I don't know how many times I've been unconscious in the last 24 hours. But
this time, I woke up by being kicked. I groaned and rolled over.
"Stop it Dru," I mumbled, swiping at the foot.
It kicked me harder. "Wake up!" A girl's voice. Not Dru. And not Darla either.
Oh crap. It's that flipping girl-watcher. I rolled my eyes and sat up foggily. I was chained to the wall. No surprise there. I felt a little put out when I realised they'd taken my shirt. Friggin Watchers. What do they need with a vampire's shirt? Probably got some museum with ancient vamparic items. I could just picture my plain, bloodstained shirt in a glass case with a plaque reading, 'William the bloody's shirt.'
I pictured them all puzzling over the blood. 'Why is the blood on the back?' 'Maybe he fell asleep in the blood of the victim.' I laughed quietly.
"What's funny?" snapped the woman and I glared at her.
"None of your business – Ow!" I cradled my injured hand to my chest. The guy next to me who I hadn't noticed had just stood on it, undoing all the delicate work my bones had done in healing themselves. "Do you know how long this is going to take to heal now?" I snarled at him angrily.
He kicked me in reply. I was getting really, really annoyed with all these Watchers kicking me now, so I got up and lunged at him. He stepped out of reach casually and the chain suddenly reached it's limit, preventing me from reaching him. I sank down to the floor again, glaring at the four of them, the same ones who had been in the alley.
"We know you're Angelus' Childe." One of them said. I didn't say anything. "And we want to know where your nest is."
"Do you indeed?" I said. "Good luck with finding it." I leant back against the wall. "And by the way, nest is a term you use for birds. We prefer 'Lair'."
"Fledgling is also a term used in association with birds, however you use that one, do you not?"
I growled deep in my throat and didn't answer. Stupid smart mouthed Watchers.
"You're going to tell us where you're 'lair' is." The girl said, as if it was a statement.
"And what happens when I tell you?" I asked, inspecting my useless hand.
"We'll go there and kill your bloodline."
I laughed. "A bunch of Watchers? Angelus could take you on any day."
"Not if we have the Slayer." The oldest guy, who must've been about 50, motioned towards the girl.
"That's not the Slayer," I said automatically. "The Slayer's in Palestine."
They laughed. "Someone's on top of the game," one of the younger ones said. They looked like twins, probably in their early 20s.
"No, May's not the Slayer, but she's a potential Slayer. When Helen dies, May could be one to take over," the old one said again.
If I get out of this without Angelus knowing, he'll be pleased with that information. But then, he's bound to ask where I got it from.
"Even so, Angelus can take on three Watchers and a baby Slayer." I said it positively, but a small part of me was starting to get worried. There was no way I was telling them where our home was, even if Angelus did kill them all, he'd be unspeakably livid at me for giving it away in the first place.
"Not just the four of us," said twin number two, with an evil smile.
I gave up. "Well I'm not telling you so you can bloody well stake me now."
"Oh you'll tell us alright," said May, crouching so she was at my level. "You'll tell us."
Three hours later and they still didn't know. I must've looked awful. They'd beaten me up and burned me until I could barely move, but I'm not a stranger to pain. They'd sussed out pretty early on that my right hand was damaged. If it was useless before it was flipping mush now. The bones were shattered and I doubted it would ever heal properly. Just as well I'm left handed.
"Why are you so stubborn, vampire?" May asked. She was getting annoyed and impatient.
I croaked to check my voicebox was still working and glared at her. "I don't give under pressure. The more you try to get it out of me, the further you'll drive it back inside me."
"Are all vampires as unbelievably stupid as you?" she snapped. "Don't you get it? We will torture you non stop until you tell us!"
"Angelus has done worse," I said quietly.
"So why are you protecting him?"
I thought about it. Remembered everything he had done to me. I hated him. Why the hell was I protecting him?
"Because he's my Sire."
"And what does that mean, exactly?" probed the annoying old guy.
I snarled. "It means he made me into a vampire you idiot!"
"But why should that mean you should have any obligations to him?"
I set my jaw and looked away. They were really pushing it here. Prodding and poking about personal stuff, stuff they shouldn't know and couldn't possibly understand.
"Look in your bleeding books," I snapped.
"We'd rather hear it from you," May said with a smirk. She damn well knew the answer already, I could see it in her eyes! "Why does Angelus have power over you?"
"A Sire naturally dominates over his Childe, the Childe does whatever he says, it's the lore," I said bitterly.
"Vampire's aren't law-abiding creatures," twin two - who I was beginning to figure out was the stupider one - said, puzzled.
"Not law, you ponce, lore. L-o-r-e, vampire lore. It works in pretty much the same way though."
"What does that mean?"
"The lore is a set of, well, traditions that we – why am I telling you this?" I mentally slapped myself. Bad Spike, telling the enemy about yourself.
May stepped forward and shot a crossbow bolt through my shoulder calmly. My eyes widened in pain and shock and I cursed her out loud.
"You're telling us because you're the one chained up and we're the ones in control. But that's not what we want to know. Where is your lair?"
I childishly stuck my tongue out at her. She shot another bolt, this one through my hand. I hissed and screwed up my face.
"Where is you're lair?"
I didn't answer and May raised the crossbow once more. "Wait!" I said, thinking fast. "You're taking the whole council with you?"
"Yes."
I brought out my drama gene. "Crap," I muttered, "Angelus doesn't have a chance." I said it loud enough so they'd hear, but quiet enough so they'd assume I was talking to myself. I looked up. "Fine. Just... kill them quick ok?" I took a breath. "Sorry Sire," I muttered again. "45 Bridge street," I told them.
Now I was taking a chance here, because either they'd leave me like this, or they'd kill me before they went. If that was the case I was pretty doomed, but they were more likely to leave me in case I'd given them a false address, or wanted more information.
May pushed her face into mine. "You'd better not be lying, vampire, or you'll regret it when we get back." Then she stormed off with the other three.
My head was singing, as Dru would put it. Not only had they left me, the stupid, stupid Watchers had left the hammer they had used on my hand! How unbelievably stupid! I reached out, but because of the way I was chained, I could only reach it with my bad hand. I gritted my teeth against the pain and pulled it towards me. Owowowowow!!!! Finally it came within reach of my left hand and I grabbed it. I seriously doubt I will ever be able to use that hand again. I took the chain and started to hammer it systematically until the iron was weak enough to snap. Then I did the same to the one round my left wrist, with some difficulty as I was using my left hand, but I managed it. I got to my feet weakly and shakily. I started to leave the room then hissed as I realised it was daylight. Bloody hell! What else is going to go wrong today? I crept along the corridor, sticking to the shadowy parts.
I didn't know the flipping way out of this building! I was on the ground floor, I could see that because the windows were at ground level. So the way out would be on this floor somewhere.
Eventually I found the entrance and sat in the shadows pondering how to escape. Like May said, all the Watchers had buggered off to the fake address I'd told them.
I spotted a sewage entrance roughly ten yards away. If I could somehow protect myself until I got there... I glanced up. The sun wasn't very strong today, it was hidden by the London smog. Now, someone up there must have been on my side, because one of the Watchers had left behind a coat. I grabbed it and swung it over my body, running for the entrance.
It took me a good few seconds to get the cover open, it was so stiff. The coat slipped from my head and my hair caught fire, just as I managed to shift it.
"Crap!" I yelled, diving into the cool darkness of the sewers. I put the fire out, which had burnt one side of my face. I leant against the wall of the tunnel for a few minutes, feeling pretty low.
I was not at my best. My mushy left hand was throbbing, I was covered, and by that I mean covered, in cuts, bruises and broken bones. I had a crossbow bolt protruding from my shoulder, and half of one buried somewhere inside my hand (It had gotten broken off during my escape) and I was so damn hungry.
Added to that was the continual dread of how Angelus was going to react to this. Woozily, I headed back home through the tunnels. Angelus had a special tunnel built from the sewers to our cellar, for occasions such as these. I made it as far as the cellar steps up to the main hallway, and collapsed.
Dru found me first. She screamed for Angelus, running down to me. I felt quite touched that she was actually crying, whimpering over me and stroking my burnt hair. Angelus wasn't far behind. He groaned at the sight of me.
"Bloody hell, Will, you'd better have a good explanation for all this." He lifted my weak body and carried me right up his bedroom. He put me down on the bed and brushed the filthy hair out of my face before leaning down and kissing me gently on the forehead. "Sleep, Will. It's alright, I'm here now."
Suffice to say I was surprised by this display of affection from my Sire. I closed my eyes, whimpering slightly and trying to fight the unconsciousness that threatened me. He sat on the bed beside me, stroking my hair and murmuring to me like a parent would to a scared child. "You're safe now, Will, it's alright, you're home. Go to sleep."
I suddenly felt a pang in my stomach and groaned. "Hungry."
Angelus understood, he slipped into full face and slashed his wrist with his fang, then held it out to me. I latched on instantly, savouring the blood that flowed from it.
Sire's blood is wonderful stuff. It won't sustain you like human blood; you can't live on it, but it fills you with a rich, warm sensation. It's like magic. It will keep you going until you can get human blood. I took as much as he let me, then closed my eyes and tried to ignore the pain.
"Stop it Dru," I mumbled, swiping at the foot.
It kicked me harder. "Wake up!" A girl's voice. Not Dru. And not Darla either.
Oh crap. It's that flipping girl-watcher. I rolled my eyes and sat up foggily. I was chained to the wall. No surprise there. I felt a little put out when I realised they'd taken my shirt. Friggin Watchers. What do they need with a vampire's shirt? Probably got some museum with ancient vamparic items. I could just picture my plain, bloodstained shirt in a glass case with a plaque reading, 'William the bloody's shirt.'
I pictured them all puzzling over the blood. 'Why is the blood on the back?' 'Maybe he fell asleep in the blood of the victim.' I laughed quietly.
"What's funny?" snapped the woman and I glared at her.
"None of your business – Ow!" I cradled my injured hand to my chest. The guy next to me who I hadn't noticed had just stood on it, undoing all the delicate work my bones had done in healing themselves. "Do you know how long this is going to take to heal now?" I snarled at him angrily.
He kicked me in reply. I was getting really, really annoyed with all these Watchers kicking me now, so I got up and lunged at him. He stepped out of reach casually and the chain suddenly reached it's limit, preventing me from reaching him. I sank down to the floor again, glaring at the four of them, the same ones who had been in the alley.
"We know you're Angelus' Childe." One of them said. I didn't say anything. "And we want to know where your nest is."
"Do you indeed?" I said. "Good luck with finding it." I leant back against the wall. "And by the way, nest is a term you use for birds. We prefer 'Lair'."
"Fledgling is also a term used in association with birds, however you use that one, do you not?"
I growled deep in my throat and didn't answer. Stupid smart mouthed Watchers.
"You're going to tell us where you're 'lair' is." The girl said, as if it was a statement.
"And what happens when I tell you?" I asked, inspecting my useless hand.
"We'll go there and kill your bloodline."
I laughed. "A bunch of Watchers? Angelus could take you on any day."
"Not if we have the Slayer." The oldest guy, who must've been about 50, motioned towards the girl.
"That's not the Slayer," I said automatically. "The Slayer's in Palestine."
They laughed. "Someone's on top of the game," one of the younger ones said. They looked like twins, probably in their early 20s.
"No, May's not the Slayer, but she's a potential Slayer. When Helen dies, May could be one to take over," the old one said again.
If I get out of this without Angelus knowing, he'll be pleased with that information. But then, he's bound to ask where I got it from.
"Even so, Angelus can take on three Watchers and a baby Slayer." I said it positively, but a small part of me was starting to get worried. There was no way I was telling them where our home was, even if Angelus did kill them all, he'd be unspeakably livid at me for giving it away in the first place.
"Not just the four of us," said twin number two, with an evil smile.
I gave up. "Well I'm not telling you so you can bloody well stake me now."
"Oh you'll tell us alright," said May, crouching so she was at my level. "You'll tell us."
Three hours later and they still didn't know. I must've looked awful. They'd beaten me up and burned me until I could barely move, but I'm not a stranger to pain. They'd sussed out pretty early on that my right hand was damaged. If it was useless before it was flipping mush now. The bones were shattered and I doubted it would ever heal properly. Just as well I'm left handed.
"Why are you so stubborn, vampire?" May asked. She was getting annoyed and impatient.
I croaked to check my voicebox was still working and glared at her. "I don't give under pressure. The more you try to get it out of me, the further you'll drive it back inside me."
"Are all vampires as unbelievably stupid as you?" she snapped. "Don't you get it? We will torture you non stop until you tell us!"
"Angelus has done worse," I said quietly.
"So why are you protecting him?"
I thought about it. Remembered everything he had done to me. I hated him. Why the hell was I protecting him?
"Because he's my Sire."
"And what does that mean, exactly?" probed the annoying old guy.
I snarled. "It means he made me into a vampire you idiot!"
"But why should that mean you should have any obligations to him?"
I set my jaw and looked away. They were really pushing it here. Prodding and poking about personal stuff, stuff they shouldn't know and couldn't possibly understand.
"Look in your bleeding books," I snapped.
"We'd rather hear it from you," May said with a smirk. She damn well knew the answer already, I could see it in her eyes! "Why does Angelus have power over you?"
"A Sire naturally dominates over his Childe, the Childe does whatever he says, it's the lore," I said bitterly.
"Vampire's aren't law-abiding creatures," twin two - who I was beginning to figure out was the stupider one - said, puzzled.
"Not law, you ponce, lore. L-o-r-e, vampire lore. It works in pretty much the same way though."
"What does that mean?"
"The lore is a set of, well, traditions that we – why am I telling you this?" I mentally slapped myself. Bad Spike, telling the enemy about yourself.
May stepped forward and shot a crossbow bolt through my shoulder calmly. My eyes widened in pain and shock and I cursed her out loud.
"You're telling us because you're the one chained up and we're the ones in control. But that's not what we want to know. Where is your lair?"
I childishly stuck my tongue out at her. She shot another bolt, this one through my hand. I hissed and screwed up my face.
"Where is you're lair?"
I didn't answer and May raised the crossbow once more. "Wait!" I said, thinking fast. "You're taking the whole council with you?"
"Yes."
I brought out my drama gene. "Crap," I muttered, "Angelus doesn't have a chance." I said it loud enough so they'd hear, but quiet enough so they'd assume I was talking to myself. I looked up. "Fine. Just... kill them quick ok?" I took a breath. "Sorry Sire," I muttered again. "45 Bridge street," I told them.
Now I was taking a chance here, because either they'd leave me like this, or they'd kill me before they went. If that was the case I was pretty doomed, but they were more likely to leave me in case I'd given them a false address, or wanted more information.
May pushed her face into mine. "You'd better not be lying, vampire, or you'll regret it when we get back." Then she stormed off with the other three.
My head was singing, as Dru would put it. Not only had they left me, the stupid, stupid Watchers had left the hammer they had used on my hand! How unbelievably stupid! I reached out, but because of the way I was chained, I could only reach it with my bad hand. I gritted my teeth against the pain and pulled it towards me. Owowowowow!!!! Finally it came within reach of my left hand and I grabbed it. I seriously doubt I will ever be able to use that hand again. I took the chain and started to hammer it systematically until the iron was weak enough to snap. Then I did the same to the one round my left wrist, with some difficulty as I was using my left hand, but I managed it. I got to my feet weakly and shakily. I started to leave the room then hissed as I realised it was daylight. Bloody hell! What else is going to go wrong today? I crept along the corridor, sticking to the shadowy parts.
I didn't know the flipping way out of this building! I was on the ground floor, I could see that because the windows were at ground level. So the way out would be on this floor somewhere.
Eventually I found the entrance and sat in the shadows pondering how to escape. Like May said, all the Watchers had buggered off to the fake address I'd told them.
I spotted a sewage entrance roughly ten yards away. If I could somehow protect myself until I got there... I glanced up. The sun wasn't very strong today, it was hidden by the London smog. Now, someone up there must have been on my side, because one of the Watchers had left behind a coat. I grabbed it and swung it over my body, running for the entrance.
It took me a good few seconds to get the cover open, it was so stiff. The coat slipped from my head and my hair caught fire, just as I managed to shift it.
"Crap!" I yelled, diving into the cool darkness of the sewers. I put the fire out, which had burnt one side of my face. I leant against the wall of the tunnel for a few minutes, feeling pretty low.
I was not at my best. My mushy left hand was throbbing, I was covered, and by that I mean covered, in cuts, bruises and broken bones. I had a crossbow bolt protruding from my shoulder, and half of one buried somewhere inside my hand (It had gotten broken off during my escape) and I was so damn hungry.
Added to that was the continual dread of how Angelus was going to react to this. Woozily, I headed back home through the tunnels. Angelus had a special tunnel built from the sewers to our cellar, for occasions such as these. I made it as far as the cellar steps up to the main hallway, and collapsed.
Dru found me first. She screamed for Angelus, running down to me. I felt quite touched that she was actually crying, whimpering over me and stroking my burnt hair. Angelus wasn't far behind. He groaned at the sight of me.
"Bloody hell, Will, you'd better have a good explanation for all this." He lifted my weak body and carried me right up his bedroom. He put me down on the bed and brushed the filthy hair out of my face before leaning down and kissing me gently on the forehead. "Sleep, Will. It's alright, I'm here now."
Suffice to say I was surprised by this display of affection from my Sire. I closed my eyes, whimpering slightly and trying to fight the unconsciousness that threatened me. He sat on the bed beside me, stroking my hair and murmuring to me like a parent would to a scared child. "You're safe now, Will, it's alright, you're home. Go to sleep."
I suddenly felt a pang in my stomach and groaned. "Hungry."
Angelus understood, he slipped into full face and slashed his wrist with his fang, then held it out to me. I latched on instantly, savouring the blood that flowed from it.
Sire's blood is wonderful stuff. It won't sustain you like human blood; you can't live on it, but it fills you with a rich, warm sensation. It's like magic. It will keep you going until you can get human blood. I took as much as he let me, then closed my eyes and tried to ignore the pain.
