Part Twenty
"Where are we going?"
I looked over, a little startled at Connor's question, he had pierced the heavy silence, breaking me out of my thoughts.
I shifted the car into another lane and glanced over at him, "We're going to visit some friends." I said, pushing my long hair away from my face.
"Friends?" Connor asked, looking a bit disturbed, "Who?"
"Just…people. People who can help us." I said, glancing at him again, "We need to be prepared, Connor. You've got power, I've got power, hell, even Brett's got some power, but we need more. If there's anything you need to know about them, is not to underestimate their power. It's what my enemies have done in the past, and look where it got them, an ugly death." I sighed.
"But, it was you. Not them. I mean, I've watched them and they really aren't getting anywhere. The red headed girl still refuses to believe what you are." Connor objected.
"Willow." I sneered, "She only sees what she wants, believes what she wants. She brought me back because she thought I was in hell. But, she didn't really believe it, she just pretended to because she wanted a reason to bring me back. Stupid bitch…" I snarled.
"You're still angry." Connor mused.
"Of course I am, wouldn't you be mad if you were brought back, thought to be in a hell dimension, when you were actually in peace?" I asked angrily.
"I wouldn't know. I grew up in hell. I never had peace." Connor said, his voice flat.
"Sorry." I said.
He shrugged and silence took over again. We drove for a little while longer and stopped outside a tall building. Connor glanced at it and did a double take.
"Wolfman and Hart…"
*
"Vision!" Cordelia screamed.
No one knew what to do, what was going on, except Wesley and Angel. They both rushed to help her and steady her. She thrashed around at first then gradually became still. Her eyes had rolled back into her head and they could see them moving frantically under her lids.
"What the hell is going on?" Dawn gasped.
No one paid her any mind, all focusing on the catatonic girl.
Cordelia started to murmured unintelligible words.
There was nothing they could do, Angel and Wesley knew that.
They knew that they had to wait for her to wake up, then they would know what was to happen, what they were to do.
And most importantly, how to stop Buffy.
*
(Cordelia/Vision POV)
It was dark, but wasn't it always? She had to wait for her eyes to adjust to the dimmed light. Something was wrong. There was a sphere of fire, swirling with an alluring glisten. She looked at it inquisitively. Something was coming out of it. Something that had horns, red eyes, and a scaled body. It grunted and groaned as it pulled itself out of the ring of fire. She looked around and saw people standing by the mysterious portal. She saw Buffy, Lilah, and Lindsey. There was another person, but her was out of line of her vision.
"Oh God…"
Buffy smirked and walked up to the…thing.
"The Beast." A voice supplied.
She looked over and saw Doyle standing next to her. It didn't surprise her, nothing did anymore. She sighed and turned toward him.
"What is this?" She asked, turning her attention back to 'The Beast'.
"This is what you and your fighters are gonna have to face." Doyle answered, his sad eyes gazing foreword.
"How do we stop it? How do we stop her?" Cordelia asked, her voice almost desperate as she watched as Buffy smiled and held her hand out to the demon.
He regarded her for a moment then took her small hand into his large, scaled one. A small almost halo-like ring appeared around their hands and then disappeared.
"What happened?" Cordelia asked.
"They made a pact, a deal. They work together, she gets what she wants, as does he." Doyle answered.
"What do they want?" Cordelia asked.
"She wants revenge and power. He wants to destroy everything that moves and breaths." Doyle said, his eyes almost glazed looking.
"Can we stop her?" Cordelia asked forcefully, breaking Doyle from the small trance he had been in.
"Don't know. Don't know anything. We didn't see this happening. We didn't know it would happen. How stupid we were." Doyle murmured.
Cordelia didn't say anything as they both watched Buffy and 'The Beast' walk out of the door, the mystery man following close behind.
"What am I supposed to make out of this vision?" Cordelia asked.
"Tell the Watcher's to look in the Codex. Tell them to look under 'The Beast'. You're gonna need all the fighters you can get, 'cause, I can assure you that just you and your crew, not gonna beat Blondie and Ugly. 'Sides, she's gotta new player, one you don't know about." Doyle said.
"Who?" Cordelia asked.
"Can't tell ya that, princess. But, he's powerful." Doyle said, his eye brow raised.
"How will we know when we see him?" Cordelia asked, kind of wanting to know but wanting to know, but mostly just stalling so she wouldn't have to leave him.
"Oh, trust me on this one, you'll know." He said, but there was a little twinkle in his eyes, suggesting he knew more than he was telling.
"Doyle, I missed you…" She whispered.
He stared at her hard for a moment, "Yeah, I bet ya did," He scoffs, rolling his eyes.
"What?" She asked, wondering what the hell his problem was.
"You don't think I didn't see it all? Darlin', I'm up here in the Great Beyond, I know all and see all. Especially things I didn't want too. You and Groo-y-Boy, You and Angel. Especially you and Angel! That's like dating your brother." Doyle said shuddering.
Cordelia stared at him in shock. He had never spoken that way to her.
"Not everyone is your whipping boy, and I sure as hell won't be anymore." Doyle snapped.
"I never said you were!"
"You acted like it. You act as though I should still love you. You've changed. And not for the better." Doyle sneered.
"Doyle… I-I love you." Cordelia whimpered, the shock of seeing him again and him saying those things to her finally hitting home.
He froze and stared at her for a long time, "A while ago, I would've given anything for you to say that to me…but not now." He said tuning and walking away.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Cordelia cried.
"You've gotta go back. Been here too long already. *Angel's* getting' worried." Doyle mocked still walking.
"Doyle! I love you!"
"Yeah, well I don't." Doyle threw over his shoulder and everything vanished and she woke up into the real world.
*
"Wolfman and Hart…" Connor gasped.
"Yep. They can help us." I said, walking into the double doors, my ex-lovers son following me.
"What are we doing here?" Connor asked.
"They got a little present for us. With it, we'll be invincible!" I laughed.
Some people looked at us strangely, but I ignored them.
"What is it?" Connor asked.
"Oh, its surprise." I said, smiling, "But you'll love it."
Connor looked skeptical, but didn't say anything. We rode the elevator to the twelfth floor and walked into the last office.
"Buffy." Lilah sneered, a sour look on his face.
"Lilah, pleasure to see you again. Nice lip gloss." I rolled my eyes.
"Buffy, hey." Lindsey said, a smile on his face.
"Hey back." I said a seductive smile spreading across my lips.
I sauntered over to him and gave him a *friendly* hug, kissing the corner of his mouth, my lips lingering much longer than they should have. I had always had a crush on him, but I never tried anything.
Hmm…maybe it was time to change that…
"Are you done?" Lilah asked, bumping into me purposely.
"Ohh, Lilah, darling, you hips are getting big. You might wanna go puke some more." I sneered.
"Ladies, ladies." Lindsey drawled, "We've got a spell to do and a battle to get ready for."
"So you will help me." I said.
"Of course." Lindsey said, "Besides, you'd probably drain me if I didn't."
"Got that right, babe." I smirked.
"You've got Angel's son, what you'd do, kidnap him?" Lilah asked.
"No. He came willingly. I'm working with him." I said.
Connor just glared at them.
I clapped my hands together, "Lets' get started people!"
Lindsey and Lilah got everything ready and called for a Warlock to perform the spell.
He bowed when he say me and I smirked.
Ha, word must spread fast about who's the big bad…
Four monks walked into the room and instantly the lights dimmed. They spread white powder around in a huge circle. They then cut their hands and made a star right in the middle. I could smell the blood and couldn't help but to make a small whimper-moan. They started to chant.
"Hecate, God of the underworld." They warlock started in a booming voice.
The monks walked around the circle chanting, "Hecate, Hecate, Hecate."
The warlock went on, "We call upon you, for your sufferance to use the gift of your power."
"Hecate, Hecate, Hecate…" The monks recited in their monotone voices.
"Your most deadly warrior, The Beast." The warlock boomed, his voice suddenly going silent. A whisper of a chilled wind passed through the room, causing each and every candle to go out.
"Here he comes…" I whisper, my eyes caught in morbid awe at the burning ring of fire that appeared over the blood painted star.
"Hecate, we beg you. Give us Him." The warlock growled.
Something was moving within the ring. Something that reeked of death and pure wickedness. I smiled as I watched. It had horns, blue and green scales on his body and blood red eyes.
Connor gasped slightly, his eyes wide, "It's The Beast."
Even Lilah was silent, the bitch…oh, excuse me, *witch* of the wicked world of lip gloss was actually silent.
What I was about to do, plain childish. I should be ashamed, being the big, bad, evil, but…I just couldn't help myself.
I walked silently behind her and pushed her slightly, shouting, "Boo!"
She let out a silent cry and jerked forward. Lindsey chuckled softly and I smirked.
By then, the demon was all the way out and brushing himself off. The demon looked at the warlock and with a simple swipe of his hand had his torso clean ripped off. He licked his fingers and smiled-or at least what was as close as he'd ever get to a smile.
"Hello." I said, stepping foreword, making it clear that I wasn't scared of him, at all.
He looked at me, then nodded.
"Good, we're on the same page. Here's what I want. We work together, you get to eat, maim, kill anyone you want, *except* who I say. You help me destroy this sorry excuse for a world and I help you get what you want. Deal?" I finished.
He looked at me, the hand that I had outstretched, then shook it with his scarier, meatier one and a golden ring circled our hands and traveled around us, through us.
"Deal." He said in a voice like broken glass rubbing against jagged gravel.
I smirked and looked around at everyone, "And so it begins."
"What begins?" Connor asked.
I gazed around, my emerald eyes shining, I drawl in a slow southern twang,
"Why, the beginning of the end, of course."
*
"I think she's coming out of it."
"Is she ok?"
"Oh dear…"
That was what Cordelia first heard when she came too, a swarm a voices and a
sudden bout of claustrophobia. She groaned and blinked her eyes, trying to make the bleariness go away.
"Cor, you ok?" Someone asked.
Angel.
"I'm fine." She answered in a clipped tone, remembering what Doyle had said.
*"Not everyone is your whipping boy, and I sure as hell won't be anymore."*
Sudden tears came to her dry eyes. What had she done? What hadn't she ruined? God, everything is so screwed up!
"What was your vision about?" Wesley asked in a kind gentle voice, a voice that she hadn't heard him use for a very long time.
"Um, I saw Buffy…at Wolfman and Hart. He, Lindsey, and Lilah were trying to summon some demon." Cordelia answered softly as she accepted the glass of water that Xander had surprisingly brought her.
"A demon?" Giles inquired, "W-what kind, do you know?"
"The Beast." She answered without hesitation.
"The Beast? That's quite vague…" Giles murmured.
"Look in the Codex." Cordelia ordered.
Giles nodded and he did as he was told.
She looked up at Angel, her eyes wet, "I saw Doyle." She whimpered.
His eyes became cloudy at thoughts of his lost friend.
"How is he?" Angel asked softly.
"He hates us." She whispered.
Angel looked pained, "Why?"
"Because he loves me and he thinks we, you and me, love each other. He's mad and I think he hates me." Cordelia whispered, realization coming over her.
She had ignored what may have been the best thing in her life, ignored her remaining feelings for the dead seer. And, because she had done that and pushed for this non-existent love with her best friend, she may have ruined what might have been and could have been. It's like, she knew that she didn't love Angel, she never did, and Doyle was right. He was like the brother she never had.
Ew.
And she tried to get him in her bed.
Major ew.
She shook her head when she heard Giles' triumphant, "Ah ha!"
"You find anything?" Angel asked.
"Yes, and I'm afraid its not at all good news. The Beast is one of the most powerful hell beings. He has no soul, no conscious. He's purely demon, one of Satan's spawns."
'And Buffy's working with him? What's wrong with her?" Xander asked in an angry hushed voice.
"It's not Buffy, you bloody blokes. It's the demon that's living in her pretty body now." Spike said, taking a swig of something in his flask.
"Then why don't we just kill her." Anya stated bluntly, ignoring the angered glares, "I mean, like you said. It's not her. It's the demon, who happens to want to kill all of us. We kill her, and Willow can do the puking-of-the-snake again and –BAM!- Buffy's skipping merrily around town, NOT killing us."
"It's not that easy." Willow said, her eyes hard.
"Why not?" You saved her, brought her back, when she didn't need, or want, us too. Now, she needs us and you people don't seem to want to help at all. I mean, she's been gone-what?-like a few weeks now? She's killing God knows how many people and she's getting away from it. Her knight in shining armor's not helping her, Billy Idol over there doing nothing but smoking himself to death. You Brits are sticking your noses in books and her so-called friends are doing nothing but twiddling your damn thumbs." Anya went on, her voice strangely monotone.
"Anya, what did we say about tact?" Xander asked darkly.
"Shove off, Xander. You're just mad because you're not getting any sex. Well, let me tell you, I could be giving you multiple pleasures, but YOU left ME at the alter at OUR wedding." Anya growled, her eyes blackening.
"Shut up!" Dawn yelled at everyone, instantly shutting them up, she went on, "Ok people, here's what we need to do. It's time to think outside the box…"