Angel: After the Fall #9

Plot

Now that the “First Night” arc is finished, there is another look back at the events so far. For the sake of better understanding, I will stick to it. So: Previously on Angel…

Angel stood up against Wolfram & Hart. Wesley died. Los Angeles was sent to hell. Gunn was turned into a vampire, while Angel is no longer a vampire. Connor has teamed up with Gwen and Angel’s ex, the werewolf Nina. They rescue people from evil demons (“lords”) who have subjugated L.A. and divided it among themselves.

Gunn stole a powerful object, killed a lord and stole his telepathic fish, Betta George.

Angel has helped an overprotective dragon, and Wes is back, only now he is a ghost, bound by his contract with Wolfram & Hart. Both are still trying to help the inhabitants of L.A. This leads to Angel killing a lord’s son, which is why the lord wants Angel’s head. So it comes to a challenge: a fight to the death, for control of L.A. and its people.

Lorne, who has turned Silverlake into the only safe place in this hell, and Groo have rallied their troops to come to Angel’s aid.

Spike is with Illyria and was with Spider and her friends, who wanted Spike to kill Angel. Instead Spike and Illyria decided to help Angel.

Spike knew nothing about Wesley’s return. Nor did Illyria. After she saw Wes, she turned into Fred…

Angel, Spike and the others suddenly see Fred standing in front of them – she is standing right between them and hell’s champions. They know Fred will become a target. They know they have to get to her, but they also know they will probably be too late.

Wesley materialises between Fred and the champions. Fred begs him to go away. He does not listen to her at all. He “reaches” for the heart of the fire demon, one of the champions, and threatens to crush it if it makes even one move. The demon is amused, because Wes can’t do that. Angel leaps forward and knocks the demon down – but he can, he makes clear.

Meanwhile Spike has taken care of the female Skip. He calls to the confused Fred, who has no idea what is actually happening, to stay back. Luckily he and Spike think alike, Angel thinks – and besides, he has probably just broken his hand.

One of the champions grabs Fred by the arm the moment Angel is distracted. Groo charges in – politely apologising first – and rams his sword into the champion. That could make a fine pose for his statue, he thinks.

Spike and Angel use the moment to discuss Fred briefly. Angel asks Spike whether he has any idea how and why she is there.

If he knew, he wouldn’t be here! She is like a crazed jack-in-the-box – one moment she is Fred, the next the nutty demigoddess. And this strange family reunion is not exactly helping either! If Spike had known Wes was back, he would never have brought her here.

So what is this? A miracle? No – it never is; they know that.

Gunn and his buddies are still watching the fight. One of them, Vic, believes Angel and the others will die. They won’t, is all Gunn says. He is annoyed by what is happening, even hates it; and both are understatements. But he will overlook it because they have a common goal, and now his own people doubt him?! Gunn’s answer is to drive a stake through Vic’s heart – explaining the following as he does: no, he did not see all this coming; yes, the reunion of the old crew surprises him; and no, they will not die, because Angel will pull this off too. Then the vampire Vic explodes in a cloud of dust, until only a little heap of dust with the stake lies on the ground.

Okay, says one of the other vampires, they get it… and Gunn should urgently try yoga or something.

Below, Lorne apparently wants to ask Angel the same question he asked Spike earlier. Angel does not even let him finish and explains that he really has no idea.

Burge has had enough of all this! It was agreed that Angel would fight this battle alone! So he wants to change the rules? Fine. So: a new plan. Burge calls to the champions to slaughter the humans.

Panic breaks out.

Gunn has heard everything. He hesitates for a moment. Then he says okay, he will take care of it…

Angel turns directly to the lords. That figures, he says contemptuously. Here are these oh-so-mighty lords who do not even dare face a single vampire, which is why they pick champions for their dirty work.

Spike is not exactly taken with Angel’s little speech – he could at least have given the others enough of a head start before saying that to the lords’ faces (or the equivalent). Angel simply goes on…

Then the champions do not do their job properly and the lords take it out on the humans. They should tell him something: don’t they thank him every day for sending them all to hell? So they can pretend to be something other than little busybodies? Can’t they handle even the smallest thing themselves?

Spike turns round and asks whether anyone has a car. A fast one, preferably… so they can get far away from Angel…

Gunn no longer understands at all what is happening. He readies a crossbow. New plan: kill Angel before Angel gets killed.

Suddenly the lords all have Hagun Shafts in their hands/claws (the sceptres, one of which was also delivered to Spike… remember?). One of the lords says Angel is questioning their power, then. Fine, then they will squash this annoying bug themselves – um, apologies to anyone with insect relatives, he adds…

Gunn has recognised the sceptres. Those are exactly what they wanted to steal from Wolfram & Hart!

Spike explains to Connor what the Hagun Shafts are about – as far as he has understood it: in short, they can be used to kill immortals.

What?! Connor asks Angel whether he wants to end it like this. Angel simply pushes him aside and tells him to stay back.

Connor shouts at Angel – he was the one who botched everything in the first place, sent the city to hell! Then Connor tells him that he remembers everything again.

What?

Everything he wanted to forget for so many reasons.

Really? Everything?

But he also remembers everything Angel has done. And not only for him or his friends, but for everyone who needed help. So he should look around, because now many people need his help! Connor is babbling now and drifting off topic a little. Yes, he could use help too. Because there is this “electro girl” he cannot even touch, and he knows Angel has been through this whole “can’t be with the person you love” story. He talked to “Uncle Spike” about it, but that only got him some very strange advice from Spike. And he wanted to talk to Angel about it because he is his damn father.

Um… Angel cannot think of anything to say right now. So he tells Connor (only on the second attempt, though) to watch his language.

Wesley reminds Angel of the lords. Oh, right; Connor should wait a second. Angel speaks a few words. The next moment the Hagun Shafts – and with them the lords – are destroyed.

The freed humans celebrate him as “Angel, the Vampire Slayer”, destroyer of the champions and the evil lords.

Confused, Connor says to Angel that the Hagun Shafts were supposed to kill immortals – at least that is what Spike said. Well, Uncle Spike says a lot of things. Then he explains: immortals would never have allowed anyone else to end their existence. Only they themselves were allowed to do that. That is what the Hagun Shafts were made for – they are not weapons but sceptres. Made only for immortals and with a royal look – well, at least until the moment it ends in an explosion. Only a few of them exist, and Wolfram & Hart kept them in their secret cabinet under “H”. Since he and Wes did not know that Connor and the others would come to help them, they let the Hagun Shafts work for them. They spread rumours and made sure the lords got them (or rather that lord who looks like a shark – which makes a nice pun that unfortunately only works in English).

And they will talk about the girl thing later, he promises Connor, Angel ends his explanation.

Spike turns to Gwen, who seems to be taking a little break. He hates to disturb her, but they are not finished here. Got it, she says. Then she asks the champions whether they know what happens when a champion is struck by lightning. The same as with everything… Then the ground tears open. Huge tentacles seize the female Skip. That is probably hell reminding the champions where they all are…

The lords should have taken care of the powers of hell; then Angel could have done his job in peace (meaning killing the lords)…

Hell could also have had enough of L.A. …

Wolfram & Hart could have held it against him that he talked about their secret cabinets in public…

… but anyway, it is what it is, and the other humans are still easy prey.

They could really use a bit more help here, Spike thinks. Gwen gets it. He is not even talking to her, he snaps at her.

Spike goes over to Spider and the ladies. They are winning, he tells them; so come on. Well, so far he has not won, Spider thinks. Angel has, with those exploding sceptres – somehow. But in case he has not noticed: the city is still hellish.

Hey, she can push off; he can manage alone. And should he be turned into a little pile of dust, she should always remember that she loved him.

Well then, for Spike, Spider calls, giving the other ladies the order to throw themselves into the fight.

Eight spider-like limbs grow out of Spider’s back. Hence her name. Her real name is Maria, and this was a magical transformation by a witch. She finds it kind of gross and does not use these extra arms unless she absolutely has to – only in an emergency. Sometimes, though, they also come out in moments of great passion, another stupid aspect of it.

Spike, Spider and the ladies stand at Angel’s side.

So they were only waiting until he told them…, Angel begins. Well, Spike explains, actually Spider had said that if he helped Angel, it was over. But he knew the ladies would never let anything happen to him.

Oh, he knew that?

Hey, he is Spike, he reminds Angel, offended.

Gunn and his gang decide it is time to go. This is going the way it always does: the heroes save the day.

One of the vampires does not understand how Angel could have known about the Hagun Shafts… He had enough time in the past months to rummage around the W&H building, Gunn simply interrupts the other vampire. But Angel certainly does not know everything!

Somehow they all seem to have had their own plans up their sleeves, the vampire thinks. Gunn is about to go for him for that, but the vampire quickly explains what he means: apparently they were nicely separated from each other, and now they are together again…

Yes, and that is exactly what Gunn’s plans call for!

So Angel and the others are reunited – after a long time. They all have the same goal: to beat back hell, only hell will not be defeated so easily. So they will withdraw and be content with their small victories for now. As soon as the survivors have more or less recovered, they will demand a leader. And who would be better suited than Lorne? He at least wants to try.

One of the former lords, Bro’os – the shark-like demon – agreed to a deal and gave up his “claims”; in return Angel let him live, Lorne explains to the survivors.

The people ask what about this guy called Angel, who did win the fight – well, somehow, anyway.

He is not big on speaking in front of a large crowd and does not consider himself a leader – which, by the way, is funny all over again, Lorne babbles.

So Angel will go back to work – and that is the best news since L.A. was sent to hell. And where is he now, the people want to know. He is going back “home”.

Spike, Angel and the others stand in front of the Hyperion. Spike is complaining again: Angel could have picked any place in the city! It is perfect, Angel thinks.

Well, perfect would be the Marmont, or the Bel Air, but this is at best a shack in need of renovation!

At the main entrance Angel tells Connor and Gwen that they can bring everyone back here. There is enough room. Connor is not so keen on the idea of moving back in with his dad; he is guaranteed to interfere with his job.

The door is blocked from the other side. No problem for Spike, who simply kicks the door in, which amuses Angel, because that is exactly what he wanted to provoke.

Spike looks into the lobby… well, with a bit of luck everything will be trashed by the end of the day anyway; then they can redecorate. It stays the way it is, Angel makes clear; because this is the last place where Fred felt safe.

Speaking of which: Spike does not think it is the best idea to leave her and Wes-Casper alone (and flirting). Connor remarks dryly that one is a ghost and the other is Illyria – Spike can try to stop them! There is something she should see if they want to help her, says Angel…

Wes and Fred are looking at said something – namely Wes’s corpse. Fred does not understand. But she should. She was there and knows what happened. Fred turns back into Illyria. He is not in the best condition – his body, that is – because they had to wait until Angel could walk again before they could retrieve him.

Did he keep the body as a kind of trophy, Illyria asks.

No, Wes believed or hoped that his physical shell might help free him from his contract with W&H. That is usually a requirement for a ritual like that.

He does not have the power for that, Illyria notes.

No, he doesn’t. That is why he wanted to contact the Powers That Be. Or rather someone who was always close to the Powers and would help them if possible. He did not tell Angel about it – he cannot even bring himself to say her name, and the last thing he wants is for her to be dragged into this.

Wes thought it might improve the chances if he tried to make contact from L.A.’s Fashion District. He could not remember the incantation exactly, and looking it up in books was not possible, so Wes did not know whether it would even work. For a few hours nothing happened at all – that did not surprise Wes, because W&H knew what he was trying, and since they did not prevent it, they must have known it was pointless.

Then suddenly he felt the wind – really felt it. Only the prettiest leaves were whirled up from a tree; that is how she let him know she was listening. But she could do no more than that, and with that she was gone again.

The greatest power for good could manage only a little trick. Everything good simply has no place in this hell. That is why Wes gave up his efforts, he explains to Illyria. Because he failed? No, because Angel would then have been alone in the middle of all this.

But now Wes is alone; Angel is not any more. Angel does not trust him, should not trust him, and Wes wants to be with her.

He does – so much.

She is here, says Illyria. She tries to suppress her. But every time she sees one of the faces of the people she loved, she fights.

Illyria reaches out towards Wes’s cheek.

There is no logical reason why parts of Fred should still be inside her, Wes says hesitantly. She has told herself that countless times too, Illyria answers. But she is there. Inside her. She influences her. Infects her. From inside and outside.

It is even worse when he is there, or Angel, isn’t it? Only Spike…

Spike does not allow it. He locks her up when she grows weak again. He tells her that he lost her once and does not want to let that happen again. He is just as pathetic as all of them – as Fred.

Maybe they make Illyria vulnerable. Maybe they should not be around her.

No! Illyria takes Wes’s body. He will not tell her what is going to happen! He cannot fight to be at her side and then simply give up! He will not leave her! He stays with her, Illyria demands of him.

She falls to her knees before him and whispers once more that he will stay with her.

To be continued…