Angel held his sword up, the butt of it at his own eye level. At his side, Illyria stood, her bloody hands curled into fists. Spike stood just feet away, half of a cigarette burning away between his lips. Beside him, Gunn barely stood, bleeding badly, but still managing to grip his axe, ready for the fight.
Their leader, fearless, tried and true, could sense their unease. Before them, shadows fell into the narrow alley. Up above, the heads of beasts, true–pure demons, peered over the roofs of six story buildings. Angel grinned, his eyes narrowing, but his features still human, at least for now.
"Lets go to work."
The group, as one, stepped forward. And in that one movement, each of them almost fell forward, as some unseen force pushed them from all around. The sound of the demons in the alley was suddenly gone, replaced by a howling. It came upon them suddenly, and after regaining their footing the group looked to the sky for answers.
In the black, but clear night sky, a half dozen shapes, triangular they appeared, rushed over the alley. There came another large howl, no, it was higher pitched, a whistling.
A demon, whose massive horns could be seen above the rooftops, suddenly lit orange. Flames licked at its horns.
"That's new," Spike observed, dropping the cigarette he'd recently been holding.
Another whistle, this time it was louder—closer. The end of the alley exploded, dissolving the shadows that lined the buildings walls. When the flames lowered, only half of the shadows reappeared.
Another wave came on the group, invisible energy shoving them forward. Howls were all around them, and more of those triangular shapes rushed above the alley. Seconds later it was all normal again. Seconds after that, another explosion went off.
"They're stealth fighters," came a woman's voice. The group, weapons now lowered, turned to the shadows of a nearby doorway. From the darkness, a woman's figure stepped out, walking up to Angel, who stood at the center of the group.
She had long, black hair, and sharp features. Her eyes were dark grey, inhuman in nature, but still amazing. She wore a tight, black, cocktail dress, that stopped inches above her knees. Her spiked stilettos made her nearly Angel's height.
"Who," Angel couldn't finish his sentence, still confused by everything that happened around him.
"Jaye," she held out her right hand; Angel didn't take it. After a moment or two, she brought It back, clutching it with her left hand. "Right then. Off we go?"
"Go where?"
"To the offices, of course."
Angel looked at her, perplexed. He was pretty sure he was starting to understand what was going on.
"You're from Wolfram and Hart," Angel said, more than he did ask.
"Yes. I'm your new liaison."
"Damn, you people never know when to give up."
"You can kill as many of us as you'd like. We're replaceable."
Behind them, a large explosion went off at the alleys entrance. The side of one of the buildings crumbled, and a demon roared. Screams, these human, came in all around them.
"It's out. We need to go," Spike stepped up next to Angel. "Nice chat and all, but me and forehead here, have some prior arrangements."
Jaye smiled at him. "We should go."
"Go where? I'm not going." Angel crossed his arms, his sword held high next to his face. "I've got a war to win."
"Your war can wait. Our team has it under control."
Another explosion sounded, and above them, a plane seemed to lose control. It veered left, and spun out of sight, undoubtedly crashing a few blocks over.
"Yea, they're doing a real bang-up job."
"So be it."
Jaye raised her arms up in front of her. Now she was holding a small stick, short, with decorated string tied at each end. Considering her attire, it was something that she could've only been hiding in one of several obscene places.
She snapped the stick in two.
A second later, they were all standing in the debris ridden lobby of Wolfram and Hart's LA branch.
"What is this," Angel roared, rushing forward. The tip of his sword met with Jaye's pale neck.
"Kill me, and this'll only take longer."
"Is that Hamilton," Gunn asked aloud, noticing the formers liaisons body among the splintered wood and crumbled plaster.
Angel looked from the dead liaison to the living one before him. "Talk."
"Very well. To the conference room."
Jaye led them across the lobby, and through Angel's office into the conference room. Each of them took a seat, with Jaye and Angel occupying the head at either end.
"Here's the deal," Jaye began. "We want to help you."
"Really? Cause Im getting a 'Stop Angel' vibe from this whole situation."
"If that was the truth, then why would we have ever given you this place?"
"Keep tabs."
"You know that's not true."
"Actually, I think it is. First you send Hamilton to kill me, then you bring me here. I'm seeing all of this as a way of keeping me from fighting a very big and very important battle." Angel stood up, his chair skidding out from behind him. "Well guess what. Distraction over."
An explosion rang out close by, so close that the building shook. Another one, and then a buildind just out the window behind Jaye, went up in flames.
"We're fighting for you. We're losing men trying to save your lousy planet. What part of that is a scam?"
"The part where the senior partners unleashed this hell on us."
Another explosion rocked the building. The fluorescents above them flickered then went out. A knock came from the conference room door, and a second later a short man in a business suit peered in.
"We're almost ready Miss Jaye," the little man said. Jaye smiled at him and he hurried out of the room, as the hallway lights flickered dead as well.
"There are people still here. Why?"
"This is there place of work, Angel. We pay them a great deal, and well, they're just dedicated employees."
"The building is collapsing. They shouldn't be here—we shouldn't be here."
"We'll be leaving soon enough. Now if you'll just take your seat, I can get on with my little demonstration and then you can go fight your war."
Angels eyes narrowed, and if he had a body temperature it would no doubt be rising. Frustrated, he sat down, staring hard at Jaye. "Go."
"Very good."
Jaye picked up a remote from the table, pressing a button. Behind her, a screen lowered out of the ceiling, blocking out the view from the window.
"Being a vampire yourself, Angel, I'm sure you know how rare it is to see a demon teaming up with your kind. Demons see you as lesser, mixed blood.'
"So?"
"Well, here's some history that I'm sure you know: When the pure demons, you know, those big scaries back in the alley. When they were banished from this world, the last of them bit humans, infected them, creating our present day demons. Now, we get our share of pureblooded demons, but they're merely the less tainted. No demon on this planet is truly pure. No, pure is what you saw back there. Raging psychotics, soaring seven stories high. That's pure."
"What's your point?"
"When you were evil, when you were Angelus, you hated humans. No that the real demons are back in town, do you really think they'll want a bunch of half-breeds running amuck?"
"Well maybe you should take this up with your bosses."
"They're not my boss. Well, technically, they are. But lets just say I have my own agenda."
"And that is?"
"To save the world, of course."
"Oh, right. Save the world. I guess the senior partners just opened the wrong can of doom."
"This has nothing to do with them. The senior partners, they're big and bad and ultimate evil. They revel in the fact that the true demons have been raised. Hell, they're drinking buddies! But what about us? Wolfram and Hart runs on its employees. Millions of us, keeping this big ship afloat worldwide. And what? In one fell swoop the senior partners rid of us all.
Jaye looked off to the side, seemingly upset. After a moment or two, she turned back to the table.
"We may be evil, but we're still mostly human. We have families. We need our jobs, and more importantly, our lives.
"We need your help Angel. All of your help."
"So that's what this is? The lawyers of Wolfram and Hart standing up to their evil employer?"
"More or less, yes."
"And I'm supposed to help? Let the evil lawyers take back their planet."
"No matter what, Angel, you know the truth. There will always be evil on this planet. It's up to you how it thrives. You can help us continue, conducting business in a civilized manner—"
Spike scoffed, the first person to interrupt the conversation. "Civilized? Um, I don't know if you noticed, but there's a bloody apocalypse going on out there! Courtesy of your bosses."
"And… without the senior partners."
"Oh. Right, then."
"Of course, you've other options too. You could just sit idly by and watch the world fall away. Let these demons rip it to pieces and destroy everything you've ever known."
Angel shook his head. "Well, had you left me in that alley, I'd be dead by now, so it wouldn't really by my problem."
"No. But it'd be theirs. Connors. Faith. Give it a week, and your precious Slayer would be fighting for her life halfway 'round the world."
"Buffy," Angel and Spike both whispered at the same time.
"Yes, Buffy. Is this what you really want for her?"
"We're in," Spike said hastily. He stood up, heading for the door. "Well? Come on you sodding wankers! We've got a war to win!"
"It's not that simple," Gunn spoke up. "This is big. Taking on the senior partners, taking on ultimate evil."
"You've done it before."
"Not like this, we haven't," Angel barked at Spike. "We're helping evil fight itself. We could get caught in the crossfire. And then—" Angel looked at Jaye. "How do we know you wont turn on us?"
Jaye smiled at him. "You have my word."
Everyone in the room scoffed, before Illyria stood up.
She spoke, "In my time, the Wolf, Ram, and Hart were nothing. Their founders were weak cowards, a hindrance at best. I see no difference now. None but their shiny instruments and pretty towers. We shall fight them. Remove the heart of the best where is stands."
Jaye raised her hand, leanding forward. "About that. After the whole 'removal of heart' thing. You can just pretty much leave the beast alone, right?"
"So this is it," Angel said. He stood up, shook his head. "We're fighting the final battle guys. And you're our allies."
Jaye smiled, and shrugged. Suddenly the room began to ring. Something happy, and fast.
"Is that the Happy Days theme?"
Jaye smiled and raised her hand from her lap. Now she was holding a cell phone, once again, with nowhere it could've been hiding. She pressed a button on the side, and a mouthpiece slid out from the bottom. She put it to her ear.
"Yes," Jaye said into the phone. On the other end, a muffled voice spoke. "I see. Very good. Oh, perfect. I'll let them know." She hung up the phone.
"Ok Angel and crew, got some good news for you. The Miami and Chicago branches are sending teams, they'll be here within minutes. New York is standing by as well, and the Las Vegas team has secured the California borders."
"Sounds tight." Gunn shook his head. "What else is there?"
"The labs are ready."
"Labs? Labs for what?" Angel stepped up to Jaye, his arms crossed.
"We're taking a little field trip."
"Where?"
Jaye opened her mouth to speak, but before she could let the words out there came a massive explosion from the lobby.
"I think we've got company," Spike yelled, as he thrust open the conference room door. Leading the gang into the lobby, he stopped as the monster came into sight. Angel and Jaye brought up the rear of the group.
"That looks fun," Gunn said to no one in particular.
Before them, the elevator doors were both ripped open. From each, a large green tentacle escaped, and once in the room, split into several more. They moved fast, already some had worked up the walls, cracking them as they did. The room grey dimmer, as others wrapped around light fixtures, and slid across the ceiling. They didn't appear to be moving, either, just growing out from their ends, eating every surface of the room, and as it was now apparent, growing closer to Angel and co.
"Crap! Sword!" Angel remembered his weapon, which he had left on the conference room table. He turned to run for it, and found Jaye holding out a shiny new axe, which she hadn't had on her before. "Thanks."
"Anytime."
Without any further banter, Angel set off. With a burst of speed and vampire strength, he leapt through the air, and swung his axe at a tentacle that was creeping down on an unsuspecting Gunn. As demon blood spewed from the wound Illyria grabbed Gunn's arm, swinging him aside. The lifeless tentacle fell from the ceiling, plopping down where he was.
A few feet away, Spike dodged a tentacle heading for his face. Grabbing a angled piece of wood from the reception desk, he swung it quick and hard, jabbing it into the creatures flesh. With some unearthly howl, it retracted, flying backwards and up, into the ceiling.
The room shook hard, and a row of fluorescent lighting ripped from the ceiling. Dust fell all around the room.
Illyria, having left Gunn where she had saved him, set off across the room. From the floor, two tentacles slithered up, blocking her path. Reacting quick, she punched out, hitting both and causing them to sway wildly. But seconds later they were back, flying around her once, twice, before closing in on her, like a boa constrictor.
"Illyria!" Gun set off in her direction, axe held up, ready to save her. He was halfway across the room when a tentacle slithered out, grabbing his ankle. It did so with so much force, that he fell forward, and would've impaled himself on his own weapon, had the beast not flung him through the air, causing the axe to fall from his hand.
Spike shielded his eyes from the falling debris. When he moved his hand away, he caught sight of a tentacle lashing out, and grabbing Gunn. A second later, and Gunn was crashing through the railing of the second floor. His axe lay on the ground, unattended.
"That's my cue, then," Spike said, raising his eyebrows briefly. Then ran, full speed at the axe, dodging tentacles from all angles. Leaning low, he grabbed the axe and allowed himself to fall into a roll. When he came back up, he brought the axe high over his head, bisecting a tentacle that was making its way up one of the lobby's columns.
From where she was, Illyria could see Gunn's hopefully unconscious, as opposed to dead, body. Angered, she gritted her teeth and she mustered every bit of strength she could. Around her, the monsters tentacles began to bulge and push away from her body. A second later her arms broke through the creature, spraying demon blood all around.
Angel ducked under another one of the swinging tentacles. As it passed over him, he sent his axe straight up, slicing through the creature. The arm snapped away, nearly taking the axe with it. It danced frantically through the air, before crashing through the small portion of wall left, and coming to rest in Angel's office.
Angel roared, his features shifted. His brow bulged, and his cheekbones sharpened. His vampire visage came upon him.
Illyria bounded up the stairs, two at a time. As she ran, a tentacle was making its way across the landing, heading for Gunn. With a burst of speed and strength she leapt from her place midway up the stairs, and through the air, landing beside Gunn. In a swift motion she punched a hole in the side of the tentacle, and held onto its insides. When she pulled her hand free, she ripped some sort of spine like structure from within the creature.
Suddenly the room begin to scream. It was coming from all around them. The tentacles responded to it, shaking violently and bleeding from their ends.
"We must go." Illyria told Gunn, who was beginning to come around. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him to his feet. Putting one of his arms over her shoulders, she grabbed his waist and then leapt from the second floor. She landed hard, and Gunn flinched.
"Angel, we really should get going." Jaye stepped up to him, as his features adjusted back to their human form.
"Looks like the fun's over," Spike appeared beside them. Behind him Illyria was almost dragging Gunn over. "Not looking too good there, lawyer man."
"I'll live," Gunn said, before coughing heavily. He was caked in blood, dry and fresh.
"Right then." Jaye interrupted any further conversing. "Follow me."
Jaye set off down the hall, the group following behind her. The walls around them were cracking, lights were exploding in their sockets. Dust covered the floor, and more fell from the ceiling. Jaye stopped in front of a door, and once again pulled a key from nowhere. She put it in the lock, turned, and then pushed the door forward. When everyone walked through, they found themselves standing in one of the buildings many labs.
"How'd you do that," Angel said, looking around. He'd never gone through that door before, but he knew it shouldn't lead here.
"It's a backdoor to the offices. Little trick of the liaison. I mean, how else would we get around this place so quick?"
"Well you could walk, like the rest of us."
Jaye only smiled, before walking to the center of a circular platform.
"Well guys. What are you waiting for? Get on."
The four of them exchanged looks, before Spike stepped onto the circular platform. The entire surface was covered in some kind of ancient writing. Candles burned around the room, set on top of numerous instruments and on shelves.
Angel, Illyria, and Gunn joined them on the platform. Jaye revealed a controller, which she hadn't had seconds ago. She pressed a button and lights came to life all around the platforms edges.
"Where are we going exactly," Angel asked her.
She smiled. "Italy."
"What! No!"
Angel shot forward, as a wall of rippling energy encased them. He slammed into it, unable to pass through. Vamping out, he leaned back and punched it with all his might. The walls shattered, and Angel stepped down from the platform. He headed straight for the door.
"He's in for a surprise," Jaye said, crossing her arms.
Angel opened the labs door, and stepped through them. Only now, the hallway he was expecting to see, wasn't there. There was a hallway, but it was different, there were new paintings and vases lining the walls. And this one wasn't destroyed, crumbling. No, it was in top shape.
"Angel, welcome to Wolfram and Harts—"
"Rome branch, right?"
"Ah, right. I forget that you've been… When was it?"
"Six days ago."
"Oh. Who'd have guessed you'd be back so soon?"
Angel didn't respond. Instead he headed down the hallway towards the CEO's office.
"Is it just me, or is this place… ours," Gunn asked, surveying the hallway, and lobby as they stepped into it.
"It is. At least structurally. All of Wolfram and Hart's branches are built carbon copies," Jaye told him.
"Ah. Right."
Just as they reached the doors of the office, they swung open. Standing in the doorway was a busty woman, with her dark brown hair pulled back into curls. She was wearing a suit made of tight red leather.
"Angel! Benvenuto! Benvenuto!"
The woman, whom Angel knew as Ilona Costa Bianchi, CEO of the Rome Branch, kissed both of his cheeks. Then she backed away, her smile still beaming.
"Hi Ilona."
"I see you brought along your team. I can understand why, LA is having some trouble I hear."
Ilona smiled then walked over to the rest of the group.
"Hello! Benvenuto!"
Ilona kissed Spike on both cheeks, then did the same to Gunn. She stepped back, her eyes surveying Illyria. After a moment or two, she addressed them all.
"As you can tell, our offices are the same. So go, roam around. You all look as though you need some Rinfrescare. Tatto libermente."
The group stood idle for a moment. Then Gunn took a step back, regaining his balance, as he swayed. Spike grab his arm, looking at him.
"Maybe we should go get you some of that refreshing," Spike told him. Then he helped Gunn in the direction of the medical facilities.
Illryia stood there for a second, before her head cocked to one side. Then she headed off in that direction. Ilona let her attention fall back to Angel, and for the first time she noticed Jaye. Her smile faded and her eyes narrowed for a second. A second later, she was looking at Angel again, her smile back.
"Come into my office, we can chat there."
Ilona brushed back her hair, and then led the way into her office. Angel and Jaye followed her into the room, taking seats at the front her desk. Ilona herself made her way to the swiveling leather chair on the opposite side of the desk. Before speaking, she took a gulp from a wine glass on the table.
"Now Angel, we must start planning our defense. Our numbers show—"
Ilona paused to raise a remote from her desk. She pointed it, at nowhere in particular, and pressed a button. Behind her, a screen came down, displaying a map of United States. It was all black and white, except for a large red section that took up about a third of California.
"Veda? The demons have already begun to destroy California. It is only a matter of time—" Ilona pressed a button. The words Un Giorno – Which Angel knew as being One Day appeared at the bottom of the screen. The redness reached almost halfway across the United States. "—Until your country is demolished."
The image blinked, another day later, the redness had taken at least two-thirds of the country, and was spreading upwards. A third blink, three days passed, Canada had been taken even before the USA was done for. Mexico was a quarter red. A forth blink and everything but a small strip of the eastern USA was red. Suddenly the image of the USA, and all of North America, faded out and a map of the entire world blinked onto the screen.
"The North and South Americas will be gone in… five days. And that's with the offices working against it. We figure in another… two—tops—the demons will have made their way here."
Ilona raised her arms, gesturing at the room. Angel knew she meant more. She meant the country. The continent. Whatever was left of the world.
"What's our plan," Angel said dully. His body felt numb, like everything had been ripped from him. He was just a shell with a brain that weighed so heavily it made his neck hurt.
"Well, Angel. That is up to you, really. I'm just here to provide you with services. Equipment. Although, I think a defensive maneuver would be the best thing, no?"
Angel looked at Ilona, her brow pinched up in the middle, a look of hope. But he could smell the nervousness coming off of her. He could sense how scared she was, of everything. Of dying.
Angel noticed that Ilona was looking at him. He realized he'd now gone almost a minute without responding.
"What? Um, yea. That sounds about right."
"Angel," Jaye interrupted, touching his arm to get his attention. "Do you really think that's wise? Giving the demons time to gather forces?"
Angel rubbed his temple, glancing at the floor momentarily. "I guess not."
"But Angel," Ilona's accent laden voice came. "If we rush into the battle blindly, the demons will surely take us out."
"She does have a point." Angel gave a nod to Jaye.
"This battle is going to happen, no matter what. Now you can wait until it comes to you, but you're only giving your opponent extra footing. All the better to tear you down with."
"We need help."
"Exactly why we should wait!" Ilona stood up, her smile bright, her cheeks red. "Time to gather troops and devise a tactic—"
"No. We need help. Real, good old fashioned help."
"What are you suggesting?"
Jaye grinned, then stood up beside Angel, her arms crossed. "Buffy."