Dinner with Maloker ((group thread))

[slayers_desire]

Some may consider that all the 'Big Guns' that April has called together is overkill … but not really, not when it comes to the fact that many great minds are needed to find a way to prevent The Three (Discord, Disharmony and Cacophony) from their evil plans.

And the Big Guns are needed... when they have no idea where to start looking for The Three.

When other Keys (such as Dawn Summers) are being drained of their existence.

When the clock is still ticking on Lorne... and his battle with his disease.

Invitations were extended to Clark Kent/Superman; Harry Dresden; Sheriff Bigby Wolf; Edward Elric; Cipher Nine; and of course Spike, Angel, Buffy, Willow and Wes.

April is waiting in the planning room, for each person to arrive, going through some books as she does. For many... this will be a familiar encounter, as they had to come to fight together before. But there will be some new faces. And new ideas.

((forgot a posting order. Since multiple characters, Kat/Ael/ me))

Comments

[slayers_desire]

April frowns softly, watching the demontrap go into the air, and back into Harry's hands. "My voices are in there, with him."

"Unfortunately, child, Maloker is always going to be a part of your voices." The words come from Angel (the real Angel), who has shown up now with Buffy.

"We discovered it was Maloker who controlled Angel into creating your mother, the way he did." Buffy has her stake ready, her eyes looking everywhere.

[fmalchemist160]

Ed glowers at Buffy and Angel. "If you're trying to keep us from restoring them, you're wasting your time."

[big_bad_sheriff]

Back in his man-shape and fully clothed, Bigby returns to the group. He growls a little when he sees Angel and Buffy, and sniffs the air. He's satisfied that it's really them this time, but he still keeps an eye on them.

[slayers_desire]

"Nice to see you too kid." Angel responds. "And we aren't here to keep you from restoring them. You just need to make sure that you know what you are doing. Maloker will have to be bond with the voices one way or another."

"I can't ask you guys to do that." April whispers.

[fmalchemist160]

"You aren't you without your voices," Ed tells her. "There has to be a way to restore your voices without letting Maloker out of the demon trap."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"Is there some way to let only part of him out?" Clark asks.

Harry shakes his head. "Demons don't usually work that way."

[slayers_desire]

"Maloker is the voices." Angel moves to kneel by April, even though he knows he isn't trusted. Buffy keeps an eye on the others, to ensure they don't attack him. Angel reaches into his coat, and pulls out a doll.

"Miss Edith?" April recognizes her mother's doll.

"This doll is a demon holder. You can keep Maloker by your side, and have your voices back all at the same time. But just like he did before... he will possess the doll." Angel explains.

April blinks. "Miss Edith was speaking to my mother the whole time everyone thought she was insane."

[fmalchemist160]

Ed is wary, but doesn't move to attack Angel. Cipher Nine is watching him closely as well. "Yeah, I'm guessing the kind of advice Maloker would offer isn't the kind anyone here would want to follow," Ed mutters.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"It wouldn't be the same as just her voices... not with Maloker along, consciously," Clark says, frowning. He doesn't like the idea at all, and at least part of it is not wanting to see April acting the same way her mother did.

[slayers_desire]

"You are stronger than your mother was." Angel tells April, standing back up again. "And I know it is not the best situation. But it might be the only one you got, until you find a better solution."

"Wait a minute... did the boy let you just enter the cave?" April whispers.

"What boy? The entrance to this place was empty." Buffy answers.

[fmalchemist160]

Ed blinks. "Okay, I was the only one hallucinating when we found him, I'm positive of that," he says. "If he's gone... that doesn't make any sense."

[thepizzalord]

"And what entrance was that?" Harry asks.

[slayers_desire]

"If he was a Key, the Three could have claimed him." April whispers.

"The one were you have to go through a tight, twisting path in the rock." Angel answers Harry.

"Please tell me we don't have to return the same way." April leans into Clark.

[fmalchemist160]

"Yeah, I think you've had to deal with your phobias too much already," Ed mutters, squeezing April's shoulder gently. It doesn't sit well with him that the Three may have taken the boy despite their efforts not to lead them to him.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"We'll take another way out, even if I have to dig us out with my bare hands," Clark promises.

"Might be easier if Ed did it," Bigby says dryly.

[slayers_desire]

"You will have to find a way to transfer Maloker into the doll on your own." Angel stands up. He takes a look around, then smiles at Buffy. "Looks like they don't need a Vampire slayer this time."

"No. They had it handled just fine." They will turn to leave, going through the hole that they had entered.

April tightly keeps her embrace around Clark's neck. "Can we figure how to do that... not here?"

[fmalchemist160]

"Yeah, definitely not here," Ed assures her, getting to his feet to take Bigby up on his suggestion. "I got this." Transmuting anything earthy in nature is his specialty, after all. The simplest solution, in his mind, is actually to just make the existing tunnel much more spacious. So that's what he does.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"We should go back to Lorne's," Harry suggests. He wants to check on Dawn and see how she's holding up in his protection spell. "I'll open up a portal once we're back on the surface."

"Thank you, Harry," Clark says with a nod. He keeps his hold on April, picking her up to carry her out into the light.

[slayers_desire]

All April can do right now is hold tight to Clark, and resist the temptation to close her eyes again. She is very tired. Very hungry. And very 'empty' in the head. In her arms, she holds Miss Edith protectively.

When they do exit the cavern, they do notice that the Demon boy is gone.

[fmalchemist160]

"Dammit," Ed mutters with a dejected sigh, when he sees that the boy is, indeed, gone. There's not much they can do about it now, though, other than to take care of the Three at their earliest opportunity.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

We'll get you fed as soon as we're home, Clark promises April through the bond. He can feel her hunger and exhaustion, and he's sure she doesn't need the prying eyes of the others.

Harry's disappointed that the boy is gone, too. But he stays focused on the task at hand, and uses his Warden sword to open a portal between here and Lorne's club. "Ladies first."

[slayers_desire]

Just before they go through the portal, Ed will hear his Shadow Guardian whisper to him with soft, childlike hums. And out of the corner of his eyes, he can see several Shadow Guardians move -- the child they were protecting from sight waves goodbye -- and then they reform so he disappears again.

When everyone goes through the portal, they are back at Lorne's bar. "Thank you Harry." April tells him.

[fmalchemist160]

Ed slowly smiles as he sees the boy, and gives him a little wave back, now much happier. He's also absolutely ravenous—he did a lot of Alchemy today, and using Alchemy always kicks his metabolism into overdrive.

Cipher Nine is content to maybe have a few cups of tea before he stops by Initiative HQ later. He's definitely glad it's over for the time being.

[thepizzalord]

"Anytime," Harry says with a nod. "What d'you want me to do with ol' Maloker?" he asks, swinging the demontrap around one finger.

[slayers_desire]

"We better find a safe place for him, until we can figure out how to get him into Miss Edith." April just wants to lie down.

The couch is still occupied by Dawn, safe under her wards.

"Why do you have that doll?" Spike growls softly.