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On Natural Instincts, the story of Angel starts after the series finale.
LA Gone to Hell
The odds were stacked against them. Wesley was dead, Gunn was wounded, and the team was faced with Hell itself. As Angel promised, the first thing he went for in the massive demonic army was the dragon. He found out the beast was fighting for the good side, so he used the dragon in battle. Gunn fought with his last bit of strength and was prepared to die; however, a team of Ugenta vampires stepped in, gave Gunn their blood and
rejuvenated his strength. It was definitely a strange turn of events - Gunn didn’t know how to process why a bunch of vampires saved his life.
Those Ugenta vampires came from the American Vampire League who, since the impending doom of the apocalypse, had been working to coexist peacefully with humans. When the apocalypse in LA hit, they felt it was prime time to show that vampires did not want to bring harm to humanity. Once they saved Gunn’s life, Gunn fought along side them.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team - Spike, Angel, and Illyria -received help from US armed forces, the Initiative, and the Slayer organization. The fight/war lasted for weeks. Unbeknownst to the Angel team, the whole world was watching and the whole world was changed by this single event.
LA being attacked by all of the Senior Partners’ forces became known as The Great Revelation. The day when the world found out that the supernatural existed.
After the Fall
Several weeks later, the war ended. LA was stabilized but generally destroyed and inhabitable. Spike, Gunn, Angel, and Illyria had survived and were suddenly met with a 'what now?’ moment. Returning to the empty and largely ruined LA Wolfram & Hart building, the team pondered on their next move.
- Illyria: Gunn, you did not parish in your own blood whilst in battle. I do not understand. Your death was imminent.
- Gunn: Oh gee, thanks. Glad you’re alive too.
- Spike: Yeah, mind telling the class how you managed that, mate?
- Gunn: Well apparently you two ain’t the only vamps fightin’ on the side of good. A group of them saved my ass earlier.
- Spike: You know, speaking of wanna be vampire champions, what about that soddin’ shanshue prophecy? Far as I can tell I’m still dead. [looks at Angel] Hey I got an idea. I’ll stab you just to make sure you weren’t the bloody winner.
- Angel: What? No.
- Spike: Thought I’d give it a shot.
- Illyria: I would like to see more violence.
- Spike: See? She wants to see more violence.
- Illyria: The quiet after battle is unsettling to me.
- Gunn: Probably ‘cause the battle ain’t over. Is it, Angel?
- Angel: Probably not. As long as the Senior Partners are still calling the shots, we’ve got a long way to go.
- Spike: Yeah, and now the whole bloody world knows that vampires and demons exist. How’s that for a plot twist?
- Illyria: This world will parish. Humans at large are not capable of containing knowledge of my presence. They do not have the ability to grasp the extent of my glory.
- Spike: Wait, I’ve got it. Maybe if you try getting over yourself, the world will be able to handle your glorious presence.
- Gunn: Hey, uh…guys?
The gang turned around and saw a familiar face. Wesley. Wes returned as a ghost, unable to move on due to his contract with Wolfram & Hart . The Senior Partners weren’t done with Angel yet.
Wes was sent to let them know about 'the prophecy of the resurrection' - that once all darkness was revealed, a new Hell will arise. The location?
NYC.
Wes did not know why he was sent to tell them this and the gang was inclined to believe that Wes’ link to the Senior Partners made him untrustworthy. Wesley reasoned with Angel, telling him that his link to the firm had nothing to do with the fact that he fought and died along side Angel. He insisted that Angel needed to go to NYC and his next chapter will be there. The Senior Partners were a long shot away from being defeated, having a headquarters right by the Hellmouth.
...Then Wes mentioned that Buffy was there.
Immediately, Angel and Spike were on board to go NYC. Illyria wanted to keep her ‘pet’ Spike and she felt inexplicable fondness towards the team, so she agreed to go. Gunn, loyal to the Angel clan, was excited to go to the city of dreams…or nightmares.
Angel Investigations: Remixed
Angel and the gang set up a new “Angel Investigations” headquarters, renting out a (way more modest
compared to Wolfram & Hart) office space which also served as Angel’s apartment. After the Great Revelation, Gunn found a team of vampire hunters who heard of him in LA. He took it upon himself to train them on the side.
A couple unexpected visitors stopped by the office too – the first was Connor. Connor told Angel he had fought during the Great Revelation in LA and did not tell him. “I didn’t want you to worry,” he admitted. He updated Angel on how he was doing and said he was actually going to school at NYU. Currently, Connor's allegiance with Angel Investigations is on the fence since he is still attached to his former life, but he helps out when needed. The second visitor was Groo.
- Gunn: ...is that?
- Wes: I believe it is.
- Angel: Oh no.
- Groo: Greetings, I am honored to have finally reunited with my dear allies and fierce warriors. [to Angel] Champion - I am glad we meet again.
- Angel: I'm...glad too. [forces a smile]
- Groo: You must know that I've been following your many conquests and victories since we last spoke.
- Angel: Conquests?
- Wes: So...you know what happened to...
- Groo: Ah yes. The princess. I did mourn for her. But not long, for I can sense she now holds power beyond our plane. This is why I have come to you. To fight along side fierce warriors in her name - if you will have me.
- Gunn: Well considerin' everyone's all lovey dovey with the vamps now, all that muscle power might not be put to good use.
- Groo: I am sure it shall be put to good use. The enemies are numerous. I have slain many since we last spoke.
- Angel: Yeah?...well...so have I. Right, guys?
The Groosalugg has been a an ally of Angel Investigations, however, he fights and defends on his own as well.
Angel Investigations at large believed that due to the Hellmouth, the pseudo- ‘peace’ that the Great Revelation brought on between supernaturals and humans would not last long and they prepared themselves. Once the Russell Edgington incident happened, the war was on.
As for Lorne, he left LA to have his own club in NYC – he’s been following the news on the turmoil in LA but has not gotten word nor actively sought out Angel Investigations in NYC. Perhaps this will change.
The Angel Investigations team was back in business, now in a newly changed world and in a new city.
“Let’s get to work,” - Angel
NYC: A New Home
Wolfram & Hart & Wesley
Since coming to NYC, Spike, Gunn, and Angel worked to release Wesley from the clutches of Wolfram & Hart's eternal contract - much to no avail. During on fateful confrontation with Stephen Crowley (the CEO at the time), they were shown footage of Connor, Angel's son. Stephen explained that the terms of Angel's contract back in LA had a bit of fine print - and that is even when the memory spell was broken, Wolfram & Hart will always have eyes and ears on Connor - close enough to kill Connor within seconds the moment Angel tries to pull any wrong moves. No matter where Connor goes, Wolfram & Hart will be around to use him as leverage.
"It is your choice, save a dead man or save your son, who is still alive. Leave this be, and your son will continue to have a happy life."
Of course, Angel had to let it go for the time being - but was persistent in trying to figure out ways to get around this problem and save both Connor and Wesley. But when they tried again, they were informed that Wesley did not want their help - and that he felt utterly betrayed by them chosing Connor over him (once again, it seemed).
Increasingly, this seemed to be true, as Wesley started doing Wolfram & Hart's bidding with little regard for Angel Investigations. Angel's team ultimately decided to leave Wesley alone as they had several other battles to fight. Spike, disillusioned by Angel's idea of being a hero (not necessarily just because of Wesley's situation), left Angel Investigations for the time being - no one knows where he went or what he's doing.
Cain
Under the bidding of Wolfram & Hart, a magic experiment was cast on Wesley's spirit form - drawing from the darkest parts of Wesley and forming an alter ego named Cain. Cain is a immensely powerful warlock - so powerful due to the fact that he could not be killed, as he is bound to a spirit. Cain didthe senior partner's bidding, killing and plotting with unbelievably powerful magic. For a while, Wesley had no idea he had an alter ego that did all this evil - Cain took over his body like a split personality.
It was due to a mass spell that Cain preformed that Illyria returned to Fred's form involuntarily. "Fred" temporarily separated the magic (that fueled Cain) from Wesley with a magical device. Wes was now able to realize that he had be controlled by magic. But it is one confrontation with Gunn that made everything clear. As Angel and friends had been told Wesley didn't want to be saved, Wesley had been told that his frineds wanted nothing to do with him.
They realized they were all being played by Wolfram & Hart once again.
Gunn and Angel did everything possible to help Wesley, and enlisting the help of Buffy and Giles, they found a warlock that could do the job of separating Cain from Wesley. It worked ultimately, not only separating the two but enabling Wesley to be corporeal.
Unfortunately, Cain was now on the loose. During an ultimate battle when Gunn, Angel, and Wesley tried to battle against the vicious warlock - Illyria suddenly swooped in and destroyed Cain before leaving again.
Illyria and "The Broker"
Since coming to NYC, Illyria was left to her own desires - continuing to discover this world and the emotions (little by little) that comes with it. But there is someone who deals in the business of Old Ones named "The Broker" who was out for Illyria's capture. With a few bits of intel from those who'd rather see her gone, The Broker was able to find Illyria, incapacitate her with magic and deliver her to partners that ended up being the highest bidder. Those partners were a witch/warlock clan that did some magic experiments on her. Eventually however she was able to break free and kill all of them.
When she returned, she felt different - as if parts of her were missing. When she was in her lair - one of the spells that were performed on her manifested, and out of her essences came her doppelganger of sorts: Fred Burkle. Disoriented, Illyria kept her captive until she understood exactly what this meant for her and her abilities. It turned out that Fred was always buried deep inside Illyria, and now that she was free, there was no telling what would happen next.
Gunn the Fugitive
Following the Cain issue, Gunn started having memories about the whereabouts of the demon tablet. Turns out that Wolfram & Hart had planted this in his head accidentally back when he was a lawyer at Wolfram & Hart. The NYC branch sent the FBI after Gunn, and seeing no other choice in order to not get his friends in danger, he went on the run. On the run he met an angel name Castiel who told him about the Leviathans, and not really having no where else go and figuring they needed the help, he got wrapped into task to fight them - Dean Winchester, Jo Harvelle and Sam Winchester included.
They did. But it wasn't easy. In an attempt to send the Leviathans (the demons) back to purgatory where they came from, Gunn, Dean, and Castiel ended up in purgatory. Eventually they found their way out but Dean and Gunn were definitely different afterwards, and Gunn was still - unfortunately - a fugitive.