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Angel Investigations

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASj81daun5Q

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Angel recruits Mikhail and Jake for the big battle

5/15/2016 7:00 PM
Hyperion Hotel San Francisco



The Hyperion Hotel[]

The lights are on, illuminating the area.

The California-Spanish building known as the Hyperion Hotel was built in the 20s. Through the cast iron gates from the sidewalk is a small front courtyard with a rectangular fountain and a mythological figure holding a bowl from which water flows. Greenery frames the walls and a large set of glass double doors open into a high ceilinged lobby. Dark red carpet descends the four steps to the lobby floor and climb the two sets of stairways that lead to the second floor. The green marble floors are accented with wavy red inserts, as are the walls have a complimentary red border running their length. A set of doors identical to those of the entrance lead to a small enclosed garden.

Cream-colored pillars line two sides of the room, holding up the second-floor balconies that look out onto the lobby and creating arches. Underneath one of them is a large plate glass window that looks into the hotel office - now used as the office and nerve center of Angel Investigations. Nearby, there's a wraparound counter with dark wood paneling and a top the same color as the floor. Behind it are filing cabinets and a pair of desks pushed together. A navy blue circular couch harkening back to a 50s design sits near the back of the lobby. A large wooden, glass-doored cabinet pushed up against the wall holds a large assortment of weapons.

Outside, it's raining hard and the winds are strong.


Angel had made a few calls...he was going to get a few more allies for the battle to come. While the witches apparently didn't work well with wizards, he decided to get hold of the only wizard he knew. In addition, he contacted his young ally Jake, and...figuring to give Mikhail a chance to step on the path of atonement, he even invited the relatively newborn vampire to this meeting.           Something had been brewing in Rowanwood, and it had caught the attention of its self-proclaimed protector. Angel had been in and out a few times, and even Wyatt had been sneaking off, so when Jake got a call to meet the most mysterious and brooding of his friends at the Hyperion, it didn't come as much of a surprise. It takes him a while to arrive though, walking most of the way to save on bus fare... he's not made of money, and the early evening was perfect for a long stroll. Now, just after dark, the young immortal walks in, walking up to the desk and ringing the service bell. He'd always wanted to do that...   Mikhail got a summons from Angel and weirdly found himself answering it, he's been weirdly agreeable since he turned and he can't quite work out why, perhaps he's just that happy to be a vampire again. Spotting Jake ringing the bell Mik vamp speeds to behind the desk, "Checking in?", he starts pretending to type as if bringing up the room info, "Name?"  Angel watches Mik man the desk...which is kinda funny, to Angel. Still, he shakes his head. "Stop that. Anyways, I have to talk to you two...this might take a bit, so grab a chair." Angel found one himself. Apparently this is going to take a while.           "Name's Max Power." Jake begins, leaning with his arms folded on the front desk, looking at Mik with half a smile. "I made a reservation about two centuries ago... You might still have it under my old name, Paul Revere. No? Shame." The joking stops when Angel arrives, and the immortal frowns at the sudden serious vampire. "Sure, what's this all about?" As for a chair, Jake grabs the desk, hoisting himself up to sit on the top of the counter, pointedly turning his back on Mik as he does.   Angel begins, "A great battle will take place about a week from now. We're expecting massive opposition from Wolfram and Hart and other assorted enemies. We'll need all the help we can get to fight it off."            "Just pure speculation here, but is this battle going to involve a lot of witches?" With raised eyebrows, Jake looks over to Angel, trying to determine why a vampire would call on not just witches but warriors as well. "What did you get Wyatt and Aunt Nessa involved in, Angel?"  Mikhail raises and eyebrow, "Right, so fighters and witches? Which role am I expected to play?", honestly not being able to act on his bloodlust is driving him nuts, he could do with a real good fight. Angel explains to Jake first. "Nessa and Wyatt are working on a ritual to make my soul permanent. This will end the gypsy curse keeping it in place now, because the curse is what keeps me good right now. However, it comes with a price...and the price makes it breakable. If the curse were broken, I'd be a monster again. And monster is putting it mildly." To Mikhail, "It's probably better you be on the fighting team. You have frustrations you look like could do with some working off."  "So, they're going to do what? Remove the big red 'press to activate monstrosity' button from your soul?" Yeah, Jake's not the magical kind, he's just barely starting to grasp basic alchemy. "How's that going to end in a big fight?"  Mikhail nods, "Works for me", he does consider though, "What happens if it goes wrong and you're Angelus again?", Angel had previously assured him he wasn't Angelus anymore and while Mik gets that sort of, he still has something of a grudge.  Angel said, "Essentially, yes, we're going to remove the red button that says 'push here for most evil being ever.' And that, Mik, is why there's going to be a fight. The means of removing the 'red button of evil'...which happens to be perfect happiness, in this case...means the spellcasters are going to remove the original gypsy curse, which will leave me Angelus temporarily. They're going to have me bound, chained, caged, warded, magically bound, and a few other things to make absolutely sure he can't get out. Then they'll replace it with a new spell of soul binding, this one without an escape." Why a fight? "Wolfram and Hart is going to attempt to interrupt this ritual to rescue my other self before the witches complete the casting. So I'm gathering warriors everywhere to make sure they can't." Hmmm. "As a backup plan, orbs of Thessulah are handy and the original gypsy curse can always be recast. We're hoping not to need to do that, though."           "Okay, okay, back up here... Wolfram and Hart? Aren't they some kind of legal firm in the city?" He'd heard the name vaguely before, but at that point Jake had other things to worry about, like not freezing to death too often. The intricacies of San Francisco's legal machinery was the least of his worries back then. "And why did you ask for me? I'm no good with magic, and if you've got a vampire here to fight for you, I'm pretty much surplus to requirements, unless..." And that's when realisation dawns on the boy immortal, causing him to give that inverted frown again. "You want me as the killswitch, don't you? Keep the witches from getting hurt in the case something slips through, and take your head off if you break out as... the other guy. Right?" And despite knowing he's probably well suited for that task, Jake does not seem happy about it. "I mean, I'm pretty much the only person in the room you wouldn't be able to kill in one go."  Angel considered Jake...and as he followed along those paths..."That's...a brilliant idea. I should've thought of that myself. I was so sure the witches would be able to use the curse I never considered what could happen if they didn't, or couldn't because enemy forces killed them. Yes, a killswitch is more important then I'd considered. Good idea." Jake runs a hand through his hair with a sigh. "You're asking a lot, dude. Chopping up one of those leeches is one thing, but you're... well... Never mind." A friend? Hmm. At length, he nods. "Okay. But only because I'm protecting the witches. I know they usually have whitelighters looking after them, but I'll be the one looking after Wyatt and the witches of Rowanwood. It's... kind of my job these days. Besides, I've been kind of wondering where people like me stand these days now that what we are supposed to do has ended, I guess looking after whitelighters and witches isn't a bad plan. There's two more people you're probably wanna contact. One has a boat on the marina, the other a gym downtown, I'll get you their numbers later. But with the three of us here, doesn't matter what comes through the door, it'll never get to the circle. And if something goes wrong and ... y'know, break glass in case of ultimate emergency, the three of us can take care of that. Easy." Angel nods soberly. "Let me stress that you shouldn't need to, well, use your sword on an ally unless the witches actually start getting killed. We're talking about something like Nessa actually dying in this endeavor before you're force to execute me. While she lives, either the spell or the curse will probably bind me before I can do any damage. Most of the allies I've recruited so far, like the Beacon Hills wolves, will be on the outside fighting the assorted demons that'll be sent to rescue my other side." Mikhail shrugs, "If Jake here can't do it I will, slightly more killable but I've got magic on my side, plus something of a drive to kill Angelus", he thinks it's a lot to put of the kid's shoulders, "But you seem cirtain it won't come down to it".  Jake nods. "And that's where I'll be happy to help too. But during the bit where the other guy is out, I'm gonna be in here." He still refers to Angelus as 'the other guy', like Bruce Banner talking about the Hulk, or Doctor Jekyll contemplating Mister Hyde. "But like you said, it's not gonna be necessary." He gives Mikhail a glance, glad they're on the same page, but sensing that same grim determination to do what needs to be done in the extreme case.  That's...pretty much what it is, if Mr. Hyde were about 10 times more sadistic and cruel then he actually was. "Right. But the truth is, even though I'm going through with this, I don't want anyone to die for me. Even though I know I have friends out there who wouldn't hesitate to do exactly that. The first priority...for anyone...has to be keeping their family safe. And for you, Jake, your family is mostly going to be on the inside casting spells."   "Guess thats where I'm lucky that my family are all dead, no worries about keeping someone safe", well there is the Parkers but they don't know of Mikhail and he's not sure how you introduce yourself as someone's ansestor from three thousand years back.            "Family is a broad term." For a moment Jake casts a sad glance at Mikhail. Having absolutely nobody in the world is one of the most tragic things anyone can experience, and the boy wonders how much of that bravado is covering a yawning chasm of pain. Which, of course, brings him back to the topic at hand. "I think we've established that we don't want anyone to die, except for anyone trying to stop us from doing what we're gonna do. Count me in, whatever happens, I'm not missing this." A small smile returns then, and he tries to nail Angel with his next question utterly deadpan. "So how are you going to disguise a pack of werewolves fighting a horde of vampires and demons out on the street?"   That...is the hard part. "I think I'm going to have to talk with Rey about that. There's some sort of thing they have Fae have going on to prevent mortals from seeing too much of the supernatural world. If they lend a hand, they might be able to make humans sort of...miss the fight."   "I could compel a few but on mass I'm more or less useless", Mikhail does not like that faery, came across as a total dick but hey, this is Angel's crazed mission, he can invite who he pleases.  Jake nods slowly. "Right... I'm getting the impression you hadn't considered that until just about now. I'm gonna get you a copy of the evil overlord rules, man. Rule 12 applies here..."  Angel rolls his eyes, "A little out of practice on the whole 'evil' thing. We're trying to make it permanent." But he adds, "That's the other reason I keep looking for allies. I can't think of everything. So I have friends help do it for me." 

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