By Sunlight
By Andrew Byrne
The lean blond man was playing pool in the backroom of a seedy bar. He found it oddly relaxing in a way he couldn't explain. He was sinking balls with quiet precision.
"Hey Blondie! Get away from my table." Said a booming voice from behind the blond man. Spike sighed and turned to face the wanker who called him 'blondie'. The man was tall, with long black hair down to his shoulders. He was dressed in faded denim. There was a petite red haired woman clinging to him, as if she was afraid he would disappear.
Spike growled. "Bugger off, before I lose my temper and you lose limbs."
The man and woman looked at each other and morphed vampire faces. The man took a step forward.
Spike snapped the cue in half, then shoved the broken end into the vampire man's heart. "There's your cue." Spike sarcastically added, as the vampire imploded into dust. The woman stepped forward, but stopped when Spike morphed his own vampire face. She spat at Spike and ran out the bar.
Spike had a quick look round the bar. It was deserted apart from the barman. Spike wasn't sure what the barman was, but knew he wasn't human. The transparent skin was definitely a give-away. Spike started to leave.
The barman called out. "It was John Crow you just dusted."
Spike turned back. "So? I wasn't after his bloody autograph!"
The barman continued. "Tom Crow was his bro. Tom Crow was, is very protective of his younger bro. Even by vampire standard his temper is short, and he doesn't exactly play with a full deck if you know what I mean."
Spike smiled. "So what? I've dealt with worse. I've killed two Slayers. Not one but two Slayers."
With that, he turned to leave again. The barman called out again. " You'll want to get changed again." Spike paused, puzzled then realised he still had his vampire face on. He strode out with it still on, a challenge to the world.
A couple of nights later, Spike walked into the motel where he had been staying. The man behind the counter - Spike vaguely remembered his name was Pete or Peter - spoke to him.
"Mr Spike! Three guys are waiting upstairs for you. They wanted to surprise you, but they looked kinda mean." Spike nodded and went over to a chair. He snapped a leg off. He then shoved the impromptu stake up a coat sleeve. Spike smiled at Pete. "Put it on my tab."
He went upstairs. Then he saw them. Spike swore under his breath, Pete hadn't mentioned the baseball bats they were carrying. Three of them, all were wearing black leather. One black-haired, the rest brown-haired. The black-haired man spotted Spike and strode over. "You know who I am?"
"Well, I'm guessing you're not the Village People." Replied Spike casually.
"Bastard! You killed my brother! You're coming with us." Snarled Tom Crow. Spike didn't have a choice, as all three morphed vampire faces.
An hour later they were in a part of town labelled for demolition. It was deserted, the construction company not due for another week. Most people tended to avoid this unsafe area. They went into a large house. Crow spoke. "Up to the roof." It took ten minutes to get up to the door to the roof. Spike was in lead position, as the other vampires didn't trust the stairs. He knew if he was going to act, it would have to be now.
Springing into action, Spike turned and used the stake he concealed up his sleeve, to stake the first vampire. He had managed to catch Crow and the remaining vampire by surprise. Quickly Spike grabbed the second vampire's baseball bat, and punched him in the face. Reeling from the blow, the vampire let go of the bat. Spike promptly dusted him.
Crow watched in disbelief. Then enraged, Crow charged Spike. He swung his bat with a mixture of fury and skill, it was all Spike could do to block and parry. A plan forming in his mind, he ran away up to the roof. Crow paused briefly, then followed.
When Crow got up to the roof, Spike was standing next to the edge. Crow started to scream and charged. Spike side-stepped and tripped Crow off the building. There was a brief yell and a shorter splat.
Spike walked down to the place where Crow had fell. He was lying face down. Spike then used his baseball bat to smash every bone in Crow's body, until he was sure Crow couldn't move. Spike then picked him up and carried him back up to the roof. He dropped Crow unto the roof. Crow looked up to Spike and spoke. " Please...Don't kill me...Please."
Spike grinned. "Hey, I'm not going to kill you."
He saw Crow's eyes widen in hope and continued.
"No, I'm going to let the dawn do it for me. A slow death by sunlight. It's what you were going to do to me. That's what we call irony."
Spike left then. Pool may be relaxing, Spike mused, but nothing beats a good jolt of violence and cruelty.
By Andrew Byrne
The lean blond man was playing pool in the backroom of a seedy bar. He found it oddly relaxing in a way he couldn't explain. He was sinking balls with quiet precision.
"Hey Blondie! Get away from my table." Said a booming voice from behind the blond man. Spike sighed and turned to face the wanker who called him 'blondie'. The man was tall, with long black hair down to his shoulders. He was dressed in faded denim. There was a petite red haired woman clinging to him, as if she was afraid he would disappear.
Spike growled. "Bugger off, before I lose my temper and you lose limbs."
The man and woman looked at each other and morphed vampire faces. The man took a step forward.
Spike snapped the cue in half, then shoved the broken end into the vampire man's heart. "There's your cue." Spike sarcastically added, as the vampire imploded into dust. The woman stepped forward, but stopped when Spike morphed his own vampire face. She spat at Spike and ran out the bar.
Spike had a quick look round the bar. It was deserted apart from the barman. Spike wasn't sure what the barman was, but knew he wasn't human. The transparent skin was definitely a give-away. Spike started to leave.
The barman called out. "It was John Crow you just dusted."
Spike turned back. "So? I wasn't after his bloody autograph!"
The barman continued. "Tom Crow was his bro. Tom Crow was, is very protective of his younger bro. Even by vampire standard his temper is short, and he doesn't exactly play with a full deck if you know what I mean."
Spike smiled. "So what? I've dealt with worse. I've killed two Slayers. Not one but two Slayers."
With that, he turned to leave again. The barman called out again. " You'll want to get changed again." Spike paused, puzzled then realised he still had his vampire face on. He strode out with it still on, a challenge to the world.
A couple of nights later, Spike walked into the motel where he had been staying. The man behind the counter - Spike vaguely remembered his name was Pete or Peter - spoke to him.
"Mr Spike! Three guys are waiting upstairs for you. They wanted to surprise you, but they looked kinda mean." Spike nodded and went over to a chair. He snapped a leg off. He then shoved the impromptu stake up a coat sleeve. Spike smiled at Pete. "Put it on my tab."
He went upstairs. Then he saw them. Spike swore under his breath, Pete hadn't mentioned the baseball bats they were carrying. Three of them, all were wearing black leather. One black-haired, the rest brown-haired. The black-haired man spotted Spike and strode over. "You know who I am?"
"Well, I'm guessing you're not the Village People." Replied Spike casually.
"Bastard! You killed my brother! You're coming with us." Snarled Tom Crow. Spike didn't have a choice, as all three morphed vampire faces.
An hour later they were in a part of town labelled for demolition. It was deserted, the construction company not due for another week. Most people tended to avoid this unsafe area. They went into a large house. Crow spoke. "Up to the roof." It took ten minutes to get up to the door to the roof. Spike was in lead position, as the other vampires didn't trust the stairs. He knew if he was going to act, it would have to be now.
Springing into action, Spike turned and used the stake he concealed up his sleeve, to stake the first vampire. He had managed to catch Crow and the remaining vampire by surprise. Quickly Spike grabbed the second vampire's baseball bat, and punched him in the face. Reeling from the blow, the vampire let go of the bat. Spike promptly dusted him.
Crow watched in disbelief. Then enraged, Crow charged Spike. He swung his bat with a mixture of fury and skill, it was all Spike could do to block and parry. A plan forming in his mind, he ran away up to the roof. Crow paused briefly, then followed.
When Crow got up to the roof, Spike was standing next to the edge. Crow started to scream and charged. Spike side-stepped and tripped Crow off the building. There was a brief yell and a shorter splat.
Spike walked down to the place where Crow had fell. He was lying face down. Spike then used his baseball bat to smash every bone in Crow's body, until he was sure Crow couldn't move. Spike then picked him up and carried him back up to the roof. He dropped Crow unto the roof. Crow looked up to Spike and spoke. " Please...Don't kill me...Please."
Spike grinned. "Hey, I'm not going to kill you."
He saw Crow's eyes widen in hope and continued.
"No, I'm going to let the dawn do it for me. A slow death by sunlight. It's what you were going to do to me. That's what we call irony."
Spike left then. Pool may be relaxing, Spike mused, but nothing beats a good jolt of violence and cruelty.