Sorta Fic: Preview of Worse Than the Disease 2a. Ain't I slick?
I finally decided the next chapter of Worse Than the Disease wasn't complete dren and plowed ahead and wrote it out. I got another five pages written besides the four you see below, but they need some more work. So here's hoping I can finish this nutcracker sometime in the next century.
So without further ado, here's a sneak peek of
Worse Than the Disease Part 2
Angel could smell the blood before he charged around the corner and into the alley. She was struggling for her life, whoever she was, and Angel picked up the thrumming of a panicked heart. A vampire, Angel figured for the attacker since he couldn’t pick up a second heartbeat. Angel sensed more vamps nearby and a little voice in his head screamed trap, but the woman’s blood was hot, human, and alive. Trap or not, Angel knew he had to help. Angel suspected if he was walking into a trap, it was a trap meant for a human. It was an old trick to herd in more food. But Angel wasn’t a human and those vamps had a surprise coming.
The vampire had the woman sandwiched between itself and the building. She was flailing against her attacker, her movements growing weaker with every passing moment. Without slowing down, Angel got his jacket unbuttoned, brought out his stake and plunged it into the vampire’s back. After the vamp disintegrated Angel quickly pocketed his stake and caught the woman as she slid down the wall. Ignoring the heady scent of her blood Angel carefully picked the woman up and cradled her in his arms as if she were a child. She moaned and hugged Angel around his neck.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get you help, ma’am,” Angel said, and turned to get them out of the alleyway and back to the car-and Xander. He stopped when he discovered three vamps standing at the mouth of the alley. Angel narrowed his eyes and slowly began putting the woman down, only to stop in mid-motion when her arms tighten around his neck.
“Aw, don’t let go, you big hunk a vampire you,” the woman said. Unfolding her arm from around Angel, she jammed a small, black stun gun against his neck. Electricity whipped through him, the muscles in his throat took the brunt of the shock, contracting violently enough his neck nearly snapped in two under the constriction. He stumbled and had to catch himself on the wall to stay on his feet.
“Hey, he’s still, you know, mobile,” said the so-called vamp victim to the vampires blocking the alley. “You guys said this thing would put him down.”
“Poke him again,” one of the vamps suggested.
With the stun gun held firmly in her right hand the woman moved towards Angel, her dark eyes shining wildly through the darkness of the alley. Angel pressed his back against the alley wall, fighting the convulsions racking his body, willing his muscles to move the way he wanted them to, but they continued to jump involuntarily under his skin as the woman came closer. Blood leaking from the wound on her neck had seeped into her shoulder-length, corn-straw hair, and the light blue blouse she wore.
“Stay back,” he said, his voice amazingly steady. The woman paid no mind and Angel could see her tense, ready to pounce and shock him again. Angel vamped out and roared, “Stay back!”
The woman stopped and shot a nervous glance at the vampires.
“Go ahead, he ain’t in no shape to stop you.”
“Then you get over here and do it! I mean you guys’re faster n’ me anyway.”
“Just do your job!”
“It’s not really necessary, not anymore. I got what’ll put a leash on our boy there.”
Spike was in the alley behind the three vampires, his left shoulder propped against the building opposite to the one Angel leaned on. Spike brought up a silver plated lighter in his right hand and lit the cigarette hanging on the edge of his lips. There was an obligatory smirk on his lips while he appraised Angel.
“I got him, Spike! See, I got him like I said!” the woman announced, sounding like an over-eager puppy trying to please its master. Angel realized that just might have been the case.
“Sure did, pet.”
“I mean I know he’s supposed to be unconscious, but…”
“S’all right.”
“So you’ll do it? You’ll turn me?”
“Sure. One of you take Sidney back and finish the job Bradley started. The rest of you stay.”
As one of Spike’s minions waved the woman forward Angel felt control over his body returning. His nerves burned less and his muscles relaxed from a tight agony to a warm, loose ache. His pain fading away, Angel was able to focus on the words spoken between Spike and the human. Angel found his voice and called out to the woman, to Sidney.
“Wait,” he started weakly, his demon face melting away “Wait! You don’t know what you’re doing-what you’re asking for! They’re going to kill you!”
Sidney didn’t even break stride and followed the vamp out of the alley. Angel watched her disappear.
“That soul you got really makes you a giver, d’onnit, Angel?” Spike asked. “The bint gives you a wicked hickey and you’re being all concerned for her life. It’s sweet, really.”
Wincing from the pain mostly located in his neck Angel looked away from the mouth of the alleyway to Spike, and he said, “Ah-wh-what do you want, Spike? Went through a lot of trouble, gotta want something.”
“I wouldn’t say a *lot* of trouble. This hardly took any effort at all.”
“For you, Spike, it *was* a lot of effort.”
Spike shrugged. “Fair enough,” he said. ”I am a right to the point kind of bloke, ain’t I?”
“Speaking of right to the point… What do you want, Spike?”
Spike gracefully extracted himself from the wall and put his hand to his chest. “Me? Why peace on Earth, good will towards… wait, no, that doesn’t sound like me. For now, I’ll take a dead Slayer. Care to help me out?”
“Nuh--”
“Glad to hear it! Now come along quietly. Don’t make me come over and drag you out by your ear.”
“You want me, Spike, come and get me.”
Angel rose up to his full height, the twitchiness almost completely gone. The lingering pain in his neck he could ignore. Spike shook his head and backed away onto the sidewalk and disappeared behind the adjacent building. The vampire stepped back into view a moment later; in his left hand he clutched the limp figure of Xander Harris by the neck. Spike hefted the young man up high so Angel saw his face clearly.
“No, you come to me real docile-like, or the pillow biter here gets dead.”
“Spike!” Angel hissed his demon visage crackling back into place. He made it half way to Xander and Spike before Spike vamped out as well and his other hand, now clawed, was under Xander’s chin.
“Careful, chum!” Angel ceased all movement instantly, fists clenched and his eyes wide with terror for his beloved. “Now come here and the nice minions will truss you up and we can be on our merry way.”
Angel’s panicked gaze was glued on Xander’s hanging body and he knew dread beyond any he’d felt before. “I come with you and you let Xander go?” he asked hollowly.
“I’d like to, really I would, but I need insurance, don’t I? I’ll set him free after we’ve gotten down to cases.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Hmmm.”
Angel’s caught the subtle movement of Spike’s arm as he slowly pushed his nail claws into Xander’s throat. Seconds later Angel smelled heat and copper.
“Wait! Wait!”
Spike’s arm stopped its inching upwards. “Gonna give up? Be a good little poof?”
Angel closed his eyes, Xander’s blood scent floating around him. His heart pumping so slow, unaware of the death inching closer… Angel opened his eyes.
“No.”
“No?”
“Once you have me, Xander’s dead.”
Angel began backing away.
“Hey!” Spike shouted, his hand falling away from Xander’s neck in surprise. “Where you think you’re going to?”
“I’m leaving.” Angel didn’t know how he got those two words out without his voice cracking.
“You bloody well ain’t leaving! I’ll kill this punk! Swear I will!”
Angel continued walking backwards down the alley his form was being swallowed up the shadows. “You won’t,” he said.
Spike snarled and his hand shot back to Xander’s throat.
“Because if you do,” Angel spoke up quickly, “If you hurt him, I swear there won’t be a place you can crawl, walk or run where I won’t find you cut you open and play with every organ in your body.”
Spike lowered his arm again. “Angelus, mate, is that you?”
“Or maybe I’ll make sure you never get me,” Angel said. “If I can’t get you…”
Angel let his statement hang there knowing Spike understood what his threat implied. Spike stared at Angel blank-faced for a long moment, then finally he let his arm drop and he lowered Xander to the ground. Sighing unnecessarily, Spike pointed at Angel and said to his minions: “Bollocks. Hard way, then… get him.”
TBC...
I don't own BtVS, so don't sue.
By the by? This fic was inspired by another story written by saone called A Dream is a Wish Your Demon Makes - a series... check it out.
So without further ado, here's a sneak peek of
Worse Than the Disease Part 2
Angel could smell the blood before he charged around the corner and into the alley. She was struggling for her life, whoever she was, and Angel picked up the thrumming of a panicked heart. A vampire, Angel figured for the attacker since he couldn’t pick up a second heartbeat. Angel sensed more vamps nearby and a little voice in his head screamed trap, but the woman’s blood was hot, human, and alive. Trap or not, Angel knew he had to help. Angel suspected if he was walking into a trap, it was a trap meant for a human. It was an old trick to herd in more food. But Angel wasn’t a human and those vamps had a surprise coming.
The vampire had the woman sandwiched between itself and the building. She was flailing against her attacker, her movements growing weaker with every passing moment. Without slowing down, Angel got his jacket unbuttoned, brought out his stake and plunged it into the vampire’s back. After the vamp disintegrated Angel quickly pocketed his stake and caught the woman as she slid down the wall. Ignoring the heady scent of her blood Angel carefully picked the woman up and cradled her in his arms as if she were a child. She moaned and hugged Angel around his neck.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get you help, ma’am,” Angel said, and turned to get them out of the alleyway and back to the car-and Xander. He stopped when he discovered three vamps standing at the mouth of the alley. Angel narrowed his eyes and slowly began putting the woman down, only to stop in mid-motion when her arms tighten around his neck.
“Aw, don’t let go, you big hunk a vampire you,” the woman said. Unfolding her arm from around Angel, she jammed a small, black stun gun against his neck. Electricity whipped through him, the muscles in his throat took the brunt of the shock, contracting violently enough his neck nearly snapped in two under the constriction. He stumbled and had to catch himself on the wall to stay on his feet.
“Hey, he’s still, you know, mobile,” said the so-called vamp victim to the vampires blocking the alley. “You guys said this thing would put him down.”
“Poke him again,” one of the vamps suggested.
With the stun gun held firmly in her right hand the woman moved towards Angel, her dark eyes shining wildly through the darkness of the alley. Angel pressed his back against the alley wall, fighting the convulsions racking his body, willing his muscles to move the way he wanted them to, but they continued to jump involuntarily under his skin as the woman came closer. Blood leaking from the wound on her neck had seeped into her shoulder-length, corn-straw hair, and the light blue blouse she wore.
“Stay back,” he said, his voice amazingly steady. The woman paid no mind and Angel could see her tense, ready to pounce and shock him again. Angel vamped out and roared, “Stay back!”
The woman stopped and shot a nervous glance at the vampires.
“Go ahead, he ain’t in no shape to stop you.”
“Then you get over here and do it! I mean you guys’re faster n’ me anyway.”
“Just do your job!”
“It’s not really necessary, not anymore. I got what’ll put a leash on our boy there.”
Spike was in the alley behind the three vampires, his left shoulder propped against the building opposite to the one Angel leaned on. Spike brought up a silver plated lighter in his right hand and lit the cigarette hanging on the edge of his lips. There was an obligatory smirk on his lips while he appraised Angel.
“I got him, Spike! See, I got him like I said!” the woman announced, sounding like an over-eager puppy trying to please its master. Angel realized that just might have been the case.
“Sure did, pet.”
“I mean I know he’s supposed to be unconscious, but…”
“S’all right.”
“So you’ll do it? You’ll turn me?”
“Sure. One of you take Sidney back and finish the job Bradley started. The rest of you stay.”
As one of Spike’s minions waved the woman forward Angel felt control over his body returning. His nerves burned less and his muscles relaxed from a tight agony to a warm, loose ache. His pain fading away, Angel was able to focus on the words spoken between Spike and the human. Angel found his voice and called out to the woman, to Sidney.
“Wait,” he started weakly, his demon face melting away “Wait! You don’t know what you’re doing-what you’re asking for! They’re going to kill you!”
Sidney didn’t even break stride and followed the vamp out of the alley. Angel watched her disappear.
“That soul you got really makes you a giver, d’onnit, Angel?” Spike asked. “The bint gives you a wicked hickey and you’re being all concerned for her life. It’s sweet, really.”
Wincing from the pain mostly located in his neck Angel looked away from the mouth of the alleyway to Spike, and he said, “Ah-wh-what do you want, Spike? Went through a lot of trouble, gotta want something.”
“I wouldn’t say a *lot* of trouble. This hardly took any effort at all.”
“For you, Spike, it *was* a lot of effort.”
Spike shrugged. “Fair enough,” he said. ”I am a right to the point kind of bloke, ain’t I?”
“Speaking of right to the point… What do you want, Spike?”
Spike gracefully extracted himself from the wall and put his hand to his chest. “Me? Why peace on Earth, good will towards… wait, no, that doesn’t sound like me. For now, I’ll take a dead Slayer. Care to help me out?”
“Nuh--”
“Glad to hear it! Now come along quietly. Don’t make me come over and drag you out by your ear.”
“You want me, Spike, come and get me.”
Angel rose up to his full height, the twitchiness almost completely gone. The lingering pain in his neck he could ignore. Spike shook his head and backed away onto the sidewalk and disappeared behind the adjacent building. The vampire stepped back into view a moment later; in his left hand he clutched the limp figure of Xander Harris by the neck. Spike hefted the young man up high so Angel saw his face clearly.
“No, you come to me real docile-like, or the pillow biter here gets dead.”
“Spike!” Angel hissed his demon visage crackling back into place. He made it half way to Xander and Spike before Spike vamped out as well and his other hand, now clawed, was under Xander’s chin.
“Careful, chum!” Angel ceased all movement instantly, fists clenched and his eyes wide with terror for his beloved. “Now come here and the nice minions will truss you up and we can be on our merry way.”
Angel’s panicked gaze was glued on Xander’s hanging body and he knew dread beyond any he’d felt before. “I come with you and you let Xander go?” he asked hollowly.
“I’d like to, really I would, but I need insurance, don’t I? I’ll set him free after we’ve gotten down to cases.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Hmmm.”
Angel’s caught the subtle movement of Spike’s arm as he slowly pushed his nail claws into Xander’s throat. Seconds later Angel smelled heat and copper.
“Wait! Wait!”
Spike’s arm stopped its inching upwards. “Gonna give up? Be a good little poof?”
Angel closed his eyes, Xander’s blood scent floating around him. His heart pumping so slow, unaware of the death inching closer… Angel opened his eyes.
“No.”
“No?”
“Once you have me, Xander’s dead.”
Angel began backing away.
“Hey!” Spike shouted, his hand falling away from Xander’s neck in surprise. “Where you think you’re going to?”
“I’m leaving.” Angel didn’t know how he got those two words out without his voice cracking.
“You bloody well ain’t leaving! I’ll kill this punk! Swear I will!”
Angel continued walking backwards down the alley his form was being swallowed up the shadows. “You won’t,” he said.
Spike snarled and his hand shot back to Xander’s throat.
“Because if you do,” Angel spoke up quickly, “If you hurt him, I swear there won’t be a place you can crawl, walk or run where I won’t find you cut you open and play with every organ in your body.”
Spike lowered his arm again. “Angelus, mate, is that you?”
“Or maybe I’ll make sure you never get me,” Angel said. “If I can’t get you…”
Angel let his statement hang there knowing Spike understood what his threat implied. Spike stared at Angel blank-faced for a long moment, then finally he let his arm drop and he lowered Xander to the ground. Sighing unnecessarily, Spike pointed at Angel and said to his minions: “Bollocks. Hard way, then… get him.”
TBC...
I don't own BtVS, so don't sue.
By the by? This fic was inspired by another story written by saone called A Dream is a Wish Your Demon Makes - a series... check it out.