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Anxious to save Cordelia Chase from the mental attacks she's been under and restore her connection to the Powers, Angel and his team, along with Rabbit Rushford infiltrate Wolfram and Hart. It goes well for everyone but Faith Lehane
1/12/2017 4:00 PM
Wolfram and Hart building, San Francisco
Law Offices of Wolfram and Hart[]
The lights are on, illuminating the area.
The offices of Wolfram & Hart stretch thirteen floors above street level, a gleaming tower of glass with a step-shaped facade that builds its way up to the top floor. Less distinctive than other elements of the city skyline, such as the Transamerica Pyramid, it still occupies a prime piece of real estate on Market Street. A small plaza in front of the building connects to steps leading up to the main entrance.
Inside the main lobby, a well-lit atrium features an information desk, comfortable waiting area, and elevator access to the upper floors. These floors contain endless tasteful hallways and spacious offices, conference rooms, and all the other appointments of a contemporary office building. One must look far beneath the surface--literally, in many cases--to find the ritual chambers, mysterious laboratories, and other more sinister and unconventional parts of the building.
Outside, it's cloudy, cold, and damp.
Wolfram and Hart. This Law Firm of Absolute Evil (TM) was in for a surprise today. The Evil Lawyers within had something, somewhere, that was capable of hijacking Cordy's visions from the Powers, and it was time to find out who or what it is...and put an end to it. But this was enemy turf, and they were very dangerous. Legal matters aside, they were still first rate demon cultists, and there were undoubtedly dozens of assorted evil critters lurking about to be unleashed on intruders...
Ernestine, as arranged, walks into the lobby and up to the information desk. She's well-dressed, in all the sort of finery one would expect from a woman of her age: it's outdated, not today's fashion at all, but she manages to make it work. With a sweet smile to the receptionists, and a careful look around at the guard or two on the lobby, she sets down a remarkably heavy purse -- but aren't all old women's purses heavy and filled with assorted things from the dawn of time itself? -- and starts to rummage in it.
"Excuse me," she gently enough starts out, "but I'm going to have to see Ms. Morgan. Lilah Morgan. I'm sure she's going to want to know about this." Then Ernestine looks back down into her purse. "Oh *bother*. I know it's in here *somewhere*." Looking up at the receptionists again, she laughs, as if to bring them in on the joke.
Of course, they have absolutely no idea what's going on and why they should be laughing.
The ever bored looking Wolfram and Hart receptionist pages, "Ms. Morgan, your client's here..." Lilah was curious now, she didn't have an appointment just then. But then, clients DID show up at odd hours, especially here...
Meanwhile, the Infiltration team, with Angel in front...well, there was no good way to disable security cameras of this caliber, so they'd just have to minimize resistance as it went...
Faith, behind him. Getting a bit of payback. Oh, she's not going to kill anyone - but she's going to make their lives as difficult as she can. For Cordy, for Eva, and for the hassle she's facing herself. In, oh, pretty much that order. Well, maybe Eva's first. Hard to tell. In they go...
Carson, in his long coat, moves along with Faith and Angel, keeping track of the younger members of the team. Faith, he's sure, can take care of herself. Angel surely can account for himself too, especially with his knightly standing. And of course, Carson knows he's more than able.
Ernestine being put right in the lion's den weighs heavily on his mind, but it was her choice...besides, they're not particularly well-armed at the front desk. If anything happens, she can mop the floor with Wolfram and Hart's initial security response and get out before they're able to mobilize the real heavy hitters.
He hopes, anyway. "So...should I bring up the 3D map, or do you know your way around the building?"
Dawn follows after Faith and Angel, silent but not looking worried in the least. Now, she's angry. She's much like her sister that way, when it comes to people attacking her friends. Of course, that doesn't mean she has any clue how to go ahead with an invasion like this, so what Carson's question she looks up to the vampire and older Slayer.
Rabbit isn't officially a part of the Angel Investigation team, he's more of an honorary member sometimes. Or more likely a guest star that is called in when his expertise is required. He isn't even dressed in fancy clothes or anything special. The teen is wearing a pair of jeans and a black zip-up hoodie. Super fancy. But he isn't here for fancy. He is here for his gifts. The teen bites his lower lip when he comes in behind Carson. "Well now. This place is..." He taps his head. "Intense. Yeah. Good word, intense. So um, let me know when you need me." He glances towards Dawn and gives her a half smile.
Angel lays in the plan. "Rabbit, do what you can to mask us from the cameras. We don't need evidence of 'unathorized entry' haunting us later. After that, tell me where the biggest psychic presence is." Hmmm. "Carson, how much of a 3D Map do you have? Wolfram and Hart has a LOT of space that isn't on official building plans." He learned that the hard way when he went after the Kleynach demon with that glove. "
Faith Lehane is being quite, quite quiet, looking around. She nods to Rabbit - glad of the masking, especially as she's not sure this glamor will hold. Especially once she starts fighting.
"I did my homework," Carson replies, taking out his phone and, with a grin and a few taps to the screen, holds it up for Angel to see. "Internet leaks are a beautiful thing. It doesn't have everything, I know that much. I've been collating stuff. Cordy helped me with that. It's missing some of the deeper vaults, but that stuff's risky anyway and we're not going there. This should at least take us where we need to go, as long as we don't just wander off and try to see all the sights while we're in the neighborhood."
Dawn Summers leans over a bit to get a peek at the screen, and grins, "Very cool." She glances to Angel, and says, "Even an incomplete maps gotta be a help, right? This one looks pretty good."
Rabbit looks at Angel and he nods his head. "Yeah, I can move the cameras in the opposite directions and hold them there while we slip by with ease." He laughs thought at the mention of biggest psychic presence. An actual laugh. "Yeah, this whole place has a shit load of psychic energy. Surprised they didn't offer me a job yet. But I can hone in on the source you're talking about. It takes a crazy amount of psychic power to do what they are doing." He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. He's clearing his mind with the trained ease of his meditation from the years of experience. "Okay." He exhales. "I got this. This is like Jean Grey going against Professor X. This isn't a Marvel Comic, I don't think I'll be able to come back if I die. So let's try not to let that happen." He offers up a smile and then he says, "I am just hoping that whoever is going into her head is too busy focusing on her head and not going to notice my own psychic signature. It's hard to keep masked and search. If you want me to keep my signature to a minimal, it may take me longer to find them. Your choice." The games of psychics are very different than most people are used to. "I can pin point with speed but they might know I am here. Or I can go slower and try to avoid detection. Just let me know the route you want boss man."
Angel looks at the map...and sees two routes to the psychic force they're looking for. "Looks like there's two ways in. The main party should take this route..." he points out, "And a second party might go this other way..." He points a second, different route out. On Rabbit, "They can only prosecute you if they have evidence they can take to court. Security cameras are the biggest problem for anyone they can send to jail without breaking the Accords. Other than that, use your own judgment."
Faith Lehane nods. "Alright then." She'll take the second party, ducking off to the second route. This should...well, not be easy, but at least it's something t do to work against them rather than hiding in a corner. Even if it's all her own fault...
Carson lets Dawn take the phone if she wants, with of course the understanding she'll give it back. Carson has already studied the map, and he knows his way around. Not as well as Angel probably does, but well enough thanks to Cordelia and the internet at large. "Be safe," he calls to Faith as she moves off. Slayer solidarity and all.
When Rabbit starts to do his thing, Carson gives him some space, even though it's not really strictly needed. "I'd imagine keeping the Powers That Be at bay and jamming their signal's gonna be taking most of this guy's juice," he replies.
Rabbit nods his head. "I don't think they are skilled enough to do both. And if they are, you're going to need a bigger psychic." He laughs at his own joke. He listens to Angel. "Oh, that much I can handle then. My powers are 100% unable to be detected by the law enforcement. Psychic traits are not recognized by the government." He smirks. "If he's that focused on jamming the signal then they will not know I am here. Let me see what I can do." He goes back into the psychic state. That cliched appearance of looking off into the distance and not really focusing on anything. He's searching for this big bad psychic hijacker. He comes back to the reality and he says, "Okay. Can I see that map. I am pretty sure I know exactly where they are. And I don't think they noticed me either. Like you said, they are too busy to notice and I didn't linger long enough for them to sense me."
"Got him." As Faith splits off to take another route, the rest of the team, on the main route...
"Alright. Move in as quietly as you can. Less noise the better. Cameras being disabled is good, guards not spotting us is better. Minimal violence is ideal outside the target." Angel leads along the corridor indicated, even though Rabbit's actually the one guiding the way.
Dawn, after peeking at the phone, and doing her best to quickly memorize, indeed hands it back with a smile, "Thanks." She doesn't have any weapon in hand, not wanting to potentially kill human they come across, but her hands close and fists as she starts to follow along with Angel. Doing her best to be sneaky, and she can be pretty quiet when she wants to be.
"Sounds good." Carson is well-trained, and he moves very quietly -- nearly silently -- in his unconventional attire. It's very bohemian-influenced, as is most of what he wears, but it's not just chosen for its stylish properties. He really has thought this out: at any moment, he might have to disappear into the scenery and get away, from what he's told Angel and the rest. He actually dresses for purpose. Plus, he doesn't have the amulet Cordy does; he can't afford to keep replacing clothes that are impractical but look good.
Keeping quiet once they're discussing the map, Carson looks to see where Rabbit indicates, and he moves to back up Angel, waving Dawn off. "Keep it," he murmurs quietly. "You can give it back later." He's staying close enough to react quickly and decisively if danger should present itself, but with enough space between them for Angel to move and the rest of them not to be noticed -- to perhaps shrink back if he should be noticed before the others.
Wolfram and Hart might be temporarily fooled, but there's only so long luck can hold out. The room the bad psychic's in is, naturally, guarded. "Unless you've got a jedi mind trick up your sleeve Rabbit..." Well, then they're going to have to do some punching. Fortunately, there's only a couple guards. The problem is that they've got headsets and can summon help very quickly. Looks like someone took Stiles's advice about movie watching.
Rabbit listens to Angel's requests. "Alright, I got the cameras. They are all conveniently facing away from us. Just can't keep them too long, someone will notice." The moving of the cameras actually takes almost no effort for the telekinetic. He takes them on a route with the least amount of people that he can find. "I don't want to waste all my juice putting up walls to prevent people down some of the hallways. You guys may have to knock some heads together. I can probably confuse their memories so they don't remember who attacked them. But messing with brains is not my expertise. I'll have to pick that skill up on my next expansion pack." He isn't trying to make noise but he isn't being stealth ninja either. That's not his skill set either. He takes note of the guards and he says, "I can break the headsets but that will only delay more guards coming. And who am I to deny the chance to see some cute guys beat people up." Mostly Carson, but we already knew he thought the slayer was cute right?
Dawn is quiet, as she listens, and then says, softly, "Hey, it's not just guys." She frowns a bit, though isn't too serious. Then, she says, "I think we can handle them. As long as they don't call /everybody/ down on us at once."
Rabbit looks to Dawn. "Yeah but if we bring down the entire firm on us. Then we will defeat the whole," Rabbit shifts to his, mock Angel serious tone of voice as he repeats. "'Let's try not to do anything that can get us in trouble legally.' Part of Angel's big plan. So, I'll take your lead." He peers around the corner and he focuses on the walkie's that the guards are holding. He cracks some of the wires. "Okay, I disabled their walkies. They will probably notice at some point but it will delay the others from coming until they realize it. Now or never." Rabbit steps back to let the meat shields do their jobs.
"Got it." Angel turns the corners and simply rushes the guys. "Mayday, mayday, it's Angel!" says the first guard, as they've all apparently been briefed on the vampire. Fortunately, the walkies are disabled, so Angel simply punches the poor human in the stomach. Finely tuned control and expert precision allows him to punch the man just so...disabling him, but leaving him with little in the way of a bruise he can point out later.
Carson moves immediately and easily to join Angel in his offensive. He moves with the calculated grace of someone who has done this many times against much stronger opponents...though of course he hasn't done it nearly as much as Angel. He simply hasn't had the opportunity from living that long! Silent and graceful, Carson shows his ability remarkably but, perhaps more importantly, his ability to restrain himself from unleashing his full strength against enemies who can't take it.
Taking a breath, Dawn is up and moving as well, tag teaming with Carson towards the second guard. Not that Carson seems to need the help, when the second guard goes down quickly. She gives him a thumbs up, not saying anything for the moment, so as not to make any more noise than necessary.
Rabbit runs up to the guy that Angel is taking out and he puts his hands on the guys head and he zaps his brain with images of who 'really' attacked him. It will probably get the guards in trouble and some real psychotherapy might break through the jumbling of memories. But as far as he will know, it was a disgruntled co-worker who lost some big bucks in a weekly poker game and thinks that him and his partner was cheating. It's a realistic enough memory as this guard does play poker and he does indeed cheat. When Dawn and Carson take care of guard #2, he does the same thing to him. "Don't play poker with these two. As long as a trained psychic doesn't start prying apart my memories. We are good."
"Good." And then...there's the door. It's locked...Angel uses a business card to open it. Thankfully, the interior doors aren't protected by doors that can stop that kind of thing. When the door opens...there's the psychic. What's noticeable about this guy is that his brain is apparently bigger then his skull, and the top of his skull no longer exists. He has a hat he wears over it to conceal it when he goes outside. Angel looms ominously towards the psychic, striding over. "You've got 5 seconds to step off that line and leave Ms. Chase alone. Or you answer to ME." It's rare for Angel to get this pissed. It doesn't take any psychic powers to sense how lethally angry Angel really is.
Carson gives a thumbs-up to Dawn, breaking into a grin before turning to Rabbit and doing the same for him. Once Angel opens the door, Carson's there behind him, backing him up with a deadly serious expression. And somehow, he's drawn himself up a bit, looking more formidable. Larger. More muscular. Not that he really needs to be, since he has the Slayer power behind him. He tilts his head back a little, breathing in and pulling his arms up to fold across his chest.
Flashing a smile back to Carson, Dawn turns and follows Angel into the room with the psychic. She doesn't bother drawing herself up. She can't help but look like the little girl. But, she's got totally confident mannerisms, as she corrects Angel, "Us."
Rabbit just winces as he looks at the psychic. He lifts a hand up and touches his head and then he says, "If my head gets any bigger. Do me a favor. Just put me out of my misery." He let's them do their intimidation job. "I don't think he is messing with her out of boredom guys." He hates to be the bearer of bad news. "Scaring him may not work. I could be wrong. Unless he's just doing it for the money. In which case. You may want to squeeze that brain back into his skull where it belongs."
The Psyhic only says, "Idiot Vampire. Did you think I could not defend myself?" A telekinetic PUSH from the psychic comes with terrifying force at everyone. Angel, for his part, is amazingly well trained. He has lots of little advantages here and there. ...he still get flattened against the wall. Finely honed skill can only do so much. "Rabbit, neutralize that power! Or at least weaken it!" The psychic smirk. "Yes, you did bring one of your own, didn't you? Speaking of making heads explode..." The enemy psychic engages Rabbit in a duel of terrifying psychic powers being unleashed.
Carson finds himself swept off his feet, smashed against the wall and the breath knocked soundly out of him. After a few seconds, he's back to normal and fighting against the pressure. Instantly, his mind turns to Dawn. But he won't let himself yell to her to be careful, or to run...that would only call attention to her, and with this creepy psychic...out of sight, not necessarily out of mind. Even Cordy's only safe for the moment, and because of massive defenses around her.
Despite her confidence, there's not much Dawn can do against that force. She lets out a yelp as she's pushed against the wall, and struggles against it with pretty much all of her might. She is definitely not giving up. Though, she does, perhaps, draw a bit of attention to herself. "Okay, Rabbit, show him what you can do!" Yep, she's still confident, though now in her friend rather than herself.
Rabbit doesn't have much problem resisting the initial wave of force that is pushed towards him. Rabbit didn't think things were going to go that easy. It never is with Psychics, he should know. When his allies are pinned by the telekinetic wave. The teen plants his feet into the floor and he glares at the other psychic. "Don't waste your energy struggling. This is what we do. At this level of power, he could hold you until he runs out of reserves." His eyes Angel, "Got it." Rabbit doesn't seem happy. He pushes back against the force and he says, "Oh, that was witty. I hope it's not your head that is going to explode. That's going to be a whole lot of mess to clean up." He focuses his energy, this is what he does. This is his area of expertise. There are few who have as extensive training in telekinesis that Rabbit does. Years upon years of training his gifts. He returns the telekinetic force back at the other psychic. With Psychics, there is no fancy impressive body movements, People can't even see the telekinetic force like the psychics can. So to an outsider it looks like two people just glaring at each other really really hard. He isn't surprised by the power that is being unleashed in his direction. He braces for impact throwing up a wall of force. The sound of a telekinetic punch hitting a telekinetic shield does create a crack. And then he drops the shield and slams a wave of force back in the other psychics direction.
Taking her separate route, Faith is wary. This is a dangerous situation at the best of times - and particularly dangerous now, but this problem with Cordelia *has* to be fixed. It's far worse than her own issues, far harder to fix, and far less, well, deserved. Quiet. Moving through the corridor with her focus entirely on the mission for now.
The arrogant psychic is shocked to find a worthy adversary. Worthy enough, in fact, that the psychic can't keep Angel and the Slayers pinned while engaging Rabbit. He has to devote all of his considerable power into this one. And as psychic push meets psychic push...there's...apparently a whole lot of nothing going on. Psychicly, however, it's like two battering rams meeting in the middle. But physics still applies, and for every action, there is an equal reaction, and a backlash of equal force goes flying back at their users. For the bad psychic, that sends him flying back into the wall.
But now Angel's recovering...and then gets up. "There's a time to grant mercy..."
Caladbolg comes out...
"And a time to withhold it. If you're not going to leave Cordy alone..."
"Insignificant pest, I will explode her head the minute she steps out of those wards of yours!" Angel goes flying backwards again. But the effort it takes to send Angel back leaves Rabbit an opening...
That's not all, though...as Angel went flying backwards, Caladbolg's steel left a rainbow arc behind it...
It was a mistake to focus on only one of Angel's party. Or technically two, since the psychic continues to try and engage Rabbit. Carson springs forward, fully intent on engaging the psychic himself if Angel's being pushed back. "You're an absolute *plague*," he snaps at the man, launching himself towards the psychic. A dozen quick and easy ways to neutralize him come to mind...if only he gets the chance to apply them. Even what amounts to the Vulcan Nerve Pinch, but that depends on him being let close enough to do it.
Dawn takes a gasping breath as the force drops from them all, stumbling forward slightly. For a split second, she hesitates. Not afraid, but not really sure how to handle it. But, as Carson charges forward it seems to end her indecision, and she's following him in a split second later, hands closed in fists. She has the dagger her sister gave her for Christmas, but, this is still human they're going against, or at least partially was. She's not quite ready for that kill.
As the two psychics duel it out and then are sent flying back away from one another. Rabbit let's out a grunt as his lean frame slams into the wall. Even if he was prepared for it, the impact does shock him just a little bit. But he doesn't really have time to be dazed and confused. This is a life or death matter. If they fail, someone will die and that someone might be on the side of the good guys. He doesn't really call most of them 'friends' but they are allies and he can't afford to lose many of them from his life. He goes back on the defensive, waiting to see where his talents might best be used. He uses his telekinesis to keep the other psychic pinned against the wall. "You should have taken a page from our book and brought your own experts to assist." He doesn't look away, he is pretty sure that the big brain is going to go splat one way or another.
The enemy psychic seems to sense something. "...You fool. That girl you brought with you. The girl that isn't a girl at all but a Key. Your lover's little sister. If I cannot kill your seer while she hides in your wards...she will do." If he gets a chance, that is. When Rabbit's attack comes in, he goes flying once more, and only stop himself from getting crunched by launching a telekinetic blast of his own in the opposite direction. He's not down yet, but Rabbit's got his full attention once more. His nose is bleeding too...harder, perhaps. Not gushing, by any means, but his face is getting redder a little faster. The telekinetic attack is only just now deflected
Rabbit's attack is forcing the psychic to devote all his effort into holding. Which leaves him open to be sidelined by Carson. Carson actually manages to get punch in before a telekinetic wave of terrifying strength is aimed at him. But it looks like he cant throw waves at more than one person at a time while Rabbit's taking up so much of his attention.
The psychic may be formidable, but Carson strikes with precision and power...and then is smashed halfway into the wall. Good thing he has Slayer gifts, since that would have seriously -- possibly mortally -- injured any regular human. It's enough to keep him out of the fight for a time, though after seconds he pulls himself out, feeling the wounds knitting and healing. He pushes himself harder, despite the attack and its brutal nature. But it's worn on him, and even the room itself is toxic, oppressive. Carson staggers towards a bookcase, thinking that perhaps a ranged attack may be more sound -- perhaps he can throw one of the curios or books at the psychic and KO him from afar with minimal damage.
"Well, this Key is a Slayer, too," Dawn says, doing a twisting dodge to avoid Carson, since she'd probably just screw up his landing if she tried to catch him. Instead, she charges in to take his place, lashing out with a powerful punch at the psychic.
"Alright Cranium. I'm done with this game." Rabbit is not going to let this big brained freak show him up. And he isn't going to let another psychic hurt people and give psychics a bad name. Rabbit has been training on this since he met Angel. He has a lot of raw psychic power, especially behind his telekinesis. It was Angel who started him down the path on being able to focus that raw power into a greater potential. Months of practice allow this. While Big Brain can't split his focus between two targets, Rabbit has picked up a trick of his own. It's only fitting that Angel get to be the first person he gets to show off this power with, as it was because of him that he found a need to do this. The teen crosses the floor behind Angel and he throws up his shield in front of Angel. Then he taps into his stores. While holding up his shield around Angel to prevent the Krang from throwing Angel away. He throws another attack at the other psychic. And this isn't a weak distraction blow. No, he's got insane power behind him. The kind of power that simple humans shouldn't possess. The intense amount of force required in this dual defense and attack causes the blood vessels in his nose to rupture. It may be cliched but yeah his nose bleeds. That sweet intoxicating scent that draws every vampire in the area to it, like drones to a queen bee fills the air. Rabbit slaps the other Psychic and he holds him in place. Gritting his teeth as the crimson streams of blood run down his face while he holds up Angel's protective shield and the assault to give his allies the opportunity they need. "Now Angel!"
Angel takes advantage of the opportunity...and this time strikes with Caladbolg. The psychic isn't fast enough, isn't tough enough. And with Cordy and now Dawn too on the line...that's 2 innocents too many. 2 family members too many, if he was honest with himself for half a second. Caladbolg swings in a powerful arc.
"Ohshi..."
The enemy psychic never gets any more words out than that before Caladbolg cleaves his brain, then the rest of him in two with a single swing. That's a heck of a lot of blood and gore on the ground, come to think of it. Splitting in half vertically is VERY messy. But the great Fae blade isn't even red. It's like the blood won't cling to it. That rainbow arc was nice and pretty though. Still keeping on target. "Alright, fall back. This guy had to go, that doesn't mean everyone else does. Nonlethal force on your way out." And Angel regrets letting Faith go off on her own. What's happened to her...?
Carson turns, trinket in hand...and just stares, frozen in place, as Angel engages the psychic...with finality. He fumbles the little trinket and immediately hurries to Dawn, still glancing over at Angel as he ushers her towards the door. He knows, deep down, that this was necessary. But it's a little unsettling to witness, especially like...well, that.
But as the little group heads out into the hall, they're met by one Lilah Morgan, with a hand clamped tightly on Ernestine's forearm. Lilah smiles, a bit like a hunting cat would smile, and looks between the little quartet.
"Angel." Her eyes settle immediately on him. "I take it you're the leader of this...expedition? I'm not even going to peek inside that office, but I *am* going to tell you that you're advised of your rights. I'm a lawyer, I can do that." Her smile widens, just a hair, in that moment. "And you're going to throw down your weapons *right* now."
It didn't look very much like she was doing more than just bluffing at first, but when her other hand raises, it's holding a gun trained on Ernestine. "That is...if you don't want this innocent bystander to suffer fatal injury as a heroic employee tries to stop four obviously homicidal crazed terrorists."
At the sight of the chopping in two of the psychic, Dawn just pales for a moment. But, it's far from the only grisly death she's seen. So she recovers fast, at least visibly, turning to follow Angel out, with Carson's ushering, without a word of complaint. That is, until they find Ernestine being apparently held hostage. "Let her go," she says, managing to sound both angry and pleading at the same time.
Seeing the psychic get cleaved in two by the Fey blade doesn't seem to phase Rabbit in the slightest. Being held as a master vampires blood servant for years. That is nothing compared to some of the blood orgies that he has witnessed in his time. "There can only be one." He looks up, no Quickening. He lifts a hand up to wipe some of the blood from his face. "Guys, we need to move fast. The vampires are going to flock here." He looks towards Carson. "May need someone to help protect me." He cleans up as best he can but the intoxicating scene is going to linger. When they go out and encounter Lilah holding another ally captive he turns to Angel. "Really do not have time for this. I'm not going to be a vampires dinner. Angel, permission?" He waits for the man in charge's permission before he takes out Lilah to save Ernestine.
Angel puts Caladbolg back in its usual 'storage spot.' Which for all intents and purposes means it disappears, for the most part. Angel's voice is cold, though. From Ernestine? Or is it something else? "Ms. Morgan. You wouldn't shoot a little old lady, would you?" Of course he knows the answer to that. But he's also trying to stall for time. Nobody knew better than Angel what Slayers could do, except perhaps for the Slayers themselves. He tried to catch Ernestine's eye, to figure out if she's playing possum or is actually in danger. Can't really tell from here.
In a small whisper to Rabbit, "Nonlethal force. She's human. Crunch the weapon if you can." Amazing how low Angel can make his voice. Without tech, a human won't pick it up.
"Oh, I'll let her go." Lilah's smile persists as she turns to face Dawn. "With the rest of you. To a holding cell, to await your trial. Where I'll be prosecuting. I'll make sure you have *plenty* of quality time together. In a federal penitentiary." Cold as ice.
Ernestine looks, at first, genuinely to have been taken by surprise. In danger, if only because there's a gun hovering very near her person that could certainly take out even a Slayer, with enough force and enough bullets. But Ernestine opens her eyes slightly wider at Angel once she catches his gaze, and then she looks to Carson. She glances to Lilah, then flares her lashes again before looking pointedly to Carson and Angel.
Carson starts to move, which makes Lilah shift, dragging Ernestine sidelong and swinging the gun to bear on Carson. "You heroic types don't seem to understand plain English. Don't move means *don't move*. The bullets in this gun can down a bull elephant, I don't think they'll have any trouble taking you out."
But that was the crucial mistake: Lilah turned the gun onto Carson, instead of keeping it on Ernestine. It's the momentary opportunity that Ernestine takes, to both swat the gun out of Lilah's hand, then to punch her in the face, sending her flying against the wall.
"I think the saying is," the sassy senior notes, "bitches get stitches."
But Lilah's not out yet. She launches herself back into the fray with a series of blows designed to take out an opponent. She's been trained, and very well; she may be only human, but she's absolutely nothing close to average.
Ernestine, however, has trained herself. She doesn't fend off every blow, but she's able to absorb what would surely devastate a normal human. They engage...and there's the approaching sound of a larger security force.
Dawn smiles a bit, relieved, in that instant she sees the opening. The same instant Ernestine acts. She knows better than to get in the way, leaving assisting the older Slayer to the far more experienced Angel, and Rabbit. Instead, she dives for the gun, using her strength to try to quickly disable it. Just so nobody picks it up. Then, she turns, "I think we've got company," as she faces the direction of the sound of security.
Angel says, "Rabbit, bust open a hole through the window." Angel still has the presence of mind to have Rabbit do this on the far side of the building, away from traffic. After all, there's two sides facing away from the street, even on a building on the corner. By the time the mortal security teams arrive, the supernaturally empowered heroes are leaping out the window...including the young girl and the old lady. Angel has to carry Rabbit, because the psychic can't make the jump, but it's trivial for someone as well trained as Angel is.
Pause.
"Wait a minute, where's Faith?" ...Crap! in his haste to get everyone else out, he left his best friend IN there! Another on his long list of idiotic decisions to never forgive himself for.
Ernestine starts to get the upper hand, and when Carson takes an opportunity to land a couple of blows on Lilah, the tides are decidedly turning. But Dawn points out what they start to notice...and it's clear they need to beat a hasty and tactical retreat.
Carson hesitates, looking up to Angel and back at the security team's advancing shadows...and Lilah, staggered back by the combined power of two Slayers who, luckily for her, weren't out for blood today.
Not that it saved the sadistic psychic. But he made his own unfortunate bed.
Carson looks back to Ernestine and Dawn, then, and Ernestine reaches out a hand for Dawn, smiling to her before following in the jump. It's not the softest or most pleasant of landings ever, but at least they haven't been surrounded by paramilitary squads.
Until some of the security personnel, reacting to internal alarms, rush out towards our heroes. It looks bleak. They're ready for Slayers, vampires, and psychics. Ready in a terminal sense.
As our heroes plummet through the air, they'll notice the unsettling presence of massing armed guards below--and judging from the full-body gear they're wearing, they may not even be human, but they're definitely armed! They're just starting to raise their weapons to take aim and fire when--
/SCREEEEEEEECH!/
Of all the possible things, a green-on-green 1976 GMC Motorhome comes barreling around the corner and just /takes out/ the guards, scattering them like bowling pins. Angel and his friends have seen "The Winnie" before, of course, just like they know that its driver, Kitty Rossi, is a close associate of Carson's. As the Winnie pulls up, Kitty pops a window to bellow out at them, "Get yer asses in here and let's haul it! Fightin' vampires is one thing, but you psycho nincompoops hadda go an' take on a whole /building/ full'a /lawyers/, didn't ya?!" She doesn't wait for an answer, though, gunning the engine and preparing to roar away without a moment's notice.
And she's not alone.
Perched atop the Winnie with far more grace than anyone in a tweed suit really should is the rather avuncular figure of Ronald Reuel, wielding his Summer Knight's blade in one hand and a long, twisting wooden staff in the other. The staff blazes with light like the warmest summer's day, and when he raises it high, what seems a solid sunbeam forms beneath the falling heroes, catching them in its (thankfully harmless, even to vampires) grasp and letting them ride it like a slide down until they actually find themselves dropped right in through the Winnie's side door. At that, Reuel raps the heel of the staff on the vehicle's roof and says, "At once, Kitty--let's away!" He swings down off the roof and into the vehicle with twice the grace of a man half his age, slamming the door shut, and in that same instant, Kitty floors it.
As the Winnie speeds away, Kitty shoots a big, toothy grin over her shoulder and bellows at her newfound passengers, "Oh, yeah, hey--by the way? /You're welcome!/"
Reuel offers a mild smile and nod, climbing into one of the vehicle's seats, and says in an only mildly flustered tone, "Well. Glad we made it on time!" Then, laying aside his sword and staff, the man proceeds to begin placidly packing a pipe.
"Not in my damn car, you don't!"
"Oh, dear. Sorry, Kitty."
And they're away.
Elsewhere[]
Separate from the others, Faith frowns a little bit. She's not comfortable here, in enemy territory - and that's the way it should be. If she was comfortable it would mean she had become entirely too complacent.
Deep in enemy territory...the human lawyers don't seem to notice anything. There's just too damn many clients wandering around in here, and many of those clients aren't human. And not all the nonhumans are clients, either. One demon walks by, sniffs the air, "I could swear I smell a Slayer somewhere..." It's very questionable how much longer that glamour will hold...
Which causes her to quicken her pace a little bit. Not to a run or anything like that, but in and out is best. Of course, she's not the only Slayer in here right now...so, she might be okay.
But the deeper she gets into the place, the more powerful the Wolfram and Hart employees, associates, and clients get. It's only a matter of time till one of them notices the glamour. Actually, a few of them did, and one finally calls her out on it. "Why are you bothering with a glamour in here? This is Wolfram and Hart, they get it." Noticed a glamour, didn't notice it was Faith under there.
"Habit," Faith responds, cheerfully. It seems to her to be a reasonable answer. A habit one doesn't want to get out of. "Excuse me." She offers whoever it is a smile and then ducks, or tries to duck, down a side corridor.
Well, that takes care of that guy, who just shrugs. The next guy, however, is a little more potent. Because out of an office back there comes Cyrus Vail. Who peers at the glamour, waves a hand...and dispels it. He grins widely. "Ms. Lehane. So glad you decided to turn yourself in."
"Go to hell." A glance. Nearest window. Or did she end up in the basement following the planned route. "Oh wait, you're heading there anyway."
Mr. Vail just shrugs, "It's so much more fun when you take the rest of the world there with you." Cyrus flings a magical bolt at Faith. It's powerful and fast moving.
She rolls to the side, barely avoiding this one, landing on her feet. "The only one I plan on sending there is you." Not that she's going to kill him if she can avoid it. She doesn't need to. He's already damned.
Wolfram and Hart Security was alerted by the sound of magical blasts going off. "One niner, this is 204, Faith Lehane is IN the building. Repeat, Faith Lehane is in the building, request immediate backup." "Copy that 204, Angel and his little friends are also in the building, he just killed Mr. Brain, unit 209, assist in capturing Faith, 210, 211, 212, head toward Mr. Brain's office."
Cyrus smirks, "Maybe, but I have more friends than you." He launches another magical blast.
Faith Lehane tosses a knife at him. Not to kill, but to hit somewhere painful and wreck his concentration. She's done this before. Way out. Exit. She's backing away, trying to make a strategic retreat.
Wolfram and Hart's head sorcerer...and a member of the Circle of the Black Thorn...simply blocks the knife, where it explodes into metal shards flying every which way. The cruel sorcerer doesn't even care that one of those shards hits the eye and half blinds one of the guys that's supposed to be coming to help him. "Take her into custody..." None of these men are a match for Faith. But she's badly outnumbered.
She'll still make them feel it before she goes down. She'll make them feel it big time...and a couple of them at least are going to be spending quality time in sickbay.
One security guard is sporting a broken knee, another is sporting a broken elbow, and 3 more have broken ribs by the time they take Faith into custody. "We'll be sure to add assault to your charges." And off she goes to the holding cell. Amazing how fast these guys get the judge on the phone. There's a 'right to a speedy trial', and then there's this, which is a ridiculous turn around time of less then 48 hours! Elsewhere, there's a large explosion as Rabbit blasts his way out of the building with the rest of the heroes.