Disclaimer: I do not own Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize
Chapter 12- Hero
All sat in the viewing room again in the same order as before as Willow said. "Now I'm wondering why this recording is supposed to be even worse than the previous one."
"Well, we'll see very soon", Tara said. "Though I think I don't want to."
"It must be very brutal", Buffy said as she turned the recording on.
It was night in LA as Cordelia's voice was heard. "Okay, we fade up on an aerial shot, downtown, skyscrapers, lights, yada, yada, yada. We hear a narrator, preferably famous - maybe that bald Star Trek guy or one of the cheaper Baldwins, and he says: 'it's a big, bad city out there.' Cut to a woman walking down a dark, spooky street - alone. We'll cast some beautiful, young actress, maybe an up-and-coming starlet whose carrier is on the verge of taking off." Cordelia was shown walking down the street.
"Not quite accurate there, Cordy", Xander said.
Cordelia continued. "Anyway, she's all nervous, right? Mucho vulnerable. The voice guy says: 'danger lurks around every corner.' Boom! She's attacked by a big, ugly goon, with a knife." A goon attacked with a knife as Cordelia tried to escape while the voice over Cordelia said. "She screams." And then the Cordelia in the scene continued. "Help! Is there no one to help me?" The voice over Cordelia said. "Well now there is someone to answer your call." A dark figure in a long trench coat appeared. "He'll protect you," The dark guy kicked the goon away, then beat him up, making his knife fly into the air as Cordelia watched. "Catch you when you fall! You can count on it." The guy turned, revealing himself to be Angel. "And you can count on me, because I'm the Dark Avenger."
Everyone laughed as Dawn said. "Not to be rude, but her acting wasn't very convincing."
"Yeah, but Angel…." Buffy trailed off, laughing, just like the rest.
"The Dark Avenger?" Xander laughed too.
Angel was sitting on his desk, looking up at Cordelia, asking about the name again as she said he was 'The Dark Avenger', finding it perfect and making plans for the ad, but Angel started walking off while Cordelia said they needed self-promotion to not be broke anymore, but Angel went into the elevator and closed the grate. Cordelia annoyingly asked if Angel was in a permanent funk due to Buffy showing up to town, but the elevator went down as Cordelia ranted about how their business was suffering.
Everyone winced at Buffy's mention, including Buffy herself, the events of the previous recording still fresh in their minds, and they could only imagine how Angel was feeling about it all.
Doyle told Cordelia advertising about a superhero who only went out in the night could raise Vampire suspicions, and they had no license either, though Cordelia said they didn't need one when they didn't even have clients. Doyle assured they'd manage but Cordelia said they needed to project the right image first, and then said Angel was wrong for this commercial due to being a larger than life character.
"Yeah, that he does feel like sometimes", Buffy said, referring to his mysterious persona.
Cordelia said they needed an average, ordinary and relatable person, and looked at Doyle, deciding to prepare him for the commercial over his protests as she was adamant, saying they needed this. Doyle muttered how they didn't need evil with her around but she heard.
"Poor Doyle again", Dawn said.
Doyle was then seen through a camera as he said. ""If you need help. Then look no further. Angel Investigations is the best! - Our rats are low." "Our rates!" Cordelia corrected. Doyle pointed to the papers taped on the windows behind her. "It says 'rats'." He continued anyway. "Our rates are low, but our standards are high. 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 - someone that will go all the way, 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." He cleared his throat. "Is that it? Am I done?"
"Not the best ad", Willow commented.
"But at least he tried", Tara said. "He did put his heart in this."
No one disagreed.
Cordelia said she was getting weasel vibes rather than every man ones, though Doyle disagreed, and Cordelia apologized for the weasel comment before saying she felt hopeless due to Angel's non-profit brooding, and he didn't have a heart so she wondered how it could be broken.
"Just because it doesn't beat doesn't mean it doesn't exist", Buffy said.
Doyle pointed out seeing Buffy got him where he lived, but Cordelia said they lived here too, and suggested getting Angel a costume, like tights and a cape. Doyle imagined it and said it was disturbing.
"Thanks for the upcoming nightmares, Cordy", Xander said as all imagined the sight and laughed.
"Or maybe he can dress up as Batman", Dawn popped up. "That would be fun."
"Yeah, that can look better on him", Tara agreed.
Angel was working out against a punching bag as Doyle arrived, joking how Cordelia was not sad enough to cry in his arms but if he kept this up, she would be. He then sympathized, saying his ex had been around for 5 minutes and he'd been a wreck, but Angel said Buffy had been around for more than that. Doyle said it could be 10 minutes but no one was counting, and then Angel said she'd been there for a whole day and night.
"Looks like he is about to tell him", Giles said.
"He alone couldn't take that burden", Buffy noted sadly.
Doyle commented one of them had been drinking but then Angel inquired about the Oracles, shocking Doyle, mentioning the Mohra Demon had gotten away after attacking him the first time, confusing Doyle even more as Angel mentioned tracking and killing it, and the blood mixing, and the trip to the Oracles, which again puzzled Doyle as he'd remember, and then Angel sat down and revealed. "The Oracles told me that I was released from my duty. Buffy and I were together until - we realized it couldn't be. - We don't belong to ourselves. We belong to the world, fighting. - So, I went back to the Oracles and I asked them to turn back the clock... as though that day had never happened."
"It's out now", Xander said.
"At least one more person knows now", Tara said. "He needed to let that out at some point."
Doyle was surprised Angel had given up the one thing he'd wanted in his long life, and said Cordelia was right about Angel being a hero, as he would have chosen pleasures of the flesh over heroism any time since he didn't have that kind of strength, but Angel told him he wouldn't know till tested.
"Yeah, you wouldn't", Dawn said in agreement, having matured over the course of 3 years about this kind of life.
Doyle said Angel had done a lot in a day while he couldn't even ask Cordelia out to dinner or tell her he was a half-Demon, deciding the latter should come first, and Angel told him about the Oracles' warning of the end of days, and said they were part of it. Doyle found it unfair that Angel had to help the helpless and fight the apocalypse but Angel said it was the same as he was fighting the good fight, and Doyle said he'd keep score.
"It's unfair, but who would do it if not us?" Buffy said.
"Not many can", Giles said in agreement.
Doyle later told Cordelia about the situation as they sat on the steps and she said Angel should have told them as they shouldn't keep secrets from each other, while joking Angel didn't check the stock quotes or lotto numbers.
"So now she knows too", Buffy said. "Three people in the know about it. Feels weird that I didn't know."
"Would you have been able to handle it back then?" Tara asked.
Buffy shook her head. "No."
Doyle agreed, saying his marriage would have had a better chance if he and Harry had talked more, and he mentioned she was staying in LA now, though both needed to get on with their lives, and he told her if he wanted a relationship to last, he needed to put a few cards on the table. Cordelia wondered what it was, and Doyle started telling her about his half Demon nature, only to press a hand to his head on getting a vision.
"What a timing!" Xander said sarcastically.
"So, poor Doyle", Dawn said again.
A girl walked by as Cordelia made an excuse that they were playing a game and when she was gone, blurred images of people huddled together in a brick building were shown, and then Cordelia asked Doyle if the people could afford to pay.
Everyone chuckled while Tara said. "Well, considering they're broke, can't blame her for that line of thought."
A little demon girl was running down a street at night. There was a sound of heavy boots. The girl dropped the box she was carrying, and quickly gathered the stuff back up, clearly afraid. As she turned to continue her flight a hand covered her mouth. A demon boy pulled her down some steps and they huddled watching as a bunch of army boots jogged by.
"So, someone is after Demon people", Tara noted.
"They had army boots, Initiative maybe?" Xander asked.
"But the Initiative didn't really do anything outside of Sunnydale", Buffy said. "And I doubt they would risk that much exposure by going to LA."
"So who would these be?" Willow wondered.
"I believe we will see very soon", Giles said.
Angel and Doyle searched the brick building from Doyle's vision, which was deserted and run down with holes in the wall as Doyle commented it was low rent even by Demon standards, and Angel pointed out this was a good hiding place. They entered a room with a meal on a table, which Doyle realized was warm by tasting it, and Angel smelt fear, throwing aside a carpet to reveal a trapdoor.
"That's where they are hidden", Dawn said in realization.
They opened the trapdoor and shone their flashlights to reveal a huddled mass of Demons of all ages, Angel assuring they had come to help.
"They look afraid", Xander said, surprised, since in his mind, most of the time, Demons were either evil creatures or just self-serving ones with no regard for others (Anya being the exception, though even she had been human first). But these, they seemed like normal people with families and all that.
Maybe Demons weren't so different from humans after all.
They all sat in the living room together as a Demon man said they'd given their money to a man who had promised passports and safe passage but he had disappeared with the money, fooling them.
"The bastard", Xander snarled about the man.
"Those poor people", Tara muttered about the Demons.
The Demon said they'd been going to Briole, an island off the coast of Equador and others of their kind had found sanctuary there. Angel asked who they were running from when the Demon kids arrived, the boy informing they had lost half of their supplies. The Elder Demon called the boy RIeff and introduced Angel as the promised one, confusing him.
"Promised one?" Giles wondered.
"Everyone has different prophecies of stuff", Willow said.
The Elder told Angel one consistent prophecy of theirs was that in the final days of the century the promised one would come to save them from the Scourge, though Angel didn't even know what they were, making Rieff pass cynical comments about how they were all going to be killed, and walked out, the Elder apologizing to Angel.
"What is the Scourge?" Dawn asked.
"I have heard the name", Giles said grimly. "An army of pureblood Demons who hunt and kill half-blood Demons like animals."
"God!" Buffy said, horrified at the thought.
"Think Demon Nazis", Giles gave an analogy, and that made everyone even more horrified.
"Regular ones were bad enough", Tara said.
Doyle later stared outside a window as Angel talked to him about all of this, and Doyle revealed he knew the Scourge, calling them 'Death.'
"So he's met them before", Willow noted. "I have a feeling it wasn't pleasant."
In a flashback, a younger Doyle walked into his apartment, finding someone else there who also had a spiky Demon face, introducing himself as Lucas, also a Brachen Demon like Doyle. His clan was from Oregon and they'd been living in the woods till they had come, and not all had escaped. Doyle wasn't interested, saying he had his own problems, but Lucas was adamant they were coming, and finally named them as the Scourge.
"So they went after Doyle's species too", Xander said. "And now he is haunted by it."
There was a blend of Doyle telling Angel about the Scourge in the present while Lucas told him about the Scourge in the flashback- they were an army of pureblood Demons who hated the mixed type and hunted them like animals.
"What Giles said", Dawn commented.
Doyle told Angel the Scourge were ready to die for their cause, they were impossible to fight fanatics. In the past, Lucas asked Doyle to just help them hide, but Doyle didn't want to, saying this was off his line of work, and he would be taking a risk by helping them, plus while he was half-Demon he had been raised human and wasn't looking to explore his roots. Lucas implored him to help, saying they shared a common enemy, but Doyle didn't budge, and Lucas left dejected.
"He just…..refused", Giles said in shock.
Doyle then told Angel in the present that he'd punked out due to just having found out about his Demon side recently, and didn't want anything to do with it.
"When he puts it that way, it is understandable, if not justifiable", Buffy said to Giles. "Plus, you said they were Demon Nazis, with a total dedication to the cause. So Doyle wouldn't want to risk himself."
"It wasn't ethical, but still understandable", Tara agreed.
Giles just gave a nod.
Angel inquired what had happened, and in the past Doyle tossed around in his bed before smoking a cigarette later, and then there was a knock on the door and he got up to open it, only to have a vision of Lucas and his clan getting killed while Lucas' words of a common enemy were heard.
"Oh no!" Willow said, realizing what that meant, the mood plummeting steadily.
Doyle said that was his first vision and he thought it was a stroke, but still decided to check to see if it was a dream or not. In the past, Doyle walked into the building and found the corpses of Lucas and his clan.
"God!" Xander said, everyone looking at the massacre in horror, the background music making it even worse to bear.
Doyle guiltily told Angel it wasn't a dream while Angel assured he couldn't have known, and Doyle said they were gonna need more than a mythic promised one, since they couldn't fight the Scourge, but Angel said they were going to get the Demons out first.
"I hope they do get them all out", Dawn said, everyone hoping that did happen.
But then they remembered their future selves had said this one would be brutal too, and they dreaded what was going to happen. Would this clan of Demons be slaughtered too?
A truck pulled up outside the building as Cordelia walked in the hallway, calling out for Angel when some Demons stepped into the hallway and she pulled out a spray, saying it was Demon repellent and sprayed it, but it was just Wintergreen, and then Doyle pushed through, telling her they'd help them, making her put the spray away as she smiled at the Demons and greeted them before inquiring about Angel.
Everyone chuckled as Willow said. "Trust her to bring levity to such a situation."
"Yeah, she seems funny like that", Tara agreed.
Doyle inquired about the truck, which she'd got, before pointing out the people were Demons, but Doyle said they were half Demons who needed help, and weren't bad. Cordelia asked the Demons to excuse them and pulled Doyle to a corner, saying they were supposed to fight the forces of Darkness, but Doyle said they weren't, and were in trouble. Angel wanted her to a pier on a LA harbor to talk to a captain Angel knew.
"Not all Demons are forces of darkness, some are just trying to live in the world like others", Buffy said.
"Yeah, but some people associate 'Demon' and 'Evil', unfortunately", Tara said.
"That's got to change in everyone", Willow agreed, though Giles was silent.
Cordelia realized they were booking the Demons a cruise, Doyle saying the guy owed Angel money, Cordelia surprised they hadn't collected it, and then realized they were sending the Demons on a cruise and paying for it too, but Doyle pointed out hey were oppressed Demon people and she agreed to help, knowing very bad things were coming, and went off to do as asked.
"Well, now all of them have their priorities straight", Xander said.
"Just hope that is enough", Dawn told him.
At his office, the harbormaster told Angel he could get in trouble for this, but Angel said it'd be worse if he didn't do it, and he wouldn't pay either, telling him what he was, and said he hadn't bitten Big Randy the harbormaster's brother as he hadn't been hungry, and told him to certify the ship was carrying an inspected cargo of medical waste and no one was to stop and look at it, and if it happened, Angel would hold him responsible and get a little peckish, making finish the documents and hand them to Angel, wishing him a nice trip.
"So now that's done too", Willow said. "Hopefully, they can have a safe trip."
"But nothing is ever easy", Buffy groaned.
At the Demons building, it was revealed Reiff had taken off, a girl saying he had said they'd all be killed, but Doyle said no one was going to die, giving a Demon his cell phone, saying Cordelia would call, and when she did they were going to clear out and go to the ship, and he offered to find the boy, asking the girl where he had gone.
"Find him quickly", Tara said.
Rieff was walking on the street when Doyle stopped him, and he made it clear he didn't want to come, saying that the only day he had ever gone out was Halloween, which Doyle realized.
"Poor kid", Xander said sadly.
Reiff said his choice was to be hated by humans who were scared of him or by purebloods who wanted to kill him, so he didn't have a choice, but Doyle told him the little girl would miss him as he walked off. Rieff said they were coming, but Doyle said it'd be different now, RIeff still not believing in the promised one, before realizing Doyle agreed with him. Doyle then told him he didn't know about any of this, but Angel was the genuine article.
"That he is", Buffy said in agreement, all of them hoping Doyle got through to Reiff.
Rieff was still cynical and said this was a lie, but Doyle said Angel was a hero, and his people had put their faith in something, while RIeff's option of losing himself hoping it went away would never work, and asked they find his family.
"Yeah, that can never work", Buffy agreed with Doyle.
"Now they will find his family", Willow said.
At the ship, Cordelia talked with the Captain and first mate about the people they would have, which would number 20, and the captain assured they'd take them all, and Cordelia agreed, pulling out her phone.
"So that's done too", Tara sighed in relief, though the future group's warning still hung over their heads.
Doyle and Rieff were walking, getting slightly confused between directions for a bit when marching footsteps were heard, and they ran down the street, soldiers behind as they ran to a building and watched from a window, looking at the Scourge searching the neighborhood. They smashed windows, kicked trashcans and set a car on fire, with one coming to the building.
"Oh crap!" Willow said.
"So these are the Scourge", Buffy noted grimly.
"They even have uniforms like Nazis", Dawn noted.
"Guess my description was even more accurate than I thought", Giles sighed.
"I am hoping they all make it out", Xander said simply.
"We all are", Tara told him.
Doyle told Rieff to stay and morphing into Demon face, ran out the door, knocking the solider away as he led the others on a chase, when a hand grabbed and pulled him into another building. It was Angel. Doyle told him they were coming and Angel had a plan.
All sighed in relief as Dawn muttered. "Please be safe, all of you."
The Scourge walked into the Demons' hideout, looking around as the Commander kicked the carpet aside and a soldier opened the trap door but it was empty. The Commander told to keep looking when Angel arrived in Vamp face, holding Doyle and telling the soldiers he was his kill.
"Uh-oh!" Tara said.
"What's he doing?" Willow wondered.
"I think he has a plan", Buffy said.
"Looks very risky", Xander said.
"But it's the only one", Giles pointed out.
The Commander said Vampires didn't feed on Demon blood, and Angel said this one reeked of humanity. The Commander said Vampires were the lowest of half-breeds, and Angel said his humanity polluted him.
"He really is one great actor", Dawn said, impressed and uncomfortable simultaneously.
"Yeah, that he is", Buffy agreed.
Doyle begged him to spare him but Angel snapped his neck to shut him up.
All flinched as Giles said. "The Brachen Demons can heal from that."
All sighed in relief.
"Can't believe I thought he actually did it", Xander said sarcastically, remembering Angel's plan to feed on his blood alongside Spike.
A soldier called Angel charming as he was a half-breed murdering other half-breeds, and Angel said he wanted to join them, amusing the Commander. Angel said. "I need to be cleansed and only you can show me the way." He stepped closer. "You can kill me if you want you'd only be freeing me. But I can kill half-breeds for you and believe me I can do it faster and better than anyone you got. I know their minds, where they hide, how they think. I can help you."
All were impressed by his acting, though the Nazi vibes from the Scourge sent chills up their spines, and Angel was playing it way too close.
The Commander accepted as some soldiers grabbed Angel and hustled him out of the room while he laughed. Rieff later saw the Scourge exiting the building with Angel in their middle, and then he found Doyle's body, kneeling beside him before jumping back when Doyle blinked, wrenching his neck back into place with a groan.
All flinched at that too, imagining feeling it.
"Handy healing though", Dawn said.
"Just like Wolverine", Xander commented.
Doyle said he hated the plan, with RIeff asking if all Brachen Demons could do it, and Doyle said he was stronger in Demon form but preferred to pass off as human, and hoped all were where they were supposed to be.
"They are", Buffy said.
The Demons boarded the freighter as the Captain told Cordelia they had a schedule, and Cordelia told him to wait for a few more minutes, so he said to cut off 60% from his debt, making Cordelia comment on his hard bargains as he walked off.
"Yeah, he does, but can't blame him either", Tara said.
A Demon walked to Cordelia, saying he couldn't thank them enough, and she assured Doyle would bring Rieff back, making the Demon comment Doyle understood their suffering. Cordelia said she did too, and the Demon apologized, agreeing she understood, but it was more familiar to Doyle as he had to live with a certain amount of persecution due to being half-Demon, surprising Cordelia.
"The beans are spilled", Dawn said.
"Finally!" Willow sighed.
"Now her reaction is what we need to see", Buffy said.
"Hope it's not too bad", Tara said.
Angel was in a Scourge meeting, his hair slicked down to the side as the Commander gave a speech about how the vermin diluted their blood with the weakness of humanity, the soldiers agreeing, and he said they would erase them all from the planet.
"Hitler would be so proud", Dawn commented, everyone horrified by this group.
The Commander said now they would find and destroy a group of half-Demons that had eluded them thanks to a good man, and the First Mate of the ship was brought forth, as the Commander said he would witness the power of the beacon.
"That bastard", Xander snarled, everyone paling.
"Now they know", Buffy realized as the atmosphere plummeted.
Two soldiers opened a door behind the Commander and rolled out what looks like a giant, crystal-shaped light suspended in a metal frame. They flicked some switches on top of it and it began to cycle up. A soldier told Angel the Commander made it all clear and he agreed, as the Commander said the Listers and others with human blood would be killed by this beacon when it reached critical mass and detonated a quarter mile in all directions.
"They have a device to kill all of them, God!" Tara said, everyone horrified, as she and Willow held each other's hands, while she grasped an arm around a clearly horror-stricken Dawn as well.
The Commander decided to test it on the First Mate, the light reaching the guy as he went up in a scream to the Scourge's satisfaction, and he told the soldiers to deliver this.
"Well, he got what he deserved", Xander said, no one disagreeing.
The soldiers ran into the hallway as Angel stepped out of their midst and into a side room, kicking down a Demon and stealing its motorcycle.
"Reach quickly!" Buffy begged.
Doyle and Reiff finally arrived as Reiff was led away by a Demon after a gentle scolding, and Rieff thanked Doyle too. Cordelia was happy Doyle was alive, having been worried, and then slapped him for not telling her has half-Demon, reminding him their agreement of secrets being bad. Doyle said he was afraid she'd reject him if he did. Cordelia said. "I've rejected you way before now! So, you're half demon. Big Whoop! I can't believe you'd think I'd care about that. I mean, I work for a Vampire! Hello?" Doyle was slightly unconvinced as she said. "What do you think I am, superficial? - So you're half Demon. That's so far down the list, way under 'short' and 'poor'! - Is there anything else I should know?"
"She…..doesn't care at all!" Xander said, all surprised by her maturity and non-bigotry towards Demons.
"Never thought she could be like that", Buffy said.
"People can always surprise you", Willow reminded.
"Well, she doesn't care, that's good for Doyle", Tara smiled.
"So, not poor Doyle anymore", Dawn said happily.
Doyle said the half Demon thing was it, and Cordelia asked him to ask her out to dinner, Doyle starting the process, and that was when Angel arrived on the motorcycle.
All groaned as Xander said. "Now that is some really bad timing."
"But they are in danger, so it's for the best", Buffy reminded and he nodded.
Angel told them about the problem and told the Captain he won't find his First Mate, saying they needed to when Doyle noticed the Scourge had come. The Scourge pulled up on the pier in trucks and on motorcycles. Angel told them all to get below and lock the doors as Doyle yelled through the hold to lock the doors. Angel met the soldiers running up the gangplank as the freighter pulled away. The Commander was angry at him for lying as Angel called him football head, and the Commander ordered the soldiers to kill him painfully.
"Hope you die painfully too", Dawn snarled at him.
The soldiers attacked Angel as he threw one down while 2 grabbed him but he kicked the one in the front down again. He then knocked one away and fought another before flipping to avoid the 4 th one's strike, disarming the one he was fighting and taking him down, and beat down the other one too.
"And they are down", Xander said.
"But the Commander remains", Buffy pointed out.
Angel and the Commander fought, evenly matched as they burst in through the doors, rolling down some stairs in the cargo hold. The two then fell over the railing and Angel got up to see the beacon being lowered via a chain, and yelled at everyone to get out.
"Oh crap!" Willow said, everyone paling as they felt their hearts beat faster.
The Lister Demons scrambled as the Commander grabbed Angel, trying to choke him. "Welcome to a cleaner world. Soon only the pure bloods will be left standing." "Actually, pure boy", Angel broke his grip. "You'll be on your ass." Angel broke his neck and dropped him.
"Exactly what you deserved", Buffy said, everyone satisfied by the scene.
Doyle tried to open a door but it was locked from the outside, so he and Cordelia climbed up to where Angel was, looking at the beacon as Angel told them what it did, but Angel said he could shut it off by pulling the cable, though Doyle pointed out the light would touch him and Cordelia said it was suicide. Doyle said there had to be another way. Angel looked at the Demons then Cordelia, assuring everything would be all right, though Cordelia was in denial, and Angel put a hand on Doyle's shoulder who put his hand on his arm and said. "The good fight, yeah? - You never know until you've been tested. - I get that now."
No one had time to formulate a reaction as they realized what Doyle was up to. Their hearts were caught in their chests.
Doyle hauled back and hit Angel with a hard right to the chin, knocking him down into the cargo hold.
"He's…..going to…" Dawn trailed off, everyone feeling their heartbeats rise, knowing what was coming.
Doyle turned to Cordelia and they kissed. There was a strange blue light between their lips just before they parted. Doyle stepped back. "Too bad we'll never know", he morphed into his Demon face. "If this is a face you could learn to love."
"She can love it! Don't do this!" Xander snapped.
Angel picked himself up of the floor of the cargo hold, running over to the ladder and climbed back up. "Doyle. Doyle. Doyle! Doyle! NO!" Doyle jumped over to the beacon just before Angel reached the platform. He grabbed a hold of its metal frame, turned his head and smiled at Angel and Cordelia. "No!" Angel yelled.
"No!" Everyone in the room yelled at the same time, even Giles.
Doyle morphed back to human and tried to pull the cable connection apart as the light got brighter and started to melt the skin off his face. Everybody watched spellbound as Doyle managed to pull the cable apart just before he burnt up with a scream of pain. The beacon went dark. All the Lister demons stared at the fading beacon in shock. Cordelia started crying and Angel pulled her into a hug, teary-eyed himself.
Dawn burst into tears at that moment as Tara hugged the girl, in tears herself, while Willow and Xander held each other, the former sobbing and the latter having tears trailing down. Buffy's mouth was covered, tears falling down her eyes too as she struggled not to give out a cry, while Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his face, feeling pretty horrible himself.
Even in just 9 recordings, all had come to like Doyle a lot, and felt connected to him. They did know he was going to die, but they had no idea it had happened this soon.
Later, Angel and Cordelia watched the commercial Doyle had shot earlier. "If you need help. Then look no further. Angel Investigations is the best! Our rats are low." "Rates!" Cordelia's voice said. Doyle pointed to the papers taped on the windows behind her. "It says 'rats'." He continued anyway. "Our rates are low, but our standards are high. 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 - someone that will go all the way, 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." He cleared his throat. "Is that it? Am I done?" The screen went black.
Buffy was struggling to control herself now, while Dawn's sobbing only increased, and so did Willow's while, Xander and Tara tried their best to comfort the two as well as themselves. Giles wasn't in the best state either.
They had never known him, but losing him now felt like a total gut punch. They weren't even sure if they were okay to watch the next recording right now.
Doyle had died a hero, and it was unfair!
And this is done finally, hope I handled the reactions well, there will be more in the next chapter, which is 'Parting Gifts'. There, the viewers can mourn Doyle alongside Angel and Cordelia.
RIP Allen Francis Doyle, you were a hero, and RIP Glenn Quinn, you were gone too soon.
The Scourge really gave those Nazi vibes, didn't they? Yikes!
Hope everyone enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter. Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!