Epilogue: Surprise (original) (raw)

All characters and themes are property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy, and the WB and this work in no way infringes upon those rights.

"Just let me back," Viola pleads with the group of Lower Beings, in her prisoner's uniform, now in a very dark, seemingly empty room without walls or end. Just space. "I know I screwed up this time, but, I'm still learning..."

The red horned demon, D'Hoffryn, simply rolls his eyes at the now human he had originally recruited, "You were so promising, Invicta, but your human sentimentality held you back from achieving true greatness. And now it always will."

"Don't I get some say in my defense?" Viola, the one he called Invicta upon their fateful meeting that night after Atticus Constantine rejected her ideas, now stares through him with that same resolution that drew him to her side.

But before D'Hoffryn can turn around or teleport away, Angel comes out of the shadows with a broad sword and strikes it through the demon's thick, red, horned neck, "May you never use another woman for your sick desire to destroy the human race ever again." Angel says, plunging the sword as far in as he can.

D'Hoffryn sputters blood and other substances of light and smoke, as he turns between his pupil Invicta and the vigilante enemy, Angel, whom she has turned a very curious smile towards. "You will never...be immortal...now," he manages, his arm hanging back of its accord, almost beckoning her to his side.

"I arranged this meeting, to bring him here," Viola looks at him with a solemn sort of almost reverence, as stars and galaxies swell around his dying body, "he said he would argue to reduce my sentence...his main attorney, Charles Gunn, threw in a book and movie deal. But I would've done it for less. I realize what I did was wrong, but nothing I do or say can take it back." Thunder and lightning storm out of the wound as Angel is forced to step back, and quickly moves to grab Viola before leaving, she continues shouting at him, "But I can make sure you never do this to anyone ever again!"

Not much for small talk, Angel doesn't bother with pleasantries before grabbing her up in his arms and carrying them both to the safety of their own plane. The office floor of Wolfram & Hart where the decorations of their invoking ceremony still remained, Wesley, Gunn, and Fred also in attendance to assure it all went well. "So?" Wesley is the first to ask what is on everyone's mind.

"Yeah, D'Hoffryn is gone," Angel says bluntly, needing no room for fluff, "and the plane seems to have collapsed on itself."

Everyone looks a bit stunned, as Wesley explains, no less gutted, "Complete particle reversal."

"How is that possible?" Fred wonders, both a bit curious and grossed out by the implications.

"I don't know," Angel simply sighs.

"It's him," Viola replies as well as she could figure out, "It was all a part of him. Just like I was. If you hadn't smashed the locket..."

"But I did," Angel interrupts, feeling a tad too empathetic with the killer, "and because of that, you're still alive. So make the most of it."

The End.