Angel: After the Fall #10

Plot

A woman screams for help. A few men in ski masks are holding her. They have just robbed a bank and taken her hostage. The men are on their way to their getaway car.

Spike appears on the roof of a car – in a ridiculous costume with cape and mask. That’s it, they are done for, one of the men whispers. He is right, says Spike, who has already put one of the men out of action. That is what happens when someone tries to rob a bank in his city!

They don’t stand a chance against the last vampire with a soul on earth, the men cry, overdoing it, and are already being disarmed. In passing, Spike casually rescues the girl.

An old man has watched the whole scene. He is amazed that Spike is still on duty – no Shanshu, he wonders.

He shouldn’t get worked up, Connor (in an even more ridiculous costume, mind you) tells his dad. Wherever Spike goes, his buddy Connor is never far away.

While Spike and Connor deal with the rest – and they had better hurry, because Spike’s dragon is “parked” in a no-parking zone – old Angel slowly walks away. If only he still had his vampire powers, he would join in right away… But that was a long time ago.

Angel wakes up. He sits up in bed and thinks he really has to stop eating before going to sleep.

Someone is in his room. Angel sees Nina sitting in the armchair. He wants to ask how long she has been there, but Nina only says he was mumbling in his sleep and wants to know whether he had a bad dream. He does not remember, Angel says evasively. He briefly checks the bandage, while in his thoughts he has to admit that he is still battered from yesterday’s fight. But he will not let the pain get the better of him.

Nina looks out of the window and then explains that Connor is downstairs. He wanted to give Angel his space, but Nina thought he would not mind if she came up. She is excited because they are going on their rounds again – above all because outside there is the first official snowfall in the history of Los Angeles.

Groo is chatting with Spike’s ladies (now officially the Spikettes), while Lorne is on the phone with Angel. Apparently Angel mentioned something about his nightmares. Lorne brushes it off and then immediately apologises. They have made a little mess here. They wanted to restore the environment enough for the survivors to feel halfway comfortable. Only the wizards botched it: a bit too much hocus and too little pocus, but they will soon have it back. On the plus side, the phones work again and droves of Hollywood producers are out looking for story material, which Lorne finds hilarious.

Angel is grateful for Lorne’s efforts. He should tell Groo and the Spikettes to watch out for accidents on their rounds – and he should especially remind Spider that this does not mean just picking some out, but rescuing everyone.

Will do, says Lorne, and signs off with “Mayor Lorne, out.”

Angel and Nina come down the stairs and he explains to the others what the snowfall is about. Connor and Gwen are in the lobby. She asks what they are actually planning. Four of them turning a few buildings upside down and seeing what demons they turn up? Angel takes a sword. They are not going on ordinary rounds. Besides, there are not just four of them. Illyria stands in front of a hole in the wall that leads to the street. He asks whether she is ready. She saw the strange pale residue outside and wanted to taste it. That is called snow, Angel explains – and next time she should use the door.

They will be gone for a while, so everyone should grab their favourite weapons. Outside, lots of people greet Angel; he will have to get used to that.

Illyria notes that Angel apparently expects her to leave Wesley alone. That is best, Angel explains to her. Wesley makes her… Weak, Illyria adds. She knows. Angel, for his part, reminds her why they are here. But if he wants her to leave Wes’s side, he has to find a worthy replacement to watch over him. Angel already has, he replies.

Spike is with Wesley.

So Illyria trusts Spike, Wes notes; that is something. Mm-hm, Spike agrees as he lights a cigarette. From lord to ghost nanny in 24 hours – he will leave that out of his autobiography, though.

Angel will find out what is happening to Illyria; Spike need not worry about that. It was the right decision to come here. Wes is only sorry that Spike’s girlfriend does not see it the same way. She seems quite… nice?

True, except that she is not his girlfriend. Even if she may have thought so. But Spike is glad she is with Groo now. He simply needs his space, and on top of that he saw in one of the time flashes that he might kill her, and he wants to prevent that.

And before Spider…, Wes asks cautiously. Spike interrupts him. He has no idea why he of all people ended up next to Fred-Illyria when they took the H-route. Nor why she stayed at his side, but it is not like that. He looks after her.

And while they are at it: he knows what Wes feels and he is sorry. But if whatever they have planned involves hurting Fred, or what is left of her, and Wes is even in the slightest involved in it, Spike will find a way to kill him… Wes knows that, and he would even be grateful for it…

In Gunn’s quarters, Gunn is with George, who is asleep.

So George rummaged around in his buddy’s mind and asked lots of questions, huh? Then he had better not sleep through all the answers now, Gunn demands, and wakes the fish roughly. So he caught a “glimpse” of the Slayers? Well, then it is about time he saw them properly.

Gunn has brought George into a basement. There are Slayers there. Gunn introduces them to each other.

The Slayers consider whom to attack first, the fish or the vampire. They seem a bit angry, George thinks, but could they maybe wait a moment? Panicking, George keeps thinking “Stop”. When the Slayers notice he is entering their minds, they hit the fish creature.

They don’t seem to like him, Gunn notes to George. He should make them stop. George can, Gunn knows, but he had better remember that quickly…

Angel and the others are flying over L.A. on the dragon. He is talking to Connor. Connor knows the city, the fastest routes and the places best avoided. And it is precisely the latter they are at now.

They do not have that much time, Illyria complains, and simply jumps down. She has had enough of talking; they always talk too much. Angel tries to stop her, but it is already too late.

In a building a whole lot of vampires have gathered to discuss the new situation. Now they have to be careful again and should catch their “meals” and keep them captive, before… They hear a noise. The next moment Illyria jumps through a window.

At first the vampires suspect a Slayer, which Illyria only comments on with “wishful thinking” before throwing herself into the fight.

The others follow Illyria. Angel reminds Illyria to leave one “alive”.

They hear someone say in an old-fashioned way that the time is near. The voice then congratulates them on their victory yesterday: people rescued, lords defeated, and L.A. is rising again. It should comfort them to have achieved that before they die. He has been waiting for this for a long time, says a vampire who suddenly stands in the room and to whom the voice belongs. In the end even angels fall, he declaims. Angel simply knocks him down. Well, after all this place has frozen over today, so that would be possible, only: they are still here (an allusion to “when hell freezes over”)…

A few minutes later the vampire finds himself hanging head-first from the roof. Illyria holds him by one leg.

Okay, Angel explains, they will keep this short, because they are on a tight schedule. Angel explains that the Lord of Westwood was killed and someone stole a powerful object. A bunch of dead, drained bodies were found next to it.

Judging by the vampire’s aura of incompetence and his ridiculous get-up, Angel assumes he had nothing to do with it. But he thinks the bloodsucker might know who it was.

The vampire says they should just get it over with – stake him or drop him or whatever, and make him a legend.

He is afraid, Connor notes. That is an understatement, and the only reason they are not frightened too by the mere mention of the group (that did it) is that they have no idea. They had influence even before L.A. was sent to hell.

Angel grabs the vampire by the collar and pulls him back onto the roof.

Sounds like someone he would like to meet. They know that, and they surely would like that too, the vampire suspects. After the fall of L.A. the rumour went round that nobody can touch Angel. But they have their eye on him, and sooner or later… Life is too short, so sooner please, Angel interrupts the vampire’s drivel.

If that is the worst vampire in this hell, he is reassured, Angel tells Connor. He is, with those terrible hair extensions and…, Connor defends himself. Damn it, says Angel, he wanted the worst vampire, not the most theatrical one!

Gwen takes Connor’s side. After all, he led Angel to a vampire.

Only Angel did not want this as a little fighting exercise; he is looking for a powerful vampire who is playing his games. Gwen argues with Angel because he snapped at Connor straight away, just because Connor wanted to protect him. She reminds him that people always rush to his aid, even if the reason is not entirely clear to her. Illyria chooses this moment to remark in passing that Angel is no longer a vampire. He is anything but thrilled – not now, of all times, he thinks.

“What?!”, Connor asks.

It is obvious; why did they not notice, Illyria asks. Nothing comes from him any more except a ridiculous magic with which he tries to hide this shameful fact.

Connor asks when that happened – since they have been here? The bloodsucker asks stupid questions too. Connor goes on asking how it happened; meanwhile Angel stakes the vampire. Then he explains that it was Wolfram & Hart, when they sent everything to hell, and that they made him human.

Connor did not know they could do that, and he does not quite see why they did not do it sooner. Then he wants to send Angel home, but Angel refuses. Connor will not take no for an answer. Whyever Angel kept it secret from him, it is now a fact that he is stronger than Angel, and besides, he has electro girl as a girlfriend to back him up. It is not safe here, so he is going home…

But he has work to do, Angel objects.

No. Not any more. He barely managed as a vampire.

Angel interrupts him: it changes nothing!

Connor simply turns away. Yeah, yeah, that is what he thinks – fights, challenging a dozen champions and hunting alpha vampires… what does it actually take for him to realise that it would be better to sit the whole thing out and be human? Oh right, he remembers: whatever happens, he has to atone until he dies. But he should also understand that Connor is certainly not going to stay with him and watch!

He simply jumps off the roof. Angel wants to say something. Gwen only says it’s fine and she will go and get Connor. Meanwhile Nina should take the human home.

Illyria tells Angel that he is unfit for social interaction. Angel thanks her sarcastically and then tells Nina that he does not intend to fight her, but he is not going!

Nina explains to Angel why she teamed up with Connor. Because he is his son. She wanted to help Angel. But since Gwen has been around she feels useless; Gwen is now something like Connor’s bodyguard, but that does not matter. Angel may have changed, but she is still here. So, what next?

Angel explains with a smile that Illyria knew because she has the ability to “read power”. In his case the absence of power, she corrects him, so… So she should track down the vampire with the power, Angel adds.

The Slayers attack George and Gunn. Gunn complains that he did not actually intend to get his hands dirty today. George wants this to stop? Then he only has to tell the girls!

He can’t, because it is not that simple! He does not know what Gunn takes him for, but these girls are… Nothing, Gunn makes clear. They are only obstacles. He has lost a lot of his buddies to these girls, but George is different.

The Slayers attack the fish creature with a sword.

George should finally fulfil his little fishy destiny before they finish him off, Gunn urges.

George commands “Stop” forcefully and the Slayers practically freeze mid-movement.

He has so much hidden potential, Gunn rejoices. He hopes George now has as much faith in himself as Gunn does.

George is not sure how long he can hold the girls in this state, and he finally wants out of here. George has to learn to relax, Gunn thinks. He stabs a knife into a Slayer’s chest. She wants to scream, but she can’t. George wants to release her, but Gunn reminds him that if he does, the others will be free too.

Gunn grabs the fish creature. George projects the screaming Slayer into Gunn’s mind. Gunn knew how much potential there is in the fish. He takes George out of the basement. His people ask him how George did. Quite extraordinary. And now they should go up to the roof, because it has to happen in the snow, he says. George begs Gunn to let him go. He knows people who can get them all out of here.

Gunn, three of his people and George are on the roof. Gunn asks George to do something for him. George says he can’t. Oh, he can – and he will, Gunn answers.

He wants George to contact someone outside – that is, outside L.A. Anyone. Whoever he thinks could help. George should be a bit creative and surprise Gunn. Gunn keeps talking at George. George wants Gunn to be quiet, because he is already doing it…

Somewhere outside L.A. there is a rehabilitation facility for all things supernatural.

Two demons are playing table football. A woman sits in front of the TV and chats with the two of them.

Suddenly she gets a telepathic message from George: that he is trapped in hell, that L.A. is in hell too, that he is the prisoner of an angry vampire who is apparently insane.

The woman asks the others whether they “heard” that too. She explains that apparently George “called”. He has not been in touch for a while, and now they know why. She tells them what George told her and switches to another channel to check.

The TV shows a perfectly normal news segment from L.A.

Apparently George was mistaken, the woman says, and turns back to the game.

George has realised that everyone outside believes everything is fine. He asks whether Gunn knew. Gunn has already tried it himself and got the same reaction. He does not know much, only a few hunches.

But he does know that George tried to reach everyone close enough. He also knows that George is exhausted by all these events and so can do nothing against Gunn and his people.

Gunn claims that he saw all this coming from the start.

Interesting, the fish creature thinks, just one question: did he see that coming too?

Behind them Angel, Illyria and Nina appear on the dragon. Illyria explains that there is a vampire nest there, and somewhere in it an object bubbling with power. All right, attack fast and don’t let up until…, Angel begins.

He stands facing the vampires and Gunn. Gunn is in full game face and holds a crossbow. No, this was not supposed to happen yet, he answers George’s question.

When Angel recognises whom he is facing, he only says “oh my God”.

To be continued…