Wesley, Fred and Gunn conferred in the office. They had been told the news of Cordelia's capture. Their duty now was to work out a suitable plan for the four of them - assuming Tecothra was telling the truth - to carry out in rescue.
"If there are hundreds of them, then our best course of action would lie in splitting them up." Wesley said.
Gunn nodded. "But these dudes, from what y'all've told me, sound pretty smart. They may be expecting something like that."
"If we could draw them out, away from their hideout, we could decrease their numbers gradually."
"Yeah, but who says they're plannin' on keepin' Cordy alive?"
Wesley sighed. "That's very true. We may very well be too late already."
"Oh, now stop talkin' like it's the Apocalypse." Fred spoke up. "They can't be that bad - Ah mean, Ah know they are bad and all, but we'll lick 'em. Ah know it."
"Thanks for the encouragement, Fred." Wesley smiled meekly at her.
"Well, we can't be gloomy gusses about this. We need ta stay positive for Cordy's sake. She needs us to get her outta a bad situation. We're her only hope rat now."
Gunn nodded, "That we are."
"I have an idea," Wesley broke in suddenly, his expression brightening. "Since we can't storm the castle, so to speak, but perhaps we can sneak in," he went for one of the volumes of spells on the shelf. He leafed through the pages until he found what he was looking for. "Using this." he set the book down for his colleagues to read.
Fred skimmed the page. "A shrinkin' spell?"
Wesley grinned. "They'll never even know we were there until it's too late."
"The coward's approach to rescuing the Damsel in Distress." Gunn mused. "I like it."
Doyle stood inside the four posts. Atop each was a lit hexagonal candle. To him, the four flames extended down to the floor, creating the sensation that he was in a fiery box, without the heat.
Though he was not sure that this resurrection-thing would even work, he was anxious to get it over with. Losing Cordelia to the Scourge had convinced him that being a ghost was realy quite useless as far as protecting her went. That, and he now had a burning desire for revenge on the creatures that had destroyed him.
Tecothra chanted in a language Doyle did not understand or recognize, but it sounded nice. Very melodic and flowing, not choppy and gutteral as so many chants seemed to be. The fire-wall in front of him shimmered, and he knew it was time; the transdimensional gate was open for him to return to the land of the living. If he had any doubts, it was too late to turn back now.
Angel watched skeptically, arms folded across his chest. He saw four posts with lit candles on each, and that was it. He was impatient and restless, trying to piece together a way to save Cordelia from the Scourge's clutches. He felt that this was a waste of time, and that it would never work. People don't come back to life, he told himself. Buffy did, the other side of his brain argued. That's different. She's different, he returned.
A hand pressed against the air between the poles. Angel's jaw dropped. He could see an arm up to just past the elbow, yet it had no essence to it, just air in the shape of an arm.
Someone was there.
Doyle was there.
The fire did not burn, since the ghost never registered sensations in his current state. But there was something on the other side. It was solid, but soft, like ceran wrap. Doyle used his other hand to tear the fire-wall open.
Angel watched incredulously as the air seemed to rip open in a jagged hole where two hands now pulled at what appeared to be nothing. The vampire tore his eyes away from the proceedings to steal a glance at Tecothra. She had ceased her chanting, and was waiting, just as he was, for the next development. She looked expectant, but tired. Lorne stood behind her, scrutinizing her, his expression unreadable.
"Well," Doyle looked himself over, "That was painless, afterall."
Angel's head snapped in the voice's direction. "I don't believe it."
"I told you it would work." Tecothra said smugly.
"Angel," Doyle turned to the vampire. He walked right up to him, and said, "I'm sorry," as he hugged him. "But I missed ya." He smiled at the stunned expression on Angel's face when he withdrew from the manly embrace. Doyle went over to Tecothra next. "Thank you," he hugged her, too.
"Just doing my duty to the Powers," she replied, patting him on the back.
"You've given me a second chance, Tec. Ya can't possibly know what that means to me."
"Well, I sure do," Lorne grinned. "You are positively glowing, Precious."
Doyle offered his hand to the demon. "Thanks a lot, Lorne. Fer keepin' an eye on everyone." he told him, as they shook hands.
"Hey, it's my pleasure." the Pylean shrugged. His expression clouded when Tecothra went over and sat down on the stairs. "You okay, Sweetie?"
"Mm hmm," she nodded, resting her head in her hands. "It's just very draining."
"I realize that this is a blessed occaision, however under the circumstances I'll have to interrupt." Wesley stated. "We have an idea."
Gunn stood at his side. "Though it probably won't work."
Noktwar sat alone in the master bedroom of the farmhouse the Scourge had commandeered. He was hunched forward, elbows on the edge of the desk, fingers steepled. Noktwar watched the bird land on the branch beside its nest, a worm dangling from its beak. The bird's offsrping bobbed up and down expectantly, the prospect of food overpowering al other sense.
The Scourge commander sensed the other enter silently. "After this business with the Vampire is complete, we should irradicate all the birds."
The unmistakable chuckle belonged to Denattar. "As you request, Sir, so shall your orders be carried out."
"Just look at them," Noktwar gestured to the window. "Useless creatures, all of them."
Denattar watched as the baby birds tore into the worm. "So they are,"
"What is your report?"
"The captive is conscious,"
"It's about time. Humans are such fragile beings." Noktwar shook his head poignantly. "They had so much potential. Ah well. Come, Denattar, let us speak with Ms Chase."
Cordelia squinted in the dim light. Her hands and feet were bound behind her back, so she lay on her side. Taking in her surroundings and feeling the straw beneath her, she deduced that she was in a barn. Thoughts of Pylea danced through her head, but this was different. At least the Pyleans didn't kill their cows. She knew she would be dead as soon as the Scourge decided she had served her purpose. She almost wished she was back in Pylea.
She recognized the two Scourge who entered as they had been present at her capture. Her capture - "Doyle? Doyle, if you're there, rustle some hay or something."
"Is Doyle your ghost friend?" Noktwar asked. He did not really care, but it made his presence known.
Cordelia's head snapped up at the voice. The hideous demon glared down at her, eyes narrowed. "Let me go, or else Angel will come for me and wipe you all out. And believe me, you'll be sorry then."
Noktwar smirked at her. "My Dear, that's what we're counting on. You see, you and your vampire friend sabotaged what was to be our greatest accomplishment using our newest device."
"And we'll do it again." she stated boldly.
The demon leaned in closer, his putrid breath stinging Cordelia's nostrils. "You won't have the chance. We're ready this time. Thank you for being so easily subdued." Noktwar turned to Denattar. "I want three guards present at all times. She is not to move from this place, understood?"
"Yes, Sir," Denattar saluted, and the commander departed.
Cordelia glowered at the Scourge. Denattar narrowed his eyes at her, unimpressed. "So, what's your deal, anyway?" she asked.
"My deal?"
"Yeah, you know, what made you want to be a Scourge?"
"Being a member of the Scourge is not a choice. It is an honour."
"So, if you didn't have to be one, you'd leave?"
Denattar growled at her. "I would never leave."
"Whoa, you don't have to get all defensive. It was just a question."
The demon growled again, then stormed to the doorway. He could not leave her alone, but he did not have to stand right next to her. He stood facing outside, pondering what Cordelia had said. Gratchu and another Scourge came into Denattar's line of sight. He called them over to fulfill Noktwar's order that there be three guards present. Gratchu went inside, while the other went up to the hayloft.
Denattar cast a glance at Cordelia. She was not loking at him; she had her eyes closed as if trying to sleep. Why had she questioned his loyalty to the Scourge specifically? He had never even considered departure as a possibility. Noktwar would have him killed instantly if he played with the thought. And yet...no, the Scourge was all he knew - was all he had ever known.
The Scourge was where he belonged.
Wasn't it?