where_it_hurts
I ignored the Slayer completely and focused my full attention on the once-upon-a-time demon. She was very unimpressive to behold, but I guess a few years of humanity will do that to anyone. Plus, it was rather difficult to picture a non-corporeal being whose current obstacle to over come was a ferocious elevator and its many buttons of horror. Pathetic... If she was a ghost couldn't she just phase around the building instead of hopping the lift? Maybe she hadn't mastered that yet. Don't know. Don't care. All I did know was that once again someone wasn't doing their job and there fore it was up to me to pick up the slack. Apparently Eve is getting sloppy with her work.
"Right, well, Anya correct? I'm Hart and I'll be serving as your replacement tour-guide till we can reunite you with the rest of your group. Sound good?" Like she had a choice... "Great."
I concentrated on her spirit and managed to take hold of her essence in sort of a leash for the undead. It obviously wasn't an actual tangible leash, since that wouldn't be of any use when dealing with a non-corporeal entity, would it? It was mystical and not really something I enjoyed having to do. Who would? Lugging around dead-weight of the mystical variety -- not exactly a stroll in the park. The joys of necromantic powers...
I finally looked back to the Slayer and tilted my head.
"Might I recommend the stairs?"
I smirked a bit but it quickly fell as I watched that lunkhead of a guard-demon Connor and I had a run in with earlier rounding the corner...and he had a pet. He carried a smaller demon along by the collar of its shirt rather roughly. Once he reached us he stopped and...dropped the demon to the ground before me. I looked up at him in confusion then down at the strange green-skinned creature.
"Uh, thanks, Big guy...but I didn't get you anything."
Shifting my sights back to Sam my eyes gleamed them I shook my head. I didn't like her in the least, but a pathetic demon of unknown origin for a Slayer hardly seemed like a good trade.
The larger of the two started prattling on in its native tongue as it explained why it had brought me the cowering reptile.
"Ah, thank you. Consider yourself off the hook for your earlier stupidity, now off you go."
After dismissing him with a simple wave he nodded and stomped back off to retake his post.
"Hello there"
The demon finally unfurled from its fetal position and was standing up in no time flat.
"Is he gone?"
"He's 7 foot tall...where would he be hiding if he were here?"
"Good point."
I rolled my eyes as he attempted to pull himself together before he started yammering again.
"Is this how you treat all your clientele, or an I just lucky?"
"Please, we might cater to scum, but even you don't make the cut."
Why was I still talking to...it.
"Whoa, little girl - big attitude. You're one of those higher-ups, right? I guess thats bound to go to anyones hea--uh, I'm Cyrus, friends call me Cy. Or they would if I had any friends."
He stretched out his hand but all I did was look at it and he soon retracted it back to his side. His nervousness rolled of of him in waves and I was bored of him already.
"Are you going to enlighten me with some kind of information or just bore me to tears? That's what you do, isn't it? Spy then squeal?"
"It'll cost you. I let the cat out of the bag and they'll come after me. The guns--and the arrows...believe me, its not pretty. I tell you what I know and I'm going to need some major muscle. Maybe the nice guy who 'dropped' me off..."
"You DON'T talk and you'll need even more protection than that."
After swallowing hard enough to be heard he laughed nervously.
"Okay, okay...there's this guy, Hannibal King, one of my not so friendly regulars. Saw him and some chick attempting to buy any information they could out of some bar goer earlier. Brad, I think it was. Anyway, they seemed awfully curious about this place and trust me when I say he and his are not they type you wanna get caught up with. There's a group of them shacked up in downtown L.A. somewhere. No ones been able to pinpoint the exact location, or if they have, no ones been dumb enough to make a move on 'em."
Slipping a hand into place over my mouth, I yawned a bit and blinked. "Sorry, continue...if you must."
"Vigilante types, fighting the good fight for the better of humanity sort of M.O. Once you've got 'em on your tail it's hard to shake 'em. Not sayin' they'll be able to take on a place this size, but that doesn't mean they wont try. I happen to know you've got a delicate operation thats just gotten underway and the slightest hiccup and it all comes tumbling down."
I listened to him and nodded along, but I also listened to what was going on internally. A bit more info then he was spilling out verbally floated around inside that green colored head of his. He had no real desire to help us, just to save his own neck by putting the firm on the trail of his own enemy. I gathered everything I could from his wandering mind in the few moments of silence that took place before he continued.
"So, that muscle? I kept up my end, now its your turn."
"Right, so, you need protection from a group of vigilante humans...?"
"With guns and arrows, yes."
I nodded and smiled.
"Trust me, 'Cy', they won't get the chance to lay a finger on you. I give you my word."
I looked off in the direction of the maintenance men who were still at work trying to get the elevator up and running again. A rogue screw driver rolled along the tiled floor and stopped at my feet. Picking it up I pointed the handle end over in the direction of the Slayer who had stuck around.
"Looks like you might come in handy after all, girl. You'll see to our new friends problem concerning the feared vigilantes."
Without notice or even the slightest change in demeanor or facial expression, I flipped the screwdriver over and plunged the metal end deep into the lower gut the the demon. He gasped and doubled over a bit which just sent the tool in further. With a final burst of strength I pulled the handle up the length of the creatures stomach and only stopped when I felt that the metal tip had hit his ribcage. After retracting both screwdriver and my hand, I took a small step back as the demons entrails spilled out onto the floor and soon his body followed and landed on the messy heap.
Dropping the bloody weapon to the ground I sighed then looked at Sam.
"Any objections?"
"Right, well, Anya correct? I'm Hart and I'll be serving as your replacement tour-guide till we can reunite you with the rest of your group. Sound good?" Like she had a choice... "Great."
I concentrated on her spirit and managed to take hold of her essence in sort of a leash for the undead. It obviously wasn't an actual tangible leash, since that wouldn't be of any use when dealing with a non-corporeal entity, would it? It was mystical and not really something I enjoyed having to do. Who would? Lugging around dead-weight of the mystical variety -- not exactly a stroll in the park. The joys of necromantic powers...
I finally looked back to the Slayer and tilted my head.
"Might I recommend the stairs?"
I smirked a bit but it quickly fell as I watched that lunkhead of a guard-demon Connor and I had a run in with earlier rounding the corner...and he had a pet. He carried a smaller demon along by the collar of its shirt rather roughly. Once he reached us he stopped and...dropped the demon to the ground before me. I looked up at him in confusion then down at the strange green-skinned creature.
"Uh, thanks, Big guy...but I didn't get you anything."
Shifting my sights back to Sam my eyes gleamed them I shook my head. I didn't like her in the least, but a pathetic demon of unknown origin for a Slayer hardly seemed like a good trade.
The larger of the two started prattling on in its native tongue as it explained why it had brought me the cowering reptile.
"Ah, thank you. Consider yourself off the hook for your earlier stupidity, now off you go."
After dismissing him with a simple wave he nodded and stomped back off to retake his post.
"Hello there"
The demon finally unfurled from its fetal position and was standing up in no time flat.
"Is he gone?"
"He's 7 foot tall...where would he be hiding if he were here?"
"Good point."
I rolled my eyes as he attempted to pull himself together before he started yammering again.
"Is this how you treat all your clientele, or an I just lucky?"
"Please, we might cater to scum, but even you don't make the cut."
Why was I still talking to...it.
"Whoa, little girl - big attitude. You're one of those higher-ups, right? I guess thats bound to go to anyones hea--uh, I'm Cyrus, friends call me Cy. Or they would if I had any friends."
He stretched out his hand but all I did was look at it and he soon retracted it back to his side. His nervousness rolled of of him in waves and I was bored of him already.
"Are you going to enlighten me with some kind of information or just bore me to tears? That's what you do, isn't it? Spy then squeal?"
"It'll cost you. I let the cat out of the bag and they'll come after me. The guns--and the arrows...believe me, its not pretty. I tell you what I know and I'm going to need some major muscle. Maybe the nice guy who 'dropped' me off..."
"You DON'T talk and you'll need even more protection than that."
After swallowing hard enough to be heard he laughed nervously.
"Okay, okay...there's this guy, Hannibal King, one of my not so friendly regulars. Saw him and some chick attempting to buy any information they could out of some bar goer earlier. Brad, I think it was. Anyway, they seemed awfully curious about this place and trust me when I say he and his are not they type you wanna get caught up with. There's a group of them shacked up in downtown L.A. somewhere. No ones been able to pinpoint the exact location, or if they have, no ones been dumb enough to make a move on 'em."
Slipping a hand into place over my mouth, I yawned a bit and blinked. "Sorry, continue...if you must."
"Vigilante types, fighting the good fight for the better of humanity sort of M.O. Once you've got 'em on your tail it's hard to shake 'em. Not sayin' they'll be able to take on a place this size, but that doesn't mean they wont try. I happen to know you've got a delicate operation thats just gotten underway and the slightest hiccup and it all comes tumbling down."
I listened to him and nodded along, but I also listened to what was going on internally. A bit more info then he was spilling out verbally floated around inside that green colored head of his. He had no real desire to help us, just to save his own neck by putting the firm on the trail of his own enemy. I gathered everything I could from his wandering mind in the few moments of silence that took place before he continued.
"So, that muscle? I kept up my end, now its your turn."
"Right, so, you need protection from a group of vigilante humans...?"
"With guns and arrows, yes."
I nodded and smiled.
"Trust me, 'Cy', they won't get the chance to lay a finger on you. I give you my word."
I looked off in the direction of the maintenance men who were still at work trying to get the elevator up and running again. A rogue screw driver rolled along the tiled floor and stopped at my feet. Picking it up I pointed the handle end over in the direction of the Slayer who had stuck around.
"Looks like you might come in handy after all, girl. You'll see to our new friends problem concerning the feared vigilantes."
Without notice or even the slightest change in demeanor or facial expression, I flipped the screwdriver over and plunged the metal end deep into the lower gut the the demon. He gasped and doubled over a bit which just sent the tool in further. With a final burst of strength I pulled the handle up the length of the creatures stomach and only stopped when I felt that the metal tip had hit his ribcage. After retracting both screwdriver and my hand, I took a small step back as the demons entrails spilled out onto the floor and soon his body followed and landed on the messy heap.
Dropping the bloody weapon to the ground I sighed then looked at Sam.
"Any objections?"