Chapter Three
Gunn reached the abandoned warehouse quickly; he had already scouted it out before going to Angel. Angel himself had followed in the sewer network beneath the waking streets of L.A. He came up and out of the sewers in shadow; the sun was still high in the sky. Daylight scared Angel, it had the power to completely take away his life and burn through his soul, and yet to him it held an ethereal beauty which intoxicated him. Angel surveyed the perimeter of the warehouse silently, his axe weighed heavy in his hand. The door was the only way in and out except for a small barred window that opened into direct sunlight. An old sewer appendix seemed to lead underneath the building but he could not tell if it opened inside. Their only option was to blast through the front door. Angel repositioned himself in front of the big heavy door which hid the entrance to the warehouse, and with an almighty kick Gunn and Angel smashed through.
Darkness presented itself to them, cold, soothing darkness. Angel detected the presence of the demon immediately. He could smell it's clammy sweat clinging to the air and it's breath polluting the fibres of his skin. He could smell human blood dissipating into the cold hard concrete. He could not however tell where it was. It seemed to be in front of them, and he signalled to Gunn to advance with him.
As they approached the back wall of the warehouse Angel doubled over in disgust. The smell of the demon was so rank it seemed to seep into his brain. Gunn stared at him. "You okay?" Angel coughed forcibly. "Fine... Fine." "You vampires and your supernatural senses." Angel shot him a look from behind bleary eyes. They continued towards the smell that was overpowering Angel. As they approached it, they realised it was much bigger than them, and as it came into view Gunn let out an involuntary gasp. Towering over them was a Nary demon, it's hair like spines protruding from it's skin, it's luminous eyes piercing through them. Angel shifted the axe in his hand ready for the onslaught. The demon clumped toward them with blood dripping from the spines on his arms, behind him a body lay doubled over crumpled on the floor. As it came towards them Angel lifted his axe and swiped at it's head. He missed the head but a few spines clattered to the floor. The demon cried out angrily and Gunn jumped at it with his homemade axe. With one swift movement Gunn was sent flying into a wall, the indent he made sent ripples and cracks through it. Gunn slumped down unconscious.
Angel was angered by the attack on Gunn and without thinking he changed into his vampire self. He dived on the demon, slashing, punching and kicking. Spines flew everywhere, some narrowly missing the unconscious Gunn as they fired into the wall. As he brought the demon to his knees Angel snapped it's neck with a flick of his wrist. The demon collapsed on the floor, dead. Angel kicked it aside and went to help Gunn.
From the shadows a pair of disembodied red eyes followed him as he dragged Gunn to his feet and supported him as they left the warehouse. Gunn was sporting a nasty cut to the back of his head, Angel had returned to his normal self. The eyes watched Angel feel a shiver as he felt something watch them, but he shrugged it off. As they left the eyes seemed to move backwards, holding their position as a body shimmered into shape below them. A female form, complete with now blue eyes materialised amidst red light. It was still changing, forming and reforming until it was happy with it's new shape. It stretched out, feeling the power in it's new muscles and the warmth in it's new fingers. It was dressed in a red skin-tight top and black pants. It's blonde hair fell in soft wisps around it's face. It smiled.
As Angel's car roared away, Buffy stepped from the shadows.
Gunn reached the abandoned warehouse quickly; he had already scouted it out before going to Angel. Angel himself had followed in the sewer network beneath the waking streets of L.A. He came up and out of the sewers in shadow; the sun was still high in the sky. Daylight scared Angel, it had the power to completely take away his life and burn through his soul, and yet to him it held an ethereal beauty which intoxicated him. Angel surveyed the perimeter of the warehouse silently, his axe weighed heavy in his hand. The door was the only way in and out except for a small barred window that opened into direct sunlight. An old sewer appendix seemed to lead underneath the building but he could not tell if it opened inside. Their only option was to blast through the front door. Angel repositioned himself in front of the big heavy door which hid the entrance to the warehouse, and with an almighty kick Gunn and Angel smashed through.
Darkness presented itself to them, cold, soothing darkness. Angel detected the presence of the demon immediately. He could smell it's clammy sweat clinging to the air and it's breath polluting the fibres of his skin. He could smell human blood dissipating into the cold hard concrete. He could not however tell where it was. It seemed to be in front of them, and he signalled to Gunn to advance with him.
As they approached the back wall of the warehouse Angel doubled over in disgust. The smell of the demon was so rank it seemed to seep into his brain. Gunn stared at him. "You okay?" Angel coughed forcibly. "Fine... Fine." "You vampires and your supernatural senses." Angel shot him a look from behind bleary eyes. They continued towards the smell that was overpowering Angel. As they approached it, they realised it was much bigger than them, and as it came into view Gunn let out an involuntary gasp. Towering over them was a Nary demon, it's hair like spines protruding from it's skin, it's luminous eyes piercing through them. Angel shifted the axe in his hand ready for the onslaught. The demon clumped toward them with blood dripping from the spines on his arms, behind him a body lay doubled over crumpled on the floor. As it came towards them Angel lifted his axe and swiped at it's head. He missed the head but a few spines clattered to the floor. The demon cried out angrily and Gunn jumped at it with his homemade axe. With one swift movement Gunn was sent flying into a wall, the indent he made sent ripples and cracks through it. Gunn slumped down unconscious.
Angel was angered by the attack on Gunn and without thinking he changed into his vampire self. He dived on the demon, slashing, punching and kicking. Spines flew everywhere, some narrowly missing the unconscious Gunn as they fired into the wall. As he brought the demon to his knees Angel snapped it's neck with a flick of his wrist. The demon collapsed on the floor, dead. Angel kicked it aside and went to help Gunn.
From the shadows a pair of disembodied red eyes followed him as he dragged Gunn to his feet and supported him as they left the warehouse. Gunn was sporting a nasty cut to the back of his head, Angel had returned to his normal self. The eyes watched Angel feel a shiver as he felt something watch them, but he shrugged it off. As they left the eyes seemed to move backwards, holding their position as a body shimmered into shape below them. A female form, complete with now blue eyes materialised amidst red light. It was still changing, forming and reforming until it was happy with it's new shape. It stretched out, feeling the power in it's new muscles and the warmth in it's new fingers. It was dressed in a red skin-tight top and black pants. It's blonde hair fell in soft wisps around it's face. It smiled.
As Angel's car roared away, Buffy stepped from the shadows.