Authors note: I don’t know anything about Navy security or nuclear physics. So, at the appropriate time, just suck it up and suspend disbelief. Thanks.
Somehow, Illyria slipped away from the fray. She couldn’t exactly remember what had happened as she limped away from the alley carrying Gunn’s body. She despised retreat, but had learned long ago the value of surviving to fight another day. She would begin gathering followers until she formed an army capable of driving the Wolf, the Ram, and the Hart to their knees. Then the rest of the world would follow.
As for Gunn, he was easily the least worthy of reverence in Illyria’s eyes. But some monument to this battle must stand. Gunn was the only fallen hero left who could be laid in a grave. The heavy rain had washed the ashy remains of Angel and Spike into the sewers.
***
“Okay,” Connor said. His voice echoed off the walls in what looked to be an immense cavern. “I’m here. I’m under a post office. Yay me. Now where the hell’s the-”
Connor went quiet as his surroundings changed. He suddenly found himself in a lab where a lone man in a lab coat seemed to be doing blood work.
“Connor Angel?” the scientist called.
“Reilly,” Connor answered. “Connor Reilly.”
“Connor Angel, Connor Reilly. Why you splittin’ hairs with me?” The scientist asked in an annoyed tone. “Up there, your insurance card says Connor Reilly. Down here, Connor Angel. You’re damn lucky we don’t call you Steven Holtz. Now roll up your sleeve.”
Connor rolled up his sleeve. “Is this really necessary?”
“Do I tell you how to do your job?” the scientist said as he stuck a needle in Connor’s arm. “Besides, you’re the one down here asking for favors. A little bit of blood is the least of what you’ll be giving.”
“Is that why we’re in a lab? So you can take my blood?”
“No,” the scientist said. “We’re in a lab because that’s where she’d feel at home.”
“So you can do it. What I want.”
“Absolutely not,” the scientist answered as he put Connor’s blood under a microscope. “There’s no way.” The scientist looked into a microscope. “Wow, check all those white blood cells!”
“If there’s no way, then why are we in a place she’d feel . . . look, there has to be a way. Some way.”
The scientist looked at Connor with annoyance. “Are we going to have to have the Do I tell you how to do your job conversation again? Winefred Burkle’s soul was destroyed. Not lost. Destroyed. Lost soul, that’s easy. You find the soul. You stuff it back in wherever it came from. Bada Bing Bada Boom, soul restored. Destroyed soul means there is no soul to restore.”
“Look,” Connor said, peering into the empty office at the back of the lab. “Is there maybe someone else I can talk to?”
“What? I’m not good enough for you?” the scientist shouted. He looked at his computer and started typing. Then, he grinned wryly. “Yeah,” he said. “I got someone for you talk to.”
***
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” a voice came from the door.
Connor looked up and smiled. “No worries,” Connor said. “I read an old Time magazine. And when I say old, I mean old” He held up a magazine showing Richard Nixon as Time’s Man of the Year for 1971. “So, um, are you my new Oracle?”
“We prefer the term ‘guide’ now,” the woman said. “Saying Oracle confuses people ever since the Peoplesoft merger. And no. I’m not your guide. She’s in here.”
Connor stepped into the office the woman indicated. His blood ran cold as he saw another woman behind the desk. He looked back at the receptionist questioningly. The receptionist nodded.
Connor sat in a soft leather chair, but still managed to feel uncomfortable. He looked at his hands and fidgeted.
“You don’t have to be nervous, Connor,” the woman said.
“No, I’m not. Just . . . confused. I mean, you’re evil. Or you were evil. But I suppose this is un-evil you.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Cordy said flatly. “I’m sorry. I understand what you want to do and it’s very noble. But it’s too dangerous.”
Connor grinned. “But there is a way.”
“Connor,” Cordy said, wringing her hands and clearly pained. “The chances of it working are so small and dependent almost completely upon luck. If the plan doesn’t work, you’ll be killed without a doubt and either the world will come under the rule of a hell god or Los Angeles will be destroyed in an explosion not unlike a nuclear bomb. Then President Bush will probably declare war on somebody and the world will come under the rule of a different hell god.”
“No, I get it. Well, I definitely won’t try then. But, just out of curiosity, what was the plan?”
“Nice try,” Cordy answered. “Look, Connor, no one wants Fred’s soul laid to rest more than I do. But it’s a question of scale. One soul versus five million lives, possibly the entire world, and less than a one percent chance of success.”
“Cordy, you know me. You know my dad. I mean know as in know, not know as in know. Like know as in know someone not know as in the way you know me. Like in the biblical-”
“Connor,” Cordy interrupted agitatedly, prompting him to get to the point.
“Whenever there’ve been these odds and these stakes, haven’t the good guys always come through?”
“Connor, I’m . . . I’m sorry. I . . . if you . . . if I think of anything else, I’ll let you know.”
Connor nodded sadly. “Yeah,” he said. “Okay.”
Cordy stood and walked to Connor. She hugged him, whispering, “Take care of yourself.”
“And each other?” Connor added. “You oracle guides have to stop watching Jerry Springer.”
Connor left Cordelia’s office and found himself in the cavern below the post office again. He began to leave.
“Connor,” a sweet female voice whispered.
He turned. “Oh my . . . what? I mean . . . no, I mean what. What is what I mean.”
“We don’t have much time,” the woman whispered. “But if you act quickly, everything can set everything right. Follow my directions, then meet me at the warehouse where we saw each other last. I’m sorry it couldn’t be somewhere-”
“No, fine,” Connor said impatiently. “What do I do?”
“Go to the . . .
***
“You dare enter my abode,” the voice rang out.
“Yeah,” Connor answered. “And I brought band aids and disinfectant.”
“My glorious and heavenly body shall heal itself. I have no need of your lowly human medicines.”
“With this stuff, your glorious and heavenly body will heal itself faster,” Connor said sarcastically.
Illyria took the bag from Connor. “My flesh is not the color of yours,” she said disdainfully as she reviewed the bag’s contents. “I like the clear band-aids.”
“Look, we should get out of here,” Connor said. “I know a place we can hide. Then we can get a plan together to get you your power back.”
Illyria’s eyes lit up. Literally. The glowed blue at the prospect of being so powerful once more. “If you are deceiving me, I shall make a blanket of your flesh.”
“Flesh blanket,” Connor said calmly. “Check.”
Less then ten minutes later, Connor and Illyria stepped out of his car and approached the warehouse where he would rendezvous with his new oracle. I mean guide.
“You think I don’t remember you?” Illyria sneered. “You are the one who lusts for me.”
“You mean no one else does?” Connor said, still poking fun at Illyria. “Wow. So maybe I have a shot.”
“I would never allow your slimy essence to defile the temple of my body!”
“I’d wear a condom,” Connor said, amused Illyria had yet to realize he was mocking her. “It’d keep my slimy essence from actually getting into the temple of your body. Plus, no chance of little hell god babies.”
“Just because I am the mighty Illyria does not mean your lowly sperm would father a god from my womb.”
“Good. The last time a fathered a god, it turned out kind of sucky.”
Illyria cocked her head to the side as her eyes moved back and forth as if reading a book. “You fathered Jasmine,” she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Thanks for reminding me,” Connor said sarcastically. “I’d forgotten for a second there, but it’s all coming back to me now.”
They entered the warehouse and Connor began pacing, waiting for his guide to show. He walked the length of the room, then turned. Connor let out a shout of surprise to find Illyria standing in his face.
“Remove your clothing,” she said.
“What?”
“Remove your clothing. I wish to experience human physical intimacy. I originally intended to do so with Wesley, but his body has died and is therefore no longer capable. Although you are still beneath me, your status as the father of a god makes you the most suitable sexual partner with whom I am familiar.”
“Yeah, but this isn’t really how humans get together.”
“The usual courtship rituals are unnecessary. You lust for me and I will allow you to copulate with me.”
“I lust for lots of people. Doesn’t mean I’m going to screw them on a warehouse floor.”
Illyria grabbed Connor by the neck and slammed him back against the warehouse wall. “I have tired of your insignificant drivel. Remove your clothing or I will rip these garments from your body.”
“Does it make me sick that what you just did and said turns me on?”
“Very,” Illyria said, ripping Connor’s shirt open. “Your speaking lessens my arousal. Disrobe immediately.”
***
“That was not entirely disagreeable,” Illyria said. “You may go now.”
“You don’t wan to cuddle or anything?”
“Absolutely not,” Illyria answered disdainfully.
Connor put on his pants and his now buttonless shirt. He stood and walked through the warehouse in his bare feet. He’d been there over an hour. “I thought we were on a tight schedule,” he muttered.
“It’s not like I can get away at the drop of a dime,” the guide said in her sweet voice. “Or the drop of your pants, as the case me be. I’m sorry we had to meet here, but I can only go to places I’ve already been or the higher powers will know. This is the only place I’ve ever been.”
Connor frowned, remembering their last meeting in this warehouse. “So, what’s with you being an oracle or guide or whatever? And . . . and what do I call you? Darla? Mom? Evil hell bitch who spawned me in an alley?”
“Evil hell bitch has a ring to it,” she laughed. “Maybe even Evil Hell Bitch Who Died to Give you Life in an Alley. But Darla will be fine. Why I’m an oracle has to do with you, but there’ll be time for my explanations later. But I have my own questions. For starters, why do you want this? With all that’s happened, why do you want to help Fred?”
“She was the nicest to me,” Connor said sarcastically. “Tazering aside.”
“Seriously,” Darla said.
Connor shrugged. “Death is natural,” he said. “Sometimes it comes about unnaturally, but it’s something that happens to everyone. But what happened to her . . . for her soul to be destroyed, for her to be nothing . . . that’s not natural. If I can set that right, then I’m going to.”
“My dear boy,” Darla smiled sadly. She closed her eyes and choked back her tears. “If you can pull this off, you’ll be able to set everything right.”
“Yay me,” Connor said unenthusiastically.
“But you have to be willing to risk everything, Connor.”
“Yeah. Cordy gave me the nuclear holocaust speech. So what’s the plan?”
***
“This power will restore me,” Illyria said. “But I will be unable to hold it for long.”
“But it will allow you to manipulate time again.”
“How will a change in time allow me to destroy the Senior Partners?”
“If we can go back to when Knox met Fred,” Connor started.
“That does nothing for me,” Illyria interrupted.
“Knox and Fred together can figure out how to help you,” Connor said.
“Why would Winefred Burkle endeavor to help me, who took her shell?”
“I’ll talk to her. I’ll tell her she can help destroy the Senior Partners. All you have to do is look and act like her.”
Despite her best efforts, Illyria looked legitimately afraid. “There is . . . there is danger in this plan.”
Connor smiled warmly and touched her cheek. “Baby,” he said in a sweet voice. “Baby, you know I’d never let anything hurt you.”
Illyria smiled smugly. She laughed internally at this silly boy. He had such strength, yet his emotions made him easy to manipulate. “We shall go to Knox and Fred.”
Connor smiled, too. And he too laughed internally. Illyria had such strength, yet her arrogance made her easy to manipulate
***
“This facility will have the power source I need?” Illyria asked.
“Yeah,” Connor said. “But it will be heavily protected.”
“But these costumes shall disguise us,” Illyria said.
“For a while,” Connor said.
The two stood in a naval yard at the dock of a nuclear submarine. They dropped on to the submarine and walked toward the hatch. Connor popped it open and climbed in. He wore Lawrence Reilly’s old Navy uniform, making him look like a Lieutenant wearing a uniform a size too big. Illlyria adjusted her appearance to make her look like Fred in a Commander’s uniform.
“Hey,” a midshipmen whispered to a friend as Illyria passed. “Who knew the new Commander would be such a hottie? Man, I’d love to bend her over and use her like a--”
“Insolent dog!” Illyria shouted. “How dare you speak with such irreverence about your superior?! I would crush you beneath my foot like the insignificant insect you are were you not unworthy of the effort.”
“Um . . . sorry, Commander,” the midshipman said, shocked that he’d been overheard.
“Wow,” Connor said. “You’re really, really good at being an officer.”
“I am trained as a nuclear physicist,” Illyria continued, "having studied under Professor Oliver Seidel of the University of California at Los Angeles. I wish to see the nuclear reactor.”
“Okay, take it easy,” Connor said.
“You, the midshipmen who expressed a desire to sexually defile my body, lead me to the reactor.”
“I . . . I don’t have access,” the man stammered.
“Then you are worthless,” Illyria scowled.
“Who can show the Commander to the reactor?” Connor asked.
“Quiet,” Illyria said. Again, her eyes twitched as if she were reading. “I will show myself. The reactor is this way.”
“We have to move quickly,” Connor whispered.
“Why?” Illyria asked as she headed for the reactor.
“I just heard someone on the deck say there’re intruders.”
An alarm began sounding.
“And the alarm just went off,” Connor added.
“You two, freeze,” a voice behind them shouted.
Connor winced. “Plus a guard.”
Illyria punched in a door and ran down the stairwell. Connor ran after her. Illyria was a flurry of action, punching out sailors and knocking down doors. Connor had little to do but jump over the unconscious bodies.
They arrived at the reactor and Illyria smashed the door in.
“Wait!” Connor shouted pulling on the lead suit.
“I need not such trifles!” Illyria hissed as she pulled the uranium from the reactor. She shoved it into her gut and gave an orgasmic sigh as the power flowed through her. “Hold me,” she called to Connor.
“Knew you’d want to cuddle eventually,” Connor said smugly as he wrapped his arms around Illyria.
***
Connor wasn’t sure which direction was up. He tried to stay still and let the oxygen in his body float him toward the surface, thereby letting him know which was to swim. The lead suit was heavy and Connor merely hovered there in the water, unable to breathe.
Connor saw bubbles floating up. He pulled off the lead suit and kicked, straightening his body. He kicked more, propelling his body toward the air. Connor felt something grip his neck and pull him from the water. He inhaled deeply.
“I would be displeased if you drowned, my lover,” Illyria said as she lowered Connor to the ground. “I need you to help with Winefred Burkle.”
Illyria looked like a dry Fred in plain clothes, but Connor was still in a wet naval officer’s uniform when they entered Wolfram & Hart. Connor looked at his watch. "If this is the day Angel made the deal with Wolfram & Hart--"
"It is," Illyria interrupted.
“Then Fred just got here," Connor said. "Probably in the lab.”
“Hi, ya’ll,” Illyira said to the receptionists. She again appeared as Fred. “Don’t know how I done got myself outside. This place is almost big as Texas.” She grabbed Connor’s arm and pulled him toward the lab. “The sailor’s with me. New scientist. He just got discharged.”
“Are you talking about when I discharged into the temple of your body?” Connor whispered.
“Quiet or I will thrash you,” Illyria whispered as they entered the lab.
“What the . . .” Fred completely lost her train of thought when she saw herself enter the lab with Connor in a soaking wet U.S. Navy uniform.
“Illyria!” Knox gasped, immediately recognizing the demon goddess he worshiped despite her disguise. He fell to his knees.
Fred looked at him in confusion. “What the . . .”
“God I hope this works,” Connor said nervously as he shoved his hand into Illyria’s gut, gripping the enriched uranium and pulling it out.
Illyria screeched in pain, returned to her blue visage, and collapsed to the ground.
Fred stared at a bluer, more demonic version of herself wallowing in pain on the ground. “Yeah,” she said. “I’m sticking with ‘what the’.”
Connor grabbed Fred’s hand and pulled her from the room, still holding the uranium.
“Connor, that’s radioactive!” she shouted.
“Fred,” Connor said frantically as he pulled Fred onto the elevator. “Do you still have the tranquilizer guns from when dad was Angelus?”
“Yeah, but--”
“Get it,” Connor said as the elevator door closed and started down. “Get to the Reseda Mall and tranq me.”
“Connor what the hell is going on?!” Fred yelled.
Connor inhaled deeply. “Look, I’m . . . I’m from the future.”
“Oh,” Fred said, as if all made sense.
“If you take this deal with Wolfram & Hart, you’ll all be dead in a year.”
Fred bit her lip and nodded. “Okay, check on the turning down Wolfram & Hart. But what’s that have to do with you?”
“I’m the reason Angel takes the deal. Wolfram & Hart gets him and I get a happy life. They erased my memories.”
Fred began to speak but Connor held up a hand.
"I got them back. Long story. But I still have the happy memories Angel gave me."
Fred bit her lip again. “So, when I see you at the mall, you won’t be . . .”
“Just tranq me. Get me to the jail cell in the basement of the Hyperion.”
The elevator door opened at the ground floor. Illyria, holding her stomach, stood waiting. “You have betrayed me, son of Angel! I shall--”
“Yeah, yeah,” Connor said. He swung the uranium, slamming Illyria in the face with it. “Flesh blanket.”
Fred ran from the elevator and out the door. Illyria rose, cocked her fist, and punched Connor across the lobby. He slammed into the wall and the uranium slipped from his hand.
Illyria stood and charged across the lobby. Connor dove onto the uranium and grabbed it. He swung it again, hammering Illyria in the jaw. Illyria grabbed Connor and began choking him. Connor began slugging her face. As he pulled his fist back from the third successive punch, Illyria appeared as Fred again.
“Angel help me!” Illyria called in Fred’s voice.
Connor immediately felt strong arms wrap around his body and pull him away from Illyria. “Connor, stop!” Angel yelled as he pulled his son away. “Stop attacking Fred!”
“She’s not Fred!” Connor yelled as Illyria reached down and picked up the uranium. “She’s a demon! Don’t let her get it!”
Illyria was panting. She was still powerful, but she’d been depending heavily on the uranium for energy. When Connor pulled it away from her, she’d become weak. Now, however . . .
“Look at her!” Connor yelled. “She’s absorbing uranium! Could Fred do that?”
“Geez,” Gunn said as he trotted down the stairs. “Your kid’s more cracked than even I thought.”
“Gunn, this isn’t helping,” Angel shouted. Like everyone else in the lobby, he was concentrating on the raving Connor and had missed the uranium absorption. “Come on! Help me get him to a holding cell!”
As Angel and Gunn dragged Connor away, Illyria grinned widely.
***
“Connor?” When he turned to face her, Fred shuddered. She thought she could handle this and not be afraid. She thought she’d seen the worst of Connor. She’d seen raw hatred and feral aggression in his face. She’d seen a brainwashed homicidal madness when he was going to kill Wesley in the sewers. But now, his face showed nothing. Blankness.
Connor turned to run.
“Connor, don’t!” Fred yelled. “Don’t run!”
Connor started to run for the exit. Fred raised the tranq gun and fired, hitting Connor in the back. He hit the floor and started crawling toward the door. Fred fired again. Connor went limp.
***
Wesley burst into the office. “Angel, Fred just called!”
“From the lab?” Angel asked.
“From the mall. She said that there’s an impostor here that looks like her and Connor knows how to stop her.”
Angel jumped to his feet and grabbed the phone. Dialing quickly, he shouted, “Don’t . . . shit. Well . . . when he wakes up, let him go.” Angel hung up. “Gunn just had Connor sedated. Still, this impostor, how hard could it be to stop her?”
Three minutes later, Angel flew through and smashed the glass window of the science lab.
“You dare to oppose me, half breed?” Illyria shouted as she stepped through the broken window. She looked like the blue demon god now. “I, who commanded armies before the existence of your race?”
“That was the plan,” Angel said as he got to his feet. He grabbed his sword. Suddenly, Illyria moved with incredible speed. Angel’s sword was snapped in half and Illyria was now holding him up by the neck.
“I shall pop your head off,” she hissed as the sword handle fell from his hand.
Wesley dove at Illyira’s knees, scooped up the sword handle and jabbed it into Illyria’s stomach. He pried hard and the uranium was ripped from her stomach. Again, she collapsed in pain.
The uranium rolled across the floor toward the lab. Connor, holding a large device in his left arm, scooped up the uranium with his right. “How’d you know to go for the stomach?”
“You think I don’t know a power source when I see one?” Wesley quipped.
“Man, I wish I had this kid’s constitution,” Gunn grinned as he stepped out from behind Connor. “This is what you get for impersonating Fred, you demonic bitch!”
Wesley glanced at the device under Connor’s arm. “Connor,” he said nervously. “Where did you get that?”
“It was in the lab,” Connor answered as he backed toward the elevator. “I don’t know what kind of law firm has a lab with one of these in it--”
Knox gulped. “We were experimenting with atomic energy and inter-dimensional portals. You really shouldn’t have uranium--”
“Come on, baby,” Connor said as he backed away from Illyria and toward the elevator.
Illyria charged. Connor ran hard backward. He dove into the elevator. Illyria dove in after him, landing on top of him.
Connor turned, pulled the stop button, then pushed the buttons for several floors. Illyria punched Connor, knocking him to the ground. The elevator environment faded to white.
Illyria stood and looked around haughtily. “I recall this place from the Burkle memories.”
Connor put the uranium into the device he’d taken from the science lab. “Yep,” he said, flicking a switch.
Illyria looked at him. “That device . . . I remember it to from the Burkle memories as well.”
“Yep.”
“It is a nuclear explosive device capable of much power.” Illyria’s eyes went wide. “But . . . then we shall--”
Connor grinned. “Yep.” Connor flipped the switch. “You, me, and the senior partners can all kiss the temples of our bodies goodbye.”
***
“Home again, home again, Jiggidy jig,” Lorne said gleefully as he stepped into the lobby of the Hyperion.
Downstairs, Fred was squatting in front of the cell. She swung the door closed. “Defective pin in the lock,” she said.
In the cell, Connor laid on a sleeping bag and pillow Fred said up for him.
“You’re sure he can’t--”
“Yeah,” Fred interrupted Angel. “I’m sure.” She looked away from the sleeping form of Connor and up at Angel. “I hate seeing him like this. Through bars.”
“So do I,” Angel said. “But we don’t have a lot of choice here.”
Fred stood and stared into the cell. She sighed nervously. “Yeah we do,” she said. She unlocked the door and handed Angel the key.
“Fred, what--”
Fred pulled the cell door closed behind her. “When he wakes up, someone should be in here with him.”
Angel looked at Fred nervously. “Maybe it should be someone more . . . me.”
“Nah,” Fred said. “He seems to not like other alpha males at the watering hole.” She looked back at the sleeping Connor. “Before you came back from the ocean, Connor and I kind of had a rapport going. Kinda.”
“Guess you guys were better off without me.”
“Angel, that’s not what I’m . . . look, I already gotta deal with one suicidal, brooding super hero. Two, I don’t need.”
Angel gave a slight laugh. “Fair enough.”
***
“Straight A’s!” Lawrence said. “Check out the brain on this girl of mine.”
“Stop it, daddy, you’re embarrassing me.”
“I remember this,” Connor said nostalgically. “She was upstaged by my S.A.T. scores.” He turned to Darla. “So, that bomb didn’t blow me up?”
“Actually it did,” Darla said. “And Illyria. And the White Room. But I figured you deserved one moment before you went.”
“Thanks,” Connor smiled. “You know, I started all this because I didn’t want Fred to not exist anymore. But that’s what’s going to happen to me, isn’t it? Angel never made the deal. I never came to be.”
Darla touched Connor’s face. Feeling the touch of a ghost clearly meant he was dead.
“That depends,” Darla said as she stroked her son’s cheek. “I don’t define identity by their memories. Angel and Angelus have the same memories, but they’re distinctly different creatures. I think you’re defined by your actions. And by your soul.”
“Actions, huh?” Connor said, remembering the girl in the warehouse and the families in the sporting goods store.
“Yes,” Darla said. “In a few minutes, you’ll be going away, but I don’t think forever. It’ll just be a little while.”
Connor looked at Darla and smiled knowingly. “This wasn’t about Fred for you, was it?”
Darla smiled. “No. It wasn‘t about Fred for me.”
Connor tuned his attention back to the house.
“No, daddy, no. If we’re having a nice dinner because of my grades, then I am giving the toast.”
Connor smiled and spoke along with his little sister. “To family.”
|
|
|
|
Rave
Barbie Girl (Becca)
biscuit07
Filmtheory (Jim)
Malice (Jess)
MebbtheScribe (MichaelB)
Reset (Allie)
Shay (Marrisa)
somnambulist29 (Shea)
Stephanie Loss
Wendyness (Wendy)
Questions?Contact Us
|
|
All stories on this site have been archived with the authors' consent. Do not copy these stories for your own uses without the express consent of the author themselves. Buffy the Vampire Slayer TM and Angel TM are © UPN, WB, Fox and its related entities. All photos on the site are © UPN, Fox, Warner Bros, and/or their respective owners. No profits are being made by use of these images.
Powered with the assitance of eFiction.
|
|
|
