assume that they come in useful when you find someone accosting your sister – but when he throws them to me I slip them on. A show of faith on my part, though he knows that if I am a vampire I could probably get out of them. Once I'm in chains, he goes to his sister, helps her up and hugs her. I think he says something, but I don't catch it. Then he comes back, grabs the cuff chains and pulls me after him, his sister taking the rear.
I allow myself to be dragged along, barely looking where we're going but wary that he hasn't let go of that axe. I look over my shoulder. His sister was studying my back intently until I turned, when she immediately averted her gaze. This may not be Buffy, but I have to make good with her – just to feel better about myself.
"Hey," I try. "I'm sorry for chasing you. I guess I was hoping to see someone else and you just looked a lot like her. Forgive me?" She says nothing, just looks at the ground.
"Don't bother," says her brother. "She never speaks, never has."
"What? Never?"
"Nope."
"I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"It must be difficult, for both of you."
"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter. I'm her brother. It's my job to take care of her."
"You both fight demons?" I asked, thinking about another brother and sister who fought demons, and how tragically that had ended.
"No, I do the fighting; she stays home until it's done. Unless of course someone sends her out for groceries and she's too sweet to not do it."
"Okay. Hey, shouldn't you blindfold me or something?"
"No point. If it turns out you're not trustworthy, you'll never leave alive anyway." I nod. It's a hard line to take, but I guess necessary.
We walk for a while longer, until eventually we pull up next to a large metal door. The guy knocks twice and a voice comes through from the other side.
"What do you want?" Oddly, it sounds very familiar. Where have I heard that voice before?
"I've got something I need you to validate." The bolts on the other side of the door slide back suddenly and it creaks open.
It's dark inside, but I can make out a shape in a chair against the far wall. It moves into the light and I'm stunned by the figure I see before me.
"Well, well," it says. "The prodigal sire returns."
I would like to point out that the name Eve was not taken from the character in Angel Season 5. My character was created about two years before Angel Season 5 was first aired. Her name was mainly a play on Dawn's name (you know, Dawn in the morning and Eve at dusk).