Lorne was a civil demon (He was also sure there was an oxymoron in there somewhere), and in any other instance, he would have knocked politely on the front door to the Hyperion hotel….but not tonight.

Tonight Lorne inserted a claw into the lock on the front door, wriggled it around, and heard a satisfying click as the lock caught, and the door swung open.

"Terrible sorry to have to burst in like this, but it really is very important!" He called, blinking. His demon eyes got used to the light (or lack of it) as he stepped cautiously down into the main lobby. Why where all the lights off…..and where was everybody?

"Alright……" Lorne muttered, eyes narrowed, taking a long step foreward "What's going-AHH!"

All at once, a cage of sizzling, electric blue energy sprang up around him, attacking every nerve in his body with a wracking force. Lorne fell hard onto the floor, and lay there, cursing.

"Now that's a lovely touch…"

Closer examination revealed that someone (And Lorne had a good idea who) had drawn up an advanced Trapping Circle for demons, and had written out the elaborate designon the floor. He had walked right into a trap that most likely was not meant for him.

"At least I hope it's not meant for me…" Lorne muttered, "I know that hate my jokes, but I didn't think it was this bad…."

"Lorne! Oh my gosh! Lorne!"

He raised his head a few inches off the ground, and made out the shape of Fred coming dashing down the stairs, her hair flying out behind her. She skidded slightly on her flip-flops as she came down on the landing, but kept her balance as she dashed to where the Trapping Circle was drawn.

"Nice to see you to, dear!" Lorne said lightly, "Is this how you greet everyone now?"

"No…Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" Fred whimpered, removing one of the runes in the circle, breaking the cage of energy, "Ouch..sorry Lorne…we were…uh…expecting company other than yours."

"Did she trip it? Fred?" Lorne heard Angel shout from somewhere above him. The vampire didn't bother with the stairs, and instead leaped from the second floor directly to the lobby.

"Quite the contrary, my friend." Lorne said, a little out of breathe as he dusted his suit off, and rose cautiously, "How are you?"

Not Fred wasn't the only one looking sheepish. Angel lowered a large two handeled broad sword that he had been packing, and grinned like a little kid, "Uh….hey Lorne. Sorry about….yeah. We were expecting a Tzuene demon"

"If you're trying to bait the Tzuene with the three red horns on her forehead, rather than on her neck, then I regret to inform you that she's dead." Lorne said lightly,

"Outside of Caritas, so I am not responsible…shame, she was such a lovely thing…"

At that moment, Cordy, Gun, and Wesley came out of nowhere, too. All three of looked like they were ready for a pretty nasty fight. Gun was holding a large picaxe that would have taken two normal men to carry, Wesley had a crossbow, and Cordy tried to look innocent with a wicked two sided axeblade at her side.

'Uh..Lorne says the Tzuene is dead." Fred said, lowering her eyes.

"You got caught in the Trapping Circle, didn't you, Lorne?" Cordy sighed, her eyes looking from Fred holding the rune stone, to the Deathwok demon.

"It appears so!" Lorne said. If he had to endure one more bout of nerve-wracking pain, he didn't know what he would do!

"Well…uh..then I guess I won't be needing this." Gun said, and he rested the picaxe up against a small coffee table that Angel liked to do crossword puzzles on, "Gee, this is awkward!"

While Fred and Wesley began clearing up the Trapping Circle, Lorne took a few steps to his left, and plucked Cordy on the shoulder.

"A word, sweetheart!" He murmured, and pulled the woman to a lonely corner of the room.

"Ok, what's up, Lorne" Cordelia asked, tossing her head.