Title: A Good Day
Author: LaLa247
Posted: 10-13-2002
Rating: R for violence
Email:
Content:
Summary: Angel and Cordelia are caught in the middle of an ambush and it's up to Angel to save them both
Spoilers: No
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution: Yes! Just tell me where
Notes: 1) Takes place after Birthday, but before Waiting in the Wings. 2) Told ya I would tell you, Twi. To the lovely, wonderful, brilliant, and beautiful Anni. Her patience and wisdom helped me finish this fic. Who loves ya, baby?"All lights out. Lights off."
"I- I can't reach-"
A loud crash, and the remaining lights were snuffed out.
"Thank you."
Angel walked through the abandoned warehouse hurriedly, searching and smelling for sound and bodies. He lifted boxes and general large objects, making sure the place was vacant. He stopped in front of a shattered mirror, presenting no reflection.
Cordelia Chase watched the vampire steadily and with a diminutive amount of nervousness. She clutched her bloodied shoulder tightly, concealing the deep gash that lay there. His black leather jacket rested on one of the Seer's shoulders, the other shoulder slumping with the ache of her injury. Her lavender camisole was ripped down the side.
Angel kept walking around anxiously, almost as if he didn't know what to do or how to do it. The moonlight was Cordelia's only source of keeping up with him. Her new demon powers didn't permit her to have exceptional night vision yet.
"Angel?"
"Yes."
"Who were those guys?"
"I don't know, Cordelia. You heard what they said."
"They hurt me."
Angel's silence was nearly deafening. "I.I know."
"Angel."
He spun around promptly, walking towards the girl. His face, once hard with worry and anger, softened gradually. The bruises suddenly became more apparent. "Hey- don't worry about it. We've been through worse." He muttered, touching her chin gently. It was the only place he wasn't frightened to touch her at that moment. "How are you holding up?"
Cordelia smiled slightly, more or less forced for him. "I am peachy, Angel. Right as rain."
He stared at her, and then turned away, pulling out his cell phone. She knew he knew she was lying. The slightly rigid face told her that. He pushed a button then put the phone to his ear, waiting. After a second- "Gunn- pick up. It's an emergency. Please." A long pause. "Wes- Fred? Anyone- Hello?" Following another silence, Angel cursed and shoved the phone back into his pocket. "Nothing." He said, his voice barely audible.
"Maybe they're looking for us now?"
"Not likely." He was moving again.
Cordelia sank onto the steel steps leading to the upper floor. She rested her head on the cold railing, a slight case of vertigo sweeping through her. Angel suddenly appeared in front of the girl, her eyes registering double of his form. "Hi." She muttered faintly.
"Hey." He carefully stood her up. "Come on." He started to lead her up the flight of steps. "We have to move."
Earlier.
"Yeah, so, I should get a raise."
Angel walked down the dark, damp street, his Seer at his side. "Why would that be?"
She gave him a sidelong gaze. "Because I'm working for you." He gave her a stare, and she gave him a million watt smile in return.
The vampire sighed. "I'll think about it, okay?" She squealed loudly, and he nudged her. "Ssh."
"Sorry." She whispered, looking around. "Do you see anything? Anything potentially.icky?"
"No. Are you sure this is the street you saw?" He poked his head into a broken car window, more out of boredom than scrutiny.
Cordelia stared at her reflection in the only thing on the car still intact. The mirror. "Considering I saw it in the middle of the supermarket, yes." Angel straightened up and sighed again. The girl looked up at him. "Do you do that just to annoy me?"
Angel smiled, wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulders. He proceeded to lead her to the corner. "What say we get back to the hotel before Lorne turns it into a karaoke bar?"
"Could be worse. Could be-"
"Much worse."
The two stopped in their tracks, looking up at the unfamiliar voice. A lone man stood there. Angel's height. Long, black hair pulled back into a ponytail. And a vampire. His face was already transformed, his fangs showing in his smile. Angel tightened his hold on Cordelia's shoulder, and then thought better of it. He slowly unwrapped his arm, keeping alert. His other hand slipped to the pocket that held his favorite stake.
"I wouldn't do that.Angel."
Angel brought his hand back to his side, staring at the vampire. "How do you know my name?"
"I know a lot of things about you." The demon looked upon Cordelia with yellow eyes. "Hi, sweetie." He stared at Angel. "A man and his lady shouldn' t be out so late at night. Bad things can happen."
Angel stepped forward, blocking Cordelia from the man's view. "I think you should get out of our way." He trailed off, not knowing how to address him.
"Vincent." He smirked. "What's the rush, warrior? I just wanna talk."
"We don't want to talk." Cordelia finally spoke up, her eyes the only part of her visible from behind Angel. She was getting eerie vibes from the intruder. Something about him wasn't right. Something about the situation wasn't right. She could feel it. "We just want to go. Okay?"
Vincent stared her in the eyes until she had to look away. "You know, I never thought I would meet the legend. The vampire with a soul. Killing his own kind.kinda ironic, right?" Angel sensed several vampires behind him. And behind Cordelia. He had to be careful. "RIGHT?" He said nothing. He simply gave him a steely stare. Vincent grinned. "What- nothing to say?"
Angel shrugged. "Well, I was gonna give you a history behind my experiences with irony, but that would be boring. Not as boring as you, but nevertheless." A vampire stepped from the shadows, growling.
Vincent grinned, more than amused with Angel's response. "I would cut the sarcasm, Angel. I have friends."
"So do I. Not impressed."
Another vampire appeared about a foot away from Cordelia, and she immediately tried to move closer to Angel. "Angel." She whispered firmly. "Cut the macho crap. Let's go. Please." He ignored her. "Angel- please- I'm getting- we shouldn't be here."
Angel kept his eyes on Vincent. "Do you really think I care if you have some issues with my methods? Trust me, I don't."
"Your methods?"
"Liquidation of scum. Extermination of evil. Termination of people like you." Vincent began to scowl.
Cordelia tugged Angel's arm. "ANGEL. Come on, it's not- we should leave. Now! The car's only a few blocks away and-"
"It's early! Why do you wanna leave the get-together so early, sweetheart?" Vincent snapped his fingers, and almost immediately more than fifty people surrounded Cordelia and Angel. Angel looked around, growing anxious. Not all of them were vampires. He could sense it. Vincent turned to him. "Wanna party, my friend?"
Angel's hand shot back and clutched Cordelia's small one in his. "Walk away." He muttered in a dangerously low voice, pulling her body against his back. A growing panic began to fill him. There was no way he could fight these people and protect his friend at the same time. He felt her heart start to race against his back. He silently hoped she remembered her training and would be able to hold her own. "Walk away." Angel repeated more firmly.
Vincent smiled coldly. "But why? You never give other vampires the chance to walk away- constantly killing.never asking questions. Fighting for those weak humans. Let's see how weak YOU are." He looked at the other members of his mob. "Let's party."
The group raced towards the two. Angel immediately stepped forward, punching the closest attacker. Cordelia, to Angel's surprise, picked up a pipe off the floor and started swinging the way he taught her. She managed to connect with several heads.
Angel fought off the vampires coming at him, and then glanced to his left to make sure his Seer was still okay. "They're not all vampires!" He shouted, throwing a human against the brick wall and snapping a piece of wood off an old table.
Cordelia slammed the heavy pipe against a burly man's face, sending him into a pile of boxes. "Who's not a vampire?!" She yelled, backing up as several people stepped forward. She swung her weapon hard, knocking her assailants over.
Angel didn't hear her, thrusting the makeshift stake into an advancing vampire. He erupted into dust, and Angel walked through him to the next series of assailants. He kicked one in the face, throwing him into another man. Angel turned around and was punched in the face. He was then hit with a brick over the head as numerous individuals rushed at him.
The Seer swung again, this time her pipe getting caught by the hand of a woman. The blonde female ripped the metal from her hands, throwing it to the side. She smiled at the girl, exposing a set of fangs. Cordelia backed up until she was against the wall before throwing her fist out and connecting with the lady's face. Her face whipped to the right, then focused on Cordelia again. She threw Cordelia back into the wall. The vampire punched her hard in the stomach, and she doubled over in pain.
Angel shoved off several men, staking the ones he could. He refrained from giving fatal harm to the humans. Vincent watched from the corner, smiling. "I have more, Angel!" He yelled. "Hundreds! All wanting a piece of you! Keep fighting!"
Angel's eyes searched for Cordelia. He spotted her against a wall with only one attacker. She was fine. He picked up a broken broomstick and shoved it into three vampires. Suddenly, he was tackled from behind and thrown into the steel fence, his stick flying several feet away. He crumbled to the floor when something slammed into the spot between his shoulder blades. He started to stand but was kicked in the face.
The female vampire grabbed Cordelia's short brown hair, pounding her head into the wall. The Seer slid to the ground for a moment, her body rattled by the slam. She slowly tried to stand. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something flicker. She blinked, using the wall for support. As soon as she reached her feet, she felt herself go down again. Her eyes darted to her left shoulder, where a large blade laid. She squeaked in shock, unable to react. She looked up at her attacker. The vampire grinned callously, shoving the knife further into her shoulder. The Seer screamed in pain, clutching the woman's hand to stop the attack.
Angel distinctly heard Cordelia's scream, and jolted to his feet, pushing his attackers away. He ran towards her, blocking any attacks coming his way. He could see the small pool of blood at her feet. He could see the blood running down her arm, her side, her back, and to the floor. It was all he saw.
Angel reached the blonde vampire, jerking her wrist up and bringing the blade with her. Cordelia cried at the force, sliding to the floor in extreme pain. He punched the woman hard, sending her into a row of garbage cans. He pulled out his stake and shoved it into her chest. He didn't even wait for her to dust before he turned to Cordelia. Angel picked her up, cradling her against him protectively. The mob started to advance slowly.
Angel backed up, and then turned, kicking the steel fence open. He started to run down the alley. Vincent laughed. "Keep running! We're coming!"
He kept running, Cordelia in his arms. When they were several blocks away, he gingerly put her down. "Are you okay?"
Cordelia whimpered, holding her blood-spattered shoulder. "A-Angel." She whispered, shaking. "I-"
Angel took off his jacket, wrapping it around the Seer's shoulders. "Ssh, it 's okay." He looked around and groaned. He had run in the wrong direction. His car was nowhere in sight. He stepped forward and stopped. The sounds of footsteps were so loud in his ears. He turned and grabbed Cordelia's hand gently. "Come on, we have to move. Please, just a little bit."
They both started walking, Angel trying to pull his Seer along the way. They reached a small warehouse, and he pushed the steel entrance up, guiding Cordelia inside. He slammed the gate down, and then looked to her. "We have to make sure we're going to be safe."
Now.
"Where are we going?" Cordelia mumbled, leaning against Angel.
"Somewhere." Came his tense reply.
She stared at the ground as they climbed the stairs, the steel steps seeming to tilt. "I- Angel- I need to sit. Please." Angel hesitated for a moment, and then helped her sit down on the stairs. "Thank you." She breathed.
Angel sat next to her, gently moving her hair from her eyes. He didn't bother to pull her hand off her shoulder. He was afraid to. "Cordy." He murmured. "I have a plan."
She looked at him quickly with a relieved sigh. She smiled. "Oh, thank God- what is it?"
The vampire chewed his bottom lip and stared down at his feet. "I fight."
"You what?!" Cordelia gawked at him. "I would SO hit you if I could move my arm." She stared straight ahead, not knowing what to say. Finally, she turned towards her friend. "Why?"
Angel shifted slightly, so he was facing her. "They're coming for us. I can feel it. I can hear it. I can smell it. That guy- Vincent- he wasn't lying, Cordelia. He has hundreds.and he wants me."
"He wants to KILL you!"
"I know." He tapped his foot anxiously on the step. "But what if I don't, Cordelia? They'll find us eventually. And if not tonight, then later. What if they find us at the hotel? They will kill our entire family. I won't let them."
Cordelia nodded. "Okay. Then I'm gonna help you."
"No."
"Why?! I know how to fight! I can help!"
Angel poked Cordelia's upper arm gingerly. She gasped in pain and jerked back. He nodded. "No."
The Seer gripped her arm tighter, once again not knowing what to say. "Angel.there is too many. You might." She trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence. Finally, she looked at him. "Please, let's just try to run."
"They're right outside. At least two blocks away. We won't have a chance." The vampire stood, and tenderly lifted Cordelia to her feet by her waist. "Come on."
They walked up the rest of the way, reaching the top. Suddenly, Cordelia leaned against Angel's chest, feeling dizzy yet again. Angel held onto the girl, concern filling him. "Cordy- what is it?"
"I feel dizzy." She muttered.
Angel immediately lifted Cordelia off her feet, carrying her through the pathway to a dark corner. He leaned her against the wall, grabbing several old blankets and throwing them on the floor. He carefully rested her on the provisional bed, and then ripped a wedge of the blanket off, tying it around her wound. He covered her with his jacket. "Stay." He turned to walk back down the stairs.
Cordelia sat up. "Where are you going?"
"I'll be right downstairs, Cordy. Lay down. Rest. Please." Reluctantly, she did what she was told.
Angel turned and jogged down the stairs. He stopped at the bottom and searched the vast space carefully with his eyes. His eyes drifted to his watch. 2:46. He had over three hours to keep himself and Cordelia alive. His eyes inspected every bit of the warehouse. Six large windows partially covered with thick blankets. Angel's feet began to guide him around the room. He reached a metal chair and tested its sturdiness, pressing his weight onto it with his hands. Satisfied with that, he yanked the blanket off the windows, exposing dust covered glass. He couldn't even see out to the streets. Good. Angel gathered up the blankets, hitting it against a thick, metal column. He watched the dust fly from the fabric with each impact, and then walked up the stairs again.
Angel handed the blankets to Cordelia. "Here."
She wrinkled her nose, taking them. "Gee, thanks for giving me allergies. Or possibly a rash. It beats clothes."
"Everything's dusty here." The vampire crouched down beside the girl. "It's not much, but it's something, right? Just use it to cover yourself. It's cold in here." He stopped, noticing her trembling. "Especially for you."
Cordelia slowly lay down, covering herself with the gray blankets. "Thank you." Angel nodded, then stood. "Angel." He stopped. "I think the bleeding stopped."
He forced a smile. "See? You'll be better in no time. Told you." He turned and walked away from Cordelia. He couldn't stand to see her that pale.
***********
Later.
Two hours. Angel had been sitting there for two hours straight. 4:46. The sun would be up in approximately an hour and four minutes. He stared at the entrance intently. He could hear them outside. Plotting. Planning. Or maybe he was just going crazy. He couldn't be. Not now. Angel shifted in his seat, rolling his stake in one hand. He could hear Cordelia's slightly unsteady breathing coming from up the stairs. He was surprised she had fallen asleep, considering she kept scolding him over his plan. Anything to keep her strength up. He leaned back into his chair, arms resting stiffly at his side. They were coming.
Angel closed his eyes for a moment. He was going to have to fight over a hundred vampires. Humans. For some reason these humans teamed up with those vampires, simply to take him out. Irony. He had to smirk at that. Irony.
He was going to have to kill his human attackers if they went after Cordelia. He knew he had to. Angel gripped his stake tightly. More burdens. He had no idea if these people had families, jobs, lovers, lives, or even homes. All he knew was that they were going to die tonight. He was going to be their judge, jury, and executioner. He wouldn't be able to deal with that. But it was no time to think. Angel's eyes opened, resting on the shattered mirror. The empty chair.
"Angel."
Angel jumped up, climbing up the stairs to Cordelia's spot. He kneeled down next to her. "Hey."
Her eyes opened slowly, and she smiled. "Hey. I thought you left or something."
"Never."
Cordelia started to sit up, and he instantly pushed her back down. She sighed wearily. "This was my vision."
The vampire frowned. "What was?"
"This." She pushed her hair back with one hand, looking at him. "I-I saw the street- the one we were fighting on. Then I saw you." She grabbed his arm. "Watch that guy.Vincent. He's going to try to get you when you're fighting some guy with a nose ring, okay?"
Angel stared at her, then nodded. "Okay. I'll look for him."
Cordelia sighed, closing her eyes. "How good are our chances for getting out of here okay?" He opened his mouth to answer. "And DON'T lie or sugar-coat it, got me?"
"Not good."
A dark look clouded her eyes. "Okay." She whispered.
He gently pulled the blankets off the Seer's shoulder, examining her wound. "How is it?"
Cordelia looked down at her shoulder. "I can't really feel my arm."
Angel pulled the blanket fully down. "Can you feel this?" He softly touched the spot next to her gash, and then pressed harder. She shook her head. He moved his hand down her arm, touching her elbow, and then her wrist. "There?"
She nodded. "I can feel that."
The vampire nodded, then covered her up again. "You're gonna be fine, Cordy." He slowly sat next to her, staring at the ground below. "I found some weapons."
Cordelia looked up at him. "Weapons?"
"I had to make them. Pipes, metal, ropes, chains...hid them all over the place." He reached down to his pants leg and pulled out an object. He showed her a block of wood with a thin slice of metal pushed into the side. "An axe." He muttered, pulling up his pants leg. He pushed the weapon back into the piece of rope tied around his leg.
She shook her head. "You are a very weird man, Angel."
"It's going to help the odds a bit."
"What are you going to do?"
Angel thought for a few minutes, reviewing his plan in his mind. "I'm going to fight off this group. I dust the vamps as soon as I can, and I try to fight the humans.without resorting to murder."
Cordelia sighed, slowly yet painfully sitting up. "Angel, it's not murder. It's self-defense. You're going to be protecting yourself."
"If they come after you, I will be there. They won't reach the top of those steps, I promise." He pulled out a piece of glass from his pocket. He ripped off a portion of cloth, wrapping it around one end and handed the object to her. "Just in case."
She took the makeshift knife, staring at it. Finally, she placed it under her blanket.
Angel's head jerked up, hearing footsteps. He started to stand. "They're coming."
"Angel," The Seer said. He looked at her as she held up his jacket. "Throw them off. My blood's on here.it should stall them."
Angel smiled slightly. "Nice." He grabbed his coat, and then hesitated. He could smell her blood. After a few seconds, he put the jacket on, standing fully. "Why did you come with me?"
Cordelia shrugged. "I-I didn't want you to be alone.my vision- I got a bad feeling."
"You could've just taken care of Connor. That would've made me feel much better.wait- maybe not."
She laughed, tears filling her eyes. "Dumbass."
They both grew quiet. Angel broke the silence abruptly. "Even if I don't make it out of here, you will." She lowered her head slightly, not wanting him to see the fear in her eyes. He leaned forward, tilting her chin up and kissing her forehead. "Don't worry." He raced down the stairs.
Cordelia slid forward, getting a better view of Angel stopping in the center of the room, staring straight ahead. The gate started to shake with the force of the mob trying to open it. She leaned back into the shadows, watching.
Angel looked intently at the gate as it shook. He could hear his predators banging on the gate. He would smell the humans. Feel the vampires. He was alert. His hand clutched the wooden stake tightly, the gate being pushed forward and up.
The gate finally flew open. Vincent stood in the front, vampires and humans behind him. Just over a hundred. He laughed. "All alone, Angel? Where's that pretty little doll at?" Angel didn't answer him. Vincent stepped forward. "An army of one.now THIS is ironic, isn't it?"
"I wouldn't think so." Angel muttered. "I've always been alone. By choice. Unlike you."
Vincent glowered. "I ought to shut that mouth of yours permanently." He paused, and then beckoned towards the gang. "Angel, I want you to meet some people. These are vampires and mortals who hate you. You killed their kind."
Angel stood there, stone faced. He knew it. Deep down, he knew it. They were individuals with a vendetta. They knew nothing about him but wanted him dead because of what he does. And what he did. And he couldn't blame them. But it didn't matter now. He had more important things to think about. "And what about you? Did I like, sleep with your girlfriend back in the day or something? Did I accidentally scratch your car? What is your problem?" He shook his head. "I'm just wondering because all I see is some guy with a bad attitude. And bad hair."
Vincent smirked. "Taunting, are we, Angel?" He sighed. "To be honest, I just don't like you. I would rather see you dead. Dusted."
"I could say the same."
"Let's see." The vampire stepped back. "Kill him."
Angel firmly stood his ground as the mob rushed at him. As soon as they ran inside, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of Holy Water, hurling it at the closest vampires. They howled and stumbled back as the liquid burned his flesh. He pushed his foot under the chair in front of him and kicked up, sending the chair flying into an advancing woman.
Angel backed up as several began to hit and punch, and he backhanded a human who stumbled into a few behind him. He thrust his stake out, the point digging into a vampire's heart. He exploded into dust and he kept moving into another vampire. Before he crumbled, Angel had walked past him and delivered a roundhouse, knocking down the crowd that had gathered around him. He fought rapidly, not looking at whoever was attacking them. He got punched in the face and tumbled to the floor. He reached under a table and pulled out a sheet of metal, throwing it like a Frisbee. It flew and sliced off the head of a vampire.
He flipped to his feet, punching his attackers as he moved forward. Suddenly, someone grabbed him from behind and spun him around. He cuffed Angel across the face, whipping his body to the right. He straightened up and attacked the man. They traded kicks and blows, every once and a while interrupted by Angel dusting another vampire or punching back a human. The man grabbed Angel by the collar, throwing him against the wall. Angel spun around, pinning the man to the wall. The man still held on.
Cordelia watched the whole fight go down, and her eyes darted across the room. Vincent took out a small crossbow, aiming it at Angel's back. She gripped the railing tightly, her head jerking to Angel's back. "A-Ang-" She squeaked. A man looked up and met Cordelia's stare. She became immobilized, staring back at him. He smiled coldly, and made his way towards the stairs.
Angel gripped his assailant's wrists, trying to throw him off. It was only then he got a good look at his face. And the nose ring. He whirled around and the crossbow hit the man in the back. The vampire froze, hearing the man 's heartbeat stop abruptly. After a second, he dropped the man and continued his fight. He blankly struck out at every attacker with punches and kicks. He pulled out his makeshift axe, throwing it into another attacker. He looked across the room and saw the person advancing the staircase. Angel took off running, knocking people and vampires down as he dashed across the area. He reached the bottom step and was snatched from behind. Numerous people dragged him away from the stairway. He tried to break free as the man made his way up the stairs.
Cordelia turned to the intruder that was several feet away from her. He smiled slowly. "Well, well, well." He growled, stepping forward. "Look at the pretty kitty."
Angel made a strong attempt to fight off the group holding onto his arms, pulling him further away from the stairs. "CORDELIA!" He yelled. "GET AWAY!" He was stuck across the back with a blunt object and fell to the ground.
The Seer scrambled away from him as he advanced. He seized her legs and jerked her in front of him. She started to kick and crawl away, only to be yanked back. The man's blue eyes focused on hers with a scowl, and he callously yanked her legs open, kneeling in front of her. "Bad kitty." He hissed, falling on top of her and forcing his mouth on hers.
Cordelia tried to shove him off with her free hand, turning her face to the side. "No- NO!" She screamed, trying to twist her body away. She lifted her upper body, her hand pushing against his chest. "ANGEL!" The man lifted his hand and backhanded her.
Angel got onto his hands and knees, only to get a kick to the abdomen. He fell in pain, hearing Cordelia scream. He struggled to get to his feet, and was attacked by the mostly human mob. He desperately attempted to push the back without harm.
The man moved one hand to his jeans and pressed his mouth against her shoulder. Cordelia shrieked in pain and tried to slide her body upward and away from her attacker. Her hand reached under the blanket and felt the smoothness of glass. The man pulled her body forward and she lost grip. He lowered his body onto hers and she got hold of the crude knife. She clasped it tightly and brought it up, then down. The blade slid into the man's back roughly. She gasped as she felt it cut through bone and muscle. He jerked then fell dead on top of the girl. She shoved him off her, and he fell through the gap between the railing and the floor down to the ground. He landed with a loud thump.
Cordelia stared at the blood on the knife and threw it across the floorboards. She hastily wiped the trickle of blood that was sliding down her palm on a blanket. She clutched her wounded shoulder tightly and sat frozen, whimpering.
Angel lay on the ground as he was pummeled. His entire body ached. He heard Cordelia scream just above him. Something in him snapped. He was fighting the wrong way. He was holding back out of fear of the consequences. No more. Angel shakily gathered to a kneeling position, the gang still beating him. His demon started to crawl up his body slowly. He felt it coursing through every bit of him.
The vampire's head jerked up, and his face transformed into his demon. His sin. Everything he had repressed. Until now. He reached up, grabbing a person's hand and squeezing it until he felt the bones bend and break. The person yelled in pain as he jerked him forward, snapping their arm.
Cordelia slowly fell backwards onto the blankets, still holding onto her shoulder. She breathed hard, trying to drown out the fighting below. She hoped and prayed it was Angel that was giving all those blows.
Angel climbed to his feet, fighting back with such force that his attackers were flying across the room. He punched so hard; he could feel the crack of bone sinking into muscle. He grabbed anything sharp he could find; thrusting it out at his attackers. Some burst into dust, others did not. He kept fighting, kicking lungs in, snapping necks, and slaying vampires. He kept going. Fighting and destroying. He didn't even notice the dozens of humans running out of the warehouse in fear.
The sound of clapping stopped Angel in his tracks. It was then he realized he had destroyed the mob. There was no one left. Dust covered the room, and bodies were scattered. He turned to the applause, and saw Vincent.
"That was beautiful! I mean, WOW! You kicked ass, Angel!" Angel stared at him, dropping the sharp piece of metal in his hands. "See, that kind of stuff makes me wanna be like you, you know."
The two started to move forward towards each other until they were face to face. Angel glared at him. "Get out."
Vincent's face changed into his demon one. "I don't think so." He pounced on his enemy.
The two flew into the wall, and Vincent punched Angel across the face hard. He kicked him in the stomach before tossing him into the table at the corner. Angel landed onto the table and it gave out under him. He crashed to the floor, and before he could react, Vincent grabbed him and threw him across the floor. He followed as Angel crawled away, grabbing his shoulder and turning him around roughly, kicking his face. Angel fell onto his back.
Vincent lunged at Angel and froze. He looked down at his chest, were a broken piece of wood was embedded. He looked up at the other vampire before exploding into dust.
Angel lay on his back, his hand still holding the wood up. After a moment, he dropped the stake, rolling over and climbing to his feet. He floated to the stairs, moving up numbly. He saw Cordelia lying on the ground, her eyes closed. A feeling of relief filled him. Her heart was beating steadily. She was okay. The vampire dropped down beside the girl, lying down. He could see an inkling of sun peeking through a tiny crack on the wall near the ceiling. He closed his eyes, suddenly exhausted.
"Did you win?" Cordelia mumbled with her eyes still closed.
Angel sighed slowly. "Yeah."
"Good job."
"It was a good day."
"It was." A long pause followed. "Are you hurt?"
"I'll live."
Silence filled the room. The lone sound was Cordelia's steady breathing. Angel's body relaxed gradually. He felt a small hand on his, slim fingers entwining within his. She squeezed his hand tightly, and he gripped back.
"Yeah, so.I should get a raise."
Angel couldn't help but give the smallest of smiles. "I'll think about it." He replied sleepily.
"Mm."
End.