Apr 6th 2018 - 4:24 PM

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Angel groaned, gingerly used his fingers to explore a lump at the back of his head, then groaned again.  But Kat did that healing thing, and it was quickly all better.  “Thanks.  Vampires heal fast, but you’ve definitely got the magic fingers going there.”  He realized a moment after saying it that magic fingers also refers to that vibrating bed thing.  Too late now. 

“Cordelia?”  Angel looked around.  Yeah she was gone.  “I’m wondering whether she was ever really here.  It seems likely she was just a conjuring by Parker or Victoria, something to throw us off.”  He’d like to think otherwise, but having Cordy back just seemed too good to be true. 

Kat suggested they regroup with the others.  Without having a way to track Victoria and Parker, that seemed like a reasonable plan.  When they got back out onto the street, Angel stopped for a moment.  “Give me a minute.”  He used his vampire sense of smell to try to zoom in on Buffy, to determine at least which way they might have gone.  His nose was at work like a good hound dog.  But it was for naught.  “I can’t pick her up.”  He shook his head, disheartened.  “She’s just gone.”  So they took Angel’s black GTX back towards Westy’s Bar and Grill.  While driving, Angel fumbled with his cell phone and called Wesley again.  The ex-watcher picked up after the second ring. 

“Yeah, we found them at Parker’s mansion.  But it didn’t go as well as I would’ve liked.  They got away.  If I had to guess, I’d say they got in a car and drove.  If we don’t find them ASAP they could soon be miles and miles away.”  They might even drive to an airport, catch a flight out of the country.  Who knows?  “Wes, what do we know about this Victoria person?  Can you do some research on her?  Who was she?  Did she have powers?  We know a lot about Parker, some about this Catherine Ardoin who’s inside Rachel, but next to nothing about Victoria.”  He listened as Wesley responded.  “Yeah, ok, we’ll be at the bar in a few minutes.”  Angel ended the call and slipped the cell phone back into a duster pocket.

Kat and Angel Move to Part 2

Apr 5th 2018 - 11:42 AM

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Buffy was trying hard to fight, she could feel Angel's arms around her and hear him calling to her. She was trying hard, and the fighting between her and Victoria was making her appear lost and confused. Neither was fully in control of the body and the fighting inside for control was getting to a point where Buffy was starting to doubt she would ever be able to have full control again and that terrified her. 

Apr 3rd 2018 - 7:00 PM

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She opened her eyes. Her head was throbbing. There was blood in her hair. The spirits had hit her hard. Awesome. She wasn’t capable of self-healing, but she knew a spell to close the wound.  She surveyed the room. It looked wrecked. It probably always looked this way considering the house was abandoned. Still the tumble with the spirits was notable.  There were scattered reminisce of magic. The freshly broken lamp littering the ground.  The spirits had amscrayed.  

The vampire lay unconscious on the ground across from her. She rushed over to his side. “Angel,” she began to shake him. He began to stir with a groan.  “Their gone,” she warned as she sat down on the ground next to him. She felt defeated. The ghosts had out maneuvered them on multiple occasions. All their efforts had been in vain.

“Maybe we should regroup,” she reached over running a hand along the back of his skull. The knot receded.  She eliminated the pain. “We could use all the help we can get.”  The two of them stood up. Speaking of help and regrouping…“Where is Cordelia?” The brunette had disappeared. Sigh.

The two made their way out of the house, loaded up in the car, and made their way towards the bar.   

Mar 15th 2018 - 11:44 AM

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Parker’s paralyzing mist caught Angel and Kat off guard.  But the effects were short-lived.  Kat insisted Angel go after Buffy; she’d take down Parker.  Cordelia was standing just behind and to the left of Angel. 

Angel intimately knew all of Buffy Summers’ fighting strategies, all of her moves, and all of her strengths.  She didn’t really have any weaknesses, unless it was trying to talk her adversaries to death.  But this was a demon ghost inside Buffy’s body.  She probably wasn’t completely comfortable yet inside the new skin.  Probably didn’t know the powers of a slayer, or how to fight with that body.  So Angel thought he might have the upper hand.  He outweighed the slayer by probably 60 or 70 pounds, so he went with a football tackle.  He didn’t want to injure Buffy’s body, he just wanted to contain her until Kat could do whatever magic was needed to extract the demon ghost.  The tackle worked like a magical charm.  They crashed into the kitchen counter then tumbled to the floor.  Angel had his arms wrapped tight around the slayer, his head next to hers.  Through a tangle of golden hair that he loved, he spoke not to the demon but to the slayer.  “Buffy, if you can hear me, help me.  You’re the vampire slayer, dammit!  You can fight this demon, you can expel it.  Just tap into your slayer strength, your slayer powers.”  The girl was struggling mightily.  Angel didn’t know how long he could hold her.  Something crashed behind him.  He couldn’t see what it was because he was too busy trying to hold onto Buffy.  “Fight it Buffy!  Come on, help me out here!” 

Some hard and heavy object collided with the back of Angel’s head.  He tried to maintain consciousness, but his grip loosened on the slayer.  Then she was free, and Angel was struck again.  This time all the lights went out.   

Mar 12th 2018 - 4:52 PM

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A bottle burst at their feet. The vapor that arose temporarily engulfed them. Her feet were frozen in place. A momentary distraction that promptly faded. Their bodies freed. “Get Buffy. I’ll get Parker,” Kat looked over her shoulder at her companions. She reached in her pocket grabbing a vile of her own. The mixture a concoction she had made when she was out on her own at the local magic shop.

She tossed it on the ground. It burst a mist filled the air. The particles drifting slowly to the ground like a feather. In its wake all the spirits in the room became visible. Parker was mixing a cocktail. “I have so had enough of you,” Katarina burst the containers in his hand. The liquid ran down his hands pooling on the ground. “I don’t know what you think you are mixing,” she stared at puddle. It was hard to tell.

Parker was a spirit. She couldn’t burn him. Common spells wouldn’t work on him. She reached in her other pocket. “Catch,” she tossed a small velvet bag towards him. Instinctively he caught the container. Instantly Katarina began to chant. Her words causing him to look distorted as she attempted to use an incantation to tear him apart. Out of nowhere she was close lined. She was knocked across the room. Her head hitting the wall.

Feb 25th 2018 - 9:45 AM

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Victoria swallowed thickly, if his powers were draining then it could be her chance to finally be free of him...but she was in his home and she did not have powers to fight him. The realisation that she had no choice but to do what she had been told was like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over her! She felt a shiver down her spine, but hid it as best she could with a sigh. 

Feb 21st 2018 - 1:56 PM

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Angel was trying to talk her down. In her mind the conversation was closed. She was already focused on their mission. Still he tried to reach out to her. �I�m fine,� she stared out the window. He continued to prattle. �I�m sorry. I was worried,� it had been bothering her the whole time. �My hands were tied. I couldn�t go in there or do anything for them. And Spike,� she felt like she had left her husband behind. She was beyond concerned for him. In truth she had just left to find a way she could be of assistance.  She thought there could be a chance she had lost the love of her life.

�I can hear people if they call me. I can teleport. I could have helped. I could have prevented some of this�it�s what I am supposed to do,� this was part of her reason for existence. It made her feel like a failure. She was to care for the champions. She turned to him. Her eyes traveled over him. He had wondered about the marking she had acquired. Curious as to its location. �Don�t worry about my tattoo.� Angel continued with his speech. �Hi Cordy,� she glanced over her shoulder and smiled.

They arrived. Katarina stepped out of the car. �I saw horror movies start like this,� she walked around the car to the trunk. �I�m good,� she held up a small bag of magical supplies she had brought to help Buffy. The angel came naturally with her own set of weapons and skills. They approached the house. She cleared their path of debris. Vines withered and fell to dust. The bottom floor of the house was as dark as coal. She waved her fingers igniting the vintage lanterns that hung upon the wall.  It exposed the peeling wall paper and bare boards. The floor covered heavily with dust and plaster. The stair case came into view. �Wait,� she placed her hand on the ground magically strengthening the floor boards and passage ways. A house in this condition could not be presumable safe.

They ascended the stairs. Peering around the corner the pair came into view. Buffy was bringing a cup to her lips. Kat waved her hand causing the drink to sling out of her hands into the wall. �It was a potion,� she glanced at her companions explaining her action. 

Feb 19th 2018 - 2:00 PM

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Angel was fairly flummoxed.  Kat was obviously cranked, but what about?  She just said, we�re all going to talk about this later, and she didn�t need to get the stupid tattoo.  Angel was clueless.  But he�d felt her probe his mind, so she knew more than what he�d told her.  Cordelia got in the back seat of the GTX while Angel folded himself into the driver�s seat, tucking the tails of his duster inside before closing the door.  Kat was in the shotgun position, brooding.  Usually Angel was the brooder.  As he pulled the GTX away from the curb, Angel commented, �I don�t understand.  I thought you�d be glad that we�re maybe within a few small steps of cleaning this case up.�  He added, �And I�m sure it�s a really cool tattoo.� He hadn�t noticed any tattoos, so it must be hidden.

Angel thought about Kat�s moodiness for a moment.  It was probably Dean Winchester and the deal Sam made with the demon.  But time was of the essence, Dean was dying.  The demon was right there saying she could cure Dean, but Kat was someplace else.  Besides, they�d gotten more in the bargain than just Dean�s life.  Had they been too quick to act, maybe not considering all the possibilities?  Angel wasn�t going to second guess them.  He hadn�t been there and he knew that in those sorts of stressful times, decisions had to made quickly.

�Listen, whatever happened, happened.  The only thing we can do now is move forward, move towards the finish line as quickly as we can and with as few casualties as possible.  Right now, our job is to save Buffy and take out Parker.  That needs to be our focus.�  Angel glanced in the rear view mirror, where he saw Cordelia�s lovely face.  �Sure is great to have you back, Cordy!�

Doctor Parker�s mansion was on the north side of town, in an area of historical homes and neighborhoods, some of which were rundown, while others were well-kept, restored, and maintained. Parker�s three-story Victorian home was in a mixed state of disrepair.  The exterior was mostly weathered and a half-dead ivy vine covered two-thirds of one wall.  The stone walkway leading up to the four-column porch and entryway was grown over with weeds and the wrought iron gate just back from the sidewalk was rusted and hanging askew.  But smoke rose from one of the four chimneys and lights glowed at two windows on the second floor.  Shadows moved within that glow.  From the sidewalk, Angel said, �Second floor window.  That�s where they must be.�  He went to the trunk of the GTX, opened it and distributed weapons.  He handed a 12-gauge shotgun to Cordelia.  �It�s loaded with rock salt for taking down ghosts.�  Angel took a fire extinguisher loaded with ammonium phosphate.  �Kat, take what you want, then let�s get a move on.  We need to finish this before the sun comes up.�  As yet, Angel couldn�t see any pre-sunrise glow in the east, but his vampire senses felt it coming. 

Feb 17th 2018 - 11:36 AM

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 Angel wasn�t telling her everything. Her eyes searched his as she tried to get a read on him. He was attempting to deflect her. He didn�t want to get into everything right now. All he could think about was Buffy. She considered his emotions understandable, but highly inappropriate. Her husband and friends were involved in the events at the hospital. She deserved to know everything that was going on over there.

Frustrated she exerted a degree of power. She pushed her way into his consciousness. Dean had lain dying and no one called upon her! She was an angelic being! She could have healed him with a touch of her hand. All they had to do was call her name aloud. Furthermore, the Winchester siblings had made a deal to save his life with a demon! A matter she would have to clean up later. They may have made an agreement, but she had not! They could not simply allow a thing of evil like that to go out and possess another soul. The problem at the hospital had been cleared up. Everyone was relatively safe. Phones were working, but there were no calls. This was information that could have cleared her mind and eased the burden on her weary heart. She released him.

Katarina didn�t get mad often. The more she learnt about the situation the more she began to fume. �We are all going to talk about this later!� she glared at Angel. He was a leader. He was responsible for the team. They were all in for an ear full. �I didn�t even need to get this stupid tattoo!� she stormed past him. She hated having a mark on her body. On the upside it could come in handy later and Spike would probably have fun looking for it. �Cordelia,� she nodded to the brunette as she head to the car. The sound of the slamming car door echoed through the city street.   

She tried to calm. They needed a plan. She waited for the others to join her. �If they are there, I could freeze Buffy. The spirit won�t be able to do any further damage to her body, while we deal with Parker.� She averted her gaze away from him as he started the car.

Feb 13th 2018 - 1:31 PM

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Angel had Cordy by the hand, and he was never going to let her go this time.  But Kat couldn�t locate Buffy.  Normally she�d be able to scry for her with her angelic powers.  �That�s ok.  It just means we have to use more traditional means to find Buffy.  We�ve gotta put on our P.I. thinking caps.�  Kat accused him of scaring the cashier.  �Yeah, I suppose I did.�  Wouldn�t have been the first time Angel scared somebody.  He shrugged at the girl and said, �Sorry.�  Then all three of them stepped out into the night air.  Angel used his vampire sense of smell, trying his best to determine which direction Buffy had gone. 

�I can�t smell her, and if she�d gone this way, I should be able to track her.  So I�m guessing she teleported or otherwise magically removed herself.  Except��  Angel frowned, �If she had that ability in the first place, why didn�t she use it back at the hospital?  And I think I was the last one to pass out when that purple mist went through the shop.  I saw Buffy stumble.  She was affected just like we were.  No, someone came into the store while we were unconscious and snatched Buffy.  She was taken by someone.� 

An idea surfaced from the tangled web of Angel�s thoughts.  He slid his cell phone from a pocket of his duster.  Luckily, it was actually charged up this time.  He called Wesley.  The ex-watcher answered promptly.  He was with the others at a bar called Westy�s, planning their next move.  Wes briefed him on the latest and Angel told him what had happened to Buffy, and that Cordelia had joined them.  An important bit of information that Wes passed along was that Doctor Parker had escaped.  The journal that Wes stole also gave a street address of where Parker had lived 80 years ago.  Angel ended the call and placed his phone back into his pocket.

�Parker slipped the noose at the hospital, but essentially all the other demon ghost-possessed people are dead or their demons have been vanquished.� He�d tell them about Rachel and the deal Sam Winchester made later.  �So I�m guessing it was Parker who snatched Buffy.  Whatever he was planning, maybe a possessed slayer is all he really needs.  But I know where he lived before his soul ended up in the basement of the hospital.  He�s got a mansion in town.  Come on, let�s go.  I�m betting that�s where we�ll find both Parker and Buffy.�