Angel: Season 6: Episode 2: What Are The Odds (Part 2 of 2)
by The_Dark_Avenger
Disclaimer: I don’t own Angel, any other characters, or anything relating to the show. Joss and Fox own these, along with Mutant Enemy. I am just burrowing these characters, which were created by a brilliant man, to further our lives with fun things about them. Neither myself, or the website which this story is posted on is receiving any compensation for this story.
Spoilers: Up too the end of the series, the last line in “Not Fade Away.”
Feedback: Heck Yes!
Author’s Notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed this. I have taken your reviews into account, and am going forward from there. I’m sorry this took so long to update, but I have been busy. This is a fairly dull chapter, but I wrote it as best I can. I hope to have chapter 3 up soon, which will be much more exciting. For any of you who read my first post of chapter 2, sorry for it sucking so much, Lol. I hope you all enjoy this chapter just as much as the first, and please: READ AND REVIEW! BTW – Spike doesn’t actually spit on Illyria. ENJOY!
Angel Season 6 – Episode Two: What Are The Odds (Part 2 of 2)
As everyone’s vision came back, they realized they were no longer in the alley. They were in a room, if it could be called that, for it had no visible walls, and it was bright white. All around them was white. The only tangible thing there was them, and the surface they were standing on.
“What the hell just happened?” Spike asked. “Where is the alley, and what the hell is this place?”
“Looks like the White Room, minus the supports,” Gunn replied.
“I am confused, how did we get here?” Illyria asked.
“First, we have to figure out where “here” is.” Angel told her.
“We are in a higher plane.” A voice said. Angel, Gunn, Spike, and Illyria looked around for the source of the voice. It sounded familiar to them, but they couldn’t place who it was.
“And how do you know this?” Angel asked the voice.
“Because I just got here not too long ago,” the voice answered.
“It’s Wesley!” Illyria said, finally recognizing the voice. The others gasped, and Wesley slowly materialized.
“But… your… dead…” Angel said, stunned, “which would mean that we are also dead.”
“I thought that at first, but I don’t think that is the case.” Wesley replied to Angel. “When I arrived here, I didn’t remember dying, and I’m guessing you don’t either.”
“But Vail stabbed you,” Illyria said, obviously not accepting that Wesley wasn’t dead, “I lied for you, and then avenged your death.”
“You did, and you didn’t.” Wesley replied. “Somehow, you saw me stabbed, and watched me die, but all I remember is Vail calling a knife to his hand, and getting ready to stab me. Then, I was here.”
“Do you know where here is?” Angel asked Wesley.
“I don’t know,” came the reply, “but if I was to guess, I’d say we are in some sort of holding plane.”
“Hey guys, maybe we finally got the Senior Partner’s attention?” Gunn suggested.
“Not likely, I bet they want us dead.” Wesley told him.
“Maybe the bloody Powers That Be realized we could use a hand down there?” Spike spoke up. The others looked at him and considered the idea. What if the Powers had finally decided to level the playing field, and help in the good fight?
“I was wondering how long it would take one of you to come to that conclusion,” another familiar voice said. It came from behind Angel, who spun around the instant he heard the voice, and what he saw made him feel happiness, and sorrow.
“Oh my God, it’s…” Gunn started
“Cordelia,” Angel finished for him.
“Yes, it is me.” Cordelia answered.
“You mean, you aren’t dead, you’re like us?” Angel asked with a hopeful voice.
“Yes and no,” Cordelia answered him. “I’m not dead, but I’m not really like you guys either.”
“Then what are you?” Gunn asked.
“I am a Higher Power.” Everyone gasped at Cordelia’s statement.
“You’re a Higher Being… again?” Wesley asked.
“Not again, for real this time.” She answered Wesley. “You see, when Jasmine descended to Earth, I was put out of commission. The Higher Powers, who were short one power, decided to bring me up. I have no idea why they chose me, but they did. Anyways, ever since then, I have been doing all the good that I can. About two months ago, when I saw that Angel was straying from his path, and that he needed help to get back on it, I came down and put him back on it.” As she finished explaining to everyone what had happened, they donned shocked expressions. They had no idea that Cordelia had become a Higher Being, and that she had set them on this path.
After thinking on this, Wesley grew sceptical of Cordelia’s power, and asked, “If you had the power to set Angel on his path, why didn’t you help Fred?” A look of hurt crossed Cordelia’s face, and she looked Wesley in the eye.
“I did everything I could for Fred. I needed both the body and the soul to save her, but since her body was infected with Illyria, I took her soul. Normally, it would have been destroyed, but I took it, and put it where the souls of champions go, for she is one.” The four people there seemed confused, so Cordelia continued, “Let me explain to you how the afterlife works. When you die, your soul goes to the plane of judgement, and you take whatever form you wish. There, you spend about three months Earth time, while you undergo many tests to see where you will rest in the afterlife. It is during these three months that a simple spell can call your soul back to your body, and you are resurrected. After the three months, the only way for your soul to come back is extremely powerful magic. Also, after the three months, your soul goes to whatever area that was chosen for you during the tests. When I saved Fred’s soul, I sent her straight to the Champions Hall, where she will “live” her afterlife in perfect happiness. That is the best I could do for her. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more Wesley, I really am, but I couldn’t.”
Wesley and the others were completely stunned by Cordelia’s explanation. The afterlife was so much more complex then what they had first thought. “Cordy, I’m sorry. I just let my emotions get the best of me,” Wesley apologized to Cordelia.
“Don’t be sorry Wesley, you lost your one true love. You had every right to want her back.” Cordelia replied to Wesley, and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“Why is it I can’t remember anything from when I was there?” Angel asked.
“Well, when you go back to your normal plane, you don’t remember anything of your afterlife, for the powers wish you not to,” Cordelia answered.
“So, what’s the deal? Why’d you bring all of us here?” Spike asked Cordelia.
“Let me show you.” Cordelia answered him. With that she waved her hand, and in front of them they say a random dark alley, with an innocent young girl walking down it. Then, from the shadows, two vampires jumped out, and fed on her. The scene changed. Now it was a guy and a girl, both were walking towards their car in the parking lot. When they got to their car, three vampires attacked them, feeding on them, and mutilating their bodies. This happened many more times, showing people and good demons, all being killed by evil ones.
Finally Spike said, “Turn it off, I can’t take this.” The image then faded, and the all white was back.
“Why did you show us this?” Gunn asked. He was obviously somewhat sickened by what they had just witnessed.
“That is the evil versus the good. The evil almost always wins.” Cordelia answered. “Now, the Powers That Be, with a little nudging from me, have decided to help us, although its more you. Anyways, it all started when you left to kill your members of the Circle of the Black Thorn. Angel had already killed Archduke Sebasis, the Senior Partners checked up on their other members. They noticed they too were being killed, so they assembled an army. Myself, who was watching these events unfold, informed the other powers what the Senior Partners were doing. When they saw that five of their greatest champions were going to die, they took action. Seeing that Wesley was about to die, they quickly transported him here, and left a shell with his thoughts and memories in his stead. The same happened with the rest of you when you got here.”
“Cordy, I’m glad the Powers finally decided to help us, I really am, but why would they bring us here, where we can’t help anyone, or fight the good fight?” Gunn asked.
“This is only a temporary plane. It was created for your short stay here,” Cordelia answered Gunn.
“So you are sending us back down to Earth,” Wesley stated more than asked.
“Yes, but first, you need your mission.”
“But don’t we have one already?” Angel asked.
“What is your mission, Angel?” Cordelia questioned him.
“To help the helpless,” Angel replied.
“Wrong,” Cordelia told him. “For the past year, your mission has been to figure out what the Senior Partner’s plan was for you, not helping the helpless. And starting a few months ago, your mission was to cripple the Senior Partner’s and bring down the Circle of the Black Thorn. Well, you succeeded in those missions. You crippled the Senior Partners, but not for very long. Soon they will have their apocalypse on track, and we want you there to stop it.
“Also, we want you to do what you have almost always done, help the helpless. Concentrate on the apocalypse, but don’t spend all your time on it. There are still people to help.”
“How do we go about stopping this apocalypse?” Angel asked.
“I don’t quite know, but when it comes, you will know what to do, be it fighting hordes of demons, or simply signing a piece of paper.” Cordelia answered him.
“I hope we get to fight the demon army again,” Illyria said, a look of thought on her face as she pictured herself tearing apart the bodies. “I would feel joy if we did.”
“Speak for yourself!” Spike spat at Illyria. “I don’t want to get pummelled again. If you do, fine by me.”
“Calm down you two, we don’t know what’s going to happen yet,” Angel told Spike and Illyria, who turned away from each other and sulked. “Cordy, if we could barely take out the Circle of the Black Thorn, how could we stop the Senior Partners completely?”
“Your Angel, you’ll find a way.” Cordelia answered him with a smile. Angel’s face showed that he wasn’t so sure.
“Umm, Cordelia, won’t the Senior Partners just kill us when we get back to Earth?” Gunn asked, “Cause we did take out the representatives.”
“No Gunn, they won’t,” she answered him. “They think they killed all of you. When you all get back to Earth, you will start off from scratch. How you do it, is up to you. I will give you one tip though: reassembling the team may be the first step towards beating the Senior Partners.”
The five remaining members of Angel’s team pondered this for a moment, and Wesley said, “What happens now?”
“You go back.” Cordelia stated. “You go back, and you complete your mission.”
“Wait!” Spike quickly spoke up, “When we stop the apocalypse, does this mean that the Shanshu thingy is gonna come true. Oh, and who does it mean in the prophecy?” Cordelia looked at Angel, who just started at the floor.
“Yes, I think it will fulfill the Shanshu Prophecy, Spike,” Cordelia informed Spike.
“And you are the one in the prophecy,” Angel told Spike.
“What! How do you know that?” Spike asked.
“Because I signed away saying that I can’t fulfill it.” The other members all looked at Angel in complete surprise.
“You signed away the reason you were fighting for?” Wesley asked Angel. “Ever since we found the Shanshu prophecy, you have been trying to fulfill that, to earn your redemption. Why did you give it all up?”
“To destroy the Circle of the Black Thorn. To finally get even, Angel answered in a grim tone.
“You also thought you were going to die,” Spike declared. “You didn’t see any point left.”
“I did think I was going to die, but there was still a point. The point was do what you can with the time allotted to you, and with me, that could go on to be forever.” Angel explained to the team. “Besides, why do I deserve to be human more than Spike, I’ve killed way more than him. You could even say I killed all those that he killed, because I made the one that made him.” Everyone was absolutely stunned by Angel’s explanation. He had signed away his claim to the Shanshu prophecy, and now he seemed to not even want to take it back. It was almost as if he enjoyed being a vampire, and wanted to stay one.
“What Angel did was make a great sacrifice. He did it so that others can live. He may have signed away his future, but now he can continue the fight, as should you all.” Cordelia told the team. “Now, I am going to send you back. I hope you are ready for this. Remember, you are all presumed dead. Good luck, I will be watching over you…” As Cordelia finished, everything again turned white as they left to head back to their dimension.
*****
What appeared to be a man, covered in dark, black robes, entered the CEO’s office on the four-hundredth and ninety-second floor. The office was pretty much empty except for the desk, a few chairs, and a few “trophies” mounted on the wall. The office had a prefect view of the dark swirling abyss outside. Behind the desk, was a chair with it’s back to the door. The creature sitting in the chair was indiscernible.
“What is your report, Shaen-Dothar?” the creature in the chair asked the man entering the room.
“It is reported that Angel, and the rest of his team are dead, all killed by the army.” Shaen-Dothar answered the creature in the chair.
“What about The Apocalypse?”
“I am heading back to the dimension to start it back up.”
“Good. I want it back on track, and on time, within the week.”
“Yes, sir,” Shaen-Dothar answered the creature in the chair. Shaen-Dothar bowed, and turned round, preparing to leave.
“Wait,” the creature in the chair said, “bring me The Betrayer, I wish to speak to him.”
“Yes sir,” Shaen-Dothar said to the creature, and exited the room. The creature in the chair continued to look out the window, and is it did, a smile spread across its face.
“Well Angel, it seems you stopped us for a few moments, but now that you’re dead, there is no one left to stop our plans. The Wolf and the Ram will be happy to hear this.”
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