Spike in the City of Angels. Ep1 A Soul

Nervously Cordelia tried not to stare at the people surrounding her. She was in the Palomina, a bar just off Venice, it was a nice, clean orderly kind of place, and she was crazy to be in it.

It was a pick up joint for vampires.

She may not have been top of the class when it came to vampire spottage back in Sunnydale but looking around at all the pale guys in mid-eighties fashions, she didn't have to be Buffy to spot them here. The vampiresses weren't so easy, they tended to keep their fashion sense, the part of her that was still Queen C urged her to ask them why this was so, the rest of her shouted, *Don't be so damn stupid!*

The mortals were even freakier, pale anaemic looking guys and girls, mostly young. Polar neck sweaters and neck scarf’s were so in here. She kind of wished she'd worn one, to many vampires were looking at her pristine neck in a claiming new territory kind of way. It was off putting to say the least, she almost wished that Buffy was here........almost.

Cordie wanted to bolt her mineral water and run, but she was terrified of what might follow her. *Spike, where the hell are you?*

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He was late, a glance at his watch revealed this as he ran across the street, narrowly avoiding a collision with a car. But hell the news he had for Cordelia would very quickly make him her favourite vampire ever.

Spike had been coming here to beg, to beg Cordie to help him out, to save him from his vetala problem. He had to get Browne out of his hair before he killed him, and Cordelia, well Cordelia would be just the distraction he needed. The vetala out with her a couple of nights a week would suit him fine.

"How would you like to be in pictures?" Spike walked through the door with that line on his lips, nobody heard it, but everyone looked up. He smiled at the fear on vampire faces and swaggered to the bar, good news travels fast. He had his reputation back!

"Hullo Cordelia, sorry to 'ave kept you." Cordelia jumped, she hadn't heard him walk up behind her, she was to worried why it had all gone so quiet

"Sorry!" She snapped, forgetting he was a vampire, and dangerous. "So you should be, making me meet you in a skanky place like this, and then being late! I could have got bitten in here.....or worse."

"Well you 'avent." Spike's actual exposure to Cordelia had been limited, therefore he tried reason. "It's not allowed in here pet, biting. Now what I wanted to talk to you about is........"

"Not allowed!" Cordelia reached for her bag. "Since when do demons stick to rules, I'm leaving now, I don't care what you want. And I'm not your pet, goodnight."

A hand locked around her upper arm. "Not the way it works luv, sit down and listen."

"Ow," the grip was firm, Cordie thought about the stake in her bag, with its firmly zipped up top. When she had moved to LA she had bought a bag large enough to carry weapons, determined never to be embarrassed like Buffy had that day at school she had made sure it fastened securely. *Too damned securely!*

Reluctantly she sat, but with a frown on her face. "Ok so bully me, go on. What do you want?"

"Sol Gelfman." Deciding to get it over with Spike went straight to the point. "Ever heard of him?"

"He's a producer......why do you ask?" The frown went, sure it wasn't replaced by a smile, but Cordie certainly seemed more amenable to his company all of a sudden.

"Bloke owes me a favour," Spike saw the gleam in her eye, and threw in the hook. "Straight away I thought of you, how would you like a line or two in his next picture?"

"Oh boy!" Dropping her bag Cordelia hugged a suddenly very embarrassed Spike, people really were staring. "You are such a lovely vampire..........wait, Can I ask you something?"

"Yes." Spike had been expecting this. "Ask away luv."

"Is this a sex thing?" Cordie was eyeing him up and down in a way Buffy wouldn't like. "I've been offered work for sex so many times it's just unreal since I got here, and hey your cuter than most of those guys but I don't do that. Just because I was a cheerleader guys seem to think that I'll get on my knees for anyone, if you think that then I hope you won't mind me leaving."

"I'm just tryin' to help you." Spike could see this was gonna be a tough sell. "The job I have to do for Sol is something I'm happy to do anyway. I don't want to have sex with you." He realized his mistake as Cordie scowled and hastily added. "Cause I'm in a relationship, if I wasn't then hey I'd have absolutely no problem..."

"Okay," Cordelia regarded him coldly. "But I know you Spike, you want something, what?"

*Shit!* Spike drew in a large unnecessary breath. "I want you to go out with the vetala, with James Browne, you don't have to scr.......'ave sex with him, just keep 'im out of my bloody way......"

Spike stopped, having Cordelia laugh in his face was not a scenario he had envisaged. Now people were really really staring.

"Oh my god," Cordie wiped a tear from her cheek. "This really takes it........you know if you'd said date you, I would have........I don't really like you but making out with you would have been different. I might of liked it. Instead you seriously........suggest!" She picked up her bag. "Goodnight Spike, don't try to stop me okay."

The brunette flounced out, Spike looked around the room, nobody met his gaze. he knew however that they would laugh as soon as he left the room. Seriously pissed off he headed for the door.

*Reputation! Thanks a bloody lot Cordelia Chase, you're just what it didn't need.*

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They had moved hideouts again; they were in a house in the Long Beach area. A stolen truck in the building with you wasn't the best of ideas. When he got home Spike found that Browne had blocked both parking spaces to their double garage with his station wagon, the vehicle he used to move hardware.

"That is it!" Spike had enough today and went to look for the bloke.

There were no lights on in the house. *The bugger must be in the garage.*

Lifting up the door Spike prepared to shout "OOOOIIII," but instead fell back trying hard not to spew at the foul stench, he gasped as he stepped back. "What the fuckin' 'ell, oh fuck you better not be curryin' skunk in there again cause if you are I'm gonna......."

Then he looked up through eyes that were running and his mouth dropped open with shock.

Sharing accommodations can be a tiresome undertaking; it can really piss you off. Coming home and catching your flat mate doing weird stuff can be particularly trying.

Browne was sat at a table.

The table was covered in bullets.

He had a knife in his hand and was peeling something.

He was wearing a full chemical warfare protection suit, gasmask and all.

"Fuckin' garlic!" Spike slammed the door back down and ran for the house, he rapidly unlocked the door and bolted for the kitchen, he turned the faucet on full blast filled the sink then plunged his face in trying to wash it clean, no wonder his eyes were bloody burning. "Fuckin garlic!"

Then he looked round for a stake. "A note on the bloody door, would that 'ave been to bloody much to ask. 'Dear Spike, am doin' somethin' 'orrible an fiendish, please wait in the 'ouse.' Oh no, and to think of the trouble I've gone to for him today. GARLIC!"

However even as he contemplated murder a certain sneaking part of him couldn't help but wonder, *So what the fuck has the bastard got planned now, what is he bloody doing crafty old bugger that he is?*

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Marcus was back in Sunnydale, it was the last place on earth he wanted to be but here he was.

Spotting the Slayer in the Silver Snake had been the worse mistake of his whole un-life, it had drawn her attention to LA and she had unleashed her tame vamps on the city. He was so lucky that Bakull had just let him lose with a large bag of blood as reward, if he'd been at the mansion! He shuddered at the thought.

Since then though he had run scared, from one lord to another, whilst the winds of chaos had torn through LA.

Now he was here.

"You know Sunnydale," they had thrown him the keys. He had driven the van here, now he sat on the road leading to the mansion.

The Slayer scared him, so did Angel, so did the two silent figures in the back of the van.

"Zombies!" He whispered. "Why does it have to be zombies!"

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Coming out of the Mansion car keys in hand Buffy headed for her jeep, Angel was following on after her carrying the arsenal, one of the new crossbows plus stakes a plenty. They were off on patrol, there hadn't been any calls from Willy but that didn't mean that lone vamps couldn't have snook into town to chow on the populace.

"I don't know why you can't take the keys and me the stuff." Buffy turned to look back at him. "I mean look around it's a new world, girls can carry stuff here, and I'm way stronger that you anyway."

"While you're my girl I carry the damned bag!" Angel was about to add more when the sound of running feet snapped both their heads round to the left.

Her eyes wide with shock Buffy sought to comprehend the sight before her, two creatures were running towards her, each with its hands held high, each clutching a five-foot broad sword.

They wore saffron robes, but they sure as hell weren't Buddhist. Over the robes were coats of rusting metal, chain mail. Upon their head's were blackened iron helmets, ear and neck guards enclosed them so only their faces showed. These were green and black, the colour of old death.

Then Buffy dived to her left to avoid a downward slash that would have cut her in two lengthways if it had landed and the fight was on.

Angel threw the bag he carried into his attackers legs; the zombie stumbled and missed its mark with a broad swing of its blade. But it was fast and when the vampire tried to close with it he only narrowly avoided a thrust to the chest that would have destroyed his heart and killed him metal or not. Backing away he wondered what on earth he could do.

Buffy speed rolled, the blade striking sparks on the ground as her zombie tried to strike her. Hitting the side of the jeep she jumped back to her feet even as the reanimated corpse brought his blade up to launch another slash at her head.

"Rolling around in the dust again!" Buffy broad her foot up hard, her target was unprotected. "Do you have any idea how much effort......."

The line died, there something about-facing a creature you can kick in the balls and not have it even flinch that will do that to a Slayer. She moved......fast, the blade whistled past her nose and embedded itself in the ground.

"Yikes," The sword was firmly embedded, if it had hit her she would have died for sure. Twisting she threw a spin kick at the zombies head, the toe of her boot slammed into its helmet sending it staggering. Buffy eyes darted to the sword she needed to take off the creature’s head.

She stopped looking at her opponent for a second, but it was a second to long, his left hand closed round her throat, with his colossal demon magic enhanced strength he lifted her up clear off the ground. Even as Buffy tried to scream she saw the creature pull a long dagger from a sheath on his sword belt, she had a feeling he wasn't about to clean his nails with it.

Angel was busy running round the Mansion, his Zombie right behind him, he had no weapons, his opponent had a damned big sword, but Angel was running faster, for now.

As the tip of the dagger blade came clear of the sheath Buffy realized that if she didn't want to suffer carvage that even a vampire would find hard to survive she had to get free.

The zombie opened its mouth, giving her a close up view of green gums and black teeth that she really didn't need and from the depths of its chest roared, "A MacSheehy!" Even as it reared back the dagger to strike.

Buffy moved, her hands came up, the strength of a vampiress and a Slayer combined slammed into the elbow joint of the zombies outstretched arm. There was a sharp crack as bones broke, the fingers released their grip and Buffy dropped landing firmly on her feet.

The dagger was inbound, she swiftly sidestepped letting the Zombie's arm go past her. Turning she grabbed the leather of his sword belt with her right hand whilst grabbing his arm with her left, his weight slammed into her shoulder but she took it effortlessly as she used his forward momentum to lift him into the air and send him over her shoulder to thud hard onto the ground.

Her boot heal came down in a solid stamp on the fingers of his right hand, then the dagger was kicked free. As the creature tried to rise Buffy kicked it squarely in the jaw, bone shattered and temporarily stunned the zombie fell back.

The broadsword reared up from the ground, Buffy grabbed its hilt in both hands and pulled it free. She heard the creak of leather and the rattle of chain mail from behind her, turning the sword held out before her she smiled at the zombie. "Hey, now let's see, I was saying about how you made me roll on the ground, want to try it yourself?"

The zombie despite broken fingers pulled a short sword from a sheath hanging down its back, and then came on.

"Did you go to knives are us!" Using the blade two handed Buffy faked a thrust to its gut, it tried to parry but its sword met thin air.

Spinning the sword up till it was held above her head Buffy slashed downward. The edge caught the zombie in the shoulder, cleaved through clavicle and ribs to lodge in his breastbone. Staggered the creature dropped to its knees. Buffy put her foot on his chest and ignoring the foul smelling gore that was pouring out she pushed the zombie back off the sword. Even as he popped clear he tried to bring his sword up again.

"Will you please........" The long blade swung through the air and connected with the creature's neck. "DIE!!!"

A helmeted head sailed away hitting the ground with a sharp clatter and bounced down the drive. The lifeless corpse slumped forward to the ground; a foul stench filled the air as it began to shrivel up before Buffy's eyes.

"Euuuuggh, you have to be the most disgusting smelly monster ever, I mean what is wrong with turning to dust?" Then the sound of running footsteps reminded her of something. "Angel!"

Her Sire came round the corner of the building at high speed, he was panting hard his black coat flapping behind him.

"Hey!" Buffy shouted to him as he ran past, the second zombie flashed round behind him and tried to slow down at the sight of a smiling Slayer waiting for him sword in hand.

Both slashed at each other, using the edge. Buffy ducked slightly to avoid a cut aimed at her head, her blade jarred in her hand as she took the warrior in the waist and the steel met his spine. Then there was an even worse stink as the zombie fell sliced in half.

"Shit!" Stumbling to a nearby bush Buffy bent double as she tried not to spew. She tossed the gore-stained sword to the ground and staggered after Angel.

He was lying on the ground, his un-dead chest raising and falling at an alarming rate, his brain not convinced that breathing wasn't necessary after such exertion.

"Remind me to ring the US athletics team coach," Buffy managed to gasp out. "If we use that training technique we'll really screw the opposite at next years Olympics. It's a great idea, wouldn't you say because I've never seen you move that fast."

"Threw....the....weapons.....at.....him.......Tried......to......trip........him." Angel managed with a great effort to stop breathing. "That was a new one, have we done zombies at any stage, cause I'd really like not to repeat that experience in a hurry."

"We did them while you were......away." Buffy looked back at the rotting corpses. "Only those disappeared with a neat flash of light and didn't go smelling up my driveway, go get a shovel would you and please bury these guys."

"I thought you said you were stronger, how come if you complain about not being allowed to carry stuff you’re not keen to dig a grave?" Angel was happy lying down; he liked lying down and intended to keep on doing it till the funny lights in front of his eyes went away.

"Yeah, digging graves." Buffy smiled down at him, she realized she had slain without morphing, a first since her turning. But that didn't mean she was going to go against her principles. "I have a philosophical point I'd like to share with you on that subject."
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Marcus ran back to the van, trying not to drop his binoculars whilst he did it.

His boss was going be pissed, or maybe not. After all there were a lot more where those two came from and for a while both those two had been in trouble.

No maybe the boss wouldn't be pissed after all.