Title: Carry On, Part Eight � Ghost of a Show
Author: Inca
Speak up at [email protected]
Rating M
Angel/Spike
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, I just like to play with them
Spoilers: Up to 5.22 �Not Fade Away�
Summary: Angel�s gone looking for Spike.
Authors notes: Robert Service delivered the title, which is also the title of his poem. I thought of it when I read the transcript for �Not Fade Away�.
Italics indicate something that�s happened in the past.
Angel�s direct thoughts indicated by a tab space.
For more stories by me, come to http://www.geocities.com/slasherphiles
~~~
You haven�t the ghost of a show.
It�s looking like death, but while you�ve a breath,
Carry on, my son! Carry on!
Part Eight � Ghost of a Show
***
All three headed for Angel, and one formed an axe, one a sword and the last - long deadly knives. Illyria and Spike stepped forward, each taking one of the corpses.
�Today is your last, vampire!� his partner hissed, pushing foul smelling breath into his face as he struck forward with his sword.
�Death by halitosis?� Angel asked, blocking easily.
Spike�s partner knocked him across the room, and started to follow, lifting his axe. Angel ducked under a swing and stabbed his sword into the axe partners leg, just above the knee.
The creature shrieked, its yellow eyes rolling in its head.
Illyria battled her partner, her face indifferent, as she parried and weaved through the knives.
Angel took a slice on the shoulder, and it smouldered, causing him to wince. His partner sniffed the air. "You drank from our liaison to the world. He was of our blood.�
�Yup.� Angel answered, stabbing his partner in the gut. It plucked the sword from itself and threw it to the ground. Angel rolled towards it and picked it up again.
�That blood is the only reason you remain.�
Angel shrugged and stabbed forward again, but the thing was surprisingly swift on its feet.
Spike had gotten back into the fight at some point, and Angel watched his side out of the corner of his eye.
Illyria�s partner flipped her sword out of her hand. She stood defenceless.
Angel made to try and get to her side but was stopped short as a sword almost cleaved him in two.
Illyria�s partner grinned hideously through its broken mouth, and rushed at the inert former god. As he came towards her, she twirled, much more gracefully than she had any right to, to one side, grabbed the long knife that would have impaled her and twisted it round into the partners chest.
Barren red eyes stared around. It�s brothers did not even stop their fight, spared nothing as one of their own fell.
The partner pulled the knife out, black stringy blood clinging to the tip.
�That was to revenge Wesley�s death.� Illyria stated in her usual husky monotone.
The partner exploded from the inside out, light and dark ichor pouring from ever orifice before it erupted into a black and red light, ending its fight with a demonic evil bleat.
Angel parried a blow as he saw the nebulous light divide and slam into the remaining partners. The sword of his partner came swinging at him with a newfound strength and speed.
�Crap.� Angel grumbled.
***
Angel looked out the cab�s windows.
�Is this right?� He asked the cabbie.
�West Alpho Way, that what you said?� The fat little man grouched, impatient.
Angel looked down at the post it.
B 24. W. Alpho Way.
�Yes.�
�This is it. Thirty-two dollars. PLUS tip.�
�Right.� He shoved some bills into the man�s hand, and slipped out of the cab. �Thankyou.�
The cab screeched away in response.
�Right.� Angel repeated.
The post it had led him to a seemingly abandoned warehouse filled street, next to the water. It was cold. He consulted the post it again.
�Number 24.� He walked along the empty street, looking for numbers of buildings.
16, 18, 20�. Huh?
20 was the last building. He backtracked. Looked again. No 24. He walked over to the other side of the street.
***
�Tell the boss who�s here.� A dark vampire, Jake said to his fellow watchman, not taking his eyes off the figure.
��S�not him, J.� The other snorted. He was wearing an army jacket at least two sizes too big for his lean frame.
They were looking out from the top floor of a warehouse on West Alpho Way. A young-ish looking man was wandering around on a street that nobody wandered around on. Not after dark. Not if they were smart. And if this man was who Jake thought it was, well apart from not being a man at all, this could turn out to be the best � or worst night of their unlives.
Jake reached out and grabbed the smaller vamp by the jacket, pulling him around into his face.
�Cess, go get the boss, now.� He growled, vamping out.
�Fine.�
Jake continued to watch his target. He could feel the boss, 225 years worth of vampire coming towards him.
�Let�s see.� The boss purred. He hovered over Jakes shoulder.
�It looks like him.�
Cess snorted. �Angel wears a black trench coat. Never seen without it. This guys wearing sweat-pants and a t -shirt. Angel is 260 years old. This guy moves like he�s a slacker out of college.� The boss and Jake both looked at him, but he kept going. �And the most important thing? Angel�s dead!�
The boss turned back to the man. �Go get him anyway.�
***
�Hey, you lost?�
Angel spun around. �Me, yeah. A little.� He grinned, embarrassed.
Two men were standing behind him. He hadn�t even heard them. One was a huge black man, with a shaved head and metal dangling from every part of his face. He stood about 6 foot 4. The other man, was a thinner man in an oversized army jacket, who was a lot less scary looking. He was shorter, standing a little shorter than Angel. About Spike�s height.
Obsessed, much?
�What�s your name.� The dark man asked with a smile.
�Angel.�
The shorter mans jaw dropped open, while the dark man smiled rubbing his big paws together like he was cold.
�Angel, huh?� He asked. Still smiling. It wasn�t a nice smile.
�Yeah. I�m looking for 24?� He asked, directing the question to the smaller man.
�Mmmm, that�s a tricky one to find.�
�Yeah, the numbers just kinda � jump, stop.�
�Yeah, they do.� He was still grinning. Angel started looking around for other people.
�So � do you know where it is?� He asked, trying to subtlety create some distance between them.
�Yep.� The smaller guy immediately closed the gap.
Angel laughed, a nervous laugh. He stepped back again. �So, you gonna tell me?�
The two men looked at each other. �No.� They said in unison, chuckling.
�I always heard that �Angel� was some sort of vamp killing machine, ya know?� The smaller guy said.
�Yeah me too.�
They were definitely advancing on him now.
�And now I find out, that, this is all you are.�
�You know what you smell like, Angel?� the big one asked.
Angel stared back at them. He took another step backwards and felt the rough scrape of a brick wall.
�Prey.� They took this as a cue to change. They had the same faces as Spike did, last night.
�Listen, I�ve got this sort of memory thing, if I�ve, I don�t know, wronged you in the past, I�m sorry.� Angel said.
The big vampire reached out and slammed Angel�s head back against the wall.
�Ow.�
He shook it off. The smaller one stepped closer and backhanded him across the face.
�Hey!�
He reached out to the smaller one but the big vamp gave him and undercut that snapped a few ribs, and Angel fell to his knees.
�He can�t even fight.�
It went on. They worked together even though Angel couldn�t see any signals or hints, but they always knew what to do. One would distract him and the other would hit, or they�d both hit, or one would hold him as the other hit.
Angel could feel his nose bleeding, and his sides hurt from being punched.
The smaller vamp lifted him up by the neck. They giggled. Angel felt the familiar tensing of his muscles when his brain registered he couldn�t breathe.
You don�t need to breathe. You�re dead!
But still, he thrashed. He accidentally kicked the smaller vamp, hard, between the legs. He doubled over and released Angel. He ran. He could hear the larger vampire coming after him.
�Come back here!�
No.
Angel ran. He was sore all over, and his sides were already aching. He ran between two buildings and tried the doors. One, a back door, was open. He ran inside. The warehouse was filled with spare car parts, and boxes. He backed into a small room on the side and closed the door, just as the door to outside opened and the big vampire ran in.
�Angel!� He taunted.
The smaller vamp ran in a few seconds later.
Angel knelt behind a crate and covered his mouth so he wouldn�t pant. A smell tickled his nostrils and he felt hungry. He looked down and realised he was kneeling in a pool of blood. He gagged. He didn�t like blood. He looked around frantically to see where it was coming from.
Around the corner.
He crouch walked around and saw a pile of dead bodies.
�You�ve run right into their home.
�Fuck!� he whispered.
�Hey, Angel!� A voice taunted, low and echoed through the warehouse. �You know the thing about us vampires is? We like blood. Lots of it.� It was the big dark one. �In fact after a while, you get to be a connoisseur of it. Can smell different types. And right now? You�re blood is stinking all over the place.�
The voice was getting closer. Angel scampered over to a cupboard and crawled inside. He shut the door.
�Smells good, Angel. I bet you taste real nice.�
Why did I come out? Spike didn�t even want to see me. And now I�m screwed.
Stop being so negative. He answered himself.
The door into the room burst open, and the light flicked on.
�Like our stockpile? We could keep you here. Feed you on it. You like that?�
A wave of panic hit Angel as he realised that the vampires might want to do more than just rough him up a little.
�Our Boss? Always been a fan of yours.� The other cupboards in the room were getting their doors flicked open. Angel crouched lower.
�Wait till he sees you. He�ll never wanna let you go.� He chuckled.
Silence.
The cupboard door was suddenly torn off its hinges and Angel was covered in light. The huge vampire was slightly bent at the knees, staring down at him, huge grin stretching his face.
�Maybe he�ll let us play with you.�
He grabbed Angel�s leg and pulled him out. He pulled him across the floor and out into the main warehouse. Angel tried to grab onto things as he slid, but the power of the other vampire was too great.
He was hauled to his feet and he saw the smaller vampire from before, looking very angry and sore. He walked over to him and backhanded him hard across the face.
�Stop that.� A voice came from the shadows from a higher floor.
Angel looked towards it. A man stepped out and started walking down the stairwell.
�Angel. How nice to see you.�
Angel slumped, his face felt sore and he was tired. He hadn�t eaten anything for a while, and he felt like he had been running for days.
�I don�t know you.�
�No, you don�t. But I know you.� The man said in a grandiose manner. He had blond curly hair down to his shoulders. He was very pale and stood a little taller than Angel. �My name is Claud.�
Angel was confused, his arms were held by two vampires, he�d just been beat up and chased, he was scared, tired and hungry and this man wanted to make introductions?
Silence.
�Hello?� he answered.
The man smiled. �I imagined you� he raised his hands �Bigger.�
Angel felt like he was the only sane person in the room.
�Sorry?�
Claud gestured and the two vampires let him go. He wiped his nose with his hand, feeling sticky blood all over it. Claud looked down at it and licked his lips.
Angel noted the look. �Can I go now?� he asked quickly.
�No, we must talk!� Claud gestured to another room on the floor. Angel looked towards the exit but the two vampires stood in his way, grins on their faces.
He followed, reluctantly. Inside the door was a civilised sitting room.
�Bit out of place in a warehouse.� Angel noted, as he looked around.
�Ugh. Warehouse. I like beautiful things. Much more interesting don�t you think?�
Angel shrugged, imapatient. �Listen, maybe we could talk some other time? I kinda have to go somewhere, to meet someone and ��
Claud gave him a backhanded punch that sent him falling to his knees, and stung his already sore nose.
He looked up and saw cold steely eyes glaring down at him, burning with hate-fire. He held his hand up to his nose. Claud pulled some ice out of an ice bucket wrapped it in a towel and gave it to him.
Angel just stared up at him, holding the ice. Claud made a �tsk� sound with his tongue and manoeuvred Angel�s hand up to his face, so the ice was resting against his sore nose.
�Don�t want that to swell.�
He pulled Angel up and pushed him into a chair. He sat across from him and stared. Angel wasn�t sure where to look.
�You�re breathing.�
Angel became aware that he was breathing heavily through his mouth.
�Yeah. I panic when I don�t.� He said, his words muffled but the ice pack on his nose.
�You�re not human.�
�I know. But my brain doesn�t know.� Angel talked to him with the vague idea that if he told him what he wanted, he could go.
�You�re scared of me.� Claud said, a pleased smile on his face.
Well yeah.
�Well, yeah. You just hit me. It hurt. I have an ice pack on my nose. You�re friends chased me.�
Claud nodded, smiling. �Good.� He looked at his watch. �Oh, the time. I have to be somewhere.�
Angel gritted his teeth to stop himself from saying the same thing. Claud stood and went to the door. He stopped and turned back towards Angel.
�Here, come with me.�
Angel sat on the couch, unmoving. �No. I want to go.� He said as ferociously as he could with an ice pack on his nose.
Claud smiled absently for a moment before grabbing something off the table. �You see this?�
Angel looked. It was a small metal thing, like scissor handles at one end but flat tweezers at the other. It had blood on it.
�Yes.�
�Do you know what it is?�
�No. Scissors?� Angel guessed.
Claud chuckled. �No. It�s a torture device. An old one. It�s a fingernail remover.� Angel�s eyes widened. Claud placed the bloody end around his thumbnail. It clipped on. �Then you pull. And the nail comes out. It�s quite effective. And painful.�
Angel was very scared of where this was heading.
Claud�s voice changed from the jovial, conversational tone, to a dark hiss than pricked Angel�s spine. �And if you don�t do what I say, I will call Jake and Cess in here, they�ll hold you down and I�ll pull out all your fingernails and toenails until you obey.�
Angel�s jaw dropped, and he glanced from the metal to Claud�s face and back. �You wouldn�t.� He whispered.
Claud�s eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth to yell, and Angel jumped up and walked warily past him.
�Good boy.�
They headed silently along the warehouse and down some stairs, Angel first. They were in the basement, and there was a heavy looking steel and wood door. Claud took out some keys and opened it. Angel looked inside. The room was very small, and there were no windows. A stink of blood and excrement and sweat poured from it, but that wasn�t what scared Angel. There were chains all over the walls, whips and manacles and a bloodstained cot pushed against the wall. Angel pushed past Claud and tried to run back up the stairs, but he was caught. Claud jumped on top of him, and he felt two needles of searing pain as his neck was bitten into.
As he was drained he felt the tension seep from his body as his shoulders slumped. His eyelids drooped, and black started to frame his sight.
Then he was being picked up and put into the room. He felt cold and he realised Claud was taking his clothes off.
�Hey!� He whispered indignantly, and he got a punch to the belly and a knee to the face for his trouble.
Then Claud was gone. And the room was dark, pitch-black. He couldn�t see anything. He tried the door but there was no handle. He yelled for a bit, but his voice soon gave out, and he felt like he could stay on his feet much longer. He crawled over to the cot, pulled the thin sheet up over him, and rested the side of his face on it.
He was cold. And tired. And hungry. His face throbbed, especially his nose, his neck was burning, he was lost, nobody knew where he was, crazy vampires were keeping him in a cell for god knows what reason and Spike had abandoned him.
He felt his eyes water and a tear drip from one eye down along his pounding nose. He blinked and more followed, tickling the end of his nose before dropping to the stained cot.
He fell into a fitful sleep.