Part 7<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, now you guys know what I am, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
The soldiers paid no attention to the vampire and began to slowly advance on them. Weapons trained, they were fully prepared to take both demons out.<\/p>\n
\u201cGuess not,\u201d Angel muttered. \u201cWell, you\u2019re about to get a lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before any of the men realized what happened, Angel used a burst of vampire speed to grab a fragmentation grenade from a soldier and toss it into the open furnace. The blast gave Angel all the time he needed.<\/p>\n
Quickly beating down the opposition, he beckoned for Lilith to follow him. The demon was hesitant, unsure if she should trust the vampire. But as the flames from the furnace began to catch on the wooden support beams, the decision was made. Grabbing the vampire\u2019s outstretched hand, she allowed him to lead her past the flames.<\/p>\n
At the top of the stairs, Angel savagely uppercut a young soldier stupid enough to get in his way. From there they met no resistance, and they were able to easily make their escape.<\/p>\n
Angel made sure the demon followed as he led the way to his friends. Upon reaching them, he didn\u2019t expect the reaming he got from Cordelia.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stupid @#%$ vampire, you could have been killed! You have a son to think about, you stupid dorkhead!\u201d When she finally noticed his companion she asked, \u201cIs this her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, but do you think we could discuss this when we get the hell out of here?\u201d Cordelia would have ignored the suggestion had Wesley not interfered and led the way back to the cars. Angel took a last look at the battlefield below and hoped the decision he made was the right one.<\/p>\n
*****************<\/p>\n
The AI gang was trying to keep busy as Wesley interrogated the demon in his office. Gunn sat next to Fred playing on his Gameboy, while she looked at news websites. Cordelia had finally tired of cursing Angel for his stupidity and sat down to read the newest issue of Cosmo.<\/p>\n
After listening to Cordelia\u2019s justified ass chewing, Angel decided to stand guard by Wesley\u2019s door in case of trouble. His vampire hearing allowed him to catch snatches of conversation, but not enough to keep up.<\/p>\n
Several minutes later Wesley exited his office. The look on his face told the entire story. \u201cShe won\u2019t say much of anything,\u201d the Watcher said. \u201cThe only thing significant she said was \u2018I won\u2019t go back to that place\u2019. She repeated it several times.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said that to me at the house,\u201d Angel offered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever her home world is, it would appear she no longer wants a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe it\u2019s not her home world she\u2019s afraid of,\u201d Angel suggested. The vampire turned to Reynolds who sat on the couch reading one of the vampire\u2019s novels. \u201cYou. You work for the Powers. I bet you can tell us where she was at.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reynolds continued to read \u2018Jane Eyre\u2019 as the vampire stalked towards him. He could tell them, but the question was if it would affect their future work for the Powers. He may have helped Martin in his time of need, but now he was dead, and Reynolds never lost his allegiance to the Powers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m waiting,\u201d the vampire said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine,\u201d Reynolds said. \u201cWhat the hell. For the past few years, Lilith has been a Powers prisoner of war in the dimension of Elysia. Lilith\u2019s race had a reputation for being badasses and terrorized the other clans on her planet. A coalition was formed and Lilith\u2019s clan was defeated.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut before the coalition could annihilate Lilith\u2019s clan, the Powers stepped in. You see, the Powers have quite a few enemies, and they know a good opportunity when they see it. They captured several members of the defeated clan and took them to Elysia where experiments were performed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of experiments?\u201d Wesley asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Powers wanted a new weapon to battle a race of demons in the Othrys dimension. They wanted to use their new prisoners, Menglers they call themselves, as the soldiers in the war. But Menglers were too hard to control.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what did they do?\u201d Cordelia asked, even though she wasn\u2019t sure she wanted to know.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Powers began cross-breeding Menglers with a souled entity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHumans,\u201d Angel said disgusted.<\/p>\n
\u201cHumans,\u201d Reynolds agreed. \u201cThey figured a creature with a soul would be easier to control. But the F-1 generation didn\u2019t met expectations. Many were still violent. So work began on F-2.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLilith\u2019s an F-1,\u201d Wesley realized. \u201cOnce you saw her generation failed it was decided to cross-breed again. That makes the child three-fourths human.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Powers anticipate a much higher success rate with this generation, but still, plans for F-3 are ready to be implemented once the F-2 generation reaches maturity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSon of a bitch!\u201d Cordelia yelled. \u201cYou mean this baby is nothing but a guinea pig for the Powers?\u201d Cordelia didn\u2019t like that idea at all.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that still doesn\u2019t explain why she\u2019s here,\u201d Angel brought them back to focus.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow she escaped isn\u2019t known for certain, but it\u2019s believed she seduced a guard and used the advantage to make it to the Prison Jumpstation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJumpstation?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA room most PTB facilities have. From there authorized personnel can jump between dimensions,\u201d Reynolds explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Lilith discovered she was pregnant and decided to make her escape to a dimension where she could more easily blend in,\u201d Wesley hypothesized.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood theory, but no,\u201d Reynolds said. \u201cLilith wasn\u2019t pregnant when she jumped. The PTB\u2019s had her in holding until the doctors were ready to experiment on her group.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that means that Martin is the father,\u201d Angel said.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably,\u201d Reynolds agreed. Off the questioning glances he continued. \u201cThere have been isolated instances of guards impregnating the female subjects. So when I say she wasn\u2019t pregnant when she jumped, I mean the PTB\u2019s didn\u2019t impregnate her.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group was silent for several moments. They couldn\u2019t believe these were the people that they worked for. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell us this earlier?\u201d Angel asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t think I needed to. I expected you to do the usual seek and destroy, not take the girl in like a stray puppy. The PTB\u2019s would be pissed if they knew you know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo,\u201d Wesley asked. \u201cHow long before Lilith gives birth?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGestation for the F-2\u2019s seems to be about two months. Considering how long the murders have gone on, I\u2019d say you got a month before she delivers. Projections indicate the offspring reach maturity in about three years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is @#%$ great,\u201d Cordelia said. \u201cSo now we work for a bunch of people who took a page from Hitler\u2019s playbook.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s right,\u201d Wesley said. \u201cIt\u2019s the Final Solution or Project 731. This is blatant manipulation on the part of the Powers. We\u2019re working for beings no better than the Nazis.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut does any of that give us a clue as what to do?\u201d Gunn asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot really,\u201d Angel said. \u201cIts just tells us the people we work for are sick fucks. But in the meantime, I think we should probably keep her here until we do decide a course of action.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley agreed to that, and he and Gunn escorted the demon to a bedroom upstairs. Confident that she wouldn\u2019t be going anywhere, the two men came back downstairs. The group decided to disperse for some rest, all wanting some sleep before any major decisions were made.<\/p>\n
Once alone, Reynolds picked up the copy of \u2018Jane Eyre\u2019 and finished the chapter he was on. Marking the page he was on, Reynolds tossed the book aside and began to head up to the room he had been given. But before reaching the stairs he stopped. As if coming to a conclusion, he headed back to the offices and picked up a phone.<\/p>\n
Deciding it was the best way to cover his ass, he dialed a number from memory. After three rings a voice picked up. \u201cAlvin? It\u2019s Peter Reynolds. Yeah, can you do something for me? I need you to send some people over to the Hyperion Hotel here in LA. Yeah, I think the people inside are harboring our fugitive. That\u2019s right, JFB5183. Send a recon team for a silent op. Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reynolds hung up the phone pondering his action. Basically, since Martin was no more, he had no reason to play against the Powers. Maybe by doing this, they might not dig too deep in his recent indiscretions. Reynolds smiled. He might be able to keep his head.<\/p>\n
Walking back into the lobby, he grabbed the first edition copy of Austen\u2019s novel. It was payment for making him stay in a shitty room, Reynolds decided. Tucking the book into his pocket, Reynolds made his way out into the streets, the rising sun making its appearance.<\/p>\n