Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Thanks to Oxnate for beta-reading this chapter for me. He always makes this fic significantly more readable.

This Year's Boy

By Kylia

Chapter 11: The Fel Brethren

February 25th, 2000

Underneath the Fel Brethren's Main Shrine, Los Angeles

Cordelia hated when they had to travel underground, through the sewers of Los Angeles, but given that it was still daylight, even if only just, and Angel was the one who was probably going to do most of the fighting against this 'Fel Brethren'...

Well, that left the sewers as their option.

"How much do you know about these guys?" Angel asked Wesley. They were also stuck with the crazy Watcher, Weatherby, but he seemed to be too busy sulking to actually say anything. It was an odd look, seeing the guy with his crazy-eyed expression, looking like a freaking psychopath, and yet also be sulking.

"The Fel Brethren is a demonic cult with substantive resources, and followers across the Western Hemisphere, but they're centered in the major cities," Wesley supplied. "As far as demonic cults go, they're fairly mild." Weatherby snorted in derision, but Wesley ignored him and went on: "They keep the murder and exploitation down to mimimal levels, and aren't prone to torture or the like."

"I'm surprised Wolfram and Hart would take them on then, if they aren't killing people left and right," Cordelia muttered.

"They're well connected, wealthy and they're hardly squeamish about murder, merely pragmatic," Wesley clarified.

"More like they know if they do too much, the Council would send people at them," Weatherby disagreed.

"Hardly likely," Wesley snapped back with a level of sarcasm that Cordelia didn't usually hear from Wesley. "The Council wouldn't bother with actually doing anything about the Fel Brethren until or unless they posed a threat to their interests."

"As opposed to you, licking Angelus's boots," Weatherby replied, and Wesley inhaled sharply, about to say something, but Cordelia beat him to it.

"I'll bet Angel's done more good in the last year than you ever have, buddy," she walked up to Weatherby until she was standing in front of him and blocked his path, then poked him in the chest, hard. The Watcher snarled and grabbed at her wrist - Cordelia barely managed to pull her hand back in time before he could touch it.

The crazy-eyed loser put his hand on the gun at his belt, "Touch me again and I'll-"

"You'll what? Shoot me?" Cordelia rolled her eyes, doubting that this guy was really crazy enough to pull a gun on her while Angel was just a few feet ahead. She pointed her crossbow at his crotch for good measure. "Can you do it before I pull the trigger?"

Cordelia didn't know, actually. She had pretty good reflexes, honed by her years as a cheerleader, but while she was pretty good at shooting vampires with crossbows, she wasn't exactly some wild-west shooter who could draw and fire super quick or something like that.

"Cordelia," Angel said, sounding exasperated, and Cordelia turned to look at the vampire. She shot him a winning smile and shrugged, lowering her crossbow and starting to move again. They weren't far. She looked back to Wesley.

"So anything special about these demons you haven't mentioned?"

"Nothing of note," Wesley admitted. "They're about as strong as a vampire, but no more durable than your standard human. The Fel brethren commands powerful ritual magic - it's one of the ways they make their money - but it's all too prolonged to be useful in a fight."

"No spitting acid, poison blood, nothing like that?" Cordelia pressed. "And will I be able to get their blood out of my clothes easily?" It really sucks that that has to be a question I have to ask. How did my life get like this?

It was easy to blame Buffy, or Xander, or even Doyle, or even her dad for not paying his taxes and forcing her to abandon her plans for college; and while all of them were at fault for parts of how she'd ended up where she was today, it made her feel good that she was making a difference even if it wasn't the life she dreamed of.

"Nothing like that, but... I have no idea about what it will take to get their blood out," Wesley admitted. "It's rarely something the books on demons mention."

"Probably because the kinds of people who wrote those dusty old books of yours never had clothes they actually cared about keeping intact," Cordelia considered. Granted, she wasn't wearing her limited supply of really nice clothes, the few she had left after everything, but still, she was not interested in having to throw these ones away if they got uncleanable.

As for who she had to blame for her life situation - at the end of the day, she had only herself to blame. She didn't have to work for Angel after he saved her. She hadn't had to hang around Buffy, Xander and all their friends at all after finding out about vampires and stuff.

Even with her visions, she could just call Angel whenever one happened and then stay away otherwise.

Okay, that would be harder, since I'd get nothing but concussions from always hitting the ground, but still.

But for some reason, Cordelia insisted on sticking around. And hell, now she was helping her loser ex.

I bet he's enjoying not being the Zeppo for a change, though.

Angel stopped walking suddenly, and Cordelia pulled up short, watching her boss as he pulled a map out of his coat, checked it, then looked at a nearby ladder leading up into the ceiling.

"You said they'll have people in the basement?"

"Vampires aren't the only ones that use the sewers as a way to get around. Plenty of demons need to stay away from human eyes, even if sunlight doesn't hurt them" Wesley explained. "This is practically another front door to their main shrine."

"Good." Angel moved to the ladder, quickly climbing it and pushing the cover away, vanishing. Cordelia walked closer as she heard someone speak:

"Welcome to the Fel Brethren. Do you have business with us?"

Angel snarled, like he was vamping out, "Yeah, I need to talk to your boss, Ed."

"The Grand Potentate is otherwise occupied at the moment," whoever Angel was talking to said politely. "I can ask if he's willing to see you when he's done, if you'd like to take a seat?"

Cordelia suppressed a snort of laughter. It was a demon cult and there was a guy talking like it was the waiting room at her dad's lawyer's office or something.

"So he is here?" Cordelia didn't hear anything, but based on what Angel said, she could assume he nodded. "Good." A second later there was the sound of Angel punching someone, and then more hitting. "It's clear," Angel called down to them, and Cordelia started climbing the ladder, made a bit harder by the fact that she was still carrying a loaded crossbow and trying not to point it at anyone, but she managed, Angel helping her up onto her feet after she reached the basement.

She looked around the space, and then laughed. It really did look like a waiting room, at a law firm or something like that. A few well placed rugs over in one corner, with some nice chairs for sitting around in, with a table and a selection of magazines and newspapers, a desk off to one side - though it was now playing host to a demon with a sword through its chest. All the stuff that had been on it - papers, a phone, a stapler - strewn about on the floor, blood covering the keyboard.

Angel looked at her, clearly confused about what it was she was laughing at.

"It's like a real waiting room. It's a demon cult and they act like a business. They'd probably have offered you refreshments if you wanted to wait." Cordelia wasn't surprised to see Angel didn't get the joke - humor was wasted on him - but she did at least get what might have been a smile out of Wesley. Might.

Xander would have laughed.

Cordelia did a mental double take at the thought that just went through her head.

No.

No way in hell was she thinking an even remotely fond thought about any part of her ex. Especially not about his stupid sense of humor.

"Let's keep moving, before someone realizes we're here," Angel turned away from her and pulled his sword out of the demon, making for the stairs behind the desk. Cordelia followed behind him, letting Wesley carry up the rear to keep an eye on his fellow Englishman.

The next floor opened up into what looked more like what she'd have expected - a big altar on one end, covered in black silk, red candles lined all around it, a bunch of creepy statuettes and masks all around it on the ground and walls. There were like, fifty wooden chairs arrayed in front of the altar, like pews at a church, but they weren't occupied - just two demons by the altar, one kneeled and praying, the other filling what looked like kind of like those fancy incense burner thingies the catholic priests used at mess with some kind of liquid.

The demons didn't notice them or at least didn't care about them being there, maybe figuring they were only coming up if they were supposed to.

"Where is the Grand Potentate?" Wesley asked, stepping forward to stand next to Angel, his own sword held loosely in one hand, towards the floor. Cordelia looked over her shoulder to see Weatherby had pulled a hand crossbow out from his coat, a barbed head on the bolt, looking pretty nasty.

The praying demon stood up and turned towards them. Like the one below, he was a human-looking demon, in shape, wearing long black robes. His skin was greenish-grayish, and had this craggly, broken-looking pattern to it on their heads, looking like scales, but not.

And once more, I hate that I know these demons don't have scales just from look.

"Is the Grand Potentate expecting you?" The demon asked calmly, looking them over.

"Oh fuck this shite," Weatherby replied, firing his crossbow at the demon - the demon reacted, trying to move, but the bolt still got him in the side, and then the other one shouted, "Intruders!" as he turned to them and pulled a kukri from under his robes.

Cordelia aimed and fired at the demon as he moved towards them - she'd aimed for his chest, specifically his heart, but when he tried to dodge, the bolt embedded in his shoulder. He still growled in pain, and Cordelia quickly ducked back as Angel, with Wesley right behind him, charged in, both demons now armed with kukri. Cordelia watched them fight and since she was momentarily safe, she put the front stirrup of the crossbow on the floor and put her stylish but comfortable shoe through it to give her the leverage she needed to reload it. Crossbows were nice, but they took several seconds to reload. Meanwhile she kept half an eye on Weatherby, not trusting him to not shoot Angel in the back if he thought he could get away with it.

Angel made quick work of one demon, slicing his head off, and then moving to help Wesley with his - stabbing it through the chest after Wesley distracted him.

But even with those two dead, several more demons came down the stairs or through doorways leading into this... chapel? Angel and Wesley were surrounded, but from what Cordelia could tell, they seemed to be doing well for themselves, swords having more reach than the kukri all the demons seemed to come with.

Weatherby had pulled out his own knife and was handling another demon, and Cordelia watched for an opening on a demon she could shoot - and then jumped back as another demon came towards her, brandishing his weapon. The bolt went "thunk-squick" as it left the crossbow and stopped the demon's heart almost as quickly. There was no way this demon could dodge this close - he simply fell down dead on his face.

Unfortunately for Cordelia, another demon was right behind him and not slowed at all by the death of the other, not giving her a chance to reload again.

He sliced towards her neck, and Cordelia stepped back, the knife nearly cutting her hair.

"Hey! Watch the hair!" Cordelia snapped, swinging at him with the empty crossbow.

Crapcrapcrap.

"Get away from me!" Cordelia jumped back as she tried to avoid another slice from the demon - she tossed her crossbow at him, hitting him in the chest and sending him staggering back a pace. She turned and ran, the demon chasing her.

I hate demons. I really really hate fighting demons. She had a stake, she always had a stake, but against non-vampires, stakes were less useful... Cordelia's eyes lighted onto a tall silver candlestick and she grabbed it, turning it upside down and letting the candle drop to the ground, still burning - Cordelia stepped on the top of the candle quickly, extinguishing the tiny flame in a mess of wax.

It's not going to be fun to get wax off the bottom of these shoes, Cordelia grumbled to herself, and then swung with the candlestick, trying to get the demon in the head.

With the demon slicing at her, Cordelia managed - barely - to avoid another attack, and then she swung again, managing as much by luck as anything else to get the demon in the head, braining him and sending him sprawling forward, landing on his face.

Kicking his head once for good measure, Cordelia looked around. There was one flight of stairs leading up, near the shrine. Angel and Wesley were still fighting, and Weatherby was leaning against the wall, bleeding from what looked like a nasty stab wound on his side, hand pressed to his injury, but blood seeping out through his fingers.

Cordelia moved towards him, "Move your hand," Cordelia ordered him. Weatherby looked at her, confused, and Cordelia pulled bandage cloth and medical tape from her pocket.

Patching up Angel and Wesley had given her at least some basic experience.

"Give me those," He snatched them both from her with his free hand, then started to tear off some of the bandages from the roll.

"Rude," Cordelia muttered, stepping back. She held up a hand though. The guy was a psycho asshole, so if he wanted to handle his own injury, that was his deal. "All yours, crazy." She looked back towards the stairs.

If she was the 'Grand Potentate', she'd be on the highest floor of the building, right? Had to be, with a self-important title like that. He'd have to compensate for having a name like Ed when you're a demon.

Moving along the wall, Cordelia got to the stairs, and went up, then up another flight, the sound of the fighting still audible, but somewhat muted by being two flights up.

"There's no need to worry about it, Izzerial, whoever is stupid enough to attack the Shrine will be dealt with in short order, and anyone who sent them will have all our allies to deal with," a slightly scratchy voice said up ahead.

"Good, good. I'll see you at the next meeting then." There was a sound of a phone being returned to its receiver. Cordelia moved up, towards the sound. There was an office, the walls lined with books and creepy statues, and a demon sitting at a desk. He was reading a newspaper, turning the pages, muttering something about stocks.

Wait.

He was reading the Wall Street Journal? Since when did -

Right.

Anyone rich enough to hire Wolfram and Hart - even demons could invest.

I wonder if he has any good tips? Cordelia could pick his brain later. He was going to be their prisoner for a bit.

"We need to ensure we have as much resources as required to ensure the attainment of the Holy One," Ed muttered, and Cordelia stepped into the room.

"How does that whole stock buying thing work, since you can't really walk into a broker's office looking all gross and demon-y?" Cordelia asked, not bothering to wait as she walked towards him. The demon slammed his newspaper to the desk, glaring at her. He had on similar robes to the other demons, but had a fancy medallion around his neck.

"Who are you!?" The demon demanded. "What are you - Guards!" He snarled, not getting up from his chair, glaring at her. He slammed his hands on the desk again.

"I'm Cordelia Chase, asshole."

"Who?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "I work for Angel." No recognition. "The vampire with a soul? Used to be called Angelus?" She saw recognition there. "He's down there cutting through your goons," Cordelia added, and Ed stiffened, seeming genuinely afraid now. "Yeah. I wouldn't count on them saving your demony ass," Cordelia explained. She walked closer to the desk.

"Angelus is making a powerful enemy today," Ed blustered, "The Fel Brethren has numbers beyond those here, and many allies! If he or one of his kills me-"

"Oh, no. No one's here to kill you, Grand Poo-Bah," Cordelia shook her head, and Ed started to relax. Then stiffened when she went on: "Not yet, anyway. See, Wolfram and Hart stole something from..." Cordelia paused, frowning a moment, "Let's just say from a 'friend' of mine. And we'd like it back." Sure, it was funny that Xander was in a woman's body, but really, she wouldn't wish Xander to never get his body back.

The loser didn't deserve having a Slayer's powers all the time, and... okay, so she wasn't petty and spiteful enough to want Xander to never go back to his own body. Or get killed or thrown in prison for Faith's crimes.

"I'm sure I could arrange things," Ed suggested, leaning in a bit, trying to pull off some sort of slimy used car salesman act. "I do have a certain amount of pull with the firm, perhaps we could make a deal-"

"I don't think so," Cordelia shook her head, and reached the desk.

"Stop!" Ed snarled, losing all attempts to be persuasive in an instant, smashing his hands onto the desk again, balled into fists. "Stop, or I'll-"

"Or you'll what? Bluster at me?" Cordelia picked up the receiver of Ed's phone and whacked him in the head with it. The demon yelped in pain, one hand going to his head. Okay, not heavy enough.

She didn't want to kill him, but she did want to knock him out. The Demon stood, hand going to a drawer, but Cordelia punched him, getting him in the gut -and even though he was doubled over, winded, Cordelia shook her hand. That might not have been scales, but his skin was hard under those black robes.

Before Ed could straighten up though, Cordelia grabbed the back of his head and pushed his face onto the desk, quickly, banging his head into the desk. She did it again, then a third time, hearing his nose crunching, and then she let him go. He fell backwards, nose crushed, greenish, pus-like blood oozing from it, and his eyes were rolled back into his head.

"Gross," Cordelia muttered. She went around the desk, opening the drawers, looking for something she could use to tie the demon up with. Finding nothing useful, she crossed her arms in front of her.

She'd just have to wait until Angel got here to carry the demon out then.

"I hope you appreciate this, Xander," Cordelia grumbled. Not that her ex would - he'd be too busy hating Angel just because, and being all moon-eyed about his precious Buffy. The fact that she'd been the one to actually capture one of the hostages would be forgotten.

"Not that it matters. The faster the dork is back in Sunnydale, the faster he's away from me." Cordelia told herself, watching the door.

February 25th, 2000

Angel's Apartment, Los Angeles

The sun was starting to set by the time Xander got back to Angel's apartment with their vampiric hostage in tow, which made it much easier to get the drug dealer into Angel's place without him getting burnt to a crisp.

Tara's spell had only knocked the vampire out for a short time, as promised, but Xander had knocked him on the back of the head, hard, since he was safely chained up, knocking him out again.

It wasn't like he had to worry about giving the vampire a concussion, after all.

Actually, how does that work?

Carrying the vampire's dead weight, however, was something of a challenge, even with his slayer strength, given his broken ribs and fractured shoulder. Suitably bound up, the ribs were at least tolerable, but the shoulder...

Xander bit his lip until he bled trying to avoid making too many noises of pain, even with a makeshift sling provided. With any luck, Faith will be the one to have to deal with all this pain soon enough.

His leg still stung, but that had been a minor flesh would and had stopped bleeding quickly, he was good there.

Well, 'good'.

He kicked open the door to Angel's office, his hand full of vampire, and tossed Norvosian's dead weight onto the ground, breathing heavily. Cordelia was sitting at her desk, which meant that Angel and Wesley had to be back too.

"Hey Cordy," Xander murmured, leaning against the doorframe. Anya, Tara, and Smith were behind him, and the first two slipped past him, while Smith had to wait. Xander didn't move, needing more time to catch his breath.

"Hey Xander," Cordelia said absently, not looking up from the computer, then she looked up at him and did a double take. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Vampires and guns - not a fun combination to go against," Xander explained. "And fun fact, bulletproof vests aren't. Who knew?" He pushed Norvosian forward a bit with his foot and moved into the office fully, hearing Smith close the door behind him.

"Why do they call them bulletproof then?" Cordelia rolled her eyes, "Still, what did you do, charge in like an idiot?"

"Yes, he did," Anya told her, and Xander glared at the back of his girlfriend's head. "I mean, he didn't have much choice, but he did just charge in."

I don't need my girlfriend and my ex-girlfriend ganging up on me, damnit.

"Strategy, Xander, you need to learn it," Cordelia rolled her eyes. "But you're okay?"

"I'm alive," Xander said, dropping into a chair. "I'll plead the fifth on 'okay'."

"He's not okay," Anya said, sitting down by him, looking at the cut on his leg for a moment. "First aid kit," she held out her hand.

Cordelia stared at Anya's outstretched hand, and Xander coughed slightly, looking at his girlfriend.

"Please?" Anya added after a moment, looking exasperated, and Cordelia rolled her eyes, but pulled a first aid kit out from under the desk and handed it to Anya. She looked over at the vampire chained up on the floor.

"Get him out of the way, will you?" Cordelia demanded, and Xander shook his head.

"Not right now. You can step over him," Xander closed his eyes and let out a gasp of pain as Anya started to dab the cut on his leg with a cotton ball damp with hydrogen peroxide. She wrapped more bandages around the grazing wound.

"Just get your boss to move him out of the way, he's strong enough, and I'll bet he doesn't have any broken bones." Anya noted. "Not against the Fel Brethren."

"No, no broken bones. He did get cut and stabbed a few times, but some pig's blood and he's good," Cordelia shook her head, then pushed the chained up vampire against the wall with her foot. She returned to her chair behind the desk. "How do you put up with him?" she asked, gesturing towards Xander. "I mean, really, massive dork loser like him?"

"Gee, Cordelia, tell us what you really think about me?" Xander grumbled.

"Well, he's very good in bed, at least when he's in his proper body," Anya said blandly.

"Really?" Cordelia scoffed. "Somehow, I find that-" She was cut off by her phone ringing, and Cordelia snatched it up immediately. "Angel Investiga- Oh, Willow." She paused, then nodded. "You got the demon?" Another pause. "Yeah, he's here." She held the phone out towards Xander."Willow wants to talk to you."

Xander stood and walked over to the desk, taking the offered phone. "Thanks."

"Yeah, sure, you're so welcome," Cordelia grumbled. Raising an eyebrow, Xander brought the phone to his ear.

"Hey Willow. Got the Starving Clan leader?"

"Sarhvin," Willow corrected automatically. "And yeah, Buffy took a few out, set the rest running and bagged the boss. I cast a spell that made it sound like a whole bunch of people were attacking, which helped," Willow added, eagerly.

Xander laughed, "Good spell then," then immediately regretted it, groaning.

"Xander? Are you okay?"

"Not in the least. Broken ribs and my shoulder is at least fractured." He inhaled. "Fun fact - bulletproof vests aren't!"

"Well of course not," Willow said, sternly. "Xander, do you have any idea how much force is exerted when a bullet gets shot out of a gun? A lot. All a bulletproof vest can do is disperse the force, not get rid of it entirely. This is why you don't get shot in the first place!"

"I'll keep that in mind next time a vampire with a gun tries to shoot me," Xander replied dryly. "Because you know that's always in my plans." He let out a long breath. "Are Buffy and Giles okay? Are you okay?"

"We're mostly fine. Buffy got some cuts and bruises, nothing serious , and Giles got knocked out... again." Willow sounded like she was suppressing a laugh, and Xander thought he heard Giles make an indignant sound in the background. "I'm fine. But you - you got shot at!"

"It hurts, but I comfort myself with the fact that soon Faith will be the one hurting." Xander said hopefully. Please, let this nightmare be over with. Sure, it had been fun, fighting all those vampires, but having to deal with all the injuries that came on the front lines...

Xander really didn't like that part. Not that he wanted to leave it all to Buffy or anything...

Plus... you know, upsides or not...

Xander really wanted his body back.

"True. Speaking of," there was a pause, and it sounded like Willow was handing the phone off to someone, and sure enough, Collins, the boss of the three people from the Council, spoke.

"And I think, given your eagerness to get this over with, you'd have no problem with an arrangement that has the exchange happen at midnight?"