Angel: The Last Ride
Chapter 2: We All Fall Down..
The team had been trying to find the source of the mystical implosion for almost a day. So far, they had had lots of luck, all of it bad. Spike had hit the demon bars, to try and find any information he could. So far he had found three vampires and two demons, not big on the talking, more into the fighting. Angel saw on the TV that there seemed to be some kind of disturbance downtown focusing around food shops, so he went to investigate. Meanwhile Faith, Oz and Laura hit the streets, to see if they could dig anything up.
As Angel arrived at the source of the disturbance, a gang of kids, six of them all around seventeen, surrounded him, begging him for food. When he told them he had none, they pulled out knives and threatened him. A quick flash of his game face was enough to spook them. Those kids looks starving, Angel thought to himself. He pressed on to the crowds in front of the shopping mart. When he got there he found more of the same. Dozens of people, all fighting to get into the shop. None of the people looked like they should be starving, businessmen fought with cops, and children were crushed under the feet of uncaring lawyers as they all struggled to get to the food. Angel noticed out of the corner of his eye a vampire about to take out one the the stragglers in the crowd. He darted over and staked the vamp before it had time to even know he was there. The victim looked up at Angel, a young girl of about sixteen, her face withdrawn and gaunt. Suddenly she jumped up and rejoined the crowd. So much for thanks. Angel was about to head back to the hotel, to see if anything else had been discovered, when on top of a nearby building he saw a figure on horseback. The figure was hard to see, but in its hand Angel noticed it seemed to be holding a sickle...
"Come on you pansies! You lot fight like bloody nine year old girls!!"
Spike's stake lashed out and landed with a thud into the nearest vampire's chest. As he pulled it back out the vampire exploded into a cloud of dust. He ducked as a Gagnar demon swung it's massive fist into the space where Spike's head had previously occupied, and then drove his knee into the monster's groin. The beast doubled over in pain, and Spike grabbed a pool cue and smashed it across the demon's skull. The cue snapped in two, as the demon hit the floor. A brutal roundhouse kick sent the vampire coming up behind him into a wall. Spike finished the bloodsucker off by throwing the remnants of the broken pool cue directly in the heart of the vamp.
"Anyone else wanna go?" the blonde vampire yelled, "Or should I just drink my beer in peace?"
All of the other patrons of the bar, vampire and demon alike, ducked their heads giving a silent declaration that announced that they wanted no trouble. Spike turned back to the bar.
"Gimme a beer. That last demon spilt mine. Oh, and anything you know about some mystical power surge would be good as well..."
Suddenly a dark figure in the corner stood up.
"That was impressive."
"Yeah, well," said Spike as he turned, "I ain't signin' any autographs, so why don't you just sod o.."
Spike laid eyes on the speaker of the first time. He was huge, almost eight feet tall, and wearing a heavy looking suit of red and bronze armour. His eyes were glowing with a fiery red light.
"Well ain't you a big chap? What do you want? If it's a fight you're lookin' for, you came to the right vamp.."
"Just observing my opponent, William," boomed the massive demon. "And let me assure you, I was born for the fight. See you on the battlefield..."
With that, the demon faded into nothingness.
"Well that was bloody interesting.." muttered Spike.
Faith, Laura and Oz were making their way through the sewers, to see if they could find anything underground that could have caused the mystical whammie. So far, the search had turned up nothing.
"So, Oz," Laura said, "You glad you hung around here in L.A. now? I mean, why would you be wanting peace and quiet meditating in a Tibetan retreat, when you could be trudging through sewers, looking for some unknown magical mojo?"
"Oh I dunno," said the werewolf, "Sure the peace is nice, but to tell the truth I missed the adventures we had in Sunnydale. Plus there are a few new sights I have enjoyed since I got here.." He flashed a cheeky grin at Laura.
"Dear god," groaned Faith, "Will you two hurry up and bone please? It's getting sickening to watch all this mess.."
Faith's rant was cut off by the loud thumping noise coming from the darkness up ahead.
Oz started to retch.
"Whats wrong?" whispered Faith.
"The smell.. all I can smell is sickness and disease.."
Suddenly the darkness twisted in front of them, building up into a dark hunched figure. It was wrapped in dirty brown rags, and all around it swarmed masses of flies. In it's hand it held a gnarled staff.
"Ring-a-ring of roses, a pocket full of posies..." the creature muttered as it stepped forward.
"I think its time to take out the trash." yelled Laura, as she dashed towards the demon.
"Laura, no!" shouted Faith, as she saw the demon raise it's staff, but she was too late.
A bolt of sickly green light ripped from the staff and struck Laura in the chest. She hit the ground with a sickening thud, and didn't get back up.
As the demon faded away, Faith and Oz could hear it's twisted voice on the wind.
"A-tissue, a-tissue.. we all fall down.."