FIVE
"What do you mean he has a soul, too?" Phoebe asked.
"Just what I said," said Angel. "Spike also has a soul. So if you're here for a vampire with a soul you'll have to be a bit more specific. If this thing is after Spike it's welcome to him."
"Up yours," said Spike.
"Chris, any idea why Wyatt is going after the vampire with a soul?" Phoebe asked.
"No," said Chris. "He only said the vampire with a soul had to be taken out. And that the Slayer was next."
"Buffy?" said Spike and Angel in unison.
They looked at each other momentarily.
"This thing is after Buffy, too?" Angel asked.
"Yes," said Phoebe. "My sister, Paige, went to get her. Wyatt, the guy who's after you two, is powerful. There's no way she could resist him. Neither can you. You may be a vampire but Wyatt is so far beyond that. He'll probably just vanquish you with a fireball without any fuss."
"Interesting theory," said a voice across the room. "Only it's not going to be that easy for the vampire. Or the Slayer. They have to be punished for what they did. Then I'll take care of you meddlesome witches."
Everyone turned to see Wyatt reclining on the bar in the back of Angel's office. He was smiling at them as if he hadn't a care in the world.
"Wyatt," said Chris.
"Hey, little brother," said Wyatt. "And Aunt Phoebe. I didn't expect to find you here. Oh, Chris I can understand. Always wanting to save the innocent. Only they aren't innocent. What they did to me must be avenged. And neither you nor your sisters can protect them."
"Bloody hell," said Spike turning to look at Wyatt. "Who are you?"
"I'm retribution, vampire," said Wyatt.
"Okay, you want me," said Angel, "here I am. Only I don't remember ever meeting you. Whatever beef you have with me you'll have to remind me what it is."
"You?" questioned Wyatt. "I don't even know who you are. I'm after him." He pointed at Spike. "The vampire with a soul. Of course, I thought he had been destroyed. He should have been. I didn't know it was possible to survive the power of the amulet."
"Wyatt, you don't have to do this," said Chris moving to stand between Wyatt and the others. "You have a second chance here. We can correct what went wrong the first time. Now that you're here we can see to it that the evil in you never gets there."
"Evil?" questioned Wyatt, jumping off the bar. "You just don't get it, do you? I've told you before. It's not about good and evil. It's not even about right and wrong. It's about power. That's all it's ever been about. You just never understood that."
"What the?" gasped Spike. "That's not bloody possible."
"Wyatt," said Chris, ignoring Spike. "Please, you're my brother. If I have to I'll kill baby Wyatt to stop you. I don't want to do that. But after everything you've done, I can't let you do it again. If you won't come back voluntarily, I'll have to stop you anyway I can."
"You won't do that, little brother," said Wyatt, smiling. "You can't kill an innocent. We both know that. Not even knowing what he'll become. There's nothing you can do to stop me. And seeing that he's now corporeal again," he looked at Spike, "it means it won't be long now. And there's nothing you can do to stop me."
"We'll see about that," said Chris.
Suddenly, Chris raised his hand and a brilliant light flashed directly in front of Wyatt's eyes. Wyatt spun impulsively and put his hands to his eyes to shield them, but it was too late. The flash had already blinded him. Chris knew that wouldn't last long. He suddenly turned and moved back to the other three.
"Take my arm," he said to Phoebe.
Phoebe didn't hesitate. She reached up and took hold of Chris' left arm. As she did, Chris reached out and grabbed Angel and Spike by the arms. Then he orbed them out of the office as Wyatt turned back, having recovered from the flash.
"It won't do you any good, little brother," Wyatt said into the air. "It doesn't take a genius to know where you're taking them. Enjoy your brief victory while you can. I'm coming for you. And when I'm done, the vampire and the Slayer will pay for what they've done. And not even the famous Charmed Ones will be able to stop me."
"What do you mean he has a soul, too?" Phoebe asked.
"Just what I said," said Angel. "Spike also has a soul. So if you're here for a vampire with a soul you'll have to be a bit more specific. If this thing is after Spike it's welcome to him."
"Up yours," said Spike.
"Chris, any idea why Wyatt is going after the vampire with a soul?" Phoebe asked.
"No," said Chris. "He only said the vampire with a soul had to be taken out. And that the Slayer was next."
"Buffy?" said Spike and Angel in unison.
They looked at each other momentarily.
"This thing is after Buffy, too?" Angel asked.
"Yes," said Phoebe. "My sister, Paige, went to get her. Wyatt, the guy who's after you two, is powerful. There's no way she could resist him. Neither can you. You may be a vampire but Wyatt is so far beyond that. He'll probably just vanquish you with a fireball without any fuss."
"Interesting theory," said a voice across the room. "Only it's not going to be that easy for the vampire. Or the Slayer. They have to be punished for what they did. Then I'll take care of you meddlesome witches."
Everyone turned to see Wyatt reclining on the bar in the back of Angel's office. He was smiling at them as if he hadn't a care in the world.
"Wyatt," said Chris.
"Hey, little brother," said Wyatt. "And Aunt Phoebe. I didn't expect to find you here. Oh, Chris I can understand. Always wanting to save the innocent. Only they aren't innocent. What they did to me must be avenged. And neither you nor your sisters can protect them."
"Bloody hell," said Spike turning to look at Wyatt. "Who are you?"
"I'm retribution, vampire," said Wyatt.
"Okay, you want me," said Angel, "here I am. Only I don't remember ever meeting you. Whatever beef you have with me you'll have to remind me what it is."
"You?" questioned Wyatt. "I don't even know who you are. I'm after him." He pointed at Spike. "The vampire with a soul. Of course, I thought he had been destroyed. He should have been. I didn't know it was possible to survive the power of the amulet."
"Wyatt, you don't have to do this," said Chris moving to stand between Wyatt and the others. "You have a second chance here. We can correct what went wrong the first time. Now that you're here we can see to it that the evil in you never gets there."
"Evil?" questioned Wyatt, jumping off the bar. "You just don't get it, do you? I've told you before. It's not about good and evil. It's not even about right and wrong. It's about power. That's all it's ever been about. You just never understood that."
"What the?" gasped Spike. "That's not bloody possible."
"Wyatt," said Chris, ignoring Spike. "Please, you're my brother. If I have to I'll kill baby Wyatt to stop you. I don't want to do that. But after everything you've done, I can't let you do it again. If you won't come back voluntarily, I'll have to stop you anyway I can."
"You won't do that, little brother," said Wyatt, smiling. "You can't kill an innocent. We both know that. Not even knowing what he'll become. There's nothing you can do to stop me. And seeing that he's now corporeal again," he looked at Spike, "it means it won't be long now. And there's nothing you can do to stop me."
"We'll see about that," said Chris.
Suddenly, Chris raised his hand and a brilliant light flashed directly in front of Wyatt's eyes. Wyatt spun impulsively and put his hands to his eyes to shield them, but it was too late. The flash had already blinded him. Chris knew that wouldn't last long. He suddenly turned and moved back to the other three.
"Take my arm," he said to Phoebe.
Phoebe didn't hesitate. She reached up and took hold of Chris' left arm. As she did, Chris reached out and grabbed Angel and Spike by the arms. Then he orbed them out of the office as Wyatt turned back, having recovered from the flash.
"It won't do you any good, little brother," Wyatt said into the air. "It doesn't take a genius to know where you're taking them. Enjoy your brief victory while you can. I'm coming for you. And when I'm done, the vampire and the Slayer will pay for what they've done. And not even the famous Charmed Ones will be able to stop me."