Chapter 11
Angel landed in a tumble and Russ kinda did this thing where he ended up falling on his ass on the floor of the trial area (okay, I really don't know what to call it so let's just stick with that eh?). Angel walked over to Russ who was sitting down with a pissed off expression and hefted him up with one hand. Russ just rubbed his ass with one hand and continued to give Angel a pissed off look.
(This speech here is gonna have more swearing from Russ that ever before cos he's really pissed. Also, using freaking instead of the other term cos Russ isn't that bad of a swearer.)
"There was no freaking electric shock. And while I was tensing for that freaking non existent electric shock I wasn't ready for the freaking landing so I landed on my freaking ass on some hard as hell concrete or stones or whatever the hell that shit is beneath us. So now my freaking ass hurts and I am in no freaking shape to face off with some freaking scary ass 'Look at me I can pull myself together' yellow coated demon wearing good old fashioned freaking chain mail. And I'm blaming you!" Russ finished more pissed off than when he began. And Angel looked slightly scared of the enormously pissed off half demon in front of him. Well there's a first time for everything.
"Can I help you gentlemen or would you like to continue this disagreement elsewhere?" A posh voice came from in front of them and the Host (okay, that's the name I've given the guy for now) appeared. They both turned and Angel's shoulders sagged slightly in recognition and Russ blinked a few times, not really believing his eyes.
"Randy? You're doing these trials. God, I thought you were doing the heaven or hell trials." Russ asked, shocked and surprised at the same time. The proper Englishman looked at him and then recognition washed over his face.
"Russ? Yeah, they transferred me, said I did be'er bein' the 'ost o' the trials fer givin' out life." He asked without so much of a pommy accent as a cockney accent. Amazing how one could possess the two and switch between them at just the sight of a person.
"Really? Geez tough break man. So anyway Randy, how are ya mate?" Russ said and went over to pull 'Randy' into a hug.
"Good, good and yourself?" Randy had managed to pull himself back from the cockney accent and back to the pommy one. But more of a laidback pommy accent.
"I'm right thanks." Russ responded with a grin.
"So you want to take the trials. I never thought I'd see the day." Randy said, regarding Russ with a slightly respectful look.
"Well... Y'know... There comes a time in everyone's life when they need to save someone else's life." Russ said grimacing his way through the explanation.
"I remember a time when you swore you'd never go through the life giving trials for anyone but the one you loved." Randy said, now looking at him curiously wondering what had caused this new development.
"And that's still true Randy." Russ replied and this caused Randy to grin.
"Ah yes, the women. I assume Mr Angel is attempting to save one and you the other, am I right?" Randy (Alright, I can't get over that name lol) said.
"Well, uh, Mr Angel here doesn't need to go through them, only me." Russ said and Randy looked at him with a confused expression on his face.
"What do you mean Russ?" He asked and Russ sighed heavily.
"Don't play with me Randy. You guys owe Angel a life from last time. Remember when you couldn't give it to Darla? Well you can pay him back now." Russ said and Randy kept his 'I don't know what you're talking about' expression on for a few more seconds before breaking down.
"Very well, but only for you Russet."
"Thanks mate." Russ grinned in what could be called evilly, especially in these circumstances and especially by Randy.
"You still need to go through the trials for your life though." Randy said and Russ nodded.
"Yeah, yellow warrior guy, roomful of crosses, stakes flying at me, I got it. You might change the last two but I've got the gist of it." Russ said and Randy shook his head. At this Russ cocked his head to one side.
"Waddya mean 'no'?" Russ asked and Randy shook his head silently again. Russ sighed exasperatedly.
"Who are you? Silent Bob? Geez Randy, this is me. Russ." Russ said, pointing to himself and Randy looked unsure but he gave in.
"Once again, only for you Russ. Angel got different trials because he is a physical champion, the mystical gifts he has are little or none. He is a vampire, after all. But you are a messenger to the Powers, a half demon that is high up in the ranks of the powers of good. You have the power to regenerate just as that demon from Mr Angel's trials had and obviously the crosses and holy water do not affect you. And the stakes would hurt a lot but you would eventually recuperate after heavy regeneration.
"You are a mystical hero, not just a messenger. Another reason why you are down here with Angel, able to take the tests. You do not revel in the power of the fist but rather the power of the mind and the mystical realm.
"Therefore you will be tested accordingly." Randy finished and all present looked slightly blown away. Which was the two in front of him and Angel looked slightly confused and a little insulted at the 'vampire' remark. Sure he didn't exactly enjoy being a vampire but it didn't mean that he liked people insulting them or, more precisely, him because of his vampireness.
"So... Shall the trials begin? You don't need my shirt and shoes do you?" Russ asked, trying to lighten up the situation. And, just diverging here, Russ is wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and black pants and black shoes. That was random but I just wanted to get that image into your head, oh and a brown jacket over the shirt with rolled up sleeves also. So you got it? Okay, let's continue.
"Not unless you want me to take them because you want to show off." Randy replied and Ross pretended to contemplate it for a second before scrunching up his nose and shaking his head.
"Nah," He said and Randy inclined his head towards Russ and motioned for him to step forward. Russ did so and Randy put a hand on Russ' head and said,
"Let the trials begin."
And then everything went black
"You can't go through the trials Russ." Doyle's voice said out of the blackness and Russ' eyes adjusted enough to realise that he was in the Black Void. Doyle stood in front of him, a small red bouncy ball in hand which he tossed up and caught occasionally. Well it was different from the cards he had been holding when Russ first met him.
"Why can't I go through the trials?" Russ asked and Doyle sighed and tossed the ball to him. Russ caught it and looked at Doyle, expecting an answer before throwing back the ball.
"It wouldn't work out even if she did Russ. One of you is destined to be a Power."
"A Power? I'm gonna be a Power?" Russ said, mouth slightly open. He tossed back the ball in a medium to hard throw, as if testing if Doyle was telling the truth.
"Not you Russ." Doyle said and Russ thought for a second and when it dawned on him he was completely shocked.
"Fred? Fred's gonna be a Power?" He asked incredulously and Doyle nodded. Doyle tossed up the ball and caught it again.
"But... how?" He asked again and Doyle began the explanation that he'd been preparing for mentally. He continued tossing it up and catching it.
"She's been in training as a power since after Illyria possessed her." Doyle replied but Russ wasn't satisfied.
"But...what? Hang on a sec, just out of curiosity I was wondering why I knew stuff about her that even Angel didn't know. Like her last few minutes alive when only Wesley was there." He asked, curious about this development.
"When she said she loved you she didn't just renew your powers, she entangled your past together. And you future. That's what happened with me and Cordy when I passed the visions onto her and Angel and Cordy when they confessed their love and Angel and Buffy when they confessed their love. Believe me, it gets really complicated. You know how Buffy always seems to be able to sense Angel and Angel can sense Buffy even if they don't see each other?" Russ nodded and Doyle continued,
"That's because whenever something big romantic thing happens with two mystical people they get entwined. Their destinies are fit together in some places. That's what happened to Cor. She became a higher being because I had this position. And there's this whole complicated thing about how I'm here cos I got involved with one of the Powers a while back. You see, when Fred becomes a Power you're gonna take my place. And I'm gonna move on."
"Move on?"
"To a nice dimension, one with palm trees maybe and definitely lacking in shrimp. Eurgh, I hate that stuff. And where it has wine flowing in the rivers and streams and waterfalls. Oh there's definitely gotta be a big waterfall flowing with that 1967..." Russ cut him off with a cough and Doyle snapped back to reality. He juggled the ball between his hands almost nervously as he snapped back to reality.
"Right, sorry. What I'm saying is that you can't take the trials because Fred is meant to be a Power and you are meant to be in my position when she becomes one." Doyle said, and tossed the red ball up in the air and caught it easily. Russ looked down at the ground intently then he looked up at Doyle and stood quickly. Doyle tossed the ball up again and Russ caught it this time, intercepting it. With it he also caught Doyle's attention, who looked at him with a slightly annoyed expression on his face.
"Doyle, I don't care." Russ said, looking into his eyes hard and then got a weird falling feeling in the pit of his stomach and felt as if he was falling backwards...