Angel: After the Fall #11

Plot

On the roof Angel and the others find themselves facing Gunn and his people – and George, of course.

Angel keeps telling himself that this is hell and nothing they see is really real… And isn’t that the normal state of affairs in L.A. anyway?

He has been friends with Gunn long enough to read his expression: he wants to be strong, but something is worrying him, he is surprised and he is afraid. This is not someone pretending to be Gunn; it really is him, Angel suddenly knows.

Illyria is standing in front of them as Fred again – she is happy, in a Fred-like way, to see Charles.

Gunn’s gang suddenly aim their weapons at the group – because Gunn did not tell them that he would be coming too! Gunn tries to make himself heard again, since he had given orders that nobody should move.

George chimes in too: that is the guy from Gunn’s thoughts, and he in turn has Spike in his thoughts, and why the hell does the dragon have such a stupid name anyway?!

Angel tells Nina to take the dragon and Fred and get them as far away as possible… And what will he do, “Fred” asks. Gunn is surrounded by vampires and Angel will not leave him behind, he answers. Well, and Nina will not leave Angel alone! Angel is in no mood at all to argue; would she please just do it. Then he turns to his dragon and asks it to return to Wesley – but first it should warm the vampires up a little… which the dragon promptly does once Angel has jumped out of the way.

Good boy, he praises it as the dragon breathes fire on the vampires.

Angel deals with the battered vampires. He knows now that “Fred” is safe; he is not so sure about himself…

This could get messy, he hears Charles say, turns round to him and sees him standing there in full vampire mode with a stake in his hand. Angel does not want to believe it. He gets up and stares at Gunn in shock. Gunn changes back. He found it strange the first time too, he says. He could have fooled himself, but he accepted it, and by the way, among all soulless creatures he considers himself rather good-looking.

Angel needs a moment to process this. Then he asks whether it was W&H. No… well, sort of, since they were responsible for this little apocalypse. But basically the vampire who did it just took advantage of the circumstances.

Angel tells Charles he is sorry. Gunn knew Angel would say that. But let’s drop the subject for now; instead he wants to show Angel around a bit.

Angel thinks Gunn is trying to carry on as if nothing has happened, even though he has been turned into what he hates most. He knows he should not go in there with him – not in his current state, because if Gunn gets angry he does not stand a chance – and “angry” would be an understatement once he finds out what is going on with Angel. So he really should not go along.

Okay, he says out loud instead.

At the Hyperion Hotel:

Spike lounges in an armchair with the obligatory cigarette. He asks Connor what Papa Bear has done to annoy him this time. Connor cannot talk about it. Well, his door is always open to him… only, if it is closed and there is a red handkerchief on the handle, he should please not knock, Spike rambles. Connor would not like it, but maybe he could learn something…

Connor tells Gwen that he is going back. He may be the “baby”, but Angel needs him.

He is not going anywhere, Gwen replies. He cannot do anything useful while he is sulking anyway. He is not sulking, says Connor, sulking! And anyway, look who’s talking! The day they met, she cried like a little girl.

Hey, she was attacked by something that looked like an octopus from the sewers! Yes, Connor grins, if he could not handle that he would cry too. Luckily he and Nina were there to save her… um, mainly him, actually. And to tell the truth, he asked Nina to hold back so he could impress Gwen.

It worked, she answers. Connor reaches for Gwen’s hand. He asks whether they could please somehow find a way to really touch each other, because… She understands, and she has already made a list: long and dirty…

Nina joins them and tells them to come along – the dragon takes off in two minutes. They ask her what is going on and where Angel is.

They found some vampires and Angel is dealing with them, Nina answers. She does not need to explain anything else; they are already on their way, Connor interrupts her. Does the dragon know where…, he begins, but this time Nina interrupts him. Because there really is much more to say! Only, how should she best start… Then she says straight out that it was Gunn, that Angel saw Gunn.

So did they, Gwen replies, not understanding.

Spike has understood. He simply does not want to believe it. It must be some kind of illusion; they had something like that once in Sunnydale. He realises himself that it may well be true… after all, almost half the people in this room have come back from the dead in one way or another. Wesley materialises. Fine, now it is exactly half, Spike corrects himself.

Wesley asks what all the fuss is about. Spike gives him the short version, and Wesley does not want to believe it either and starts a discussion.

Connor finally just walks out to the dragon, because one thing is certain in all this: his father is out there alone. If it is Gunn, he will save him; if not, he will destroy him. Gwen tries to hold him back, but Connor does not even let her finish; she can’t hold him back. She could, she says, she can be very persuasive… but she does not want to, so they should go.

Connor and Gwen continue their banter on the way. Spike finds it all very sweet, but they really have no time for this now, he explains, annoyed.

Wesley, “Fred” and Nina watch them go. Fred finds it wonderful and exciting that everyone is coming back. Wesley replies seriously that he would agree, but the problem is that nobody comes back “properly”…

With Gunn:

Angel probably has lots of questions; Gunn certainly did. Angel, however, has more of a problem with the terrible stench in this hotel. On top of that he knows this encounter can only end in one of two possible ways.

He asks Gunn who did this to him. Gunn is amused: that is exactly why Angel was always the boss – always asking the right questions! When is easy, Charles answers; it was while Angel was making friends with the dragon. Angel does not quite understand. That was no riddle, says Gunn – in the alley, while he was otherwise occupied. And as for who: well, just another bloodsucker with megalomaniac ambitions; Angel knows the type.

Gunn points at his people. And they are what is left of that vampire’s gang…

He orders one of his people, named Rod, to take care of their guests in the basement. And he should keep an eye on the fish! He tells another, named Dave, to keep watch on the surroundings. Dave gives a snotty reply, for which Gunn grabs him and reminds him what happened to a few others in the gang – does he want to end up like that too?

Gunn explains to Angel that his people probably hate him as much as their previous boss. Especially for not destroying Angel – because him they simply hate.

And what does Gunn feel, Angel asks cautiously.

He feels a certain resentment too; he won’t lie about that. But that is not mainly Angel’s fault. They always wanted to turn him, and Angel only gave them the opportunity. He brought all this about himself.

Says who, Angel asks sceptically.

Whoever is steering everything? And… the visions.

Gunn leads Angel to a door with a dead demon nailed to it – which also explains the stench here, Angel thinks. One question answered and so many new ones raised…

This poor guy was the recipient of the special deliveries from the “so-called Powers That Be”. They know that a demon can handle that. And apparently this one could project the images he received so that others could see them too. Unfortunately for him the gang found him… And they used the visions to their advantage, Angel finishes the sentence. Yeah, and there is a bonus point if Angel guesses what they learned from the visions…

That is how they found out about the big battle before it even took place. And that is how they knew the exact moment they had to strike. Only the vision was a bit patchy, so they did not know that Charles, once turned, would destroy their boss. They did not see that coming.

So he destroyed the guy, took over the gang, and his first official act was to free the prisoner – just as Angel would have done. Only he came too late. The creature was dying when he found it. He did his best (and that is why he bit it…), but it did not make it. But before that it sent him one more vision, a gift. Gunn remembers: the object he stole from the dead lord, a picture of Wesley, of George…

They hung the creature up there to honour it, he explains. Angel would have been more in favour of burying it, he says with studied casualness. That would be an idea, or they could just hang a curtain or something similar in front of it, Charles muses…

Well, anyway, that is pretty much the short version of how things have gone for him. He did have to kill a few insignificant individuals, but what is that in the bigger picture?

Oh yes, and he got himself one of those telepathic fish. It is a lot of work, but it is sure to pay off. And then there are a few Slayers in the basement – he worked on one of them this morning, but she should be okay again by now.

He knows a way out of here and everything will be the way it was.

He can’t believe he is saying this, but… Angel should please help him.

Angel promises that he will.

He should help him find out what the visions were trying to tell him and help him save Los Angeles. Gunn is positively babbling.

This was not actually supposed to go like this, Gunn then explains. He was more inclined to kill Angel – and by inclined he means he wanted to celebrate it. But who says they can’t manage it together.

Gunn insists on being in charge, but of course Angel has a say. Angel wants to interrupt him, but Charles does not listen at all and simply keeps talking. Maybe they will have to destroy everyone in the gang, because he does not see them changing their attitude.

“Gunn,” Angel snaps at him to get his attention. “One thing at a time,” he then says. First they have to get out of here, and then he will see what he can do.

Gunn suddenly stops, says “wait” and then states that he won’t. Angel will not sweet-talk him, and to make one thing clear: he is still one of the good guys, a hero. He was tested and he won! Gunn, who has changed again, has grabbed Angel by the collar and pressed him against the wall. He is totally over the edge, Angel thinks, and above all this outburst will alert Gunn’s gang. He knew this could only end in one of two ways…

Gunn hits Angel, repeating once more that he is still a hero. It was only a moment of weakness when he believed Angel would understand. He kicks Angel and keeps talking: the PTB understood, so what does it take for Angel to get it too?!

Angel lies bleeding on the floor and realises that Gunn wants to see him dead. At the same time, though, he wants to be praised like a little boy for doing his job well. So Angel has to use that…

Haltingly he explains that he does not believe the PTB have anything to do with this, and then gets up.

He points at the nailed-up demon and explains that the PTB would have released this creature from the visions the moment it fell into the wrong hands. This city is full of creatures that hear voices, see things… they had a bum outside the Hyperion who believed Neil Diamond sent him messages every day!

Angel lets a stake slide from his sleeve into his hand and reaches with the other for a sword at his side.

He still remembers what it is like – not believing you have changed. And Gunn is not even fighting it, because he believes he sees more clearly now than ever before. But the truth is that he is not in control. He has a box seat from which he can watch the demon inside him destroy everything and everyone he cares about – and he can only watch…

As he speaks, Angel reflects that he is using the truth to sow doubt in Charles. Angelus would be proud of him, and he hates himself for it.

Angel tells Gunn that he is a huge problem but is telling himself that he is the solution to everything.

Gunn rushes at Angel and screams at him to be quiet. Angel drops down, jerks the sword up and runs it through Gunn’s side – he will just add that to his list (of reasons to feel guilty). It does not stop Gunn. He hits Angel again, and by now his people have shown up too.

The demon is not in control, Gunn growls. Maybe Angel could not get his under control because he was weak, but his demon does what he wants! Angel has no idea at all what Gunn has created! The visions are calling him! They want him!

Angel stakes one of Gunn’s gang members. Meanwhile he thinks about how to end this quickly. He comes to the solution of knocking Charles unconscious, taking him home and then working out what should happen to him… putting off the inevitable as long as possible…

Angel’s thoughts are interrupted by another blow. One of Gunn’s people attacks him. Gunn orders them not to kill Angel… not yet.

Charles takes Angel’s sword and looks at it. He has been relying on a lot of gadgets lately, he says almost casually to Angel. He has noticed that he is faster and stronger – did a bit of rummaging at W&H; Gunn knows about that. Well, that’s over now, because he blew everything up. And he did wait until Angel had left the building…

Then he drives the sword into Angel’s stomach.

Gunn has a small glowing object in his hand. It was supposed to even the odds a little for what he has planned, but somehow now seems the right moment to test the thing. It works by Charles’s will alone; it detects any magic, any spell cast, and neutralises and reverses it. So whatever cosmic energy drink Angel has taken, Gunn is simply taking it away now. Besides, every wound that was healed by magic will open again, he announces to Angel.

Angel screams. He wants to talk to Gunn, but he can’t, because his throat is filling with blood.

All the injuries are back: the broken spine, the broken hands and legs, and on top of that the sword with which Gunn ran him through. Angel lies on the floor and a pool of blood forms beneath him. The magical mask that has so far hidden his humanity is gone too.

Gunn looks down at him angrily. Then he changes back into his human self and only asks, confused, “when”.

Another thing that was not planned like this. He wonders what he should do now – turn Angel? Angel would probably love to tell him what to do now, huh? Gunn would even be fine with that… But does Angel know what? He will let him die! But there is one thing he should know first. Gunn bends down to Angel and whispers to him: “I found them first.”

Connor, Spike and Gwen have almost reached their destination. Connor asks whether they are ready. Ready to see a friend thought dead again who may not be him and may be evil? No, of course not, what does he think, Spike answers snappily.

The three jump off above the building.

Connor asks whether Gwen is okay.

“Oh, no…”, Spike notes.

No, she isn’t. She is sorry, says Gwen, calling Connor “baby”.

Gwen’s hands are charged with energy and tears are running down her face.

To be continued…