Chapter 4

Mad Dogs and Englishmen

Oz took the group to the factory downtown that he had tracked the Moonkin to. The building was massive and slightly Gothic looking. It was the perfect place for the Moonkin to launch an ambush on them.

"Right," Angel said, "keep sharp everyone, theres no way to tell how many are in there until we get inside. Oz, you said you have control over the wolf now right? How much control?"

"If you got stuck down a well, I could get help."

"Well, thats good news for little Timmy.." said Spike.

"Oz," Angel said, "You and I lead the way. Faith and Spike, clean up any that get past us. Laura, hang back and pick off as many with your bow as possible."

Angel walked towards the big double doors of the factory.

"Lets show them who's been bad dogs..."

The group, with Angel and Oz taking point stepped through the doors. The factory had a musty, dirty smell about it.

"Get your game faces on guys." said Faith. As she said it Angel and Spike's faces morphed. Gone was the clean human features. Their foreheads became more pronounced, their eyes changed to a sickly yellow colour, and their teeth sharp and vicious. There was a low growl from nearby, and a slimy, organic sounding noise. They turned and saw Oz changing. His body stretching, becoming more muscular. Fur began sprouting all over his body, and his face became more bestial. He turned and looked at them.

"This is my game face." he said in a distorted animal version of his voice.

Suddenly, a demonic howl echoed throughout the building. That was the element of surprise gone. Angel quickly looked around the room they stood in. He counted five pairs of lupine eyes staring at them from the shadows.

"Welcome to my home, Angelus.." growled an incredibly old and bestial voice. A sixth pair of eyes appeared. Lupus.

The Moonkin emerged from the darkness. These werewolves made Oz look like a fluffy puppy. Each one stood about eight feet tall, and were a perfect cross between man and wolf. Their massive muscular bodies were covered in a thick dark fur, and their slavering maws were lined with razor sharp canines. Unlike Oz and Nina, who both moved around on all fours in wolf form, these beasts stood upright, like a man. But there was no humanity in these monsters. Suddenly Lupus tilted his head back, and uttered a soul chilling howl, and the Moonkin charged...

As the Moonkin closed in, the group went to their positions. Laura dropped back and began to load her bow, as Angel and Oz cut off the first few Moonkin with a counter charge. Angel threw himself into one of the wolves, his sword slashing across the beasts side, barely slowing the monster down. Oz howled as he dived at his opponent, his claws digging into the bigger animal's chest as his jaws snapped at the monster's throat. Meanwhile, Laura fired a volley of arrows into the closest Moonkin, four of her arrows hit home. The beast seemed just to be angered more, as it launched itself at her, all claws, fangs and rage. She drew her axes, and began to slash at the creature's face and chest, leaving gaping wounds all over it's body. The Moonkin warrior howled with pain and fury, and smashed Laura into a wall, knocking the wind out of her. Raising its claws, the beast prepared for the killing blow. The Moonkin suddenly stumbled, and a glazed look grew over its formerly rage filled eyes, and a thin trickle of blood slipped from its mouth. As it dropped to it's knees, obviously dead, Spike pulled his sword from the wolf's back.

"Works so much better than a rolled up newspaper..."

Faith lashed out at the wolf nearest to her with the large axe she held. The beast's claw fell to the floor with a thud. With it's other paw it swatted the dark haired slayer to the ground, and then lashed out with a vicious kick to her stomach, that sent her across the room. She climbed to her feet, slightly dazed, but with enough of her wits about her to block the barrage of vicious blows the monster began raining down on her. The creature's sheer strength forced her to her knees, but quickly she reached behind her, to grab the long blade she had strapped to her belt, and drove it into the Moonkin warrior's stomach, and forcing it up into it's chest. The creature struck out at Faith as it died, its final blow from its single claw enough to stun the slayer.

Angel struck down his opponent and looked over to Oz, who was, literally, a wild animal. His claws tore into the Moonkin he fought, tearing the beast apart. Suddenly a vicious blow knocked Angel from his feet. He rolled to see Lupus standing over him. The massive wolf struck Angel with a brutal kick, but Angel recovered and got to his feet in time to block a powerful punch from the Moonkin leader. The vampire drove his knee into Lupus' stomach, knocking the wolf off balance, before throwing a punch into its face. Lupus lashed out with both his claws, tearing through Angel's flesh. Angel roared in pain, as Lupus threw him against the wall, and held him by his throat. The Moonkin leader moved in closer to Angel's face.

"Any last words, vampire?"

"Only two." Angel growled. "Play dead..."

One of Angel's hands grabbed the upper part of Lupus' snout, while the other pushed down on his jaw. With a roar of strength, Angel ripped open Lupus' mouth until he tore his head in half. The vampire slumped to the floor, covered in the wolf's blood.

Back at the hotel, the team were recovering from the injuries they had taken in the battle. No one had taken any serious damage fortunately, so it was mostly patching up cuts and scrapes. Angel walked over to Oz. He was in the middle of cleaning a cut on his arm. It was weird to think that a few hours ago, the same quiet, laid back guy was ripping a monster apart with his bear teeth.

"Oz, thanks. We couldn't have managed without your help."

"No probs." Oz said, monosyllabic as usual.

"Where will you go now? Back to Tibet?"

"Don't know. That was the end of my training. Guess I'll see a bit more of the world."

"Well, you're welcome to join us, working for the council."

"I guess I could hang for a while."

Angel smiled.

"Stay as long as you want my friend. Now if you don't mind, I have another wolf to go see..."

"The animals have failed to kill Angelus, Master"

The Master turned and glared at the young vampire. The vampire, whose name was something like Jason, or Jack, cowered away from the gaze of the ancient vampire.

"Why doesn't anyone ever bring me good news, my child?"

"I...I don't know, Master." The vampire stuttered.

"No matter. That was just the start of what I have planned for my wayward relative..."

The Master's hand flashed out and wrapped around Jason's throat, before driving a shard of wood through the young vampire's chest, dusting him."

"I think its time for me to call on the Four Horsemen..." The Master muttered.