Title: Like Old Times (3/3)
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: Crossover
Description: A few days after Angel fires his staff, Xander comes to town to find that old habits die hard.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a sample of Jessica Simpson's navel lint and the "I Can Read" edition of War and Peace. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB own Buffy and all related characters. I just make up stories about them. Sort of like a tabloid, but without the whole "going straight to hell" angle.
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"Go away, boy," Angel half said and half growled. "You don't belong here."
"Yeah, well... I realize that more with each passing second. But I'm not leaving until we talk." Xander took a few steps closer to the vampire. "Because somebody sure as hell needs to reign you in."
"And that's gonna be you?" Angel turned to look at him with his yellow, feral eyes. He was still vamped out from the fight Xander had witnessed.
The sight of him caused a million bad memories to resurface in Xander's mind, but he was determined to continue. "I don't see anyone else stepping up to the plate."
"I don't have time for this," Angel said, reverting to his human guise and starting to walk away.
"Your friends are gonna die," Xander said bluntly, causing Angel to stop dead in his tracks. "There's a lady vamp named Lucia going walkabout in L.A. She's way strong and not friendly. She says that before the sun sets tomorrow, we'll all be dead."
"And?"
"And? You heartless son of a... This chick doesn't strike me as someone who doesn't keep her word. Buffy's got problems in Sunnydale. You're the only big gun around."
"It doesn't matter," Angel said. "If I don't stop Darla and Drusilla, we're all as good as dead anyway."
"I don't know what sense that makes on the planet you're on," Xander said. "But letting your friends die so you can save them from an altogether different evil just doesn't make sense according to our earth logic."
"They didn't have to continue the good fight."
"Sure they did. What kind of person can know what's out there and not do something about it. Oh, wait. I guess YOU'RE that type. What happened to you? You've always been fairly worthless, but you were at least loyal when you were all full of soul. But whatever Darla and Dru have done to you... You're on a slippery slope, man. And while I don't give a rat's ass, your friends do. They're actually convinced you'll get over this."
"I will, once they've been stopped."
"But by then the only people who care about you will be dead. And the bottom line is... You'll be as responsible for their deaths as if you killed them yourself." Xander stepped up in the vampire's face. "And if one of them dies, I'll hunt you down myself."
Xander did not wait for a response. Instead, he turned and left the vampire alone to ponder his words.
"You gonna eat that?" Cordelia asked, eyeing the fruit on Oz's plate.
"Not so much," he replied with his trademark stoicism. "Funny how everything in California comes with fruit, but everything in Texas comes with cream gravy."
"You were in Texas?" Gunn asked. "Where at? I gotta cousin in Dallas."
"I was in Houston," Oz said. "I was checking some leads about a werewolf attack there. Thought I might be able to lend a hand."
"Any luck?" Wesley asked.
"He's history," Oz said. "So I came back here, gave Xander a call and found out he was heading this way. I decided to stick around, so I gave him my number."
"Well we're lucky to have you here," Wesley said.
"Yeah," Cordelia agreed, as she picked up her breakfast plate and headed for the kitchen. "If we didn't have you around, we'd probably have a heck of a time finding Lucia."
"Maybe not," Xander said, stepping into the kitchen.
"You're back," Cordelia said with a smile. "We were worried about you."
"For the record," Oz said. "I kept my cool about it."
"And I just didn't care," Gunn said.
"Feel the love," Xander joked.
"What were you saying as you came in?" Wesley asked.
"Oh, yeah," Xander remembered. "Check out the paper." He dropped it on the table in front of Wesley.
"Serial killer baffles police," Wesley read. "The L.A.P.D. released information late last night concerning a string of murders in the district known as 'Old Town.' Three people, whose names have been withheld until their families have been notified, have been murdered with what the police believe to be an icepick. Each victim had two puncture wounds near the jugular, and was drained of blood. Police believe that the murders may be the work of an occult faction, as the vital organs were also removed from each victim."
"That's not usual vamp M.O.," Gunn said.
"Organ harvesting is more of a demon thing, right?" Oz asked.
"Not exclusively," Wesley said. "Dark magic often requires sacrificing such things."
"And we know Lucia is a witchy woman," Xander said. "So we've narrowed down the area for Oz to search."
"Yeah, but we still don't know what to do with her once we find her," Gunn reminded.
"I wouldn't say that," Xander said. "I happen to have a plan. We just need to set it all up before night falls."
"Oh, boy," Cordelia said with a roll of her eyes. "Now we ALL get to die."
Later that night, Xander watched from the shadows as Lucia walked a young man into the alley behind a pool hall called O'Malley's. The guy obviously thought he was going to get lucky, but Xander knew the opposite was true. Slowly, he emerged from the shadows and followed them. It made him nervous that the others were several blocks away. But it was his plan, and his risk to take.
"So where are we going, baby?" Lucia's would-be victim asked.
"I am going to destroy the Slayer. After I kill all her friends, of course. You... Well, you're just going to die." Lucia's face revealed her demonic nature. "Scream if you'd like."
"Scream if you'd like?" Xander repeated as he stepped into the moonlight. "What are you? Auditioning for lame villain of the week? 'Cause I gotta say, I've seen better."
"You again." Lucia let loose of her victim, and turned to face Xander. The young man beside her, bolted out of the alley. "I was just getting ready to start looking for you. Once I fueled up, of course."
"Yeah, well... The sun has already set. I think you missed your window of opportunity."
"Hardly. I have all night."
"Possibly less," Xander said, pulling a gun from behind his back and firing at her heart. The round put a hole through her.
"Lead bullets? The Slayer hasn't taught you much. Only wood can do me harm."
"That was just to get your attention," Xander said with a smile. He then turned and ran with all the speed his legs would give him. He didn't have to look behind him to know that she was in pursuit.
"Xander's gonna get himself killed," Cordelia said. "And then we're gonna have a pissed off Slayer on our hands."
"Not to mention a witch and a former vengeance demon," Oz reminded. "Xander's not stupid. He wouldn't bite off more than he could chew."
"Still," Wesley said. "I wish he would have let Gunn go with him."
"Hey, sometimes a man has to do what he has to do. Was it just me or did he go from goofy guy to plan guy when this Lucia chick mentioned the Slayer?" Gunn asked.
"That's Xander," Cordelia said. "Doesn't matter that he doesn't get anywhere with her. Or even that he has a girlfriend for that matter. When Buffy's in trouble, he's ready to die for her." She turned and noticed that everyone was staring at her. "Sorry," she said. "Personal stuff."
Xander bolted through the entryway of the abandoned warehouse, making sure not to stumble over the tripwire at the foot of the door.
"7!" he shouted, so the others would know how many seconds behind him the vampire was.
The moment Lucia came through the doorway, she tripped the trigger that the others had rigged. Crossbow bolts came from everywhere, piercing her flesh. Unfortunately, not one of them hit her heart.
"You ruined my dress!" she screamed.
"That thing?" Xander said, continuing his run down the hall. "You can just go to Hookers R Us and pick up another one."
She continued after him, jerking the arrows out of her body as she went. "I was going to let you live if you led me to the Slayer, but now I will have just have to kill you anyway."
"Now you tell me," he mumbled. He was just about to step into the main holding area, when Lucia tackled him from behind, sending them both tumbling through the door way.
"No!" Cordelia screamed. It was far too late. The moment Xander and Lucia were through the door, the trigger was sprung. Luckily, Xander managed to roll out of the way before the flame throwers on either side of the door let loose their fury. Unfortunately, they missed Lucia, too.
"Nice try," the vamp said, picking Xander off his feet and throwing him into a stack of crates. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
Gunn jumped at her from above, but she caught him and slammed him to the ground. He rolled out of her reach, but she was on him again, before he could fully recover. Wesley handed his crossbow to Cordelia, since he couldn't get a clean shot, and ran at the vampire with a cross and stake. Seconds later he landed at Cordelia's feet.
"Nice moves, Wes," Xander said, taking the crossbow from Cordelia. "You circle behind her, and while I distract her, you grab Gunn. Cordy, you stand near the back and be ready to run phase two."
"How are you going to distract her?" Wesley asked.
Gunn had never been so badly beaten in his life. Every move he had, she had a counter move for. She was just getting ready to bite him, when an arrow pierced the side of her head.
"I think that got her attention," Xander said, as he began clubbing her with the stock of the crossbow. "Fall back, Gunn. Give me some room."
Wesley swept in and helped Gunn to his feet. They both made their way back to Cordelia.
"This ain't gonna work," Gunn said. "She's too good."
"Okay, Mr. Negative," Cordelia said. "Why don't we just give up. I'm sure she'll have mercy on us all." She rolled her eyes.
"You ain't exactly Miss Sunshine," Gunn mumbled.
"Xander actually appears to have her on the ropes." Wesley commented.
"Yeah," Cordelia said. "I've never seen him so... manly." Both men stared at her. "What?"
"She's not that easy," Gunn said. "Ain't no way she's done yet."
The stock of the crossbow shattered across the vampire's skull, as Xander continued to pound away at her. "I think you'll find that your mistake was assuming that the weak little friends of the Slayer couldn't kick your scrawny..."
A crack across the chin silenced Xander. He flew back hard, landing on his back on the concrete floor. "You are truly pathetic," she said, wiping the blood from her face. "You are a being of light. You cannot hope to comprehend my darkness."
"I'm betting I can," came a voice from behind her. She ducked just as the blade of a sword came whistling toward her head.
At the other end of the warehouse, Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn all stood shocked at the sight of Angel attacking Lucia.
"How'd he know?" Gunn said, a bit confused.
"I assume it has something to do with Xander's mystery errand," Wesley said. "Hand me the walkie-talkie."
Cordelia passed it to Wesley. He spoke into it softly. "Is everything ready?"
"Good to go," Oz said, from somewhere close. "Just say the word."
Xander sat up and rubbed the back of his head. It was bleeding. He must have hit it on the concrete floor. Angel appeared to be holding his own with Lucia, but just barely. He stood to his feet and yelled at the others, "Go. You can't let her get to the scroll." The others ran through the door at the back of the warehouse.
"What scroll?" Lucia asked, beating Angel about the head with a crescent wrench she had picked up from a table full of discarded tools. "Tell me."
"She doesn't know about the scroll!" Angel shouted, playing along. "Keep your mouth shut!"
"She's a sorceress," Xander said. "I just assumed she was after the..."
"Xander!"
"Right. Shutting up now." Xander turned and ran for the same door into which Cordelia and the others had disappeared. "We'll protect the scroll," he shouted to Angel. "You protect us."
No sooner was Xander through the door, than Angel began losing ground quickly. Within but a few moments, he was defeated. Lucia left him there and made her way to the door the others had escaped through. She stepped through it, and found herself in another warehouse roughly half the size of the first.
It was nearly pitch black. The only thing she could hear was the whimpering of the girl the others had called, Cordelia. All she could see was a tanker truck parked a few feet to her left, just inside a huge sliding door.
She stepped into the darkness, preparing herself for any attack they might throw at her. The second that her first step found no purchase, Lucia knew something had gone horribly wrong. She tumbled head over heels into nothingness. There was nothing solid to grab hold of until she hit the bottom, some thirty feet below.
She looked up, as they all peered down at her. "What is this?" she demanded.
"It's an oil trap," Xander explained. "They used to work on the big rigs here. So they would dump all the old oil into this trap, and then they would dispose of it properly at a later date. They must have emptied it when they shut down. Cordelia was kind enough to pick it out, after she hacked into the city's blueprints."
"If you'll notice," Wesley said. "There are crosses attached to the opening here, to prevent you from escaping. That was my idea."
"Mine was to make sure the insides were still nice and slick," Gunn explained. "That way, you wouldn't even be able to get anywhere close to the top. Not that we plan on giving you a chance."
Lucia was beginning to look frightened, like a trapped rat. She glared at Xander. "And which part of the plan was yours, worm?"
"Mine?" Xander grinned at her. "I just had Oz pick up a little gift for you." Lucia watched as he was handed a hose and nozzle by the young man called Oz. "Consider this a going away gift," Xander said. "From me to you."
He turned on the hose, and even before it hit her, she knew what it was. She cursed herself for being a fool. It was the last thought she ever had.
"A whole tanker truck full of holy water," Gunn said. "Man, that was harsh." He handed Xander a beer. "How'd you come up with that?"
"It just seemed like an overkill kind of situation," Xander smiled. "It wouldn't have worked if Oz hadn't been able to get it blessed by a priest."
"Cordelia told me what priest to go to," Oz said. He turned to Cordelia. "Father Thomas said that he hoped that your strange request was payment enough for your kindness."
All eyes turned to Cordelia. "What?" she asked. "I talked his niece out of pursuing acting."
"Isn't that a bit hypocritical?" Wesley asked.
"One less person competing for my roles? I can live with myself," she said.
"So what's next for you, Oz-man?" Xander asked. "Taking your 'I was a teenage werewolf' show on the road again?"
"Yeah," the young man said. "I got a line on a job in Denver. Think I'll head that way. You?"
"Back to Sunnydale," Xander said. "Anya's probably freaking out by now, not to mention driving Giles insane. Plus, Buffy's got this whole Glory thing happening."
"Tell Giles that I will check a few of my sources," Wesley offered. "I can't promise anything, but..."
"It's appreciated, Wes. Any word from Angel?"
"Nada," Gunn said. "He just disappeared last night after that beating he... we took."
"Yes. I fear we're still on our own," Wesley said.
"Not alone," Cordelia said with a smile. "We have each other."
Xander and Oz shot each other a smile. It was obvious how much Cordelia had changed. When Xander looked back, Cordelia was motioning him into the kitchen. He got up and followed her.
"What's up?" He asked, walking over to her.
She looked around to see if anyone was watching. "If you tell anyone about this, I'll kill you."
"Okay."
She smiled at him and put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Your a good man, Xander Harris. I'm glad you came to see me." He hugged her back for a moment, and then let her go.
"Me, too. It seems we've both done a lot of growing up."
"Yeah, well... Don't let it go to your head." She turned around and walked out on him. He just stood there for a minute laughing to himself.
"Just like old times," he said with a grin.
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: Crossover
Description: A few days after Angel fires his staff, Xander comes to town to find that old habits die hard.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a sample of Jessica Simpson's navel lint and the "I Can Read" edition of War and Peace. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB own Buffy and all related characters. I just make up stories about them. Sort of like a tabloid, but without the whole "going straight to hell" angle.
********************************************************************************
"Go away, boy," Angel half said and half growled. "You don't belong here."
"Yeah, well... I realize that more with each passing second. But I'm not leaving until we talk." Xander took a few steps closer to the vampire. "Because somebody sure as hell needs to reign you in."
"And that's gonna be you?" Angel turned to look at him with his yellow, feral eyes. He was still vamped out from the fight Xander had witnessed.
The sight of him caused a million bad memories to resurface in Xander's mind, but he was determined to continue. "I don't see anyone else stepping up to the plate."
"I don't have time for this," Angel said, reverting to his human guise and starting to walk away.
"Your friends are gonna die," Xander said bluntly, causing Angel to stop dead in his tracks. "There's a lady vamp named Lucia going walkabout in L.A. She's way strong and not friendly. She says that before the sun sets tomorrow, we'll all be dead."
"And?"
"And? You heartless son of a... This chick doesn't strike me as someone who doesn't keep her word. Buffy's got problems in Sunnydale. You're the only big gun around."
"It doesn't matter," Angel said. "If I don't stop Darla and Drusilla, we're all as good as dead anyway."
"I don't know what sense that makes on the planet you're on," Xander said. "But letting your friends die so you can save them from an altogether different evil just doesn't make sense according to our earth logic."
"They didn't have to continue the good fight."
"Sure they did. What kind of person can know what's out there and not do something about it. Oh, wait. I guess YOU'RE that type. What happened to you? You've always been fairly worthless, but you were at least loyal when you were all full of soul. But whatever Darla and Dru have done to you... You're on a slippery slope, man. And while I don't give a rat's ass, your friends do. They're actually convinced you'll get over this."
"I will, once they've been stopped."
"But by then the only people who care about you will be dead. And the bottom line is... You'll be as responsible for their deaths as if you killed them yourself." Xander stepped up in the vampire's face. "And if one of them dies, I'll hunt you down myself."
Xander did not wait for a response. Instead, he turned and left the vampire alone to ponder his words.
"You gonna eat that?" Cordelia asked, eyeing the fruit on Oz's plate.
"Not so much," he replied with his trademark stoicism. "Funny how everything in California comes with fruit, but everything in Texas comes with cream gravy."
"You were in Texas?" Gunn asked. "Where at? I gotta cousin in Dallas."
"I was in Houston," Oz said. "I was checking some leads about a werewolf attack there. Thought I might be able to lend a hand."
"Any luck?" Wesley asked.
"He's history," Oz said. "So I came back here, gave Xander a call and found out he was heading this way. I decided to stick around, so I gave him my number."
"Well we're lucky to have you here," Wesley said.
"Yeah," Cordelia agreed, as she picked up her breakfast plate and headed for the kitchen. "If we didn't have you around, we'd probably have a heck of a time finding Lucia."
"Maybe not," Xander said, stepping into the kitchen.
"You're back," Cordelia said with a smile. "We were worried about you."
"For the record," Oz said. "I kept my cool about it."
"And I just didn't care," Gunn said.
"Feel the love," Xander joked.
"What were you saying as you came in?" Wesley asked.
"Oh, yeah," Xander remembered. "Check out the paper." He dropped it on the table in front of Wesley.
"Serial killer baffles police," Wesley read. "The L.A.P.D. released information late last night concerning a string of murders in the district known as 'Old Town.' Three people, whose names have been withheld until their families have been notified, have been murdered with what the police believe to be an icepick. Each victim had two puncture wounds near the jugular, and was drained of blood. Police believe that the murders may be the work of an occult faction, as the vital organs were also removed from each victim."
"That's not usual vamp M.O.," Gunn said.
"Organ harvesting is more of a demon thing, right?" Oz asked.
"Not exclusively," Wesley said. "Dark magic often requires sacrificing such things."
"And we know Lucia is a witchy woman," Xander said. "So we've narrowed down the area for Oz to search."
"Yeah, but we still don't know what to do with her once we find her," Gunn reminded.
"I wouldn't say that," Xander said. "I happen to have a plan. We just need to set it all up before night falls."
"Oh, boy," Cordelia said with a roll of her eyes. "Now we ALL get to die."
Later that night, Xander watched from the shadows as Lucia walked a young man into the alley behind a pool hall called O'Malley's. The guy obviously thought he was going to get lucky, but Xander knew the opposite was true. Slowly, he emerged from the shadows and followed them. It made him nervous that the others were several blocks away. But it was his plan, and his risk to take.
"So where are we going, baby?" Lucia's would-be victim asked.
"I am going to destroy the Slayer. After I kill all her friends, of course. You... Well, you're just going to die." Lucia's face revealed her demonic nature. "Scream if you'd like."
"Scream if you'd like?" Xander repeated as he stepped into the moonlight. "What are you? Auditioning for lame villain of the week? 'Cause I gotta say, I've seen better."
"You again." Lucia let loose of her victim, and turned to face Xander. The young man beside her, bolted out of the alley. "I was just getting ready to start looking for you. Once I fueled up, of course."
"Yeah, well... The sun has already set. I think you missed your window of opportunity."
"Hardly. I have all night."
"Possibly less," Xander said, pulling a gun from behind his back and firing at her heart. The round put a hole through her.
"Lead bullets? The Slayer hasn't taught you much. Only wood can do me harm."
"That was just to get your attention," Xander said with a smile. He then turned and ran with all the speed his legs would give him. He didn't have to look behind him to know that she was in pursuit.
"Xander's gonna get himself killed," Cordelia said. "And then we're gonna have a pissed off Slayer on our hands."
"Not to mention a witch and a former vengeance demon," Oz reminded. "Xander's not stupid. He wouldn't bite off more than he could chew."
"Still," Wesley said. "I wish he would have let Gunn go with him."
"Hey, sometimes a man has to do what he has to do. Was it just me or did he go from goofy guy to plan guy when this Lucia chick mentioned the Slayer?" Gunn asked.
"That's Xander," Cordelia said. "Doesn't matter that he doesn't get anywhere with her. Or even that he has a girlfriend for that matter. When Buffy's in trouble, he's ready to die for her." She turned and noticed that everyone was staring at her. "Sorry," she said. "Personal stuff."
Xander bolted through the entryway of the abandoned warehouse, making sure not to stumble over the tripwire at the foot of the door.
"7!" he shouted, so the others would know how many seconds behind him the vampire was.
The moment Lucia came through the doorway, she tripped the trigger that the others had rigged. Crossbow bolts came from everywhere, piercing her flesh. Unfortunately, not one of them hit her heart.
"You ruined my dress!" she screamed.
"That thing?" Xander said, continuing his run down the hall. "You can just go to Hookers R Us and pick up another one."
She continued after him, jerking the arrows out of her body as she went. "I was going to let you live if you led me to the Slayer, but now I will have just have to kill you anyway."
"Now you tell me," he mumbled. He was just about to step into the main holding area, when Lucia tackled him from behind, sending them both tumbling through the door way.
"No!" Cordelia screamed. It was far too late. The moment Xander and Lucia were through the door, the trigger was sprung. Luckily, Xander managed to roll out of the way before the flame throwers on either side of the door let loose their fury. Unfortunately, they missed Lucia, too.
"Nice try," the vamp said, picking Xander off his feet and throwing him into a stack of crates. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
Gunn jumped at her from above, but she caught him and slammed him to the ground. He rolled out of her reach, but she was on him again, before he could fully recover. Wesley handed his crossbow to Cordelia, since he couldn't get a clean shot, and ran at the vampire with a cross and stake. Seconds later he landed at Cordelia's feet.
"Nice moves, Wes," Xander said, taking the crossbow from Cordelia. "You circle behind her, and while I distract her, you grab Gunn. Cordy, you stand near the back and be ready to run phase two."
"How are you going to distract her?" Wesley asked.
Gunn had never been so badly beaten in his life. Every move he had, she had a counter move for. She was just getting ready to bite him, when an arrow pierced the side of her head.
"I think that got her attention," Xander said, as he began clubbing her with the stock of the crossbow. "Fall back, Gunn. Give me some room."
Wesley swept in and helped Gunn to his feet. They both made their way back to Cordelia.
"This ain't gonna work," Gunn said. "She's too good."
"Okay, Mr. Negative," Cordelia said. "Why don't we just give up. I'm sure she'll have mercy on us all." She rolled her eyes.
"You ain't exactly Miss Sunshine," Gunn mumbled.
"Xander actually appears to have her on the ropes." Wesley commented.
"Yeah," Cordelia said. "I've never seen him so... manly." Both men stared at her. "What?"
"She's not that easy," Gunn said. "Ain't no way she's done yet."
The stock of the crossbow shattered across the vampire's skull, as Xander continued to pound away at her. "I think you'll find that your mistake was assuming that the weak little friends of the Slayer couldn't kick your scrawny..."
A crack across the chin silenced Xander. He flew back hard, landing on his back on the concrete floor. "You are truly pathetic," she said, wiping the blood from her face. "You are a being of light. You cannot hope to comprehend my darkness."
"I'm betting I can," came a voice from behind her. She ducked just as the blade of a sword came whistling toward her head.
At the other end of the warehouse, Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn all stood shocked at the sight of Angel attacking Lucia.
"How'd he know?" Gunn said, a bit confused.
"I assume it has something to do with Xander's mystery errand," Wesley said. "Hand me the walkie-talkie."
Cordelia passed it to Wesley. He spoke into it softly. "Is everything ready?"
"Good to go," Oz said, from somewhere close. "Just say the word."
Xander sat up and rubbed the back of his head. It was bleeding. He must have hit it on the concrete floor. Angel appeared to be holding his own with Lucia, but just barely. He stood to his feet and yelled at the others, "Go. You can't let her get to the scroll." The others ran through the door at the back of the warehouse.
"What scroll?" Lucia asked, beating Angel about the head with a crescent wrench she had picked up from a table full of discarded tools. "Tell me."
"She doesn't know about the scroll!" Angel shouted, playing along. "Keep your mouth shut!"
"She's a sorceress," Xander said. "I just assumed she was after the..."
"Xander!"
"Right. Shutting up now." Xander turned and ran for the same door into which Cordelia and the others had disappeared. "We'll protect the scroll," he shouted to Angel. "You protect us."
No sooner was Xander through the door, than Angel began losing ground quickly. Within but a few moments, he was defeated. Lucia left him there and made her way to the door the others had escaped through. She stepped through it, and found herself in another warehouse roughly half the size of the first.
It was nearly pitch black. The only thing she could hear was the whimpering of the girl the others had called, Cordelia. All she could see was a tanker truck parked a few feet to her left, just inside a huge sliding door.
She stepped into the darkness, preparing herself for any attack they might throw at her. The second that her first step found no purchase, Lucia knew something had gone horribly wrong. She tumbled head over heels into nothingness. There was nothing solid to grab hold of until she hit the bottom, some thirty feet below.
She looked up, as they all peered down at her. "What is this?" she demanded.
"It's an oil trap," Xander explained. "They used to work on the big rigs here. So they would dump all the old oil into this trap, and then they would dispose of it properly at a later date. They must have emptied it when they shut down. Cordelia was kind enough to pick it out, after she hacked into the city's blueprints."
"If you'll notice," Wesley said. "There are crosses attached to the opening here, to prevent you from escaping. That was my idea."
"Mine was to make sure the insides were still nice and slick," Gunn explained. "That way, you wouldn't even be able to get anywhere close to the top. Not that we plan on giving you a chance."
Lucia was beginning to look frightened, like a trapped rat. She glared at Xander. "And which part of the plan was yours, worm?"
"Mine?" Xander grinned at her. "I just had Oz pick up a little gift for you." Lucia watched as he was handed a hose and nozzle by the young man called Oz. "Consider this a going away gift," Xander said. "From me to you."
He turned on the hose, and even before it hit her, she knew what it was. She cursed herself for being a fool. It was the last thought she ever had.
"A whole tanker truck full of holy water," Gunn said. "Man, that was harsh." He handed Xander a beer. "How'd you come up with that?"
"It just seemed like an overkill kind of situation," Xander smiled. "It wouldn't have worked if Oz hadn't been able to get it blessed by a priest."
"Cordelia told me what priest to go to," Oz said. He turned to Cordelia. "Father Thomas said that he hoped that your strange request was payment enough for your kindness."
All eyes turned to Cordelia. "What?" she asked. "I talked his niece out of pursuing acting."
"Isn't that a bit hypocritical?" Wesley asked.
"One less person competing for my roles? I can live with myself," she said.
"So what's next for you, Oz-man?" Xander asked. "Taking your 'I was a teenage werewolf' show on the road again?"
"Yeah," the young man said. "I got a line on a job in Denver. Think I'll head that way. You?"
"Back to Sunnydale," Xander said. "Anya's probably freaking out by now, not to mention driving Giles insane. Plus, Buffy's got this whole Glory thing happening."
"Tell Giles that I will check a few of my sources," Wesley offered. "I can't promise anything, but..."
"It's appreciated, Wes. Any word from Angel?"
"Nada," Gunn said. "He just disappeared last night after that beating he... we took."
"Yes. I fear we're still on our own," Wesley said.
"Not alone," Cordelia said with a smile. "We have each other."
Xander and Oz shot each other a smile. It was obvious how much Cordelia had changed. When Xander looked back, Cordelia was motioning him into the kitchen. He got up and followed her.
"What's up?" He asked, walking over to her.
She looked around to see if anyone was watching. "If you tell anyone about this, I'll kill you."
"Okay."
She smiled at him and put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Your a good man, Xander Harris. I'm glad you came to see me." He hugged her back for a moment, and then let her go.
"Me, too. It seems we've both done a lot of growing up."
"Yeah, well... Don't let it go to your head." She turned around and walked out on him. He just stood there for a minute laughing to himself.
"Just like old times," he said with a grin.