The Paladin Project 15 - Death Of The Death
De Morte nodded in satisfaction at the array of vampires before him. In addition to his own elite team of The Hunt, his master had sent twenty of The Crimson Guard, Lord Lucis' personal bodyguard, young and fanatically loyal vampires personally trained by him to serve their liege lord. It was from their ranks he chose the new members of The Hunt, when the candidate had the sufficient experience and power.
After collecting his thoughts he began to speak. "You've all been briefed about our mission objective - the destruction of the Paladin Project," he waited until the ripple of mutters going through his audience had dissipated before continuing. "At first the plan was to attack the Project at their base," he pointed to the photo on the projection screen and grimaced, "but we were beaten to it by the Satan's Soldiers who were repulsed at great loss to the mercenary unit."
Once again his audience began to mutter in shock. Eventually a vampire raised a hand. "Sir, who hired the Soldiers?"
"That it is unknown," De Morte replied with a shrug. "What is important is they failed and I decided it is inadvisable to repeat that tactic. As a result we're going to use a different plan. Each night the Project patrols Sunnydale, eliminating any demons or vampires they find. Blade leads one group, Angel one, and Demonsbane and Faith the other, with Eric Draven acting as a roaming trouble-shooter. My plan is that my troops will each take out the Project's super-powered members while on patrol with you," he nodded towards the Crimson Guard contingent, "while you will deal with the purely human people. You," he nodded to the room's final group, fourteen vampires press-ganged from the local population, "are tasked with eliminating Draven." Given the Crow's powers the fourteen vampires would be little more than cannon-fodder but they should delay Draven enough to allow them to deal with the Hunt's main targets. "We go tonight, any questions?"
* * *
Faith sneaked a side glance at Xander. It was a week since their conversation about the past and the atmosphere between them had eased considerably. Still, whenever she was near him she got an aching, a longing for him to hold her, for him to joke with her in the easy manner he had back in the day. It was just too hard being around him, she was considering asking G if she could be moved away from him, to the secondary hellmouth in Cleveland after the current shit-storm was over. But that would mean she'd hardly ever see him, hear his voice. Fuck, she was like a junkie and he was her heroin.
She was brought out of her dilemma by a hissed whisper from the subject of her musings. "Faith, is there something up there?"
Faith stared into the darkness ahead, there was something, a vague shape. Suddenly uneasy she began to draw her sword. "I don't know Xand," she muttered in reply, "may-." She was cut off by a sound above her head. She looked up instinctively to see a shape leap off the top of the wall and onto her. "Xand!" she yelled.
* * *
At his companion's shout Xander started towards her, his eyes widening as two other vampires dropped onto the ground surrounding the struggling Slayer. Growling protectively his hand snaked inside his jacket to pull out his Desert Eagle as he moved across the shadowy alley."Case! Frank! Cover me!" At the last instance he heard a footfall to his right, too indistinct for a normal ear to pick up. "Fuck!"
Spinning round he saw a seven foot tall giant who wouldn't have been out of place on the cover of 'MuscleMag International'. Even as he levelled his gun at the vampire, he sensed another three demonic presences behind him and heard the sound of Castle and Ryback engaged in a fire-fight. A fucking trap.
Cursing under his breath, he accessed the inner hyena, feeling a pair of hands grab his shoulders from behind, he backed-up quickly, driving his head into the creature's face, shattering bone and forcing a scream from his attacker. Hoping to seize the opportunity offered to him by the beast's loosening grip, Xander pulled away only for a bone-shuddering left hook from the giant vampire in front of him to knock him into the brick wall, his head connecting with a thudding impact. Dazed, he could only watch helplessly as the four vampires moved in.
* * *
Angel stopped, his eyes flickering around him, his vampiric sense screaming. "Trouble," he muttered, he glanced to the MacLeods, relieved to see his companions had already drawn their swords.
"Oh more than just trouble Angelus," a tall, lithe brunette in a figure- hugging black catsuit stepped out of the shadows, flanked by a pair of hulking six footers. "Death." Even as Angel and his companions stepped forward to meet the challenge, he heard pained screams in the distance. The sultry goddess smiled. "Oh that would be my minions murdereing and butchering innocents."
Angel grimaced, recognising the trap set before him but unable to avoid it. "Dunc, Con, Amanda, go deal with them, I'll," his eyes bore holes into his adversary, causing her to momentarily step back before regaining her poise, "deal with them."
"Good luck," Connor said before hurrying away.
"Ah," the dark-haired beauty fluttered her long eye-lashes, "all alone Angelus. What are you to do?"
"Kill you," he replied in a low growl before charging forward to meet the trio and speaking into his throat mike. "Draven, it's Angel I'm at the main park. I need help now!"
* * *
"I'll get right on it." Draven stared at the gang of vampires surrounding him and smiled. This was going to be fun.
Suddenly he exploded into action, his movements a blur as he assaulted the massed vampires, his fists punching through ribcages to pull out hearts, his kicks tearing heads off shoulders. His inhuman speed was so fast that even his demonic opponents struggled to touch him, and those who managed to punch or kick him found their attacks were shrugged off effortlessly. Finally the last vampire exploded into dust, his head pulled off his shoulders. For a second Eric just stood in the shadowy street, exulting in another battle won. Then he remembered Angel's call for assistance and cursed.
* * *
"Shit!" Blade threw himself to his left as hot lead tore through the cold night and into the space where he'd be stood just a split-second earlier. He dared a peek over the trash receptacle he'd dived behind and cursed, his adversaries, three vampires had caught him in crossfire. He'd have to get assistance from his companions. His curses grew louder as his ears picked up the sound of a fire-fight behind him, indicating Bond and Crow had problems of their own. "So no help there then." Lifting his head over the rim of the garbage can he fired his two automatics. He only had limited ammo, if he didn't do something fast they'd have him. He grimaced; this was gonna hurt.
* * *
Faith snarled fearfully at the three vampires stood over her, memories of when it was men rather than demons in that position assaulting her. Shoving aside her fear, she surged to her feet and did what she always did, channelling her hurt into fighting. She sidestepped a right-handed backfist from the vampire to her left only to catch a foot in her gut from the one to her front, doubling her up and knocking her into the alley wall behind.
Ignoring the pain in her stomach, she somersaulted backwards, planting her heels on the top of the wall and pushing off. Once in mid-air she cleared the heads of the three vampires, coming down to land behind them, her knees bent to take the impact. Twisting round she slid under a left hook, grabbed her attacker's arm at the wrist and pulled him towards her, stiff- arming him across the chest, sending him crashing to the ground. Eager to take her chance she stepped forward to stake the bastard but caught a thudding blow across her forehead from one of the other vampires, tearing open a cut over her left eye. "Fuck!" Blood blurring her vision she was helpless to avoid the leg sweep taking her legs from underneath her sending her plummeting back to the ground.
* * *
Shaking the stars from his head, Xander finally managed to finish drawing his gun. He took a malicious delight from the distraught look on the vampires' faces before beginning to fire. His first pair of shots took the heads off two of his attackers but the third vampire managed to grabb his wrist and twisted, the sudden pain causing him to drop his gun. "Shit!" Xander shot out a foot, catching the vampire between the legs. Even as the vampire doubled up the other remaining vampire, the giant, shattered Xander's jaw with a thudding punch to the chin. Ignoring the blood foaming in his mouth, Xander stepped towards the still doubled-up vampire, driving his knee up into its face, sending it crashing to the ground.
Xander spun to face the giant blood-sucker. Catching a right hook intended to take his head off on his shoulder, Xander butted the vampire in the face. "Argh!" the vampire stumbled backwards, his eyes dazed with pain. Before the monster had a chance to recover Xander caught him with an bone- breaking overhand right to the nose and a knee to the groin, further rocking the monster. His heart pounding with jubilation, Xander drew his stake and charged towards the vampire.
Xander cursed as his right foot was grabbed by the vampire he'd previously knocked to the floor. Off balance, he was barely able to sidestep a knife- thrust from the giant and unable to avoid a backfist that shattered his nose. Tears of pain blinding him, he stumbled shoulder-first into the wall. Sensing the vampire to his right charging at him, Xander waited until the last second then drew his stake and slammed it into the left side of its chest. Even as he turned his attention back to the other vampire, he was rocked by a chop to the right side of his neck and a rib-cracking punch to the gut. Swearing at the pain raging through his body he was unable to keep hold of his stake.
The vampire rushed in but Xander sidestepped its charge and caught it with a knifehand across the throat. Growling in pain the giant attempted to grab his outstretched arm but he managed to pull away and drove an elbow into the demon's jaw. The vampire let out a pained squawk before stumbling backwards. Eager to follow-up Xander caught the monster with a side-kick to the stomach, his blow connecting with a satisfying crack. Seizing advantage of the opportunity offered to him by the vampire's distress he scooped up his stake but as he straightened a hand grabbed him by the throat and flung him into a collection of trash-cans at the far end of the alley, the back of his head smashing onto the road. Dazed and beaten beyond the point of endurance he could only watch as the mountainous vampire approached his crumpled body.
* * * Knowing he'd only get one chance to put his plan into action, Blade waited until he judged the time was right before moving. Grabbing hold of the rim of the steel trashcan he was hiding behind he flung it to his left, the force of his throw sending the bin soaring into the night. At the same time he dived to his right, firing as he went.
His first shot took the leftmost vampire in his head as his attacker peeked over the car he'd been hiding behind to look at the trashcan, a split- second later the vampire exploded into dust. Ignoring the pain as rounds from the other two shuddered into him he raised his gun and fired into the engine of the car the vampire pair where hiding behind. The last thing Blade saw before lapsing into unconsciousness was the car exploding into flames, the last thing he heard was the screaming of the vampires as they died.
* * *
Angel winced as the female vampire's blade sliced into his shoulder, ripping open a bloody furrow. Ignoring the pain he moved backwards, warily watching the vampires opposing him. He'd slain one of them, but with the odds of two to one and injured it didn't look good, especially when you considered the age and power of the vampires facing him.
"Angelus," the raven-haired goddess shook her head, a mocking expression on her beautiful face. "What has happened to you? Vampires the world all over used to talk about you in terms of reverence. And now what? You're a pathetic dogsbody to our food. How the mighty have fallen."
Angel raised an eyebrow. "Eric, you ready?"
The Crow laughed, his white mask showing. The two vampires began to spin to face Draven but before they'd finished their turn, the Crow was amongst them, his fists slamming into the chests, cracking ribs on way to pulling out their hearts. A split-second later and the vampires exploded into dust.
Angel smiled down at the dust piles. "I might be pathetic, but I'm still here."
* * *
Even as Faith hit the hard gravel she was moving, rolling from side to side and shielding her head from stomps and kicks from her attackers. Seeing an opening she snatched at one of the vampires' ankles and pulled, jerking the bone against the grain. There was a crack from the ankle as it broke and a scream from the vampire as he fell.
As soon as the vampire hit the ground she was on him. Steeling herself against the punches and kicks reigning down on her she slammed her stake into the beast's heart. As her other two rivals stumbled back in shock, Faith rolled onto her back before flipping upright between them.
After a half-second's hesitation the two vampires charged her. Instantly Faith dropped into a forward roll coming up in front of the wall and ran up it before launching herself into a backwards somersault to land behind her stunned rivals. Even as they turned to face her she thrust her stake left and right, slaying the two vampires. Faith spun round to see how Xander was doing. Her mouth dropped open at the massive vampire advancing on her friend, he had to stand seven foot tall and weighed 320 easy. "Fuck." Rushing forward she placed herself between the gigantic demon and her friend.
"Back off Godzilla," she warned. God, she hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. Her face where the other vampires had beaten her was misshapen agony and her entire body was aching from the pummelling she'd taken while on the ground. But no matter what, there was no fucking way this bastard was going to lay another hand on Xan.
* * * De Morte stared at the Slayer, caught in a quandary. In his seven hundred years of existence he'd killed five Slayers, but he'd always been fresh and the Slayer exhausted, worn down by his minions, this one was exhausted but so was he - could he take her? All thoughts of fighting fled when Demonsbane stumbled up to stand beside the Slayer, his expression dazed yet determined. Worse still was the sight of the two battered humans finishing off the Crimson Guard members sent to delay them. "There'll be other days," he muttered before turning and fleeing into the night.
* * * The instant the big bastard melted into the shadows Xander let out a gasp of pain. Cursing, Faith spun round and caught her friend as he crumpled to the ground. Pushing aside her own feelings of delight at finally being able to hold Xander in her arms, she looked down with concern at Xander's battered face. "Damn Xand, he really fucked you up," muttering a silent promise to hunt down the gargantuan vampire who'd done this to her bud she turned back to Ryback and Castle. "Patrol's cancelled boys, we need to get Xman back to Leo." She could do with the angel's healing hands herself. She hid a smile. It didn't hurt that he was a hottie too.
* * *
De Morte's head reeled as he staggered through Sunnydale's dark streets. He'd failed, but he'd been so close. If not that for the Slayer bitch he'd have snapped Demonsbane's neck. But he had to admit that Demonsbane was tough, far tougher than any human he'd ever faced before.
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar smell reaching his nostrils. He pulled up, his eyes warily searching the surrounding shadows even as he spit out blood. "Sophia?" he growled.
"Here dear," Lord Lucis' favourite toy stepped out of the darkness ahead of her, the sneer she always wore when not in their master's presence in place.
"What are you doing here?" De Morte asked, his stomach clenching in fear. He might be his master's chief enforcer but Sophia held an unchallenged position as Lucis' chosen assassin. Sophia was centuries younger than him but had the powers and abilities of a Slayer to add her vampiric abilities, if it came to a fight he didn't know who'd win - especially considering his injuries.
"Why," the former Slayer purred, her movements as seductively slinky as they'd always been as she approached him. "Couldn't I have just missed your touch, you beating, whipping me as our master watched?" The woman's eyes hardened. "Or could it be that our master sent me to watch you in case you failed."
De Morte swallowed. "If you joined forces with me Demonsbane wouldn't have a chance."
"Um, let me think," the woman shifted into her demonic face, "no. Hans."
Too late De Morte registered the demonic presence behind him. Cursing he spun round to face the interloper, saw the crossbow arrow flying towards his chest and put an arm across to block it. The arrow thudded into his thickly-muscled forearm. De Morte's eyes widened in shock as pain coursed through his body, the arrow shouldn't have hurt that much! Distracted by the agony exploding in his body he didn't register the second arrow until it flew into his left thigh, sending him crashing down on one knee. Suddenly he heard Sophia's ice-cold voice in his ear and felt her hands around her neck. "Tips dipped in holy water, has quite a kick to it doesn't it?" the silver-haired goddess twisted her hands breaking his neck before releasing him, allowing him to fall to the ground. He stared up helplessly at the gloating woman stood above him. "Dear De Morte, all the members of the Hunt dead, the Crimson Guard decimated, and I, I have my Axel," the vampire who'd shot him moved into view, "as well as some Master vampires looking to join the Clans. The Project are unimportant, Lord Lucis has made a mistake, he's getting old, senile - a new leader is needed - me. Axel, kill him."
De Morte nodded in satisfaction at the array of vampires before him. In addition to his own elite team of The Hunt, his master had sent twenty of The Crimson Guard, Lord Lucis' personal bodyguard, young and fanatically loyal vampires personally trained by him to serve their liege lord. It was from their ranks he chose the new members of The Hunt, when the candidate had the sufficient experience and power.
After collecting his thoughts he began to speak. "You've all been briefed about our mission objective - the destruction of the Paladin Project," he waited until the ripple of mutters going through his audience had dissipated before continuing. "At first the plan was to attack the Project at their base," he pointed to the photo on the projection screen and grimaced, "but we were beaten to it by the Satan's Soldiers who were repulsed at great loss to the mercenary unit."
Once again his audience began to mutter in shock. Eventually a vampire raised a hand. "Sir, who hired the Soldiers?"
"That it is unknown," De Morte replied with a shrug. "What is important is they failed and I decided it is inadvisable to repeat that tactic. As a result we're going to use a different plan. Each night the Project patrols Sunnydale, eliminating any demons or vampires they find. Blade leads one group, Angel one, and Demonsbane and Faith the other, with Eric Draven acting as a roaming trouble-shooter. My plan is that my troops will each take out the Project's super-powered members while on patrol with you," he nodded towards the Crimson Guard contingent, "while you will deal with the purely human people. You," he nodded to the room's final group, fourteen vampires press-ganged from the local population, "are tasked with eliminating Draven." Given the Crow's powers the fourteen vampires would be little more than cannon-fodder but they should delay Draven enough to allow them to deal with the Hunt's main targets. "We go tonight, any questions?"
* * *
Faith sneaked a side glance at Xander. It was a week since their conversation about the past and the atmosphere between them had eased considerably. Still, whenever she was near him she got an aching, a longing for him to hold her, for him to joke with her in the easy manner he had back in the day. It was just too hard being around him, she was considering asking G if she could be moved away from him, to the secondary hellmouth in Cleveland after the current shit-storm was over. But that would mean she'd hardly ever see him, hear his voice. Fuck, she was like a junkie and he was her heroin.
She was brought out of her dilemma by a hissed whisper from the subject of her musings. "Faith, is there something up there?"
Faith stared into the darkness ahead, there was something, a vague shape. Suddenly uneasy she began to draw her sword. "I don't know Xand," she muttered in reply, "may-." She was cut off by a sound above her head. She looked up instinctively to see a shape leap off the top of the wall and onto her. "Xand!" she yelled.
* * *
At his companion's shout Xander started towards her, his eyes widening as two other vampires dropped onto the ground surrounding the struggling Slayer. Growling protectively his hand snaked inside his jacket to pull out his Desert Eagle as he moved across the shadowy alley."Case! Frank! Cover me!" At the last instance he heard a footfall to his right, too indistinct for a normal ear to pick up. "Fuck!"
Spinning round he saw a seven foot tall giant who wouldn't have been out of place on the cover of 'MuscleMag International'. Even as he levelled his gun at the vampire, he sensed another three demonic presences behind him and heard the sound of Castle and Ryback engaged in a fire-fight. A fucking trap.
Cursing under his breath, he accessed the inner hyena, feeling a pair of hands grab his shoulders from behind, he backed-up quickly, driving his head into the creature's face, shattering bone and forcing a scream from his attacker. Hoping to seize the opportunity offered to him by the beast's loosening grip, Xander pulled away only for a bone-shuddering left hook from the giant vampire in front of him to knock him into the brick wall, his head connecting with a thudding impact. Dazed, he could only watch helplessly as the four vampires moved in.
* * *
Angel stopped, his eyes flickering around him, his vampiric sense screaming. "Trouble," he muttered, he glanced to the MacLeods, relieved to see his companions had already drawn their swords.
"Oh more than just trouble Angelus," a tall, lithe brunette in a figure- hugging black catsuit stepped out of the shadows, flanked by a pair of hulking six footers. "Death." Even as Angel and his companions stepped forward to meet the challenge, he heard pained screams in the distance. The sultry goddess smiled. "Oh that would be my minions murdereing and butchering innocents."
Angel grimaced, recognising the trap set before him but unable to avoid it. "Dunc, Con, Amanda, go deal with them, I'll," his eyes bore holes into his adversary, causing her to momentarily step back before regaining her poise, "deal with them."
"Good luck," Connor said before hurrying away.
"Ah," the dark-haired beauty fluttered her long eye-lashes, "all alone Angelus. What are you to do?"
"Kill you," he replied in a low growl before charging forward to meet the trio and speaking into his throat mike. "Draven, it's Angel I'm at the main park. I need help now!"
* * *
"I'll get right on it." Draven stared at the gang of vampires surrounding him and smiled. This was going to be fun.
Suddenly he exploded into action, his movements a blur as he assaulted the massed vampires, his fists punching through ribcages to pull out hearts, his kicks tearing heads off shoulders. His inhuman speed was so fast that even his demonic opponents struggled to touch him, and those who managed to punch or kick him found their attacks were shrugged off effortlessly. Finally the last vampire exploded into dust, his head pulled off his shoulders. For a second Eric just stood in the shadowy street, exulting in another battle won. Then he remembered Angel's call for assistance and cursed.
* * *
"Shit!" Blade threw himself to his left as hot lead tore through the cold night and into the space where he'd be stood just a split-second earlier. He dared a peek over the trash receptacle he'd dived behind and cursed, his adversaries, three vampires had caught him in crossfire. He'd have to get assistance from his companions. His curses grew louder as his ears picked up the sound of a fire-fight behind him, indicating Bond and Crow had problems of their own. "So no help there then." Lifting his head over the rim of the garbage can he fired his two automatics. He only had limited ammo, if he didn't do something fast they'd have him. He grimaced; this was gonna hurt.
* * *
Faith snarled fearfully at the three vampires stood over her, memories of when it was men rather than demons in that position assaulting her. Shoving aside her fear, she surged to her feet and did what she always did, channelling her hurt into fighting. She sidestepped a right-handed backfist from the vampire to her left only to catch a foot in her gut from the one to her front, doubling her up and knocking her into the alley wall behind.
Ignoring the pain in her stomach, she somersaulted backwards, planting her heels on the top of the wall and pushing off. Once in mid-air she cleared the heads of the three vampires, coming down to land behind them, her knees bent to take the impact. Twisting round she slid under a left hook, grabbed her attacker's arm at the wrist and pulled him towards her, stiff- arming him across the chest, sending him crashing to the ground. Eager to take her chance she stepped forward to stake the bastard but caught a thudding blow across her forehead from one of the other vampires, tearing open a cut over her left eye. "Fuck!" Blood blurring her vision she was helpless to avoid the leg sweep taking her legs from underneath her sending her plummeting back to the ground.
* * *
Shaking the stars from his head, Xander finally managed to finish drawing his gun. He took a malicious delight from the distraught look on the vampires' faces before beginning to fire. His first pair of shots took the heads off two of his attackers but the third vampire managed to grabb his wrist and twisted, the sudden pain causing him to drop his gun. "Shit!" Xander shot out a foot, catching the vampire between the legs. Even as the vampire doubled up the other remaining vampire, the giant, shattered Xander's jaw with a thudding punch to the chin. Ignoring the blood foaming in his mouth, Xander stepped towards the still doubled-up vampire, driving his knee up into its face, sending it crashing to the ground.
Xander spun to face the giant blood-sucker. Catching a right hook intended to take his head off on his shoulder, Xander butted the vampire in the face. "Argh!" the vampire stumbled backwards, his eyes dazed with pain. Before the monster had a chance to recover Xander caught him with an bone- breaking overhand right to the nose and a knee to the groin, further rocking the monster. His heart pounding with jubilation, Xander drew his stake and charged towards the vampire.
Xander cursed as his right foot was grabbed by the vampire he'd previously knocked to the floor. Off balance, he was barely able to sidestep a knife- thrust from the giant and unable to avoid a backfist that shattered his nose. Tears of pain blinding him, he stumbled shoulder-first into the wall. Sensing the vampire to his right charging at him, Xander waited until the last second then drew his stake and slammed it into the left side of its chest. Even as he turned his attention back to the other vampire, he was rocked by a chop to the right side of his neck and a rib-cracking punch to the gut. Swearing at the pain raging through his body he was unable to keep hold of his stake.
The vampire rushed in but Xander sidestepped its charge and caught it with a knifehand across the throat. Growling in pain the giant attempted to grab his outstretched arm but he managed to pull away and drove an elbow into the demon's jaw. The vampire let out a pained squawk before stumbling backwards. Eager to follow-up Xander caught the monster with a side-kick to the stomach, his blow connecting with a satisfying crack. Seizing advantage of the opportunity offered to him by the vampire's distress he scooped up his stake but as he straightened a hand grabbed him by the throat and flung him into a collection of trash-cans at the far end of the alley, the back of his head smashing onto the road. Dazed and beaten beyond the point of endurance he could only watch as the mountainous vampire approached his crumpled body.
* * * Knowing he'd only get one chance to put his plan into action, Blade waited until he judged the time was right before moving. Grabbing hold of the rim of the steel trashcan he was hiding behind he flung it to his left, the force of his throw sending the bin soaring into the night. At the same time he dived to his right, firing as he went.
His first shot took the leftmost vampire in his head as his attacker peeked over the car he'd been hiding behind to look at the trashcan, a split- second later the vampire exploded into dust. Ignoring the pain as rounds from the other two shuddered into him he raised his gun and fired into the engine of the car the vampire pair where hiding behind. The last thing Blade saw before lapsing into unconsciousness was the car exploding into flames, the last thing he heard was the screaming of the vampires as they died.
* * *
Angel winced as the female vampire's blade sliced into his shoulder, ripping open a bloody furrow. Ignoring the pain he moved backwards, warily watching the vampires opposing him. He'd slain one of them, but with the odds of two to one and injured it didn't look good, especially when you considered the age and power of the vampires facing him.
"Angelus," the raven-haired goddess shook her head, a mocking expression on her beautiful face. "What has happened to you? Vampires the world all over used to talk about you in terms of reverence. And now what? You're a pathetic dogsbody to our food. How the mighty have fallen."
Angel raised an eyebrow. "Eric, you ready?"
The Crow laughed, his white mask showing. The two vampires began to spin to face Draven but before they'd finished their turn, the Crow was amongst them, his fists slamming into the chests, cracking ribs on way to pulling out their hearts. A split-second later and the vampires exploded into dust.
Angel smiled down at the dust piles. "I might be pathetic, but I'm still here."
* * *
Even as Faith hit the hard gravel she was moving, rolling from side to side and shielding her head from stomps and kicks from her attackers. Seeing an opening she snatched at one of the vampires' ankles and pulled, jerking the bone against the grain. There was a crack from the ankle as it broke and a scream from the vampire as he fell.
As soon as the vampire hit the ground she was on him. Steeling herself against the punches and kicks reigning down on her she slammed her stake into the beast's heart. As her other two rivals stumbled back in shock, Faith rolled onto her back before flipping upright between them.
After a half-second's hesitation the two vampires charged her. Instantly Faith dropped into a forward roll coming up in front of the wall and ran up it before launching herself into a backwards somersault to land behind her stunned rivals. Even as they turned to face her she thrust her stake left and right, slaying the two vampires. Faith spun round to see how Xander was doing. Her mouth dropped open at the massive vampire advancing on her friend, he had to stand seven foot tall and weighed 320 easy. "Fuck." Rushing forward she placed herself between the gigantic demon and her friend.
"Back off Godzilla," she warned. God, she hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. Her face where the other vampires had beaten her was misshapen agony and her entire body was aching from the pummelling she'd taken while on the ground. But no matter what, there was no fucking way this bastard was going to lay another hand on Xan.
* * * De Morte stared at the Slayer, caught in a quandary. In his seven hundred years of existence he'd killed five Slayers, but he'd always been fresh and the Slayer exhausted, worn down by his minions, this one was exhausted but so was he - could he take her? All thoughts of fighting fled when Demonsbane stumbled up to stand beside the Slayer, his expression dazed yet determined. Worse still was the sight of the two battered humans finishing off the Crimson Guard members sent to delay them. "There'll be other days," he muttered before turning and fleeing into the night.
* * * The instant the big bastard melted into the shadows Xander let out a gasp of pain. Cursing, Faith spun round and caught her friend as he crumpled to the ground. Pushing aside her own feelings of delight at finally being able to hold Xander in her arms, she looked down with concern at Xander's battered face. "Damn Xand, he really fucked you up," muttering a silent promise to hunt down the gargantuan vampire who'd done this to her bud she turned back to Ryback and Castle. "Patrol's cancelled boys, we need to get Xman back to Leo." She could do with the angel's healing hands herself. She hid a smile. It didn't hurt that he was a hottie too.
* * *
De Morte's head reeled as he staggered through Sunnydale's dark streets. He'd failed, but he'd been so close. If not that for the Slayer bitch he'd have snapped Demonsbane's neck. But he had to admit that Demonsbane was tough, far tougher than any human he'd ever faced before.
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar smell reaching his nostrils. He pulled up, his eyes warily searching the surrounding shadows even as he spit out blood. "Sophia?" he growled.
"Here dear," Lord Lucis' favourite toy stepped out of the darkness ahead of her, the sneer she always wore when not in their master's presence in place.
"What are you doing here?" De Morte asked, his stomach clenching in fear. He might be his master's chief enforcer but Sophia held an unchallenged position as Lucis' chosen assassin. Sophia was centuries younger than him but had the powers and abilities of a Slayer to add her vampiric abilities, if it came to a fight he didn't know who'd win - especially considering his injuries.
"Why," the former Slayer purred, her movements as seductively slinky as they'd always been as she approached him. "Couldn't I have just missed your touch, you beating, whipping me as our master watched?" The woman's eyes hardened. "Or could it be that our master sent me to watch you in case you failed."
De Morte swallowed. "If you joined forces with me Demonsbane wouldn't have a chance."
"Um, let me think," the woman shifted into her demonic face, "no. Hans."
Too late De Morte registered the demonic presence behind him. Cursing he spun round to face the interloper, saw the crossbow arrow flying towards his chest and put an arm across to block it. The arrow thudded into his thickly-muscled forearm. De Morte's eyes widened in shock as pain coursed through his body, the arrow shouldn't have hurt that much! Distracted by the agony exploding in his body he didn't register the second arrow until it flew into his left thigh, sending him crashing down on one knee. Suddenly he heard Sophia's ice-cold voice in his ear and felt her hands around her neck. "Tips dipped in holy water, has quite a kick to it doesn't it?" the silver-haired goddess twisted her hands breaking his neck before releasing him, allowing him to fall to the ground. He stared up helplessly at the gloating woman stood above him. "Dear De Morte, all the members of the Hunt dead, the Crimson Guard decimated, and I, I have my Axel," the vampire who'd shot him moved into view, "as well as some Master vampires looking to join the Clans. The Project are unimportant, Lord Lucis has made a mistake, he's getting old, senile - a new leader is needed - me. Axel, kill him."
