CHAPTER 1 - Attraction

THREE MONTHS EARLIER

Faith couldn't stand L.A. lately. There was always way too hot here. But tonight, thanks to comfortable little rain, the weather was bearable. And he needed that, because he had a pretty hard task to do tonight.

She would have gone down to mouth of hell alone, with a simple stake in her hand. But leading a squad was something different. She and her team arrived to L.A. two hours ago. Only 24 hours passed, since the DRI connected the new Watcher's Council, and informed them about the huge demon activity they detected in L.A. It was a pretty smart move from Rupert Giles, to make contact with the Demon Research Initiative. He realized the power he got with the army of slayers under his control, and he wanted to make the best of it in the fight against evil.

It was her third mission in this month, sponsored by the Initiative. Not like the new council trusted them, but they had useful resources and informations. And the government seemed to be fed up with the supernatural conflicts - they were happy, to have someone to do the dirty work.

There were three other slayers in the team Vi, Rona and the newbie Katrina, who still had some mayor problems with English. Thank god she understood the three most important words in the slayer dictionary: "Slay those DEMONS!". There was also a young warlock named Norbert on the team. He was chosen and trained by Willow herself in Europe, but he had not much experience on the field. Their "watcher" Andrew was keeping touch with them trough a com link. He wanted to come of course, but Faith didn't wanted to watch over him too.

"You're getting closer to the signal." - Andrew said - "What can you tell me?"

"Shut up." - Faith answered. Andrew could be real help sometimes, but he was mostly annoying. Faith heard some kind of strange, squeaking voice from the sky, but when she looked up there was nothing.

"Did... did you guys see it...?" - Norbert asked with a shaking voice. His accent was pretty strong. It was hard to understand what he says, when he was excited.

"What was it?" - Vi asked.

"Sár... sárkány... A dragon..." - he said in true shock.

"Hey, you're lucky Norb. " - Faith said - "A dragon on you're first mission. You can't kill them so often in this business, as you would think."

"Faith. I've just got a report. The office building of Wolfram & Hart is collapsing. It's only a few blocks away. I bet a certain Dark Avenger is involved." - Andrew said in Faith's ear.

"Angel... Move it people." - Faith said as she started to run - "See Andy, I told. The best way to bring a business down, is to let Angel lead it!" - they followed them without thinking. She didn't wanted to admit it, but she was a born commander. She hated the responsibility, but she knew damn well, how to keep the team together.

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"Any word on Wes?" - Gunn asked, just when the strange blue girl jumped down to the street, right into the little team that waited for their death sentence.

"Wesley's dead." - she said. - "I'm feeling grief for him. I can't seem to control it. I wish to do more violence." - she never felt anything like this in her eternal life. Missing a mortal - it was absurd but still true. She left the dead body behind, but not the memory. It was something new in the existence for her.

They all heard the crowd of demons approaching them. And they knew they are carrying their deaths.

"Well, wishes just happen to be horses today." - Spike said.

"Among other things." - Angel answered. That's it. After all, he managed to kill everybody who ever fought next to him. Good work. It really worth to trust him.

"OK. You take the 30,000 on the left... " - Gunn said. He tried to be funny, but it just didn't work.

"You're fading. You'll last 10 minutes at best." - Illyria said, as she looked at Gunn's mortal wound..

"Then let's make 'em memorable." - Gunn said. It was something Illyria couldn't understand. How can mortals face not being like that. She could never do that.

"In terms of a plan?" - Spike asked.

"We fight." - Angel answered.

"Bit more specific." - Spike asked. Just then a huge flying creature appeared on the sky.

"Well, personally, I kind of want to slay the dragon." - the vampire answered. The horde of demons started running toward them. It was the last attack. They all knew, none of them is going to survive this battle.

"Let's go to work." - he said, as he swung his sword. And the others followed them to sure death. And then, something really unexpected happened. A huge ball of fire hit the dragon that was attacking them. First Angel looked Illyria, but it was obviously someone else's doing. A moment later the wall behind them exploded. They all expected to see another horde of demons to appear in the dust. But instead three young girls and a boy were there, ready to fight.

"Bloody hell..." - Spike murmured, as he recognized who is leading the team.

"Nice to see you too, Punk." - Faith said as she looked over the battleground. - "You know Angel, you're cute, but kinda dumb." - Faith said. - "Let's bring some strategy into this mess, shall we. Norbert, heal the wounded." - she said as she looked at Gunn. - Slayers, get in formation!" - he looked over the approaching crowd of demons. "Looks like we will need the big guns after all. Andrew, contact Willow, and tell her to teleport her lesbian little butt over here, now!" - she said to her microphone.

"Who are these strange people?" - Illyria asked.

"We're the good guys Blue. Well, "goodish"... " - Faith answered. Angel just stood there and couldn't say a word.

"Faith?" - he said after all, but there was no time to catch up, because the demons in the first line reached them. It was amazing to see the three slayers working together. It was like they were everywhere in the same time. They all had their share in the battle, and thanks to Norbert's superior healing skills, they were able to hold the line for a long time. They were fighting on the corpses of thousands of demons. It was one hell of a battle, but they all knew, if they don't get reinforcements soon, they don't stand a chance. But after a few minutes, after some lightning bolts, Willow arrived and it just decided who will win the battle. There were they standing: Angel, Gunn, Spike and Illyria, in the end of the biggest battle of their life - that someone else fought for them. It was liberating and depressing in the same time. They stole their destiny from them.

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NOW

"Why are we here Spike?" - Angel asked, as the two vampires looked over the skyscrapers of the dark New York. It's been the new headquarters of the council's American Command. After Angel earned back the trust of Ruper Giles, with destroying Wolfram & Hart, he was commissioned to lead the council's operations on the continent. He became a key player in the world wide attack against evil. First time in history they had the opportunity to vanish most of the evil from this dimension. Angel didn't wanted to miss a chance like that either.

"So we can fight bad guys. That's not so complicated." - Spike answered. In the past few months, the mood between the two vampires became better. They weren't friends exactly - they both handled too much personal package for that - but they didn't hate each other. Angel knew, the only one, who can nearly understand what did he go trough as an ensouled vampire is Spike.

"I mean... why New York? Why did we choose this place?" - he asked. They were standing and drinking on top of the Headquarters since twenty minutes. Of course officially it was the building of the Chase Foundation. Angel could have named it Doyle, Burkle or Wyndam-Pryce Foundation, but it never crossed his mind.

"I think you know that." - Spike answered, as he drunk from his bottle. - "There's something here." - he said. Angel felt it too. There was something strange with this city lately. The "capitol of the world". There was never too much demon activity here. But still, they all felt something is happening. The vampires felt it, some of the slayers felt it, and - the most convincing - Willow felt it too. The fact, Willow was here sleeping somewhere in the building was pretty intimidating. "The most powerful mortal ever lived." - it was no joke.

Since her great mojo, when she activated all the potential slayers on the world, she changed. She was still a nice little girl, but still, there was something in the way she was talking and moving. Like she was one with everything - a force of nature if you like. There was rumors in the council. They said, she can hear everybody's thoughts and can see everybody's past and future. That she's on her way of becoming a goddess. Angel thought these rumors are a little "out there", but having someone here, who can kill you with just looking at you, wasn't too fun. Especially if that someone tried to destroy the world before.

"I guess we will have to wait and see it." - he answered. They didn't know, they are not the only vampires attracted to this city. As a fact, most immortal bloodsuckers on the planet felt the same urge to come here. And most of them were on their way already. The Big Apple was about to turn red.

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They have never found Wesley's body. Everybody thought, the servants of his murderer took his body away to feast on it, or the anger of the Senior Partners vanished his corps. So, they had a ceremony, with an empty coffin.

And they had the ceremony for Fred too, because they never said their goodbyes in an appropriate way, thanks to the strange circumstances of her death.

"Watcher, Friend, Champion. May he find peace at last" - his epitaph said. Wesley never expected, he will visit his own tomb one day. He was buried here, in this huge cemetery in L.A. No one found the energy and the will, to bury him in his homeland. Not like England was so good to him.

He took a flower to Fred and another to Cordelia. To the two women he ever really loved in his life. Both in the grave. All because of Him. Because He needed sidekicks. Good people, who would die instead of Him. It was the way, Angel were able, to escape from death for so long.Well, that's going to change soon.

"Don't worry Fred." - Wesley murmured. The sun was about to set, so the shadows can take over the land again. And it pleased him - he knew, he belongs to the darkness now. - "I will find a way." - with that, he turned around, and walked away. It was strange - he never felt himself in such a great shape. His eyes were sharper, mind was faster and body was stronger. He was ready to kill now - to do what he born for. Actually, he couldn't wait to test his new abilities. He had the ticket to New York in his pocket, so his wish will soon come true.

He could only hope, everything will go according to his plans. Because he was probably jeopardizing with the fate of the existence.

Next: Dust to dust.

Wesley arrives to New York, so he can hunt down his least innocent target: Faith, the vampire slayer! But he will have to face the whole Council - including Angel - to do that. And what's up with that vampire gathering in New York? Please revi