Chapter 10 Taking Initiative
2000 Sunnydale
"Listen Adam, I've been a lackey long enough to know that your up to something big. Not just trying to feed you thirst for knowledge Yeah" Niko Said looking around Adam's cave.
"How…. Perceptive of you…. you seem to be a bit more…. intelligent…. Than brawn….which is rare…. In your….race's case." Adam said as he typed away at his computer.
"Thanks" Niko said unsure of his new master/employer. "I'm getting paid for this still" Niko asked worriedly.
"You shall be rewarded" Adam turned to him. "but you must prove yourself physically" Adam half smiled
"L.A. I don't believe it, I swear if Angel catches me I'll kill Adam" Niko muttered to himself as him drove past the Los Angeles sign.
"So I was like twenty wins to like zero losses when some vampire with a soul released us but basically I was the champion in the ring." A drunken demon boasted to the lesser demon around him in the bar when the Russian vampire walks in.
"Val Trepkos" The vampire boomed.
"Da" The demon turned to see Niko "Nikolai" they hugged "shtaw vee kha TEE tye khmel NOY ye"
"spaa SEE ba" Niko replied sitting on the bar stool next to Trepkos "have you heard the slayer is in town I thought I might take her out you know boost up my rep, do you know where I might find her?" Niko asked changing to English.
"Yes but you must hurry word is Angel's looking for her as well" The bar man gave them two shot's of green liquid. "Hombre Asesino" Trepkos lifted up his glass.
"Hombre Asesino" Niko did the same and the took the shot's back.
1934 Spain/Mediterranean Sea
"Transbordador desviarse Castellon de la Plana llegar Palma" Cried the first mate of a new ferry owned by an nameless aristocrat who has been alive for nearly two thousand years one of the earliest of his kind but this ones name has been forgotten in time such as his brethren who's name became the master and Kakistos who was named after his use of fire. But he was simply known as Deceit for the thousands of lies he told which got him where he is today. Even though he is disfigured of human recognition he has many human, demon and vampire disciples.
"My lord Deceit, there is word that there are going to be repercussions from the war of the human world" An English vampire said.
"Ja" Deceit Replied uninterested by his servants report.
"My Lord" Came a young Spanish boy came running into his chambers. "This demon claims he is your champion. Is it true, My Lord, that you need this perversion of Judas father of the Vampiric Legion" The boy knelt to Deceit followed by a big demon in tattered peasant looking clothes.
"Aaah Trepkos" Deceit still uninterested. "You claim to be my champion" He slightly smiles at the Russian Demon who he picked up in the first world war. "Yet I see no sign of your duty to me." Deceit was not known for his strength like Kakistos or his ruthlessness and cunning like the Master but none of them could manipulate like him.
"My Lord I will protect you and this boat with my life if that be a champion's duty." Trepkos fell to one knee.
"Kill this demon my lord, rid him of his non vampire existence." The boy jumped in again with his seething hatred.
"For one who isn't living a vampire existence you do talk a bit of babble" The Vampire spoke down his nose to him.
"Leave Paulo alone, Willhelm I ….. We are under attack" Deceit suddenly rose from his mobile throne.
"My Lord?" All three asked.
"Don't Question me" He Growled "Trepkos, go prove yourself kill all who move"
"But Milord what of your subjects" Willhelm Replied before Trepkos left.
"None are alive" He replied "Willhelm stay and protect me" he added as the demon left.
""
As Trepkos strutted confidently around the aged vampires boat with battle axe in toe he heard a faint noise behind him. "I could easily kill you and say the people who killed him did it." Trepkos pointed to a disembowelled demon on the floor.
"You dare threaten me?" Paulo the young Spanish boy scoffed
"ssh" Trepkos looked up at people clad in white clothes fell from the roof and started a fierce battle. "Get out of here young one" Trepkos ordered as his axe deflected a array of khukriwala knives wielded by these tanned men in white and now Paulo notices they have a medallion around there necks which is a circle then two stakes through the bottom, in silver.
"You are just human" Trepkos announced as he wounded one.
"Yes we are…." One started
"But we choose to fight against evil…." The other one finished.
"Unimpressive" Trepkos snorted "why fight us?"
"Heroes don't accept the way the world is…"
"They fight it…"
"Stop it" Trepkos roared swinging his axe wildly letting the men gain the upperhand.
"Lucky we stopped by for a visit" a vampire boomed as he dropped the humans with two one shots. "Having trouble demon, Niko assist, I must find Deceit" the vamp turned to the smaller vampire nodded then strode off towards, Deceit.
"Demon, watch how a vampire handles these cattle" Paulo sneered as Niko retrieved his Kindjar as more white clad people with the two stake medallions and all bearing Mediterranean weapons.
"You was in the army" Trepkos asked Niko as Trepkos beheaded the downed man.
"Two weeks" Niko said ashamed yet not showing it as he plunged his sword into the other man. "just watch my back and I'll watch yours" Niko half ordered as the new good guys were almost upon them.
"Names Val" They entered the fray ferociously.
""
"Lord Deceit" Luke broke down the door.
"Who are you?" Came a English voice from behind him as garrotte wire strangled him.
"I'm the servant of the Master" He wheezed.
"And what does my brethren want" Deceit came round the corner barley standing. Willhelm let go of the bigger vampire.
"He want's a European power base….an alliance" Luke started. "As he is going to the Hellmouth to open it, we have got the fire wielder in his Asiatic Empire, so if you rally your Euoprean empire we can work together as the Master has his American empire." He fiddled with his throat.
"So Kakistos and the Master are merging empires, if I join I want to be above them I want to be the only emperor." He snickered.
"I want to be Lord of Lies" He Smiled.
"Who were they?" Paulo asked as Trepkos and Niko checked the massacre for any survivers.
"Mordacai's" Niko answered.
"The police to supernatural activity?" Trepkos asked
"Yep, but in the name of god like a holy war." Niko answered.
"Humans" Paulo snorted his disgust.
"They're Spanish" Trepkos noticed. "You fought well, spilt much blood" The Russian demon smiled to the Russian vampire.
"hombre asesino" Paulo said standing next to the vampire. "It means good warrior, dumb demon"
"Val, kill him" Niko ordered as he tossed the young lad to the Champion of the Lord and he tossed the boy over board.
"Hombre Asesino"
"Hombre Asesino."
2000 Los Angeles
"So this is the second slayer" Niko said standing in the open door way to a nice apartment. "Stolen?" Faith just glared at him.
"Yeah, So Vampire what do you want. Before I beat your ass" Faith squared up to Niko.
"I will need your help in the future and with out question you will give it to me" Niko stared not fearing the Dark Slayer.
"What, why would you think that?" Faith began.
"Listen I'm up on business from Sunnydale, I know you were just there. But if you do this." Faith stepped out of the apartment. "I will owe you one." Niko smirked. "Anything"
"Why would I believe you" Faith rammed him up the wall.
"Who gave the mayor his body swap device and after you killed Mr. Trick who became the Mayor's number one vampire." Niko smiled as Faith recognised him.
"Anything" She smiled letting him down.
"Anything." Niko repeated.
2000 Los Angeles (Few Days Later)
"Hi I'm looking for a Russian vampire called Niko" A desperate looking slayer said at the demon bar but before the bar keep could answer a large demon was next to her.
"You looking for Niko, so are you one of his whores?" He touched Faith softly on the cheek.
"Gerroff" She yelled as she tried to snap the demons arm but the demons strength held strong and it wouldn't twist.
"Val, Let her go" Niko said as he left the restroom.
"She's the slayer you were after, she probably led Angel right here." Val Trepkos said he unhooked himself from faith.
"I'll handle her and Angel, Faith follow" He turned into the alley entrance as Faith followed. "Didn't think it would take you this long" Niko said as they got out. "What do you want plane ticket, cash, new place to live" Niko asked. "Wolfram and Hart are powerful, believe me" Niko grimaced at the memory.
"I need help to get me arrested." Faith said quietly.
"Well I can help but is this what you want." Niko squared up to the badass slayer. "But you still owe me a favour" Niko picked up the phone to make a call.
2000 Los Angeles
"Gunn" Cried a African American girl with frizzy hair as a single vampire grabbed her.
"Allona" her brother came charging round with about fifteen tooled up homeless people. "Let go of her"
"Wait" The Russian accent still strong in his voice. "I snap her pretty neck" Niko smiled sadistically. "There's a nest of vampires less than a block from here." Niko began.
"What they kick you out" Allona sneered.
"What, them, pathetic" Niko hissed. "I could kill them easy, but if you protect the world from these vampires a big vampire called Angel will come and that's who I'm not allowed to kill."
"Not allowed?" Allona asked.
"My boss wants me back at base while this vampire is dead or busy." Niko answered.
"what makes you think we wont kill you before you leave, then kill the nest and Angel." Gunn said as all of his men got ready for battle. Niko dropped Gunn's sister and withdrew his Kindjar sword. "Fire!" Gunn roared as the group spilt revealing two crossbows and they fired but Niko used his sword to deflect one arrow then dodged the next one.
"You'll need to better than that to kill Angel" Niko laughed as leapt onto the nearby building.
"Check out the nest" Gunn said as he checked on Allona.
2000 Sunnydale
"So Adam where I'm going to be." The mutated Forest said to Adam.
"As my…right hand." Adam replied as he typed into his computer.
"Ad…I'm back….who are you?" Niko said as he came in through the cave dressed in an Armani suit in dark grey, with a black silk shirt and a loose red silk tie.
"Forest, who are you." Forest asked looking at the well dressed vampire.
"Well, he was…enlisted as an…instrument to help the…cause." Adam said still typing away.
"Eer yeah, can I smell Spike." Niko growled.
"Just…missed him" Adam said, he stopped typing and turned. "He is heading towards the Initiative…but you have to rally the…detained demons to kill the humans then when that is under way…I want you to find him and kill him." Adam went back to typing. "…Nice fashion…sense"
"You heard him" Forest roared.
"By the way, Angel wont be coming" Niko said as he left.
"Vampires, don't even make good…cyborgs" Adam noted.
"I'll kill both if you order me too." Forest said which Adam contemplated but then went back to typing.
"Come on demons, goo Beets" Niko roared as some bewildered demons didn't attack. "I swear if Adam doesn't live up to our bargain I'm gonna kick his ass back down here." Niko murmered to himself as he staked a vampire running away from the battle. "Troos".
"Hombre Asesino" Came a voice behind Niko. "So still killing your own kind" a man who was older then Niko, all in white with several Mordecai medallions around his neck.
"Vampire" Niko hissed to the man.
"You even got my Grandson killed, Marcus, he lived in L.A. Luke turned him, you sent him after the Gem of Amarra which, Angelus destroyed and killed him." The Man sneered his voice slightly accented but Niko couldn't place it then he remembered what the Vampire first said to him.
"Paulo?" Niko now recognised the whiney Spanish boy.
"Aah, Niko you remember, how's Trepkos" He laughed and his medallions jingled. "I kill all reports of Mordecai's." He smiled.
"But you feed off anything" Niko sneered.
"But your diet of Warriors, Women then Steak tartar." Paulo shifted to his Vampire face. "Is so much better"
"You want to do this" Niko faced changed as well, as the two vampires squared off one all in white at one end of the hall and at the other a vampire in black. "you know I thought you would survive but not live old enough to become a man let alone a vampire." Niko smirked as he took off his blazer and tie. " 'Spose with Val gone and Deceit dead…."
"I thought you never look better than a rugged Warrior… But L.A was good to you" Paulo shrugged off his Medallions. "Hombre Asesino"
The wall crumbled as the two Vampires fell through into the main compound. They still fought fiercely.
"I hear you fought Angelus, Spike and both slayers running from all of them" Paulo chuckled as he was punching Niko.
"I'm sorry who turned you again." Niko retorted as flung Paulo off him, then jumped after him grabbing his neck. Niko smiled showing a fangy grin but an initiative solider saw them both.
"Vampires!" the man spat as he unleashed a hail of gunfire into the both sending them to the observation platform where a big octopus demon was killing scientist's below them, then one scientist popped up.
"Agent Miller help me!" He was grabbed by a tentacle. "Graham, Graham!" He screamed as he was pulled back in to the pit.
"Doctor Simmons" Graham yelled as he looked at the two vampires then ran to help the scientist.
"Guns, how I missed guns" Niko spluttered sarcastically as he rose, then he looked to see Paulo rise with him.
"You'll miss a lot when I'm done" His arrogance was flowing out of him. Then a wild demon jumped onto Niko his claws ripping Niko's shirt and shoulders then leapt over Paulo and then attacked the door saying 'Three Fourteen'. Graham turned a fired after the demon.
"Hey remember killing my squad." Graham roared after it.
"Stupid human, Wirlgo demons have no conscious to tell the difference between anything apart from meat and it's own kind." Niko said as he drug himself up onto the railing.
"By the way my sire was Priceless" He smiled as he threw Niko over the railbar.
Paulo yanked Graham from behind and drove his fangs into the Initiative soldiers neck.
"Paulo, drop him we are not done." Niko roared as he clung with his finger tips on the floor of the ledge, Niko then leapt up over the railbar next to Paulo and the injured Graham. "Oh yeah and Priceless wouldn't touch a Spainish Judas worshipper like you." Niko smiled as he grabbed Paulo and threw him over the railbar but onto a lab table which sparked from the attached lights catching the Spaniard on fire and eventually dusting him.
"Get up human" Niko roared as he lifted Graham up to his feet. "Secure the elevators. and get out through that way, call me when it's done I'll be back in a minute." Niko went to leave.
"Why should I" Graham said bending over to pick up his gun.
"Because I want to get out of here" Niko said grabbing his gun. "….don't shoot me" Niko gave him his gun then turned.
"Vampires" he heard the man mutter as Graham ran over to fulfil the order. Slayer, Niko saw her followed by Spike on her left, a human who stinks of the initiative on her right, a ginger girl and dark haired human who stunk of women juice? In between the men and slayer yet further behind and finally an old Englishman bringing up the rear.
"Slayer" Niko approached her. "Ow" Niko reeled from a hit off Buffy.
"Tut tut Niko, you shouldn't approach a deadly slayer" Spike laughed at him.
"Shut up Spike" Niko said but got knocked down by another hit from the slayer.
"Friend of yours Spike" Buffy whipped around to see the Vampire.
"Well I burnt down his bar and stole his Childe" Spike shifted like a told off school boy. "Well he isn't a saint he attacked me, you and Angel when Dru left me and he worked for that Mayor plus I smelt him around Adam's cave." Spike nodded underneath the glares.
"Enough. Slayer, I ordered a soldier to take the entrance to the elevator I would need something big to fortify it, I was heading to the ammo cage but you'll do" Niko shifted back to human.
"Good to know" She said sarcastically as they followed the Vampire.
"Humans, they're Igneous demons" Niko roared to six humans who are firing at three rock like demons.
"How did Adam get them here and how did the no-initiative capture them." Spike chuckled as the men looked at the group.
"Bullets can't go through rock" Willow exclaimed to the soliders.
"Igneous….of course watch there breath!" Giles went to warn them but the demons blew embers out of it's mouth burning the soldiers.
"Oh…crap" Xander taser blasted one of them which caught there attention
"Rug Van Demon Hej Is Mina!" Niko growled which stopped the approach.
"Afrikaans?" Giles asked.
"Dutch" Niko looked back. "they originated from South Africa and my Africans is a little rusty so I hoped they would have picked up the similarities."
"I hate Vampires" Riley stared with pure hatred at Niko.
"Such a shame, coz we're ever so fond of you" Spike laughed. "Oh yeah Nikki behind you" Niko turned into a punch from the middle demon.
"Goedkoop schot" Niko sneered as he switched to his more pointy face.
"Eeer suggestion, maybe he don't understand you." Spike put up his hand as he spoke.
"Spike, Slayer with me soldier boy help the other one in ordering the retreat. Old man, boy get that elevator shaft open and you….red head, spread the word to the humans to fall back to the elevators." Niko said as the demons looked between each other on a slight pause as no one did what Niko ordered.
"Why would we follow your orders, Vampire" Riley nearly exploded with disgust.
"Do it" Buffy said it quietly first. "All of you, he makes sense now go!" Buffy shouted the order as she charged in with Niko and Spike into combat with the three large demons.
""
"Don't even think about it, I will kill you" Initiative operative Graham Miller said as the Russian vampire gave him an injured person and Niko licked his lips.
"Try it" the vampire goaded but continued to help file out the demons and humans with help from the scoobies.
"Why aren't we killing the demons, instead of letting them go" Riley scowled to Buffy.
"Good point, why don't you just torch us all mate, oh yeah that would start another battle and 'r you confident your men can defeat them" Spike shot back to Riley's bigotry comment. His silence answered everything.
"Sacrifices, we need to stop to get the wounded and dead out, as well as the alive but in doing so letting go demons who will more than likely kill more people before we catch them and stop them." Giles pondered helping out.
"I say we still stake Spike" Xander added scowling at the chipped vampire.
"What about the other Vampire" Willow butted in before Spike did anything.
"Well we have to let him go; he saved Graham, organised a retreat plan slash truce with the demons, yet still killed one of those Igneous demon which me and Spike barley stopped." Buffy said sort of distantly while watching the Russian vampire noting that he's different.
"""""""""""""""""""
"Rug Van Demon Hej Is Mina" is Dutch for "Back off demon he is mine"
"Transbordador desviarse Castellon de la Plana llegar Palma" Spainish for "Ferry departing from Castellon de la Plana arrives in Palma"
"Da" Russian for "yes"
"shtaw vee kha TEE tye khmel NOY ye" Russian for "Do you want a alcoholic beverage"
"Spaa SEE ba" Russian for "Thank you"
"hombre asesino" Spanish for "men of blood"
"goo Beets" "Kill" in russian.
"Troos" "Coward" in russian.