| *****Mazzy***** Kangus�s skin was rubbery and fish-like and Angelus slipped right off of him and to the ground. The blazing-red eyes of the multi-horned demon flared in anger as he looked upon the fallen vampire. �You have mucked everything up, you piece of filth. No more food, no more liquor, no more club, no more YOU!� Just as Kangus stretched out 1 of his 4 long, clawed hands and moved to slam it down into Angelus� face, the grotesque, rusty-colored beast was caught off guard by a hail of gunfire from the remaining gangster boys. Kangus turned and roared in the direction of the guns, and Angelus took the opportunity to slip away to find himself the ultimate weapon. It was a last resort, something he had built months ago and kept hidden under the floorboards of the back room in case the fungus ever really hit the fan. He had no choice but to use it. Things were too out of hand now, and Kangus proved to be too stubborn to beat down merely with his physical strength. Spike�s eyes widened when he saw Kangus enter the club and upon seeing that Honey had things under control with the poor-excuse of a shoe shiner, he decided he might try and help out his sire. He was approaching the middle of the highly damaged club, when another round of gunfire scattered the club and hit the demon square in the back. �For once, those boys are massacring the right baddie.� He knew it was only seconds before Kangus would pay them back. He took a moment to assess the situation. The club was in utter shambles. It would take massive repair work to re-lacquer the walls and re-lay the broken chrome. The piano was a total loss, and precious bottles of liquor were smashed. Glass was flying everywhere and it made him glad he had thought to grab some decent clothing after he fled from the upstairs blood lair. He wondered if the club--his beautiful club--would even be salvageable after this night was over. Honey stood towering over the increasingly weakening body of Sprawl. Her eyes were fierce and excited as she let hatred and bloodlust flow through her body. No one would ever tell her what to do, where to go, ever again! She was a warrior now, godlike in strength and energy. Evil welled-up inside her. Her hair was wild with the night, and her nails dug into the vein of Sprawl�s demonic neck. Putrid green-blood leaked from the point when she applied even more pressure. She was so disgusted by it, that despite her new-found taste for blood, she cringed at the stench of it. Sprawl�s body began to shake and lose all form and function. After a moment, he collapsed all together. Honey turned to face the action in the club and still saw patrons trying to make their escape. She recognized Trixie, one of the boys� favorite waitresses trying to flee. Her neck exposed and her hair falling about, her blood pumping with excitement, the girl was beautiful. Trixie ran past Honey half unaware that she even stood there. With one strong hand, Honey grabbed hold of the prey and brought her frail body up toward her. �Let�s give you a little taste,� Honey said evilly as she licked her fangs and then tore into the waitress�s neck. Spike had seen Trixie running and was about to catch up with her and usher her out the other way. Suddenly, he was playing hero, but he didn�t know why. He had danced on the rooftops of burning buildings in China and feasted on the carnage after the devastation of WWII battles, so why was he so concerned about saving anyone in this place? But in an instant he knew, it was his place. His things were being toyed with. His treats were being taken. It was his to own, and his to destroy. He saw Honey reach out for the dim-witted waitress and bring her to her mouth. He shouted at the songstress as he ran to the women, �No, Honey, not that one!� But he was too late. By the time he was face-to-face with Honey, Trixie was sucked dry and slumped down on the ground, almost on top of Sprawl. Honey looked at Spike, licking the other woman�s blood off her mouth as she did so, her eyes alight with fire. She saw the hurt and disappointment in Spike�s cool blue eyes and grew furious. �Don�t you ever tell me what to do!� and with that she smacked the blonde vampire square across the face. Angelus ripped the wooden floorboards away and found the sticks of dynamite he had kept there all this time. Set to go, the fuse just needed to be lit and then he and Honey and Spike would have to run like hell. But they were vampires, so running like hell was second nature, and even if they got a bit caught up in the fire, it wouldn�t quite kill them. Tooth and Nail would be history. Maybe that would be for the best. They had had the best of everything here and almost owned the town, but the brown-haired vamp was antsy to fry some bigger fish. Time to play with the big kids in New York City. He already knew some cats out that way anyhow, opened up a happening club near the edge of Harlem. Start again, but do it bigger, better. Cut out the middleman this time. He was done dealing with overzealous demons that broke deals. Honey would land herself a fat singing gig and the 3 of them would party all night and sleep all day. Angelus reached into his tattered jacket pocket in search of the golden lighter he had stashed there earlier. With a sigh of reluctance, he lit the fuse and began a mad dash back to the frenzy of the club. Spike recovered from the slap of the she-vamp, but she persisted in her abuse. He held up his hands to block, but there was no stopping her. She cursed at him, much in the same way she had with Sprawl. Mad and out-of-control, she spewed pure evil. �You don�t touch me, you bastard! I will have your bleeding heart in my hands and I will feast on it. No one will ever control me!� Spike was a gentleman for as long as he could stand it before he had to backhand her across the face, knocking her off balance. �Honey, you�ve lost it. You don�t know what you�re saying.� She regained her composure and growled at him. She leapt upon Spike, hands outstretched and nails ready to claw, driving him to the ground in her attack. From the back, Angelus came upon the scene, ignoring the remaining chaos. Thankfully Kangus was now preoccupied with the sudden food he found in the Capone boys. Demons. So predictable. They�ll forget anything that�s important just to get themselves a meal. He searched through the crowd and destruction �til he found Honey and noticed her attacking someone. Good girl. Going right for the jugular. But he knew he had no time to revel in her making. Time to get the hell out of there. He swooped by her only to discover that the object of her attack was his beloved childe. He raged in shock and disgust and fury. �Honey, what are you doing?� She glared up at Angelus in hatred. Behind the horrendous display, the body of Lorenzo Sprawl began to stir. |
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| TOOTH & NAIL |
| BY PREBUFFY & MAZZY |
| PART IX |
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| manip by Mazzy |