"Today, crime in Los Angeles has escalated dramatically in the past week. Many police officers think that the dawning of the new millennium is the cause of this mayhem."
"Please, give me a break," Angel groaned as he turned the TV off.
"Hey, I was watching that," Cordelia snapped from in front of the TV. Angel looked down at her and shrugged. She said, "This Y2K thing could be very bad, all the computers could shut down, or something more important to you, a demon might try to suck the earth into Hell."
Angel replied, "Oh, yes, a giant demon will swallow the world into hell, crash the world's technology, have the Barbra Strissane concert televised over every TV in the world, and, the worst, bring back polyester."
Cordelia's hazel eyes narrowed. It was rare that anyone mocked her and was absolutely shocked when they did. It was Angel's way of keeping her feet on the ground. Despite her financial situation, she was still the same arrogant bitch of Sunnydale high.
Doyle said, "Well, she may have a point, boyle."
Angel shrugged and replied, "Doyle, Cordelia, millenniums have been coming and going since the beginings of time, and the world hasn't been destroied yet. I've lived over 240 years, and if computers crash, big deal. I lived that long without the Internet, I think I can do without it a little longer. Besides, the only reason people say that the world is going to end in the year 2000 is because they like numbers. The real millinum is not untill 2001."
They both looked at him like he was insane. Angel shrugged. He didn't care about this Y2K scare. That's what it was, just a scare. The world wasn't going to end, and the worse that might happen is that the Ball in Times Square might short out. Not that Angel wasn't going to be out during New Year's Eve, he was, all those drunk partiers made for an easy meal for a lot of vampires. So Angel was basically on damage control until fifteen minutes till dawn. On December 30 he planned to sleep all day and half of the night to save up his energy.
December 31, 3:45 P.M.
Cordelia started to surf the Net, looking for Millennium End The World Type Demons, when the screen flashed crimson and a laughing display of that purple Teletubbie flashed over the screen. She screamed and jumped back. She knew absolutely nothing about computers, but she knew that this was wrong. It was the Teletubbies, it was *damn* wrong.
A few miles away the Hacker Group Static Toilet Paper were gathered in their leader's garage. Spooky Bratcher, Stella Moore, Static McAlister, and Bob were bowed over their computers and doing as much damage as they could.
Stella blew strands of her bright coppery hair out of her slanted blue eyes and asked, "Hey, the Teletubbie virus has been downloaded, now what?"
Spooky grimaced. She was the leader, for what reason, she did not know, but she was. The small elfin girl scratched her head in frustration. She asked, "What about Wolfram and Hart, has that building been abandoned yet?"
Stocky, bear like Bob slowly shook his head. He asked, "Jennifer, why do you hate them so much?"
Spooky bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Her fingers strummed angery on her keyboard as she viewed Bob. Static shook his head and chuckled. He knew the mistake, no one ever called Spooky by her given name. She was Spooky, Hacker exstradinare.
She seethed, "If this is gonna work, I need to get into that building *alone*."
"Why?" Sometimes Bob wasn't too quick on the uptake.
"Because I just do, dork, now, get into those security files."
Stella smiled and rolled her chair over to the CD player. She scanned through the CDs till she found the one she thought was most approprte for this moment. Spooky thought her Kid Rock CD was, but Stella had a difference of oppion. The Beatles' "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" was drifting through the garage now.
Spooky rolled her eyes and smiled as she continued to wreak havok. The plan was, at 10:00 tonight she was going to sneak into Wolfram and Hart's law office to tap into L.A's Mainframe to install the Teletubbie 2000 virus to every computer Windows 95 and higher in the area. Why were they doing this? No reason except to show that they could, and that Spooky was pissed at Wolfram and Hart after they had won a court argument for a company that stole a piece of software that Spooky had designed. Spooky didn't get a dime of profit, but she did get her revenge on that company. She hinted to Bill Gates ( who wanted to employ her as soon as she turned 18) that they were losing money and wanted to be bought. He jumped at this opportunity and scooped them up immediately.
Spooky leaned back in her rolly chair and smiled. The group of young hackers were totally unaware that a representive from Wolfram and Hart was watching them.
Lynsey paced the office and looked at the six vampires gathered there. He told him, "Your target's name is Jennifer Bratcher, she goes by Spooky. We want her dead."
He passed a picture around of a small elfin girl dressed in baggy carpenter jeans, a black "X- Files" T-shirt, and a purple flannel shirt worn loose over it. She had long dark blond hair that she half-heartly caught back in a clip, strands of it obscuring her catlike eyes. The girl was a genius no doubt, but she was dangerous. She could shut down all of Wolfram and Hart if she tried hard enough. So, that was why she was going to be killed.
6:26 P.M. Sundown.
Angel had various hidden weapons kept in his duster. His steak relice mechanisms were strapped around his wrists, he had a small crossbow strapped at the small of his back, he had a sword hidden in the folds of his long coat, several tightly sealed vials of holy water hidden in several pockets (he was hoping that they wouldn't burst), throwing stars strapped on his forearms, and last, an axe. He was ready to fight. He stepped into the elevator to the office, lightly singing the words to "Aide Lang Stye" as he pressed the UP button.
When he reached the office, he saw Cordelia and Doyle staring at the computer screen in horror. He asked, "What's wrong?"
They moved away to show him a strange violet creature with a sliver square on its stomach dancing around the screen and talking in broken baby talk. It was hideous, Angel had to admit, but it was probably some virus that Cordy had accendly downloaded or something. He asked, "Well, what is that *thing*?"
Cordelia answered, "It's evil, it's horrible, it's worse than Pokemon."
Pokemon was Japanese for "Pocket Monsters", which sounded really perverted if Angel thought about it . . . But he didn't press the matter. Doyle clarified, "Pokemon is the hottest thing for kids right now, it caused riots in Tokyo or something. Exspecaly Pikachu, kids go rabid with the sight of him."
"Hey I *like* Pikachu," Cordelia said defensively.
Angel shrugged and said, "I'll get an anti-virus program and fix it. No problem."
Cordelia fumed, "Duha, it is a *problem* Angel. I'm sure it's one of the Seven Signs of the Apocolispe
Angel looked at her in disbelief. He said, "Well, wait until after midnight until you load the program. It should take care of it."
Cordelia cried, "Angellllllll!!!! It's horrible! It's Tinkly-Winky."
Angel didn't even want to know. He said, "Well, I'm going to patrol now. Both of you stay inside, its gonna get ugly tonight."
Cordy whined, "But it's already ugly!" Angel ignored her as he walked out of the office.
As he was leaving, he heard Doyle ask, "Isn't he the gay one?" *Now* that was too much information for Angel's taste.
Spooky picked the lock and slid stealthily into the office. She looked at the various computers and grinned wickedly. Piece of cake. She walked over and turned each one of them ON.
The blue light illuminated her gleeful elfin face as she began to get on the City's network. She couldn't help but to giggle as she began her ingenious plan.
Cordelia was fighting with the Teletubbie, and losing. She wondered what sick freak would do something like this. Then, why would they do something like this. From behind her Doyle said, "Princess, no matter how much you glare and curse at the thing it's not gonna go away."
"Go away little Irishman," she cooly replied.
He said, "Just trying to help Cordelia."
She gritted her teeth. She was on her last nerve now. She snapped, "I don't need your damn help, so go away!"
Then he piched over. Cordelia cried out as she grabbed him. He slunk to the ground and started to twitch. She frantically asked, "Doyle! Doyle! What are you seeing?"
He stopped and reached for her desk with lightning speed. He grabbed a pen and paper, wrote down something and said, "We need to find Angel."
Cordelia rolled her eyes and replied, "Good luck Doyle. He's in a city with five million people, at God only knows where, doing who knows what." Then she asked, "Did they look like they could pay?"
Doyle snapped, "It was a kid, Princess."
Cordelia froze. This was not good on any scale. She said, "We need to go find Angel then."
Angel grabbed the vampire before it struck. He stabbed it directly in the heart. The fiend looked at him for one moment before he screamed and exploded to ash. The woman he was about to attack looked at Angel and the falling grey ash.
Inwardly flinching, Angel grabbed some of the ash and threw it up into the air. He cried out like all the other idiots, "Happy New Year!"
She chuckled and blew loudly on her noise maker. Then, greatfuly, she turned around and started her own party again. Angel gave a mock sigh in relief and dusted his hands off. It was 10:45, and he was already starting to get worn down. He had paced twenty miles of sidewalk since sundown. He started to move some more, looking for vampires or other demons.
Then he saw Doyle coming toward him. Angel was worried, the half-demon looked worried as well. He asked, "What's happened? Did you have a vision?"
"Yeah, boyle," he answered as he handed Angel a sheet of steno paper with WOLFRAM&HART written on the top with the name *Spooky Bratcher* written right underneath it. The law firm's address was printed on the paper as well.
Angel looked at him. Doyle said, "It's a kid, and she's there."
Angel told him, "I'm going there right now."
Spooky hadn't had this much fun, *well*, since ever. She saw her happy refection on the blue glow of the screens in the room. She even started to sing, softly, under her breath. The words to Kid Rock's "Bawithdaba" came easily for the elfin hacker for once. It was payback time.
For Wolfram and Hart. For all those kids who taunted her at school. For all the teachers who feared her. For all the people that told her that she just couldn't do it.
She smiled. Tonight, the dawning of the new millinum, would be hers. She would wreck havock on everyone tonight. Revenge was so close she could taste it on the tip of her tongue. Her smile grew.
The minutes past by quickly, and just like another good computer person she lost track of time. Her didgtal watch's alarm was set for 11:55, the time she would begin the countdown on the computers. So, it didn't really matter. She had everything set up, and now she was e-mailing her comrades, telling them of her accomplishments. Except Bob, he was an idiot.
Then she heard something that made her skin jump. She spun around, it was dark, she was having difficulty seeing. Her night vison was excellent, but she had been on the computer, checking out the David Boreanaz and Glenn Quinn web pages for, perhaps the last time, and everything was trying to get into focus.
Her eyes quickly adjusted. She saw six figures watching her eagerly. Their faces weren't right. They were hideous, angular, ridged and demonic. They had fangs and glowing, golden eyes.
She didn't earn the name Spooky because of her love for the "X-Files" or her hacking abilities. No, she earned the name Spooky because of her belief in the paranormal. She knew it existed, and here were six vampires looking at her like she was the next course in a meal.
The automatic Spooky response was, "Holy shit." Then she took off running.
She flew down the corridor. Her hair fell in her face, obscuring her vision. Her Airwalks pounded on the carpet. She flipped over a cubical and hid as the vampires ran past. She sprinted out, but she was caught by a stray fiend.
He snarled, "Complements of Wolfram & Hart, sweetie." She groaned, grunted and tried to twist out of his grasp. He twisted her left arm behind her back, sending burning, sharp pain from her fingertips to her neck. She cried out.
Then he snapped her shoulder out of the socket. It hurt. She almost passed out from the pain, but her rationality kept her awake. If she passed out, they would defiantly kill her. If she could stay awake, on some random chance she could get out alive.
She trembled as she asked, "Why are you doing this?"
The other vampires had returned. One of them observed her and said, "Well, our boss thinks that you're getting too smart for your own good, Shrimp."
Anger faired in Spooky. She hated being called Shrimp, or anything that taunted her short stature. She snapped, "Go to hell, you asswipe." Then Spooky kicked the vamp that was hurting her in the groin. Hard. He bent over, clutching at himself. she thought with distaste as she kneed another one in the groin before she started her run again.
She ran down the steps for the fire escape, not carring where she went, just long as she got *away*. Then she saw the air vent. It was just big enough for her to hide in, maybe provide an escape route. She pried off the stainless steel grate with her good arm and crawled up into the space, her left shoulder crying out in protest all the while.
She heard violent snarling as she began to crawl in the vent.
Angel entered the skyscraper. The offices of his archenemy. Big fun. It looked abandoned. Angel could sense other wise. There was a human in this building. A girl, young and afraid. He could smell her, and he could sense the six vampires chasing her.
He heard some banging above him, like someone was crawling in the air vent. He took up the stairs like a dervish after the sound.
Jennifer, not Spooky now, was scared. She was terrified. She was no longer Spooky. Spooky was creepy, but Jennifer was just a regular girl trying to survive by her smarts. She scooted along the vent, her shoulder screaming in protest. Then she fell through the grating, right into the arms of a strange man.
She opened her eyes, she wasn't consciously aware that she had shut them, and looked up at her savior. He was handsome. A really gorgeous hottie. He was tall, broad, and Jennifer could feel the hard muscles in his chest and arms as he held her. He had dark hair, and these gloriously soulful, dark brown eyes that she could fall into.
She smiled, just a bit. Maybe he was going to save her. He looked down at her and gently set her down on the ground. He took a look at her shoulder, touching it lightly. She flinched away in pain. He asked, "What happened?"
She looked at him. Maybe he was a vampire as well, but pulling the seductive thing on her. Not that she would mind being seduced by him. She shrugged, grimacing, "Oh, a vampire dislocated my shoulder, that's all."
He looked at her again. His eyes were thoughtful. Then something sparked in them. He asked, "You're Spooky Bratcher, aren't you?"
She licked her lips, suddenly nervous. He was over a foot taller than she was, and much bigger. She answered, "Its Jennifer now. I'm going by my real name."
Then she heard the snarling again. The vamps had found her. He sweeped her up in one smooth motion and told her, "Well, I'm Angel." With that he ran out the back way of the confrence room.
Jennifer, who once was known as Spooky, was clutching Angel's arm tightly. He wanted to know why she was in the building, why she was here, and why vampires were chasing her. He asked, "Why are you here?" He swerved into another confrense room.
His plan was to put her in a safe place why he went to go fight the vampires. He sat her down on a chair. Her left shoulder was badly disconnected. With her right hand, she smoothed her dark blond hair out of her face. She said, "It's a long story." Then she told him about a computer program, the Wolfram & Hart lawyers stealing it from her, and how she was going to get her revenge by placing the "Teletubbie Virus" on every computer in L.A.
Then she said, "I'm an idiot. I've almost gotten myself dead. I'm a *genius*."
He smiled at her irony. He had a plan. He asked, "How about I take care of these vampires, and then we'll see what we could do with Wolfram & Hart?"
She smiled.
January 1, 2000
Wolfram & Hart
Jacob Stanfield turned on his computer to find the Teletubbie known as Tinkly-Winky, a.k.a. The Gay One, dancing on his screen. So did every other lawyer in the building.
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