Just Begun

Xander woke up to find himself in a heap on the floor…again.

“Spike! Would you quit doing that?!”

“Sorry, pet. Didn’t have time to wake you nice and slow. We’re heading out. Angel got word of a Kitti’poksker clan. They’ve set up camp in the sewers. We need to drive them out before someone trips over them and loses a limb.”

“Right. Okay, I got it. Gimme ten.”

“You’ve got five. See you downstairs.”

Spike headed out the door and Xander hurried to the bathroom. He wondered dimly if LA had a Hellmouth too.

**

“Ready!” Xander bounced into the lobby and his mouth fell open at the assortment of weapons and instruments of torture that were laid out across the floor. “Big demons?” he asked with a smile.

“No bigger than I’m used to,” Angel replied.

“Oh. So why all the weapons?”

“I-I couldn’t sleep. I thought I would clean them and make sure they were all catalogued correctly. Would you like to choose something, Xander? Perhaps a few things. The Kitti’poksker demons are very quick and very dangerous. It might be wise to choose a long range and a short range weapon.”

“Sure, what would you recommend?”

Angel scanned the vast selection, looking for the very best to keep his friend safe. He picked up a crossbow. “Can you use one these?”

“Puurlease! I grew up using one of these…” Xander grabbed hold of the weapon and accidentally pressed the trigger. A long black bolt shot across the room with a whoosh and embedded in the wall next to Spike’s head. “…Ooops?”

“Bloody hell!”

“Sorry!” Xander called. He turned back to Angel and held the weapon out. “Perhaps I shouldn’t be trusted with this.”

Angel pushed the weapon back. “It isn’t quite the same as the crossbows you are used to using. I’ll show you how to use it on the way. And take this too. But be careful. It’s *very* sharp.”

Angel handed over a knife with a long, slightly curved blade. Out of all the knives he owned, this one was the best. With a handle that naturally fitted a human shaped hand and a blade that could cut through solid steel, it was his favourite. Normally Angel would be the one carrying it, but not this time. It was important for Xander to carry it. If the clan was as big as he suspected, he would need it.

“We ready, then?” Spike asked, impatiently

Angel nodded. “Let’s go.”

**

“Can you not walk any bloody quieter?!”

“I’m trying!” Xander hissed. “It’s okay for you guys. You’re gifted with night vision and ballerina feet.”

Angel smiled in the dark. The thought of Spike in a tutu was just too funny. “Can you see anything?” he asked Xander.

“Not really. I’m trusting you two to not let me fall down a hole or walk into a wall.”

Angel said nothing but instinctively placed his hand on the small of Xander’s back. He felt Xander move in slightly towards him and he took a chance, moving his hand to wrap around Xander’s waist.

Spike chanced a sneaky look at Xander and his Grandsire. Hehe. If Xander doesn’t fancy him, I’ll eat my hat…I don’t have a hat. I’ll eat my duster.

A distant cry startled them.

“Was that them?” Xander asked.

“Yes. Get ready.”

Xander swung the crossbow into position and aimed it roughly in front. “Um, it would help if I could see something.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll see them.”

On cue, an illuminated green lump of demon rushed towards them. With no time to register imminent death, Xander instinctively fired the weapon, cheering when the green blur dropped in front of him,

“Yay! I got it!!!

“I’m so bloody pleased for you. How about dropping the one behind us?”

Xander spun around and fired again, successfully hitting and flooring another demon. “Hee! I’m so good at this! Ooh, Angel, duck!”

“Where?!”

“No! *Duck*”

Xander grabbed the back of Angel’s neck and pushed him down. He swung the crossbow back into position and fired. “Whoo! I got another one! I could so take out this clan by myself.”

Xander looked down the tunnel and shrank back as numerous green blurry shapes tumbled towards him. “Um, I might take that back.”

“Stay against the wall,” Angel commanded. “Don’t let them get behind you. Shoot when you can.”

Xander nodded and watched fearfully as Spike and Angel jumped into a fight. These creatures were big and there were so many of them. He knew that Spike and Angel were strong, but could they cope with this many attackers? They had to. The thought that he could lose either friend made him feel sick.

Xander raised the crossbow and carefully took aim. The least he could do was take a few of these bastards out of the running. He watched as Spike, illuminated by the demons, snapped a couple of necks and, when the opportunity arose, Xander fired his weapon. Satisfied that his target was down, he turned the crossbow towards the three demons that were bearing down on Angel. The older vampire was clearly having a few problems with three at once, so Xander helpfully took two of them out of the picture. Angel spared him a nod of thanks and pulled out his sword, slicing the third demon in two. Lowering the sword, Angel glanced over at his Grandchilde.

Spike had done well. He stood with a lit cigarette in his mouth, leaning on a large pile of expired demons.

“Is that all of them?” Xander asked

“No,” Angel replied. “They were the cannon fodder. This way. We need to find the leader of this little clan.”

Angel set off down the dark tunnel, making sure that Xander was by his side.

“Can someone reload this thing for me? I can’t see and I don’t want any of us skewered.”

Spike reached out and took the crossbow, quickly reloading and talking with his cigarette firmly in his mouth. “Make sure you keep your back to the wall again. Those buggers were nasty but they’re nothing compared to ones we’re about to lock swords with.”

“Talking of which.” Angel said, pushing Xander towards the wall. “Got our backs?” he asked as Spike handed the crossbow back to Xander.

“Always. Be careful.”

Angel smiled only briefly. “Always.” He turned back just as a pack of at least ten demons surged towards them.

The demons didn’t stand a chance. With Angel’s sword, Xander’s fantastic aim with the crossbow and Spike’s finely tuned neck-snapping skills, the demons were toast. There was only one left to go. The leader. The King of the Kitti’pokskers.

The King stepped forward and opened its wide mouth. “YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME, FOR I AM THE GREATEST…urgh..ack..splur…fuck it.” The king of the Kitti’pokskers twitched and keeled over, dead, and Xander went down with it.

“Hey! I got it! I rock!”

Angel and Spike walked around the bulky demon. “Yes,” Angel said. “You did and you do. So the knife came in handy, then?”

“Uh-huh. Real handy…um…It’s kinda stuck.”

Angel bent down and easily pulled out the knife from where Xander had embedded it. “Good aim. Straight through the heart.”

“Not so good, actually,” Xander admitted. “I was aiming for his head.”

Angel laughed and pulled Xander to his feet. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

Angel locked eyes with Xander and ran a questioning hand over his body. “I can smell blood.”

“Um…” Xander stepped back and shook his head. Whoa. Where did the irresistible urge to kiss Deadboy come from? “I’m fine, really. It’s just a scratch.” Xander gestured to his arm and Angel stared at it, unsure of what to say.

“Bleedin’ hell,” Spike muttered under his breath. “These two need an instruction manual.” His voice was low enough for Xander to miss it, but Angel heard. He frowned at his Grandchilde.

“Can we go now? Is that it? Cos I gotta tell you, I am *so* hungry. I have an urge for a taco.”

“For breakfast?” Spike asked

Xander shrugged. “Anytime is taco time.”

“That’s true.”

Xander stared wide eyed at Angel. “You like tacos?!”

“They're my favourite.”

“Me too!”

Angel smiled and placed his hand on Xander’s back. “Let’s go eat.”

TBC…