Two of A Kind
Chapter 4: Confrontations
By: Rogue-Slayer13
Disclaimer: The characters of Btvs and Ats belong to Joss Whedon, not myself. People wonder where I get some of the straight from the show dialogue, and just so everyone knows, anytime I have any, it comes from Buffy-vs-Angel. com.
Summary: See previous chapter
All italics are thoughts, while only partial italics or emphasized.
A/N: I've decided to change this fic up a bit and have it go more along the lines of the show. This could be for the better or it could be for the worse, not really sure yet.
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"To what do I owe the pleasure?" asked Angel as Wesley shut the door behind him.
"Our friend Drogyn's in town," said Spike calmly.
"Really? How is he?" asked Angel.
"Got the shit beat out of him, but other then that, he's just peachy," said Faith.
"Who would attack Drogyn?"
"We were wondering the same thing," said Gunn. "Care to shine any light on the problem?"
"I don't know what you're talking," said Angel as he walked over and sat down on the edge of his desk. "Was there something important you wanted to discuss or was this it?"
"That Angel talking? Cause it sounds a lot more like Angelus," said Gunn as he looked at Angel.
"Oh, if I were Angelus, half of you would already be dead, just for the fun of it."
"One of us already is," said Spike. "We having fun yet?" Spike cocked his head to the side and eyed the older vampire.
"You want to know the truth?"
"That's kind of the whole point of us being here," said Faith.
"The truth is there's only one of us who ever understood how things really work. Lorne."
"Whoa! Hey, hey, hey. Can I not be the poster child for your nervous break down?" replied Lorne.
"You don't judge," said Angel as he looked at the green skinned demon. "You don't spend your life obsessed with good and evil."
"Lucky me," muttered Lorne.
"You do that, you get swallowed, lost in the minutia. Good, bad, Angel, Angelus, none of it makes a difference. I wish it did, but, y'know, an ant with the best of intentions or the most diabolical schemes is just exactly an ant. There is one thing in this business, in this apocalypse that we call a world that matters: power. Power tips the scales, power sets the course, and until I have real power, global power, I have nothing. I accomplish nothing."
"Are you done yet, cause I feel like kicking a little ass," said an untouched Faith.
"Leave it to you to get straight to the point."
"I never was one for long speeches, they tend to bore me," replied Faith.
"The point is, Wolfram & Hart having been calling the shots since day one and all we've been doing is getting shot at. I have a chance to change that."
"Will you?" asked Gunn.
"Yeah, the higher up you get, the more people tend to look like ants," added Lorne.
"I can't worry about that . . . the small stuff."
"Angel, that important phone call from . . ." Harmony looked up and noticed the office full of people. "That guy about the thing, it's on line three."
"Thank you," said Angel as Harmony left. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to take this." Angel eyed the group in his office.
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"I'm really starting to think B was on to something when she said we shouldn't trust Angel," said Faith as the group left Angel's office.
"I'm beginning to have doubts about our fearless leader as well," commented Wesley.
"And you all wonder why I prefer to be a freelance good guy," said Spike.
"Yeah, no crazy boss for you to have to worry about," said Lorne.
"What are we gonna do now?" asked Gunn.
"I think it's time we paid Lindsey a little visit," said Wesley.
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"So, what are you gonna do? Beat it out of me?" asked Lindsey from his seat at the end of the table.
"If you insist," said Spike as he took a step toward Lindsey, who jumped out of his chair and to his feet.
"We all know how this goes," said Gunn as Faith shoved Lindsey back into his chair. "Spike and Faith take turns beating you to a bloody pulp, you beg for mercy, and we get what we want."
"Who needs all that rigmarole?" asked Lorne a shrug.
"I told you already. I don't know what's gotten into your fearless leader."
"Why am I having a hard time believing you?" asked Wesley.
"I don't know, I don't read minds," replied Lindsey.
"Whatta ya know about this?" Faith thrust Wesley's drawing of the image out of the book at Lindsey.
"Where'd you get that?"
"None of your business," replied Faith. "Now tell us what you know before I get a little fist happy with your face."
"I don't really see how this has anything to do with Angel. It's not like they'd ever take him in the first place."
"Who's they?" asked Spike.
"The Circle of the Black Thorn."
"Sounds like a little sewing club for pirates," commented Lorne.
"It's a secret society."
"I've never heard of 'em," said Gunn.
"That's because they're secret," replied Lindsey with a smirk.
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"I think this is a prime example of going straight outta the frying pan and into the fire," said Lorne after the group's interrogation of Lindsey.
"At least we know where to look now," said Gunn. "I mean, just because we've never heard of them doesn't mean there's nothing out there. I mean, even Lindsey knows something about 'em."
"I'll go search the archives," said Wesley.
"I'll give you a hand," volunteered Lorne.
"We'll I don't know about you guys, but I think I need to go back to Spike's place and take a nap," yawned Faith.
"You go ahead," said Wesley. "You won't be of much use if you're exhausted."
"I'm so glad you feel that way, cause I was gonna go no matter what you said," replied the slayer.
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"This is not good," commented Faith as she walked into Spike's apartment.
"I think it's beyond not good," said Spike as he looked around what used to be his livingroom. "My livingroom's a bloody mess."
"I don't see Drogyn anywhere." Faith stepped over the broken coffee table.
"Or Blue for that matter."
A flash of blue happened to catch Faith's eye as she was scanning the decimated apartment.
"I think I found her." Faith headed over to far end of the room followed by Spike.
"Jesus Blue, what happened 'ere?" asked Spike as he rolled the god-king onto her back.
"It was Hamilton," replied Illyria with a cough. "He took the Well Keeper."
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"She's pretty banged up," said Spike into the cell phone as he paced back and forth down the hallway. "And the flat's not a whole lot better."
"Where is she right now?" asked Wesley.
"Faith's cleaning her up, but she needs more help then either of us can give 'er."
"Bring her on over to my place, I'm heading over there as we speak."
"Okay, we should be there in just a bit," said Spike.
"All right, see you then."
"Later," said Spike as he and Wesley ended the conversation and Spike went back inside.
"What'd he say?" asked Faith as she washed some drywall out of one of Illyria's wounds.
"He said we should go on over to his place."
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"You weren't joking when you said she was pretty beat up," said Lorne as he eyed Illyria.
"I should be able to help heal her wounds, but I'll need to get more supplies," said Wesley.
"Where are you two staying?" Gunn looked at Spike and Faith.
"Not sure really," said Faith. "Spike's place is pretty trashed."
"You two can stay here if you like," offered Wesley.
"Are you sure, mate?" asked Spike.
"Yes, I figured Faith could sleep in the office and you could take the couch," replied Wesley. "Is that all right with you?"
"The couch is fine with me," said Spike.
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Spike was sitting on the couch channel surfing when Faith came in.
"I thought you went to bed," said Spike.
"I got a wicked case of insomnia," replied Faith as she sat down on the couch as well.
"I know how you feel," replied Spike.
"So, how long have you been watching the boob tube?"
"An hour or two," replied Spike.
"Find anything good?"
"Nope. Percy has three hundred and fifty channels and not a damn things on."
The two sit in silence for a moment until Faith spoke up.
"I have an idea."
"What?" asked Spike.
"We're gonna go hit a bar." Faith slapped Spike's thigh playfully before getting up and heading to the office.
"Where you going?" Spike looked after the slayer.
"I'm gonna change and then we're going out," called Faith from the other room. "After all, it's only ten and the bars don't close until two."
"Why do you want to go now?"
"Because I'm not used to going to bed at eight like Wes is," replied Faith.
"Well neither am I, and Percy didn't go to bed at eight. He left us 'ere with nothing to do while he took Illyria to get patched up."
"Which is all the more reason for us to go out," replied Faith as she came back into the room wearing black boots, black leather pants, and a blood-red tank top. "You like what you see?"
"What?" Spike didn't even realize he'd been gawking until Faith commented on it. "Let's go." Spike got up and headed toward the door.
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"See, I told you this would be fun," said a more then slightly drunk Faith as she finished her shot of whiskey.
"Ya know what Luv? I've never met a woman . . . who could drink as much as you," replied Spike, putting too much of a pause between woman and who.
"And you didn't wanna come wif me."
"I think we're tossed Pet." Spike looked at the large crowd of empty shot glasses in front of them. "Either that, or there we're a lot more people sitting here earlier."
"It could go eifer way," said Faith, who was beginning to slur her Th's into F's.
"They'll probably stop serving us soon."
"Yeah, we should head back." Faith almost fell off of her barstool, but Spike caught her and the two staggered out of the bar and back to Wesley's place.
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"You're kinda cute, y'know it?" said Faith as she and Spike staggered into Wesley's still empty apartment.
"You're not so bad yourself," replied Spike with a smirk.
"Do you really think so?"
"Yeah."
"I didn't fink I guy like you would go for a girl like me," said Faith.
"You're just my type Pet."
"Prove it."
Spike leaned forward and pressed his lips to Faith's, who quickly deepened the kiss.
"We can't," said Faith as she pulled back. "Not in Wes' livingroom."
"Then we won't go in the livingroom," said Spike as he kicked the door shut with his foot and went back to kissing Faith.
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Faith woke up with a splitting headache. She sat up in bed and looked around the office which had clothing strewn all about it.
"What the hell?" Thought Faith as she looked around the office not knowing why clothes were everywhere.
It was at that moment that Spike sat up in bed with a yawn. The two looked at each other and then at their surroundings before looking back at each other.
"What the bloody 'ell happened?" asked Spike.
"I'm guessing by the looks of it that we got a little late night action," replied Faith.
Spike didn't get a chance to reply because his cell phone started ringing and he went to answer it.
"Ello?"
"Spike. It's Wesley. I was hoping you and Faith could come over to Wolfram & Hart here in a little while."
"Oh, yeah, we can do that," replied Spike.
"All right, I was going to see if you two wanted to get a ride this morning, but I didn't have time to call."
"Time to call?" asked a slightly confused Spike.
"Yes, Illyria and myself ended up staying at Lorne's place researching the Circle of the Black Thorn and I didn't get a chance to call before I had to come to work this morning."
"Oh, that's okay, we'll be there in a bit."
"Great, I'll be expecting you," said Wesley as he ended the conversation.
"Who was that?" asked Faith as she got out of bed and over to her clothes.
"Percy wants us to head on over to W & H," said Spike as he too got dressed.
"Great, I wonder if he's found anything good," replied Faith.
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To Be Continued . . .
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