Work Text:
The Mean Streets
by Lilithangel
“L.A., the twenty-first century,” Spike said expansively as they entered the holodeck, “anything you want you’ll find it here. A thousand cultures and cuisines, including quite a few demon, any drug or vice or pleasure you can imagine. Pretty much like any city of any time really,” he added fondly.
Data looked around curiously. It was night, the city was lit up and full of people. Spike had dressed him in denim jeans and a brown bomber jacket over a tee shirt and button shirt. It seemed like a lot of layers to Data but Spike assured him it was the height of fashion and he would blend in easily.
Starfleet had decided that Spike’s mission could wait for the Enterprise and Spike spent several days with Data programming the holodeck computer and matching it with the historical data they had on file. Spike had spent the rest of his time either visiting with Gainan, although neither would say what they talked about, and annoying Riker, who didn’t really seem to mind that much.
It did seem as if their clothing let them blend in as nobody spared them a glance. Spike led the way to a bar already full of drinkers.
“They have open mike nights here on Friday and Saturdays,” Spike said as he got them two beers, “singing and poetry, as well as comedy.”
Data looked curiously at the array of humans in the bar. “They do not seem the type to appreciate poetry,” he observed.
“People can surprise you,” Spike said, “Sweet innocence can save the world and the face of an angel can try to destroy it. Humans have always been capable of acts of extreme kindness and extreme stupidity to counter the extreme evil they can also do.”
“Your tone suggests affection for humans that your words don’t,” Data said.
“When I was human I wanted to believe in the beauty of human feeling despite all evidence. When I was turned I didn’t care about their beauty, only their screams and their blood. Humans didn’t change, I did. This lot would punch you in the face as soon as look at you if a fight broke out. They dress like hoodlums but I know for a fact some are teachers and lawyers just breaking out for a night.” Spike shrugged, “anyway, they’re not why we’re here. Drink up and I’ll show you the rest of L.A.”
This was not the L.A. of the history, this was gritty and colourful and the air tasted thick and slightly unpleasant. Data identified a dozen allergens and heavy metals toxic to humans and yet everyone carried on as if they didn’t notice.
“They know the air is dangerous?” Data had to ask.
“Yup,” Spike replied.
“And they don’t mind?”
“Don’t really care.”
“Is anyone doing anything about it?”
“The things they have to do involve stopping doing things they like doing and humans have never been any good at that.”
Data saw people inhaling toxins wrapped in small tubes, and evidence of the deliberate insertion of other toxins into their blood stream.
“But they don’t stop doing things that are good for them either,” Spike said, his gaze on a young couple walking arm in arm ahead of them, “they’re just not too bright,” he added as the couple ducked down an alleyway as a shortcut.
Spike was expecting the scream that followed; it was his L.A. after all. He ran for the alley with Data beside him. Inside they saw the couple backed up against a wall with four vampires surrounding them. The man was already bleeding from the first attack and all four vampires were in game face. They were dressed in a motley assortment of clothing from about two decades earlier.
“This is more like it,” Spike laughed. He pulled a stake out of his pocket and launched himself at the closest vampire. It quickly went up in a cloud of dust but a second one caught Spike’s arm and spun him into the wall.
The third and fourth vampires turned their attention to Data who was watching with interest. One crushed him into a wall and fangs pressed against his skin only to be retracted as quickly.
“Bleugh…” the vampire stuck its tongue out, “what the hell are you?”
“Your worst nightmare,” Data answered, trying out some old movie talk.
The vampire laughed and swung a punch that he stopped easily. He threw the vampire into a pile of pallets at the end of the alley and watched with interest as it exploded into dust.
“You killed Kenny, you bastard,” the last vampire said, laughing madly.
“I am sorry for your loss,” Data said automatically.
“Don’t be,” the vampire replied, “he was a prat.” Before Data could question the vampire’s words there was only another cloud of dust and Spike standing there grinning.
“That was a nice warm up,” he said. “Piss off you two,” he added to the cowering humans, “and stop using dark alleyways as shortcuts, honestly.” He rolled his eyes as they scurried away.
Instead of heading back to the street Spike ran at the wall and leapt up onto a fire escape, bouncing from there onto a roof. “Come on,” he called down to Data impatiently.
Data shrugged and copied Spike’s actions, staring out over the city.
“No matter how far they go humans always end up clustered together,” Data said.
“Herd instinct,” Spike replied, “huddle together from the predators. Leave the weak on the fringes as fodder for the night.”
“That was very poetic,” Data observed.
“Yeah well, spend enough time on your own in a shuttle and you find diversions where you can. Right, let’s go find us some proper demons.” Spike took a running jump onto the next rooftop.
They spent an hour just running across the rooftops for the sheer hell of it (another phrase Spike had to explain to Data).
“This holodeck is bloody awesome,” Spike said when he finally stopped, “I know we’re only in a small room but it really feels like we’ve run across the city. Right, over there…” he pointed to where they could see into a high-rise building.
A heavy-set grey skinned demon was appearing over an altar where a young girl was chained. Two men in suits stood on either side.
“What is their intent?” Data asked.
“Davric Demon,” Spike said, “usual deal of immense power to the supplicant in return for a virgin sacrifice. Of course finding a virgin in L.A over the age of sixteen isn’t easy.”
“Why would they want a virgin sacrifice?”
“Blood is supposed to taste sweeter but I never noticed any difference,” Spike said, “Davric eats them alive so it’s pretty certain we can crash the party, smack the two suits around a bit, kill the demon and rescue the girl. Only problem being that I need someone to invite me in before I can do the saving.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier if I just dealt to the situation?”
“Why should you have all the fun?” Spike said.
“This is fun?”
“Vampires don’t have blood flow most of the time. Only when the gander’s up do you still feel alive.”
“Gander…” Data mused on the word, “So many of the things you say do not mean what they do. I find that fascinating and frustrating.”
“That’s me,” Spike said with a smirk, “fascinating and frustrating. Anyway, just pop over there and get one of the not so nice men to invite me in…”
Data tilted his head in consideration and then leapt off the building and crashed through the glass into the room beyond. Spike leapt off the building and landed in the street below. He ran into the opposite building and headed up; hoping Data didn’t have all the fun without him.
He heard the sounds of a scuffle from an apartment in the right place and knocked on the door. It was opened by one of the suits dangling from Data’s hand.
“Please come in,” the suit squeaked out and Data dropped him.
Spike stepped through to find the other suit unconscious and the demon picking itself up from the floor in a daze.
“Started without me then,” he commented.
“They seemed disinclined to wait once I entered through the window,” Data replied.
“Fair enough,” Spike shrugged, “may I?” he asked indicating the rapidly recovering and very angry Davric.
“Please, be my guest,” Data replied.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Spike said with overdone politeness. He stepped past Data and punched the Davric in the face.
“Half-breed,” the Davric roared, “I will chew your bones and dismantle your metal toy with my teeth.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Spike said, “you say that and yet…” he caught the Davric’s blow and flung it across the room, “you seem to be the one on the floor.”
The Davric roared again and drew a knife. Spike kicked the knife out of its hand and followed up with a kick to its ample stomach.
“You fancy a go?” Spike asked Data as he punched the Davric in the face again.
“No, thank you,” Data said, “you seem to have it under control.”
Data watched as Spike thoroughly enjoyed himself beating the demon to a pulp. It got in a few good blows and Spike was bleeding from several wounds, but that only seemed to spur the vampire on and Data became aware that Spike was showing off for him and possibly the wide-eyed young woman still bound to the altar.
Finally Spike dispatched the demon with a flourish and cut through the girl’s restraints.
“Thank you,” the girl sobbed into Spike’s chest, “I can’t believe my father was going to feed me to that monster. How can I ever thank you?” She looked up at Spike through her eyelashes and bit her lip enticingly.
“Freeze programme,” Data said suddenly.
“Hey,” Spike protested, “we were just getting to the good bit.”
Data tapped his communicator, “Data here.”
“The Captain requests Commander Spike’s presence on the bridge, Data,” Wesley’s voice came through.
“Understood,” Data replied, “we will have to get to the good bit later,” he added to Spike, “computer save programme and exit.”
“Understood,” the computer replied, and the holodeck door appeared.
Spike watched the girl disappear with regret and then shrugged. “Finally getting to meet the great Captain Picard then,” he grinned, “this should be fun.”
series to be continued