Chapter I: Working out the bugs.
The depths hide many secrets. Under the water, in the deepest crevices of the Earth, creatures unimaginable flow through it freely, dwelling in the dark, preying on the weak. These creatures adapt to the darkness, creating ways to survive without light. Some of them achieve this by creating their own light, others by keeping to the ground and waiting for "dinner" to pass them by. The depths of L.A. aren't all that different. Demons prey on weak passer by's. Vampire's nest and hunt through the night for helpless victims. They adapt. They survive.
L.A. was a city without heroes. Five years ago, one came, and the city was protected. Hell, fire and brimstone befell its skyline, but he and his where there, to ensure that the good fight was being fought. Yet, two months have passed since the greatest battle that land and the rest of the World had seen in millennia was fought. The denizens of Earth work towards reconstruction, trying to piece together their lives. Human beings are very strong creatures. Their strength and resilience is what allowed them to inherit this World. But like all creatures, they are flawed. They kill and hurt each other, disregarding the value of life. L.A. is once again a city without a hero. Their champion vanished, and they are left to fare for themselves.
In the depths of L.A. a ceremony takes place with the intent to appease the masters of the World. Five black-hooded half-breeds stand in a circle honoring the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart. In the center of the black circle a young woman lies tied. She has been bathed in blood, and the vampires chant around her, waiting for the moment to make the final cut. The ceremony is an act. They hope that it will bring them more power, or perhaps that it will align them with those that hold the power. The chamber hums with their incessant chatter.
From the shadows, hunters peek. They see them and their attempt at glory and are not impressed. A white hooded vampire approaches the sacrifice. It mutters words in Latin, while retrieving a large dagger from a nearby vamp. He leans towards the girl and prepares to lunge the weapon into her.
Priest: (caresses the girls face) "Just know..." (lifts the dagger in the air) "that your blood will provide gods with power."
Illyria: (from behind) "You will not harm this girl."
The hooded vampires turn in shock towards her. The priest lets go of the young sacrificial lamb and walks towards Illyria. He stares her down fascinated by her.
Priest: (sniff's her out) "You, you smell... old."
Illyria: "You will release her."
Priest: (chuckles) "I'm afraid I won't. This girl's blood will serve as nourishment to those who are masters of this World. We are their servants and anxiously await their return."
He pauses. Illyria looks at him then at the girl.
Priest: (cont.) "What makes you think that we will let go of such a precious commodity?"
His expression suddenly turns cold with dread. His limbs begin to tremble as his body turns to ashes, his head dropping at his disintegrating feet. A sleek metallic disc ricochets from the wall and falls to the ground, spinning in its place.
Spike: (walking out of the shadows, sword in hand) "Call it women's intuition, ponce."
The vampires attack. Spike runs at them swinging his sword, drawing blood from their bodies. Illyria tosses two of them against the walls and rams their heads together. From behind her another one approaches holding the sacrificial dagger in his hand. Spike sees this, but, before he can react, the vampire screams in pain and his body turns to ashes. An arrow drops to the ground where the vampire had stood.
Wes draws his wrist-sword and thrusts against an opposing vamp, slashing his chest and turn-kicking his stomach. The vamp rolls with the kick and jumps right again to his feet. Wes slashes again with his sword, but the vamp dodges every incoming attack. After several attempts at harming it Wes, takes out a small bottle of Holy Water and smashes it against the vamps head, causing it to collapse in pain. Wes walks over to him, retracts his wrist sword and grabs him by the neck. He picks him up, pulls out a stake from his left sleeve and stakes him in the heart.
Spike: (chuckles) "Whoo! That was bracing."
Wes: "Yes" (walks over to the girl) "I believe it was."
He releases her from her confines and helps her stand up to her feet.
Wes: (cont.) "Are you alright?"
Girl: "I, I... oh, God, they--"
Wes: (with a shy smile) "It's alright now."
Wes tends to her while Spike picks up the remains of their weapons. He stands over the disc and picks it up. He turns around and throws it against another vampire sneaking behind Illyria. Wes turns around just in time to see its body turn to dust.
Wes: (to Spike) "Good move."
Spike: "Thanks." (to Illyria) "You okay, luv?"
Illyria: "I... thank you for your assistance."
Spike: "Well, what's a pet to his master if he doesn't protect her from time to time?"
Illyria stares at him with uncertainty.
Spike: "Uch, buy a sense of humor, majesty. You really need it." (turns to Wes) "Hey, Percy!"
Wes: (walking the girl out of the sewer temple) "We're leaving. Nothing else to fight for tonight."
They all walk away from the sacrificial area hidden beneath the depths. They have been together for almost a month now after the cataclysmic events that took place nigh two ago. Wes had been offered a place as a Watcher stationed in England, alongside Rupert Giles and his father, Roger Wyndham- Pryce, but he had refused it. Life on L.A. had meant tragedy and defeat to him, but it was what kept him alive, kept him fighting. He could never abandon the fight.
The regroup on Wes' old apartment. They walk in and Spike let's himself fall on the couch. Illyria walks towards the window and just stares quietly into the dark. Wes takes off his jacket and wrist weapons and sets them on top of the dinner table. He opens the fridge and takes out a beer.
Wes: "Spike?"
Spike: (taking of his jacket) "Yep."
Wes hands him the beer. He walks again back to the fridge and takes out a cartridge of orange juice. He opens it and drinks it down. He walks over to the couch and sits beside Spike. They remain awkwardly quiet. Wes looks at Illyria.
Wes: "Do you need anything?"
She doesn't respond.
Wes: (cont.) "Illyria?"
She's startled, and turns her gaze towards him. He stares at her eyes for a couple of seconds until she slowly turns her stare back at the stars.
Wes: "We should rest up for tomorrow's rounds."
Spike: "Res-- Oh, um, yeah." (takes a deep breath)
Wes: "Look, Spike, I know this transition hasn't been easy, but--"
Spike: "You don't have to explain. I know you're doing the best you can in this situation, but.... I just don't see things improving" (takes a big gulp from his beer).
Wes: "Yes, I suppose things will not be improving anytime soon. Hopefully our workload will be less after..."
Spike: (stares intently at him) "He's not coming back (drinks from his beer again). He went to give his respects to the porcelain god and never came out. Whatever happened to him.... if he were to come back..."
Wes: (interrupts) "... he would've done so already." (pauses) "I know."
They stare at nothing for what seems like hours. After a while Spike picks up his coat and leaves for his apartment. Dawn approaches and he wants to rest. Illyria doesn't move from the window. She stares into the infinite darkness, disregarding everything that goes around her. The sound a fly makes when it flies by. The continuous dripping from the kitchen sink faucet. The way sound waves carry from inside the bedroom. She stares into the dark. Nothing bothers the King. She is at peace.
Wesley Wyndham-Pryce is lying in his bed. He stares at the ceiling, reminiscing on memories long past. He tries to get some sleep but he just keeps turning in his bed.
Angel: "Long day, huh?"
Wes: (sits up in his bed) "Yes, it was."
Angel: "Yeah, well that's how our life is. Work."
Wes: (chuckles) "Yes, I have to admit it is."
Angel: "Been awhile, though, since we talked. Things were so easy when we were all a family."
Wes nods with a shy smile.
Angel: (cont.) "How's Fred?"
Wes looks to his side and sees Fred sleeping by his side. She moans quietly as she turns and cuddles with him. He stares at her for awhile and then looks up at Angel, who's smiling.
Angel: "I'm glad everything worked out for the best."
Wes: "Yes," (looks over at her again) "glad." (he smiles widely) "And, um, how have you been?"
Angel: "Still dead. I hear there's no cure for that."
Wes: "Well, that's a shame. Want some coffee?"
Angel: "Nah, don't want to interrupt you. You... have to take care of your wife. She's.... an amazing woman. You're very lucky."
Wes: (his expression turns cold) "Yes, I suppose I am." (he plays with her hair and then turns back to Angel).
Angel: "Wheel keeps turning Wes."
Wes: "Y-- yes. It does..... doesn't it?"
Wes looks at Angel but he's gone. His breath accelerates. His palms are sweaty and his vision gets blurred. He tries standing up but his feet are numb. He looks at the bed-sheets and they are stained with blood, coming out of his stomach. He tries to speak but life pours out of his mouth. Wes turns to Fred and finds her staring at him. Her rotten body covered in blood, maggots coming out of her ears and nostrils. Her eyes are pasty white. They stare at him coldly. She raises her arm, trying to touch his face when he falls right beside her. She puts her arms around him as he gasps for air.
Fred: "Wesley, my sweet Wesley." (giggles) "I love you."
He opens his eyes. He stares at the window and takes in deep breaths. He stands up and walks outside. Illyria is still looking at the stars. She turns her head and looks at him without saying anything. Wes stands still and stares deep into her gaze. They are two very different creatures. They have lost everything that is dear to them, yet they are compelled to move on, relying on one another.
The night fades into light. The day starts the same as always. L.A. has its heroes. They did not leave, and they will not fade away. They cling to what they have lost, yet they fight for the hope of a better future. Because that is all they can do.
-- Teleute.
The depths hide many secrets. Under the water, in the deepest crevices of the Earth, creatures unimaginable flow through it freely, dwelling in the dark, preying on the weak. These creatures adapt to the darkness, creating ways to survive without light. Some of them achieve this by creating their own light, others by keeping to the ground and waiting for "dinner" to pass them by. The depths of L.A. aren't all that different. Demons prey on weak passer by's. Vampire's nest and hunt through the night for helpless victims. They adapt. They survive.
L.A. was a city without heroes. Five years ago, one came, and the city was protected. Hell, fire and brimstone befell its skyline, but he and his where there, to ensure that the good fight was being fought. Yet, two months have passed since the greatest battle that land and the rest of the World had seen in millennia was fought. The denizens of Earth work towards reconstruction, trying to piece together their lives. Human beings are very strong creatures. Their strength and resilience is what allowed them to inherit this World. But like all creatures, they are flawed. They kill and hurt each other, disregarding the value of life. L.A. is once again a city without a hero. Their champion vanished, and they are left to fare for themselves.
In the depths of L.A. a ceremony takes place with the intent to appease the masters of the World. Five black-hooded half-breeds stand in a circle honoring the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart. In the center of the black circle a young woman lies tied. She has been bathed in blood, and the vampires chant around her, waiting for the moment to make the final cut. The ceremony is an act. They hope that it will bring them more power, or perhaps that it will align them with those that hold the power. The chamber hums with their incessant chatter.
From the shadows, hunters peek. They see them and their attempt at glory and are not impressed. A white hooded vampire approaches the sacrifice. It mutters words in Latin, while retrieving a large dagger from a nearby vamp. He leans towards the girl and prepares to lunge the weapon into her.
Priest: (caresses the girls face) "Just know..." (lifts the dagger in the air) "that your blood will provide gods with power."
Illyria: (from behind) "You will not harm this girl."
The hooded vampires turn in shock towards her. The priest lets go of the young sacrificial lamb and walks towards Illyria. He stares her down fascinated by her.
Priest: (sniff's her out) "You, you smell... old."
Illyria: "You will release her."
Priest: (chuckles) "I'm afraid I won't. This girl's blood will serve as nourishment to those who are masters of this World. We are their servants and anxiously await their return."
He pauses. Illyria looks at him then at the girl.
Priest: (cont.) "What makes you think that we will let go of such a precious commodity?"
His expression suddenly turns cold with dread. His limbs begin to tremble as his body turns to ashes, his head dropping at his disintegrating feet. A sleek metallic disc ricochets from the wall and falls to the ground, spinning in its place.
Spike: (walking out of the shadows, sword in hand) "Call it women's intuition, ponce."
The vampires attack. Spike runs at them swinging his sword, drawing blood from their bodies. Illyria tosses two of them against the walls and rams their heads together. From behind her another one approaches holding the sacrificial dagger in his hand. Spike sees this, but, before he can react, the vampire screams in pain and his body turns to ashes. An arrow drops to the ground where the vampire had stood.
Wes draws his wrist-sword and thrusts against an opposing vamp, slashing his chest and turn-kicking his stomach. The vamp rolls with the kick and jumps right again to his feet. Wes slashes again with his sword, but the vamp dodges every incoming attack. After several attempts at harming it Wes, takes out a small bottle of Holy Water and smashes it against the vamps head, causing it to collapse in pain. Wes walks over to him, retracts his wrist sword and grabs him by the neck. He picks him up, pulls out a stake from his left sleeve and stakes him in the heart.
Spike: (chuckles) "Whoo! That was bracing."
Wes: "Yes" (walks over to the girl) "I believe it was."
He releases her from her confines and helps her stand up to her feet.
Wes: (cont.) "Are you alright?"
Girl: "I, I... oh, God, they--"
Wes: (with a shy smile) "It's alright now."
Wes tends to her while Spike picks up the remains of their weapons. He stands over the disc and picks it up. He turns around and throws it against another vampire sneaking behind Illyria. Wes turns around just in time to see its body turn to dust.
Wes: (to Spike) "Good move."
Spike: "Thanks." (to Illyria) "You okay, luv?"
Illyria: "I... thank you for your assistance."
Spike: "Well, what's a pet to his master if he doesn't protect her from time to time?"
Illyria stares at him with uncertainty.
Spike: "Uch, buy a sense of humor, majesty. You really need it." (turns to Wes) "Hey, Percy!"
Wes: (walking the girl out of the sewer temple) "We're leaving. Nothing else to fight for tonight."
They all walk away from the sacrificial area hidden beneath the depths. They have been together for almost a month now after the cataclysmic events that took place nigh two ago. Wes had been offered a place as a Watcher stationed in England, alongside Rupert Giles and his father, Roger Wyndham- Pryce, but he had refused it. Life on L.A. had meant tragedy and defeat to him, but it was what kept him alive, kept him fighting. He could never abandon the fight.
The regroup on Wes' old apartment. They walk in and Spike let's himself fall on the couch. Illyria walks towards the window and just stares quietly into the dark. Wes takes off his jacket and wrist weapons and sets them on top of the dinner table. He opens the fridge and takes out a beer.
Wes: "Spike?"
Spike: (taking of his jacket) "Yep."
Wes hands him the beer. He walks again back to the fridge and takes out a cartridge of orange juice. He opens it and drinks it down. He walks over to the couch and sits beside Spike. They remain awkwardly quiet. Wes looks at Illyria.
Wes: "Do you need anything?"
She doesn't respond.
Wes: (cont.) "Illyria?"
She's startled, and turns her gaze towards him. He stares at her eyes for a couple of seconds until she slowly turns her stare back at the stars.
Wes: "We should rest up for tomorrow's rounds."
Spike: "Res-- Oh, um, yeah." (takes a deep breath)
Wes: "Look, Spike, I know this transition hasn't been easy, but--"
Spike: "You don't have to explain. I know you're doing the best you can in this situation, but.... I just don't see things improving" (takes a big gulp from his beer).
Wes: "Yes, I suppose things will not be improving anytime soon. Hopefully our workload will be less after..."
Spike: (stares intently at him) "He's not coming back (drinks from his beer again). He went to give his respects to the porcelain god and never came out. Whatever happened to him.... if he were to come back..."
Wes: (interrupts) "... he would've done so already." (pauses) "I know."
They stare at nothing for what seems like hours. After a while Spike picks up his coat and leaves for his apartment. Dawn approaches and he wants to rest. Illyria doesn't move from the window. She stares into the infinite darkness, disregarding everything that goes around her. The sound a fly makes when it flies by. The continuous dripping from the kitchen sink faucet. The way sound waves carry from inside the bedroom. She stares into the dark. Nothing bothers the King. She is at peace.
Wesley Wyndham-Pryce is lying in his bed. He stares at the ceiling, reminiscing on memories long past. He tries to get some sleep but he just keeps turning in his bed.
Angel: "Long day, huh?"
Wes: (sits up in his bed) "Yes, it was."
Angel: "Yeah, well that's how our life is. Work."
Wes: (chuckles) "Yes, I have to admit it is."
Angel: "Been awhile, though, since we talked. Things were so easy when we were all a family."
Wes nods with a shy smile.
Angel: (cont.) "How's Fred?"
Wes looks to his side and sees Fred sleeping by his side. She moans quietly as she turns and cuddles with him. He stares at her for awhile and then looks up at Angel, who's smiling.
Angel: "I'm glad everything worked out for the best."
Wes: "Yes," (looks over at her again) "glad." (he smiles widely) "And, um, how have you been?"
Angel: "Still dead. I hear there's no cure for that."
Wes: "Well, that's a shame. Want some coffee?"
Angel: "Nah, don't want to interrupt you. You... have to take care of your wife. She's.... an amazing woman. You're very lucky."
Wes: (his expression turns cold) "Yes, I suppose I am." (he plays with her hair and then turns back to Angel).
Angel: "Wheel keeps turning Wes."
Wes: "Y-- yes. It does..... doesn't it?"
Wes looks at Angel but he's gone. His breath accelerates. His palms are sweaty and his vision gets blurred. He tries standing up but his feet are numb. He looks at the bed-sheets and they are stained with blood, coming out of his stomach. He tries to speak but life pours out of his mouth. Wes turns to Fred and finds her staring at him. Her rotten body covered in blood, maggots coming out of her ears and nostrils. Her eyes are pasty white. They stare at him coldly. She raises her arm, trying to touch his face when he falls right beside her. She puts her arms around him as he gasps for air.
Fred: "Wesley, my sweet Wesley." (giggles) "I love you."
He opens his eyes. He stares at the window and takes in deep breaths. He stands up and walks outside. Illyria is still looking at the stars. She turns her head and looks at him without saying anything. Wes stands still and stares deep into her gaze. They are two very different creatures. They have lost everything that is dear to them, yet they are compelled to move on, relying on one another.
The night fades into light. The day starts the same as always. L.A. has its heroes. They did not leave, and they will not fade away. They cling to what they have lost, yet they fight for the hope of a better future. Because that is all they can do.
-- Teleute.