Cooper wasn’t
sure what was going on in the outer rooms.
He could hear
a lot of noise coming from the main part of the warehouse, but so far no one
had disturbed him. He had sent the
remainder of his minions to investigate and he was alone with the Old One. His fledglings could handle whatever was
happening out there. There was no way
he was going to leave this room, not after all the work he had done for this
moment. Nothing, and he meant nothing, was going to ruin his plan. The world that everyone knew was about to
change.
It was going
to be wonderful.
He looked at
the Old One. He could see that the
transformation was still taking place.
The Slayer’s blood would be enough to bring him physically back,
mentally even, but when it came to his strength he would be very weak, not much
stronger than a mortal man. That’s why
the new Master needed to feed, and soon.
This was the
most crucial time. Cooper could taste
success. But at this moment the Old One
was far too vulnerable for Cooper’s liking and he just wished it were done
already. He wanted to go and get the Slayer, but the Old One wasn’t ready for
her yet and she shouldn’t really be freed until it was time. She might be weak, but she was
unpredictable, and he wasn’t taking any chances.
Cooper wasn’t
really worried about the two in the other room, was he? No.
If Spike could’ve broken his chains he would’ve by now. Cooper had felt the hate emanating from the
vampire as he made he way along the Slayer with the knife. The vampire’s raw emotion was consuming him
and that surprised Cooper. William the Bloody and a Slayer? Spike was not the vampire he had heard
murmurings about. He’d heard that Spike
had changed, but he hadn’t believed it.
Cooper could tell there was something simmering between the vampire and
the soon-to-be-dead Slayer.
Too bad they’d
never have the chance to see it through.
The Slayer
intrigued him. She hadn’t reacted at
all during the first part of the ritual.
He’d been surprised about that, and more than a little concerned. His concern quickly faded as soon as he had
obtained enough blood for the ritual.
Right now it was just he and his new Master.
Ah yes, the
Old One. Cooper could see that the
transformation was nearly complete. The
bones were covered with thin, pale skin, veins visible underneath. Hair was appearing along with flesh. Cooper smiled.
“Welcome
back,” he said grinning.
“Bring me the
Slayer,” was the raspy reply.
XXXXX
“What is
going on out there?” Faith inquired.
“Where’s all the noise coming from?”
“It’s not
coming from the other room if that’s what you think,” Spike supplied. “It’s coming from the warehouse. Figuring it
was about time Angel showed up.” Spike sighed. “Peaches has a flair for the
dramatic … being a Champion and all…
Always showing up to in time to save the Slayer in distress.”
Spike’s Angel
envy was showing and he didn't care.
Faith smiled
weakly. “I have a good idea why you
came when you did. No big. I get it.”
Spike smiled
back at her and neither one spoke.
Feeling the awkward silence between them, Spike did what he did
best. He changed the subject.
“We need...”
he yanked on his chains, “to get out of here.”
The two chains restraining his hands snapped, broke into pieces and fell
to the floor. Looking at Faith, he
said, “Yes. I lied... again.
I could’ve broken loose a while ago.
I just was waiting for the odds to get better.”
“Good to
know. Now let’s hustle.”
XXXXX
“Finally. Your time has come,” Cooper said, helping
the Old One sit up. “I have waited so
long. This was my plan and your
destiny.”
“Enough,” the
Old One said, pushing the underling’s hands away. “I am weak. Get the
Slayer and get her now.”
“Yes,” Cooper
said and began walking to the door.
XXXXX
Faith was
unsteady on her feet. She could stand,
but her wobbly legs and the walking part weren’t getting along very well. “Damn it!” she exclaimed.
Spike went to
help her. “Give it a minute.” Then glancing towards the door, added, “Scratch
that.” He knew the transformation was
complete. He could sense it. “Better get those Slayer healing powers
working a little faster pet.”
“What?” she
asked looking at him as she leaned on his shoulder. She was trying to stretch out her aching muscles.
“Looks like
the boss is awake.”
“Wonderful,”
she said.
She pushed
away from him and stood straight up.
“This is as good as it’s going to get for awhile,” she said looking at
him.
Spike nodded
his affirmation and they both started towards the door. They stopped as it was being pushed open
from the other side.
XXXXX
As soon as he
entered the room, Cooper knew Faith was no longer bound to the floor and that
Spike was gone too. He quickly scanned
the room, knowing there wasn’t anyplace to hide. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Where were they?
The door
suddenly flew back and slammed him in the face, knocking him off his feet.
"Looking
for me?” Faith asked innocently.
“No!” Cooper
yelled starting to get up.
“Noooooo. I’ve come too
far. It can’t be. You’re supposed to be weak. You’re supposed to be dying. You can’t fight me. You can’t win.”
“Shut up,”
Faith said sarcastically. “God. Do you ever stop yapping?” Cooper tried to move out of the way, but he
didn't succeed. Instead he took a
roundhouse kick to the side of his head.
Cooper went
down again.
“Spike,” he
heard her say. “Would you happen to
have, oh I don’t know, a stake or something on you?”
“As a matter
of fact I do.”
Cooper
watched the vampire as he lifted up his right pant leg showing a stake that he
had hidden in his boot.
“Morons!”
“That’s the
problem with flunkies… they screw up,”
Faith said as she caught the stake Spike had tossed her. “See ya Coop.”
Cooper was
dust
XXXXX
“How many,”
Wesley asked looking at Angel.
“Ten maybe?”
Angel said as one came rushing for him.
He spun, right leg flying and took the demon down. In no time at all, the stake had found its
mark. “Make that nine.”
Illyria was
holding her own. She wasn’t as powerful
as she once was but she could still take out a vamp when she needed to. “This is my wrath,” she proclaimed as she
took out two vampires simultaneously.
“Will there be more?” she asked looking about, hands resting on her
slender hips.
Wesley’s
thoughts of going to higher ground for better aim didn’t pan out. The vamps had swarmed them as soon as they
came through the door. Stakes weren’t
his weapon of choice but at this point, he really didn’t have any other
options. He handled one on his own but
didn’t notice another one sneaking up behind him. By the time he felt an arm tighten around his throat, it was too
late to retaliate. Using both of his
hands, he tried to loosen the grip, but it was no use. Beginning to black out, he thought nothing
would surprise him anymore. He
should’ve known better.
XXXXX
Illyria had
lost track of Wesley. She did not like
that. This feeling of caring was
unfamiliar. She turned around and
looked beyond where she was, over her shoulder. She located him by the door, struggling with a half-breed demon
that had his arm locked around Wesley’s neck.
She stormed across the room; grabbed the demon and flung him across the
room. He fell onto a broken pallet and scattered into dust. She caught Wesley by the shoulders before he
could hit the ground.
His eyes
slowly fluttered open. “Thank you. You may have saved my life.”
“So we are
done here. You are no longer,” she
paused, “worried.” It was stated matter-of-factly and not as a
question.
“No
Illyria. I am no longer worried,”
Wesley said as he stood. “Where is
Angel?”
Illyria
spotted him. “There,” she said not
moving and indicating to Wesley where she had found Angel. “Is he worried?”
“No, I don’t
think Angel is worried. I think Angel
can take care of himself.”
XXXXX
The remaining
vamps were closing in on Angel.
“Wonderful,” he muttered trying to come up with a plan. He looked to his right and noticed a bunch
of crates stacked up. “That’s a start.” He headed towards them.
Angel made
his way to the top of the crates. He
knew he had to be careful. He looked
around and grinned with a little half-smile. He hoped the brood below him
didn’t figure out what he was up to.
“What is he
doing?” he heard Wesley ask.
“Being a
warrior,” Illyria said.
Angel eyed
the beams in the ceiling. It appeared
that they had once been used for storage.
Crates, metal drums and various piles of wood were all stacked in the
rafters. Angel knew it wouldn’t take
much to make them all come tumbling down.
XXXXX
“One down,”
Faith began, “one Old One to go.” She looked at Spike. “I want him.”
“You strong
enough?”
“He’s not up
to full strength yet. Thinking we’ll be
pretty even.”
“Up to you
innit?” he said.
Faith walked
through the open door, followed by Spike.
The Old One was standing next to the table. Cooper was right. The
first part of the ritual had restored his body. If she had known any better, Faith would’ve thought he was a
full-fledged powerful vamp.
“Slayer?” He
said giving Faith the once over.
Faith was
finally beginning to feel a little bit stronger. She figured taking Cooper out had something to do with it,
nothing like a little adrenaline rush to get one going.
“That would
be me,” she said taking a step closer to him.
“There’s been a change in plans.
No big drink from the Slayer.”
She lowered her tone, sounding as if she was taking him into her
confidence; letting him in on a secret meant for only the two of them. “The Slayer, being me, doesn’t have an issue
with being bit... in the right circumstances of course,” she glanced at Spike
and smirked. “But the entire sucking me
dry thing? That, I have plenty of issues with.”
“Why do you
prattle?” The Old One said. “You do not
talk to me in that way. I will
drink. You will die. That is the way of it. That is the way it was destined.”
“Not agreeing
with you on that one,” Faith said. She
jumped up and over him, landing on the opposite side of the room, picking up
one of the ancient candlestick holders and breaking it in half over her
knee.
“This would
be wood...” she said holding up what was in her left hand. “This would be fire,” holding up the candle
that was in her right hand. She flipped
up into the air again, this time landing in front of the ancient demon.
The fire was
first, then the stake.
It was over
before it started.
XXXXX
Faith was
placing the stake in the back of her jeans; she wasn’t about to let go of
either of her weapons at this point.
She had been helpless long enough.
CRASH!!!
Both Faith
and Spike looked towards where the sound had come from. “What is with all the bloody noise in this
place?” Spike asked.
Faith was
about to answer when she staggered, but Spike caught her before she could
fall.
“Okay. Now I’m done,” she said looking at him
gratefully.
“Just keep
that candle away from me,” he said, leading her out of the room.
Faith
switched the candle to her left hand so she wouldn’t accidentally touch him
with it.
They saw
Wesley and Illyria by the front entrance.
Angel was just coming down off a stack of crates, a pile of debris at
his feet.
"Well,
that explains that. Doesn't it?"
Spike said. "Could you make any
more noise?" he yelled to Angel.
"Got the
job done. Didn't I?"
Spike rolled
his eyes.
XXXXX