Chapter XVI: 'Killing ancient fiends for Dummies'.
He sleeps. The smell of potpourri is intoxicating, as well as it is relaxing for him. It flows through the room with ease and he draws it in through his nostrils quietly as he dreams. He has been out of it for hours. Taken by the power of the sedatives. Lindsey comes into his room and knocks on the door slightly.
Lindsey: "Can I come in?"
He walks over to the bed, holding a paper cup with steam curling out from its top. He seats by him and sets the cup beside the bed.
Lindsey: "Wes?"
Wes: (eyes closed) "I've been fighting the urge to urinate for two hours. I can't move my arms and I'm still groggy from the anesthesia." (turns his head towards him and slowly opens his eyes) "Can this wait till tomorrow?"
Lindsey: (snickers) "You got lucky, book worm."
Wes: "How so?"
Lindsey: "They managed to reattach the arm with consequence. You should be good to go in about..." (looks at his wrist watch) "...ten hours or so."
Wes: "They didn't use demon shamans, did they?"
Lindsey: (snickers) "No. Apparently there were a couple of complaints filed for malfunction. Just your everyday ancient, demonic potion."
Wes: "Well, that's encouraging."
Lindsey: (looks at him intently) "Look, if it makes you feel any better, between the two of us we've lost both arms."
Wes: "Oh... that's right... how's that working out for you?"
Lindsey: "It's been working out fine for the past three years Wes."
Wes: (looks back at the ceiling and closes his eyes) "That's good. Should come in handy."
Lindsey: "Wes... Illyria's gone."
Wes opens his eyes and looks straight at the ceiling. Lindsey notices his worry.
Lindsey: (cont.) "Spike talked to her and went outside for a smoke. We ran into each other in the hall and went back to the room where he left her. She was gone."
Wes: "How much time since--?"
Lindsey: "About two hours ago."
Wes: "She's going after Norin."
Lindsey: "Our thoughts exactly. Spike went after her, but there isn't much he can do. Sunrise was forty-five minutes ago."
Wes: "Unless he tracks her through the sewers. That could afford him more time."
Lindsey: "He's not gonna find her if she doesn't want to be found."
Wes: "Oh, I'm well aware of that."
Lindsey: "So I guess now's the time, huh?"
Wes: (with a heavy heart) "Yes... finally."
Lindsey: "Very well. I'll go get them ready, then."
He stands from his chair and walks towards the door. He stops and turns around.
Lindsey: "You sure you want to go through with this?"
Wes: "More than anything."
Lindsey: "There's some coffee there for you. Thought you might want something to drink."
Wes: "Thanks..."
Lindsey nods uncertainly. He walks out of the room and walks towards the end of the hall. As he turns around the corner, Spike rears his head from behind a door next to Wes' room. He walks in and notices Wes cursing from the distasteful coffee. He shuts the door and Wes looks at him, who puts the coffee down and sits straight in his bed.
Spike: "You might wanna tell me what the hell was that all about before I get jumpy."
Wes: "It's the coffee. It's from a diner outside the city." (coughs) "Bloody awful, is what it is."
Spike: "Who or what the hell's Norin?"
Wes shrugs. Spike becomes ever more impatient and walks over to the bed.
Spike: "It sliced your bloody arm off after you called its name!! What is it?"
Wes: "I don't know--"
Spike: "Oh, that's bollocks and you know it."
Wes: "-- what exactly he is."
Spike: "Oh." (looks away embarrassed, then quickly back at Wes) "What do you know of him?"
Wes: "He was forged in the Dawn."
Spike: (confused) "Dawn? (realizing its meaning) "Oh, Creatio--"
He goes cold. He feels the chills coming from his spine and he shakes his head in disbelief.
Wes: "His purpose is to create balance between Chaos and Order."
Spike: "Come again?"
Wes: "It annihilates beings from whichever side tipped the scales until there's balance. In this case--"
Spike: "Evil."
Wes: "Yes."
Spike feels his heart sink. He looks at Wes and he can barely see tears forming in his eyes.
Spike: "Angel..."
Wes: "Yes."
Spike looks behind him and drops onto the couch that is sitting behind him. He rubs his hands and looks back at Wes.
Spike: "He's here 'cause Angel's--"
Wes: "Dead."
Spike: "But, if it's hunting evil, why did it attack us?"
Wes: (breathes deeply) "Demons."
Spike: (sits back) "Right." (ponders for a moment) "Can it be killed?"
Wes: "Our research--"
Spike: (sharply) "You and Lindsey's?"
Wes: "-- only indicates to one event where it was slayed."
Spike: "It was killed by a Slayer?"
Wes: "Ironically, by her Watcher. He used a Krollic bomb to kill it."
Spike: "A what?"
Wes: "It's a device that liquefies anything within a fifty feet radius. They were all killed."
Spike: "How did he come back from that?"
Wes: "We don't know. That was the last recording of Norin, before now."
Spike: "When is it from?"
Wes: "I think it was the year 7,634 B.C."
Spike: "Huh." (pauses) "Any chance that there's another Krollic bomb-thing here?"
Wes: "Lindsey tried to acquire one but couldn't get it through customs."
Spike: "Oh, come on. If Gunn could get Illyria's coffin out of customs, Lindsey can--"
Wes: "It exploded, Spike. That's why we couldn't get it here. Killed thirty- six people."
Spike: "Oh."
They both remain silent. Wesley observes as Spike wrestles with the information that he just received with great interest.
Wes: "Did you manage to get a trail of Illyria?"
Spike: "I think you already know the answer to that."
They look at each other and Spike stands up. He walks towards the door and looks through its small window.
Spike: (looks back at him) "Are you planning on telling me what are you gonna do with Lindsey?"
Wes: "You'll know soon."
Spike: (looks back out the window) "I'm gonna hit the tunnels again... see if I can get a trail of Big Blue before she gets sliced in two."
Wes: "Very well."
He opens the door and looks back at Wes.
Spike: "I hope you know what you're doing."
He walks out of the room with clear determination in his eyes. He sneaks into the boiler room and drops into the sewers of Los Angeles.
She enters the warehouse that had seen her greatest defeat without hesitation. The floors and walls have been cleaned out. There isn't even a faint smell of blood to be perceived. She walks slowly through it and looks at the catwalk upstairs. She goes up the stairs pacing herself cautiously but hastily and notices a small opening behind some broken machinery. She drops in and falls beside a cesspool.
The stench hits her as she stands and she's taken aback. She walks around and hears a loud banging on a metallic surface. She turns around quickly, expecting an attack when she hears it. A loud moaning coming from behind a broken wall. She approaches and notices a glint that pierces her eyes, leaving her blinded for seconds. She steps back and opens her eyes just in time to see the hilt of the sword hit coming straight at her face.
-- Teleute.
He sleeps. The smell of potpourri is intoxicating, as well as it is relaxing for him. It flows through the room with ease and he draws it in through his nostrils quietly as he dreams. He has been out of it for hours. Taken by the power of the sedatives. Lindsey comes into his room and knocks on the door slightly.
Lindsey: "Can I come in?"
He walks over to the bed, holding a paper cup with steam curling out from its top. He seats by him and sets the cup beside the bed.
Lindsey: "Wes?"
Wes: (eyes closed) "I've been fighting the urge to urinate for two hours. I can't move my arms and I'm still groggy from the anesthesia." (turns his head towards him and slowly opens his eyes) "Can this wait till tomorrow?"
Lindsey: (snickers) "You got lucky, book worm."
Wes: "How so?"
Lindsey: "They managed to reattach the arm with consequence. You should be good to go in about..." (looks at his wrist watch) "...ten hours or so."
Wes: "They didn't use demon shamans, did they?"
Lindsey: (snickers) "No. Apparently there were a couple of complaints filed for malfunction. Just your everyday ancient, demonic potion."
Wes: "Well, that's encouraging."
Lindsey: (looks at him intently) "Look, if it makes you feel any better, between the two of us we've lost both arms."
Wes: "Oh... that's right... how's that working out for you?"
Lindsey: "It's been working out fine for the past three years Wes."
Wes: (looks back at the ceiling and closes his eyes) "That's good. Should come in handy."
Lindsey: "Wes... Illyria's gone."
Wes opens his eyes and looks straight at the ceiling. Lindsey notices his worry.
Lindsey: (cont.) "Spike talked to her and went outside for a smoke. We ran into each other in the hall and went back to the room where he left her. She was gone."
Wes: "How much time since--?"
Lindsey: "About two hours ago."
Wes: "She's going after Norin."
Lindsey: "Our thoughts exactly. Spike went after her, but there isn't much he can do. Sunrise was forty-five minutes ago."
Wes: "Unless he tracks her through the sewers. That could afford him more time."
Lindsey: "He's not gonna find her if she doesn't want to be found."
Wes: "Oh, I'm well aware of that."
Lindsey: "So I guess now's the time, huh?"
Wes: (with a heavy heart) "Yes... finally."
Lindsey: "Very well. I'll go get them ready, then."
He stands from his chair and walks towards the door. He stops and turns around.
Lindsey: "You sure you want to go through with this?"
Wes: "More than anything."
Lindsey: "There's some coffee there for you. Thought you might want something to drink."
Wes: "Thanks..."
Lindsey nods uncertainly. He walks out of the room and walks towards the end of the hall. As he turns around the corner, Spike rears his head from behind a door next to Wes' room. He walks in and notices Wes cursing from the distasteful coffee. He shuts the door and Wes looks at him, who puts the coffee down and sits straight in his bed.
Spike: "You might wanna tell me what the hell was that all about before I get jumpy."
Wes: "It's the coffee. It's from a diner outside the city." (coughs) "Bloody awful, is what it is."
Spike: "Who or what the hell's Norin?"
Wes shrugs. Spike becomes ever more impatient and walks over to the bed.
Spike: "It sliced your bloody arm off after you called its name!! What is it?"
Wes: "I don't know--"
Spike: "Oh, that's bollocks and you know it."
Wes: "-- what exactly he is."
Spike: "Oh." (looks away embarrassed, then quickly back at Wes) "What do you know of him?"
Wes: "He was forged in the Dawn."
Spike: (confused) "Dawn? (realizing its meaning) "Oh, Creatio--"
He goes cold. He feels the chills coming from his spine and he shakes his head in disbelief.
Wes: "His purpose is to create balance between Chaos and Order."
Spike: "Come again?"
Wes: "It annihilates beings from whichever side tipped the scales until there's balance. In this case--"
Spike: "Evil."
Wes: "Yes."
Spike feels his heart sink. He looks at Wes and he can barely see tears forming in his eyes.
Spike: "Angel..."
Wes: "Yes."
Spike looks behind him and drops onto the couch that is sitting behind him. He rubs his hands and looks back at Wes.
Spike: "He's here 'cause Angel's--"
Wes: "Dead."
Spike: "But, if it's hunting evil, why did it attack us?"
Wes: (breathes deeply) "Demons."
Spike: (sits back) "Right." (ponders for a moment) "Can it be killed?"
Wes: "Our research--"
Spike: (sharply) "You and Lindsey's?"
Wes: "-- only indicates to one event where it was slayed."
Spike: "It was killed by a Slayer?"
Wes: "Ironically, by her Watcher. He used a Krollic bomb to kill it."
Spike: "A what?"
Wes: "It's a device that liquefies anything within a fifty feet radius. They were all killed."
Spike: "How did he come back from that?"
Wes: "We don't know. That was the last recording of Norin, before now."
Spike: "When is it from?"
Wes: "I think it was the year 7,634 B.C."
Spike: "Huh." (pauses) "Any chance that there's another Krollic bomb-thing here?"
Wes: "Lindsey tried to acquire one but couldn't get it through customs."
Spike: "Oh, come on. If Gunn could get Illyria's coffin out of customs, Lindsey can--"
Wes: "It exploded, Spike. That's why we couldn't get it here. Killed thirty- six people."
Spike: "Oh."
They both remain silent. Wesley observes as Spike wrestles with the information that he just received with great interest.
Wes: "Did you manage to get a trail of Illyria?"
Spike: "I think you already know the answer to that."
They look at each other and Spike stands up. He walks towards the door and looks through its small window.
Spike: (looks back at him) "Are you planning on telling me what are you gonna do with Lindsey?"
Wes: "You'll know soon."
Spike: (looks back out the window) "I'm gonna hit the tunnels again... see if I can get a trail of Big Blue before she gets sliced in two."
Wes: "Very well."
He opens the door and looks back at Wes.
Spike: "I hope you know what you're doing."
He walks out of the room with clear determination in his eyes. He sneaks into the boiler room and drops into the sewers of Los Angeles.
She enters the warehouse that had seen her greatest defeat without hesitation. The floors and walls have been cleaned out. There isn't even a faint smell of blood to be perceived. She walks slowly through it and looks at the catwalk upstairs. She goes up the stairs pacing herself cautiously but hastily and notices a small opening behind some broken machinery. She drops in and falls beside a cesspool.
The stench hits her as she stands and she's taken aback. She walks around and hears a loud banging on a metallic surface. She turns around quickly, expecting an attack when she hears it. A loud moaning coming from behind a broken wall. She approaches and notices a glint that pierces her eyes, leaving her blinded for seconds. She steps back and opens her eyes just in time to see the hilt of the sword hit coming straight at her face.
-- Teleute.