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Ivory was armed to the teeth by the time she, Chase, and her father took up a vigil outside the south entrance, searching for where Cordelia had hid their directions. And, save for the four stakes hidden in her boots, the Slayer had all her weapons, including a sheathed hunting knife strapped to one arm, available for easy access. Her only prayer was that she wouldn't have to use them.
It was Chase who finally found what they needed, after a five-minute search on behalf of all of them. Bodies taut with tension, Angel, Ivory, and Chase, huddled together, eyes scanning the piece of paper intently as if to memorize it.
Finally, Angel looked up, meeting his daughter's eyes. "This is it," the centuries-old vampire said. "Are you ready?" When she nodded, he went on, "Just remember... If we're caught, if an alarm is raised, then we split up. I draw off the reinforcements while you and Chase get your Mom. Deal?"
Ivory brought her arm up, clasping Angel's hand firmly in hers in a amicable gesture. "Deal," she agreed, moving to lead the way into the tunnel a second later. "And here's hoping it won't come to that," she added with a sigh.
The trio remained relatively silent during the outset of their excursion into the caverns, maneuvering their way through the twists and turns. However, the closer they got to the heart of the enemy's habitat, the more nervous Ivory got, knowing it would be harder to go on undetected once they reached a more populated area.
Angel stopped Ivory and Chase outside one such corridor, ushering them to the shadows and urging them to keep quiet. The Slayer was sweating the whole time, slowing her breath but almost convinced that the nearby vamps could hear her accelerated heartbeat. But, her fears proved wrong, as their quarry moved on as if nothing was wrong.
Letting out a breath, Ivory stepped from the shadows, turning and moving forward before her father could stop her. A third vampire, one that the Slayer hadn't even known was there, came forward, grabbing Ivory by both arms and hissing in her face.
Ivory recovered quickly, throwing her arms up to break his grip, then executed a sharp split kick that knocked him to the floor. Chase was on him an instant later, driving a stake into his chest. At the same time, Angel caught notice of a fourth vamp who stumbled onto the scene. Hurriedly, he went after her as she ran, but wasn't in time to prevent her from hollering out an alarm.
Angel cursed, turning and gazing at his daughter and Chase a moment. "I'll distract them," he said quickly. "Go get your Mom."
Ivory rushed forward before he could take off, gripping his arm tightly. "Be careful, Dad," she stated, somewhat reassured when he moved to hug her. An instant later, hearing shouts from further down the corridor, Angel gently shoved her into Chase's arms, pushing them both back into the shadows just in time.
Ivory watched with a mixture of grimness and pride as her Dad fought off the reinforcements with ease, slaying them one by one before making a run for it. She and Chase waited until the coast was clear before they emerged and continued on their way, following the route Cordelia had given them.
Chase noted that they were nearly there when the attack came. All at once, Riley emerged from the tunnel leading to Buffy's cell, striking a cocky and self-assured pose. "Well, well," Riley said mockingly. "If it isn't our little Slayer come to rescue her mother... I had heard the two of you looked alike, but I swear you could pass for twins... By the way, don't worry about her hearing us; she's out like a light thanks to some drugged packets of blood I gave her."
Ivory would have taken him on then and there but that she noticed that several more vamps had emerged to surround her and Chase, including from the very tunnel they had taken to get here. Two vamps, she could handle; maybe three at a time. But fourteen was really pushing it; she definitely didn't like those odds.
While Ivory was lost in her musing, an older-looking vampire stepped forward, studying her and Chase with amusement. "Congratulations, Slayer," Ethan told her. "You walked straight into our little trap. You and your father." Off of her distressed look, he added, "Right now, Angel is being set upon by several of my friends who I endowed with superior strength through magic... Including Serena, the little vamp he bullied out of Sunnydale. My, she was eager for this chance at payback."
Ivory scowled and tried to leap at him, but that two more bloodsuckers came forth to hold her back. She struggled for a bit in their grip, only to find that Ethan had most likely cast the same sort of spell on them. So, all she could do was watch Riley as he neared her, reaching out to stroke her face with one hand. When Ivory jerked her head to one side, Riley put one hand under her chin, turning it back so she was facing him. "Spirited, aren't you? Almost as much as your mother once was until we broke her. I wonder what your breaking point would be, dear Ivory. Perhaps if you had a daughter that you knew I got frisky with?"
Ivory spit at him, watching as he calmly wiped it away. "Go to hell, Riley!" she hissed, guessing from what he spoke of that this was him.
Riley stepped closer, seizing her firmly by both arms. "You first, dear," he replied. "Although before we send you there... I think it may be fun to get it on with another of Buffy and Angelus' daughters."
This comment was the one that drove Chase to action, as he struggled fiercely against the vamps that were holding him but unable to free himself. "Get away from her!" Chase yelled in disgust. "If you so much as touch her, I swear..."
This got Riley's attention, and he stepped away from Ivory, eying Chase in amusement. "Oh, don't tell me you actually have a soft spot for this little Slayer," he said, moving towards the younger man. "That is too rich, Chase. Whatever would Cinnamon say?"
"As if I care," Chase growled, not caring that he was treading on dangerous ground. "But mark my words, Riley. If you lay one finger on her, I'll kill you myself."
Looking self-assured and wearing a cocky smile, Riley drifted back towards Ivory. "Oh yeah," he said in perfect measure. "Well, let's test that theory." And with that, Riley turned suddenly, seizing the Slayer's face and pressing his lips to hers in a lascivious kiss. Ivory squirmed beneath him, reviling the contact between them, but unable to do anything about it. At least, not until Chase was suddenly there, pulling Riley away and punching him in the face.
Riley paused, looking towards the two vamps who'd been holding Chase (who appeared confused as to how he'd escaped their clutches), then wiped away a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. "Fine, then," Riley said calmly. "If that's the way you want to play it..."
Riley threw the punch so quickly that Chase didn't see it coming. The next thing the younger immortal knew, he was doubled over in pain, holding his stomach, while Ivory looked on with tears in her eyes. After catching his breath, Chase looked up at his opponent, waiting for Riley's next move. It came quickly, as another punch landed roughly on one side of Chase's forehead and made Ivory cry out.
Stepping closer and picking Chase up slightly by his shirt collar, Riley taunted, kneeing his adversary in the stomach, "Not such a tough guy now, are you?"
Ivory shook her head and gave a whispered, "No!", wanting very much to go to Chase's side to defend him, or at least will one of the vampires surrounding her to do so. But such hopes didn't look as if they'd come to pass. At least not until a very ticked-off, redheaded vampiress arrived on the scene, forcibly stopping Riley before he could drive another punch home and flinging him across the cavern.
Putting both arms around Chase and helping him to his feet, Cinnamon faced Riley angrily. "What do you think you're doing, you moron?" she snapped. "You could have killed him!"
Riley was flustered, for once in his long life. "But you said..." he started, looking from Chase to Ivory. *Hadn't Cinnamon caught them sleeping together? If so, why was she being so quick to jump to Chase's defense?* Riley mused.
Cinnamon's eyes took on an innocent light, as she was all too eager to play this game her way. "Riley, really!" she admonished in a playful tone. "Can you honestly stand there and tell me that's the proper treatment for an ally of ours?"
At first, the words failed to register with Ivory, but once they did, she slowly lowered her head, she slowly lowered her head, her shocked green eyes seeking Chase's for any ounce of denial or confirmation. Cinnamon was quick to catch the look between them and added, "Well, didn't you know, Slayer? Chase has been working for us the whole time. We contracted him months ago to bring you and your father to us... and I must say, he did a fine job at it."
Ivory barely heard the sound of Cinnamon's laughter, her eyes staying locked on Chase as she shook her head slightly in denial. But, his look told her everything she needed to know; riddled with guilt and a deep sadness, it only confirmed that Cinnamon was telling the truth.
An instant later, Ivory began the fight anew against her captors, every inch of her raging at the knowledge of Chase's betrayal. "You bastard!" she screamed at him, kicking upwards slightly. "How could you?! What did they promise you, huh?!" He didn't answer, and Ivory's captors began to drag her away at a gesture from Cinnamon. Still, the Slayer went on. "Well, congratulations! You condemned my family and I to die, you traitor!!! If I don't manage to kill you for this, I pray someone else does!"
Chase watched numbly as Ivory was taken away, each of her words hitting him hard and cutting him deep into his soul. He had betrayed her; that much was true. But he hadn't meant to. He hadn't been in contact with Cinnamon and the others since he'd departed Sunnydale, and he could think of no logical explanation of how they'd known he was coming. *But,* Chase thought, *What does it matter now? Ivory knows about it, and I doubt there's any way to win back her trust for this one, regardless of whether or not she survives...*
It wasn't long before Ivory was thrown into a cell and the door was locked behind her. However, rather than waste her time fighting it, she went to a pile of hay in the corner, curling up on her side facing the wall. For a long moment, she just lay there in silence, feeling numb inside over what had just transpired. In fact, by the time her father was thrown in with her, Ivory didn't notice until he touched her shoulder.
Ivory jerked over onto her back so she was facing Angel, then sat up abruptly to hug him tightly. "Oh, Dad, I'm sorry," she cried, her tears beginning to flow. "We shouldn't have been so careless. We could have prevented this if..."
"Shh," Angel whispered, holding her to him protectively. "It's alright, Ivory. We're going to be okay."
She shook her head, wanting to believe that, but not quite able to do so. She wanted to tell him everything, about Chase's involvement in their capture, but it was lost in the sobbing session that caught her. For a long time, it seemed that all Ivory could do was cry on her father's shoulder, until at last her sorrow lulled her to sleep. Gently, Angel lay her down and let her rest, thinking to himself that she deserved that modicum of peace from their current troubles. And in the interim, maybe he could figure a way for both of them (and Buffy) to escape with their lives at this juncture...
In her chambers, some distance away from Buffy’s cell and where Ivory was being captured, Cordelia was pacing the room anxiously, wondering when and in what format she’d hear that the imprisoned Slayer (Buffy) had escaped. She expected to have to wait for hours, at least, so Cordy was surprised when she got a visitor after only a few minutes.
Cordelia turned, startled when she saw it was Leeloo who had entered, but the elder vampiress quickly recovered, relaxing her pose. “Hey, Leeloo,” she said calmly. “I didn’t expect to see you. What brings you here?”
Leeloo raised her eyes to gaze at Cordelia, who was surprised by how saddened they looked. Taking a step forward, the younger vampiress held out a shiny gold object. “I found your bracelet in our room. Mine and Riley’s... Thought you might want it back,” Leeloo replied flatly.
Cordelia froze, staring at the piece of jewelry; she hadn’t even known it was missing. After a long moment, Cordelia answered with, “Leeloo, I just want you to know...”
“What?” Leeloo interrupted. “That you slept with him? Save your breath, Cordelia. I already know... You’re not the first he’s cheated on me with.” Sighing, Leeloo dropped the bracelet, leaning back against one rocky wall. “When we first started out, when he first took me to his bed, I thought he was in love with me, you know... Who was I kidding? Riley’s too full of himself to love anyone. I see now that I was just a means for him to hurt my mother.” She shook her head. “I’m surprised he’s kept me near him this long.”
Cordelia stepped forward, feeling a wave of sympathy towards the younger girl. “If you know that, why don’t you leave him?” she asked seriously, making sure that her tone was designed to let Leeloo know she was on her side.
“Oh, I plan to,” Leeloo answered abruptly. “My whole family is here now, and Riley’s promised I can leave with them once they’ve fulfilled their purpose...”
Cordelia’s lips parted slightly, her heart going out to this misguided young girl. Strange that, although Leeloo was clearly tuned in to Riley’s infidelity, she was still blind to the other part. At this thought, Cordelia took a step forward, intent on opening Leeloo’s eyes. However, the two girls were interrupted before it got that far.
Riley stepped into Cordelia’s chambers, looking perfectly innocent even though both young women knew he wasn’t. “Hey, Leeloo,” he said sweetly, slipping one arm around her. “I’ve been looking all over for you. You shouldn’t wander off like that, honey.”
Leeloo forced a smile, gazing up at him. “Well, here I am. Alive and kicking,” she said flirtatiously. “So, Riley, what have you been up to? You wouldn’t have been looking for me if something big hadn’t happened.”
Riley grinned. “Good news all around. Chase made good on his promise and delivered Ivory and her father into our hands. Right now, they’re both locked securely in one of our cells until the ritual... You can feel free to visit them, if you like, Leeloo.”
But the younger vampiress simply shook her head. “Not like this,” she answered. “It wouldn’t be fair to them.”
Riley shrugged. “Have it your way. You’ll see them soon enough.”
While her two companions carried on their conversation oblivious of her, Cordelia froze inside, her mind caught on the little bit of information concerning Chase. *No,* Cordelia thought wildly, *It’s not possible! He cares for Ivory! He wouldn’t have set her up like this!*
However, Cordelia also couldn’t deny that Riley was telling the truth. He wouldn’t make up something like this for fun. And so, once she was left alone to deal with her thoughts, the first thing that came to Cordelia’s mind was the need for answers, and, if the situation called for it, revenge...