Cordelia snuggled a bit closer to her boyfriend and rearranged the tangled
mass of hair that foamed around her shoulders. She really would have to get
up in a moment and do something about that before Doyle woke up. Sure he'd
seen her looking trashed before but there was no reason to let it happen if
she could avoid it. Besides a cup of coffee seemed very appealing right
now. With a sigh Cordelia pressed a light kiss to her sleeping boyfriend's
cheek and slid out of bed.
Cordelia was padding around the kitchen making successful coffee and less successful toast when Doyle appeared in the doorway yawning, "Did you check the answer phone yet love?" he asked as he leaned over to steal one of the less carbonised pieces of toast.
Cordelia automatically smacked his hand and fed more bread into the toaster for herself. "Not yet why?"
"I thought I heard the phone ring earlier when we were, ahem busy. Thought they might've left a message."
Cordelia scrunched her face up and headed for the phone, which sure enough was winking its red light. "Ugh, probably just Angel wanting us to go and help him leaf through musty books and kill gross things tonight. Couldn't Buffy kind of fill in for us two for a little while?"
Doyle shrugged and managed to rescue two pieces of rapidly darkening toast, "Have a listen and find out."
Gunn's voice filled the room, "Listen up Cordy, if you're there pick up the phone. Please, c'mon pick up, it's important."
The message ended and the next one rolled, it was Gunn again, "Look I'm sorry to interrupt people but we need you here, if you check out of your window you might figure why, this is an end of the worlder guys, so get here." He rang off.
As Doyle shuffled to the window to draw the curtains message number three played, and that was Gunn again, "Will you guys please get your asses here now! There is some major shit going down soon and you being here would be a damn good thing." There was some background murmuring before Gunn came back on, "We're leaving now so I don't have time to explain but Willow, Oz and probably Lorne will be at the Hyperion and can fill ya in on the deal. Hope I'll see ya later." The message ended and the phone was silent.
Cordelia stood frozen but Doyle gently twitched back the curtains and stared. "Oh, Delia, this really ain't good."
Cordelia joined him staring out into the darkness, "Uh? How?"
"Good question, let's ask."
Cordelia speedily dialled the Hyperion's number and listened to it ring. Nobody picked it up. Whereupon Doyle and Cordelia abandoned their semi- burnt snack and hurried to dress, fifteen minutes later they were tearing down the steps outside Cordelia's apartment.
As they hurried through the dimly lit streets that led to the Hyperion they saw almost as many demons as humans, clearly taking advantage of the night like late afternoon and the humans that were trying to carry on as usual. Doyle found himself defending an elderly woman from a vampire while Cordelia sneaked up on it and staked it, the elderly woman then proceeded to thump him with her grocery bag until Cordelia grabbed his hand and they both took off at a jog.
They were almost at the Hyperion when they finally slowed back to a walk and Doyle took the opportunity to massage his bruised jaw. "Who'da thought it that a little old lady would have a swing like that?"
Cordelia just chuckled and walked ahead of him to the Hyperion doors.
"Hello? Guys? We're here, a little late admittedly but we are here, now what's the deal?" she called.
"Hello?" Doyle added.
"Hey where are you people," Cordelia grumbled as she wandered towards Angel's office.
"Willow? Lorne? Oz? Anybody?" Doyle bellowed as he moved towards the library.
He paused in the library doorway and surveyed the scene of devastation before he rushed in, checking for survivors, a clue, something, anything.
There was no-one in the room he realized quickly, "Cordy!"
There was a swift clicking of high heels and Cordelia burst into the room. "Ohmigod! How did this happen?" she screeched as her gaze swept over the chairs lying on the floor and books and papers scattered haphazardly everywhere, with a few smashed mugs joining the mess.
"You don't think this was just a really wild research party do you?" she asked hopefully.
Doyle shook his head.
"So, now what? What do we do?"
"I'd say we have a look at what they were researching, that might give us a clue, but first I think we should check the Hyperion to make sure it really is empty."
They swiftly searched the Hyperion and were forced to conclude that they really were on their own.
"Gunn did say something about going someplace." Cordelia remembered hopefully.
"Yeah, and he also said they were leaving a few people behind."
"Point taken. I guess we research now. God, why didn't we take that call? We might have had a clue about whatever happened here."
"But we didn't so lets not go down that road."
"I guess."
"So, we research."
*
*
*
*
Sorry, that wasn't a very exciting chapter but it had to happen.
More from the rest of the team will be coming soon.
Cordelia was padding around the kitchen making successful coffee and less successful toast when Doyle appeared in the doorway yawning, "Did you check the answer phone yet love?" he asked as he leaned over to steal one of the less carbonised pieces of toast.
Cordelia automatically smacked his hand and fed more bread into the toaster for herself. "Not yet why?"
"I thought I heard the phone ring earlier when we were, ahem busy. Thought they might've left a message."
Cordelia scrunched her face up and headed for the phone, which sure enough was winking its red light. "Ugh, probably just Angel wanting us to go and help him leaf through musty books and kill gross things tonight. Couldn't Buffy kind of fill in for us two for a little while?"
Doyle shrugged and managed to rescue two pieces of rapidly darkening toast, "Have a listen and find out."
Gunn's voice filled the room, "Listen up Cordy, if you're there pick up the phone. Please, c'mon pick up, it's important."
The message ended and the next one rolled, it was Gunn again, "Look I'm sorry to interrupt people but we need you here, if you check out of your window you might figure why, this is an end of the worlder guys, so get here." He rang off.
As Doyle shuffled to the window to draw the curtains message number three played, and that was Gunn again, "Will you guys please get your asses here now! There is some major shit going down soon and you being here would be a damn good thing." There was some background murmuring before Gunn came back on, "We're leaving now so I don't have time to explain but Willow, Oz and probably Lorne will be at the Hyperion and can fill ya in on the deal. Hope I'll see ya later." The message ended and the phone was silent.
Cordelia stood frozen but Doyle gently twitched back the curtains and stared. "Oh, Delia, this really ain't good."
Cordelia joined him staring out into the darkness, "Uh? How?"
"Good question, let's ask."
Cordelia speedily dialled the Hyperion's number and listened to it ring. Nobody picked it up. Whereupon Doyle and Cordelia abandoned their semi- burnt snack and hurried to dress, fifteen minutes later they were tearing down the steps outside Cordelia's apartment.
As they hurried through the dimly lit streets that led to the Hyperion they saw almost as many demons as humans, clearly taking advantage of the night like late afternoon and the humans that were trying to carry on as usual. Doyle found himself defending an elderly woman from a vampire while Cordelia sneaked up on it and staked it, the elderly woman then proceeded to thump him with her grocery bag until Cordelia grabbed his hand and they both took off at a jog.
They were almost at the Hyperion when they finally slowed back to a walk and Doyle took the opportunity to massage his bruised jaw. "Who'da thought it that a little old lady would have a swing like that?"
Cordelia just chuckled and walked ahead of him to the Hyperion doors.
"Hello? Guys? We're here, a little late admittedly but we are here, now what's the deal?" she called.
"Hello?" Doyle added.
"Hey where are you people," Cordelia grumbled as she wandered towards Angel's office.
"Willow? Lorne? Oz? Anybody?" Doyle bellowed as he moved towards the library.
He paused in the library doorway and surveyed the scene of devastation before he rushed in, checking for survivors, a clue, something, anything.
There was no-one in the room he realized quickly, "Cordy!"
There was a swift clicking of high heels and Cordelia burst into the room. "Ohmigod! How did this happen?" she screeched as her gaze swept over the chairs lying on the floor and books and papers scattered haphazardly everywhere, with a few smashed mugs joining the mess.
"You don't think this was just a really wild research party do you?" she asked hopefully.
Doyle shook his head.
"So, now what? What do we do?"
"I'd say we have a look at what they were researching, that might give us a clue, but first I think we should check the Hyperion to make sure it really is empty."
They swiftly searched the Hyperion and were forced to conclude that they really were on their own.
"Gunn did say something about going someplace." Cordelia remembered hopefully.
"Yeah, and he also said they were leaving a few people behind."
"Point taken. I guess we research now. God, why didn't we take that call? We might have had a clue about whatever happened here."
"But we didn't so lets not go down that road."
"I guess."
"So, we research."
*
*
*
*
Sorry, that wasn't a very exciting chapter but it had to happen.
More from the rest of the team will be coming soon.