Remembrance: 13
by Selene
The rain started to slash down. Half blinding anyone that was unfortunate to be stuck outside in it. He had been waiting in the shadows for what seemed like an eternity. ‘Where the hell is everyone. They should be here by now.’ Then he smelled it... the faint smell of human blood. He swung himself away from the wall and pivoted his head back and forth trying to scent out which way it was coming from. There. It was coming from the north end of the alley. It had to be Gunn with the heavy footfalls and the harsh breathing. Wesley was much leaner in frame and had watcher training that made him surprisingly harder to scout for him. Unless he wanted to be found. He started down the alley to bring Charles into the dubious shelter of the overhang of one of the few doorways opening into the alley way. He could tell that something was wrong. Charles was stumbling and his breathing was harsh and gasping. Halfway down he felt another presence. Another vampire signature. Angel. It was funny that he felt something akin to relief.
Out of his one remaining good eye, the other having swollen shut halfway from the Senator's office and here, Charles could see the bright white glow of Spike’s head coming toward him. ‘Man that dude's whiter than white bread with mayonaisse on it. Why would he dye his hair that color to top it off?’ A feeling of euphoria swept through him... God it felt good knowing that at least one more “Thorn” had been killed. He put his hand to his side. A fresh gush of blood leaked out from where his hand pressed against it. He knew that this couldn’t be good. The field bandage that he had put on had loosened in the walk over. It needed to be fixed fast... actually it really might not make a difference at this point. He struggled a couple more steps. Spike reached him.
He put an arm around Gunn’s shoulders and supported him the rest of the way back to the doorway. “So how’d it go Chuck? I can see the you came out of it in one leaky piece... Did you get our good Senator?”
“I got her and then some. What’s with vampires anyways... There’s always and endless supply of worthless minions. Do you all go off and sire everyone you bite?... I thought you all were all solitary and broody and such...Not vampire rabbits.”
“Can’t say about everyone else, mate but the Ponce here is the only broody one in the family. Even when he was Angelus....”
“I can hear you, hello, vampire hearing.” Angel stepped out of the shadows.
“I knew you were there the whole time. What’s the fun of talking behind you back when I can get a full fledged reaction from your face.” Spike grinned infuriatingly.
Breaking out of their old pattern Angel counted to five before continuing, “Alright, enough about that... Did you both accomplish what I asked you to?”
Both of the men briefly told Angel what had happened in their fight.
Angel looked at his cell phone. “Good. I received a text message from Lorne.” Across the screen flashed ‘Gnite.’
“His end held up. That leaves Wesley and Illyria... Have either of you two seen...”
A small figure plummets from the rooftop. Across her shoulder kicking and wriggling was Wes.
“This is most uncalled for Illyria. I can walk fine. I am fine. There is no need for you to carry me...”
The others just stared at them for a moment before Gunn started to laugh. Then Spike and Angel joined in.
Gunn winced in pain. The laughing had reopened the wound on his side and blood was leaking from it again. Angel moved closer to him.
“Gunn are you alright? I can tell that you aren’t... The wound let me see it.”
Gunn started to pull open the bandage. Fresh blood came out. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea...”
“Trust me...”
Gunn pulled the soaking jacket that he had used for a bandage away.
Illyria took one look at it and said, “You are fading fast. You will last ten minutes if you are lucky. Unless you too have stolen an item from the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart.” Her head tilted as she thought about this theory. She set Wesley down as she stared intently at Gunn. “Must I cradle you for it to work?”
Wesley made a show of brushing himself off and straightening his clothes but, at the last question, he got a strange look in his eye. Almost tender. “No Illyria... I don’t think that Gunn needs you to do that.”
Gunn shook his head ‘I have no idea what she is talking about. But I don’t want that thing near me. Wesley may be able to look it in the eye but I will always see my guilt. My failure to Fred.’ Gunn mentally shook himself he was getting a bit light headed. Funny that the sight of his blood made him feel faint when he was usually covered in demon blood or even more unsavory fluids.
Angel caught Gunn’s attention. He was dying. Right before his eyes. What he was going to suggest Gunn would probably refuse.
Well he wasn’t going to give him an option. He would give him a chance to live. He was going to do everything he could to help what few friends he had left. Angel focused on the wound. Swiftly before Gunn could react he vamped out and started lapping the wound his tongue pressing deep within the flesh. The capillaries responded immediately. Closing over and the veins soon after that.
Both of Gunn’s hands had come up to either side of Angel’s head in horror when he saw him vamp out. Then it dawned on him what Angel was really doing. His hands slowly relaxed on head and drifted to Angel’s shoulders to support himself. Angel finished licking the edges of the wound and it sloppily closed over on itself. It would do for now. If Gunn didn’t go into shock from too much blood loss.
‘Bloody hell, Angel is now going around glutting himself on his friends blood. I hope that Chuck is alright but this is too weird even for me. Angel literally starves himself of human blood for a century (or so he claims) and now he has drank from three in the course of one day. Drained one dry. A champion for good at that.’ Spike took a quick look around. Wesley’s eyes had narrowed in thought. ‘Wes isn’t stupid. I can tell he has his doubts about Angel’s actions. I’m going to have to talk to the head boy soon... I can smell the power that Angel has drank from. He stinks of evil. Marcus. I’m starting to wonder why the git left out that part of the story. Does he think that I wouldn’t know? Things aren’t adding up...” He ran his hand through his hair completely frustrated. Feeling the need to say something to break the awkward silence that had grown between all of them he said, “Peaches for the record here... I ever get injured, be it a limbs amputated (again) or a stubbed toe, at no point do I give you leave to put your tongue upon my person. I always knew you were a bloody poof...”
Gunn stepped back a bit from Angel and with his fingertips he probed at the scar. A little tender but he had fought with WAY worse. He nodded to Angel in way of thanks too overcome with mixed emotions to put anything into words.
Angel had closed off from all of them. His full brood on he bounced up from his semi crouching position. Turning to scan all of their faces he noted their expressions ranging from shock to faint disapproval. He would have to do damage control after this, if they survived. There wasn’t any time for the games they usually played with each other. Wolfram & Hart would hunt them down and the battle would just begin. ‘We need Gunn. He can fight. I couldn’t chance the fact that he could have told me no. His wound had to be sealed.’ Angel’s tongue darted out to the corner of his mouth where a speck of blood had escaped him. Even this small amount of blood had his head swimming in throbbing pulsations. Pure bliss. He shook it off.
Illyria seeing Gunn’s wound healed tells them that she wishes to do more violence. Vail’s attempt on Wesley’s life and Gunn being wounded had brought the spark dangerously close to the surface again. Illyria knew that the only thing that would keep it at bay would to let herself get lost in fighting. There the spark and her became one in harmony. She heard them before she saw them. A horde of shrieking demons heading their way. Her eyes flashed pushing Wesley behind her she grabbed a brick from off the ground. Above her twirling and diving ever closer was a dragon. How meager.
“Our plan is to fight,” Angel said eying up the competition.
“A bit more specific...” Spike said rolling his eyes while lifting up his sword ready to fight.
Angel looks heavenwards and says, “Well I kind of want to slay the dragon.”
Not even a second later the dragon wheels towards them. Angel stands braced for impact.
Illyria looks at it dismissively and launches her brick at it. Rocketing toward the dragon it narrowly misses its head and slams through the membrane of the wing and into the bone attaching the wing to its body. Its wing is in tatters the dragon plummets to the ground taking out a third of the army in the rear. Unable to fly the dragon thrashes about its long tail sweeping the ground its nails gouging the ground in pain. There is complete utter chaos in the ranks of the army that is racing towards them. The loosely organized bands were now scattered and it was every demon for himself.
Angel stood there sulking. “I can’t believe you did that... I just can’t believe it... I called him. I had dibs...”
Spike stood there grinning, “That was bloody amazing Blue! You’re brilliant.”
Illyria ignored them both and stood her ground waiting for the horde to reach her. Wesley had come up beside her in his hand was a knife. A small part of her noted that it was the knife that Vail had tried to kill him with. “You may need this,” was all that Wesley said. She accepted it. The fury inside of her had blazed to a higher level.
She shoved Wesley behind her again and told him roughly, “Stay close.” It was all that she could manage without the spark taking over and making her all weak. Wesley was annoyed but nodded knowing that she was his biggest chance at any sort of longevity. Gunn slide in right beside him holding a baseball bat. Heck it was better than nothing.
The army was upon them the sound of fighting in close quarters was deafening. The line that had been separating the two opposing sides had blurred and there were demons all around them. That the group had taken their stand with their backs up against the wall was both figuratively and literally. That made it easier to target their opponents. But they just kept coming... The dragon had stopped writhing in pain and came closer. Angel took one look and was off running towards it...
Spike screamed at him to stop. That they needed to stay together if they were going to get through this. United front...
He realized that Angel didn’t hear or didn’t care. Either way he was heading to do battle with the dragon. A sword whistled by his ear. Whoa... too close. Angel was on his own. There was nothing that they could do for him now. The four remaining members closed ranks and tried to repel the demons as best they could...
The band of energy expanded dumping the seventy six slayers and a powerful witch and warlock onto the pavement. They can hear the sounds of battle just a block away from them. Jumping to their feet they form the battle formation that they have trained so hard for. Giles and Willow look at each other feeling a little uneasy. Unnoticed by anyone Giles takes her hand. Sparks fly. Drawing Kennedy’s attention. Willow sighs now is not the time.
A sharp squeal and popping noise comes from their belts. “Testing... one...two... three... Testing... one...two... three... sibilance...” The unmistakable sound of Andrew coming in loud and clear.
Buffy depressed her button. “We hear you Andrew and so does everything else for miles around.”
“Affirmative. Hey do you guys know that you just teleported a block away from where you were standing?”
“I guess the great and all powerful Giles doesn’t believe in walking...” Kennedy started laughing meanly. Giles and Willow blushed.
Buffy annoyed said, “Put Xander on the line.” They had determined before that there was only going to be one person talking from command central that way they couldn’t get confused with too many directions. Military Xander is just what they needed.
“Xander how it look?”
“Umm... Buf... not so good...”
A/N: I swear next chapter Spuffy. PLEASE review.
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