Author's thanks going out to Megdalen who, when I suggested this particular plot, said something to the effect of, "I want to see that!" Ask and ye shall receive especially if it involves maiming.
*******
All About Justice
Thunder broke the noise of the night as he watched from the rooftops, looking down at the figure in the alley as it hunted. Had it been anyone else, any other vampire, he might have let it go. But it wasn't anyone else, and it wasn't just another vampire. It was him.
Now, he supposed he shouldn't be taking this personally, but the truth of the matter was simply that he did take it personally. And he couldn't change the way he felt, but he thought that once he was done with the creature, he'd feel much better. Maybe, in the end, it would make her feel better too.
*******
The creature slammed a discarded board against the brick of the building to his right and growled, tossing it aside as it splintered. He had been lured in here by a hapless human who obviously wasn't so hapless in light of the fact she had disappeared. Hefting a trash can off the ground, he flung it, watching as it skidded across the pavement with a loud clattering. The noise covered any other sound that might have alerted him to the presence that was about to cause him more pain than he could ever imagine.
Turning to go, he paused in the light just long enough for his hunter to be sure.
Seeing no sign of and hearing no sound from his near victim, Parker started towards the street.
*******
Angel stepped into the alley, the shadows clinging to him as if he gave them life. As if they came from the breath he did not have. He stayed close to the wall, silently thanking Willow again for the information that had put him here at this moment.
If she hadn't emailed him to let him know that Parker had been changed, and that he had fled after a fight with Buffy, Angel would never have been on the look out for him. Then again if Willow hadn't given him the details of what the ass had done, he'd have no reason to be on the look out for him. Angel was glad Willow had gotten the chance to put the little penis boy in his place.
Stopping, he blinked, then grinned to himself. He really was ticked. Name calling wasn't really his forte, but hey, if the name fits
And it wasn't that he was mad Buffy had tried to move on. Not at all, he wanted her to. He wanted her to live, have the chance at a life she never thought she could have. Wanted her to be happy.
But this was just uncalled for. Parker had fed her all the right lines in hopes of getting her into bed. Sadly it had worked and Buffy had been hurt because of it. Her pain was his pain in so many ways. Sometimes he'd wake up, feeling things she was feeling at that moment. Feeling injuries she had gotten during patrol. Feeling the tears on her cheeks as she cried herself to sleep. Cried because she thought it was her fault Parker had done this. Cried because no matter what kind of scum he was, she hadn't been able to prevent him from being changed.
Perhaps if Parker had been sincere and it just hadn't worked out, Angel might have spared him. Well, not let him live, but spared him the pain he planned on inflicting on the fledgling. It had taken the creature a few months to make it here, but he was here now, and Angel wasn't about to let that slip away. The twit didn't deserve a stake he deserved to kiss daylight while sitting in a holy water bath.
He shook his head and smiled coldly. Oh yes, justice would be served here tonight. Becoming still, he waited for Parker to pass before making his move.
*******
Parker hesitated just a second too long. He wasn't old enough yet to be able to sense a vampire of Angel's age or nature. Because of that weakness, he didn't feel the metal coming down on him until it was too late. He whirled around, game face in place, prepared for the girl who he had followed into the alley. He wasn't prepared for what he got.
Crashing to the ground, holding his shattered nose, he looked up as the other vampire tossed the can aside. The metallic sound it made seemed oddly hollow to him.
Growling, yellow eyes flashing in the meager light, Parker threw himself up at his assailant only to slam into the opposite wall as the vampire slid to the side.
Shaking his head in order to clear it, Parker didn't feel it until it was too late.
*******
Angel moved in fast, grabbing the other vampire by the back of the neck. With a cracking sound, Angel snapped the other vampire's neck and stepped back. He watched Parker sink to the ground, the pain of such an injury taking over for just a few seconds. Even though it was not enough to kill, it hurt as bad as being shot. Maybe worse. The pain would keep coming as the repair took many days to complete. Especially for a vampire this young.
It was almost too bad Parker didn't have that long. Almost. Angel was tempted to keep him alive during the process just to watch him suffer.
Nah, not worth the headache.
His leg flashed out quickly, landing a boot into Parker's side. Forcing the fledgling to turn, Angel bent down, snarling at him. The black duster he always wore pooled at his feet as he crouched, and Parker briefly noted the greedy way the darkness seemed to hold onto him. Caressed him like an old lover. No wonder he hadn't seen the vampire coming.
"You know, I always knew there were things like you that walked around Sunnydale," he said, scooping the wounded vampire up by the front of his shirt and tossing him into the wall again. The crunch was very satisfying. Angel guessed it was the back of Parker's skull. "You probably should have stayed there you know. Buffy might have had some hesitation about killing you, but I don't. And she would have made it quick. I won't."
Parker's eyes widened at the mention of the Slayer's name. Others had told him about the vampire with a soul she had consorted with, but he had never really believed it. He did now. And he believed all the other stories they told. The stories about Angelus.
Angel reached for him again, growling as Parker ducked his hand and moved aside. Grabbing the offending trash bin that had shattered his nose, Parker spun, arcing it towards Angel's head, his own head leaning impossibly to one side.
With a low growl, Angel blocked the swing, letting the metal slam into his arm. With the other hand, he reached for Parker again. Snatching him by the throat, he tossed him aside, letting him hit the wall once more. The younger vampire's head thumped against the greying brick with a sickening slap as his scalp finally gave way. Not letting the person who had hurt his lover so badly regain any kind of equilibrium, he grabbed Parker by the back of the neck and forced him forward. Ignoring the protest issuing from the terrified vampire, Angel slammed him face first into the heavy trash dumpster that had been conveniently left in the alley. He would leave a thank you note later.
Letting the boy slip to the ground, Angel stepped back, calming himself enough to keep control; not letting his demon take this victory from him.
"You could have had everything most people dream of," Angel started softly, his voice hard with anger. "You could have had Buffy. If you had been smarter, you could have had what I've dreamed about since I first laid eyes on her." He paused, forcing his demon to back off as his features began to shift. "But instead you decided to play her."
Landing a swift kick into Parker's side, Angel continued, "You lied to her told her anything you thought would get her into bed. You didn't care what it might mean to her. Didn't care that you might hurt her."
Reaching out, he grabbed the side of Parker's head and slammed it into the dumpster again leaving blood spattered on the green paint as his skull gave way under such force.
"And then you were stupid enough, not only to try to seduce other women, but you tried to seduce her best friend." Angel smiled in mock sympathy, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Poor Parker, he got a bit of what he had been given." Angel took a step closer, stomping a foot down on the hand that began to swing a piece of the shattered board at him. "Now, I can't give her back what you've taken from her, and I can't make her pain go away."
He reached down, pulling the offending wood away from the weakened vampire. Tossing it aside, he continued his speech, his voice enough to make Parker begin to tremble with fear.
"No, I can't do any of those things. But there is something I can do for her." Crouching down, Angel smiled coldly as Parker tried to bring his abused head around to face him. "I can make sure you never come near her again. Make sure you never touch her again. Make sure you never have the chance to hurt her again in any way. Give her justice."
Parker shuddered as he tried to move backwards, only to bump into the dumpster again jarring his battered body. "I told her I was sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking with the tremors that took him over. "I told her I didn't know"
"Oh sure, " Angel replied, extending an arm so he can grab Parker's face with a hand. Wrenching it around, he smiled in satisfaction at the boy's cry of pain. "You apologize and that makes it all better? That makes up for everything you've done to her, not to mention a hundred other girls?"
Angel laughed softly, the fear on the vampire's face feeding his rage. Once again he paused in order to take control over his demon. "If I believed you, then I might consider letting you go." He waited, letting the hope begin to seep into Parker's cold heart. "Hold on," he said as he rose again, "I wouldn't." The hope shattered and once again Parker shuddered then whimpered as the tremors jarred his neck.
Pulling a stake from his coat pocket, Angel smiled down at him.
"You see, I kill vampires too. Kinda my job at the moment. Well, part of it anyway. Now, if you had been any other vampire, I would have just killed you and been done with it. But you're Parker, and I felt the need to point out to you why you are in so much pain now." Dropping to a knee he looked Parker in the eyes and smiled. "But don't worry, the pain is almost over. You have about 2 more seconds to live."
As the realization flickered across Parker's face, Angel rammed the stake home, rising as the body exploded into dust.
Without so much as a glance back, he walked out of the alley as the rain began to fall from the sky, washing away the stain that had been on Buffy's conscious.
*******
"Is it done?" Cordelia asked as she slipped into the passenger's seat so Angel could get behind the wheel.
"It's done," he confirmed, putting the car in drive and easing it away from the curb.
"Good," she said, surprising Angel slightly. "I was a little worried when I lured him into that alley. I mean no one deserves that kind of pain. What he did was bad don't get me wrong. So I thought about it more. He hit on WILLOW!? Now that deserves all the pain in the world. I hope you made him cry uncle or whatever it is vampires cry."
Angel grinned slightly. Ok, maybe her logic wasn't the same, but in the end it was all good Justice was served.