Part Four
The crew turned and looked at the two new arrivals. 'Hey,' Gio looked at Doyle and grinned, 'aint that the creature we were chasing down earlier? He came back for more!' But Rondell wasn't interested in the small, green demon - it was the vampire he had his eyes on. He put down his firearm and took out a stake, which he handed to Gunn. 'Prove to everyone here that this thing aint no friend of yours.'
Gunn looked at the stake in his hand, and then back up at Angel.
'Gunn, man, you don't wanna do this,' Doyle said to him.
'Nobody's talking to you, spike boy,' Gio said, 'what's with those ugly ass things on your face anyway - is it some kinda demon acne? My boy, Chuck, here is gonna kill himself a vampire, prove, which side he's on - and then he'll take you out too - pinhead.'
Gunn hadn't moved. He was still staring at Angel, who stared right back at him.
'This is madness!' Wesley protested, 'Angel has a soul.'
'He's a vampire,' Gio said.
'With a soul,' Wesley countered.
'Yeah? And what the hell's that thing?' he pointed at Doyle.
'Doyle is half human,' Wesley told Gio, 'he is a person - same as us.'
'You think these things are the same as us?' Gio asked in disgust. 'A vampire is a stone cold killer and whatever that guy is … it's nasty.'
'Angel didn't have his soul when he killed for pleasure,' Wesley replied, 'the same cannot be said for you.'
The whole time, Gunn still hadn't said a word. He kept his eyes fixed on Angel - as if he couldn't hear the argument between Gio and Wesley, or as if he thought it of no importance. Rondell looked impatient. 'So what's it gonna be?' he asked. Gunn tore his eyes away from the vampire and looked down, one more time, at the stake in his hand.
It was Angel that eventually broke the silence. 'Here, Charles, let me make this simple for you.' He took a step closer, 'Doyle already has his other face on - and this -' he morphed into his own vampiric face, 'this is what I am. Take a look at us. And deal with it. Or don't. But make a damn choice.'
Cordelia sat on the sofa, a cup and saucer balanced in her hand. Across the room from her, the Transuding Furies floated in the air. Their hair and robes seemed to billow in a breeze that wasn't there. This place was majorly weird, and she wasn't too happy at finding herself there. She fixed on her biggest grin, hoping to move the conversation forward. 'So, Angel tells me you go way back.'
'Mmmm Angel.' The three women moaned in unison, their eyes closed, their expressions dreamy - a note of ecstasy rang through their voices as they contemplated the handsome vampire.
'Uh. Yeah.' She really didn't get how dorky mcvampire, Mr. cheapskate 2001 himself, warranted that reaction. 'So about that sanctorium mojo you got going on at Caritas - any chance you can pull the plug on that. Like now, for instance? Kinda an emergency.'
When the furies replied to her this time, they spoke in turn - each one saying one word and then breaking off to allow the their sister to speak.
'You'
'Would'
'Have'
'Us'
'Lift'
'What'
'Has'
'Been'
'Put'
'In'
'Place'
'By'
'Mutual'
'Consent'
'And'
'Contract?'
'People are in trouble,' Cordelia replied, 'Doyle...' she broke off and decided that, though he wasn't her number one concern, it was the ace up her sleeve when it came to these women. 'If you don't, Angel might die.'
'Mmm Angel!'
The hotel was finally empty - the first time in weeks. Gavin sent his bug team round there pronto - dressed up like exterminators in case anyone interrupted them. Not sure how long they would have, the team worked quickly and efficiently...
The seconds lengthened. The silence heightened. Doyle dropped his red eyes to the floor and looked down at his shoes. Gunn was going to kill them, he thought to himself. There didn't seem to be any way out of it - and when he thought of the things Gunn had been saying the last couple for days, it didn't seem like the man Doyle had always considered a friend would even care. Like he'd said, back at Merl's - back at Sammy's, demons were demons, and the team killed demons all the time. They didn't stop to worry about their feelings - or try to see their point of view. They just killed anything that threatened them. Even Cordelia had a hefty kill count.
Maybe Doyle had been being stupid to think that he and Angel were different, or that humans would consider them to be so. What was two more demons to Charles Gunn - who'd been killing vamps since he was a teen? Sure, he'd fought alongside the two non-humans for months now, over a year in fact. But that might just be because they were good at the job - because Gunn felt he could do more good by their side than he could running scared with a bunch of homeless kids. Didn't mean he had ever forgotten what they were - or accepted it.
And now - now it was no longer convenient to ignore what they were. Gunn's real friends - his human friends - wanted the demons dead to prove a point. If Gunn didn't comply then it would be his own life on the line. How could the lives of just two more demons compare to that? Of course Gunn would kill them. Doyle shut his eyes, and wished he hadn't been wearing his spikes back at the hotel - so he could have kissed Cordelia goodbye. At least she wasn't here to witness this. At least she was safe with the Transuding Furies. It was a shame she hadn't got the sanctuary spell taken down in time, but…
...
Gunn was still staring into the yellow eyes of the vamped out Angel. And then he opened his fist and let the stake clatter to the floor. 'I can't,' he said, 'that's not gonna happen.'
'I knew it!' Gio exclaimed, turning to Rondell in triumph.
'It aint what you think,' Gunn began to protest. 'You think it's because he's my friend…'
'He's your friend?' Rondell interrupted, grabbing hold of Doyle and hustling him forward 'He aint your friend, bro, I am. What about this thing, huh? You gonna tell me this thing is your friend, as well?' He shoved Doyle against the bar and held him there - gripping the front of his shirt. Unable to defend himself, because of the demon sanctuary spell, the Irishman had no choice but to just put up with being manhandled.
'Hey leave it man, he's OK,' Gunn said, pulling Rondell off the half demon. Rondell spun to face the man he had looked up to more than anyone else, 'he aint OK man!' he protested, 'look at him! He's disgusting - you gonna tell me this thing is your friend too?'
'No.' Gunn replied. 'Doyle aint my friend… he's my brother.' Doyle looked up, surprised.
'He aint your bro, bro - look at him - he's green.'
'Yeah and when he aint green, he's white. Doesn't matter, man, it aint about species or colour, it's about the mission. He's got it - you aint. Angel too. Man, they're willing to fight - maybe even die - to protect people who can't protect themselves. You - you're hunting down things that can't fight back and calling yourself a big man. That aint what we're about - it never was. You lost it… and that's why these guys are my family now. I don't care that they aint human, they aint the ones that act like monsters.'
'Well aint that touching,' Gio interrupted, 'you're all brothers under the skin; the black man, the pale ass vampire, and the little green runt with the weird blue spikes. One big happy family.' He pointed his gun at the three of them. 'So let me get this straight, you think that just because you're letting the monsters live then you got the mission. Well to me, a monster lover aint no better than a monster. And I kill monsters. So anybody wants to walk outta here tonight, they gonna have to show me.' He looked over at where some of the more humanoid looking clientele - including Fred and Wesley - were huddled. 'Come on! Step on up and do what your friend here wouldn't: kill the vampire - and you get to live. Otherwise you die with the rest of them.' He put down his gun and took his crossbow rig from where it had been slung across his back. 'Who wants to live?'
Very slowly, Fred got up from her chair. She looked across at Angel. 'I- I'm sorry,' she said to him, 'I just don't wanna die.' Gio smiled, and handed her the crossbow.
'Look,' Cordelia said, putting her cup and saucer down and leaning forward. 'This is really urgent. I know Lorne pays for you to cast this spell. What will it take for you to lift it?'
'This'
'Is'
'Not'
'A'
'Debt'
'You'
'Can'
'Pay.'
The furies bobbed up and down in the air as they spoke, a bit like they were in the water, bobbing on the surface like buoys in the harbour. Cordelia looked doubtful. 'You don't know that,' she said, 'my credit's been really good this last year.' Ever since Doyle had paid her back what he owed her, she had had a small cushion of savings - and then there had been that disastrous commercial which, humiliating as the memory was, had only boosted her bank balance. And when you worked 19 hour days fighting demons, and spent the other five collapsed on the nearest soft surface, that didn't really leave much time to shop. She was practically fiscally solvent.
But money was not what the furies had in mind.
'Only'
'Angel'
'Is'
'Equipped'
'To'
'Make'
'Good'
'On'
'This'
'Debt.'
'Angel?' Cordelia blew a raspberry, 'For a guy who's a couple of centuries old - not very good with the wise investing.' Then she saw the blissful, dreamy smiles on the women's faces, and wrinkled her nose in disgust - finally getting it. 'And when you say 'equipped' that isn't what you mean, is it?'
'Mmm Angel.'
'Got it,' Cordelia said, grimacing, 'and also ew.'
Fred accepted the crossbow rig from Gio, she needed both arms to support it. 'I'm sorry,' she said again, 'I just can't die here.' She pointed the bolt at Angel. He looked at her, 'It's OK, I understand,' he told her.
'Uh - Angel, man…' Doyle said, glancing between Fred and the rig, and the vampire, 'maybe we could - uh - talk about this some more? Fred, sweetheart...'
'Hey, spike face, no one's talkin' to you,' Gio interrupted him. 'You'll get yours, but all in good time - after the lady has taken out the vampire.' He leaned in close to the small woman. 'Alright, now you wanna get it in the heart or else it's no good.' Then he took a step back to give her room. But she didn't fire.
Instead, she swung the rig around so it was pointing at Gio's throat. 'Although, I thought I might just shoot you in the throat instead.'
Wesley and Doyle exchanged a startled glance, talk about a dark horse! 'Dear… sweet…'
'Now if I pierce one of your carotid arteries, considering the temperature in here, 'cause I think someone shot the thermostat...' Fred babbled at Gio - still pointing the rig. Gio stood frozen. '...the blood loss is gonna be heavy.' It was rather warm in there, Doyle thought. Up until now he had assumed it was fear coupled with his leather jacket that was making him sweat - but Fred might be onto something with that thermostat theory. 'And there's a chance I'll puncture one of your vocal chords,' the tiny woman continued. 'And you won't even be able to scream. You'll want to, though, when the blood loss to your brain results in a cerebrovascular event.' She suddenly looked abashed and glanced around apologetically. 'That's a stroke - I wasn't trying to sound snooty.'
'Fred,' Angel's voice was gentle, 'it's OK, Fred, just point that thing at me. At me, Fred.'
'Why, man?' Doyle asked him, 'she's doin' great!'
Fred glanced back at the two demons, and Gio took that moment to rip the rig out of her hands. He pushed her away, and she staggered back into Wesley's arms. The gang member was just pointing the crossbow at Angel, when the air was lit up by a sudden flash. The vampire looked ceilingward, smiling. 'Thanks, Ladies.'
'Can we fight now?' asked Doyle.
Angel ripped the crossbow out of Gio's hand, hit him with it and then turned on another member of the crew, disarming him. 'I'll take that as a 'yes',' the Irishman said, and then launched himself at the nearest gang member, throwing a punch and then following up swiftly with a head butt. The young man howled in agony, as he clutched his gored face, and Doyle turned to take on the next one. Wesley handed Fred over to Lorne, who ushered her behind the bar, where they both took shelter. The watcher and Gunn then leapt into the fray, fighting alongside their demon team members to take out the human crew.
They young men didn't stand much chance against the team. Although they outnumbered them; Angel had super strength, Doyle had his spikes, and Gunn and Wesley were too well trained and experienced as fighters to be caused any trouble by a handful of humans. Gio began to fall back, he stood in the corner and watched as the crew were taken apart by the four men - well two men and two monsters. 'Come on guys!' he shouted. 'Fight back - it's ten against four! This is pathetic. Hey I'm done with you people. I don't even know why I came out to this coast! L.A sucks. I'm going back to Florida, alright? You're lucky I don't have my old crew…'
Behind him - completely unnoticed amidst his rantings, the grey faced demon - who had prayed to God throughout the siege - began to rise up. His head split slowly in two, and a monstrous, gigantic insect emerged from within and towered above the human. Gio was oblivious. 'I'll drag your ass down to the beach for some sunshine, and toast your…'
The insect bent its neck - real quick - swooping down and biting Gio's head off, mid-sentence. Doyle dropped the man he was punching, to watch as the insect swallowed Gio's head in one gulp. 'Oh - gross.'
Rondell picked up his machine gun and fired several rounds into the insect's chest. It fell to the ground - its purple blood splattering up the wall. And then the gun fell silent, and everyone went still.
'Do'
'Not'
'Return'
'To'
'Us'
'Again'
'To'
'Ask'
'For'
'Us'
'To'
'Undo'
'That'
'Which'
'We'
'Have'
'Already'
'Done.'
The Furies began to float their way to the door, bobbing through the air. Their hair and robes still rippled in the unseen, unfelt breeze. 'Right, no,' Cordelia scrambled her way off the sofa, 'this door is closed, now - gotcha.'
The door was opened for her and she headed on through it. 'Well, thank you - and I'll be telling Angel to come on over here and … repay the debt.' She sounded sick.
'Mmm Angel.' And with that, the door was slammed in Cordy's face. She looked at if for a few moments. 'Yeah … gross.' Then she took out her cell and began to dial, 'that had better have worked - you had better still be alive, Doyle.'
Wesley helped Fred into the back of a cab, out in the alleyway behind Caritas. Gunn and Rondell were a little further down the alley, talking quietly. Doyle looked between the two groups, feeling awkward and wondering what he should do with himself. He should have stayed inside with Angel and helped apologise to Lorne. It was with great relief that he heard his phone ring. 'Hello?'
'Oh thank god - did it work - are you OK?'
'Yeah, Cordy, we're all fine - we're all alive and everythin'... well not Angel, I guess, but he's no deader than he was before.'
'Great, where are you?'
'Still at the club - I'll see y' back at the hotel, yeah?'
'Yeah - Doyle, try to get back without anyone attempting to kill you on the way, for me?'
He smiled, 'will do, Princess, see you soon.' He hung up, just as Wesley came over to him. The watcher glanced down the alley at where the two younger men stood. 'I guess they have a lot to discuss, right now.'
'I guess…'
'This has been a tough case.'
'You're tellin' me! I got chased five blocks by gun toting maniacs and three of my acquaintances got killed.'
'Three?'
'Kizzie was already dead when I went to see him, tonight,' Doyle explained.
'Oh - I'm sorry - you'd known him a long time.'
Doyle nodded, even though it was a statement not a question. He had known Kizzie a long time - and he'd always been good for information. As had Merl. The work of Angel investigations was going to be a lot harder from here on out. The crew might have thought they were working the mission, killing the monsters - but some of those monsters had helped the champions of the PTB. This case had been a win for the powers of darkness; humans had been made more brutal in their quest to indiscriminately kill anything that didn't look like them. It only came as a relief, to Doyle, that Gunn hadn't been involved after all, that he didn't care that some of his friends weren't human.
Wesley was frowning down at the smaller man, 'Doyle - the fight is over - why do you still have your spikes on?'
'Oh - I kinda broke my leg earlier. Dislocated a joint. I'm in really quite a lot o' pain, right now.'
'Oh - sorry. But you look ridiculous.'
'Yeah - but it could be worse. I could be any other kind o' demon and then I wouldna been able to snap my leg back into place, and the aforementioned gun toting maniacs would've gunned me down in the street.'
'That's it - look for the silver lining.' Wesley peered towards Gunn and his friend. 'I wonder what they're saying?'
'I just think we're on different paths, bro,' Gunn said. 'You don't see things my way - and I can't see them yours.'
'Gunn, man, this is your crew - our crew. We built it up together from nothin'. You really gonna walk away and not look back?'
'It's not what I want Rondell - but you can't be killing demons if they aint a threat to anyone - that aint right.'
'They aint people, G.'
'Yeah? Well then neither are two of my family. And I can't be a part of a crew that thinks my boys' lives are worse less than anyone else's.' He took a deep breath and stuck his hands in his pockets. 'I guess we'll just have to go our separate ways.'
Rondell hung his head. Although he hadn't seen Gunn for months, this was a difficult parting - a final one. To call time on everything they'd been through together was a big deal. But Gunn hung with vampires now, and it was up to Rondell to protect the old neighbourhood, and keep the crew tight. 'All right,' he said.
'Be well.' Gunn clapped him on the back, and then turned and walked away down the alley to where his two teammates stood. He looked a little hesitant when he reached them, and stuck his hands in his pockets, once more. 'Well I guess Rondell and his crew won't be crossing Venice Boulevard again anytime soon.'
'Yes,' agreed Wesley, 'it's never easy - the pull of divided loyalties. Whatever choice we do end up making, we feel as though we've betrayed someone.'
'Yeah.'
'If you ever withhold information or attempt to subvert me again - I will fire you. I can't have any one member of the team compromising the safety of the group, no matter who it is. If you do it again you will be dismissed, bag and baggage, out of a job and onto the streets.' He began to walk away towards the taxi.
'Ah - c'mon, Wesley, bud, there's no need for that,' Doyle protested. The watcher stopped, but he didn't turn around. 'This is the way it has to be for all of us,' he said, 'there is too much at stake. We have to be able to trust one another one hundred percent, to always be honest - and to not keep vital information from the rest of the group. Lives may depend on it.' Then he got into the taxi, with Fred, and they drove away.
'Are you gonna bust my chops now, as well?' Gunn asked Doyle. The smaller man shrugged. 'I'm not the boss… and I get this was hard for you….and I'm sorry I doubted y'. Thanks … for what you said in there.'
'No problem - it's the truth, you know that, Irish.'
Doyle nodded, 'yeah - I guess I do.'
Angel came out of the door, joining them.
'How's Lorne?' the half demon asked.
'I left him with a seabreeze, told him we'd come round and help clear up in the morning… he's…. He'll be alright.'
'Hey,' Gunn said, 'I'm sorry about … everything that went on in there. I'm sorry about the way my crew think of you - it's not what I think, but…'
'It's OK,' Angel said, 'I appreciate you not killing me - you could have done.'
'Nah - I couldn't do that to you, man, we're friends.'
'Then we got a problem.'
'Oh, man,' Doyle sighed, rolling his eyes, 'here we go!'
'If you're my friend, Gunn, then there's one thing you gotta be willing to do for me.'
'He just loves this part,' Doyle told the street fighter - his voice halfway between amused and exasperated. But Angel wasn't deterred. 'One day, the time might come when you have to kill me - and if you're really my friend - you'll prove it by doing so.' Then the vampire swept off with a majestic flourish of his coat. Doyle and Gunn looked at each other for a moment. The half demon shook his head, wearily, and then trotted on after his friend. 'Holy hell, batman. How is Gunn supposed to kill y' when me and Cordy and Wesley are already lined up to do it? Y'know - you're gonna live to regret tellin' everyone to kill y' at the first sign of you going dark. This is gonna come back and bite you in the butt someday, buddy - you mark my words…'
Gunn smiled to himself as he watched his two demon brothers leave, sniping at each other, and then he walked away.
The two demons arrived back at the hotel, Angel pulled the car up outside and they both went in through the courtyard. Doyle's limp was less pronounced now, he had begun to heal. 'Are you gonna take your demon face off any time today?' Angel asked him, 'you look ridiculous.'
'That's what Wesley said! … I'll think about going back human when my leg stops hurtin'.'
'You're such a wimp!'
'Hey! I jumped outta window, broke my leg, snapped it back into place - all on my billy no mates - ran five blocks to escape crazy guys with machine guns, leapt over a chain link fence, crash landed on the other side, squashed myself in behind a dumpster and then walked all the way home on my bad leg and then - and then - I went back out to partake in a fight to the death to save everybody else's ass! I think we can have less o' the wimp, thank you. I'm a bona fide hero, is what I am'
'You're right - I'll get you a medal.'
'Thanks - I appreciate it - I'd like one shaped like a star - with a green ribbon.'
'I'll see what I can do.'
They entered through the glass doors, and Doyle was immediately pounced on by Cordelia - who flung her arms around his neck, 'you're back!'
'But of course, mon cherie,' Doyle said, morphing back into his human face and kissing her hello. 'You weren't worried were y'?'
'Nah.'
'Oh sure,' said Angel, glancing at Doyle's now spikeless face, 'you go human face for Cordelia.'
'Yeah, well,' The Irishman prised himself away from his girlfriend for a moment to squint at the vampire, 'strange as this may sound, bud: I don't have much interest in kissin' you.' He kissed Cordelia again to prove his point. 'Not much,' Cordy said, when she resurfaced, 'but a little bit of interest, right?'
'Hey!'
'It's the coat,' she whispered to Angel, who chuckled. 'He's a sucker for it.'
'Hey! I only have eyes for you, Princess - you know that.' And he kissed her even more enthusiastically to prove his point.
Angel took his coat off, and hung it up by the counter - but he watched the kissing pair, covertly. 'So - uh - are you guys headed back to Cordy's tonight? Or is Cordy going back there alone or…?'
'Man, my leg hurts way too much to go out again, and I'm beat…' he kissed Cordelia and then spoke to her, 'stay here with me?'
'Sure thing.'
'Oh…' Angel put his hands in his pockets, 'well - it's been a long day … I'll just - just say 'goodnight' and go on up. Night.'
'Night, Angel.'
'Night, man.'
And the vampire climbed the stairs, alone, only casting a backwards glance once he was on the second floor landing - and the couple couldn't see him. They were still down in the lobby, still kissing…he frowned. From up here the lobby looked - different, somehow. Like things had been moved around, but only slightly. Maybe Cordelia had tidied up whilst she'd been waiting for them… The kissing couple broke apart and, arms wrapped tightly around each other, headed for the staircase - and Angel continued on his way up to the top floor, leaving them behind. He closed the door to his suite of rooms, behind him, and dropped down on the bed. After a while he took his clothes off and crawled under the covers - and tried not to think of his friend - a few floors down - doing the exact same thing … with Cordelia.
'So what happens now?' Cordelia asked, cuddling up against Doyle, in the dark of their room. 'What d'y' mean?'
'Well… Gunn's broken with his crew, Merl is dead, we don't have a snitch anymore, Lorne's place is trashed...what happens now?'
Doyle rolled over and dropped a kiss on her bare collarbone. 'We get up in the mornin' - the sun will be shinin' - and we start a new day. We help Lorne tidy up his place, and we wait for our next client - or my next vision - and we take whatever life throws at us - the way we always do.'
'Yeah?' She wrapped her arm around him, 'and what about you? Are you OK?'
'You mean my leg? Yeah it's fine...'
'No - I don't mean your leg - not that I don't care about that but… I mean, a bunch of humans hunted you down to kill you because you're a demon, are you OK with that?'
'Well, if I never get chased by guys with machine guns again I won't exactly be complaining.'
She smiled, in the darkness, and kissed him. 'Wimp. You know what I mean,' she told him.
'Yeah - I know what you mean… I'm OK.'
'Yeah? It wasn't just another reminder that you're … different?'
'Is that a nice way o' sayin' 'not as much of a 'man' as other men'?'
'Yeah.'
'I'm OK… I'm gettin' used to it.'
'Good - me too,' she kissed him again, 'and we don't ever need anyone else… as long as I have you, I'm happy.'
'Likewise.'
Gunn arrived home, and went into his bedroom. He picked up the picture of Alonna, that he kept by the bed, and looked at it for a long time. He didn't have much in the way of photographs or possessions of his sister. Their lives hadn't exactly been filled with hallmark moments - and there weren't a whole load of photo ops at the children's homes or out on the streets. But he did have this one - it was a wallet sized square photo that she'd taken in one of those booths, about two years before...
She'd been doing the rounds at the train station, picking up any loose change she'd found on the floor, checking the vending machines to see if anyone had left any money behind by accident. And she'd done quite well for herself that day - nearly eight bucks. And there had been a photo booth over in the corner of the concourse - and a gang of bratty tweens were all piling in to get their group picture taking, laughing - having fun. And Alonna had wanted some of that. So she had waited until they had cleared out, and then gone into the booth herself and had her picture taken - using half of the money she had found that day.
Gunn had cussed her out when he found out that she had wasted good dough on something so stupid and unnecessary. He'd taken the pictures off her. She never knew that he'd kept them for himself.
He looked down at his sister's smiling, fifteen year old face. It wasn't fair - to lose her like that, before she'd ever had a chance to … And now here he was, moving on up. He had a home, he had a job. He wasn't running anymore, he wasn't scared and he wasn't hungry. But he'd never been able to give her that. She had died and he had turned his back on everything they had had together - without her he hadn't the heart to stay with his crew. And without him, the crew had lost their way. He had let Alonna down.
He put her photo back down on the side. 'I'm sorry,' he said to it. From the nightstand, fifteen year old Alonna smiled up at him, frozen in time. He switched the light off, and went to sleep.
A/N Next episode we're seizing the night with 'Carpe Noctem'.
