Chapter 2:
The demons were huge but slow, lumbering and stupid. Dawn danced back from the one she was fighting, glanced over to where Spike was punching his and asked,
"So Spike; the whole soul thing? Was it worth it?"
"How do you mean, pet? I didn't get to ride off into the sunset with the girl, if that's what you're asking."
He landed a series of blows that sent his opponent staggering backwards into a wall.
"No, I kinda figured that bit out. She was seriously impressed though. I guess I mean; do you regret it? Not being footloose and evil any more."
Her flashing blade ripped a deep furrow across the demons chest and it bellowed as it closed in on her slight form.
The blond vamp held off the demon as he considered the question seriously.
"Sometimes. Having all this free will can be a bit of a bugger. I have to remember I can't just up and punch out Peaches when he's annoying the crap out of me. And I don't appreciate the way the Powers That Crap All Over You figure they can just bounce me in and out of Hell whenever they feel like it. Uh, Niblet? I wouldn't aim at a Sendran's belly if .."
"Eeeeww! You slimed me! This isn't the set of "Ghostbusters" you gross, disgusting whatever! No sliming allowed!"
Dawn wrinkled her nose and tried to breathe through her mouth under the copious layer of foul smelling digestive juices. Taking a standing leap, she decapitated the still-regurgitating Sendran. Spike tried not to laugh at the sight of the furious girl covered in a disgusting mess off green and orange. He paid for his inattention by having his opponent land a punch that should have shattered his jaw.
"Oooww! Good thing I don't actually have to chew my food! Play time's over."
A flurry of punches and kicks sent the beast to its knees and the vamp swiftly closed in behind and snapped its neck.
"Are they peas?"
He asked interestedly. Dawn momentarily ceased trying to wipe her self clean to give him a death stare.
Her voice icy and heavy with sarcasm, she replied,
"No, they just look like peas. All puke has things that look like peas, you twit! Or corn. It's one of the primary laws of nature; if puke doesn't have things that look like peas then it has things that look like kernels of corn. Can we go now? I want a nice hot shower with extra flowery shower gel!"
Spike raised an eyebrow as he studied her dripping figure, pursed his lips and informed her,
"There's no way you're getting into my car with that stinking gunk all over you! Blood might be a right bugger to get out of the upholstery but the smell of Sendran spew can never be fully removed!"
Gunn returned from the other end of the alley, wiping his sword clean as he shook his head at Dawn's sorry state.
"Hi guys! Whoa Dawnie, you stabbed a Sendran in the belly? Bad move, real bad move. You're not gonna get in the car, are you? That stuff never comes out of the upholstery you know! Is that corn? I didn't think Sendran's were into vegetables."
If it was at all possible to maintain a degree of haughty disdain when covered in stinking slime, Dawn managed the feat. Lifting her chin and holding herself regally erect, she announced,
"I was planning on walking home to take advantage of this wonderful weather anyway! Actually, I might jog; got to keep up my speed now that I'm losing the whole gravity advantage thing. See you at home boys."
They watched her race away. Gunn shared a grin with Spike as he observed,
"I'm not sure she is any slower, she still has speed to burn, if you ask me. We weren't too mean, were we? There is a tarp in the boot, after all."
"Nah, Bit's a good sport. But I'd sleep with one eye open for a few days, just as a precaution, like. There's always a chance we could wake up painted blue or even naked somewhere along Rodeo Drive at its busiest."
"Oh great. Now you tell me? Let's catch up to her and let her in the car."
"You've been hangin' around the Poof too long mate. Fancy bein' scared of a little girl!"
Spike shook his head sadly.
"That 'little girl' survived six years in a hell dimension, remember? And I'm not ashamed to admit that she can be every bit as intimidating, if not as downright scary, as any vamp I know; present company in-cluded."
Gunn tossed his sword into the boot of the car and tried to ignore the sniggering vamp.
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Angel glanced at Gunn, rolled his eyes and sighed. I wish Dawn would get her revenge over and done with, the dark haired vamp thought, she's got Gunn and Spike totally paranoid. To Gunn he merely muttered,
"We're gonna get hurt if you don't keep your mind on what we're doing. Dawn's not skulking anywhere along this sewer; the vamps and their nest are, so can we please just clean them out and get out of here?"
Gunn ducked his head ruefully.
"Yeah, sorry Angel. It's just that .. it's like waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know? She can't have just forgotten or.. Uh-oh."
He raised his crossbow and sent a bolt into one of the charging demons. Angel staked one, kicked a second in the chest and sent it back pedalling away from him and drove a stake through a third ones heart. Gunn spun to see a group of four vamps coming up behind him and Angel, effectively trapping them both. His second bolt took out the lead vampire and the man dropped the now useless crossbow and drew his sword in time to fend off another. The fight was short, gruelling and vicious but man and soul-ed vamp prevailed.
Breathing heavily, Gunn sheathed his sword, rescued the crossbow from the stinking sludge trickling through the sewer and eyed his boss closely,
"Man, no one would ever believe you couldn't walk a couple of months back! Adanar sure did a good job, didn't he? Handy having a healer about the place, isn't it?"
Angel nodded,
"Sure is. 'The Powers that Be' did us a big favour sending Dawn and Adanar back when they did. I'm not sure we'd be still in business so soon without them."
Vampire hearing caught the sound of movement further along the sewer and Angel gestured for Gunn to be quiet and follow him. Fifty yards on Gunn heard a heavy splash and the metal on cement grind of a manhole cover being slammed back into place. Cautiously, they drew near to a dark bundle lying inert under the manhole opening. Gunn caught the metallic odour of blood and hung back a little, gripping his sword and glancing back over his shoulder as Angel moved to examine the body.
"What is it?"
Gunn couldn't figure out what creature had a coating of blood over its skin.
Angel studied the body for another few seconds before straightening and rubbing a hand over his face in distress,
"It's a girl and she's been flayed. She's still warm. Damn, she's not very old at all; maybe nine, ten tops!"
"Oh shit; there are some sick bastards in the world, aren't there? What're we gonna do about her?"
Gunn risked a glance at the small form and wished he hadn't. He turned away and heaved, knowing Angel wouldn't see it as weakness. Truth be told; it was sheer anger that made his stomach rebel.
Angel turned away with a weary shrug of his shoulders,
"Not much we can do. An anonymous call to the police. Whoever did this knew what they were doing; her skin was removed entirely, hair and all. I'll do some research; there are a few religions with this kind of ritual. We keep our eyes and ears open too; I want to find whoever or whatever did this and close them down."
"I wouldn't mind them going as slow and painful as she did! God, I hope she was dead first! Imagine.."
His voiced trailed off.
"Let's go. We'll go up through the next manhole and make sure of the position. Maybe I'll be able to track, but she was probably brought by car. I can't see anyone carrying her going unnoticed; even in this city."
The vamp turned and led the way and neither man spoke again until they reached the office.
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While Angel made the phone call Gunn told Adanar of what they'd found. The Ganaru shuddered and his bronze eyes filled with tears. Hearing Dawn racing down the stairs from the apartment above Adanar suggested quietly,
"Perhaps we should not mention this to Dawn tonight? It would only give her nightmares and she is unusually cheerful this evening for some reason."
Angel's hearing heard Spike's indignant roaring before the others and he cocked his head, smiled and warned,
"Dawn has probably managed to get her own back on Spike from the sound of it! Wonder what she's done?"
"You're dead, Bit! Not even the Slayer could save you now! Get back here you trollop!"
Dawn bolted into the reception area, a huge smile on her face as she wove between Angel and Gunn to hide behind Adanar. As Spike followed, so enraged he was in full game face, the others stood open mouthed as they took in the sight of him. Under the light his bleached hair glittered. Not only his hair but a light dusting of shiny glitter seemed to cover his face, hands and clothes.
Angel was the first to get his voice back, pointing out helpfully,
"Uh Spike, you're sparkling!"
"Of course I'm sparkling you bloody git! She.. that wench put glitter in my gel! And cause I got it on my hands it's all bloody well over me! You gotta come out from behind him sometime Niblet and when you do… "
He glared at the laughing Adanar and turned a suspicious eye on Gunn, who kept his face straight for about five seconds before laughing until he doubled over.
"Dunno what your giggling about Charlie; what's she got up her nasty little sleeve for you, eh?"
Spike roared and was pleased to see Gunn flinch and eye off Dawn warily.
Unrepentantly, Dawn waved at Spike before dodging around Adanar and heading for the door into the back of the office area. Spike was too fast and she found herself tackled to the floor, the irate vamp straddling her waist and gripping her hands but before he could retaliate they heard a polite cough.
"Uh, excuse me but I'm looking for .. oh, hello Miss Summers."
The young priest stared at the scene with obvious confusion.
From where she lay Dawn smiled up at him and said sweetly,
"Father Mathew; how nice to see you again. You've met Gunn of course, may I introduce Angel, my friend Adanar and Spike, who is currently sitting on me. He seems to be in somewhat of a bad mood, probably due to a mishap he appears to have had with his glitter cosmetics. He really should be more careful with reading the labels."
Spike mustered some small measure of dignity, let Dawn loose, rose, nodded at the priest and muttered,
"You'll keep Niblet. Meanwhile, I'm gonna be washing this off upstairs in your shower. 'Scuse me Father. Stop smirking you ponce or I'll make sure something nasty ends up in your bloody hair gel!"
Angel ignored him and waved the priest into his office.