Breathing By Rote, Chapter 12: Three women.
Warnings: graphic violence, language. Do I have to keep warning about language?
1998.
Mary Shenkel was having a crapfest of a day. Late to work because of a power outage on her block meant having to stay late to make up the time and so missing the eight o'clock bus. The 168 line only ran every hour so it was a four block hustle down the street to a suspect diner to grab something to fill her stomach. On her way back to the bus stop she caught a heel in a crack in the pavement and almost screamed her frustration when she felt it snap off. This whole fucking day sucked and she blinked furiously against the pricking of tears as she hobbled to the nearest wall. Bracing against the grimy brick face of the building she examined her shoe as well as she could without letting her mini-skirt ride up too high. It hadn't even been a clean break, but instead she had a wedge still stuck on, making her balance even more precarious. How the hell was she going to manage the walk to the stop and then the six blocks to her apartment once she was dropped off? Could she maybe swing a taxi?
"Need some help, ma'am?" A solicitous voice asked over her head.
"No, thanks, I -" Mary started to answer but she trailed off when she glanced up to see the three young Hispanic men surrounding her. They were dressed like teenagers in baggy jeans and those ridiculous extra long t-shirts, but they were filthy and smelled foul. Every warning bell her mother had hammered into her head started to clang. "No, thank you," she tried more firmly.
"Then maybe you can help us," one of them said and Mary gasped in a breath to scream when their faces suddenly protruded grotesquely. A hand clamped over her mouth as more clutched her body, lifting her into the darkness between two buildings. They were laughing, tearing at her blouse and Mary screamed anyway, kicking her feet. A hard hand painfully squeezed her breasts and she screamed again.
"Stop playing with the bitch. I'm hungry."
"Chica's got nice tits," and a face pressed into her chest as the teen growled. Pain flared in her left breast and Mary clawed at the figures hunching over her, biting the hand closed over her mouth and nose. She couldn't breathe!
A loud pitched growling filled the darkness and for the rest of her life Mary could never clearly recall what had happened. The alley had been too dark to see anything in detail, but the men holding her had suddenly let go, cursing and screaming as something came at them out of the shadows. The cacophony of noise was brief and Mary huddled back against the wall throughout it all, tears dripping steadily onto her bared chest.
Then it got quiet and she wondered if she'd gone deaf until she realized she couldn't hear anything over her sobbing. Were they still there? Something moved in the heavy shadows and Mary wailed, crying harder.
A huge dog trotted out of the darkness towards her, tongue lolling, big pointed ears twitching in excitement. Mary's crying stuttered, staring in amazement that a dog had rescued her, some kind of shaggy collie or something. A man followed after the dog, dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt that showed off his muscled physique. He was ruggedly handsome with medium brown hair that likely had golden highlights in daylight. Most remarkable about his appearance was the leather choker around his throat, incongruous with the plainness of the rest of his attire.
"Miss?" the man softly asked, stopping well back out of arms reach. "It's okay. My dog here chased those men off. Do you need me to call 911?" It was irrational, but the sight of the dog calmed her perfectly logical fears of another stranger, though she soon found her nerves were still shaky.
"I, I," Mary slowly crawled up the wall, uncertain if her legs would even support her once she got upright. While the man had stopped a safe distance away his dog just kept coming towards her, tail wagging as he stuck his head under her skirt and buried his wet nose in her crotch. Mary yelped in surprised mortification and rocketed to her feet. "Oh my goodness!" She wobbled and almost crashed back to the ground but the man caught her, shoving his rude dog out of the way.
"Whoa there! Jack, no!" The guy actually took off his shirt and handed it over, helping her into it when she found her arms hurt when she lifted them over her head. "You should be proud of yourself, though you're going to hurt for the next couple of days. Here," and he tugged the shirt down so that it fell to mid thigh.
"Better hurt than dead," Mary agreed, unconsciously reaching out to grip his shoulder while she glanced down at herself. Oh yeah, a giddy voice declared, quite the fashion statement. She was still teetering on one broken heel and her good Samaritan caught on when the dog Jack sniffed her shoes and barked.
"Hold on, okay? I'm going to try and fix your shoes." Bending down he took her shoes off one at a time, using his big strong hands to snap off first the broken heel and then the other. Instant flats. Mary smiled tremulously when he offered her the heel with a sheepish expression.
"Toss it. They only work as a set."
"Right." With his dog trotting out ahead of them the guy escorted her to the bus stop. It wasn't until she was sitting down on the cracked plastic seat of the bus that she realized she hadn't asked her rescuer's name.
Back in the concealing shadows of an alley the man and his 'dog' watched the bus pull out. Then the dog's form shifted and blurred until a man identical to the other stood in Jack's place. A hand rose up and smacked the shirtless one upside the head.
"Hello! Whadya ruin my fun for? I was giving her a help up."
"Ow! You really are a dog, you know that? We were supposed to save that woman, not cop a feel." He shouldered past his partner to head back down the alley. "Did Doyle say that was our only rescue tonight?"
The other hurried after. "Yeah." The same hand came up again, but this time curled around his twin's nape to draw him into a hard buss. "Wanna borrow my shirt, little boy?"
"And you'll wear what?"
"I look good in less clothing."
"That you do," came the teasing concession.
"You look better."
"In less?"
"Nothing."
oOo
Lanie frowned when Xander slunk into the tea shop nearly half an hour late for his shift and her displeasure mounted when he didn't even apologize. A mirror ran the length of the wall behind the counter, letting her monitor the shop even with her back to it as she did then, standing at the steamer. She felt Xander slide behind her on his way to the cash register, but he stopped. Glancing up into the mirror Lanie started. Was he sniffing her?
Careful not to actually touch her Xander was indeed scenting her, head cocked at an odd angle. His eyes were partially closed, but what she could see of them possessed none of their usual sparkle. They were dull, predatory, and the vampiress felt the hairs stand up on her arms, an all too human response to her demon instincts going off. Beyond Xander she could see her customers were also aware of the change in the teenager, though none moved to intercede. It was her shop, after all, and her employee.
Not wanting to see if Xander would react to an open challenge Lanie subtly rebuffed him instead. Rolling her shoulder back into his hard enough to push him back made him tense and softly growl, but Lanie was not going to be cowed. Though she had only been amongst her grandsire's court a few times she knew the rules of survival and dominance. When Xander growled, obviously wanting to test her, she growled back and twisted around to look him right in the eye. You do not have the balls to challenge me, little boy, the look said and Xander backed down, resentful gaze dropping in submission.
"Xander, you want to tell me why you're late?" And why you stink, because the boy was reeking to her hyper sensitive nose.
Xander shrugged, backing slowly from out behind the counter. "Had better things to do."
Elaine watched him carefully. If he stayed he was going to challenge her again she was certain, possibly some of the customers, and he was going to do it more openly. Whatever was wrong with him, she couldn't fix, but she also didn't know if she should let him go. What if he seriously hurt someone or challenged a demon who didn't abide Angelus' protection?
She made her decision.
"Well, why don't you come back when being at your job on time and with the right attitude is what you want to do?" It wasn't a question. She almost caved at the brief flash of betrayal that flitted across his face, but his behavior was unacceptable. Will wanted Xander the happiest life he could give him without revealing himself, but a soft hand never helped any child. Xander needed to learn. Moira would have smacked him for his impertinence and demanded an immediate apology, but Elaine just watched him storm out of the shop.
Once he was gone her eyes flicked to one of the back booths, but the Yellow there was already on its cell, likely calling one of its brethren to follow the boy. Elaine hadn't liked getting a bodyguard after the attack on Connor, but she was grateful now that someone who could go out into the daylight was going to follow Xander.
She served her waiting customer his chai and then the two waiting behind him. When no one signaled for her attention she locked the cash register and headed out from behind the counter. "Bob, could you watch the counter for a minute?" she called out to the regular who was of Angelus' court, not waiting for his slow nod before ducking into the kitchen. Retrieving her cellphone she dialed a memorized number.
Wot, princess?
"It's Xander, there's something wrong with him," Elaine said bluntly. "He came in late, sniffed me and then challenged me by growling."
Her sire was quiet on the other end of the line though she could hear paper shuffling. Then, Sounds about right. Didn't know the exact dates but Xan was going to get possessed by a Primal hyena spirit this year sometime.
"And you didn't think to warn me?" the redhead hissed. "I had to kick him out of the shop so he wouldn't make a scene with the customers."
"Well now, I dinna know when it'd happen, now did I?" Will snarked back. "Boy mentioned it a time or two, but 'is mates ate the principal so he was shy about it all."
"He has a pack acting like him? I think a Yellow is going to be tailing him to make sure he doesn't get arrested pissing on a fire hydrant." Lanie rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. There was a tray of almond squares waiting for the chocolate shavings Xander was to have grated on when he came in sitting innocently on the counter in front of her. Snatching one she savagely bit it in half. "Are we sure he's not going to chow the principal? His circumstances have somewhat changed, haven't they?"
"Bollocks," Will muttered. "Ya said the Yellow are on him? Thanks, luv, I'll follow up with them. Last time, Xan was only wonky a few days so keep an eye for him."
"Will do," Elaine sighed, listening to her sire hang up. Living on the Hellmouth was certainly never boring.
oOo
The principal was already dead by the time Xander had showed up at the tea shop. William was in a fine state of agitation, upset over thinking this was all supposed to have happened before the Master was dusted, but his memories were inconclusive due to Spike having not really cared what had gone on in Sunnydale before he came. All of his information for this time was spotty and secondhand, gossip and late night talks with his pet. William snarked about it and his own sire's seeming inability to follow a simple plan, convinced all of this and his ulcer were Angelus' fault.
Elaine had patiently listened until her shift ended and two of the minions showed up to take her place. It was three a.m. and she was starving. With her Yellow bodyguard trailing after she headed for her car parked in its reserved spot in front of the café.
Even before the Yellow chittered softly in warning Elaine had felt the tension in the air immediately upon stepping through the exit. Main at Sixth was never quiet at night and certainly hosted some of the most dangerous denizens of Sunnydale, but not even demons pissed where they fed and lived. There were unspoken rules about this street and a demon's conduct while visiting, rules that were harshly enforced. No one fought or in any way disrupted the relative peace on Main at Sixth. It just wasn't done. But Lanie had seen the occasional upstart, the demon who was more full of drugs than common sense, who thought they could quickly make a name for themselves by raising a little ruckus on Demon Street. There usually wasn't anything of them left, especially not after whatever remained was gobbled up the Samiam, Mrs. Henderson, that ran the bakery. The shop owners and their customers alike usually made quick work of any troublemakers.
That was the tension Elaine recognized when she came outside and she immediately spotted the cause. Demons were coming out of the stores up and down the street, attracted to the barely leashed menace of the five teenagers silently watching her from the roof and hood of her car.
Fuck. It wasn't that she feared five deranged kids. No, she feared for them, because if they attacked she couldn't guarantee their safety. Hell, she couldn't guarantee her own. She wasn't supposed to reveal her vampiric nature to Xander, but what other choice was left? If she could scare him off before he did something fatal, she'd rather lose his trust than his life.
The choice was explosively taken from her, however, with a wet heavy rending sound. The Yellow behind her erupted out of his human body suit with a grotesque spraying of fluid, mucus slime and chunks of partially decomposed tissue. Standing directly in front of the explosion Elaine screamed in shocked outrage, clothes and hair instantly soaked in the rainfall of gore.
The Yellow looked nothing so much like a mutated, bloated squid and for good reason since they were a parasitic aquatic demon. Hence the need for the body suits. No one knew how Yellow squeezed themselves into human bodies and no one wanted to see how they went about it. The Yellow behind her had what looked like twenty or so tentacles flailing the air with admirable accuracy, screeching through its sucker fish mouth. Tentacles ten, fifteen feet long lashed about the screaming vampiress, thumping the car and striking a glancing blow to one of the male Primals.
The possessed teenagers could not flee fast enough, tumbling off of her car and over each other trying to escape, yelping and whining. None of the demons on the street gave pursuit, finding Elaine's humiliation far more entertaining. Lifting her hands to wipe off her face the redhead sobbed at the slime that trailed from her fingers. She was a disgusting mess.
A dark yellow splotched tentacle tentatively stroked up her arm, obviously trying to help as another petted her hair. The Yellow blew raspberries of contrition, but Elaine waved it off. "No, no, I'm . . .I need," she hiccuped, "I need . . .I don't know, but this smell better come off."
The burbling response she got in no way sounded encouraging.
oOo
Lilah Morgan sighed gratefully once her front door closed behind her. Since losing the bid to recruit Angel to their side she'd had to watch the glass ceiling slide into place over her head, that shit eater Lindsey MacDonald getting all of the good cases. It wasn't even her fault the Golden Twins had showed and ruined everything. She'd tried to convince the partners that her plan was still sound, that these Finns were the weakness to breaking Angel, but no one was willing to listen. As it was she was having to continue her surveillance of the surviving kids using what limited resources and manpower she could browbeat out of her inferiors. One of those brats was holding the secret to her redemption and she would prove it to everyone.
Dropping her briefcase and purse on her small dining table she hopped out of her heels on her way to the bedroom. A quick change into some more comfortable clothes and then some dinner before she went over the latest reports on the various Finns. Maybe Angel was interested in how two averagely attractive people could produce seven beautiful kids because it certainly galled her. Her parents hadn't been any plainer than the Finns, yet she'd had to trade her soul to get her looks.
She froze coming through the French doors of her room, a chill of terror skittering down her spine. A small red gift box was sitting on the end of her bed, a black and silver bow perched jauntily on top. She'd been at this game too long to assume the innocence of such an innocuous present. The house was supposed to have wards up to prevent any kind of break-in, spells her employers had provided and a few she'd commissioned on her own to protect against those same employers. Yet none of the wards had gone off, which could mean too many unpleasant guests could still be here. Her gun was in her purse and she slowly started to back up, unconsciously holding her breath.
"Ms. Morgan, how was the grind today? Not too stressful, I hope." She recognized that voice immediately, knew his presence in her home could only promise one thing. The only other door into her room led to the bathroom and she made a run for it, dropping her shoes. Not two steps and she was lifted and thrown onto her bed, a heavy weight crashing into her. Lilah screamed, lashing out with her sharp manicured nails, determined to fight.
A hard smack stopped her scream as Angel's other hand caught her swinging wrist and pinned it to the mattress under his knee. Her second hand soon followed, the vampire straddling her waist. Even knowing it was futile Lilah struggled until she exhausted herself, loud curses growing hoarse as Angel just coldly waited.
When she was panting for air the vampire reached down to tuck back her disarrayed hair, tsking softly. "Now is that any way to greet the vampire you've been so eager to recruit? I thought you'd be happy to see me. Why, I even brought you a present."
Lilah shook her head, babbling hysterically. "Angel, hurting that boy, I was just doing what I was ordered to do. I didn't want to hurt him, any of them. Darla was also their idea. I'm just a lawyer on the payroll."
"Oh, I'm sure your senior partners don't care what happens to you," Angel smiled compassionately. "You are very expendable and that must hurt, in here," he touched his fingers to where his own shriveled heart rested, "but don't worry, they're going to appreciate you soon."
Did he mean to accept their offer? Lilah frowned and licked her lips as the vampire reached back for the present that had somehow stayed on the bed. "Angel, I know I said the Senior Partners want Angelus, but please believe me, they are just as eager to put you on retainer. Anything you want, anyone, and they will get it for you. You want the Slayer? They can make her your personal slave."
"Hmm." Angel studied the box in his hands before his dark brown eyes flicked down to her. "Why is it, you think, Christians kill in the name of their benevolent God when He's supposed to be omniscient and omnipresent? Don't you find that contradictory? Heretical even? If He is so powerful, why can't they just put their faith in Him and trust in His divine will?"
Lilah didn't know what to say. Religion at Wolfram and Hart was a funny thing, cause for the damnation of many of their clients and yet also reason for much of their walk-in business. The large vampire didn't seem to want her answer though, softly continuing as he fluffed the box's bow. "You claim to want me, to need my power and grace, yet you don't trust me. No faith at all. The faithless should be punished for their heresy."
It came to her then, the truth of the vampire holding her to her bed. The moodiness, the strange humor. The god-like complex. "Angelus," she whimpered, and the demon smiled beatifically.
"Well, I'd like to say the truth shall set you free, but," he shrugged, "that's not going to happen. You hurt one of my kids. You made ME hurt my precious boy. You have inconvenienced and threatened plans that have been in the works for centuries. YOU have bloody well PISSED me off!" Angelus roared into her face, his true demonic visage rippling to the surface. Inhuman strength and violence wrenched open her legs, tearing muscles and tendons with such ferocity that it took the pain several long seconds to reach her brain. She was actually staring horrified at her spasmodically twitching legs when the agony hit and she wailed.
Kneeling down between her feet Angelus patiently waited for her cries to taper off into wretched sobs, carefully placing his box between her thighs. Though her arms were now free she couldn't move from the pain and laid there, tears running down into her hair. Her skirt had worked itself up her thighs during her struggles, exposing her crotch to the vampire. Lilah couldn't say she hadn't traded barely consensual sex for perks at work, but this violation in her own home was far more terrifying. She was going to be raped, brutally assaulted, and there was no one in her life who was going to cry over her broken corpse when it was discovered.
"I know, I know," Angelus sighed as she continued to cry, trembling hands trying to tug down her skirt. He put a hand over his eyes, mocking her in a high falsetto. "Oh no, the mean nasty vampire is going to rape me! Oh, my virtue!" Then he laughed, patting her knee. "Please. Sweetie, I have a reputation to maintain and while these last few years have been trying, trust me. Your sloppy seconds virtue is safe from me."
Lilah clenched her fists, refusing to accept the further humiliation of the vampire's insults. "Fuck you," she rasped, unconsciously tensing for a retaliatory blow.
The dark vampire just continued to chuckle until he trailed off with a great sigh. "You've got fire, Lilah, I'll give you that, so enough games. Here's what's going to happen." Lifting the lid off the box he reached in and pulled out a slimy, bloated pale yellow worm. "This is a baby Yellow. Cute little bugger, isn't he?" The worm nosed around Angelus' palm and then rose up so she could see its teeth filled little mouth. Lilah swallowed, suddenly certain she didn't want to know what a Yellow was.
"Now Yellow," Angelus continued, "are an interesting demon. See, they can't really get around on land, being just a bunch of tentacles. What they do is wiggle their way into a land lubber, just eat them hollow and then suit up. A real friendly group, though. Maybe you didn't notice them in Iowa. Anyway, this little guy, he's going to devour your insides, grow nice and big and strong on all your yummy organs, and this is the good part. Once he's all grown he's going to walk your body into Wolfram and Hart and deliver my greetings. Oh, he might not be able to take out all your bosses, but I think they'll get the message, don't you?"
"Please," Lilah begged when the vampire dropped the worm onto her lap. Before she could bat it away it disappeared beneath her skirt and she cried out to feel it squirming against her crotch. Did she imagine she could feel its little teeth chewing through her panty hose and underwear? She tried to reach between her legs, to pull it away, but she couldn't hold onto its slick, wiggling body.
Angelus rolled off the bed and then stood there watching her writhe while he straightened his clothes. "The Yellow usually seek the closest orifice. Are you as curious as I am to which one it'll go for?" Seconds later he had his answer as Lilah screamed and continued to scream long after the vampire had graciously let himself out.
TBC.
