(Untitled)

[mr_angel]

[Continued from here and here"None of the above," I answered Nikki. Unless they've somehow changed Cordelia or Connor into one of those.. things which I doubt they had. Then there was that feeling again. I'd felt it before, I knew that I had, but it wasn't Cordy or even Connor. It was almost as someone else was here

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[_wes_pryce_]

We had the files, we had the template and even though we'd nearly been caught once, I had a feeling luck was about to run out on us. In which case Buffy and I better start running so it wouldn't catch up on us. "Yes," I nodded grimly. "This doesn't look good at all." Tucking the files under my arm, I walked over to her and took hers as well. It was better I carry them. If we were going to run into another fight, it was better she have both her hands free.

"Let's get out of here while we still can," I agreed, picking up the template. Just as I was about to turn and run, I noticed Buffy tense. Almost as though she sensed something. Considering where we were at the moment, that could be just about anything. When I turned around however, I knew what had made her tense up.

Angel. She'd recognize him anywhere as a Slayer.

"Angel," I repeated dryly, as though it was perfectly normal to run into him while breaking and entering an evil lawfirm. "Surely business isn't so bad that you need to do tours now." My eyes ticked over to the people who skidded in behind him. People I didn't know. New hired help?

[summers__buffy]

Tears were running down my cheeks from the things I was reading. Spike. They brought him back. This all of this was alot to take in. I hadn't seen him well since he saved us all by sacrificing himself for the world. I can still see that moment when our hands were together and they caught fire. I shook my head trying not to think about all of that right now. Thinking about it would only get me into trouble. I had to be concentrated on what was going on right here in this firm that Wes and I were still in. If I needed to fight again I'd have to be prepared.

I wiped away the tears when Wes came up and grabbed the files from me. I willingly let him take them out of my hands. That's probably a good idea just in case I have to fight again. I'll need both my hands free well one with my scythe and the other one free. I nodded at Wes. "That would probably be a good idea. Not exactly wanting to be here any longer. But let's be careful, I don't want to trip anymore alarms and if we do, no fighting this time unless we have to. Just run so we can make it out alive." I said looking over at him. He seemed to agree...I think? I couldn't really read Wes' emotions all that well.

I was about to turn around and go with Wes when I had this feeling. Like someone I knew was here. Well besides Wes. That's when I tensed up. Angel. He was here too. Looking down at my leg that was now bleeding through my pants, I did the only thing that came to mind. I took off my coat and held it in front of me naturally so that he couldn't see it. I didn't want him to worry about me. I didn't want him seeing me like this and then getting another lecture about coming in here, injured no less.

I heard his voice say mine and Wes' names. I felt him even before he came into the room. Turning around I looked over at him and the two new people that were with them. Did I know them? Should I know them? I couldn't really tell who I did and didn't know anymore. I looked at Wes then back at Angel. "Angel? What are you doing here? And who are they?" I asked still holding my coat over my wound trying to pretend that there was nothing wrong. I was good at that.

[ice__princess]

Boy, i'm really batting 0 for 0 here. It doesn't exactly help that Angel seems to be a friend of the cryptic speak or that his answers seem to rarely exceed 8 words.

With his go-ahead we made our way to the lab. Doesn't look any more or less evil than an ordinary lab should. Not that I'm a certified lab-ologist or anything like that but...ceasing thoughts now.

"Buffy? Wes?"

Both names were familiar, thought I've never actually seen the two. Buffy was that annoying chicks slayer-of-a-sister, wasn't she? And Wes...well, I've heard of him through Cordy. Now they names have faces... Oh happy day.

"Surely business isn't so bad that you need to do tours now."

Pfft, well its obvious this guy wasn't at the hotel when we dropped by. Even the tumbleweeds took the day off.

I looked at Buffy as she posed her questions.

"He's here for a gig. We're his backup singers..."

[iwouldnt_fear]

I'm starting to hate this assignment. I mean it's not like we're going to get to hack anything up, and my companions aren't exactly making things easier. So far all Nikki's been good for is an amusing sarcastic comment here and there, and Angel is probably the most boring vampire in the history of the earth.

As if things weren't quite serious enough, seconds later we came face to face with two of the most sober faces I'd ever seen. The second the british guy opened his mouth I took an immedeate dislike to him, my brow creasing just a little. These folks weren't my assignment, and there was absolutely no reason for me to have to be nice to them.

"can we do what we came here for and save the introductions for a time we're not surrounded by evil?" My acting slips when I'm irritated, and this whole situation has got me more than on edge. I'm a couple steps over the edge and standing in that open air space like a cartoon animal.

[mr_angel]

Crossing my arms over my chest, I just looked at Wesley. Even after our little moment in the car that night he still wasn't going to let me forget why I didn't see him everyday like I used to. Not that I should forget.

The gig? Yes, we were here for the gig. Shaking my head at Nikki, I looked at Buffy. I hadn't seen her since out little stroll down the streets of Los Angeles not to mention memory lane. Well, for me anyway. I have no idea how much of an extra stroll she had that night.

Why was I here? Wait. Why were they here? I looked at the two of them again and saw several files and papers in their arms. Wesley might know a thing or two about this place, but Buffy? Why in the hell did he bring her here of all places?

I was growing impatient with us just standing here and I had a feel my backup singers were starting to feel the same way. "This is Sam and that's Nikki," I said nodding to the both of them. "They're slayers." Not that I couldn't do this by myself, but someone thought I'd need company.

"We're here because of-.. Well why are you here?"

[_wes_pryce_]

The blond seemed alright, but the brunette? There was something about her I didn't quite like. It reminded me too much about Faith when I first met her. And we all know how that ended. Well, they probably don't, but the rest of them do. And there is just something about those two which set my senses on wild goose chase. I've not felt that since... well, since I walked into Faith at Cordelia's all that time before. Hmmm...

When Angel told me they were Slayers, my suspicious were confirmed. I filed it away into the part of my brain I never really used. It was useless information for me anyway, I had nothing to do with Slayers anymore. Besides Faith at times and now apparently Buffy. With whom I got along remarkably well.

"Sounds like someone isn't very used to doing this," I said casually, stepping in front of Buffy a bit. I gave this Sam a pointed look before dismissing he and turning back to Angel. I'd noticed Buffy was starting to bleed again, still even. The way she acted though, she didn't want Angel to find out. Wonder if he can't smell it though, better prepare to do some fast talking.

"Why are we here?" I repeated thoughtfully, glancing down at the files in my hand. Why did he *think* we were here? Besides, we asked them first. Which...errr...I wasn't going to say. No needed to sound like a five year old.

[summers__buffy]

I stood there looking between Angel and his so called 'back up singers.' Ok this isn't exactly something that I had planned to happen, you know me running into Angel with friends while with Wes in an evil firm. All I really wanted to do truthfully, was just get the info we needed and then leave. Well except for the fighting, kinda wanted to do that too. And I can almost hear Giles right now. 'Buffy fighting is not the answer, there are other ways.'

But I wasn't in the listening mood, I'm stubborn like that. If I'm gonna do something I do it. I'm not one who just stands around and mopes. Nope I was the do it girl. The person who jumps right into things. Did I mention my rash and impulsive flaw? Yeah that was me. Besides I've learned alot of things about being the slayer and one of them was to take things head on. just like I did at the vineyard and got the scythe. Ok so it didn't go well the first time but when I went back it did.

I tensed up some more when Angel was looking at me and Wes kind of suspiciously. I was gripping my coat hoping that he was too distracted to notice that or to use his senses and smell the blood. Cause that smelling thing was just gross and it would ruin the whole lets hide it with a coat theory.

My eyes widened when he asked us what we were doing here. Hey now, didn't we ask first? Or more specific, me asking first? Oh well guess I can't really use that argument. It worked on Dawn though. I looked over at Wes eyes still widened trying to not look guilty of something or trying to hide something. It was something I wasn't the greatest at. I watched him step a little in front of me. I looked over at Sam and Nikki I think it was? More slayers? And here I was trying to avoid new people. Guess that idea is down the toilet.

I looked at Wes again as he was struggling with the explanation. I looked back at Anbgel and came up with the first thing that popped in my head. "We're here because...." Ok Buffy no pauses gotta make it sound convincing. "...because we came here to find out some information and since this palce is full of information that we needed, we came here." Oh yeah, that didn't sound so good.

[ice__princess]

"can we do what we came here for and save the introductions for a time we're not surrounded by evil?"

that was actually a fabulous idea but apparently Angel didn't and he eventually introduced us anyway. He and Wes totally got into one of those 'No, what are YOU doing' spats. Apparently they were both stubborn. That should help us greatly, in the house that evil built.

"I can tell you what we're NOT doing, and that'd be getting anywhere. You boys can settle your business behind the swing-set after school, 'kay?"

Go figure it, the girl with the weird name ends up being the useful one.

"We're here because...because we came here to find out some information and since this palce is full of information that we needed, we came here."

...I now retract my previous statement.

"I see..." I made a face that was a clear representation that I did not, in fact, 'see'. I bet the big-wigs here would he hella pissed to find out their 'top-secret!' facilities were being used like the public library here. It was funny...as long as we didn't get caught.

[iwouldnt_fear]

Pure will, really. That's all that was keeping me from hurtling forward and throwing british guy's snobby attitude right back in his face, in the form of my fist, of course. I want to pound him till he bleeds. The nails on my left hand are digging into my palm, I just know I'm going to have four new half moon shaped cuts when we get out of here...

It near killed me to just stand there and take it.

"I can tell you what we're NOT doing, and that'd be getting anywhere. You boys can settle your business behind the swing-set after school, 'kay?"

Nikki echoing my frustration eases me the tiniest bit, which is good, because had I been pushed any further, we'd be talking mushroom clouds. I'm not accustomed to suffering idiots and if I didn't have a task as at hand, I wouldn't have. In fact, dirty british guy probably would have been lucky to leave with all his limbs. I'd speak, but there's a good chance the only thing that'd come out would be a string of curse words.

[mr_angel]

My eyes narrowed at Wesley when he repeated my own words. So this was how it was going to be now? Fine. I didn't have time for a stroll down memory lane or for us to remember why we had the current relationship we did. I suppose it was just wishful thinking to believe we might actually be more than just civil to one another after the other night. Turning away from him, I looked at Buffy. She was acting strange, stammering. Which was only something she did when she was nervous about something or other.

I frowned when I saw Wesley step in front of her. Looking away, I looked around the lab. "Great. You're looking for information. We're looking for information." And people. I was looking for my best friend and son in this place.

Rolling my eyes at Nikki, I stepped past them and looked around the room again. What information were they looking around this place for? As far as I knew we were the only ones who knew about what was going on around here or what was supposed to be going around here.

"Alright, so we all need information. Wonderful. Now how about we all find our needed information and get out of here." Now I just wondered where in the hell they'd hide several newly brought back to life loved ones or files even.

[_wes_pryce_]

Ignoring Angel's new groupies, I clutched the files closer to my chest. And just how does he do that? Seems to pick those nitwits up as he goes along doesn't he? Buffy and I had the files and the template, now it was time to get the hell out of here. They already knew we were in the building; it would only be a matter of time. I doubted Angel and his entourage were very quiet either. Angel doesn't do quiet.

And I get the feeling Buffy doesn't want to Angel to know the mystical wound on her leg. We'll need to figure out far more about that as well.

"Right well. We've everything we need. For now." We didn't find Connor or Cordelia, or any of the others. But something tells me, after the glimpses I've had of those files, that we needed to be more prepared for what we'd find. And right now, we weren't. Far from it. How do you prepare to come face to face with your best friend? When you had all but accepted she was dead?

"We'll be on our way now. You and go on your way." Flashing him a smile, I took Buffy's arm and tugged her toward the door. Time to make a quick exit. I wasn't going to withhold any information from Angel though. But I didn't quite trust these two new...Slayers.

Opening the door, I peered around the corner. So far, so good. Clean get away to the sewer exit. A different one this time, they might be waiting at the one we entered. Thank you, Lilah. "Angel?" I called over my shoulder before we moved out the door. "Be careful." In other words, come see me later. Alone, so we can share our information. Then again, Angel was never very good at the code words we used to use.

[ice__princess]

I watched as Wesley tugged Buffy along like some sort of puppy on a leash. Wow, fun bunch. And these two are part of Angel's little operation? Talk about shady...

"They seem...nice. Cryptic, but nice."

Yeah, my guess is that the Fred chick was the closest thing to normal that group had. They almost made the Nightstalkers look...not completely dysfunctional.

"Well, whatever, English had the right idea. Get what we need and then get gone before something busts us."

Although, I kind of got the feeling that we had been 'busted' since we stepped foot into the building. Something was keeping tabs on us, and it wasn't a security camera.

[summers__buffy]

I rolled my eyes as I looked between Wes and Angel. Ok, I knew they didn't exactly have the best friendship in the world but this wasn't the time or place to be arguing. Arguing leads to no where, which I've experience more times than I ever wanted to. This was getting us nowhere.

Ok, my reason wasn't the best answer to Angel's question but it was alot better than just repeating the same question to eachother just worded differently.

I looked at Angel as he turned and decided to look at me. Not a good thing cause if anyone in this group knew me the best it was Angel. I could tell that he could sense something was wrong most likely by the way I was acting, but it was hard not to. I was worried he would smell the blood or that I might drop the coat hiding the wound. So yeah, this kind of situation calls for the me being nervous.

I tensed up when Angel walked past us. Ok really have to stop doing that. It's only going to make it even more obvious what I'm trying to do if it hasn't already. I watched him looking around. He was making alot of points that actually made sense. "He's right." I said looking at all of them. "The sooner you guys find what you need the sooner we can all leave. I mean we already got a glimpse of what this place can do, really not wanting to see what they do when they are actually trying." I said looking over at Wes worried. Not just for all of us, but I wasn't sure if I could make it out through another battle.

Still standing next to Wes I wanted to say no we can't leave without them. I couldn't just leave them and let them fend for themselves although they could probably handle themselves. But I stil think strength in numbers is alot better of a plan. After listening to Wes say we had everything and all of us will be on our own ways I hesitated for a minute giving him a famous Buffy stubborn look.

But that's when I felt a tug on my arm and with my leg the way it is, really was about to hold my ground. I limped after him listening to what Nikki was saying as we were leaving. We stepped out the door and then I paused. "Wes?" I said my eyes going wide. Oh boy, this was really not good. I looked around as I saw soldiers and guards coming at us and then soon after those loud alarms again.

I grabbed Wes and flung us both back into the room, struggling to get up, I limped to the door and shut it. I stood against it hoping to try and hold it shut. Did I mention how bad this was? Cause it just got even worse. I looked over at everyone. "Ok, Now I'm really thinking that we have to hurry. Angel, Wes?! Is there a different way out of here?!"

[iwouldnt_fear]

The pissy brit beats it for the door with Buffy and all I can think is, finally. And now I had all this leftover pissed off energy, I almost hoped we'd get caught so I had the excuse to punch a few guards...Shit.

Be careful what you god damn wish for.

I glance over my shoulder and I can see all manner of guards barreling down on us and the other two barely get back inside before they're at the door. I notice a limp on Buffy, who's having a hard time holding the door shut and decide now's as good a time as any to help out. I walk over there and put a shoulder to the door. The combined strength shuts the door hard and no doubt sends a few guy right onto thier ass on the other side. It's unfortunate I had to miss that, most the guards round here think they're real hot shit.

"Ok, Now I'm really thinking that we have to hurry. Angel, Wes?! Is there a different way out of here?!"

I look over at Angel, pretty sure he doesn't know any way out but the two ways he suggested coming in, and both those are out of the question right now...

[mr_angel]

Frowning, I looked at Wesley when he started to walk out. He smiled, but when was the last time Wesley had ever smiled at me? To say that it had been a while is an understatement. Of course, it wasn't a 'hope to see you later' type of smile though was it?

Shaking my head and getting more and more frustrated by the moment, I went to turn back to whatever the hell I was holding in my hand at the moment. Hearing my name, I turned and looked at Wesley again as he started out the door with Buffy. Be careful? Something wasn't right. Nodding a bit in his direction, I turned back to the file in my hand.

Pausing, I cocked my head towards the door, hearing something. Footsteps? And a lot of them. The next thing I knew I heard an alarm go off then Buffy and Wes rushed back into the room.

"What the hell is going on?" I half asked. The footsteps got louder and I began to hear voices. Dammit. I couldn't leave here without knowing whether or not they were really here. Not now. Pressing my lips together, I looked between them all.

"What? You all go. Wes? I'm sure there's some back exit out of the lab. I'm not leaving yet," I said holding onto the worthless file I still had in my hand. "I came here for informationg and I'm going to get some before I leave." I have to find something. If Cordelia and Connor were here.. if they were alive I was damn sure going to find them before I left this place whether physically left this building unharmed or not.

I looked to Wes, a hint of desperation I'm sure showing on my face. I had no idea why he was here, but obviously it was important enought o come here and risk getting caught like we were all about to. "I'm not leaving without the-without information."