Dying Leaders, Champions, Warriors, and Prophesies: An Angel/BSG Crossover: Chapter One
Title: Visions and Interviews
Author: newnumbertwo
Disclaimer: I don't own any of them; they own me.
A/N: The rules for this universe are closely grounded in BSG canon. I just added Angel, Cordelia, and eventually, other characters from Buffy/Angel verse. The focus is still on Roslin/Adama and their eventual love. Angel and friends have a major role in that.
A/N 2: While it would help to be familiar with Buffy/Angel, I include the most pertinent information in the fic (that's my hope, anyway).
A/N 3: I move from pre-miniseries to the finale (loosely, in typical AU fashion) of BSG. Seasons 1-3 and the first third (or so) of Season 4 of Buffy and the first third of Season 1 of Angel apply (think post Doyle, pre Wesley).
A few weeks before the worlds ended, Cordelia Chase had a vision.
“I saw nuclear bombs destroying Caprica and a Battlestar called Galactica. There was also a woman sitting in a doctor’s office; she looked scared, Angel.”
“What does this mean?”
“The apocalypse, duh!”
“What can I do?”
“Find out about the woman and the Galactica. There’s nothing you can do about the bombs, Angel. This is one apocalypse you can’t prevent.”
“I’ll begin by researching the Galactica; we probably need to be aboard it during the attacks. It’ll be the key to everything. I need you to try to remember the details of the woman, Cordy. We’ll try to find her next.”
“On it, boss.”
Angel entered the search terms “Battlestar” and “Galactica” in his computer screen. He found out it was scheduled to be decommissioned in two weeks, turned into an educational museum that would be run by Secretary of Education Laura Roslin, who would be present during the decommissioning ceremony. On a hunch, Angel entered Roslin as a search term, and her photo and basic biography came up on the screen.
“Cordy, come here a second.”
“Yeah, boss?”
“Is this the woman you saw in your vision?”
“Yup. Wow, she’s pretty powerful; the Secretary of Education. She must be a key player somehow.”
“I’m thinking she’s going to need a security detail and an aide for her trip to the Galactica. Let’s go to her office and see if we can get hired.”
-----------------------
Later that day, Angel was sitting across from Secretary Roslin in her office. He was surprised he was able to get an appointment so quickly, and even more surprised she’d be doing the initial interviewing, after he was ushered in by a nice young man, named Billy.
Laura Roslin was perplexed by the man sitting across from her. He had the face of an angel, but there was something in his eyes that she recognized: pain, fear, loss; perhaps all three.
“So, Mr....”
“I just go by Angel.”
“That’s a lovely name.”
“Thank you, Madame Secretary.”
“So, Angel, what makes you qualified to be my head of security?”
“I’ve spent the last few months as a private investigator, and helped a lot of helpless victims escape from terrible situations. I’m also quiet, stealthy, and can blend into the background well. I can remain close to you at all times without making you feel crowded. And, of course, I’m quite efficient in a fight, but I hope you never have to find that out.”
“Well, Angel. I usually don’t hire people on a whim. But, I get a good vibe from you, and I’m typically a good judge of character. Something tells me that I can trust you, and that you’d protect me with your life. Welcome aboard, Angel. I actually could use you right away. This teachers’ strike is becoming increasingly fierce. I’m not actually worried for my safety, but I would feel more comfortable having you to back me up. Also, in a few weeks, I’ll be going aboard an old battleship for its decommissioning ceremony, and I’ll need you to accompany me. Do you have any questions, Angel?”
“When do you want me to begin, and where do you need me?”
“Right now, and outside my office. We’ll set up a desk for you where you can handle my death threats and frisk my appointments.”
The way she casually included the phrase death threats into their conversation, like it was perfectly normal, indicated to Angel that she was made of sterner things. The Powers That Be had chosen well.
“Yes, Madame Secretary.”
“On your way out, will you have Billy send in my next appointment, Miss Chase, I believe.”
“Of course, Madame Secretary.”
Cordelia Chase found herself across from Secretary Roslin. She was immediately impressed by the older woman’s composure, knowing just below the surface, lay fear and pain, as she saw in her vision.
“So Miss Chase what qualifies you to me my assistant?”
“I’m a fast learner, and I can handle high stress situations. I’ve spent the past few months working for Angel Investigations as the receptionist. If I can handle working for Dark and Broody all day and night, I can pretty much handle anything.”
“Enough said, you’re hired.”
“Really?”
“You’ve just proven yourself to be honest, and it seems you can defuse situations with a sense of humor. I find that refreshing. I feel like I can trust you. So, yeah, you’re hired. Can you begin immediately?”
“Yes, Madame Secretary.”
“Good we’ll set you up at a desk, and show you and Angel around the office. You’ll be working closely with Billy. I’ll have him train you.”
That night Angel escorted Laura out of the office. He stood outside during her “meeting” with President Adar. When the “meeting” concluded, Angel escorted her home.
“I think I’m going to end it with him.”
“That’s none of my business, Madame Secretary.”
“No, but you’re the only one who knows, and I feel like I can confide in you.”
“Of course you can, ma’am.”
“You don’t think less of me, do you?”
“If you knew of all the things I have done, you’d know I could never think less of you. You’re only human, after all.”
“I can’t imagine anyone with your face doing anything too bad.”
“You have no idea, Madame Secretary. With my face, I can get away with murder.”
“I don’t know why I keep seeing him. I don’t love him, and I barely even like him.”
“Maybe on some level, seeing him comforts you.”
“Then why do I feel like this afterwards?”
“Because deep down you know it’s bad for you. That you deserve better.”
“I’m beginning to be really glad I hired you, Angel.”
“Thank you, Madame Secretary.”
Just then, a group of vampires appeared out of nowhere, attacking Laura and Angel. Angel quickly brandished his sword and his stake,which were hiding beneath his long coat, positioned himself between Laura and their attackers, and got to work beheading and staking each vampire. Laura watched in wonder and fear, having never seen anything like that before. After each vampire was dusted, Laura asked the obvious question.
“Angel, what were they?”
“Vampires.”
“How did you know what they were and how to kill them?”
“Because I am one, but don’t worry I’m not like them.”
“How’s that?”
“I have a soul that helps keep me from killing humans.”
“You probably have a very long story, and I need to hear it. I need to know whom or what I hired, so why don’t we continue walking to my apartment, and then you can tell me your story.”
“You’re not like anybody I’ve ever met.”
“I think that should be my line.”
“I’m amazed by how quickly you’ve adjusted to the realization of the supernatural. Most people try to come up with other explanations for what they’ve seen. I can smell the fear in you, but I also smell faith and conviction. You’re really amazing, ma’am. Of course, I’ll tell you my story, but it won’t be easy for me to tell or for you to hear.”
After walking the rest of the way in a comfortable silence, Laura and her champion entered her apartment. Angel had no trouble entering since she had invited him when they were still walking there. They took a seat on her sofa, and Angel began his story.
“As a young man, my name was Liam. I lived on Aerilon. I was the village drunk; a good-for-nothing, frakked up loser. During one of my drinking binges, I saw a mysterious woman in an alley. She was beautiful, and she was looking straight at me. So I walked to her, and she turned me. From then on, I went by the name Angelus, and I spent 100 years with Darla, my sire, and I tortured and killed countless humans. I destroyed entire towns, wreaked havoc and death everywhere I went.
“One day I killed a gypsy girl. She was the favorite daughter in her clan, and to punish me, they cursed me with a soul. It was like waking up from a 100 year long nightmare. Only the screams weren’t mine. I could remember every victim with perfect clarity. To keep myself from hurting anyone, I avoided all human contact, and I lived off of rats in the sewers.
“I lived like that for nearly 100 years until the PowersThat Be sent me a messenger, telling me that I was destined for better things. He showed me a young girl, whose destiny would be intertwined with mine, and I knew I belonged by her side.”
“Who was the girl?”
“Her name is Buffy, and she’s the vampire slayer. Every generation a girl is chosen to fight against the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness. She is the slayer. As the ensouled vampire, my destiny was to aid her in her destiny. We fought side-by-side, prevented an apocalypse, and fell in love.
“Our love was a difficult one because I couldn’t be with her in the daytime. I could never see the way the sun glistens in her hair, or watch the sunrise with her. All I could offer her was death and darkness. I was a symbol of everything she fought against. I tried to keep our relationship from becoming romantic, but I failed.
“We managed to make things work; we’d make out during our nightly patrols. Sunnydale is an evil town built around a hellmouth, so there is a heavy concentration of supernatural activity there. Our nights were never dull, but we managed to build a relationship. On the night of her seventeenth birthday, we made love. It was beautiful and perfect; I’ve never felt such a perfect union with anyone before. But, that was how we learned my soul came with a price. The point of the curse was to make me suffer, so if I ever experience perfect happiness, even for a moment, I lose my soul. I lost my soul that night and reverted to Angelus.
“I spent the next several months terrorizing Buffy and her friends. I nearly caused an apocalypse, so Buffy had to kill me. But not before her friend Willow managed to re-ensoul me. I spent 100 years in a hell dimension, but it only seemed like a few months in Caprican time. Something released me and sent me back to Sunnydale.
“Buffy and I tried to reconcile our relationship, but we couldn’t be together, and we couldn’t work together without being together, so I moved to Caprica City, started Angel Investigations, and here we are.”
“I’m probably going to need some time digesting all of that information, Angel, but thank you for trusting me enough to bare your soul for me; no pun intended.”
“Of course, ma’am. You probably want to get some sleep. I’ll be right here if you need me, keeping you safe.”
“Good night, Angel.”
“Good night, Madame Secretary.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Angel. I just wanted you to know that I trust you.”
“Thank you, and good night, ma’am.”
Author: newnumbertwo
Disclaimer: I don't own any of them; they own me.
A/N: The rules for this universe are closely grounded in BSG canon. I just added Angel, Cordelia, and eventually, other characters from Buffy/Angel verse. The focus is still on Roslin/Adama and their eventual love. Angel and friends have a major role in that.
A/N 2: While it would help to be familiar with Buffy/Angel, I include the most pertinent information in the fic (that's my hope, anyway).
A/N 3: I move from pre-miniseries to the finale (loosely, in typical AU fashion) of BSG. Seasons 1-3 and the first third (or so) of Season 4 of Buffy and the first third of Season 1 of Angel apply (think post Doyle, pre Wesley).
A few weeks before the worlds ended, Cordelia Chase had a vision.
“I saw nuclear bombs destroying Caprica and a Battlestar called Galactica. There was also a woman sitting in a doctor’s office; she looked scared, Angel.”
“What does this mean?”
“The apocalypse, duh!”
“What can I do?”
“Find out about the woman and the Galactica. There’s nothing you can do about the bombs, Angel. This is one apocalypse you can’t prevent.”
“I’ll begin by researching the Galactica; we probably need to be aboard it during the attacks. It’ll be the key to everything. I need you to try to remember the details of the woman, Cordy. We’ll try to find her next.”
“On it, boss.”
Angel entered the search terms “Battlestar” and “Galactica” in his computer screen. He found out it was scheduled to be decommissioned in two weeks, turned into an educational museum that would be run by Secretary of Education Laura Roslin, who would be present during the decommissioning ceremony. On a hunch, Angel entered Roslin as a search term, and her photo and basic biography came up on the screen.
“Cordy, come here a second.”
“Yeah, boss?”
“Is this the woman you saw in your vision?”
“Yup. Wow, she’s pretty powerful; the Secretary of Education. She must be a key player somehow.”
“I’m thinking she’s going to need a security detail and an aide for her trip to the Galactica. Let’s go to her office and see if we can get hired.”
-----------------------
Later that day, Angel was sitting across from Secretary Roslin in her office. He was surprised he was able to get an appointment so quickly, and even more surprised she’d be doing the initial interviewing, after he was ushered in by a nice young man, named Billy.
Laura Roslin was perplexed by the man sitting across from her. He had the face of an angel, but there was something in his eyes that she recognized: pain, fear, loss; perhaps all three.
“So, Mr....”
“I just go by Angel.”
“That’s a lovely name.”
“Thank you, Madame Secretary.”
“So, Angel, what makes you qualified to be my head of security?”
“I’ve spent the last few months as a private investigator, and helped a lot of helpless victims escape from terrible situations. I’m also quiet, stealthy, and can blend into the background well. I can remain close to you at all times without making you feel crowded. And, of course, I’m quite efficient in a fight, but I hope you never have to find that out.”
“Well, Angel. I usually don’t hire people on a whim. But, I get a good vibe from you, and I’m typically a good judge of character. Something tells me that I can trust you, and that you’d protect me with your life. Welcome aboard, Angel. I actually could use you right away. This teachers’ strike is becoming increasingly fierce. I’m not actually worried for my safety, but I would feel more comfortable having you to back me up. Also, in a few weeks, I’ll be going aboard an old battleship for its decommissioning ceremony, and I’ll need you to accompany me. Do you have any questions, Angel?”
“When do you want me to begin, and where do you need me?”
“Right now, and outside my office. We’ll set up a desk for you where you can handle my death threats and frisk my appointments.”
The way she casually included the phrase death threats into their conversation, like it was perfectly normal, indicated to Angel that she was made of sterner things. The Powers That Be had chosen well.
“Yes, Madame Secretary.”
“On your way out, will you have Billy send in my next appointment, Miss Chase, I believe.”
“Of course, Madame Secretary.”
Cordelia Chase found herself across from Secretary Roslin. She was immediately impressed by the older woman’s composure, knowing just below the surface, lay fear and pain, as she saw in her vision.
“So Miss Chase what qualifies you to me my assistant?”
“I’m a fast learner, and I can handle high stress situations. I’ve spent the past few months working for Angel Investigations as the receptionist. If I can handle working for Dark and Broody all day and night, I can pretty much handle anything.”
“Enough said, you’re hired.”
“Really?”
“You’ve just proven yourself to be honest, and it seems you can defuse situations with a sense of humor. I find that refreshing. I feel like I can trust you. So, yeah, you’re hired. Can you begin immediately?”
“Yes, Madame Secretary.”
“Good we’ll set you up at a desk, and show you and Angel around the office. You’ll be working closely with Billy. I’ll have him train you.”
That night Angel escorted Laura out of the office. He stood outside during her “meeting” with President Adar. When the “meeting” concluded, Angel escorted her home.
“I think I’m going to end it with him.”
“That’s none of my business, Madame Secretary.”
“No, but you’re the only one who knows, and I feel like I can confide in you.”
“Of course you can, ma’am.”
“You don’t think less of me, do you?”
“If you knew of all the things I have done, you’d know I could never think less of you. You’re only human, after all.”
“I can’t imagine anyone with your face doing anything too bad.”
“You have no idea, Madame Secretary. With my face, I can get away with murder.”
“I don’t know why I keep seeing him. I don’t love him, and I barely even like him.”
“Maybe on some level, seeing him comforts you.”
“Then why do I feel like this afterwards?”
“Because deep down you know it’s bad for you. That you deserve better.”
“I’m beginning to be really glad I hired you, Angel.”
“Thank you, Madame Secretary.”
Just then, a group of vampires appeared out of nowhere, attacking Laura and Angel. Angel quickly brandished his sword and his stake,which were hiding beneath his long coat, positioned himself between Laura and their attackers, and got to work beheading and staking each vampire. Laura watched in wonder and fear, having never seen anything like that before. After each vampire was dusted, Laura asked the obvious question.
“Angel, what were they?”
“Vampires.”
“How did you know what they were and how to kill them?”
“Because I am one, but don’t worry I’m not like them.”
“How’s that?”
“I have a soul that helps keep me from killing humans.”
“You probably have a very long story, and I need to hear it. I need to know whom or what I hired, so why don’t we continue walking to my apartment, and then you can tell me your story.”
“You’re not like anybody I’ve ever met.”
“I think that should be my line.”
“I’m amazed by how quickly you’ve adjusted to the realization of the supernatural. Most people try to come up with other explanations for what they’ve seen. I can smell the fear in you, but I also smell faith and conviction. You’re really amazing, ma’am. Of course, I’ll tell you my story, but it won’t be easy for me to tell or for you to hear.”
After walking the rest of the way in a comfortable silence, Laura and her champion entered her apartment. Angel had no trouble entering since she had invited him when they were still walking there. They took a seat on her sofa, and Angel began his story.
“As a young man, my name was Liam. I lived on Aerilon. I was the village drunk; a good-for-nothing, frakked up loser. During one of my drinking binges, I saw a mysterious woman in an alley. She was beautiful, and she was looking straight at me. So I walked to her, and she turned me. From then on, I went by the name Angelus, and I spent 100 years with Darla, my sire, and I tortured and killed countless humans. I destroyed entire towns, wreaked havoc and death everywhere I went.
“One day I killed a gypsy girl. She was the favorite daughter in her clan, and to punish me, they cursed me with a soul. It was like waking up from a 100 year long nightmare. Only the screams weren’t mine. I could remember every victim with perfect clarity. To keep myself from hurting anyone, I avoided all human contact, and I lived off of rats in the sewers.
“I lived like that for nearly 100 years until the PowersThat Be sent me a messenger, telling me that I was destined for better things. He showed me a young girl, whose destiny would be intertwined with mine, and I knew I belonged by her side.”
“Who was the girl?”
“Her name is Buffy, and she’s the vampire slayer. Every generation a girl is chosen to fight against the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness. She is the slayer. As the ensouled vampire, my destiny was to aid her in her destiny. We fought side-by-side, prevented an apocalypse, and fell in love.
“Our love was a difficult one because I couldn’t be with her in the daytime. I could never see the way the sun glistens in her hair, or watch the sunrise with her. All I could offer her was death and darkness. I was a symbol of everything she fought against. I tried to keep our relationship from becoming romantic, but I failed.
“We managed to make things work; we’d make out during our nightly patrols. Sunnydale is an evil town built around a hellmouth, so there is a heavy concentration of supernatural activity there. Our nights were never dull, but we managed to build a relationship. On the night of her seventeenth birthday, we made love. It was beautiful and perfect; I’ve never felt such a perfect union with anyone before. But, that was how we learned my soul came with a price. The point of the curse was to make me suffer, so if I ever experience perfect happiness, even for a moment, I lose my soul. I lost my soul that night and reverted to Angelus.
“I spent the next several months terrorizing Buffy and her friends. I nearly caused an apocalypse, so Buffy had to kill me. But not before her friend Willow managed to re-ensoul me. I spent 100 years in a hell dimension, but it only seemed like a few months in Caprican time. Something released me and sent me back to Sunnydale.
“Buffy and I tried to reconcile our relationship, but we couldn’t be together, and we couldn’t work together without being together, so I moved to Caprica City, started Angel Investigations, and here we are.”
“I’m probably going to need some time digesting all of that information, Angel, but thank you for trusting me enough to bare your soul for me; no pun intended.”
“Of course, ma’am. You probably want to get some sleep. I’ll be right here if you need me, keeping you safe.”
“Good night, Angel.”
“Good night, Madame Secretary.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Angel. I just wanted you to know that I trust you.”
“Thank you, and good night, ma’am.”