Part 1
The night sky fell upon the large city, trying to cast some sort of peace…yet it could not break the walls of evil around. Los Angelas. The City of angels. Big, bright, popular, yet within its bright walls of apparent protection, and rich city folk…there was a dark world within it. A brutal, vindictive, cruel world that a demon, a vampire, a sorcerer, could dwell in happily. Much like the Hell mouth. And the city was about to have a new resident. The dark figure walked along the highway in the midst of the lights of the city, the long robe along it’s shoulders that flowed in the wind, her cold brown eyes looked up at the city and a smile curled onto her dark full lips, as she stared her pale skin shined in the mixture of lights that fell upon her. “LA” she spoke “City of angels…yet I’m only looking for one.”
Angel watched the two before him with a concerned look, a man’s scream hit his ears and he winced ‘I haven’t heard him scream like that in years’ he thought to himself. A dagger whipped passed him, and he couldn’t help but slouch further into the chair.
“This really isn’t the best idea” he said.
“Hey we’re just trying to get some training in” Gunn told him.
Suddenly Illyria grabbed him and threw him into the nearby wall. Wesley then ran at her with an axe, she quickly discarded the axe and then kicked him, he flew back and into another wall. “Looks more like throwing practice to me…who can land further Wes or Gunn?”
They all froze when they heard his voice, and all turned to see Lorne standing there in a brown trench coat. Gunn and Wesley struggled to get up from their places in the walls, and Angel stood up as Illyria only cocked her head to the side “Lorne?” Angel asked “What…what are you doing here?”
Lorne sighed “I heard you were back.”
Wesley got up “Yeah…for about a month now…we thought you were gone too.”
Lorne took steps down the floor and stopped “I made it Mexico and was living a very kind life compared to the disaster that was happening here. I thought I’d out run this…but it followed me.”
“What’s going on?” Angel asked.
“Well, I was reading a man who was doing a terrible rendition of ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ and…I didn’t get anything from him.”
“You mean you didn’t see anything in his future?” Gunn asked.
“No I mean what I saw in his future wasn’t his future…but yours” he said looking to Angel “It seems as thought the Powers That Be still need me here. So I came back.”
“And what did you see?” Wesley asked.
“Well I have to say it was the strangest thing I’d ever seen” Lorne said as he thought back to it.
The room was dark, and the tables that were set up below the small stage were filled by menacing characters. Each with a drink in their hands the screeching of a voice that wailed above their conversations made them cringe at it. But in the corner of the small karaoke bar a man sat with his hands on his ears trying desperately to block the noise out before he tore off his own ears. But it wasn’t the noise that was making him crazy, instead it was the images that the noise was bringing to him that he wanted out of his head. Images of fire and smoke coursed through him, screams of agony and pain pierced his ears, in the flames of fire he saw three images, one looked like a small child, another a large man with broad shoulders, and the last a woman wearing a fancy dress and a hat, yet he could not see their faces. Suddenly the flames swirled around him and the faces became clear. The young woman…was Darla, the child looked evil with a smirk on her face, and the man…the man!
The plane hit the ground and steadied along the runway slowing to a halt. The people on the plane then walked off, each with their own purpose. Three dark figures lagged behind, waiting for everyone else to leave before they made their own departure. “Is this it?” the blonde asked, “Where she is?”
1870…
She looked to the body lying on the ground and frowned. “Didn’t put up much of a fight did he? Not like the others.”
Angel sat staring into the city, the memory reviewing in his head like so many others. But this one seemed to bring out more pain than the others. She usually taunted his dreams, but for some reason she was haunting him more than ever, he remembered everything about her. Her face, her hair, her scent, her eyes, her skin, her touch, her smile…just the little things that would be useless to others, but eminent to him. A slight knock of the door sounded “Come in.”
Lorne jumped back at that moment, “Angel?” he asked himself.
“What kind of visions?” Gunn asked.
“A bad guy?” Angel asked.
“Their kind of unsure” Lorne replied, “It’s powerful, they know that. And it just got here, and it’s looking for someone…or something. Oh, and it’s also a girl…that’s what most of them picked up on…unless it’s very feminine”
“A girl?” Gunn said, “Is she looking for allies?”
“That’s where they stopped, whatever it is, no one has heard of it, or seen it. But then again most of these friends are new to the game” Lorne replied.
“Well what ever it is, we shouldn’t have a problem with it. Right Angel?” Gunn asked.
Everyone looked to Angel to see him in deep thought “Angel?” Wesley asked.
She looked around the expensive apartment and smirked. It was bright; a big change from the chambers, but it would work for it. “So, I’m going to need you to help me” she said, turning and smiling.
The man, what was his name? Oh yes, Barry. Was now hanging from the ceiling, a noose around his neck, with only a chair holding him up. His breathing barely making it through his mouth with the tight knot around his neck “You told me you know a lot about LA” she said “Well I need a bit of information about this lovely city, you see I need to find someone, I’ve been looking for him for the past three years, and I can’t seem to find him…” she walked toward him and saw his eyes widen as she approached, he began to struggle “I wouldn’t do that if I were you” she told him “that chair isn’t very stable” he stopped struggling “Now, if you help me, and don’t deceive me because I can find you, I will let you go, and give you something everyone wants. Eternal life” he didn’t respond and she rolled her eyes “He’s very cunning, very quick, shouldn’t be very hard to find, usually known for the bodies that surround him…”
Suddenly the robe broke and the man stood, his face twisted and deformed in a furious rage, he cried out and ran toward her, she simply gave him and lazy look. Before he knew it, he was against the wall, with her holding him up by the throat “This is good” she said “I was thinking I would have to change you myself, but this just makes things easier. Now, if you’re a good boy, I won’t kill you. But if you’re a bad boy.”
She reached into her cloak and pulled out a cross, holding it in a rag, she then held it before him and then pressed it against his forehead, he cried out in agony as it burned his skin, “I just might have to take you out my way” she said.
She then let go of him and took a step back, once over the pain he stood and looked at her “He is 6’2 with broad shoulders, long brown hair, and intense brown eyes” she told him “He should be about 250 years old.”
“An ancient?” Barry asked still in pain but trying to contain it.
She nodded “Yes.”
“Well, this is the 21st century, you just have to tell me his name.”
“21st century?” she repeated, “It’s been so long.”
She thought of the time she had been in that dark tomb, “S-so what’s his name.”
Her dark eyes turned to him and with an emotion filled voice replied the name that had for the past hundred years been the only thing keeping her alive. “Angelus.”
“Calm yourself Drake” the second said, “You know how powerful she is, she beat the slayer.”
“Don’t underestimate her power,” the third said “You have to be patient, you should watch out for that too Terrance.”
Drake looked to the small one beside him “We know” he said “But first we have to find Angel. Kyle do you have the books?”
“There in my bag” Kyle replied “Let’s get our things and we’ll head to the hotel.
“How long has she been here?” Terrance asked.
“About a day, no doubt looking for him” Drake replied “We have to move before she even gets close.”
“Come on” Kyle said leading them down the airport “we have business to take care of.”
“I agree” Angelus replied, “The mortals of today are getting too predictable.”
“At least we have much too eat” Darla said dragging her arm around Angelus’ shoulders “And we can keep each other company.”
“Not that it’s needed” the girl glaring at her.
“Ladies” Angelus said “No need to fight now, we still have a ways to go.”
“Get the wagon” Darla told the girl.
The girl growled at Darla “I’m not yours to order around Darla” she said, “Get it yourself.”
Darla’s face twisted in anger and deformed into a hideous mask, she growled at the girl. Angelus then turned to Darla “Get the wagon” he said.
Her face returned to normal out of shock “What?” she asked.
“I have to talk to her,” he said.
Darla then turned to the girl and smirked before walking away. Angelus then turned to the girl “Why do you always try to fight with her?” he asked the anger showing in his voice.
She didn’t budge “You know why” she replied, “I always wonder why you stay with her.”
Angelus smirked “You know why” he replied.
The girl laughed and pushed him playfully “So why’d you send her away?” she asked.
“I was tired of hearing her voice” Angelus replied.
She giggled. He then took a step toward her “I have something” he said, “For you that is.”
“What is it?” she asked.
He reached into his cloak and pulled out a necklace, it was a sliver locket with a ruby cut in the form of a flame in the center of it. Her eyes widened at the site of it, and her face lit up, before taking it and putting it on “Do you like it?” he asked.
She looked down and opened to see pictures of him and her in the locket “I love it” she smiled.
He smiled and hugged her to him “Happy birthday” he said.
Wesley’s head poked through the door, “Angel” he said, “There’s some men here looking for you.”
Angel nodded and Wesley left, he turned back to the window, a strange feeling came over him, and he opened the window, smelling the air that suddenly invaded the room he felt a feeling of warmth come over him.