Disclaimer: OK, so if you haven't got it by now, then I'm not going to waste my breath. All I will say is that my name is not Joss…get it?
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Oh well, this is nearly it, peeps. I'll save the sniffy thankyous till next time, though, and let you get on with reading this. Have fun! :)
PART 18.
Cordelia so needed a pay rise. If she had known that being chased by life threateningly evil demons on an almost daily basis was going to be part of the job description, she may have passed the opportunity up. She'd have to talk to Wesley about that, if she got out of this alive.
Turning to flee had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that she thought it through carefully, it really didn't have that much potential. The only place left to run was back into the office and out the other door, only to be confronted by yet more leathery nasties. This really wasn't her day.
At least those things were slow. Lumbering after her with a one mindedness that rivalled the Terminator himself, two of the creatures wedged their way into the small room, taking part of the doorframe with them. They left Cordelia with no choice. She'd have to take her chances outside in the lobby where maybe Angel could defend her until she found a weapon of her own. That is, if he wasn't ribbons already.
Scrambling out of reach of the two in pursuit, Cordelia bolted, making for the lobby counter. Rounding it smoothly but not watching where she was treading, she slipped on the small beads of broken glass still littering the floor, skidding unceremoniously into the already shattered weapons cabinet. Ignoring the pain, she made use of unfortunate situation as best she could, hefting something long and spiky out of the carnage. In all the confusion, she forgot what it was called, but decided that the fact that it was sharp, pointy and vicious looking meant that it was as suitable a weapon as any.
Whirling to face her stalkers, she was surprised to see that, instead of using their brains and going back the way they had come, the two demons had wedged themselves tight in the second doorway trying to get through it at the same time, and were currently arguing over which one got to go first. Of course, to Cordelia's eyes, there argument consisted more of snarling and clawing than engaging in a rational debate. Not that it mattered. They could stay there and lash at each other's eyes for as long as they liked.
Determined to aid in the battle, Cordelia pulled alongside Angel, swinging his sword with all his strength in full vamp mode. He was managing to successfully ward off his attackers, but seemed unlikely, for the moment at least, to make any headway on the killing front. Gunn was holding his own pretty well too, and apart from a ripped shirt and bloodied arm, seemed to be fairing better now that he had picked up a small axe from somewhere.
Cordelia jabbed her spiky spear thing at one of the brutes, taking off some flesh here and there, but not seeming to slow it down. They kept on at it, throwing their arms around and swiping at their prey, regardless of how much damage they took. And they showed no sign of weariness, either, unlike their human adversaries (and Angel).
Dodging a blow and skipping to the side, Cordelia used the opening to check the situation on the far side of the lobby. Lindsey had somehow managed to get himself knocked out, lying uselessly over the steps at the entrance. Standing defiantly in front of him was Wesley, beating the demons back gradually but running dangerously low on crossbow bolts. She noted the look of concentration on his face, and wondered just what kind of a struggle was going on beneath the mask that kept him from losing it completely and ripping everything apart. As it was, she considered that possibility to be more than welcomed right now, even if the results could prove to be a little extreme. Something needed to happen soon, or they'd all be too worn down to fight. These demon guys just weren't giving up.
Gunn's axe clashed loudly against a set of claws as the beast increased the ferocity of it's attack. Another spun round and brought up a paw, ready to bring it down on the already engaged human. Gunn struggled to free himself ready for defence, but he would be too late. He jumped back and ducked, letting go of his only weapon in a feeble attempt to avoid the knife-like talons.
One of the demons lurched forward to take advantage, and the swiper spun again, ready to repeat it's move. Someone shouted 'Gunn!' from the other side of the room, and something whistled through the air towards him. The swiping demon roared and buckled in agony as a long wooden bolt embedded itself in one of it's mad red eyes.
Snatching up his weapon again, Gunn looked around the side of the replacement demon to spare Wesley a nod.
"Thanks, man."
"No problem, don't mention it", he replied.
Then the battle resumed.
Cordelia, trying not to become distracted by the almost light-hearted banter being exchanged, winced slightly as yet another one of the spiky bits on her spear broke off on the hardened skin of her particular battle buddy. She'd have to pay for that, thank you very much. And right now, she needed all the spikes she could get. If they did it again, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from yelling 'no fair!' at the top of her voice.
"We're going to have to retreat!" Angel shouted to her as he stabbed at yet another advance. "If we can beat them back, we could make it to the stairs, or to the basement and then out through the sewers. We have to try and loose them."
Cordelia was too out of breath to reply, but she agreed whole-heartedly. There was no way they could win this now, as unprepared as they were. If they could just get to the others…
A dull cry bit through the air as Wesley was knocked to the side, his crossbow finally spent. Sprawled on the floor at the cloven feet of his opponent, he gazed up at what could only be his doom. Waiting for the razor sharp claws to rip through him, he shouted a warning to the others, calling for help for Lindsey.
Inexplicably, the demon before him hesitated, and Wesley wondered if this turn of fate was also attributable to this supposed power of his. He certainly didn't feel very powerful, lying helplessly on the marble floor and awaiting his inevitable demise. On the other hand, he didn't feel particularly frightened or angry either, which could explain why he had proven so useless so far. He'd tried so hard not to let the situation get to him, that now he found he was unable to really feel anything at all, even though now it could count for an awful lot, and perhaps mean the difference between life and death.
He held his breath, watching for the deadly blow…that never came. Instead, the demon flared it's nostrils and snorted, stamping at the ground with it's hoof. A low rumble rose from deep in it's throat, and it's companions turned in recognition. Angel and the others lowered their weapons in disbelief, unsure of what was happening. To their eyes, it seemed as if the demons were retreating.
Wesley saw his demon turn it's head, and he followed it's gaze with his own eyes. Lindsey stirred, coming around, and groaned as he forced his stiff and bruised limbs to obey. Revelation hit Wesley like a slap to the face as the demons moved off, heading towards where Lindsey was slumped.
It was him they wanted.
Angel's faced dropped as he too realised his mistake. Meeting his widening eyes, Wesley's bewildered expression said it all; this was not what they had expected. But then again, this was Wolfram and Hart they were dealing with, after all. They should have known better.
"Traitor", one of the beasts bellowed.
"He knows too much", another joined in, an almost conspiratorial husk to it's droning voice.
All of them advanced, surrounding Lindsey in an unbreakable semi-circle as he struggled to get upright. He glared up at them like a cornered animal, covering his fear under a show of animosity. Backing slowly towards the door, his hands searched desperately behind him for something to use as a weapon, but found nothing but cold stonewall.
One of the 'smartest' of the demons must have noticed his attempt at escape, moving round to block his exit, a sneering grin of delight pulling on it's hideous features. Lindsey glowered, his eyes darting from one to the other, daring them to make a move. He wouldn't make this easy for them. He'd squirm and wriggle and scream bloody murder for all he was worth. He may not have anything sharp or lethal to gouge at them with, but he could still bite.
Come on evil hand, don't fail me now…
A barrier of shiny black backs, rippling with muscles, separated Lindsey from the rest of the group, and gave the impression that the demons had completely forgotten about the presence of everyone else. If this wasn't an opportunity to attack, Angel didn't know what was. Lifting his sword to eye level, he charged forward, ramming it as far as he could through the exposed body of the nearest demon.
It shrieked in annoyance with the morbid tones of it's kind, and flailed an arm back wildly, seizing the still imbedded weapon and pulling it out. A torrent of deep purple blood spurted from the wound, coating Angel from head to toe in sticky liquid. Tossing the sword away like it was no more than an inconvenient splinter, the demon turned it's wrath on he responsible, knocking Angel away with such force that he collided with Gunn, taking him along before they both crashed hard into the opposite wall.
Wesley, taking up Angel's sword, ran forward, his feet in time with Cordelia's own as she too came to Lindsey's rescue. Seeing claws being raised and preparing to strike the defenceless ex-lawyer, she shouted 'HEY!' at the top of her lungs, forcing the things to turn and confront her instead of finishing the job. One spun just in time to see her spear rip into it's gut, whilst another received a skewering from Wesley.
Of course, this meant that both weapons were now out of commission, especially when the respective demons snapped them in two and threw them aside, just for effect. Wishing she hadn't drawn the attention to herself, Cordelia stood mesmerised as the enraged demon reached down and hefted her off her feet by her neck, it's grip almost choking her. It brought her face close, rancid hot breath blasting her as it displayed it's teeth for her benefit.
'This is it', she thought, 'this is the end. It's gonna chow down on me, and then all of us in turn, and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it. Not even Angel. He'll be the only one left, they'll leave him behind, and then I'll be one more corpse to add to his list of broodables. He'll be all alone again…poor Angel…'
Wesley wasn't going to give his demon the chance to grab him like that, and he easily dodged the clumsy paws that grasped his way. He saw Cordelia's heels kicking madly, her hands clutching at the wrist that suspended her. He knew the demon was about to bite and felt panic rise up inside him. Without so much as a toothpick to his name, any attempt at an attack would probably be futile…but he had to try.
Summoning up all that was left of his dwindling strength, Wesley side stepped his demon and lunged through the air, placing a well-aimed kick to Cordelia's demon's wound. It barely flinched in response, but stopped it's threat of feeding long enough to issue a growl in warning. Another to it's side swiped at the irritating human like someone might try to swat a fly, but he kept on skipping and dodging, buzzing around in a fashion that was hopefully grating on their nerves.
Cordelia's demon gave an exasperated snarl when it's comrades failed to catch him, and decided to take the matter into it's own hands. Using Cordelia as a human shaped weapon, it slammed Wesley down to the ground, dropping her on top of him as it did so. Standing immediately, she was backhanded to the floor again, crying out with the pain.
"Cordelia!" Wesley shouted, trying to scramble to her aid. The demon turned on him, throwing him against the corner of the doorway with a sickening thud. He fell to the floor on his hands and knees, but did not get up again, his head hanging down low.
Cordelia blinked her shimmering eyes, forcing her vision to clear as she rose onto her elbows from where she lay. That's when she felt it…the change. The air thickened and buzzed, threatening a storm. And she welcomed it.
Wesley raised his head and glared at the demon standing over him, the one that had the nerve to grin mockingly at it's fallen victim. Cordelia could see the new spark in Wesley's eyes, and couldn't hold back the twisted chuckle that fought for release. The demon looked at her sceptically, obviously not realising it's folly.
"Oh boy", she croaked, her throat still raw from the strangle hold. She rubbed her burning cheek and narrowed her eyes with satisfied menace. "You so shouldn't have done that."
The stupid brute cocked it's head quizzically, doubt passing over it's features. It didn't even have time to construct a question in it's painfully slow brain. It glanced back down at Wesley to see a disturbingly sweet smile spread across his face, only to turn into a crazy grin. In a second, it was gone, replaced by a look of intense determination fuelled by rage as the demon was propelled backwards with incredible speed.
Wall tiles and plaster broke from the wall in chunks as the huge body hit it like a hammer. Angel and Gunn, recovering from their previous trip across to that side of the room, rolled out of the way as quickly as they could, and only just in time, before the creature crashed down next to them.
The other demons watched with something resembling surprise, but it was hard for Cordelia to tell their expression, what with the teeth and the skin rolls. However, there was no doubt about the fear they showed when their eyes came to rest on Wesley again. He gave them the same sweet smile, and then thrust out his hands, rising to face them as they were all jerked into the air.
Roaring in dismay, they were all dropped to the ground again as quickly as they had been picked up, landing smack in the middle of the lobby. Cordelia thought she saw Wesley waver for a second, his expression faltering as he swayed slightly. But it was gone again in the blink of an eye, and he continued is rampage with renewed urgency.
The demons, once fierce and terrifying, now huddled together on the floor, cowering before their new master in awe. Cordelia stood, shaky on her feet, and backed off, feeling no sympathy for the beasts whatsoever.
"How do you like invisible tactics now?" she asked, unable to resist commenting on the poetic justice of the situation. She ran to Angel and Gunn, helping them up and leading them away from the still body lying next to them. She spared a glance to Lindsey that she hoped would be reassuring, seeing him backed rigidly into the wall, pure disbelief radiating from him. She would have shouted something to him, but the sudden rumbling coming from the hotel walls subdued her into silence.
The cluster of demonic hell spawn currently contaminating the room glanced around fearfully, not daring to even look into the human's eyes, lest they should anger him further. Their utter reverence of his power would do nothing to save them now, though.
As if from nowhere, a jagged-edged pipe protruded from the ceiling above them and twisted down, almost snakelike in it's movements. The groaning and creaking continued as the hotels interior strained against the forces being exerted upon it. Wesley's hand moved graceful shapes through the air, as though he was sculpturing the curling pipe himself.
Then everything fell quiet. Angel, Gunn, Cordelia and Lindsey joined the demons in their collective gaze upward, wondering what would happen next. The metal snake gasped, and there was a sudden whooshing sound thundering towards them, getting louder and louder until the source became evident.
Pressurised water burst from the broken pipe, showering down on the demons as they writhed and thrashed, roaring and groaning like it was hot acid and not the harmless liquid that humans took for granted everyday.
The words 'melting…melting!' came to mind as Cordelia looked on, unmoved by their plight. To her incredulous shock, it looked as though they actually were melting, as horribly cliché as that might seem. Thick, gelatinous 'goo', for want of a better word, seeped from each demon until there was nothing solid left, leaving only a disgusting jelly-like mass of blackness in their wake.
Too amazed to say anything, she stared open mouthed as the pipe knotted itself up, choking the supply of water that was flooding the lobby floor. The demon to her right was roused from it's stupor as the water spread beneath it, causing it to leap up hastily and hop from foot to foot in pain. It glared round angrily, looking for the one responsible, obviously not noticing the pile of dead demon goop making a stain on the marble.
Wesley marched over, his shoulders hunched and fists balled, audibly grinding his teeth. The demon moved to attack him, but was immediately slammed to the floor, it's skin blistering as it was once more immersed in water. Wesley flicked his wrist, and the creature was pinned to the wall, understanding leaking fear into it's eyes.
Cordelia watched as Wesley moved close, stopping just short of bad breath distance, staring intensely ahead as though it took all of his concentration to keep the demon where it was. After a tense couple of seconds, his shoulders dropped, and he blinked wearily, all the anger forced away. Cordelia didn't know if she preferred this new blank, dead expression to the seething rage she'd seen before. It looked uncaring and tragically sad at the same time, as though he really didn't mind either way whether he lived through this or not.
Startled when he spoke, the others kept quiet, each secretly trying to think of a way to bring Wesley down if he started to hurt anyone. Cordelia knew it seemed untrusting, but she knew the risks all too well.
"Lindsey", Wesley called, beckoning with a hand that didn't leave the man with any choice about whether he approached or not. "Come over here, please."
Arriving at Wesley's side without flexing a muscle, Lindsey questioned the others with anxious eyes, not quite believing what was happening. Cordelia responded with a discrete shake of the head, urging him to stay quiet. He grudgingly obliged, not really knowing what else to do anyway. He focused his attention on the demon in front, studying it as it studied him in return, undoubtedly thinking unhealthy thoughts about it's target and prey.
"This is what you want, is it not?" Wesley asked, motioning towards Lindsey just to make sure the thick headed creature understood completely. The demon did not, or could not, reply, but maintained it's gaze.
"The senior partners must have sent you as assassins to tie up loose ends. They don't want the knowledge Lindsey has of the company falling into the hands of the enemy." He smiled when the demon met his eyes, confirming his suspicions without the need for a vocal response. These creatures were so thick.
He gave a wistful sigh, over dramatising his movements for the benefit of his audience. "I suppose the only way to get around this is if Lindsey is dead, right?"
Lindsey's eyes widened, and he looked towards the others pleadingly. Angel tightened his grip on Cordelia's arm, and Gunn reacted with a simple gape of his mouth. Wesley turned his head away from the demon's view to look at Lindsey as he continued to talk, raising his eyebrows meaningfully as he did so.
"If he dies, he won't be in any danger of spilling any information, and he gets his comeuppance for deserting the firm. You'll be free to go, and the firm will leave us alone. Well, that's my guess, anyway."
Lindsey got it. He braced himself, ready.
"So all that's left…", he turned back to the demon, "…is for you to do your job. Oh, but you're hurt. How crass of me. Here, allow me to assist."
He flung out an arm, and Lindsey was sent hurtling across the lobby, again, this time heading for the wall behind the counter. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone, but he was absolutely terrified, and the dramatic cry he let out wasn't entirely fake as he stopped inches before the wall and crashed to the ground, throwing his limbs out in a way that he hoped looked convincing enough. He fell behind the counter, out of sight, and lay still, not even daring to breathe loudly.
The demon looked at Wesley in disbelief as he brushed off his hands, beaming with satisfaction as though he had always wanted to do that.
"I never did like Wolfram and Hart employees. You can tell your bosses that when you report back to them that Lindsey is dead. Now, get out."
Wesley stepped to the side, avoiding the roaring demon body as it shot back the way it had come, disappearing out of the gaping hole where the entrance doors should have been.
After a moments silence when they were sure the beast was not going to return, the gang turned their attention to Wesley as he shuddered, the power and the strength needed to banish it having left him exhausted. They ran to his side as he slumped back against a wall for support, smiling at them weakly with all of the power gone.
This was the authentic old Wesley, Cordelia could see that. She couldn't hide her relief to find that he had controlled 'it' himself, and that the danger had finally passed. Modest as ever, he refused to meet her appraising eyes, looking instead at his feet as he steadied himself again.
The others were yet to say a thing, obviously finding it hard to think of the right words. Taking it upon himself to comment first, Wesley said the only thing that came to mind.
"Sodding demons", he muttered.
To be concluded…
