Timeline: Mid season 4, just before 'Apocalypse Nowish.' Just allow a bit more time for these events to happen hehe.
"Angel Investigations…?" Justin muttered. Hearing himself
speak calmed him somewhat, assuring him he hadn't just gone AWOL and
imagined the whole thing.
"
Okay…I just need to figure this out," he said, hoping that it would
all just figure itself out but knowing at the back of his mind it was up to
him, just like always.
"
Right…I ring this number. I speak to the guys there, nothing's
on the line, they're not the cops but I can use them for protection.
Nothing has to be official here."
He nodded to himself, deciding that this was going to be the best course of
action. Then, "In a different phone booth though."
He turned around slowly, half expecting the horrible face to be staring at
him through the glass, but nothing was there. He slammed open the door to the
phone booth and sprinted down the empty street.
"All right, fellas," Angel said, walking through the large circle
which had been cut into the wall of the sewers, "Party's over."
The Klendau demons scowled up at him from whatever filth they were eating and
started muttering amongst themselves. The biggest one in the room stood up
slowly and the others shut up immediately.
"
Angel…" whispered Gunn from behind the vampire, who nodded ever
so slightly. He could almost hear Gunn tightening his grip on his large home-made
axe.
The large Klendau took long, measured steps through the gathering of its fellows,
heading towards the intruders. Angel subtly twisted his hands so the mounted
stakes up his sleeves would spring towards the demon, rather than away as they
were pointed before.
It stopped right in front of Angel, staring evilly down at the vampire, sweat
glistening on its leathery brown skin.
Angel couldn't help but notice one large fang protruded down from its
mouth and down towards the floor, ending in a vicious point. He had to crane
his neck to keep eye contact with the monster. Slowly, the Klendau tensed and
drew in a breath.
"
Have you got an invitation?"
"
Uhm…no, its just it was getting a little rowdy-sounding down here and
there're people trying to sleep upstairs…so if you don't
mind could you just move along for the evening?"
The Klendau eyed him for a moment, tilting its head to one side. Angel smiled
meekly.
After a long moment, it spoke.
"
All right, guys, lets call it a night."
The other Klendaus immediately set up a huge racket, but the big one turned
around and gave them all a long look – they fell silent.
"
Thanks for your time," said Angel, who made a hasty exit after Gunn.
"
Damn," said Gunn, starting back towards the hotel, "That guy was
huge!"
"
Yeah, tell me about it. I could've taken him though."
"
Oh, of course, Mr. Eternal Strength and Nobility."
"
Hey, I mean it, Klendaus are herbivores, very pacifistic. Nice guys, once you
get to know them."
"
I'll put it on my to do list," said Gunn unenthusiastically.
They reached the stairs which lead up to the hotel basement – they'd
been kept awake by the immense racket the demons had set up in the sewers just
below the hotel.
Fred was waiting for them as they ascended.
"
Are you all okay?" she asked anxiously.
"
Piece of cake," answered Angel with a smirk.
"
You didn't…?" she started. "I thought they were peaceful!"
"
Hey, not every meeting with demons I have ends in violence," stated Angel
defensively. Then he thought for a moment. "Just…you know…most
of them." Satisfied with that retort he headed up into the main lobby
floor leaving Gunn and Fred standing uncomfortably in the basement.
"
So…" began Gunn. "You didn't get back to sleep?"
"
No…" answered Fred, fidgeting with her hands. "It was with
the noise and worrying about you guys."
"
Well, you don't have to worry about me and Angel, we can take care of
ourselves," said Gunn.
"
Yeah, I know," said Fred under her breath.
Gunn stood awkwardly for a moment after he picked up on what Fred said.
"
Well, I'm heading back to bed."
"
Oh, okay."
He began to say something but decided against it, instead brushing past Fred
and upstairs. After a moment she followed him.
Angel noticed Gunn storm upstairs, and wondered what was the matter. He and
Fred had been acting strange lately, but he hadn't mentioned it. He headed
into the office when the phone rang. He rushed to it (business had been a little
slack lately and he was waiting to hear from Cordy) and picked it up, gushing; "Angel
Investigations, we help the helpless, how can we help you?"
"
Uhm…you guys deal in like…weird stuff?" It was framed as
a question.
Angel smiled, wondering if this kid had any idea what he was talking to. "You
could say that."
"
Well you can do something about helping me because I'm in way over my
head here."
The kid sounded worried. Traumatised even. His voice shook. The smile faded
from Angel's face.
"
Where are you?"
"
Look, I need to know if you can help me."
"
If you tell me where you are I can help you."
Angel could hear some kind of music behind the kid's voice, they were
singing really badly…
"
I need to know if you'll help me or if you'll chop me up into little
pieces and feed me to whatever's chasing me!" The kid's voice
had reached shouting proportions now.
"
Look, I give you my word, if I can help you I will."
There was silence for a moment.
Then the kid whispered, "Oh my God…"
Angel heard the phone clatter against the side of what must be a booth, then
the sound of glass shattering and the kid screaming.
"
Kid! KID!" He shouted into the phone, completely helpless to aid the
poor guy. Then suddenly he slammed down the phone, grabbed his coat from the
stand behind him and ran out into the lobby, shouting for Gunn. Fred darted
out of the back.
"
Angel? What is it?" she asked frantically.
"
There's a kid, he's outside a karaoke bar, he's in big trouble,
he's just phoned," said Angel almost all at once, slamming open
the weapons cabinet as he spoke and getting out something long and sharp and
handing it to Fred.
"
What's up!?" asked Gunn as he flew down the stairs.
"
Kid in bad trouble." Angel whipped another sword out of the cabinet and,
seeing that Gunn still had his axe from before, said "Let's go!"
They hurried out of the hotel and into Angel's car, who started it up
and flew through the night towards the closest karaoke bar he knew of.
They pulled up outside the second bar – and sure enough, there lay the
remains of the phone booth the kid had phoned from.
Angel sprang from the car and started sniffing the air around the smashed glass.
"
He was afraid. Real afraid." He stopped, sniffing one place. "Lilah?"
"
Huh?" asked Gunn, stepping forward.
"
Lilah was here, and she took the kid with her."
"
What the hell does Lilah want with a scared kid?" asked Gunn, incredulous. "And
if this is thing that's dragged us out here in the dead of the night,
I'm not gonna be too happy with her…"
"
I'm afraid it's much worse than that."
They whirled around to see Wesley standing across the street.
"
The lad wasn't being chased by Lilah, he was being hunted by a species
of demon I've never encountered before. Very strong, very hardy, and
very difficult to kill. I'm glad to say there are only a few in town
but I don't think it'll stay like that for long."
There was a brief pause.
"
Wow, I'm glad that you can turn up and lighten our moods like that, Wes," Gunn
said.
"
How many so far?" asked Angel, blanking Gunn.
"
Three that I'm aware of, and one of them's still in the area. Wolfram
and Hart's operatives could only incapacitate it for a brief time."
"
And why didn't you stop them?" Gunn asked. Angel was interested
in the answer, too. He'd picked up Lilah's scent on Wes but didn't
want to say anything in front of the others.
"
There were too many of them," answered Wesley simply.
Suddenly a shop window burst open further down the street and glass spilled
out across the street. A bloody, green body shot out and lay limp in the middle
of the glass.
"
Lorne!?" said Angel, Fred and Gunn in unison. Wesley just started down
the street.
A large, powerful looking demon lumbered out after the other demon, splattering
the ground with some kind of thick liquid which came from its skin.
Angel started down the street, yelling back to Fred and Gunn, "Get out
of here, get back to the hotel!"
Gunn looked at the demon, then at Fred, then at the demon again. Angel looked
over his shoulder and gazed at Gunn, willing him to take Fred to safety. Gunn
got the message and told Fred to get into the car, which she did. Gunn, however,
hovered by the door looking on at Angel and Wes.
Wesley reached the demon first, flicking his wrist causing a shiny metal blade
to appear. He swung at the demon but it blocked his attack and kicked Wes's
legs out from underneath him, sending him crashing to the ground. Angel leaped
across the remaining gap and collided with the monster, making it stumble.
Angel yelled across his shoulder, "Get him out of here!" Not stopping
to see if Wes had retrieved Lorne, he swung at the enormous creature with his
sword, taking a chunk out of its arm. It roared in pain, swinging at the vampire
with its other arm.
Angel ducked under the blow, bringing the sword up again attacking the demon's
leg. It brought its arm onto Angel's head, sending him flat on his back,
stunned for a few precious seconds. The demon brought its leg up to stamp down
on Angel's head, but it staggered backwards with a crossbow bolt embedded
in its chest. Angel shook himself out of it, glancing back to the car seeing
Gunn reloading the crossbow, and launched at the demon once again. He tried
to plunge the sword into where he thought the demon's heart would be
but it swung its arm up, driving the sword aside. It followed through on the
block, driving its fist into Angel's chest, sending him sprawling onto
the road several feet behind.
A small groan escaped his chest as he hit the concrete, and he struggled back
to his feet, using the sword as a support. The creature lumbered toward him,
then roared in frustration as a crossbow bolt point appeared from its shoulder.
It turned to attack, not realising Gunn was actually all the way down the street,
and Angel leaped at the demon, stabbing at its chest. It whirled and pushed
Angel with all its strength, sending him flying again. It ran toward the vampire,
roaring with rage, when a metal sword stabbed through its chest, again and
again, from its back.
The demon howled again, but the howls were getting weaker and full of liquid.
Blood spurted out from its mouth and it collapsed to its knees, flailing at
its assailant. Angel stood up and could see Wesley plunging the sword into
the demon, again and again, when it twisted around in a final display of defiance,
grabbing at Wesley. However, it was too weak and it collapsed onto the Englishman,
sending him plummeting to the ground.
"
Wesley!" called Angel in surprise. He couldn't see him, the demon
was obscuring his view.
He rounded the other side of the demon's body, and actually started to
chuckle.
Wesley was pinned under the massive bulk of the demon's body, sword still
jutting out from the other side of the monster. As it was attached he couldn't
move his right arm and was struggling in vain to extract it. Angel heard Gunn
jog up behind him, and the snort that escaped his nose.
Wesley stopped struggling and looked up at the two men, looking mildly embarrassed.
"
Can I get a hand?"