Part 8: The Usual
"What did you see, Cordy?"
"There's a demon following a woman. You know, usual story, nothing we can't handle." She stood up. "Without you," she added when she saw Angel attempting to stand up. "Gunn and I will take care of it." After she spoke, she saw him hesitate, but finally lie back down. "I'll be back soon," she assured him.
He seemed uncomfortable with their change in roles. He was used to being the hero, helping the helpless, instead of being weak himself. He didn't deserve the treatment he was getting from his seer, who was now prepared to fight his battles for him, without him. He only loved her more for how strong she had become, but it just did not feel right. He should at least be fighting alongside her, they were a team. He knew she was right though, he would only end up getting himself killed. He would help later, when his head stopped pounding...
***
Fred was busy working on the case and there was no time for research, Cordelia and Gunn had to hunt the demon fast. Cordelia's vision had given her an idea of the time and the place, so their only problem would be in defeating it. They could only hope that they would be able to figure it out when they got there. The team had become smaller over the past few weeks, which meant that the work took them twice as long and they had to work twice as hard.
Gunn was unsure about the two of them against a demon, but Cordelia was confident that they could handle it. She was still not completely in control of her powers, but they had proven most effective so far.
"So, we're lookin' for an ugly demon chasin' some chick?"
"Pretty much, usual stuff."
Soon enough, they spied said ugly demon. True to the vision, he was following closely behind a young woman. The woman did not seem to know what was following her, but she walked quickly, almost nervously.
"You know, Gunn, I'm no expert, but that looks more like stalking than chasing to me." Cordelia hesitated. In fact, the woman did not seem to be in any danger.
"It's still a demon, looks evil to me. It seems to want more than just a look, if you know what I mean." It did actually look like the demon was checking the woman out. "That's just not right."
"I thought you knew by now, that all demons are not bad." She gave him a look.
"Well, no. But you had a vision..." Gunn knew he had a point.
"That's right. Ther's just... something strange about the whole thing."
"Let's go check it out." Gunn starting moving in the direction of the demon, that was quite far in front of them.
"Okay. We won't attack him if he doesn't attack us."
"Wait a minute." Gunn was not liking where this was going. "It used to be: you get vision, we kill demon, everyone is happy. Now we're going to go make friends with the guy."
"Calm down. I didn't mean that at all. I just feel that this is not as straightforward as it might seem."
"You 'feel'?" Gunn was skeptical, he needed more solid proof.
"I'm vision girl. Not only do I see, I feel."
"Can you feel where he has gone? We seem to have lost him during our little discussion."
"Great, just great," they stopped looking around for where he had gone.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a horned creature leaped out in front of them. It was fast and neither of them had been prepared. Even so, they were quick to respond and swiftly switched to battle mode.
"Permission to attack?" Gunn asked sarcastically.
"Oh yeah." With this, they simultaneously lunged towards the creature, that seemed shocked that they were actually fighting back and instinctively jumped back. He was certainly fast, but much less coordinated. Unlike them, he was unarmed and he had no fighting skills at all. Gunn landed a kick in his stomach, knocking him over. He stood over him, axe in hand.
"Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Gunn. You know, I really think we could be friends, if you promise to trim those nasty horns, that is." The creature growled in response, not understanding a word. Gunn glared at Cordelia. "I guess that's a no then." He raised the axe.
"Gunn, wait." Cordelia sounded desperate.
"What? You want a go aswell? See if he'll be friends with you?" As he spoke, the demon in front of them started to change shape. While they watched, the form slowly became a human.
"Oh God. Definitely not the usual." Gunn was shocked at how close he had been to killing the man.
"No," Cordelia said softly.
"I'm... sorry."
"You didn't know. It's okay." The man started to wake up. "Are you alright?"
"What happened? Where's Laura?" He looked up in confusion. "Who are you?"
"You don't remember anything? You... had some kind of episode. We can help you, we'll take you to a safe place." Cordelia spoke gently, reassuring the man.
"Where are my clothes?" Suddenly aware of his nudity, Cordelia reached into her bag, pulling out a t-shirt and some sweat pants.
In response to the strange look from Gunn that ensued, Cordelia explained, "hey, I'm always prepared." She helped him to put the clothes on, noticing how weak he was after his transformation. "We'd better get him back to the hotel. I think I can manage, it's not too far. You should go see what you can find out on the streets."
"You sure? It's not that close and we don't have the car." Gunn was doubtful.
"I'll manage, trust me on this," she smiled, encouraging him.
"You're the boss." Gunn looked away. Cordelia did not miss his expression of defeat.
"Don't feel bad for what happened, you couldn't have known."
"You did. How did you know anyway?" Gunn was curious.
"You know, special powers... plus he was wearing a watch."
"Gotcha." He grinned. "We'd better get movin." He helped Cordelia to lift the man to his feet. With one final look on reassurance from Cordelia, he left them.
Cordelia wrapped her arms around the man, hoping that once again this would work.
They both disappeared in a flash of light.
"What did you see, Cordy?"
"There's a demon following a woman. You know, usual story, nothing we can't handle." She stood up. "Without you," she added when she saw Angel attempting to stand up. "Gunn and I will take care of it." After she spoke, she saw him hesitate, but finally lie back down. "I'll be back soon," she assured him.
He seemed uncomfortable with their change in roles. He was used to being the hero, helping the helpless, instead of being weak himself. He didn't deserve the treatment he was getting from his seer, who was now prepared to fight his battles for him, without him. He only loved her more for how strong she had become, but it just did not feel right. He should at least be fighting alongside her, they were a team. He knew she was right though, he would only end up getting himself killed. He would help later, when his head stopped pounding...
***
Fred was busy working on the case and there was no time for research, Cordelia and Gunn had to hunt the demon fast. Cordelia's vision had given her an idea of the time and the place, so their only problem would be in defeating it. They could only hope that they would be able to figure it out when they got there. The team had become smaller over the past few weeks, which meant that the work took them twice as long and they had to work twice as hard.
Gunn was unsure about the two of them against a demon, but Cordelia was confident that they could handle it. She was still not completely in control of her powers, but they had proven most effective so far.
"So, we're lookin' for an ugly demon chasin' some chick?"
"Pretty much, usual stuff."
Soon enough, they spied said ugly demon. True to the vision, he was following closely behind a young woman. The woman did not seem to know what was following her, but she walked quickly, almost nervously.
"You know, Gunn, I'm no expert, but that looks more like stalking than chasing to me." Cordelia hesitated. In fact, the woman did not seem to be in any danger.
"It's still a demon, looks evil to me. It seems to want more than just a look, if you know what I mean." It did actually look like the demon was checking the woman out. "That's just not right."
"I thought you knew by now, that all demons are not bad." She gave him a look.
"Well, no. But you had a vision..." Gunn knew he had a point.
"That's right. Ther's just... something strange about the whole thing."
"Let's go check it out." Gunn starting moving in the direction of the demon, that was quite far in front of them.
"Okay. We won't attack him if he doesn't attack us."
"Wait a minute." Gunn was not liking where this was going. "It used to be: you get vision, we kill demon, everyone is happy. Now we're going to go make friends with the guy."
"Calm down. I didn't mean that at all. I just feel that this is not as straightforward as it might seem."
"You 'feel'?" Gunn was skeptical, he needed more solid proof.
"I'm vision girl. Not only do I see, I feel."
"Can you feel where he has gone? We seem to have lost him during our little discussion."
"Great, just great," they stopped looking around for where he had gone.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a horned creature leaped out in front of them. It was fast and neither of them had been prepared. Even so, they were quick to respond and swiftly switched to battle mode.
"Permission to attack?" Gunn asked sarcastically.
"Oh yeah." With this, they simultaneously lunged towards the creature, that seemed shocked that they were actually fighting back and instinctively jumped back. He was certainly fast, but much less coordinated. Unlike them, he was unarmed and he had no fighting skills at all. Gunn landed a kick in his stomach, knocking him over. He stood over him, axe in hand.
"Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Gunn. You know, I really think we could be friends, if you promise to trim those nasty horns, that is." The creature growled in response, not understanding a word. Gunn glared at Cordelia. "I guess that's a no then." He raised the axe.
"Gunn, wait." Cordelia sounded desperate.
"What? You want a go aswell? See if he'll be friends with you?" As he spoke, the demon in front of them started to change shape. While they watched, the form slowly became a human.
"Oh God. Definitely not the usual." Gunn was shocked at how close he had been to killing the man.
"No," Cordelia said softly.
"I'm... sorry."
"You didn't know. It's okay." The man started to wake up. "Are you alright?"
"What happened? Where's Laura?" He looked up in confusion. "Who are you?"
"You don't remember anything? You... had some kind of episode. We can help you, we'll take you to a safe place." Cordelia spoke gently, reassuring the man.
"Where are my clothes?" Suddenly aware of his nudity, Cordelia reached into her bag, pulling out a t-shirt and some sweat pants.
In response to the strange look from Gunn that ensued, Cordelia explained, "hey, I'm always prepared." She helped him to put the clothes on, noticing how weak he was after his transformation. "We'd better get him back to the hotel. I think I can manage, it's not too far. You should go see what you can find out on the streets."
"You sure? It's not that close and we don't have the car." Gunn was doubtful.
"I'll manage, trust me on this," she smiled, encouraging him.
"You're the boss." Gunn looked away. Cordelia did not miss his expression of defeat.
"Don't feel bad for what happened, you couldn't have known."
"You did. How did you know anyway?" Gunn was curious.
"You know, special powers... plus he was wearing a watch."
"Gotcha." He grinned. "We'd better get movin." He helped Cordelia to lift the man to his feet. With one final look on reassurance from Cordelia, he left them.
Cordelia wrapped her arms around the man, hoping that once again this would work.
They both disappeared in a flash of light.