Post by The Night Lord on Apr 9, 2009 21:36:57 GMT -5
Here's another fanfiction that I wrote last year. This one was such a pain to write, as I re-wrote it three times and went through a period of writer's block. It's a crossover, with a Dean/Faith pairing and it takes place during Season 3 of Supernatural, Season 8 of Buffy and Angel has been in LA hell for four years, just for story reasons
“Sweet home Alabama. Where the skies are so blue. Sweet home Alabama. I’ll be coming home to you yeah”
“Yeah, I’ll be coming home to you, yeah,” Dean Winchester sang
His younger brother, Sam, rolled his eyes and leaned his head back, closing his eyes
“Come on, Sammy, sing it with me,” Dean said
“No. I’m going to sleep”
“Spoilsport”
Dean turned the cassette player up, earning a glare from his brother. He simply smiled in return and turned his eyes back to the road. The smile soon faded from his face as he thought about his future…or lack of. In a few months time, he would be dead, dragged kicking and screaming to hell to suffer for all eternity. And after a few centuries, he would end up becoming a demon; very much like the ones he hunts. But as least Sam would get to live. Sam would be able to have a normal life. Not Dean. He had spent too long out on the open road, slaying evil left, right and centre; that the notion of having a normal life seemed like a dream. A dream that would never happened, even if he wanted it. Noticing that Sam was drifting off, Dean turned the radio down, losing himself in his thoughts as he continued driving along the highway
“How are you feeling?” Xander asked
“Like a mummy,” Buffy replied, “One of the Egyptian kind”
“But apart from that?”
“A little sore. I’ll be fine. I’ll heal”
“You took a nasty beating from this guy, whoever he is”
“I don’t know. When we were fighting, he said a few things, hinting that I know him. But I have no idea who he is. Apart from the fact that he’s very strong and can fly”
“You shouldn’t let that get you down,” Xander said, “You’ll come through with this in the end. You always do”
“This time, I’m not so sure,” Buffy said, “I may not be able to beat this guy”
“Well, I’ve some girls researching about Twilight, see what we can find”
“The girls that are at least still sober, right?”
“Yeah, there are some girls that aren’t as drunk as the others. Dawn for one”
“She’s a giant. Do you have any idea how much she would have to drink?”
“I think ten times more than what Spike used to drink. I’ve noticed how you’re changing the subject”
“I’m not changing the subject,” Buffy said, “Okay, maybe I am. But I’ve got a lot of stuff to deal with. Amy, the army, Dawn, now this Twilight guy”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Xander reassured, “We’ll be fine. We can take some of the load”
Buffy sighed and placed a hand on her bandaged forehead, before looking at her best friend, a small smile appearing on her face
“I wonder if there is anything left downstairs”
“Let’s find out”
“Dad, behind you”
Angel whirled around, slicing the demon’s arm off, before running the demon through the chest. It groaned, as Angel removed his sword and kicked the demon down, before clashing blades with another demon and slicing it across the stomach. Connor ducked a demon’s sword and stabbed it through the chest, before whirling around and getting struck in the face with a club. He hit the road hard, kicking the demon in the stomach, before getting up and wiping the blood away from his lip
“That hurt”
The demon growled and swung its club again, but Connor caught its arm and kicked it, before delivering a backhand to its jaw. The demon swung its club, as Connor stepped back, picking up his sword and batting the club away, slicing the demon across the throat. As it gurgled and fell back, Connor helped his father fight off the last of the demons, before wiping his sword clean of blood
“Good job, son,” Angel said, “Come on, let’s head back”
Father and son headed off, as Angel went through his thoughts. It had been four years since he and his friends brought down the Circle of the Black Thorn. Los Angeles had been sent to hell not long after the final battle in the alley and still remained there. It had taken the gang a year to defeat the demon lords that resided in LA, before fighting against Gunn’s army. Much to Angel’s surprise, Gunn had been turned into a vampire, creating an army of vampires and taking over the city. They had been fighting against the army for three years now, with the occasional demon here and there. Angel was desperately trying to find a way to liberate Los Angeles from its hellish void, but to no success so far
“How did things go?” Gwen Raiden asked
“Took out a small group of Cavaar demons,” Connor replied, “But not much else”
He put his arm around her torso, careful to keep it on her clothes, as he led them into the Hyperion. Angel followed after them, a small smile on his face. He was happy that his son was happy with Gwen, even if there were a few problems due to her electric nature. They had started dating several months after LA went to Hell and had a strong, happy relationship. Angel only wished his relationships had been happy instead of constantly being painful. His heart sank a little as he thought about Cordelia. She had been dead for the last four years, but he still thought about her. If only she was here right now. She could hear his heart beat and ecstatic for him
Not long after taking down the Circle of the Black Thorn, the Senior Partners had sought to deprive Angel of his strength and immortality, succeeding in turning him into a human. Angel had been keeping up appearances as a vampire with spells used to augment his strength, while Wesley searched for a way to restore his vampirism. Apart from him, the only ones who knew about Angel’s condition were Spike, Connor and Illyria. Angel sighed. Today had been just another day in Los Angeles
“So, where are we going?” Sam asked
“Ah, just anywhere. Nothing coming to mind just yet,” Dean said
“Maybe we can call Bobby. See if he’s got anything for us”
“Nah. I don’t want to bother the guy. Besides, I think we need a little break after dealing with those witches”
“Lucky Ruby was there to save you,” Sam said
“Yeah, lucky,” Dean muttered
“Are you feeling okay?”
“What do you mean, I’m feeling okay? I’m always okay”
“Not always”
“Oh no. We’re not gonna have one of those ‘let it out and feel better’ talks”
“Who said I was gonna do that?” Sam asked
“Look, Sam, I’m-”
Dean braked suddenly when a bright light had abruptly appeared. The Impala slid through the light, as Dean pulled over and got out, grabbing his pistol. Sam did the same, joining his brother as they headed slowly towards the light
“What is it?” Sam asked
“How am I suppose to know? It just appeared”
The light slowly faded away, revealing a woman standing before them. She had tanned skin and brown wavy hair falling around her face, sitting just above her shoulders. She was wearing completely all-white, as the brothers aimed their handguns at her, but she didn’t seem fazed at all
“Okay, who are you and how’d you do that?” Dean asked
“My name is Cordelia Chase and I am a Power That Be”
“Power That Be what?” Sam asked
“Power That Be. Cosmic forces of good who watch over the world and protect the innocent through champions,” Cordelia answered, “I’m here to help you guys out”
“Sounds appealing, but we’re not interested, thanks,” Dean said
“I’m gonna help you with your contract, Dean”
“How do you know my name?”
“I’m a Power That Be. We know a lot of things. Like for example, the person who holds your contract and where they are”
“Are you serious?” Sam asked
“Does it look like I’m joking?” Cordelia asked
“Um…no, I guess not”
“Good. Now listen up”
“Okay, we’re listening,” Dean said, “What are you gonna tell us?”
“The person who holds your contract, well, it’s a demon,” Cordelia said
“Yeah, we kinda figured that,” Sam said
“Was I finished?”
“No, I don’t think so”
“Good. Now I’ll continue. The demon is called Lilith and she’s residing in a little place called Cleveland”
“Cleveland’s not little,” Dean said
“Ah, who cares about that? The point is, Lilith is there in Cleveland, seeking to open the Hellmouth and she holds your contract”
“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Sam asked
“You don’t,” Cordelia said, “But if I were you, Sam, would I pass up an opportunity to save Dean from his contract? Be warned, Lilith is very powerful and dangerous”
“What’s this Hellmouth you said about?” Dean asked
“A gateway to all things nasty. I tell you, it wasn’t fun living on one of those. Now, if I were you, I’d get my ass over to Cleveland and take on Lilith”
“Gee, thanks for the tip. Come on, Sam”
Cordelia was enveloped by a bright light and disappeared, as Dean and Sam headed back to the Impala, getting in and strapping their seatbelts
“You think she’s telling the truth?” Sam asked
“I’m not too sure about it. I mean, chick appears out of nowhere and tells us how to get me out of my contract. Not something you can trust”
“Yeah, but she doesn’t seem like she was lying. I think she was being honest”
“So, let me guess, you want to see if this is true?”
“Yeah, why not?”
“Just don’t cry on me if it turns out to be a big fat lie”
“I’m not gonna cry”
“Whatever”
Dean fired up the Impala and took off onto the road
Faith sat on the edge of the building, slowly smoking her cigarette. She was still based in Cleveland following the whole Lady Savidge incident. Giles was living in England still, often giving her orders from there via phone or Robin Wood. Apart from them, she was cut off from everyone else. No doubt Buffy had told everyone about their last fight, during which Faith had nearly drowned her. Oh well, not that it mattered much to her. It was Buffy’s loss, really. She had been quick to jump to conclusions, as always, instead of hearing Faith’s side of the story
Stubbing her cigarette out, Faith flicked the butt away and got up, stretching, before jumping off the small building. She landed without fail and walked off, hands in her jacket pockets, as she continued thinking about the last few weeks. It was when she reached the end of the street she got the feeling she was being followed. Without looking over her shoulder, she headed down a small street. Yep, about three men were following her. Faith gave no sign she had noticed the men, as they quickened their pace. She slowed hers down, as the men caught up to her and surrounded her
“What can I do for you boys?” she asked coolly
“Scream for us,” one of them answered
His face morphed into a vampire’s, as did the other two. Faith chuckled to herself as she scanned each vampire, already planning out her attack method
“You boys have no idea who you’re messing with, do you?”
“Huh?”
Faith punched the vampire in front, driving her elbow back into the face of the second vampire, as the third vampire struck her. She drove her elbow into his ribs, then grabbed him by his shirt and threw him into the path of the first vampire, taking them both down. The second vamp got to his feet, as Faith punched him, kicking him against the wall and taking a stake out of her jacket. The vampire punched, but Faith blocked and turned him to dust, before whirling around and ducking a vampire’s punch, landing her fist into his stomach and throwing him back
The other vampire kicked at Faith, as she blocked and stepped aside. The first vampire got to his feet, as Faith staked him, before ducking under the vampire’s leaping spin kick. She punched him in the face, following up with a blow to the stomach. The vampire snarled and struck Faith, grabbing her by the neck and throwing her into the wall, before running her across the street and slamming her on top of a Dumpster. Faith kicked the vampire in the face, before rolling off the Dumpster and blocking his punch, striking him on the chin, then grabbing his head and slamming his face onto her knee. The vampire stumbled back, but swing his fist, as Faith blocked, slammed him against the Dumpster and staked him
“There, I feel much better now,” she said as he turned to dust
“Is that so?”
Faith whirled around to see a man standing behind her. Well, it was kinda hard to tell with the fact that he was wearing a mask. At least he was human, or close to human. He also wore a dark brown trench coat over a faded gold armour plating that had a symbol carved on it
“Who the hell are you?” Faith asked
“I am Twilight”
“Are you an escapee from the circus?”
“No, I am not. I am here to give you a warning”
“And what kind of warning is that?”
Twilight didn’t answer. Instead, he struck Faith across the face and she crashed against the Dumpster, putting a large dent in it. Faith sat up, wiping blood away from her lip, as Twilight clasped his hands together
“Damn, what the hell are you?” Faith asked as she got to her feet
“Would you like to find out?”
Twilight got into a stance, as Faith grinned and did the same
“Is Angel asleep?” Spike asked
“Yeah, he is,” Connor answered, “He’s had a tough day”
“Killing demons and vampires? Saving people? Being a champion? I can see his point”
He grabbed a sword out of the weapons cabinet, as well as a few stakes, as Connor joined him, also arming himself
“Well then, let’s get going,” Spike said, “I’m itching for a fight”
They headed out of the hotel, as Gwen watched them go. She had just checked on Angel, seeing that he was sleeping peacefully. For the last few nights he had been having nightmares, which usually required someone to check on him every now and again. After watching Connor go, Gwen headed back upstairs, going out onto the rooftop where she came across Illyria
“Anything?” she asked
“It is the same as it was earlier,” Illyria replied, “It is quiet. I don’t like it”
“Nothing wrong with a bit of quiet,” Gwen said, “I don’t mind it”
Illyria looked down at the street, seeing Spike and Connor walking along, chatting to each other while on the lookout for any nasties. Over the last few years, she had come to find herself caring for Spike, tending to his injuries that he suffered in battle. The feelings she had for Spike came as a surprise to her, but she refused to indulge them, not wanting to tell Spike in case he rejected her. Their friendship was something she held dear and she didn’t want to risk it
“Incoming at four o’clock,” Gwen said, “Looks like vamps”
She and Illyria headed back into the hotel, as a gunshot rang out. They reached the lobby, where Wesley was blasting vampires apart with his shotgun. Dust covered the floor, as a vampire knocked the shotgun from his hands and threw him over the counter. Gwen kicked a vampire in the chest, as Illyria backhanded another vamp
“Where’s Angel?” Gunn asked
“Not here,” Gwen replied, “Sorry you wasted your time”
Spike and Connor showed up, having heard the gunshots and began battling against the vampires. Gunn snarled and grabbed Connor, throwing him across the lobby, before kicking Spike through the glass doors
“You looking for me, Charles?”
Gunn whirled around to see Angel standing at the top of the stairs, wearing nothing but a pair of track pants and his robe, as he came down the stairs
“You couldn’t have phoned ahead? We could have made reservations”
“You’re going to die”
“Like I haven’t heard that before”
Before either of them could do anything, a bright white light appeared, incinerating the vampires. Gunn growled and ran outside, as Spike walked back in and was blinded by the light. It slowly faded away, as Angel’s jaw dropped
“Cordelia?”
“Faith, wake up”
Faith groaned and slowly opened her eyes, seeing Robin Wood leaning over her. She pushed him away and sat up, pain shooting through her body and making her curse her movement, as Wood sat on the bed beside her
“How are you feeling?”
“What the hell happened to me?”
“I don’t know, apart from the fact you had the crap beaten out of you. A few of my girls found you lying in a backstreet, unconscious and bleeding. Lucky for you it wasn’t a couple of vamps that found you”
Faith frowned, trying to remember what had happened. She remembered fighting and killing three vampires, before fighting against some guy who was really strong. Must have been, otherwise she wouldn’t have been beaten bloody unconscious. What was his name? It started with a T. Tyke…Taylor…Thomas…?
“So, how are you feeling?” Wood asked
“Like I got ran over by a freight train about ten times,” Faith answered, “How long was I out for?”
“Best guess…a few hours or more”
“I need to use a shower”
“Right that way”
Faith slowly got to her feet, ignoring the pain in her body and shrugging off Wood’s help, before walking gingerly into the bathroom and locking the door behind her. She carefully got undressed and got into the shower, turning it on and letting the hot water wash over her, making her feel all the more better, while trying to figure out the name of the person who had bested her in combat
“Cordelia?” Angel said in surprise, walking towards her, “What…how…huh?”
“Hey, Angel,” Cordelia said with a smile, “Unfortunately, I can’t stay long”
“No, don’t tell me that,” he said pleadingly
“Okay, I’ll tell you something else instead. There is evil rising in Cleveland. A powerful demon by the name of Lilith. You must stop her”
“Love to, but we can’t,” Spike said, “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in hell”
“I can get you out,” Cordelia said, “I can get you out of hell”
“But we have to stay here,” Connor said, “We can’t let LA fall”
Cordelia gave him a small smile. She had always seen Connor as her own son, largely ignoring the part of her life when Jasmine took over her body. She was happy that he was now fighting alongside his father without any anger towards him. He was even becoming more like Angel every day
“Los Angeles can’t fall any further than it already has,” Cordelia said, “You are needed in Cleveland. There are two guys called Sam and Dean Winchester. They’re demon hunters and they will need your help there”
“But, Cordy-” Angel started
“No buts, Angel. Get ready to leave within half an hour. I will open a gateway to Cleveland, but you must hurry. I won’t be able to hold it open for long”
“Cordy”
“I’ll be watching over you”
She faded away, as Angel turned to the others
“You heard her. Let’s get ready. Gwen, go get Nina and Lorne. We’re gonna need them. Come on guys”
He headed upstairs, as Spike watched him go
“I guess it wouldn’t have been easy, seeing her like that”
“He cared for her,” Connor said, “More than anything. Come on”
He joined Spike by the weapons cabinet, as they took whatever they could. Upstairs, Angel got dressed, staring at the photographs of Cordelia in his closet. He touched one of her smiling her million-dollar smile, before sighing and heading downstairs, fingering the ring on his left ring finger. To the outside, it was a simple gold band, but on the inside, it had Cordelia’s name engraved on it. He had placed a similar ring with his name on it on Cordelia shortly before she was buried
“We ready to go?” he asked
“Yeah. Just gotta wait for Gwen to return,” Spike replied
Angel nodded and headed out into the courtyard, before placing two fingers in his mouth and letting out a sharp whistle. A minute later, a large dragon landed before him, bowing its head. Angel smiled, patting its head
“We’re gonna go somewhere different,” Angel said
Ten minutes passed before Gwen returned with Nina, Lorne and the Groosalugg
“Tell me this, Angel-cakes, where are we going?” Lorne asked
“Cleveland. There’s some big powerful demon there and we need to stop her”
“And who told you this?”
Angel remained silent. Lorne decided not to press it, as Spike, Connor, Wesley and Illyria joined them outside. Another fifteen minutes passed until a large blue portal opened up. Angel climbed up onto the dragon’s back
“Alright, let’s go”
One by one, they all went through the portal
“Anything on Twilight?” Buffy asked
“Got nothing at all,” Xander answered, “It’s like this guy doesn’t exist”
“Well there’s got to be something”
“Buff, we couldn’t get anything on the symbol. How are we gonna get anything on the owner?”
“Okay, you’ve got a point”
“No luck with the Twilight researching?” Willow asked, coming into the room
“Zip, zilch, nope, nada, the big goose egg,” Xander said
“Maybe I can help”
The trio whirled around to see Cordelia standing in the doorway. Buffy motioned to the several slayers who had gotten up to stand down, as Cordelia walked towards them
“Uh, Cordelia, what are you doing here?” Xander asked, “Last I heard, you were in Los Angeles”
“So Angel didn’t tell you? Figures. That sounds just like him”
“What didn’t Angel tell us?” Buffy asked
“Oh, I’m dead,” Cordelia answered, “I’m just an astral projection and I’ve come bearing a message for you guys”
“We’re all ears,” Willow said
“This Twilight guy? You can find him in Cleveland. He’s there with a powerful demon called Lilith and they’re planning to unleash Hell onto Earth”
“Lilith? Who’s that?”
“Powerful demon…duh. So if you want to stop this upcoming apocalypse they’re planning, I suggest you head over there”
“Great, not only we have Twilight to deal with, but also this Lilith character,” Buffy said, “Willow, see what you can find on her”
“On it”
“No time for that,” Cordelia said, “You need to head over to Cleveland ASAP”
“Thanks for the update, Cordelia. We’ll get onto it”
“Yeah, you better, cause if you don’t stop her, well, I guess I don’t have to tell you”
“Yep, end of the world. Got it. Thanks”
“Don’t mention it”
Cordelia disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared. Xander turned to Willow
“Wow. I guess we have to listen to former Queen C and check this out”
“How do we know if that really was Cordelia?” Buffy said, “Like she said, she’s dead. She can’t contact us if she’s dead. It’s a trick”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Willow said, pointing at a computer screen, “I think Cordelia was telling the truth. There is darkness growing there in Cleveland”
“Okay, Cleveland it is. Let’s go”
The Impala rumbled to a stop outside the motel, as Dean and Sam got out and looked around
“So, Cleveland huh? Haven’t been here in years,” Dean said
“Why was that again?” Sam asked
“Dad was tracking some powerful spirit. It was moving from town to town, feasting on virgin girls. Just some ghost of a psycho killer. Dad put it out of its misery”
“Right. Flash forward to now and we’ve got powerful demons”
“Oh yeah. There is no rest for the wicked”
Dean led the way to the reception desk, booking a room for two, before unloading the car and heading to their respective room
“Nice place,” Dean said, “Shotgun the shower”
“Yeah, whatever,” Sam said, “I’m gonna do some research”
He unpacked his laptop and loaded it up, as Dean headed into the bathroom
“Why the hell did you bring the dragon?” Spike asked, “Where the bloody hell are we gonna hide a dragon?”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure there are places where Alexion can hide”
“Alex what?”
“Alexion. That’s the name I gave it”
“Right. Just hide it. We need to find a place to stay before I charbroil in the sunlight. Which will appear in about three hours”
Angel whispered something to the dragon and it took off into the sky, disappearing from sight. The group then started walking along the streets of Cleveland, noticing that there weren’t many people about. Angel shrugged it off, taking the gang to a nearby motel and booking out a few rooms
“Hey, check out the car over there,” Spike said, “Very nice. 67 Chevrolet Impala”
“Ooh, they’re very nice, aren’t they?” Gwen asked
“Sure are. I used to own one. Until I smashed it racing against a Grappler demon. God, I’ll never live that one down”
He went into one of the rooms with Connor and Angel, as Gwen, Nina and Illyria went into another and Lorne went with the Groosalugg and Wesley into a third room
“Okay, first things first,” Angel said, “We need to get out onto the streets and find out about this Lilith character. Could’ve made some early waves, I don’t know. The sooner we know about her, the better”
“Consider it done,” Spike said, “Once I have a sleep and it’s not fatal outside”
“Figures. Connor, you and I will head out tomorrow, make some contacts”
“Sure. No problem”
“Okay. I think we can rest now”
“How about that?” Sam said
“How about what?” Dean asked
“It says here that Cleveland is built upon a Hellmouth”
“And what in hell is that?”
“A focus point of mystic energy. Evil entities are drawn to it and opening one can unleash hell on the world, hence the name”
“Oh perfect. More bad crap than we need”
“Which is what Lilith would be here for. You know, I think we should go out and head into the demon underworld”
Dean simply raised an eyebrow at him
“Well, there would be a whole world of demons here,” Sam said, “Maybe we could check out a few places where demons would hang and get some information”
“Information from demons? You want to go around asking demons for help?” Dean asked, “At what point did you lose your mind?”
“Not all demons are evil”
“Yeah, because Ruby is so full of goodness”
“This isn’t about Ruby”
“Yes it is. Demons are evil, Sam, black and white. There’s no grey when it comes to demons. You can’t trust them. Pure and simple”
“Maybe they could lead us to Lilith”
“You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” Dean asked, “Not gonna repeat myself, cause I know you won’t listen”
He sat down at the kitchen table, going over the firearms and checking for ammunition, as Sam closed his laptop and got to his feet
“Where are you going?” Dean asked
“Out. I need the fresh air”
“You’re gonna go and try to find some demons, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not. I really need the fresh air”
“Whatever. Don’t be too long”
He turned back to his inventory, as Sam left the motel room
“Welcome to Cleveland. Hope you enjoy your stay,” said the announcer
“Yeah, whatever,” Buffy said
She got onto a taxi van, as Willow, Xander, Renee, Satsu and several other slayers joined them
“The nearest motel thanks,” Xander said
“No problem,” said the driver
He took off from the airport, heading towards the nearest motel, as Buffy stared out the window, watching the city go by. It was a ten-minute drive to the nearest motel, where they booked out a few rooms and began unpacking their bags. Buffy placed the scythe next to her bed, as well as a dagger under her pillow
“Gee, what have you got to fear that you need a knife under your pillow?” Xander asked
“It’s not fear, just precaution”
“Uh-huh”
“Okay, once we’re settled in, we need to hit the streets. Get some info on Twilight and Lilith. Let’s hit all the local demon dives”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Willow agreed
“I’ll repeat. Wears a mask, really strong, can fly, goes by the name of Twilight,” Faith said, “Does that ring a bell?”
“No, no bell ringing at all,” the demon protested
“You’re wasting your time,” Wood said, “He’s not gonna talk”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m wasting my time,” Faith agreed
She slammed the demon’s face onto the bar, getting a squeak of pain out of him
“Okay, okay. There’s a demon named Mica. He might know more about this Twilight guy you’re looking for”
“Where can we find Mica?” Wood asked
“He hangs out at a dive on the Flats, uh, called the Purple Mermaid”
“Thanks,” Faith said
For good measure, she smacked the demon’s face into the bar again, before walking out of the bar with Wood trailing after her
Sam lit the candle and stood up, waiting patiently. A few minutes passed as he felt a small breeze and turned around, seeing Ruby standing there, a smile on her face
“It’s called a phone”
“Don’t have your number”
“Cute. Summoning me so you can ask for my number”
“Not here for your number. I need some help. About a demon called Lilith”
“Oh damn, Sam, you would want to avoid her. She’s bad news”
“She holds the contract on Dean’s soul”
“How did you find that out?”
“Had some help. But we need more. I need to find her”
“Well, I could point you in the direction of some guys who might know her. They’re in town too, so that’s quite helpful”
She withdrew a small list from her jacket and handed it to Sam
“Usually kept it on me in case I need to talk to one of those guys. You might find some use out of it. But I’m warning you, Sam, stay away from Lilith. She can and will kill you with a simple thought”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Sam said, “Thanks for this”
“No problem. Just…be careful, alright?”
“I will”
He headed off, as Ruby watched him go
“Yo, is there a guy by the name of Mica here?” Faith called
Most of the demonic occupants shied away from the Slayer as she moved about the pub, searching for Mica, Wood not far behind, loaded crossbow in hands
“I’m Mica. What do you want?” called a Polgara demon
“We got told that you would some info on a guy called Twilight,” Faith answered
“Really? Well, it’s a shame you wasted your time. I don’t divulge to humans”
About six vampires arrived, standing by Mica, as Wood noticed that a few demons were starting to rise up from their chairs, all growling menacingly
“Ah, I’ve had worse odds than this,” Faith said
She grabbed a nearby chair, throwing it at Mica, as a demon charged at her. She kicked him in the chest, throwing him onto a table and upsetting the occupants, as they got up and snarled at her. Faith gave a small smile, before driving her elbow back into a vampire’s face, as Wood fired a bolt into a vampire, dusting him. Two long skewers shot out of Mica’s forearms, as he lashed out at Faith. She dodged the skewer and kneed him in the stomach, before throwing him into the path of two demons
“What the hell is going on here?” Buffy asked, walking into the bar
“Seems like a fight is happening and Faith is at the centre of it,” Xander answered
“Slayer,” a vampire snarled
He swung his fist, but she staked him before the punch connected. Xander ducked a flying mug of beer, as Willow conjured up a small shield to deflect a table thrown at her. Buffy moved through the fighting demons, heading towards Faith and pulling her away from a vampire
“What the?”
Faith lashed out, as Buffy blocked and shoved her towards the bar. Faith caught herself and started chuckling when she saw it was Buffy. The vampires and demons had stopped fighting now that there were two Slayers in the pub
“What brings you to Cleveland?” Faith asked
“Apocalypse?”
“Really? Well, go find your own apocalypse. There should be one in the next town”
“I’m not playing games, Faith”
“Neither am I, B. But this is my town, alright. You have no right to just barge in and think you own the place”
“So tell me, who made your face look prettier?”
“Oh, you are one step away, B”
The pub door opened, as Sam walked in. He looked around the place, seeing all the smashed up tables and defeated demons, raising an eyebrow as he headed towards the bar. Faith looked him up and down, before shrugging it off, as Buffy stepped back
“I’m looking for a guy called Mica,” Sam asked the barkeeper
“I think that’s him over there,” Faith said, pointing him out
Mica growled at his helpers, before giving Faith a glare and heading towards the door. That’s when Angel walked in, flanked by Wesley, Connor and Gwen, shoving Mica back onto a chair
“Angel?” Faith and Buffy said at the same time, “Wesley?”
“Oh, you guys are here as well?” Angel said, “I thought we were the only guys”
“What the hell is this?” Faith asked, “It must be some big apocalypse for all you lot to come waltzing in here”
“Who are you?” Buffy asked Sam, looking him up an down
“I’m Sam Winchester”
“Sam Winchester?” Angel perked up, “Do you have a brother named Dean?”
“Yeah, I do. Why?”
“We’re here to help you guys”
“With what?”
“With this Lilith character you’re looking to bring down. Cordelia sent us”
“Uh…thanks”
“Okay, I got a better idea,” Faith said, “Let’s get the hell out of here and have this discussion somewhere else, say, more private”
She moved towards the door, grabbing Mica by the ear on the way out. Angel and Buffy shared a look before following after Faith, as Sam, Wood, Wesley, Connor and Gwen joined them, where Faith was busy interrogating Mica
“Okay, start squawking. What do you know about Twilight?”
“Twilight who?”
Faith struck him with his elbow
“I repeat. What do you know about Twilight?”
“Twilight? Oh him. Well, he’s-”
An arrow had suddenly appeared in Mica’s neck. Faith followed the flight and saw someone taking off into the skies. She dropped the body, as Buffy came over to her
“I’m guessing he was just about to talk?”
“Yeah, he was. Come on, we can trade notes at my place”
“Must have been a long walk for a lot of fresh air,” Dean said sometime later when Sam arrived back at their room, “Cause we have such an absence of fresh air”
“Sorry, I went places”
“Let me guess, you went to a demon pub”
“Yeah, I did”
“You never were good at listening, were you?”
“Only when it mattered. Look, we have allies here. a group of people here to help us fight and defeat Lilith”
“Really? And who are these people?”
“A few Slayers, mainly Buffy and Faith, uh a guy called Angel-”
“What, did you say Faith?” Dean asked, “As in Faith Lehane?”
“She never said her last name,” Sam replied, “But she’s a slayer”
“Oh crap,” Dean muttered
“What? Oh…is there something between you and Faith?”
Dean raised an eyebrow at his younger brother
“Anything else you want to tell me?”
“Yeah, Lilith’s not alone. She’s got some guy called Twilight on her side. He’s really strong and is able to fly. And he’s beaten Buffy and Faith on separate occasions?”
“Twilight? Man, they really do come up with some lame-ass bad-ass names”
“So, I’m gonna head over there later and get some more info. There’s gonna be a big group meeting. Wanna come? You can meet Faith again”
Dean shot him a glare, as he chuckled and jumped onto his bed with his laptop
Gunn stood on a building watching over the streets of Cleveland. When Cordelia appeared, he had hid himself, listening to her message. When Team Angel went through the portal, he followed after them, quickly hiding from them as quickly as he could. It wasn’t time yet to kill Angel. Now all he had to do was build his gang up again without attracting any unwanted attention and wait for the right time to strike
“Enjoying the view?”
Gunn whirled around, letting out a warning growl, as Twilight walked towards him
“Who the hell are you?” Gunn asked
“The name is Twilight. You’re Charles Gunn, right?”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, I understand you wish to have revenge on Angel?”
“How do you know that?”
“You were fighting a war against Angel in hell for the past four years. Tends to make some headlines around in hell. My master, for one, caught hold of such a headline”
“I’m taking on Angel by myself. I don’t need your help”
“No? So, you’re gonna take on Angel and his team, as well as about twenty slayers, including Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane?”
“When you put it that way. What you got in mind?”
“My master is making an offer to you. Of course, my master would like something in return, but I think it’s minor”
“What’s the offer, Light Head?”
“Twilight. And what kind of offer do you think it is, Mr Gunn?”
“I’m interested. Where do I sign up?”
“Come with me then”
Chapter 1
“Sweet home Alabama. Where the skies are so blue. Sweet home Alabama. I’ll be coming home to you yeah”
“Yeah, I’ll be coming home to you, yeah,” Dean Winchester sang
His younger brother, Sam, rolled his eyes and leaned his head back, closing his eyes
“Come on, Sammy, sing it with me,” Dean said
“No. I’m going to sleep”
“Spoilsport”
Dean turned the cassette player up, earning a glare from his brother. He simply smiled in return and turned his eyes back to the road. The smile soon faded from his face as he thought about his future…or lack of. In a few months time, he would be dead, dragged kicking and screaming to hell to suffer for all eternity. And after a few centuries, he would end up becoming a demon; very much like the ones he hunts. But as least Sam would get to live. Sam would be able to have a normal life. Not Dean. He had spent too long out on the open road, slaying evil left, right and centre; that the notion of having a normal life seemed like a dream. A dream that would never happened, even if he wanted it. Noticing that Sam was drifting off, Dean turned the radio down, losing himself in his thoughts as he continued driving along the highway
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“How are you feeling?” Xander asked
“Like a mummy,” Buffy replied, “One of the Egyptian kind”
“But apart from that?”
“A little sore. I’ll be fine. I’ll heal”
“You took a nasty beating from this guy, whoever he is”
“I don’t know. When we were fighting, he said a few things, hinting that I know him. But I have no idea who he is. Apart from the fact that he’s very strong and can fly”
“You shouldn’t let that get you down,” Xander said, “You’ll come through with this in the end. You always do”
“This time, I’m not so sure,” Buffy said, “I may not be able to beat this guy”
“Well, I’ve some girls researching about Twilight, see what we can find”
“The girls that are at least still sober, right?”
“Yeah, there are some girls that aren’t as drunk as the others. Dawn for one”
“She’s a giant. Do you have any idea how much she would have to drink?”
“I think ten times more than what Spike used to drink. I’ve noticed how you’re changing the subject”
“I’m not changing the subject,” Buffy said, “Okay, maybe I am. But I’ve got a lot of stuff to deal with. Amy, the army, Dawn, now this Twilight guy”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Xander reassured, “We’ll be fine. We can take some of the load”
Buffy sighed and placed a hand on her bandaged forehead, before looking at her best friend, a small smile appearing on her face
“I wonder if there is anything left downstairs”
“Let’s find out”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Dad, behind you”
Angel whirled around, slicing the demon’s arm off, before running the demon through the chest. It groaned, as Angel removed his sword and kicked the demon down, before clashing blades with another demon and slicing it across the stomach. Connor ducked a demon’s sword and stabbed it through the chest, before whirling around and getting struck in the face with a club. He hit the road hard, kicking the demon in the stomach, before getting up and wiping the blood away from his lip
“That hurt”
The demon growled and swung its club again, but Connor caught its arm and kicked it, before delivering a backhand to its jaw. The demon swung its club, as Connor stepped back, picking up his sword and batting the club away, slicing the demon across the throat. As it gurgled and fell back, Connor helped his father fight off the last of the demons, before wiping his sword clean of blood
“Good job, son,” Angel said, “Come on, let’s head back”
Father and son headed off, as Angel went through his thoughts. It had been four years since he and his friends brought down the Circle of the Black Thorn. Los Angeles had been sent to hell not long after the final battle in the alley and still remained there. It had taken the gang a year to defeat the demon lords that resided in LA, before fighting against Gunn’s army. Much to Angel’s surprise, Gunn had been turned into a vampire, creating an army of vampires and taking over the city. They had been fighting against the army for three years now, with the occasional demon here and there. Angel was desperately trying to find a way to liberate Los Angeles from its hellish void, but to no success so far
“How did things go?” Gwen Raiden asked
“Took out a small group of Cavaar demons,” Connor replied, “But not much else”
He put his arm around her torso, careful to keep it on her clothes, as he led them into the Hyperion. Angel followed after them, a small smile on his face. He was happy that his son was happy with Gwen, even if there were a few problems due to her electric nature. They had started dating several months after LA went to Hell and had a strong, happy relationship. Angel only wished his relationships had been happy instead of constantly being painful. His heart sank a little as he thought about Cordelia. She had been dead for the last four years, but he still thought about her. If only she was here right now. She could hear his heart beat and ecstatic for him
Not long after taking down the Circle of the Black Thorn, the Senior Partners had sought to deprive Angel of his strength and immortality, succeeding in turning him into a human. Angel had been keeping up appearances as a vampire with spells used to augment his strength, while Wesley searched for a way to restore his vampirism. Apart from him, the only ones who knew about Angel’s condition were Spike, Connor and Illyria. Angel sighed. Today had been just another day in Los Angeles
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“So, where are we going?” Sam asked
“Ah, just anywhere. Nothing coming to mind just yet,” Dean said
“Maybe we can call Bobby. See if he’s got anything for us”
“Nah. I don’t want to bother the guy. Besides, I think we need a little break after dealing with those witches”
“Lucky Ruby was there to save you,” Sam said
“Yeah, lucky,” Dean muttered
“Are you feeling okay?”
“What do you mean, I’m feeling okay? I’m always okay”
“Not always”
“Oh no. We’re not gonna have one of those ‘let it out and feel better’ talks”
“Who said I was gonna do that?” Sam asked
“Look, Sam, I’m-”
Dean braked suddenly when a bright light had abruptly appeared. The Impala slid through the light, as Dean pulled over and got out, grabbing his pistol. Sam did the same, joining his brother as they headed slowly towards the light
“What is it?” Sam asked
“How am I suppose to know? It just appeared”
The light slowly faded away, revealing a woman standing before them. She had tanned skin and brown wavy hair falling around her face, sitting just above her shoulders. She was wearing completely all-white, as the brothers aimed their handguns at her, but she didn’t seem fazed at all
“Okay, who are you and how’d you do that?” Dean asked
“My name is Cordelia Chase and I am a Power That Be”
“Power That Be what?” Sam asked
“Power That Be. Cosmic forces of good who watch over the world and protect the innocent through champions,” Cordelia answered, “I’m here to help you guys out”
“Sounds appealing, but we’re not interested, thanks,” Dean said
“I’m gonna help you with your contract, Dean”
“How do you know my name?”
“I’m a Power That Be. We know a lot of things. Like for example, the person who holds your contract and where they are”
“Are you serious?” Sam asked
“Does it look like I’m joking?” Cordelia asked
“Um…no, I guess not”
“Good. Now listen up”
Chapter 2
“Okay, we’re listening,” Dean said, “What are you gonna tell us?”
“The person who holds your contract, well, it’s a demon,” Cordelia said
“Yeah, we kinda figured that,” Sam said
“Was I finished?”
“No, I don’t think so”
“Good. Now I’ll continue. The demon is called Lilith and she’s residing in a little place called Cleveland”
“Cleveland’s not little,” Dean said
“Ah, who cares about that? The point is, Lilith is there in Cleveland, seeking to open the Hellmouth and she holds your contract”
“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Sam asked
“You don’t,” Cordelia said, “But if I were you, Sam, would I pass up an opportunity to save Dean from his contract? Be warned, Lilith is very powerful and dangerous”
“What’s this Hellmouth you said about?” Dean asked
“A gateway to all things nasty. I tell you, it wasn’t fun living on one of those. Now, if I were you, I’d get my ass over to Cleveland and take on Lilith”
“Gee, thanks for the tip. Come on, Sam”
Cordelia was enveloped by a bright light and disappeared, as Dean and Sam headed back to the Impala, getting in and strapping their seatbelts
“You think she’s telling the truth?” Sam asked
“I’m not too sure about it. I mean, chick appears out of nowhere and tells us how to get me out of my contract. Not something you can trust”
“Yeah, but she doesn’t seem like she was lying. I think she was being honest”
“So, let me guess, you want to see if this is true?”
“Yeah, why not?”
“Just don’t cry on me if it turns out to be a big fat lie”
“I’m not gonna cry”
“Whatever”
Dean fired up the Impala and took off onto the road
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Faith sat on the edge of the building, slowly smoking her cigarette. She was still based in Cleveland following the whole Lady Savidge incident. Giles was living in England still, often giving her orders from there via phone or Robin Wood. Apart from them, she was cut off from everyone else. No doubt Buffy had told everyone about their last fight, during which Faith had nearly drowned her. Oh well, not that it mattered much to her. It was Buffy’s loss, really. She had been quick to jump to conclusions, as always, instead of hearing Faith’s side of the story
Stubbing her cigarette out, Faith flicked the butt away and got up, stretching, before jumping off the small building. She landed without fail and walked off, hands in her jacket pockets, as she continued thinking about the last few weeks. It was when she reached the end of the street she got the feeling she was being followed. Without looking over her shoulder, she headed down a small street. Yep, about three men were following her. Faith gave no sign she had noticed the men, as they quickened their pace. She slowed hers down, as the men caught up to her and surrounded her
“What can I do for you boys?” she asked coolly
“Scream for us,” one of them answered
His face morphed into a vampire’s, as did the other two. Faith chuckled to herself as she scanned each vampire, already planning out her attack method
“You boys have no idea who you’re messing with, do you?”
“Huh?”
Faith punched the vampire in front, driving her elbow back into the face of the second vampire, as the third vampire struck her. She drove her elbow into his ribs, then grabbed him by his shirt and threw him into the path of the first vampire, taking them both down. The second vamp got to his feet, as Faith punched him, kicking him against the wall and taking a stake out of her jacket. The vampire punched, but Faith blocked and turned him to dust, before whirling around and ducking a vampire’s punch, landing her fist into his stomach and throwing him back
The other vampire kicked at Faith, as she blocked and stepped aside. The first vampire got to his feet, as Faith staked him, before ducking under the vampire’s leaping spin kick. She punched him in the face, following up with a blow to the stomach. The vampire snarled and struck Faith, grabbing her by the neck and throwing her into the wall, before running her across the street and slamming her on top of a Dumpster. Faith kicked the vampire in the face, before rolling off the Dumpster and blocking his punch, striking him on the chin, then grabbing his head and slamming his face onto her knee. The vampire stumbled back, but swing his fist, as Faith blocked, slammed him against the Dumpster and staked him
“There, I feel much better now,” she said as he turned to dust
“Is that so?”
Faith whirled around to see a man standing behind her. Well, it was kinda hard to tell with the fact that he was wearing a mask. At least he was human, or close to human. He also wore a dark brown trench coat over a faded gold armour plating that had a symbol carved on it
“Who the hell are you?” Faith asked
“I am Twilight”
“Are you an escapee from the circus?”
“No, I am not. I am here to give you a warning”
“And what kind of warning is that?”
Twilight didn’t answer. Instead, he struck Faith across the face and she crashed against the Dumpster, putting a large dent in it. Faith sat up, wiping blood away from her lip, as Twilight clasped his hands together
“Damn, what the hell are you?” Faith asked as she got to her feet
“Would you like to find out?”
Twilight got into a stance, as Faith grinned and did the same
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Is Angel asleep?” Spike asked
“Yeah, he is,” Connor answered, “He’s had a tough day”
“Killing demons and vampires? Saving people? Being a champion? I can see his point”
He grabbed a sword out of the weapons cabinet, as well as a few stakes, as Connor joined him, also arming himself
“Well then, let’s get going,” Spike said, “I’m itching for a fight”
They headed out of the hotel, as Gwen watched them go. She had just checked on Angel, seeing that he was sleeping peacefully. For the last few nights he had been having nightmares, which usually required someone to check on him every now and again. After watching Connor go, Gwen headed back upstairs, going out onto the rooftop where she came across Illyria
“Anything?” she asked
“It is the same as it was earlier,” Illyria replied, “It is quiet. I don’t like it”
“Nothing wrong with a bit of quiet,” Gwen said, “I don’t mind it”
Illyria looked down at the street, seeing Spike and Connor walking along, chatting to each other while on the lookout for any nasties. Over the last few years, she had come to find herself caring for Spike, tending to his injuries that he suffered in battle. The feelings she had for Spike came as a surprise to her, but she refused to indulge them, not wanting to tell Spike in case he rejected her. Their friendship was something she held dear and she didn’t want to risk it
“Incoming at four o’clock,” Gwen said, “Looks like vamps”
She and Illyria headed back into the hotel, as a gunshot rang out. They reached the lobby, where Wesley was blasting vampires apart with his shotgun. Dust covered the floor, as a vampire knocked the shotgun from his hands and threw him over the counter. Gwen kicked a vampire in the chest, as Illyria backhanded another vamp
“Where’s Angel?” Gunn asked
“Not here,” Gwen replied, “Sorry you wasted your time”
Spike and Connor showed up, having heard the gunshots and began battling against the vampires. Gunn snarled and grabbed Connor, throwing him across the lobby, before kicking Spike through the glass doors
“You looking for me, Charles?”
Gunn whirled around to see Angel standing at the top of the stairs, wearing nothing but a pair of track pants and his robe, as he came down the stairs
“You couldn’t have phoned ahead? We could have made reservations”
“You’re going to die”
“Like I haven’t heard that before”
Before either of them could do anything, a bright white light appeared, incinerating the vampires. Gunn growled and ran outside, as Spike walked back in and was blinded by the light. It slowly faded away, as Angel’s jaw dropped
“Cordelia?”
Chapter 3
“Faith, wake up”
Faith groaned and slowly opened her eyes, seeing Robin Wood leaning over her. She pushed him away and sat up, pain shooting through her body and making her curse her movement, as Wood sat on the bed beside her
“How are you feeling?”
“What the hell happened to me?”
“I don’t know, apart from the fact you had the crap beaten out of you. A few of my girls found you lying in a backstreet, unconscious and bleeding. Lucky for you it wasn’t a couple of vamps that found you”
Faith frowned, trying to remember what had happened. She remembered fighting and killing three vampires, before fighting against some guy who was really strong. Must have been, otherwise she wouldn’t have been beaten bloody unconscious. What was his name? It started with a T. Tyke…Taylor…Thomas…?
“So, how are you feeling?” Wood asked
“Like I got ran over by a freight train about ten times,” Faith answered, “How long was I out for?”
“Best guess…a few hours or more”
“I need to use a shower”
“Right that way”
Faith slowly got to her feet, ignoring the pain in her body and shrugging off Wood’s help, before walking gingerly into the bathroom and locking the door behind her. She carefully got undressed and got into the shower, turning it on and letting the hot water wash over her, making her feel all the more better, while trying to figure out the name of the person who had bested her in combat
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Cordelia?” Angel said in surprise, walking towards her, “What…how…huh?”
“Hey, Angel,” Cordelia said with a smile, “Unfortunately, I can’t stay long”
“No, don’t tell me that,” he said pleadingly
“Okay, I’ll tell you something else instead. There is evil rising in Cleveland. A powerful demon by the name of Lilith. You must stop her”
“Love to, but we can’t,” Spike said, “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in hell”
“I can get you out,” Cordelia said, “I can get you out of hell”
“But we have to stay here,” Connor said, “We can’t let LA fall”
Cordelia gave him a small smile. She had always seen Connor as her own son, largely ignoring the part of her life when Jasmine took over her body. She was happy that he was now fighting alongside his father without any anger towards him. He was even becoming more like Angel every day
“Los Angeles can’t fall any further than it already has,” Cordelia said, “You are needed in Cleveland. There are two guys called Sam and Dean Winchester. They’re demon hunters and they will need your help there”
“But, Cordy-” Angel started
“No buts, Angel. Get ready to leave within half an hour. I will open a gateway to Cleveland, but you must hurry. I won’t be able to hold it open for long”
“Cordy”
“I’ll be watching over you”
She faded away, as Angel turned to the others
“You heard her. Let’s get ready. Gwen, go get Nina and Lorne. We’re gonna need them. Come on guys”
He headed upstairs, as Spike watched him go
“I guess it wouldn’t have been easy, seeing her like that”
“He cared for her,” Connor said, “More than anything. Come on”
He joined Spike by the weapons cabinet, as they took whatever they could. Upstairs, Angel got dressed, staring at the photographs of Cordelia in his closet. He touched one of her smiling her million-dollar smile, before sighing and heading downstairs, fingering the ring on his left ring finger. To the outside, it was a simple gold band, but on the inside, it had Cordelia’s name engraved on it. He had placed a similar ring with his name on it on Cordelia shortly before she was buried
“We ready to go?” he asked
“Yeah. Just gotta wait for Gwen to return,” Spike replied
Angel nodded and headed out into the courtyard, before placing two fingers in his mouth and letting out a sharp whistle. A minute later, a large dragon landed before him, bowing its head. Angel smiled, patting its head
“We’re gonna go somewhere different,” Angel said
Ten minutes passed before Gwen returned with Nina, Lorne and the Groosalugg
“Tell me this, Angel-cakes, where are we going?” Lorne asked
“Cleveland. There’s some big powerful demon there and we need to stop her”
“And who told you this?”
Angel remained silent. Lorne decided not to press it, as Spike, Connor, Wesley and Illyria joined them outside. Another fifteen minutes passed until a large blue portal opened up. Angel climbed up onto the dragon’s back
“Alright, let’s go”
One by one, they all went through the portal
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Anything on Twilight?” Buffy asked
“Got nothing at all,” Xander answered, “It’s like this guy doesn’t exist”
“Well there’s got to be something”
“Buff, we couldn’t get anything on the symbol. How are we gonna get anything on the owner?”
“Okay, you’ve got a point”
“No luck with the Twilight researching?” Willow asked, coming into the room
“Zip, zilch, nope, nada, the big goose egg,” Xander said
“Maybe I can help”
The trio whirled around to see Cordelia standing in the doorway. Buffy motioned to the several slayers who had gotten up to stand down, as Cordelia walked towards them
“Uh, Cordelia, what are you doing here?” Xander asked, “Last I heard, you were in Los Angeles”
“So Angel didn’t tell you? Figures. That sounds just like him”
“What didn’t Angel tell us?” Buffy asked
“Oh, I’m dead,” Cordelia answered, “I’m just an astral projection and I’ve come bearing a message for you guys”
“We’re all ears,” Willow said
“This Twilight guy? You can find him in Cleveland. He’s there with a powerful demon called Lilith and they’re planning to unleash Hell onto Earth”
“Lilith? Who’s that?”
“Powerful demon…duh. So if you want to stop this upcoming apocalypse they’re planning, I suggest you head over there”
“Great, not only we have Twilight to deal with, but also this Lilith character,” Buffy said, “Willow, see what you can find on her”
“On it”
“No time for that,” Cordelia said, “You need to head over to Cleveland ASAP”
“Thanks for the update, Cordelia. We’ll get onto it”
“Yeah, you better, cause if you don’t stop her, well, I guess I don’t have to tell you”
“Yep, end of the world. Got it. Thanks”
“Don’t mention it”
Cordelia disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared. Xander turned to Willow
“Wow. I guess we have to listen to former Queen C and check this out”
“How do we know if that really was Cordelia?” Buffy said, “Like she said, she’s dead. She can’t contact us if she’s dead. It’s a trick”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Willow said, pointing at a computer screen, “I think Cordelia was telling the truth. There is darkness growing there in Cleveland”
“Okay, Cleveland it is. Let’s go”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The Impala rumbled to a stop outside the motel, as Dean and Sam got out and looked around
“So, Cleveland huh? Haven’t been here in years,” Dean said
“Why was that again?” Sam asked
“Dad was tracking some powerful spirit. It was moving from town to town, feasting on virgin girls. Just some ghost of a psycho killer. Dad put it out of its misery”
“Right. Flash forward to now and we’ve got powerful demons”
“Oh yeah. There is no rest for the wicked”
Dean led the way to the reception desk, booking a room for two, before unloading the car and heading to their respective room
“Nice place,” Dean said, “Shotgun the shower”
“Yeah, whatever,” Sam said, “I’m gonna do some research”
He unpacked his laptop and loaded it up, as Dean headed into the bathroom
Chapter 4
“Why the hell did you bring the dragon?” Spike asked, “Where the bloody hell are we gonna hide a dragon?”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure there are places where Alexion can hide”
“Alex what?”
“Alexion. That’s the name I gave it”
“Right. Just hide it. We need to find a place to stay before I charbroil in the sunlight. Which will appear in about three hours”
Angel whispered something to the dragon and it took off into the sky, disappearing from sight. The group then started walking along the streets of Cleveland, noticing that there weren’t many people about. Angel shrugged it off, taking the gang to a nearby motel and booking out a few rooms
“Hey, check out the car over there,” Spike said, “Very nice. 67 Chevrolet Impala”
“Ooh, they’re very nice, aren’t they?” Gwen asked
“Sure are. I used to own one. Until I smashed it racing against a Grappler demon. God, I’ll never live that one down”
He went into one of the rooms with Connor and Angel, as Gwen, Nina and Illyria went into another and Lorne went with the Groosalugg and Wesley into a third room
“Okay, first things first,” Angel said, “We need to get out onto the streets and find out about this Lilith character. Could’ve made some early waves, I don’t know. The sooner we know about her, the better”
“Consider it done,” Spike said, “Once I have a sleep and it’s not fatal outside”
“Figures. Connor, you and I will head out tomorrow, make some contacts”
“Sure. No problem”
“Okay. I think we can rest now”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“How about that?” Sam said
“How about what?” Dean asked
“It says here that Cleveland is built upon a Hellmouth”
“And what in hell is that?”
“A focus point of mystic energy. Evil entities are drawn to it and opening one can unleash hell on the world, hence the name”
“Oh perfect. More bad crap than we need”
“Which is what Lilith would be here for. You know, I think we should go out and head into the demon underworld”
Dean simply raised an eyebrow at him
“Well, there would be a whole world of demons here,” Sam said, “Maybe we could check out a few places where demons would hang and get some information”
“Information from demons? You want to go around asking demons for help?” Dean asked, “At what point did you lose your mind?”
“Not all demons are evil”
“Yeah, because Ruby is so full of goodness”
“This isn’t about Ruby”
“Yes it is. Demons are evil, Sam, black and white. There’s no grey when it comes to demons. You can’t trust them. Pure and simple”
“Maybe they could lead us to Lilith”
“You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” Dean asked, “Not gonna repeat myself, cause I know you won’t listen”
He sat down at the kitchen table, going over the firearms and checking for ammunition, as Sam closed his laptop and got to his feet
“Where are you going?” Dean asked
“Out. I need the fresh air”
“You’re gonna go and try to find some demons, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not. I really need the fresh air”
“Whatever. Don’t be too long”
He turned back to his inventory, as Sam left the motel room
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Welcome to Cleveland. Hope you enjoy your stay,” said the announcer
“Yeah, whatever,” Buffy said
She got onto a taxi van, as Willow, Xander, Renee, Satsu and several other slayers joined them
“The nearest motel thanks,” Xander said
“No problem,” said the driver
He took off from the airport, heading towards the nearest motel, as Buffy stared out the window, watching the city go by. It was a ten-minute drive to the nearest motel, where they booked out a few rooms and began unpacking their bags. Buffy placed the scythe next to her bed, as well as a dagger under her pillow
“Gee, what have you got to fear that you need a knife under your pillow?” Xander asked
“It’s not fear, just precaution”
“Uh-huh”
“Okay, once we’re settled in, we need to hit the streets. Get some info on Twilight and Lilith. Let’s hit all the local demon dives”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Willow agreed
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“I’ll repeat. Wears a mask, really strong, can fly, goes by the name of Twilight,” Faith said, “Does that ring a bell?”
“No, no bell ringing at all,” the demon protested
“You’re wasting your time,” Wood said, “He’s not gonna talk”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m wasting my time,” Faith agreed
She slammed the demon’s face onto the bar, getting a squeak of pain out of him
“Okay, okay. There’s a demon named Mica. He might know more about this Twilight guy you’re looking for”
“Where can we find Mica?” Wood asked
“He hangs out at a dive on the Flats, uh, called the Purple Mermaid”
“Thanks,” Faith said
For good measure, she smacked the demon’s face into the bar again, before walking out of the bar with Wood trailing after her
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Sam lit the candle and stood up, waiting patiently. A few minutes passed as he felt a small breeze and turned around, seeing Ruby standing there, a smile on her face
“It’s called a phone”
“Don’t have your number”
“Cute. Summoning me so you can ask for my number”
“Not here for your number. I need some help. About a demon called Lilith”
“Oh damn, Sam, you would want to avoid her. She’s bad news”
“She holds the contract on Dean’s soul”
“How did you find that out?”
“Had some help. But we need more. I need to find her”
“Well, I could point you in the direction of some guys who might know her. They’re in town too, so that’s quite helpful”
She withdrew a small list from her jacket and handed it to Sam
“Usually kept it on me in case I need to talk to one of those guys. You might find some use out of it. But I’m warning you, Sam, stay away from Lilith. She can and will kill you with a simple thought”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Sam said, “Thanks for this”
“No problem. Just…be careful, alright?”
“I will”
He headed off, as Ruby watched him go
Chapter 5
“Yo, is there a guy by the name of Mica here?” Faith called
Most of the demonic occupants shied away from the Slayer as she moved about the pub, searching for Mica, Wood not far behind, loaded crossbow in hands
“I’m Mica. What do you want?” called a Polgara demon
“We got told that you would some info on a guy called Twilight,” Faith answered
“Really? Well, it’s a shame you wasted your time. I don’t divulge to humans”
About six vampires arrived, standing by Mica, as Wood noticed that a few demons were starting to rise up from their chairs, all growling menacingly
“Ah, I’ve had worse odds than this,” Faith said
She grabbed a nearby chair, throwing it at Mica, as a demon charged at her. She kicked him in the chest, throwing him onto a table and upsetting the occupants, as they got up and snarled at her. Faith gave a small smile, before driving her elbow back into a vampire’s face, as Wood fired a bolt into a vampire, dusting him. Two long skewers shot out of Mica’s forearms, as he lashed out at Faith. She dodged the skewer and kneed him in the stomach, before throwing him into the path of two demons
“What the hell is going on here?” Buffy asked, walking into the bar
“Seems like a fight is happening and Faith is at the centre of it,” Xander answered
“Slayer,” a vampire snarled
He swung his fist, but she staked him before the punch connected. Xander ducked a flying mug of beer, as Willow conjured up a small shield to deflect a table thrown at her. Buffy moved through the fighting demons, heading towards Faith and pulling her away from a vampire
“What the?”
Faith lashed out, as Buffy blocked and shoved her towards the bar. Faith caught herself and started chuckling when she saw it was Buffy. The vampires and demons had stopped fighting now that there were two Slayers in the pub
“What brings you to Cleveland?” Faith asked
“Apocalypse?”
“Really? Well, go find your own apocalypse. There should be one in the next town”
“I’m not playing games, Faith”
“Neither am I, B. But this is my town, alright. You have no right to just barge in and think you own the place”
“So tell me, who made your face look prettier?”
“Oh, you are one step away, B”
The pub door opened, as Sam walked in. He looked around the place, seeing all the smashed up tables and defeated demons, raising an eyebrow as he headed towards the bar. Faith looked him up and down, before shrugging it off, as Buffy stepped back
“I’m looking for a guy called Mica,” Sam asked the barkeeper
“I think that’s him over there,” Faith said, pointing him out
Mica growled at his helpers, before giving Faith a glare and heading towards the door. That’s when Angel walked in, flanked by Wesley, Connor and Gwen, shoving Mica back onto a chair
“Angel?” Faith and Buffy said at the same time, “Wesley?”
“Oh, you guys are here as well?” Angel said, “I thought we were the only guys”
“What the hell is this?” Faith asked, “It must be some big apocalypse for all you lot to come waltzing in here”
“Who are you?” Buffy asked Sam, looking him up an down
“I’m Sam Winchester”
“Sam Winchester?” Angel perked up, “Do you have a brother named Dean?”
“Yeah, I do. Why?”
“We’re here to help you guys”
“With what?”
“With this Lilith character you’re looking to bring down. Cordelia sent us”
“Uh…thanks”
“Okay, I got a better idea,” Faith said, “Let’s get the hell out of here and have this discussion somewhere else, say, more private”
She moved towards the door, grabbing Mica by the ear on the way out. Angel and Buffy shared a look before following after Faith, as Sam, Wood, Wesley, Connor and Gwen joined them, where Faith was busy interrogating Mica
“Okay, start squawking. What do you know about Twilight?”
“Twilight who?”
Faith struck him with his elbow
“I repeat. What do you know about Twilight?”
“Twilight? Oh him. Well, he’s-”
An arrow had suddenly appeared in Mica’s neck. Faith followed the flight and saw someone taking off into the skies. She dropped the body, as Buffy came over to her
“I’m guessing he was just about to talk?”
“Yeah, he was. Come on, we can trade notes at my place”
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“Must have been a long walk for a lot of fresh air,” Dean said sometime later when Sam arrived back at their room, “Cause we have such an absence of fresh air”
“Sorry, I went places”
“Let me guess, you went to a demon pub”
“Yeah, I did”
“You never were good at listening, were you?”
“Only when it mattered. Look, we have allies here. a group of people here to help us fight and defeat Lilith”
“Really? And who are these people?”
“A few Slayers, mainly Buffy and Faith, uh a guy called Angel-”
“What, did you say Faith?” Dean asked, “As in Faith Lehane?”
“She never said her last name,” Sam replied, “But she’s a slayer”
“Oh crap,” Dean muttered
“What? Oh…is there something between you and Faith?”
Dean raised an eyebrow at his younger brother
“Anything else you want to tell me?”
“Yeah, Lilith’s not alone. She’s got some guy called Twilight on her side. He’s really strong and is able to fly. And he’s beaten Buffy and Faith on separate occasions?”
“Twilight? Man, they really do come up with some lame-ass bad-ass names”
“So, I’m gonna head over there later and get some more info. There’s gonna be a big group meeting. Wanna come? You can meet Faith again”
Dean shot him a glare, as he chuckled and jumped onto his bed with his laptop
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Gunn stood on a building watching over the streets of Cleveland. When Cordelia appeared, he had hid himself, listening to her message. When Team Angel went through the portal, he followed after them, quickly hiding from them as quickly as he could. It wasn’t time yet to kill Angel. Now all he had to do was build his gang up again without attracting any unwanted attention and wait for the right time to strike
“Enjoying the view?”
Gunn whirled around, letting out a warning growl, as Twilight walked towards him
“Who the hell are you?” Gunn asked
“The name is Twilight. You’re Charles Gunn, right?”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, I understand you wish to have revenge on Angel?”
“How do you know that?”
“You were fighting a war against Angel in hell for the past four years. Tends to make some headlines around in hell. My master, for one, caught hold of such a headline”
“I’m taking on Angel by myself. I don’t need your help”
“No? So, you’re gonna take on Angel and his team, as well as about twenty slayers, including Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane?”
“When you put it that way. What you got in mind?”
“My master is making an offer to you. Of course, my master would like something in return, but I think it’s minor”
“What’s the offer, Light Head?”
“Twilight. And what kind of offer do you think it is, Mr Gunn?”
“I’m interested. Where do I sign up?”
“Come with me then”
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