Angel: The Last Ride

Chapter Three: Cry Havoc

Angel raced to the top of the building where the strange figure stood, but when he arrived the horseman had vanished. There was nothing more he could do in the streets down below, so he made his way back to the hotel. He arrived to find the Hyperion empty. The others must still be out. There was something familiar about the mysterious entity watching over the riots tonight, but he couldn't place it. Maybe one of the others will find something, he thought.

As he sat at his desk, the doors to the hotel opened, and through them walked Spike. The younger vampire looked like he had been in a fight, which wasn't anything new.

"There's a gang of bloody suits out there all fighting over a loaf of bread..."

"You have any luck?" Angel said.

"Well, if you count getting attacked in pretty much every bar I went to.." Spike said, "then yeah, loads."

"What about the magical surge?"

"Well, didn't find anything about that, but I did run into one big bloke. Wore a seriously heavy looking suit of armour. Said something about living for the fight."

"Crap." Angel said, grabbing a book off the shelf.

"What?"

"While I was out tonight, I saw more of the food rioting, and noticed something watching it all from the top of a building. It was riding a horse, and had a sickle in its hand."

"Yeah, right, so how does this connect to my guy?"

"If I'm right, they're part of the same group. Which means there are two more."

"So who the hell are they?"

Angel turned the book he was reading round. The title of the page read 'Revelation Chapter Six Study: The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse'

"You have got to be kidding me.."

"The guy I saw tonight must have been Famine. I'd be willing to bet yours was War."

"So where are the other two?"

"I don't know, but I would hazard a guess Faith, Oz and Laura might know."

"Any idea how we take these guys down then?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. I mean, these guys are supposed to herald the end of it all. I don't think they are supposed to lose."

"But it can't be the real ones can it?" Spike said, "I mean, I have never heard of them, but there are a lot of demon gangs that like to talk big. Its gotta be one of them.."

"If it is, they must be packing some major mojo. Famine had an entire neighbourhood ripping itself apart for a few scraps of food."

"Makes me wonder what this War guy can do."

"I don't think I want to wait and find out."

Suddenly the hotel was rocked as something exploded outside. The sounds of rioting were getting louder.

"Champions of the People! Step out and face the challenge of War!"

"Great," said Spike. "Looks like we get to find out after all..."

The vampires armed themselves and walked out of the hotel. Everywhere people fought in the streets. This wasn't about food, this was about battle for battles sake. In the sky the armoured demon that Spike had encountered hovered on horseback, holding a massive sword.

"Angelus and William, you have been chosen, as the champions of the people, to face the challenge of War. Do you accept?" The demon's voice boomed like a cannon's roar.

"I never turn down a good scrap!" shouted Spike.

"Very well vampire."

War closed his hands as if in prayer, and held them up to the sky.

"Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of WAR!"

A bolt of blood red energy lashed out from his clasped hands, and slammed into the ground near Angel and Spike.

"Ha." muttered Spike. "The ponce talked big, but he couldn't even hit us."

"Uh, Spike, I don't think he was aiming at us.."

The ground where the energy hit began to split open. From the fissure in the ground, three massive hell hounds leapt. Covered in black fur, and eyes glowing a fearsome red, the slaving beasts advanced on the vampire champions.

"Bugger."