Title: end of the night
Disclaimer: Angel, Lindsey, Russell Winters, and Cordelia aren't mine. Just for fun. Title from "I Need A Hero" by Bonnie Tyler.
Warnings: AU for "You're Welcome"
Pairings: smidge of Lindsey/OMC
Rating: PG13
Wordcount: 520
Point of view: third

He's hated for so long he doesn't see a way out. Ever since Angel stormed into that board room and kicked Russell Winters out the window, Lindsey's despised him. Even when he asked the damned vampire for help, he couldn't stand Angel.

Angel stepped in and became the Senior Partners' favorite son, their golden boy. Anything he did, they just looked at him and smiled.

And Lindsey couldn't stomach it, couldn't let himself stay in Angel's shadow after everything. So he left, traveled the world, learned from the best and taught himself things even the greatest wizards in the world could not comprehend.

Holland always said he had ambition to spare. Ambition and hate took him to the summit—and now they keep his wings spread as he soars straight into the abyss.

From the beginning, Angel underestimated him. Should have killed him, all those chances the stupid vampire had.

Too late now.

.

He'd had the plan in motion from when Angel cut off his hand. Back up ideas and half-cocked ideas mingled in his mind, all those weeks and months he was gone.

He kept tabs on Angel, the vampire with everything Lindsey'd ever wanted, even from before he knew he'd wanted it. Altered the plans whenever needed, changed things up a bit.

.

The tattoos hurt, a searing brand—necessary, so he didn't hesitate. Brother Theo asked if he were sure, right before the first needle pierced his skin, explained just what the cost would be.

Lindsey smiled up at Theo, raised himself to press a chaste kiss against the monk's lips. "I'm sure, brother," he drawled, and Theo smiled back.

.

Jecvar, a master swordsman, took Lindsey under his wing for a while. Shoved Lindsey into a pocket dimension and taught everything he knew—which was everything ever known about the blade.

For Lindsey, a handful of centuries passed. In the outside world, it was a hand-span of breaths.

"No matter who you fight now," Jecvar growled, "you will always win."

Lindsey bowed to him, an honor he'd never given anyone. Jecvar handed him a small knife with bared teeth and said, "Now have your vengeance on that scum"

.

It isn't that hard to walk into the mouth of hell and pick up the still-warm amulet now containing William the Bloody.

Everything's falling into place beautifully and Angel just became CEO of Wolfram and Hart.

That position should have been Lindsey's. Would have been, if Angel had never shown his face in LA.

.

He preps the failsafe; Angel will figure it out, will find the entrance, will make it past the zombies. He's fought worse and survived, after all.

Angel is a letdown after Jecvar, but that's to be expected. Cordelia tries every button and finally hits the right one; Lindsey had expected that, too. A heartbeat after she makes the correct choice, electricity sears through her blood, halting her heart, and she falls.

"Cordelia!" Angel howls, taking his mind off the fight.

Lindsey swings his sword.

And the blade slices through Angel's neck, his head arching away through the air. Lindsey stands tall and smiles.

He's finally won.