TITLE: The Plus Doyle Series- Prologue (Hero)
AUTHOR: Fiona (
bu3@btinternet.com)RATING: PG-13 (I think)
DISCLAIMER: Angel, the Series and all characters are the property of Joss Wheaton, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox.
FEEDBACK: Gratefully received and answered
NOTES: This is basically a re-write of the end of "Hero", with Doyle wasting less time and just getting on with pulling the cable.
Okay, this is my first attempt at fanfiction. I plan to do a miniseries, with each episode after Doyle's death being replaced by one in which Doyle survived. Please r/r, (otherwise how will I get better?). If you want to borrow this for your own site please let me know.
Prologue
"Angel it's suicide."
Doyle shook his head at Angel. "There's gotta be another way."
Angel looked down from the gantry at the Lister half-demons, terror in their eyes at what this device of the Scourge might do to them. Angel steeled himself. "It's alright."
"No," insisted Cordelia.
Angel looked at Doyle, his one true friend. The one who had made him come out of the shadows and get involved with people. In that look he tried to communicate everything he wanted to say but hadn't the time. How much he cared for and respected him, how much he hoped that he would continue on his path to redemption. Doyle met his gaze levelly. Angel put a supportive hand on his shoulder. Doyle braced his arm, trying in his own gaze to show how much he respected Angel and all he had been through.
"The good fight, yeah?" said Doyle. Angel was relieved. In that simple sentence Doyle was agreeing to take over his place when he was gone. "You never know until you've been tested? I get that now." He then hauled back and hit Angel with a punch to the side of his head, causing him to fall through the chain railings to the deck below.
Doyle turned from the edge of the balcony where he had knocked Angel down to Cordelia. He took her in his arms and hugged her. "I'm sorry." He released her. "Too bad we'll never know," He changed, allowing his demon aspect to the fore, "If this is a face you could learn to love." He turned away, unable to face Cordelia's uncomprehending expression any longer. He sized up the jump, realising that it would take a running start. He heard Cordelia move closer to him, her breath coming out in barely controlled sobs.
"Doyle?" Angel was awake. Doyle knew he had to jump now or else his friend would stop him and take his place. "Doyle!" Angel had reached the base of the ladder. Doyle jumped, his long frame arcing cat-like through the air. He caught hold of the bar and quickly hauled himself up. He could not bring himself to look back at his friends. He tuned out everything but the cable in his hands. He pulled as hard as he could. They gave only slowly. He heard the Beacon starting to hum. It felt like his flesh was on fire. He felt his face change back, his demon strength leaving his arms. It only made him pull harder. He lost all feeling apart from burning at the front of his face as the cables parted. Relieved that the glow was fading he allowed himself to give in to the pain. He screamed in pain, then stopped as darkness claimed him.
Angel watched as Doyle shut down the Beacon. Cordelia hung at his side too shocked to even move. Both winced as Doyle began to scream as the Beacon shut down. Doyle abruptly stopped screaming and fell from the Beacons cradle. Angel jumped down from the balcony and ran to Doyle's side. He was shocked at what he found. Most of the skin from the side of Doyle's face he could see was gone, revealing muscle and tendons. On the hand that Angel could see much of the skin was missing from the back. Several parts of Doyle's shirt showed where blood was already pouring from similar wounds under his clothes. Angel carefully rolled Doyle onto his back. Doyle whimpered but remained unconscious.
"Doyle," breathed Cordelia. Angel hadn't heard her move closer. "Oh my God, look at what that thing did to him."
The leader of the Listers approached. "Is the Promised One still alive?"
Angel nodded. "But not for much longer unless we get his some help." He scooped Doyle up in his arms, and carried him from the ship.
"When the chips are down and you're at the end of your rope, you need someone
that you can count on. And that's what you'll find here. Some one who'll go
all the way, who'll protect you no matter what. So don't lose hope. Come on
over to our offices and you'll see that there's still heroes in this world.
Is that it? Am I done?"
Angel reached over and switched off the VCR. He carefully picked Cordelia up and laid her down on the couch. She sighed in her sleep and pulled the blanket he laid on top of her closer around her shoulders. Angel quietly moved down the stairs to check on the one other person in the city he cared about deeply. Lying on his bed was Doyle, wrapped from head to toe in crisp white linen bandages. The Beacon had extracted a terrible price on Doyle. The doctor Angel had called specialised in demons, but even he was unsure as to whether Doyle would survive. Doyle had been sedated into a deep coma, where the pain could not touch him. Angel knew that given time he himself could heal from something like that, but Doyle with his half-brachen heritage was going to have a harder time of it. He sat down on his bed and placed a hand on Doyle's shoulder. "You did it," he said to Doyle, unsure as to whether the half demon could hear him. "You saved us all. Now hurry back to us. We still need you." He sat by Doyle's bedside till dawn.