Starting Over 9 - Retrieval & Rescue
Angel moved down the corridor, a look of cold determination on his handsome face. Wolfram & Hart had gone too far this time, always in the past they'd worked through flunkies who's missions had occasionally crossed the path of his team. But to actually kidnap a member of his team. A lesson had to be given.
The sound of a trio of heartbeats to his left pulled the vampire out of his reverie. He waited until the stairwell door was open before launching his attack. Snapping out a foot, he crippled the first guard through the open doorway with a knee-shattering kick. The second guard out stumbled gracelessly over the falling body and into an uppercut that knocked its unfortunate recipient off his feet, sending him plummeting down the stairway he'd just run up. The third man managed to duck beneath the human missile and threw a right cross that Angel took on his jaw. After raising an eyebrow to ask if that was all the man had, he snatched his adversary's out-stretched arm, tore it out of the socket, and threw the man face-first into the wall behind the vampire.
"You just can't get the help these days," muttered the vampire as he continued on his way. Wolfram & Hart had far more effective weapons at their disposal than the humans they had on staff but the senior partners preferred to use demons and vampires for outside work, keeping the main office largely human only. Which made his life a hell of a lot easier.
Suddenly the vamp sensed another heartbeat around the next corner. Turning, the vampire faced his opponent. His mouth dropped open. "I didn't realise the WWF was in town."
The figure blocking his way was huge. So big in fact that the top of his close shaven head nearly touched the ceiling and his broad shoulders brushed each of the corridor's walls. Angel estimated the behemoth stood nearly seven and a half foot tall and weighed in excess of six hundred pounds. Yet despite his adversary's awesome bulk, the vampire guessed the gi wearing giant facing was nearly all muscle.
Angel growled low in his throat. This monster was blocking the way to the torture chambers where his friend could be being held. Charging forward, he morphed into his demonic face.
And straight into a crunching right that sent him flying into the air. The vampire sprang back to his feet and looked in disbelief at the impassive giant still stood in the same place. Even given his monolithic size the man shouldn't have been able to hit him that hard. The vampire's eyes narrowed. Of course, the man had been imbued with magic, probably strength spells. The vampire's lips parted in a grimace, he didn't like killing mortals, but given the choice between his friend and his enemy. Unless. "Move aside, I've got no fight with you."
"Yes you have little one," rumbled the giant. Angel raised an eyebrow before cracking his neck. Little one, now that was insulting. "If that's the way you want it." Charging forward, the vampire ducked beneath a right and ran into a left body shot that splintered his ribs. Groaning slightly under the impact, the vampire lunged for the man's trunk like neck with fangs ready.
Only for the mammoth to grab him round the neck and throw him face-first into the wall. His head ringing, the vampire staggered back into the centre of the corridor. This was getting embarrassing.
Diving back into the fray, Angel bared his fangs as he once again attempted to rip his rival's neck out - only to change focus at the last second. After delivering a kick to the balls, the vampire bombarded the giant's midsection with a deluge of blows. Suddenly he changed his focus again, driving his ridged forehead into the bridge of his opponent's nose, cracking it.
Finally the man staggered backwards. Seizing his advantage, Angel lunged forward, ignoring a right cross that split his top lip open, he smashed a thunderous punch into the man's throat before following his attack up by sinking his fangs into the man-mountain's neck. He nearly pulled away as the man's blood filled his mouth; it was tainted somehow either by drugs, black magic, or both. Despite the blood's foulness and despite the fearsome blows smashing into his ribs from both sides he held on until the man slumped to the floor, dead.
His senses reeling both from the contaminated blood he'd taken and the beating he'd received, the vampire slumped against the wall. After a few seconds he realised his cellular was ringing. Groaning slightly at the effort, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Yeah?"
"It's Faith," the Slayer's voice was taut with tension. "My boytoy's not in the cells. What about your end?"
Angel winced as another wave of pain coursed through his body. "Haven't got there yet."
"What!" the Slayer's screech only added to his already pounding headache. "Stop fucking around! Get in there now!"
"Yes dear," Angel muttered as he gingerly replaced the phone. Sometimes he wondered who was in charge. Muttering slightly under his breath, he staggered to his feet. "I really need some new employees."
* * *
Xander's eyes snapped towards the door as it flew off the hinges. "About time," he muttered.
"Yeah, good to see you too Xander," Angel commented wryly as he snatched the cattle prod off the torturer and used it on him, sending the man convulsing to the floor. The vampire moved in front of him and winced, his eyes widening. "They made a mess of you."
"Thanks for that Deadboy," he replied dryly. "I really needed telling."
"First his girlfriend now him," he heard the vampire mutter as he unfastened the knots holding him to the operating table. "Nag, nag, nag."
"You weren't going to say you really get it in the neck were you?"
Angel ignored the remark, choosing to point at him. "Garfield boxer shots?"
"Ah," Xander felt himself blush even as he searched his pain-addled brain for an excuse. "Would you believe they put these on me as a humiliation tactic?" he asked hopefully.
"With your fashion sense not a chance. You wear them and Faith still sleeps with you?" the vampire's tone was disbelieving.
Xander wriggled his eyebrows, about the only part of his body that didn't hurt. "What can I say I'm red hot in the sack."
"And yet strangely I'm still not attracted to you."
"Well thank god for that I've enough problems without getting a master vampire sugar daddy."
The vampire smiled dryly before turning serious. "I'll have to carry you out on my shoulder. It's going to hurt a hell of a lot," Angel warned.
Xander grimaced, like he couldn't work that out for himself. "Just get me out of here."
* * *
"I..is he going to be alright?"
Angel looked down at the terrified brunette. Physically she was so strong and yet emotionally at times she could be so childlike. Xander was her anchor, without him she could easily slip back into her old ways. Whatever happened, he owed it to both of them to make sure that didn't happen. "He's pretty banged up Faith," he ignored the girl's gasp, he was a vampire, they weren't exactly known for their bedside manner, well except Draclua and that was down to his press. "He's got three cracked ribs, a dislocated shoulder, two broken fingers, internal bleeding, a bruised kidney, and a severe concussion."
"But he'll be alright?" the brunette's tearful eyes were filled with desperation.
The vampire pulled the Slayer into a hug. "He'll be fine. It'll be rough for a while, but Xander will soon be annoying me with his puns." After a moment he released his grip. "I've got to be going."
"Going?" the young woman's gaze was accusatory, her liquid brown eyes burning through his soul. "But Xander needs us here!"
The vampire kissed the girl on her forehead. "You, Spike, Wes, and Cordy will be here. I've got to go with Gunn and make sure this doesn't happen again."
The Slayer's eyes changed from molten hot to ice cold in an instant. "When do we leave?"
Angel took an unneeded breath. The last thing they needed right now was Faith getting her hands on a Wolfram & Hart lawyer. Bad things would happen. "No Faith," he replied firmly, "your place is here with Xander." Without waiting for an agreement, the vampire turned, nodded to Gunn and walked away, the African-American hurrying after him.
* * *
Manners sighed wearily as he climbed into his limo. The clean-up from the carnage caused by Angel and his crew had been horrific. He suspected that at least one of the senior partners would be visiting very soon. The partner shuddered, he had to find someone to blame and fast.
All thoughts of office politics disappeared when the far car door opened and Angel climbed in. His heart pounding, Manners lunged for his door only to find it locked.
"Gunn, drive." Manners stared in horror as the car started up and drove away from the pavement. The vampire smiled before turning to him. "This is an illustration of what we can do. This time it's you we're kidnapping. Next time it could be your wife. Or your mistress. Or even your children."
"You wouldn't."
The vampire shrugged. "You're probably right I wouldn't. But Faith, she so wanted to meet you after what you did to her man. She's very protective of him isn't she Gunn?"
"Like a den mother with her cubs," came the answer from the front of the limo.
"Good analogy," praised the vampire.
"I liked it," retorted the stand-in chauffer. "You see, as I was just explaining. Faith's been known to over-react in the past, now hurt her Xander again and there's no telling what she'll do. Now if she starts wiping out W & H employees we might not help her, but what we certainly won't do is try and stop her. Are we communicating?"
Manners searched the vampire's eyes for any sign of a bluff, seeing none he nodded. "What are you going to do with me?" A score of images all flooded the lawyer's mind, each one more terrible than the last.
"First of all you're going to sign this document stating that you will personally pay all of Xander's hospital expenses. Otherwise," the lawyer's eyes widened as the vampire produced a machete from beneath his jacket. "I start chopping off fingers. This little piggy went to the butcher's."
"Where's the paper." Manners quickly signed the document.
"Good man," praised the vampire lightly as he pocketed the paper. Manners shuddered as the vampire changed into his demonic face, the vampire chuckled coldly. "Why Holland, the valet will have a devil of a job getting urine stains out of this wonderful leather, you're a little young for bladder problems." The vampire's eyes grew even harder. "Now I think it's time you and I came to an understanding. We're the good guys, you're the black hats, I get this. You'll keep on planning diabolical evil, we'll keep on thwarting you. But, you ever directly attack my team again, and I'll make sure you and every senior partner doesn't last out the week. You understand?"
Manners swallowed hard. There were some days you should stay in bed. Today was definitely one of the. "I..I understand," he managed to stutter.
The vampire nodded approvingly. "Where are we Gunn?"
"Vamp Central."
"Pull up, we're getting out," the vampire instructed before turning to the terrified lawyer. "We're in downtown L.A., so I have to warn you, don't get out of your limo. You better hope that you're retrieval team gets here quick or you'll be praying the gangbangers get to you before the vamps."
Angel moved down the corridor, a look of cold determination on his handsome face. Wolfram & Hart had gone too far this time, always in the past they'd worked through flunkies who's missions had occasionally crossed the path of his team. But to actually kidnap a member of his team. A lesson had to be given.
The sound of a trio of heartbeats to his left pulled the vampire out of his reverie. He waited until the stairwell door was open before launching his attack. Snapping out a foot, he crippled the first guard through the open doorway with a knee-shattering kick. The second guard out stumbled gracelessly over the falling body and into an uppercut that knocked its unfortunate recipient off his feet, sending him plummeting down the stairway he'd just run up. The third man managed to duck beneath the human missile and threw a right cross that Angel took on his jaw. After raising an eyebrow to ask if that was all the man had, he snatched his adversary's out-stretched arm, tore it out of the socket, and threw the man face-first into the wall behind the vampire.
"You just can't get the help these days," muttered the vampire as he continued on his way. Wolfram & Hart had far more effective weapons at their disposal than the humans they had on staff but the senior partners preferred to use demons and vampires for outside work, keeping the main office largely human only. Which made his life a hell of a lot easier.
Suddenly the vamp sensed another heartbeat around the next corner. Turning, the vampire faced his opponent. His mouth dropped open. "I didn't realise the WWF was in town."
The figure blocking his way was huge. So big in fact that the top of his close shaven head nearly touched the ceiling and his broad shoulders brushed each of the corridor's walls. Angel estimated the behemoth stood nearly seven and a half foot tall and weighed in excess of six hundred pounds. Yet despite his adversary's awesome bulk, the vampire guessed the gi wearing giant facing was nearly all muscle.
Angel growled low in his throat. This monster was blocking the way to the torture chambers where his friend could be being held. Charging forward, he morphed into his demonic face.
And straight into a crunching right that sent him flying into the air. The vampire sprang back to his feet and looked in disbelief at the impassive giant still stood in the same place. Even given his monolithic size the man shouldn't have been able to hit him that hard. The vampire's eyes narrowed. Of course, the man had been imbued with magic, probably strength spells. The vampire's lips parted in a grimace, he didn't like killing mortals, but given the choice between his friend and his enemy. Unless. "Move aside, I've got no fight with you."
"Yes you have little one," rumbled the giant. Angel raised an eyebrow before cracking his neck. Little one, now that was insulting. "If that's the way you want it." Charging forward, the vampire ducked beneath a right and ran into a left body shot that splintered his ribs. Groaning slightly under the impact, the vampire lunged for the man's trunk like neck with fangs ready.
Only for the mammoth to grab him round the neck and throw him face-first into the wall. His head ringing, the vampire staggered back into the centre of the corridor. This was getting embarrassing.
Diving back into the fray, Angel bared his fangs as he once again attempted to rip his rival's neck out - only to change focus at the last second. After delivering a kick to the balls, the vampire bombarded the giant's midsection with a deluge of blows. Suddenly he changed his focus again, driving his ridged forehead into the bridge of his opponent's nose, cracking it.
Finally the man staggered backwards. Seizing his advantage, Angel lunged forward, ignoring a right cross that split his top lip open, he smashed a thunderous punch into the man's throat before following his attack up by sinking his fangs into the man-mountain's neck. He nearly pulled away as the man's blood filled his mouth; it was tainted somehow either by drugs, black magic, or both. Despite the blood's foulness and despite the fearsome blows smashing into his ribs from both sides he held on until the man slumped to the floor, dead.
His senses reeling both from the contaminated blood he'd taken and the beating he'd received, the vampire slumped against the wall. After a few seconds he realised his cellular was ringing. Groaning slightly at the effort, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Yeah?"
"It's Faith," the Slayer's voice was taut with tension. "My boytoy's not in the cells. What about your end?"
Angel winced as another wave of pain coursed through his body. "Haven't got there yet."
"What!" the Slayer's screech only added to his already pounding headache. "Stop fucking around! Get in there now!"
"Yes dear," Angel muttered as he gingerly replaced the phone. Sometimes he wondered who was in charge. Muttering slightly under his breath, he staggered to his feet. "I really need some new employees."
* * *
Xander's eyes snapped towards the door as it flew off the hinges. "About time," he muttered.
"Yeah, good to see you too Xander," Angel commented wryly as he snatched the cattle prod off the torturer and used it on him, sending the man convulsing to the floor. The vampire moved in front of him and winced, his eyes widening. "They made a mess of you."
"Thanks for that Deadboy," he replied dryly. "I really needed telling."
"First his girlfriend now him," he heard the vampire mutter as he unfastened the knots holding him to the operating table. "Nag, nag, nag."
"You weren't going to say you really get it in the neck were you?"
Angel ignored the remark, choosing to point at him. "Garfield boxer shots?"
"Ah," Xander felt himself blush even as he searched his pain-addled brain for an excuse. "Would you believe they put these on me as a humiliation tactic?" he asked hopefully.
"With your fashion sense not a chance. You wear them and Faith still sleeps with you?" the vampire's tone was disbelieving.
Xander wriggled his eyebrows, about the only part of his body that didn't hurt. "What can I say I'm red hot in the sack."
"And yet strangely I'm still not attracted to you."
"Well thank god for that I've enough problems without getting a master vampire sugar daddy."
The vampire smiled dryly before turning serious. "I'll have to carry you out on my shoulder. It's going to hurt a hell of a lot," Angel warned.
Xander grimaced, like he couldn't work that out for himself. "Just get me out of here."
* * *
"I..is he going to be alright?"
Angel looked down at the terrified brunette. Physically she was so strong and yet emotionally at times she could be so childlike. Xander was her anchor, without him she could easily slip back into her old ways. Whatever happened, he owed it to both of them to make sure that didn't happen. "He's pretty banged up Faith," he ignored the girl's gasp, he was a vampire, they weren't exactly known for their bedside manner, well except Draclua and that was down to his press. "He's got three cracked ribs, a dislocated shoulder, two broken fingers, internal bleeding, a bruised kidney, and a severe concussion."
"But he'll be alright?" the brunette's tearful eyes were filled with desperation.
The vampire pulled the Slayer into a hug. "He'll be fine. It'll be rough for a while, but Xander will soon be annoying me with his puns." After a moment he released his grip. "I've got to be going."
"Going?" the young woman's gaze was accusatory, her liquid brown eyes burning through his soul. "But Xander needs us here!"
The vampire kissed the girl on her forehead. "You, Spike, Wes, and Cordy will be here. I've got to go with Gunn and make sure this doesn't happen again."
The Slayer's eyes changed from molten hot to ice cold in an instant. "When do we leave?"
Angel took an unneeded breath. The last thing they needed right now was Faith getting her hands on a Wolfram & Hart lawyer. Bad things would happen. "No Faith," he replied firmly, "your place is here with Xander." Without waiting for an agreement, the vampire turned, nodded to Gunn and walked away, the African-American hurrying after him.
* * *
Manners sighed wearily as he climbed into his limo. The clean-up from the carnage caused by Angel and his crew had been horrific. He suspected that at least one of the senior partners would be visiting very soon. The partner shuddered, he had to find someone to blame and fast.
All thoughts of office politics disappeared when the far car door opened and Angel climbed in. His heart pounding, Manners lunged for his door only to find it locked.
"Gunn, drive." Manners stared in horror as the car started up and drove away from the pavement. The vampire smiled before turning to him. "This is an illustration of what we can do. This time it's you we're kidnapping. Next time it could be your wife. Or your mistress. Or even your children."
"You wouldn't."
The vampire shrugged. "You're probably right I wouldn't. But Faith, she so wanted to meet you after what you did to her man. She's very protective of him isn't she Gunn?"
"Like a den mother with her cubs," came the answer from the front of the limo.
"Good analogy," praised the vampire.
"I liked it," retorted the stand-in chauffer. "You see, as I was just explaining. Faith's been known to over-react in the past, now hurt her Xander again and there's no telling what she'll do. Now if she starts wiping out W & H employees we might not help her, but what we certainly won't do is try and stop her. Are we communicating?"
Manners searched the vampire's eyes for any sign of a bluff, seeing none he nodded. "What are you going to do with me?" A score of images all flooded the lawyer's mind, each one more terrible than the last.
"First of all you're going to sign this document stating that you will personally pay all of Xander's hospital expenses. Otherwise," the lawyer's eyes widened as the vampire produced a machete from beneath his jacket. "I start chopping off fingers. This little piggy went to the butcher's."
"Where's the paper." Manners quickly signed the document.
"Good man," praised the vampire lightly as he pocketed the paper. Manners shuddered as the vampire changed into his demonic face, the vampire chuckled coldly. "Why Holland, the valet will have a devil of a job getting urine stains out of this wonderful leather, you're a little young for bladder problems." The vampire's eyes grew even harder. "Now I think it's time you and I came to an understanding. We're the good guys, you're the black hats, I get this. You'll keep on planning diabolical evil, we'll keep on thwarting you. But, you ever directly attack my team again, and I'll make sure you and every senior partner doesn't last out the week. You understand?"
Manners swallowed hard. There were some days you should stay in bed. Today was definitely one of the. "I..I understand," he managed to stutter.
The vampire nodded approvingly. "Where are we Gunn?"
"Vamp Central."
"Pull up, we're getting out," the vampire instructed before turning to the terrified lawyer. "We're in downtown L.A., so I have to warn you, don't get out of your limo. You better hope that you're retrieval team gets here quick or you'll be praying the gangbangers get to you before the vamps."