Chapter 11
Quickening (part 2)
"Ahem, so, who has a plan?" Cordy said.
"Don't let 'em kill us sounds like a good first step." Gunn said.
"The miracle child!" a vampire said. The other vampires echoed this. "For his time has come." All the vamps bowed down. "Praise be. Praise be. Praise be."
"Hey, I'm all for being idolized, but what the hell is going on?" Cordy said.
"What do you want?" Angel asked, standing in front of Buffy.
"To protect the miracle child." The main vamp said.
"Protect? Ah, that's good. We're all here for the same thing."
Suddenly, a man dressed like a ninja came jumping down from the teaching area screaming, "Die!" All the vampires attacked him. He went down with a strangled scream. There was a crunch and then a slurping sound.
The main vamp pulled away and looked at Buffy, who was now sitting up to get a better look at the action. "As it has been prophesied by our great potentate Ul-thar, we vow our lives to protect this special child."
"You hear that? Our kid. Special." Angel said to Buffy.
"Now let us kill the humans so we may use their blood as a sacrifice to nourish the mother and her miracle child."
"What?" Buffy asked.
"Commander, this should provide your ops team with a solid tactical base. Plan and elevation drawings of every floor in Angel's hotel. I also have strategic surveillance capabilities, so we can monitor the engagement from here." Gavin said.
"Excellent. I'm confident my men will be able to capture and retrieve the target. The larger question revolves around subsequent extraction of the target's cargo." The commander said.
Linwood looked from the commander to Gavin.
"Getting the baby from Buffy." Gavin clarified.
"Of course. And for that we have called in an expert." Linwood said. Lilah walked in with a man dressed in black.
"You flatter me, sir." The man said.
"Gentlemen, may I introduce Dr. Fetvanovich from our satellite office in the Balkans." Lilah said.
Linwood shook the doctor's hand. "How do you do, doctor?"
"Dr. Fetvanovich is the world's foremost specialist in paranormal obstetrics. We are very fortunate he's consented to help."
"It is I who feel fortunate. A vampire/slayer birth is, ah, unprecedented. I look forward to dissecting both the mother and the child."
"Buffy, you might want to join the fight." Angel said.
"Sorry, darling. I'm gonna have to be Switzerland and sit this one out. Now, you did say you were just gonna kill the humans, right?" Buffy said.
"Buffy!" Willow said.
"I was just kidding."
"Yes, just the humans. Then we will nourish you, slice you open, wear your entrails as a belt and consume your eyeballs before we worship the miracle child." The vampire said.
Buffy jumped off the table. "Ok, I'm in!"
"Gunn, you and I can hold them off for as long as we can. The rest of you, get Buffy to the car." Angel said.
"Oh, I'd rather stay and fight. Show these vamps a thing or two about real carnage."
"That's thoughtful, but you know, you should go."
"Charles, do you have an extra dagger I could borrow?" Fred asked.
Gunn pulled out a dagger and handed it to her. "This ok?"
"It's perfect."
"On my count of three. One, two.." Angel said.
Fred grabbed Buffy and held the dagger to her stomach. "You freaks make one move and I'll slice the miracle kid into triplets."
"It's always the quiet ones." Cordy and Xander said.
"Wait!" the vamp said.
"They don't know the knife can't hurt the baby." Fred said to Buffy.
"They do now. Vampires have great hearing." Buffy said. The vamp leader smiled. "Here we go."
The vamps attacked.
"Everybody out!" Wes called.
They all backed up through the doors. Angel and Buffy were the last ones to leave. They had broken a broom and were know using the pieces to stake the vamps. They all ran out to Angel and Wesley's cars and hopped in. Soon they were speeding down the nighttime streets of LA.
Cordy, Angel, Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Gunn were in Angel's car while Wesley and Fred were in his car.
"I think we lost 'em." Gunn said.
"Anybody hurt?" Angel asked.
"Nothing a couple of band aids and a pint of Heath bar crunch can't fix." Cordy replied.
"Buffy? Buffy, everything ok?"
Buffy squinched up a bit over her stomach. "Yeah, fine."
"You all right?" Xander asked.
"It's nothing."
"It's the kid, isn't it? Seeing him on the monitor." Angel said.
"No." There was a tear in Buffy's eye. "So, where 're we going? I'm famished and we all know how ugly that can get."
"Where are we going?" Willow asked.
"Somewhere safe." Angel said.
"Where's safe? The hotel is definitely out." Cordy said.
"How about if we go to.." Gunn started.
"Vegas? Sorry, Gunn, too high profile, but I agree we need to get out of dodge. Besides, Buffy and I were there a few months ago." Angel said.
"Actually.." Willow said.
"God! I hate it when you say that word! 'Actually' means that your oversized gi-normous brain thought of something that the rest of us failed to consider, right?" Cordy said.
"Just, other people seem to know a lot more about this kid's importance than we do. The only thing that can help us is back at the hotel. We can't protect your guy's child unless we get the scrolls."
"Okay then. Quick stop." Angel said.
Lilah, Linwood, and Gavin all watched on the monitors in the basement of Wolfram and Hart as some guy strolled in.
"Is this man with you?" the doctor asked the commander.
A team was at the Hyperion and setting up medical tools when a man had walked in and interrupted them.
"Where is Angelus?" the man asked.
"Who is this pirate with a sword, and what is he doing in the middle of my operation?" Linwood asked.
"I don't know, sir. But he called Angel by his old name, Angelus." Lilah said.
The audio started to crackle. "I need better audio."
The transcriber fiddled with some wires. "Any second."
"Hand over the vampires." The new arrival said.
"This has gone on long enough." Linwood picked up his radio. "I don't care who that man is. Take him out. Take him out now. Over."
"Take him out!" the commander said on the screen.
The screen went to snow as the commandos closed in and the screaming began.
"This should be sweet." Gavin said.
"Picture?" Linwood said.
"I'm working on it, sir." The transcriber said.
"Burke's never lost." Gavin said.
"I'm sure it'll be over in just a second." Lilah added.
There was a long scream on the speakers.
"That should do it."
"Anybody there? Over." Linwood said into the radio.
"Why 're we stopping here?" Cordy asked.
"It's only a couple of blocks from the hotel. I'll go the rest of the way on foot." Angel said. He had pulled the car into an alley and stopped.
"Hey, who said you get to be wheel man?" Gunn asked when Cordy slid into the driver's seat after Angel got out.
"Who said it had to be a man?" Cordy retorted.
"The scrolls?" Angel asked.
"In the cabinet back in the office." Wesley replied, getting out of his car.
"If I'm not back in five minutes, leave without me."
"Leave to where?" Cordy asked.
"Anywhere. Somewhere safe."
"Angel?" Buffy said.
"Yeah?"
She stared at him, then decided to just let him go. "Just get out of here."
Angel went to her and kissed her before he went back to the building and jumped onto the ladder, climbing up it.
Angel ran along the corridor in the Hyperion, dropped down into the lobby and looked around at the destruction of medical equipment and the bodies of a Wolfram and Hart team. He saw a doctor's body with chicken feet sticking out of his pants.
"Angelus." A voice said behind him. Angel swirled around to find Holtz standing there. "I've been looking for you."
Buffy was still in the back of the car. Wes was sitting on the trunk facing Fred who standing behind the car. Gunn was sitting on the side of the passenger door. Willow was sitting with Buffy while Xander sat in the passenger seat. Cordy started the car. "He said five minutes!" Gunn said. "It's been six and a half." Cordy replied. "That's so typical of him!" Buffy said. "It probably wouldn't hurt to wait another minute, right? I mean, what's the worst thing that could happen in another minute?" Fred asked. Buffy let out a scream. "Ask a stupid question.." Fred said. "What are we gonna do? Shouldn't we go somewhere?" Cordy said. "What's keeping Angel?" "Buffy, what is it?" Willow asked. "The.. The baby." Buffy managed. "I think it might be time." They all just stared at her.
Quickening (part 2)
"Ahem, so, who has a plan?" Cordy said.
"Don't let 'em kill us sounds like a good first step." Gunn said.
"The miracle child!" a vampire said. The other vampires echoed this. "For his time has come." All the vamps bowed down. "Praise be. Praise be. Praise be."
"Hey, I'm all for being idolized, but what the hell is going on?" Cordy said.
"What do you want?" Angel asked, standing in front of Buffy.
"To protect the miracle child." The main vamp said.
"Protect? Ah, that's good. We're all here for the same thing."
Suddenly, a man dressed like a ninja came jumping down from the teaching area screaming, "Die!" All the vampires attacked him. He went down with a strangled scream. There was a crunch and then a slurping sound.
The main vamp pulled away and looked at Buffy, who was now sitting up to get a better look at the action. "As it has been prophesied by our great potentate Ul-thar, we vow our lives to protect this special child."
"You hear that? Our kid. Special." Angel said to Buffy.
"Now let us kill the humans so we may use their blood as a sacrifice to nourish the mother and her miracle child."
"What?" Buffy asked.
"Commander, this should provide your ops team with a solid tactical base. Plan and elevation drawings of every floor in Angel's hotel. I also have strategic surveillance capabilities, so we can monitor the engagement from here." Gavin said.
"Excellent. I'm confident my men will be able to capture and retrieve the target. The larger question revolves around subsequent extraction of the target's cargo." The commander said.
Linwood looked from the commander to Gavin.
"Getting the baby from Buffy." Gavin clarified.
"Of course. And for that we have called in an expert." Linwood said. Lilah walked in with a man dressed in black.
"You flatter me, sir." The man said.
"Gentlemen, may I introduce Dr. Fetvanovich from our satellite office in the Balkans." Lilah said.
Linwood shook the doctor's hand. "How do you do, doctor?"
"Dr. Fetvanovich is the world's foremost specialist in paranormal obstetrics. We are very fortunate he's consented to help."
"It is I who feel fortunate. A vampire/slayer birth is, ah, unprecedented. I look forward to dissecting both the mother and the child."
"Buffy, you might want to join the fight." Angel said.
"Sorry, darling. I'm gonna have to be Switzerland and sit this one out. Now, you did say you were just gonna kill the humans, right?" Buffy said.
"Buffy!" Willow said.
"I was just kidding."
"Yes, just the humans. Then we will nourish you, slice you open, wear your entrails as a belt and consume your eyeballs before we worship the miracle child." The vampire said.
Buffy jumped off the table. "Ok, I'm in!"
"Gunn, you and I can hold them off for as long as we can. The rest of you, get Buffy to the car." Angel said.
"Oh, I'd rather stay and fight. Show these vamps a thing or two about real carnage."
"That's thoughtful, but you know, you should go."
"Charles, do you have an extra dagger I could borrow?" Fred asked.
Gunn pulled out a dagger and handed it to her. "This ok?"
"It's perfect."
"On my count of three. One, two.." Angel said.
Fred grabbed Buffy and held the dagger to her stomach. "You freaks make one move and I'll slice the miracle kid into triplets."
"It's always the quiet ones." Cordy and Xander said.
"Wait!" the vamp said.
"They don't know the knife can't hurt the baby." Fred said to Buffy.
"They do now. Vampires have great hearing." Buffy said. The vamp leader smiled. "Here we go."
The vamps attacked.
"Everybody out!" Wes called.
They all backed up through the doors. Angel and Buffy were the last ones to leave. They had broken a broom and were know using the pieces to stake the vamps. They all ran out to Angel and Wesley's cars and hopped in. Soon they were speeding down the nighttime streets of LA.
Cordy, Angel, Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Gunn were in Angel's car while Wesley and Fred were in his car.
"I think we lost 'em." Gunn said.
"Anybody hurt?" Angel asked.
"Nothing a couple of band aids and a pint of Heath bar crunch can't fix." Cordy replied.
"Buffy? Buffy, everything ok?"
Buffy squinched up a bit over her stomach. "Yeah, fine."
"You all right?" Xander asked.
"It's nothing."
"It's the kid, isn't it? Seeing him on the monitor." Angel said.
"No." There was a tear in Buffy's eye. "So, where 're we going? I'm famished and we all know how ugly that can get."
"Where are we going?" Willow asked.
"Somewhere safe." Angel said.
"Where's safe? The hotel is definitely out." Cordy said.
"How about if we go to.." Gunn started.
"Vegas? Sorry, Gunn, too high profile, but I agree we need to get out of dodge. Besides, Buffy and I were there a few months ago." Angel said.
"Actually.." Willow said.
"God! I hate it when you say that word! 'Actually' means that your oversized gi-normous brain thought of something that the rest of us failed to consider, right?" Cordy said.
"Just, other people seem to know a lot more about this kid's importance than we do. The only thing that can help us is back at the hotel. We can't protect your guy's child unless we get the scrolls."
"Okay then. Quick stop." Angel said.
Lilah, Linwood, and Gavin all watched on the monitors in the basement of Wolfram and Hart as some guy strolled in.
"Is this man with you?" the doctor asked the commander.
A team was at the Hyperion and setting up medical tools when a man had walked in and interrupted them.
"Where is Angelus?" the man asked.
"Who is this pirate with a sword, and what is he doing in the middle of my operation?" Linwood asked.
"I don't know, sir. But he called Angel by his old name, Angelus." Lilah said.
The audio started to crackle. "I need better audio."
The transcriber fiddled with some wires. "Any second."
"Hand over the vampires." The new arrival said.
"This has gone on long enough." Linwood picked up his radio. "I don't care who that man is. Take him out. Take him out now. Over."
"Take him out!" the commander said on the screen.
The screen went to snow as the commandos closed in and the screaming began.
"This should be sweet." Gavin said.
"Picture?" Linwood said.
"I'm working on it, sir." The transcriber said.
"Burke's never lost." Gavin said.
"I'm sure it'll be over in just a second." Lilah added.
There was a long scream on the speakers.
"That should do it."
"Anybody there? Over." Linwood said into the radio.
"Why 're we stopping here?" Cordy asked.
"It's only a couple of blocks from the hotel. I'll go the rest of the way on foot." Angel said. He had pulled the car into an alley and stopped.
"Hey, who said you get to be wheel man?" Gunn asked when Cordy slid into the driver's seat after Angel got out.
"Who said it had to be a man?" Cordy retorted.
"The scrolls?" Angel asked.
"In the cabinet back in the office." Wesley replied, getting out of his car.
"If I'm not back in five minutes, leave without me."
"Leave to where?" Cordy asked.
"Anywhere. Somewhere safe."
"Angel?" Buffy said.
"Yeah?"
She stared at him, then decided to just let him go. "Just get out of here."
Angel went to her and kissed her before he went back to the building and jumped onto the ladder, climbing up it.
Angel ran along the corridor in the Hyperion, dropped down into the lobby and looked around at the destruction of medical equipment and the bodies of a Wolfram and Hart team. He saw a doctor's body with chicken feet sticking out of his pants.
"Angelus." A voice said behind him. Angel swirled around to find Holtz standing there. "I've been looking for you."
Buffy was still in the back of the car. Wes was sitting on the trunk facing Fred who standing behind the car. Gunn was sitting on the side of the passenger door. Willow was sitting with Buffy while Xander sat in the passenger seat. Cordy started the car. "He said five minutes!" Gunn said. "It's been six and a half." Cordy replied. "That's so typical of him!" Buffy said. "It probably wouldn't hurt to wait another minute, right? I mean, what's the worst thing that could happen in another minute?" Fred asked. Buffy let out a scream. "Ask a stupid question.." Fred said. "What are we gonna do? Shouldn't we go somewhere?" Cordy said. "What's keeping Angel?" "Buffy, what is it?" Willow asked. "The.. The baby." Buffy managed. "I think it might be time." They all just stared at her.