Part 22
10:30 pm
Angel looked up as Buffy got out of the car. "Buffy, what--" She
motioned him to look behind her, and he saw what had worried her.
There were five men walking toward them and they didn't look like
they wanted to help. "Get back in the car," he said softly. "I'll
have this tire changed in just a few more minutes."
She shook her head. "Angel, you're human now. Cordelia told me that
you've gotten hurt more than once these past two weeks because you
insist on acting like you still have your vampire strength. So no, I'm not leaving you alone when I can very easily deal with five thugs
with one hand tied behind my back."
Angel sighed, but didn't argue with her. He turned his attention back to getting the spare tire on the car. Maybe they could get going before--
"Hey!"
--or maybe not.
Angel and Buffy looked over and saw the men were within five feet of
them. Angel stood up, moving in front of Buffy in a protective
attitude. Buffy let him do so, knowing he wouldn't stop her from
jumping into the fight if there was one.
"Need help?" One of the men asked with a grin that didn't make Angel
feel they actually wanted to _help_. They were all caucasian, in
their mid-twenties, wearing jeans and t-shirts.
"We're fine," Angel said. "I got a flat tire, but it's almost fixed."
He frowned as the men spread out in a semi-circle, trapping himself
and Buffy between the car and them. "I said, we're fine," he repeated
firmly. "I appreciate the offer of help, but--"
One of the men on his right lunged at them with a knife but Buffy
grabbed his hand, twisting it roughly. Angel smiled as he heard the
cracking of bones, followed by a scream as the man dropped the knife.
Angel bent to pick up the knife, while still keeping his eyes on
their would-be attackers. "You guys really don't want to do this," he
warned them. "My ...friend here, she's a black belt in Karate and she
knows several other martial arts as well. I ... well, I can hold my
own in a fight." *Especially if it's a fight to protect the woman I
love,* he thought.
"Two against four?" the man who appeared to be the leader spoke
again. "I don't think the odds are with you, Man. I don't care how good a fighter the bitch is. We just want your money, then we'll be on our way."
"No." Angel and Buffy replied simultaneously.
The men looked at each other and then all lunged at Buffy and Angel. Angel met the leader head on, dodging the knife he was waving, ready to use the one in his hand if needed. He yelled with surprise as he felt a the cold blade of a knife enter his side from behind.
Buffy threw a few punches, then heard Angel's yell. She felt a moment
of sickness as she saw the blood soaking Angel's shirt. She threw the
nearest man at the offending asshole who'd stabbed Angel, sending
them both sprawling on the ground. When they got back up off the ground, they'd both lost their knives. "Hand to hand combat, much more fair," Angel said. Unlike them, he hadn't wanted to cause unrepairable injuries. He threw the knife in his hand as far away as possible and tackled his attacker.
Buffy sighed with relief as Angel smiled over at her, appearing to be
okay. She turned back just in time to see one of the other men charge at her. She stepped aside and he ran fullspeed into the side of the car. He stood dazed for a moment, then turned. She grabbed him by the hair, slamming his head against the car hood. She moved away
as he slid to the ground unconscious.
"Hey!" she yelled as another man slashed her in the arm with his
knife. "I don't know where that thing's been, so I'm really gonna
have to hurt you now," she growled, before kicking him in the gut. He
went flying across the field. She turned to grab another man before
he tackled Angel.
It was the man who'd started this whole mess, she realized. "What,
you're _still_ here???" she wondered. "Guess I'll have to break the
other hand then," she added, grabbing said hand and twisting. He
screamed and fell to his knees in agony. "I'll let you go, if you run
away," she offered. He nodded, whimpering. She released his hand, and
to her complete lack of surprise, he tackled her around the knees.
She fell to the ground but then kicked out with both feet, connecting
with his groin. He screamed again, and this time he did stumble off
into the darkness.
Angel let his "attacker" go then, watching as the man grabbed the
unconscious one and dragged him off in the same direction as the
others had gone. Angell then turned back to Buffy. He noticed the gash on her arm and his face paled.
"Just a scratch," she replied. "You on the other hand, my friend, got
skewered." She was trying to be flippant to hide the worry she felt.
She turned away and knelt by the car and finished changing the tire.
When she stood, she noticed Angel's surprised expression. "Yeah, I
can drive too, now," she said with a grin. "Which will come in handy,
since you're not going to do anything of the sort," she added,
opening the passenger side door for him.
Angel nodded and got into the car. Buffy got in the driver's seat,
and soon they were on their way to the Hyperion.
********
10:30 pm
Angel looked up as Buffy got out of the car. "Buffy, what--" She
motioned him to look behind her, and he saw what had worried her.
There were five men walking toward them and they didn't look like
they wanted to help. "Get back in the car," he said softly. "I'll
have this tire changed in just a few more minutes."
She shook her head. "Angel, you're human now. Cordelia told me that
you've gotten hurt more than once these past two weeks because you
insist on acting like you still have your vampire strength. So no, I'm not leaving you alone when I can very easily deal with five thugs
with one hand tied behind my back."
Angel sighed, but didn't argue with her. He turned his attention back to getting the spare tire on the car. Maybe they could get going before--
"Hey!"
--or maybe not.
Angel and Buffy looked over and saw the men were within five feet of
them. Angel stood up, moving in front of Buffy in a protective
attitude. Buffy let him do so, knowing he wouldn't stop her from
jumping into the fight if there was one.
"Need help?" One of the men asked with a grin that didn't make Angel
feel they actually wanted to _help_. They were all caucasian, in
their mid-twenties, wearing jeans and t-shirts.
"We're fine," Angel said. "I got a flat tire, but it's almost fixed."
He frowned as the men spread out in a semi-circle, trapping himself
and Buffy between the car and them. "I said, we're fine," he repeated
firmly. "I appreciate the offer of help, but--"
One of the men on his right lunged at them with a knife but Buffy
grabbed his hand, twisting it roughly. Angel smiled as he heard the
cracking of bones, followed by a scream as the man dropped the knife.
Angel bent to pick up the knife, while still keeping his eyes on
their would-be attackers. "You guys really don't want to do this," he
warned them. "My ...friend here, she's a black belt in Karate and she
knows several other martial arts as well. I ... well, I can hold my
own in a fight." *Especially if it's a fight to protect the woman I
love,* he thought.
"Two against four?" the man who appeared to be the leader spoke
again. "I don't think the odds are with you, Man. I don't care how good a fighter the bitch is. We just want your money, then we'll be on our way."
"No." Angel and Buffy replied simultaneously.
The men looked at each other and then all lunged at Buffy and Angel. Angel met the leader head on, dodging the knife he was waving, ready to use the one in his hand if needed. He yelled with surprise as he felt a the cold blade of a knife enter his side from behind.
Buffy threw a few punches, then heard Angel's yell. She felt a moment
of sickness as she saw the blood soaking Angel's shirt. She threw the
nearest man at the offending asshole who'd stabbed Angel, sending
them both sprawling on the ground. When they got back up off the ground, they'd both lost their knives. "Hand to hand combat, much more fair," Angel said. Unlike them, he hadn't wanted to cause unrepairable injuries. He threw the knife in his hand as far away as possible and tackled his attacker.
Buffy sighed with relief as Angel smiled over at her, appearing to be
okay. She turned back just in time to see one of the other men charge at her. She stepped aside and he ran fullspeed into the side of the car. He stood dazed for a moment, then turned. She grabbed him by the hair, slamming his head against the car hood. She moved away
as he slid to the ground unconscious.
"Hey!" she yelled as another man slashed her in the arm with his
knife. "I don't know where that thing's been, so I'm really gonna
have to hurt you now," she growled, before kicking him in the gut. He
went flying across the field. She turned to grab another man before
he tackled Angel.
It was the man who'd started this whole mess, she realized. "What,
you're _still_ here???" she wondered. "Guess I'll have to break the
other hand then," she added, grabbing said hand and twisting. He
screamed and fell to his knees in agony. "I'll let you go, if you run
away," she offered. He nodded, whimpering. She released his hand, and
to her complete lack of surprise, he tackled her around the knees.
She fell to the ground but then kicked out with both feet, connecting
with his groin. He screamed again, and this time he did stumble off
into the darkness.
Angel let his "attacker" go then, watching as the man grabbed the
unconscious one and dragged him off in the same direction as the
others had gone. Angell then turned back to Buffy. He noticed the gash on her arm and his face paled.
"Just a scratch," she replied. "You on the other hand, my friend, got
skewered." She was trying to be flippant to hide the worry she felt.
She turned away and knelt by the car and finished changing the tire.
When she stood, she noticed Angel's surprised expression. "Yeah, I
can drive too, now," she said with a grin. "Which will come in handy,
since you're not going to do anything of the sort," she added,
opening the passenger side door for him.
Angel nodded and got into the car. Buffy got in the driver's seat,
and soon they were on their way to the Hyperion.
********