Angel Investigations: The Next Generation
Episode 3: Reflections
Teaser
Nina walked into the main building that housed several businesses along with Angel Investigations. As soon as she got to the door she noticed that someone hadn't picked up the mail. As she picked it up she could see that they were mostly bills. Just what Connor needed. Then she found a letter addressed to Connor, but with no return address.
As she opened the door she saw Spike sitting at the office desk. "Do you know where Connor is?"
"Most likely downstairs being like his father."
"Aww. Brooding." Nina put her purse down on the desk and headed down to the underground apartment. As she made her way down the stairs, she found Connor sitting in a very dimly it room while reading a book. "What are you reading?"
Connor looked up from his book and looked up at Nina. "I was just trying to figure out what kind of demon killed Kathy." Nina gave a sigh at Connor's comment. She knew that losing his mother and sister was taking a toll on him.
"Well I got the mail. It mostly looks like bills." Nina handed the envelopes over to Connor and watched as he leafed through them. "There was one letter that had no return address. I'm not sure what that's about." Nina sat down next to Connor as he opened up the letter. After a few moments of reading Connor folded up the letter and got up from his seat. "So anything important?"
"We're moving."
"Moving? To where?"
"I had one of my contacts looking into getting the Hyperion, and it looks like the deal finally got through." Nina was a little bit happier about the news. "Angel told me about the Hyperion. It used to be a hotel, right?"
"Yes, and then when Angel got the paranoia demon out of it, the hotel became Angel Investigations." Connor paused for a moment as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
"About bleeding time." Nina and Connor could hear Spike's comment. "Now at least I don't have to make my home in a sewer."
Connor shook his head at the vampire. "You could have just stayed here."
"Oh right. That would happen." Spike made it to the bottom of the stairs and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "So when are we moving?”
Act 1
Connor and Spike started packing up the underground apartment, while Nina started to pack up the desk. The only sound that they could hear was the shuffling of boxes and other things that were inside the apartment. After a few boxes were packed, Spike asked Connor, "How do you know if the letter is from your contact or not?" He picked up the letter and looked over it. "How do you know if it isn't from a demon trying to lure it into a trap?"
"I recognize the handwriting. Will you hand me another box?" Spike grabbed a brown cardboard box and gave it to Connor. He figured no matter how hard he tried, Spike wasn't going to get any information out of Connor. They continued packing in silence.
Nina had cleared out most of the desk drawers, when the door of Angel Investigations creaked open. Nina looked up from her task and saw Jason. "Hi. I didn't expect to see you again."
"I just wanted to thank you all for helping Sarah and me. So, how's it going?"
"Fine, I tried those techniques to shift on my own, but I still haven’t managed to change at will."
"I could take you to someone that might be able to help. He trained me and was my mentor when I went through my first change."
"That would be great, but I'm sorta packing up the office so that we can move our business." Nina heard Jason take a deep breath in defeat of helping her but then he came back with a suggestion.
"I could help. It would go a lot faster and then I can help you with controlling your shifting."
"That sounds just fine. Why don't you start by putting the files in boxes?" Jason went over to the file cabinet and started to put the files in boxes. It didn't take the two of them long to get ever thing packed up and ready to move over to the Hyperion. "You were right. It did take less time to pack with more than just me." Nina paused for a moment and looked around the offices. She could believe that they were moving out of the offices that they had started in. I guess it's better to have more space, but who gave Connor the Hyperion? Nina turned her attention back to Jason. "I'll be back up in a sec. I need to tell the guys that I'm leaving."
As she made her way down the steps, Nina could see Spike and Connor still diligently packing up Connor's apartment. She cleared her throat, which got their attention. "I'm going out. I'll see you guys later. Just call me if you need anything."
"Alright." Connor was relieved to see that Nina was getting out of the building. It didn't take Spike and himself to get back to work. As the two of them worked in silence, Connor thought about the time when Angel had come to visit him just before the big battle with the Senior Partners and The Circle of the Black Thorn. Connor had told his father that the fighting was not for him, but now he had seemed to follow in his father's footsteps. Connor knew that it was important to help whenever he could, but some times he questioned it all. With the death of his mother and sister, Connor didn't know if all of it was worth the people that he had lost in his life. Cordelia had been the one person who was honest and kind to him. He had missed everyone so much.
As he filled another packing box, Connor heard someone enter the apartment from the elevator. Connor looked up to see Lawrence Riley. "Hello, dad. What are you doing here?"
"It's time."
Connor took a deep breath and looked over to Spike. "Don't worry I can handle it. Go with your father." Connor grabbed his jacket and headed out with Lawrence. The two of them were silent as they made their way to the graveyard. Connor stood only a few feet from Colleen and Kathy's graves. He stood there with the rest of his fake family and listened to the minister as he said a prayer for the two of them. Connor stared off in the distance thinking about the demon that had tried to ruin everything. Why would he just do that? And who was Dorian? He had so many unanswered questions, but he knew that none of them were going to be answered this second. The prayer had finished and Colleen and Kathy's bodies were cast into the ground. Connor walked with his father over to the rest of the vehicles and said his goodbyes to Lawrence and the rest of his family.
As Connor looked back at the rows of graves, he remembered others that were put to rest in the very same plot of land. He watched as the cars drove off and left nothing but exhaust behind. Connor made his way back to the headstones. As he made his way through the rows, he just past by the names that he didn't know. It was only a few moments later that he came to the four graves that he recognized. Connor stood at the foot of one of the graves while he read the names to himself. Winifred Burkle, Charles Gunn and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce were placed side by side and then Connor's eyes came to rest on the last grave, Liam Angel. Lindsey had found a way to make fake identification papers for Angel before they took care of the funeral. Connor could feel a sinking feeling begin to manifest in his stomach. He had felt so guilty about their deaths, especially Fred's. If he hadn't given Angel a reason to go to Wolfram and Hart, none of this would have ever happened. Connor knew that if anyone else knew how he felt that they would tell him different. He knelt down and thought about how everything had changed. He closed his eyes for just a moment and then realized that he wasn't alone.
"How long have you been standing there?" Connor got to his feet and turned around.
"Only a few minutes. Lindsey sent me to look over you. I'm sorry about your mother and sister." Eve was dressed from head to toe in black.
"Did you go to the funeral?"
Eve nodded and came closer to Connor. "It will be alright. Everything is going to be alright." She ran her fingers through his hair putting it behind his ear. Eve knew that he was going through so much at that moment. It had upset Eve when she lost her position as a liaison, but she had realized there was so much more to life than being what she once was. Lindsey had taught her so much about being human. The two of them walked back to Connor's car and said their goodbyes. Connor knew that Spike would have some questions about what had taken him so long.
Nina and Jason walked down the sidewalk of Los Angeles to a small meeting place. As she walked further with Jason, she could feel butterflies buzzing through out her stomach. She had no idea where Jason was going to take her. Nina had wanted to control the werewolf within. She felt as if she was useless in battle. She wasn't a vampire or some vampire hybrid that had some special destiny. It wasn't her choice to become a werewolf. Nina had been attacked and then put her family’s life in danger. She had wanted to rip her niece's throat out the following day after her attack. If Angel hadn't stopped her, Nina might have done something that she would have regretted.
Jason took her through the doors of his mentor. As Nina walked into the building, she saw several other people in the building. Some of them acknowledged Jason, but most of them stayed busy with their own business. Jason led Nina to a small office on the second floor of the building. After knocking on the door, Nina could hear a voice beckoning them to come inside. Jason opened the door and allowed Nina to enter before entering himself. An older man sat behind a desk.
"Vincent, this is Nina." Vincent rose from his desk and shook Nina's hand.
"She's the one that you have told me about?"
"Yes." Nina could see that Jason blushed, a little.
"You should come with me, Nina. You have much to learn." Vincent walked out of his office and headed down a long hallway. Nina had no idea what was going to happen, but she knew that Jason had the best of intentions.
Connor made his way down to his underground apartment. Spike was sitting in the living room surrounded by boxes. "Did everything go alright?"
Connor didn't know what to say to him. He was feeling such fear and anguish. How could a demon just kill so many people that he loved? "Fine." Connor took his coat off and set it down the chair next to Spike and then sat down in the same chair. "We should probably get these boxes over to the Hyperion."
"I put all of the bleeding stuff away..." Connor could tell that the vampire was exhausted. The two of them sat in silence until Connor was ready to load up his car with boxes that were full of his things. He took the short drive over to the Hyperion Hotel. After putting his car into park, Connor looked up at the massive hotel. He remembered every thing that had happened in the massive building, so many lies and deceit. He took a deep breath and headed inside of the hotel. The hotel had been cleaned up since the last time that he saw it.
All of the camera crews and all of the followers that had flocked to Jasmine and her promise of peace and serenity. Connor walked through out the hotel before he started to place his things in one of the rooms.
Act 2
Nina walked with Vincent and Jason until someone came running towards them. The young man had just enough breath to tell the three of them what had happened. "There has been an attack. The rest if the pack needs your help." Vincent, Jason and Nina wasted no time. They ran into the main lobby of the building where there were several demons attacking the various werewolves that Nina had seen earlier.
"This is your chance, Nina." Vincent looked down at her. Nina could feel her heart begin to beat at a faster pace as he said those words to her. Vincent went into the thick of battle while Jason hung back with Nina.
"Are you alright?"
"I've never really done this before. Spike and Connor are the demon fighters, not me."
"Don't worry Nina. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise." His words stopped her heart from beating as fast, but Nina was still nervous. She had no idea how she was going to help Vincent and the rest of the pack. As Nina surveyed the room, she was able to spot a few weapons on a far wall. She looked back at Jason who was standing just next to her.
"We should probably get some of those." Jason nodded in agreement and the two of them started to head over to the weapons.
Connor sat down on one of the stools that sat in front of the main desk of the Hyperion hotel. He took a deep breath and looked around at the abandoned litter and whatever else wasn't taken after Jasmine's power had been destroyed. He knew that all of them had their work cut out for them. Not just with the clean up but with everything that was going to happen. Trouble had some way of always finding them. Connor felt that everyone that had was close to him got hurt. Kathy and Colleen didn't disserve what had happened to them. Demons were going to come after him and everyone that he loved. Connor knew that there was no way to stop them. No matter how much he fought, they would never stop. They would never be gone, but Connor had to try and help. It was what his father would have wanted. After taking a deep breath, Connor began to clear the trash that was strung everywhere.
Nina walked behind Jason as they made their way over to the weapons cabinet. Several of the pack had already changed and were fighting the demonic intruders. Nina watched as the carnage went on around her. They had reached the weapons, but before Nina could grab a sword the fledgling werewolf was flung into the action. I'm not cut out for this. Spike and Connor are the heroes, not me. Nina rose to her feet and found herself faced with a rather large demon. She had no idea how she was going to get herself out of this one, but Vincent must have had a reason for throwing her into the thick of things. This is a good way to learn a foreign language, but not how to defend yourself. I have to get Spike or Connor to teach me something if I ever get out of this alive. She could feel her breath and heart quicken as her eyes lay upon the demon that was going to attack her. Her eyes darted around the room, and Nina had a sinking feeling that she was alone in this. Everyone was busy with something else and had no time to help her, but she had gotten herself in this mess and she figured that she had better get herself out of it as well. The demon swiped his claws across her chest. Nina could feel the searing pain and then the warmth of her own blood as it stained her clothes. Nina couldn't let this one wound slow her down. Her attention never left the demon. As the demon brought his claws down one more time Nina was able to get out of the way before its jagged claws scraped against her skin. Nina had watched the demon as he tried to strike again. The demon stopped short and looked down as a long blade penetrated his lower abdomen. Then the blade was brought through the side of the demon causing him to almost be chopped in half. Nina looked at the person who took the demon's place. "Who are you?"
"Mr. McDonald." Vincent had come over to Nina and the man that had killed the demon.
"Thank you." Lindsey just nodded at Nina's gratefulness and turned his attention back to Vincent.
"I see that you have had some company."
"They were just leaving. We should go to the back office. It was nice to meet you Nina, but if you will excuse me I have some business to attend to." Vincent and Lindsey headed back into the main office. Nina looked around the room and realized that the attack was over, but her bleeding wasn't. Nina put pressure on the wound and walked over to Jason.
"I think I need some help."
"I'm so sorry for getting you into this. I had no idea that we were going to be under attack. I think that one of the female pack mates have a shirt that you can use." Nina could tell that Jason was truly sorry. She knew that he had no control over the situation. The two of them made their way back to a first aid room where another werewolf took care of Nina's injuries.
Spike had finally finished packing when Connor arrived back at the underground apartment. "What took you so bleeding long? Did you save the world from another apocalypse? You know that there is always another one of them around the corner."
"I was just thinking about everything that has happened over the past few years with Wolfram and Hart, and with my father." Connor walked further into the apartment and sat down on one of the boxes. "How did you know that I was Angel's son? I didn't think that my father would have been the one to tell you. Did Wesley or Illyria tell you?"
"Now you ask this?"
"I just never thought about it before. I don't remember meeting you until I saw you sparring with Illyria."
"You're right. The year before I was with Buffy and the Scoobies fighting The First." Spike paused for a moment trying to drudge up some of his past memories.
"I found out about you from Illyria... After Gunn was killed by the demons that had stormed towards us in the alley way it was only a matter of moments before we found ourselves severely undermanned and overwhelmed. I saw your father fighting before we got separated. As we fought, the dragon swooped in trying to take us out with its claws. I dodged it a few times, but Illyria wasn't so lucky. She got swept up in the dragons claws. I didn't see where the dragon took her after I was knocked out by a couple of the Senior Partners. I woke up to find the alley empty, except for Gunn's lifeless body at one end of the alley and Illyria at the other end.
"I managed to get over to Illyria before she died. She told me with her last breaths who you were and she made me promise to protect you. I'm not sure if it was just Illyria talking. I could feel Fred still in her as she talked to me. But that's in the past. We have to concentrate on the now. I finished packing. Now all we have to do is get all of this junk over to the Hyperion." Spike picked up one of the boxes that was closest to him and began to help Connor loading up the car. "You know it would help to have wolf girl here. Where the bloody hell is she?"
As Nina and Jason left the werewolves' haven, she thought about Mr. McDonald. Something irked her about the whole thing. "Jason, it's getting late and I still have to help Connor and Spike with moving into the Hyperion."
"I understand. I'll see you later."
The two of them parted ways and Nina made her way to the Hyperion Hotel. When she arrived at the hotel, Nina walked in on Spike setting up a couple of desks just behind the check-in counter. "So how is everything going?"
"Just peachy." Spike looked up from his work. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Where is Connor?"
"In the office." Nina's gaze traveled to the office not to far behind Spike. Nina walked into it finding Connor in the process of unpacking.
"Can I speak to you?" Nina could tell that Connor and sensed the same thing that Spike did earlier.
"Sure. What did you want to speak to me about?"
"I went with Jason to see his mentor. While I was there we got attacked."
"Are you alright?"
"I fine, but that's not the point. Vincent had a visitor after the fight. Vincent called him Mr. McDonald. I'm not sure who he is, but I get a strange feeling about him." Nina had expected some kind of response, but Connor had nothing.
"Bloody hell." Nina turned around and saw Spike not to far away from her. "Mr. McDonald? Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Lindsey."
"Who?"
"Lindsey McDonald was a lawyer at Wolfram and Hart. He was the one that freed my soul from the amulet that I used to help Buffy defeat the First. He wanted me to be the new champion and get Angel out of the way. I have no idea why he is back here. I thought that he would be long gone after the battle with the Senior Partners."
"Maybe we should ask him why he's back." Nina had a strange suspicion that it wasn't to give the three of them a pat on the back for surviving the fight.
"Do you two think that we should just go storming into Wolfram and Hart? With everything that has happened we can’t afford to be pissing them off."
"Aren't you upset? They killed your father." Nina couldn't believe what she was hearing from Connor. She had been devastated when she had heard the news about Angel.
"Of course I am. Angel and I had finally come to an understanding and the Senior Partners took that away as fast as they gave it to me. I don't want to get involved with them and have something taken away from me that I care about. They have done that enough already. If you want to go I'm not stopping you, but I won’t let you go in there alone. I can't risk losing anyone else." Connor fell into the office chair and buried his face in his hands. Nina knew that the subject of Angel and Wolfram and Hart was a sensitive one for all of them. Each and every one of them had lost someone very special to them.
"I'm sorry Connor, but we have to."
Connor raised his head from his hands and looked from Nina to Spike. "Then all of us will go. We have to stick together." The three of them left the office and grabbed a few easily hidden weapons. Nina could only hope that they would have no need for them.
Act 3
The three of them made their way through the parking garage of Wolfram and Hart. It didn't take them long to get to Lindsey's office. As Connor walked through the door, he started to reflect on everything that had happened in the office all those years ago. He had met Angel with a new perspective on life. Angel had sacrificed so much to give Connor the family that he so desperately wanted. The only reason that Angel had found himself at the law firm was Connor and everything that had happened to him. Connor had felt so lost at that point. Jasmine and Holtz had just used him for their own means and he felt as if nothing would ever be the way he wanted it to be.
Angel had changed all of that, but Connor felt as if he had to pay his father back by continuing to help people. He had to give people hope.
"What are you all doing here?" Lindsey stood in the doorway of his own office.
Spike grabbed Lindsey by the lapels of his suit and slammed him against the wall. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"
"What do you mean, Spike? I have always been here. I have never left. Now let go of me." Spike let Lindsey off the wall, but didn't let go of him.
"I think that you should leave Los Angeles before I really hurt you." Spike pushed Lindsey away from him letting go of his suit in the process.
"I can't really do that Spike." As Lindsey made his way to his desk he made his way, his and Connor's eyes met for just a second before Connor broke away from the lawyer's gaze.
"And why the bloody hell not?" Connor could hear Spike grinding his back teeth as his patience was leaving him.
"I don't think that Angel would appreciate me giving the law firm back to the Senior Partners."
Connor walked up to Lindsey and stood in-between the lawyer and the vampire. "What do you mean? The Senior Partners have nothing to do with Wolfram and Hart anymore?"
"Exactly. Even though most of the people that worked with your father were killed, the Senior Partners were still weakened from the battle. After I got out of the hospital, I was able to get in touch with some of my contacts that I had made while working for the firm. They helped me become the new president and C.E.O of the company. I have nothing to do with the Senior Partners. I'm actually trying to help you. You might not see that, but I don't want their apocalypse to happen as much as you do."
"They're still working on that?"
"I have no idea. No one has seen or heard from the Senior Partners ever since the battle with Angel."
The room fell silent as Spike, Nina and especially Connor thought about the information that Lindsey had just given them. What had happened to the Senior Partners? "I think that we should go now. We can threaten Lindsey later." Connor's friends nodded in agreement and headed out of the offices of Lindsey McDonald and then out of Wolfram and Hart.
The ride to the Hyperion was silent. Connor knew that things had changed when he saw his father for the last time, but he had no idea to what extent. He knew that he had to find out what happened to the Senior Partners and his father.
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