Chapter 14 – Evil Technology
Morning in Wolfram and Hart
The hustle and bustle of lawyers demon or human in Wolfram and Hart froze momentarily as their eyes followed a dark figure who was confidently marching through an open elevator door into the lobby of the building towards the front desk.
"Look…I didn't kill anyone. I swear! This isn't what it seems. Please don't kill me, PLEASE!" Harmony wailed behind the desk as she tried to clean the blood stain on her light purple dress and eyed the stake in the stranger's hand. Harmony gulped as the stake came closer to the desk and even closer to her heart.
The dark haired girl hopped onto the counter with the stake in her hand and eased the stake off the blonde vampire by an inch.
You ain't seen anything yet, blonde," the girl replied roughly with a grin. She enjoyed this game. It was like cat and mouse. The power and energy of the fight never died within her and was like her life line. There was nothing like a good violent fight to wake a girl up after a long flight.
"Harmony, what's all the commotion in here? Where's my blood?" Angel broke the tension and grabbed his warm cup of blood from Harmony's tight gripping hands. Harmony sank with relief as she pointed to the dark haired girl with a stake in her hand behind Angel.
"Faith? What are you doing here?" Angel asked without missing a beat.
"Hey Angelus! I was just in town and thought I would drop by and see how my old buddy was doing and maybe hit some clubs. So wuz up?" Faith bumped her fist into Angel's shoulder.
"It's Angel, not Angelus."
"Tomato or tomata, whatever! I see you have your soul back. Lookin' mighty fine," Faith whistled and gave him a once over.
"Why don't we go into one of my more comfortable offices and talk?" Angel looked around the lobby uncomfortably at the scene they were making. It seemed more safe and decent to talk in private.
"Fine by me, Ange," Faith laughed and followed Angel into Wesley's empty office. Angel closed the doors behind them for more security.
Angel folded his arms and looked at her in a skeptical way. He didn't believe for one moment that she wanted to come back to Los Angeles to see him, especially with their past history.
"You didn't answer my question…what are you really doing here?"
"You should know! You phoned me in Chicago yesterday saying that I needed to get my ass over to Los Angeles and that it was important and couldn't wait. Something seemed to be up and it sure as hell ain't an invitation for tea and ding-dongs," Faith explained as she sat slouching over a chair.
"I don't remember calling you to come up here to Wolfram and Hart." Angel scratched his head and lifted his eyebrows questioningly.
"Great we have a vampire with a bad memory. Just what the doctor ordered. If it's not the lost soul than it's definitely part of the memory and I know I ain't loosing it. Shit...Listen to my voice mail if you don't believe me. I might have been a cold blooded murderer at one time, but I'm sure as hell not a liar," Faith gave her cell phone to Angel to listen to the message:
"Hey Faith…This is Angel. I need you here at Wolfram and Hart as soon as possible. We need your help. Something is definitely not right in Los Angeles. I think we're headed for another apocalypse…" The message ended and cut off with an odd whir and beeping sounds in the background.
"I didn't call you. That wasn't me." Angel shook his head. The sound still echoed and rung sharply in his ears.
"Really? Wow. Some trick! You could have fooled me, Dead Boy!" Faith huffed.
"It may have sounded like me, but it seems like some demon stole my voice. There's some odd sound that is happening during that call. Listen to it more carefully." Angel handed Faith back the phone as she listened to the desperate voice one more time. She covered her one ear to focus on the message and heard static and an odd commotion coming from the background.
"Either that was an odd weather signal or someone made a fool outta me. I think I'm actually starting to believe you. I wonder who gave me that call." Faith huffed, feeling annoyed at the fact that the caller interrupted the best sex of her life with Wood.
"You are not the only one annoyed here. It ticks me off that someone used my voice for their little games. I guess whoever did it had wanted you here. I think I'll get Lorne and Fred on the job to figure out whatever that creature was on the voice mail-" Angel was cut off suddenly as the door opened to reveal his Angel Investigations team.
Wesley, Fred, Gunn and Lorne entered the room with sleepy looking faces and large cups of coffee and tea in their hands. They had been researching for the demon that sabotaged Angel's office for over a week and could not find a thing. Whoever or whatever it was did a good job at cleaning up after themselves. No further evidence presented itself on the case.
Wesley looked across the office at his former slayer and took an obvious step back as his eyes widened in fear.
"Ah…Faith! What are you doing here at this hour and in this part of the world?" Wesley asked nervously as he fiddled in his belt beneath his coat for a weapon to protect himself.
"You may want to save your surprises until after tea time, Wes," Angel replied as he swiftly took the knife out of Wesley's hand.
"Man, what is worse than an apocalypse and can kill us all within seconds?" Gunn asked with a high pitch tone in his voice.
"A riddle? I love riddles...lets see here. Nothing sounds worse than an apocalypse...I give up. What Gunn?" Fred asked curiously, oblivious to her friend's fear.
"A vampire and slayer teaming up on the dark side to kick our butts until we have nothing left and are dead," Gunn replied, looking at Angel and Faith with fear.
"Not the news I exactly wanted to hear in the morning, Gunn." Fred's eyes widened with fear as she grabbed Gunn's shoulder and hid behind him.
"Everybody calm down! Lets ease this tension with some show tunes. Sound of Music sounds cheery! How about we start off with 'Favorite Things' from the top. Angel cakes you can go first and Faith, honey, you join him," Lorne gestured waving his hands as if they were a baton ready to guide the music.
Angel put his hands in the air to cause everyone to look his way with fear in their now scared, lively eyes.
"Gee, thanks for the greeting everyone," Faith grunted, rolling her eyes.
"We don't need any music and we don't need any weapons. I'm not evil!" Angel exclaimed.
"Oh yeah, sure and I'm human! Really, you are going to have to prove it. What is my favorite color?" Lorne asked, folding his arms.
"It's purple and orange."
"Good guess. That was an easy one. What's our Angel Investigations code?" Lorne grinned.
"We don't have one, Lorne!" Angel shouted.
"Okay. Got it! Don't have to shout, Angel cakes. Just checking," Lorne explained.
"Look Faith just came here because she thought that we were in trouble and that I called her. We need to find out who copied my voice onto her voice mail. If the message he or she is sending Faith is true then we need to gather more troops because I have a feeling we may have more trouble on our hands than we realize," Angel announced.
"Lorne and Fred, you guys need to discover what or who is copying my voice. Wesley and Gunn I need you both to research who the demon may be behind the call. Faith, I need you to beat a few demons up for information. I have a feeling that this is going to be another long day," Angel concluded as his group separated. Angel's mind suddenly flashed with the image of a phone and of an ancient looking book. He shrugged off the dreadful thought. This was a piece to his puzzle. He was really reliving his nightmare and this was only the beginning.
Back in Italy
The Summers' house was a frenzy as everyone quickly gathered up books to research through. Doyle was even surprised to see Spike actually pick up a book.
"Interesting how even Spike can open a blind eye when he wants to, eh Doyle?" Xander joked, nudging Doyle and winking at him with his good eye. Doyle smiled at Xander's humor, but shrugged indifferently at the thought that Spike was actually helping them.
He still was unconvinced about Spike's new transformation. There was something about Spike that still spoke of a yearning for turmoil. Vampires were vampires no matter what happened to them. They still have their animal instinct and criminal lust. It was their nature and way of existence. Nothing could change it. Not even receiving a soul. You had to have self-control and Doyle believed Spike had no control. Unlike Angel, Spike helped others as long as he got something out of it all. He helped them because he wanted Buffy back. It had nothing to do with saving the world or just helping the helpless. No. Spike was like an open book and Doyle was not about to change his perspective on Spike.
Doyle flipped through the old pages of an ancient text with quick speed until he found the familiar picture and description of the Hoygle demon. If there was anything worse than the Scourge demons it was the Hoygle demons. Doyle shivered at the picture as he stared into the green glowing eyes looking back at him from the picture like they were yearning for his very soul. Suddenly Doyle groaned and grabbed his head, falling to the floor in pain.
"What's wrong, Doyle?" Dawn looked up from her book to come over to comfort him.
Doyle flinched as the pain became almost unbearable. He turned his head weakly towards Dawn.
Doyle's eyes watered as he tried to respond to Dawn by using gestures.
"Charades! I'm good at this. Lets see here...walking with the dead? Playing dead? Am I even close?" Xander guessed, scratching his head. Doyle shook his head no as he grabbed his head in his hands and Dawn bent down to wipe the sweat off his brow.
"The demons are spreadin' their infection and killin' the human charges 'o the white lighters. The blood. There's so much blood." Doyle explained weakly between heaving, painful breaths. Another shock jerked Doyle's head back again as a different new vision flashed through his mind this time. A sign above a tall building, a dark haired girl, a dark haired man and the Hoygle faces played simultaneously through his head. His breath started to come out unevenly again.
"Quickly get him some water, Xander," Willow commanded. "What just happened?" Willow waited for Doyle to recover from his head banging break through.
"I get these head crackin' visions from the Powers That Be. I see this big building with Hoygles. I think it's Wolfram and Hart and Angel and a dark haired slayer named Faith are there and the Hoygle demons are not too far behind them. It appears that those two are in trouble and are headin' fer a trap," Doyle replied.
"Faith and Angel? How do you know Angel and tell me a little more about the Powers That Be," Willow asked curiously.
"The visions are from unseen good forces that gave me them to help fight the good fight against evil and save the helpless. I worked at Angel Investigations with Angel and Cordy fer a year or so 'fore I died. The visions helped them. Back then we were workin' in an old apartment located in the more shady side of Los Angeles. It's rare fer me to face two visions almost at the same time. 'Jus me luck, I guess," Doyle answered in between painful breaths and gulps of water. Willow looked at Doyle with concern in her eyes.
"What about these Hoygles? What are they exactly?" Willow stared at the page and then back up at Doyle's scrunched up face as she began to kneel down and dab his forehead with the damp washcloth on Buffy's nightstand.
"The Hoygles are gargoyles that are as ancient as the First and can infect human beings by numbin' their bodies and when the time is right they possess the human bodies too. They receive their strength and power by crushin' and suckin' out human souls like children eatin' candy. Once they see yer weaknesses they take that chance ta use it ta their advantage and therefore can take control 'o yer emotions and mind fer their own purposes, which are torturin' and rippin' other humans or weaker demons apart. They have powerful sight and hearin' like vampires, but they can transform into their victim's human form as well as sound like the victim and are able to walk around durin' the day. They can only possess the human body for three days 'fore they search for another one to give them more power. Whether they are in human or gargoyle form they are still powerful. Souls are precious to them. Especially rare souls like vampire souls." Doyle paused to take another sip of the pure, clear liquid as he thought about Angel.
"It looks like a camouflaged, bumpy looking lizard with sharp claws and teeth with a sword like tail." Dawn pointed out.
"It's not a pet I would like to cuddle," Xander squinted at the picture upside down.
"Wouldn't that create a pretty picture," Spike taunted Xander, grinning slyly.
"Can anybody say dust bunny?" Xander glared and stood facing Spike straight on.
"You two need to cut it out already!" Willow shouted as she surprised both Xander and Spike into silence. "Is there any cure for Buffy's infection before the thing or whatever it is comes back for her?" Willow bit her lip nervously.
"There is this one potion that can ease away the poison and help me heal her, but it is dark magic and is pretty powerful stuff if ya ask me," Doyle sighed.
"Do you know of anyone who can stand up to that kind of thing, Doyle?" Xander asked shyly. Willow frowned at him and put her hands on her hips. Xander put his hands up in surrender.
"Look Will, I know you've changed, but I feel much better knowing that everyone will remain normal after the spell is finished. Whatever normal is anyway," Xander confessed, shrugging his shoulders.
"Paige Halliwell could do it. She's a strong lass and has a mind 'o her own."
"I guess it would be better for a Charmed One to take the wheel for a change." Willow nodded with a sigh. Willow wished that she had the nerve to use the strong stuff again, but she wasn't going to take any chances for anyone. Even Buffy. Paige was stronger because she was a Charmed One and had a good reputation for keeping her head above water so to speak.
Doyle took a deep breath and let it out gradually. This was the only way to help get Buffy up and he hoped that it would work. Doyle closed his eyes and concentrated his mind into connecting with Paige's mind. Paige was in the kitchen near the potion ingredients. She jerked her head back, feeling a bit alarmed. It's okay, darlin'. It's 'jus me, Doyle. I need yer help back here. Can ye bring me frog's liver, rat tail, gingersnap, and dove's blood and snake venom? We need ye to make a potion and perform a dangerous spell. Is the coast all clear? Paige closed her eyes and whispered 'yes' telepathically to Doyle as she scooped up the supplies hidden in the bottom of the fridge and back of the cupboard.
'Got it all. I'm coming!' She whispered to him as she appeared in blue, crystal light in front of the gang.
Willow's face brightened up at the sight of her youngest cousin. It had been so long since she saw Paige. She gave Paige a tight hug.
"Nice to see you too, coz," Paige replied brightly, laughing and returning Willow's hug.
"Now there is one fine looking angel. Where did you find her, Doyle?" Xander whispered as he stared in awe at Paige.
"Hey I'm...Xan...Ha..."
"This is Paige and Paige this is my best friend, Xander Harris. He can loose his ways of talking and vocabulary at times," Willow blurted out.
"Thanks, Willow, for filling me in with the introductions. If I didn't know any better Will, I'd say you're trying to mentally smack me upside the head."
"Bloody hell! Somebody's got to knock some sense into that worthless brain one way or another."
"Enough from the Crypt Keeper, lets have Paige take a stab at the spell. Work that magic," Xander prompted.
Everyone including Paige turned to eye Xander.
"Insert foot into mouth. Understood. Say no more and the angelic witch can take the floor," Xander joked, laughing nervously.
Paige gathered her ingredients of frog's liver, rat tail, dove's blood, gingersnap and snake venom and poured it into a vial. Paige never usually messed with dark magic, but when it came to helping a friend or relative she would do what it takes to lend that helping hand, even if it meant breaking the law as a Charmed One.
"Okay everything's set. Now for the spell…let me see here…"
"I call upon the aging power to come forth through this very hour. Like liquid pouring through glass, let this healing come to pass."
The lights flickered and the window tore open as the dark cloaked wind spilled and swam around the room. The clouds gathered and bounded causing lightning to break through the open window towards the vial almost electrocuting Xander and Doyle as Willow tried to jerked both of them away as the lightning zapped a few inches between them, sending them flying back against Buffy's dresser. Lightning gathered inside the jar mixing with the vial as smoke popped out of it causing the gang to cough loudly as the clouds in the sky settled back in place. The stench of the potion smelled like a sewer, which made it even harder to breathe.
"Nice job, Tinkerbell," Spike remarked sarcastically as he fanned the thick smoky air with his hand.
Willow boldly whacked Spike on the back of the head. She was impressed with Paige's work. Normally it would be hard to do an awakening spell, especially when the demons always wanted offerings, but apparently they knew what Paige had to offer. When it came down to it no demon ever questioned or got in a Charmed One's way when it came down to what the witches did and wanted or the demons were immediately tortured and vanquished at sight.
"I-is everyone alright?" Willow asked between coughs.
"Shocked and little blown away, but I think I still have ten fingers and toes. Check! But I'm going to have a hell of a lot of bruises. How are you doing, Irishman?" Xander asked between coughs.
Doyle stared out and felt like he was jumping on the laser beam to save Angel, Cordy and the other half demons again when he saw and felt the lightning bolt temporarily buzz through him. The memory flashed through his mind like a sting ray. The feelings were unstoppable and flooded through him with full force. It took courage to do what he did and the emotional pain never departed from him after he left Cordy.
"Cordy…" He whispered out loud with longing.
Xander started to snap his fingers at Doyle.
"Huh? Cordy? Did ya say something?" Doyle blinked out of his memorized state to look at Xander.
"Jeepers, I never had that kind of reaction from anyone before…that is…Do I look like an overdressed, shopaholic to you guys?"
"Now that you mentioned it…you do look a little on the fruity side, mate." Spike answered with a deep laugh. "No wonder you haven't had a date for awhile, your clothes are all flowery and silky. Say isn't your ex-girlfriend Cordy?" Spike grinned slyly.
Everyone was silent as they stared at Xander.
"Oh well, you loose some and you…loose some more. No hard feelings. I'm sure glad Cordy hasn't had my kind of luck with dating. Demons can be— never mind. Demons are wonderful if you meet the right one that doesn't eat your brains or heart for dinner. Doyle's a perfect half demon for her," Xander started to pat Doyle on the shoulder companionably. "Everything's alright here. Are you feeling okay, Doyle?"
"I am fine. Thanks fer askin' though. We better give Buffy the potion now before the power wears off," Doyle replied, feeling a bit embarrassed of speaking aloud to a past memory. He got up slowly, to rub his sore back. There was definitely business to deal with and he hoped that this potion would do the trick to help him heal and bring back Buffy and that he would have enough time to warn Angel and Faith as soon as possible before it was too late.
"Good point. Wouldn't want to be struck again, now would we?" Xander nodded as he got up slowly to join the rest of the gang.
Man, I wish that this was a beer, Doyle thought as he took the vial and poured it over Buffy's black X on her shoulder as everyone stood nervously and anxiously around Buffy to witness the affects of the potion.