~3:00 pm in sunny yet cool LA~
It's quiet in the Hyperion, a sound not really a sound but very familiar and becoming to the old hotel. In the main area from morning till now three tall men stood, sat, walked back and forth, and silently regarded each other or at times the walls and columns of the Hyperion.
And, in those moments when either of the three men silently contemplated the Hyperion, the Hyperion itself would react back in no physical way or form. It watched the crew go on its seemingly exciting missions time and time again and awaited the days when those times would change. Hm, maybe that moment was now. They provided great entertainment indeed with their fights both physical and verbal, and no one was more interesting than the lead vampire that stood among them.
Now he was someone of color and never a boring shade of blue.
Unlike the crew the Hyperion had no emotional lifestyle, so it lived either through silence or others, unless you counted that time ago when its walls were haunted by a paranoia-sucking demon. Ah, yes, that fellow, well, same vampire over there knows of that affair. Ah, but those times are gone now and so is that endless yet seemingly comforting chatter . . .
Oh well, silence is my life and I will stand here until . . .
Angel: "For once the silence (quiet) is killing me."
Death befalls me.
Angel rubs his brow and as if searching for an answer looks up and sees the dancing sunbeams on the Hyperion walls. For once he doesn't feel burdened, he's free and also hypnotized.
The beauty of the sun . . .
"Wesley, we have to do something," slowly coming out of his trance.
is calling me.
Yes, it's been silent for too long.
"I know Angel," Wesley says firmly without the used-to-be-there stammering, yet ironically his hands were doing a "stammering" of their own, flipping through various books of different shapes and sizes for what seemed like for hours. He had an ever-present frown on his face that deepened during times of innocent remembrance of his dear friend Cordelia.
He'd been researching for quite some time and regretfully he hated what he was about to say, "But I've reached an end here." Wesley braces himself on what the Hyperion remembered was simply called the main lobby desk, that long torturous thing. "I've researched every book . . . thoroughly . . . that deals with inter-dimensional travel and it's just not . . . feasible."
Angel grimaces slightly. "Don't say that . . ."
"Well, it's the truth Angel. We have some very difficult and possibly compromising decisions to make in the few minutes time we have and . . ." Wesley wavers just a bit, "and I do mean life threatening not just for Cordelia . . . but for all of us."
"Look Wesley, we . . . every time we go out that door . . ." The Hyperion perks up at those words as Angel stands and tries to find the right words, "We take a chance. We risk our lives everyday for one reason: to help those people that need help. Except this time this is Cordelia that needs us, Wesley." Angel sighs and then says, "There just simply has to be a way" and tries to believe the words that came from his mouth.
Don't believe the foreboding truth behind Wesley's words.
"Angel's right" says Gunn, his voice echoing a bit in the Hyperion. Hyperion: Wow, nice vibration there. "Look, this is Cordy we are talking about here Wesley and I know you aren't going to give up on her that easily."
"Gunn, I didn't say . . ."
"No, you didn't have to. Do I have to say this again? This is Cordelia . . ." Gunn starts to get a little deeper in thought but suddenly looks down at the ground sweetly imagining Cordelia, "the sweet, sympathetic, gracious, humble . . ." Gunn laughes to himself.
Wes and Angel look at Gunn with a bit of confusion in their eyes.
"Um, Gunn, we remember Cordelia."
Wes and Angel look at Gunn with slight amusement. Their brains finally "click" as understanding occurs between them.
"Yeah, of course, you do" Gunn smiles some more before going back into worry mode.
"And we will. We'll get her back Gunn," Angel says with a warm smile and then walks around a bit. "We just have to find a way." Angel sits down. "Wes, I still don't understand why we can't just enter the same portal that sucked Cordelia through or any portal really to this dimension Cordelia ended up at. There has to be plenty of portals around LA."
"Well, we could possibly take any portal, but there's a very high chance we won't be able to find a corresponding portal that leads exactly back to this dimension. Each portal leads to a specific world or dimension like the one you recalled in the art museum does to Jheira's world. You can't just use one to take you to any destination."
So Gunn says, "So what you are saying is basically we may end up lost in any number of dimensional lands out there that exist?"
Wesley answers, "Exactly, in accordance our problem isn't arriving in the right world Cordelia ended up at. Like Angel said earlier we could just perform a ritual (if we could find one) that would allow us to enter said world through the exact same portal that sucked her through but . . . even though we may have a chance at saving Cordelia, afterwards we may end up wandering the inter-dimensional worlds forever or . . . at least until we tire out and die.
Angel sees a loophole here, "But even by your own admission Wesley, can't we just make sure we remember which portal we come through in this world Cordelia is and just return via that portal?"
"That's the other issue, Angel. Every world has different laws of everything and are therefore situated and made differently from our world, meaning that the portal we use to get there may be one literally in a different position."
"Like out of the sky?" says Gunn.
Wes nods "Or may even lead us back to LA but to a different period of time. You see? Situations and time move differently in these other worlds. There are many elements to consider in this equation of saving Cordelia. This is the situation we are facing and I'm . . ." Wesley takes a deep breath and looks down into a book. But then a little later looks confidently up into their eyes, "more than ready to find Cordelia, but I want her to come back to what she remembers: our world in this time."
The gang has a mutual silence.
Wesley tries to begin again.
"As of now we know that the portal to the karaoke bar leads to wherever Cordelia traveled to. So at least we know that much. The problem like I said before is getting there but also we have to keep in mind that we are arriving in a world very different from ours and must be as inconspicuous as possible so as to not call attention to ourselves."
"Incognito style . . .," Gunn says.
"Exactly," says Wes.
Wesley's right. "You're right, Wesley" says Angel.
Angel goes back within. Thinking hard. Tries to think of alternatives, ways to get to the other dimension and then . . .
Something comes to him.
Wesley continues, "if we can find a way to get there"
Darla . . .
"that also allows us to return safely"
Oh no, how could I have forgotten about that . . . the
ring.
"then that would be"
she must have it
"the best route for everyone"
is she still here?
"especially Cordelia."
I have to find her . . . Darla, but how? Angel sighs.
Hyperion: Oh where to begin, huh lone vampire, especially
with her? You have a long way to go.
What . . . who
said that?
"Angel, man?" says Gunn.
I swear I must be losing it.
"Angel?" more strongly.
"Hm?" Angel looks up out of his trance.
"What are you thinking about? Or do you have any new and bright ideas? Looks like you were lost there for a second unless you might have a plan to get us out of a less than messy situation here." Gunn looks at Wesley.
Angel thinks on that for a minute and surprises them both,
"Yeah, I think so. I think I've got
one." And immediately after Angel
thinks to himself, "Would she still have it? But more importantly would it still work and for all of us? Should I take that chance? It could lead to no where . . . like
everything else plus . . ."
I already told her the next time I saw her, I'd kill her
on sight.
Just great . . .
"Uh, hmm, earth to Angel," says Gunn.
Hyperion: Angel, you have an audience.
I'll save that last thought for later which is right
around the corner.
Who said that?
Angel runs his hands through his hair and looks up . . . point blank at both Wes and Gunn. Yeah, he could see it alright. They were depending on him for the next call of action . . . to save their dear friend.
Yeah, I'm going to have to take that chance.
Angel stands.
"I think I know how or at least have an idea, nothing definite. I have to go and see if it's even possible but I'll be right back as soon as I can."
Wesley stays silent waiting for some hint as to Angel's direction in all of this.
"But where are you going?" says Gunn.
Angel sighs, "To see an old past-time. Just don't stake when I return, okay?"
Enough with the déjà vu.
Both Gunn and Wes's brains do that "clicking" thing, finally registering Angel's intentions while Angel departs like he has on so many other missions.
The sound of the cellar door closing shut brings their entire situation along with every possible risk home.
And silently the Hyperion waits along with them for his . . . no, correction . . .
their return.
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