Daddy Issues, Part Four

"Daddy Issues, Part Four" was the nineth issue of the Angel & Faith comic book series.

Synopsis
Angel with his shirt unbuttoned, rushed into the church to save Faith who was willingly at the mercy of the Lorophage demon. He attacked the demon and started talking to her to get her back to her senses.

But unfortunately, as Drusilla told him, it was too late. The Lorophage demon had already done his job and had removed all of Faith's trauma. She remembered everything but she didn't care anymore. The little voice inside her that was reminding her that she deserved every little thing had now gone. But everything had gone. Faith felt "five by five" even for the innocent professor she killed some years ago. So Angel tried to make her understand her mistake by telling her.

But Angel was missing the point. One, not everyone had his capacity for self-flagellation and two, even if Faith regretted it, it was too late. So maybe the demon could undo what he had done and give back what he took. And Angel attacked him. But Drusilla defended the demon and started fighting Angel. She wouldn't be again a shattered helpless thing like he was. Neither she nor the rest of the people that were worshiping her at that church. But what she couldn't see was that they were already broken but in different ways that they used to be as Angel told her. But none seemed to agree, so all of them, Drusilla, the Lorophage demon and the people attacked Angel and captured him. Faith worried told them not to kill him, but death was not what Drusilla had in mind for Angel. She was going to fix him. She had given him the choice to choose last time they met, but since he seemed to have taken the wrong one, Drusilla planned to make the right decision for him.

Angel was in a bad situation. He couldn't fight all of them alone. He was asking for Faith's help but she seemed not to listen. Drusilla assured her that it was the best thing, that it was what would make Angel right and fix him. So Angel was at their mercy, until....Faith finally came to her senses and understood that Drusilla had actually used her, just like her dad and everyone else - except Angel - did. So, she helped him and attacked Drusilla while Angel fought the Lorophage demon. Dru couldn't seem to understand, or didn't want to.

But Angel coulnd't let that happen anymore. He asked for Drusilla's forgiveness, and attacked the demon. He grabbed his hand and his huge fingernails and placed them on its own forehead, turning its claws against itself. And something started happening. The demon started drawing its own trauma instead, together with all the trauma he had taken from other people, which seemed to return to the people again. Drusilla started feeling the pain again, grabbed Angel and begged him to do something to stop it and not to let her get damaged again with tears in her eyes. Suddenly, Drusilla was crazy again and started talking like a crazy person.

Angel turned to Faith to see if she was OK. A mad Faith told him not to touch her. Angel tried to apologize for what he did to Drusilla and to Faith, but it was the only way. Part of them was stolen and he had to return it back. And Faith knew is, but she just wanted to be left alone sometimes. And this was one of those times. But she wouldn't have that luxury, because there was still a crowd in the church. And their trauma had come back as well. They understood that Faith and Angel were the ones responsible for it, and they attacked them. Angel told Faith not to hurt them, but actually it was the other way around. Faith and Angel needed help right now. Angel asked Drusilla to help them, telling her that he could still help her as well later, but it was too late. And she opened the door, and went out leaving Angel and Faith alone to fight the angry crowd.

So Angel and Faith escaped as well from the roof, because they didn't want to fight and hurt anyone. And while Angel felt sorry for them, Faith described them as pathetic. And while watching from the rooftop all the crowd still looking for them, Angel felt worried for Drusilla. He didn't want to leave her alone out there in a crazy state of mind.

And Angel just reminded her that sometimes when you meet again people from your past, they drag you into it again - just like Faith's dad and what he did to her daughter, as well as what he almost made her do - like nothing has changed. But nobody could take away what one has accomplished - unless one lets them. Surprised by his words at first, Faith realized that making a deal with a demon was a bad thing, and tried to change the conversation.

Angel was totally surprised by her words. But Faith was not stupid. She had seen Angel's piercing and the way it glowed sometimes. Like the time they killed the demon in the Anne's house. So Angel admitted the truth, that the ancient Egyptians believed that the soul had nine parts. He was not sure about the number, but he was trying to collect Giles' soul. And he hadn't told her anything because he wasn't sure that she would have agreed because she didn't believe that he could bring Giles back.

Faith wasn't sure what she believed right now, but she knew that it was wrong to give up on people. And she told him that she would help collect all the nine pieces and asked him if there was something else he was hiding. Angel said no. And Faith added that yes, she realized that it was wrong to give up on people, but she couldn't handle Drusilla. She was soulless now as well as insane - a total mess.

Faith, along with Angel, walked back home, with Angel remembering Drusilla and how she was back when she was a human and still sane, beautiful and happy.

Continuity
The story was set after "Live Through This", but before "Women of a Certain Age".

Individuals

 * Angel
 * Faith Lehane
 * Drusilla aka "Mother Superior"
 * Highgate Vampire
 * Richard Wilkins
 * Professor Worth
 * Wesley Wyndam-Pryce

Species

 * Vampire
 * Human
 * Lorophage Demon

Locations

 * London

Collections

 * Daddy Issues