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Disclaimer: On the advice of my lawyer I decline to claim ownership of any and all characters. In a chance of cutting a deal I assert that these people belong to Panzer/Davis and Rysher, Joss Whedon, and Twentieth Century Fox. I had nothing to do with their creation or anything that happened to them.
Summary: Angel/Buffy/Highlander X-Over What happens when you bring three of the world's biggest jokesters/trouble magnets together? Combine Richie, Methos, and Xander and there's bound to be trouble.
Note from Author: I know this is one of the most used crossover ideas but I couldn't resist.
Thanks to my sister Aisha for help with the fight scenes and my beta Kate N.
Character information (in case you don't watch one show or another):
Richie Ryan: Street kid, taken in by Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod and Tessa Noel, Seacouver native, became immortal in the shooting that killed Tessa, was a professional motorcycle racer until he died in front of millions of fans, first kill Mako the bounty hunter, never died in season six (never will if I can help it)
Methos A.K.A. Adam Pierson: Oldest Immortal, 5,000 give or take a century, once Death of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, beer lover, joined the Society of Watchers (the guys who spend their whole lives following immortals around documenting their lives) to escape the game, has a joined Quickening with Duncan MacLeod
Alexander "Xander" Harris: Goofball, original Scooby Member (that's what the people that help the slayer are called), used to date Cordelia, had a crush on Buffy (Slayer), normal guy whole lived in Sunnydale his whole life, best friends with Willow (computer geek turned witch)
Cordelia Chase: A.K.A. Queen C, rich bitch in high school, started helping fight demons when she started dating Xander, dumped Xander when she caught him kissing Willow ended up with a piece of rebar in her stomach in that episode, after high school her family lost all their money due to not having paid taxes for twenty years and she went to L.A. to be an actress, started working for Angel Investigations when he saved her from a vampire who had decided to make her a meal.
Liam A.K.A. Angel A.K.A. Angelus: vampire with a soul because he was cursed by gypsies after he killed one of their own, name originally used to be Liam, changed to Angelus after he became a vamp means "the one with the Angelic face", changed his name to Angel when he got his soul back, used to date Buffy, stopped when he lost said soul because of happiness clause built into curse (had sex with her and experienced one moment of pure happiness), moved to L.A. and hired Doyle and Cordelia to help fight the good fight
Francis Allan Doyle: half demon on his father's side, Irish on his mother, gets visions from the Powers that Be that hurt like hell, tries to keep Angel from cutting himself off from human contact, has a crush on Cordelia, first name Francis but everyone calls him Doyle (I think it sounds better myself)
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Bloody Hell
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Chapter I: Death Takes a Holiday
(Sorry Kitty's Men is not the Titty Twister)
Xander
I hadn't expected to end up working at a strip joint when I packed my bags and left the hell demons and vampires of Sunnydale behind. I also hadn't expected the engine of my truck falling out in a little one-horse town where the horse was dead and dying. Oxnard had dried up years ago even though the residents hadn't. Pretty much the only places open in Oxnard were the liquor store and the strip club.
Life is pretty strange, I left the Hellmouth to get away from vampires but it seemed that destiny had other things in mind. My grandmother used to say, "Fate will lead he who will follow and drag he who will not"; she had a lot of sayings like that. I never really believed her until seven vampires surrounded me outside Kitty's. I had always known that I would die young, hell half of Sunnydale did, but I had hoped that it wouldn't be at the end of the pointy pairs of teeth I'd been avoiding and fighting against for years. Still I considered the odds and I knew this was it. 'Some one in Heaven, or Hell for that matter, is laughing their head off I bet. Oh well like that guy said, 'Die young and leave a pretty corpse.'
I fought hard and even managed to stake three of them with well-hidden stakes. Stakes are what any paranoid surviving Hellmouther never really leaves behind, even when they are running from the knowledge they possess. It helped that these vampires were not very bright 'must have been locals' and surprised by a meal that fought back, but I knew there was no way for me to get them all by myself.
'I hate always being right.' As I felt my life draining away I thought of how ironic it was. I had left because I was afraid that my luck had run out and it really had because what do I do but run in to probably the only group of vampires for miles. Suddenly I felt the sickening sweet blood of a vampire sliding down my throat. I was too weak to fight and the blood kept coming and coming...
Above Xander the vampires were arguing. Some wanted their victim to become one of them to replace the vampires that he had killed but the others wanted him to pay for what he had done. Later on Xander would wonder if he was lucky that the vampire that sired him was too stupid to let go as he argued. The idiot kept his wrist to Xander's mouth thus giving Xander about 2 quarts of blood. It never noticed how weak this was making him. He had been a jock before he had been turned so that tells you that sometimes stereotypes are true. It is a little know fact by non-vampires that the more blood your sire gives you the stronger a vampire you will be. That's what makes vampire a minion, a childe, or a master. Xander, always the lucky one, got number three.
Methos
Oxnard turned out to be a real dump. It didn't even have good beer. Ah, well just one more rinky-dink backwoods America town in the line of rinky- dink towns that Richie and I have been touring. Ever since we had left Europe Richie had wanted to travel. Said, "I've never done it really and that jaunt after Mako didn't count." 'Whoever Mako is.' Personally after 5,000 years the thrill of travel is gone but the poor youngster had been through so much I couldn't say no when he turned his puppy dog eyes on me. Kronos must be laughing his head off in Hell, the great and terrible Death being manipulated by a youngster barely out of diapers.
Heading back to the motel I hear muffled fighting to my right. Automatically I head in that direction. 'Bloody Hell! I ought to kill that Highlander now. He's turned me in to a bloody Boy Scout!' Coming upon the source of the commotion I see that I'm already too late. Instead of rushing into the situation when the victim clearly is no longer in need of help I take it all in, there are four vampires crowded around the body of a young man, just a kid really, fighting with each other. One is kneeling holding the body of the kid, the kid used to be tall with dark brown hair and he is being feed one of the vampire's blood which means he will soon be one of them. I decided to move closer to catch their conversation.
"He's strong he took three of us when he was human. He can replace them. After all he killed them." Ugly number one argued. Still holding his wrist to the boy's mouth. 'Wonder how much blood it takes to make a vampire?' I shrugged; it didn't really matter the more blood the vamp lost the weaker he would be and the easier to fight. I couldn't leave these bloodsuckers alive or undead or whatever. Though the thought was tempting, a plague upon the people of Oxnard. 'Sure would cut down on the idiot population of America.' I shook that though off. I'd left my murdering days behind with the horsemen. I would feel - heaven help me - guilty if I left these fools to the mercy of vampires. Still there was no doubt in my mind that if the vampires all worked together they could take me down in a heartbeat, but vampires don't tend to work together. They rely on their strength too much and that is their down fall.
Ugly number two who looked to be the leader, a very incompetent leader to me, gave a little growl. "No, he killed our brethren he must die! Not be given the gift of becoming a vampire!" Ugly number three, who was once a very pretty girl, nodded in agreement with Ugly number two whom she had her arm wrapped around. Ugly number four had just opened his mouth when I felt it, the Buzz. It started flickering on and off and it was the muted buzz of a pre-immortal. I glanced around trying to find it source when it hit me. The boy in the vampire's arms was the one emanating the buzz. He had to be there was no one else around.
"Ah, shit." I felt like banging my head against the wall. I couldn't wait any longer. I had no idea what vampire blood would do to an immortal. It had never happened before. That I know of. Grabbing my sword I attacked. Ugly two and three fell quickly, standing so close together is not a bright idea, makes it easy for a single beheading stroke. Dust flew. Ugly four rushed me like an idiot. 'Not too bright are they?' I chopped his feet out from under him. Then I cut his head off his shoulders and it rolled for a bit and then exploded. Ugly one just stared up at me stupidly as I kicked him away from the kid. He tried to get up to rush me but was too weak from blood loss. He couldn't even get to his feet. I beheaded him while he was down.
The buzz that had been flickering died. I looked down at the body of the boy and said, "Welcome to immortality kid." The little voice inside me that I recognized as the voice of wisdom whispered that life was about to get a lot more complicated. I sighed looking down at the face that looked so innocent in death and wondered what this new child would bring to my life. 'Gods above help me.'
Richie
The room we rented in this town is a real dump and the town's not much better. I flipped the TV off. There was nothing on any of the whole ten channels that this town got. 'Maybe travelling wasn't such a good idea. All I've seen so far is the inside of dirty hotel rooms.' I didn't regret travelling with Methos though. I was slightly taken aback by his real identity at first I still couldn't help but identify with the guy. Mac is such a gung-ho moralist. He forgets what he doesn't want to remember and he definitely doesn't want to remember that I used to live on the streets where murder, rape, and pillaging or looting as we call it today was part of my everyday life. It's not an abstract concept to me like it is to Mac. When you grow up in a world like that you either become the shadows or you become the blood spot on the sidewalk. I got out before I had to make that choice but sometimes I can't help but wonder what would be different if Mac hadn't decided to take me in.
No, Mac's latest moral tirade over Methos' past was the straw that broke the camel's back. I thought that they were over that. Mac certainly had acted as if he had forgiven Methos but this I guess he will never let it go. I blew up at him and Mac didn't take well to my taking Methos' side. I told him that I wasn't an innocent and when I came to him and he sure as hell wasn't either. We're all killers for heaven's sake! How can he condemn Methos for his past when we've all killed? Mac said I was too young to understand. It was like he'd punched me in the stomach. Too young? Who the hell was he kidding?! He just didn't want to admit that I was right. I stormed out and took Methos with me.
I was surprised that I actually could get him to come along but he probably was still hurting from what Mac had said and was vulnerable to my pleading. All I wanted at the time was to get away from Mac's moral high ground. On the spur of the moment I decided we should do one of the most American activities in existence. Road trip.
Since I had nothing better to do I was just sitting around doing nothing, being bored, reviewing what exactly had caused me to go on this insane trip, and what had possessed me to drag Methos along with me. When Methos came back he'd brought a present; he was dragging a limp body. He dumped it onto the closest bed, grabbed a beer from the small rickety fridge that came with the room, and then fell into the nearest chair in the way only Methos can, that graceful slump of his. He took a swig and then grimaced from the taste. I couldn't blame him the quality in this town sucked. Glancing from the bed and back to Methos. I calmly asked, "So what's going on?"
"Stumbled into the middle off a vampire convention." From his off hand reply and the flippancy in his tone I could tell that he didn't expect me to believe him.
"Ah man really? Out in this little town. Jeez I hope you got rid of them." Methos blinked. 'Guess he didn't see that one coming.'
"You believe in vampires?" He asked incredulous half rising in his seat to look more fully at me. Suddenly it hit me that he had been sitting in a defensive position ready to support his claim. 'I'll be dammed.'
"Yeah of course." I shrugged, "Seacouver had a few of them. You had to watch out on the streets or you'd end up being a meal. Which brings to mind the question why'd you bring him," I gestured to the bed, "here if he was a victim? You should have took him to a hospital."
"Well he was a victim but now he's dead."
Now I was confused. I'd been around dead bodies a long time, even before I became immortal, so the fact that I was now sharing a room with one didn't really faze me, but I couldn't figure out why Methos would bring the body with him. "Okay, if he's dead then why'd you bring him here? You should have just left him the authorities would have found some excuse for his death, they always do."
"Because he's going to wake up." Methos said simply doing nothing to relieve my confusion. "Hopefully as one of us."
"What!"
"The vampires that killed him were turning him when I got there. I have no idea how this is going to effect a pre-immortal." The worry that showed on Methos' face was contagious.
"So you have no idea what's going to happen?"
"Yep!" False cheer was evident in his voice. He took another mouthful from his bottle and once again grimaced at the taste.
"Just great." I looked at the body on my bed. 'Hope he wakes up soon. I don't want to sleep on the floor.' Methos while a good friend is not very generous. So I have a feeling that even though he was the one who brought our guest home I'd be the one sleeping on the floor if it came to that.
Xander
A new consciousness entered Xander's body and started taking up residence. The demon was a strong one, an old one. The huge amount of blood that Xander's sire had given him had allowed for such an old and powerful demon to come across. Usually ones such as it were not able to because vampires, while mostly stupid, do not want to create a rival that is stronger and smarter than them. Xander's own strength of will also helped to draw the demon to his body, for such a demon needed a strong body to inhabit. It had been biding its time for millenniums waiting for this chance. For the longer a vampire demon stays in Hell the less likely it will ever leave.
The demon went about improving it's new body doing all the things that a usual Leski, a vampire demon, does with a few differences. The Leski that usually come to earth are weak and so they have no real personality; they become their host taking on most of their memory and personality. But this Leski was not weak or with out personality. It had spent its time in Hell gathering knowledge so that if it ever did get a chance to escape it would have no equal. With demons the older they get the more powerful they are (unlike humans) and this demon was really old, 8,945 years to be precise.
Another part of Xander was busy at work too. This part though was not an intruder. It had been waiting years to be activated. It was hard at work repairing the damage done to its body but was nowhere near as fast as the intruder. Detecting the intrusion it started preparing to expel it. It also worked to keep all of the Xander intact and therefore not letting Xander's soul leave while the intruder tried to push it out.
The demon would have sighed with satisfaction if it could. Its work was done. It would finally see the world instead of the hellhole it had been sharing with the other Leski demons its whole life. Willing his new body's eyes open it prepared to wreck havoc on the world.
The other force in Xander noted the demon's move and pinpointed this as the time to strike. So it did.
Methos
We had been waiting for 3 hours and gone through a case of beer. I would have given up if had any idea what was going to happen. But I didn't an unusual occurrence for me. Richie was getting just as bored as me maybe even more so.
Suddenly I heard a noise coming from the bed. Sounded like a growl and I didn't feel a buzz. I caught Richie's eyes and he nodded if we had to we would kill him. It was the merciful thing to do. I turned my eyes back to the bed just in time to see what happened next. The boy's body suddenly writhed with the blue white lighting that immortals exhibit when healing only it covered him completely. He jerked around on the bed for a few moments then a fine dust exploded into the air and I was hit by one of the most powerful buzzes I had ever felt. 'Shit.' Then the light show stopped and the boy lapsed into death again.
Richie coughed. He had been sitting too close and had inhaled dust. "Jeez man he feels just like you." He remarked. I raised an eyebrow at him.
"What do you mean?" I asked curious. Thus far only really old immortals had the time to learn that you can distinguish between buzzes or so I thought.
He looked confused. "I mean that his buzz is as strong as yours. I've noticed that older you are the stronger the buzz your know?" I raised my other eyebrow now. A little more nervous now he went on. "I mean Mac he feels pretty old too kind of like Amanda but I figure that's because of all those heads he takes and you well you at first I didn't know what to make of you. Ya had that kinda ancient edge but not the real bite, it made sense when I found out you were Methos ya know. Its nothing special everybody can tell."
I felt like smacking him instead I just sighed. "No Richie, they can't."
"What?" He asked really confused now then comprehension showed on his face and he got wide eyed. "Oh." He was quiet for a while after that. I decided to take pity on him.
"Richie it's not that bad. Could actually come in handy. Just keep it to yourself though huh. Some people don't like others knowing their age. Especially women." Richie seemed to cheer up a bit, though I could tell he was still a little shaken, and turned back to watching our once again dead roommate. I heard him mumble under his breath. "Wish he'd wake up already. I want my bed."
Xander
Xander's immortality inspected what the demon had done before it had been exorcised. The changes that it had implemented had been finished before it could act therefore it could not change anything other that which would be harmful to Xander's future health. Satisfied that it's job was done it began waking the more conscious aspects of it's being.
The first thing I noticed was the pounding in my head the second that there was pounding everywhere. Groaning I sat up and took in my surroundings; cheap hotel room lot like mine, one door, two windows neither big enough to fit through, two beds the one I was on hard as rock, a TV, and oh yeah two guys in chairs staring at me. One closest to me had red short curly hair about 5'10", weighed 120 to 140 pounds hard to tell sitting, about 19 to 25 years old. The other had close cut black hair, about 6'2", 160 pounds, and anywhere from 20 to 30 years old.
I started rubbing the sides of my head, thinking had made my head hurt. Except surveying and noting escape routes had become second nature after my stint as toy solider boy so it was all automatic. As I saw it there was no way for me to get out the door with those two guys there and there was no other way out. The thing was I didn't really want to leave until I had some idea of what was going on and my instincts were telling me that the only ones with that information were sitting right in front of me. Plus I didn't think I could get up at the moment anyway. So noticing that a silence had fallen I asked, "Did anybody get the number of the truck that hit me?" Hoping to break the ice. They glanced at each other and I could tell they were silently communicating. 'Not good.'
The inside of my mouth felt like I'd been chewing cotton. Running my tongue around I tried to get some spit back that's when I felt them. Slowing down I went over each elongated canine carefully slowly digesting what they meant. The memory of what had happened came rushing back and I felt like being sick. More calmly than I felt I asked, "Could some one hand me a stake?"
Richie
Time seemed to slow as our guest slowly sat up. When he did I noticed along with a buzz he had red-rimmed yellow eyes, the eyes of a vampire, along with the disfiguring ridges that made vampires so ugly when they came in for the kill. He also seemed rather groggy yet those eyes showed intelligence as he took in the room. I had the feeling that our guest could now find his way around in the dark.
Silence rained until he said, "Did anybody get the number of truck that hit me?" I looked to Methos silently communicating this was not the time to make jokes. He rolled his eyes saying your one to talk, and then with a worried look he added how do we tell him? I sent back I don't know. Our guest solved that question for us.
The calm, "Could some one hand me stake?" shocked me. I turned to look at the very calm looking boy on the bed. His face was without feeling and he seemed to be the most Vulcan looking person I'd ever seen. Yet I could see in his eyes utter terror and horror. It was the look I had in my eyes when I woke up next to Tessa with her dead and me not. I couldn't think of anything to say.
Methos didn't have that problem, "Sure kid if you really want but there's no real point. You'd just wake up again." This seemed to be the wrong to say for it burst the barrier keeping his emotions in check and he exploded.
"I've had enough!" He yelled ending it with a snarl. Then he sprang up from the bed and attacked screaming the whole while. "My life is one fuck up after another." His eyes were glowing and he didn't seem to know what he was doing. Me I was too slow to even touch him much less stop him as he started to beat on Methos. "First my dad thinks I'd make the prefect punching bag. Next my mom dies. Then I get to watch friend after friend die or disappear never knowing why." Bloody tears tracked their way down his face. Methos looked like he was in trouble the kid had punched him across the face and Methos still looked dazed. Gathering up my courage I flung myself at him hoping to give my friend time to recover. Next thing I knew I was flung against the wall so hard I could feel bones breaking. Wheezing because of my broken ribs all I could do was watch, listen as the fight went on, and hope that I healed real quick.
Methos
At this point I was just dodging instead of trying to fight back since I had found out that the new guy's punches were so powerful that they had already broken my jaw and my arm. Lucky for me the kid had his eyes closed or I'd be in bigger trouble the only reason dodging even worked was because of it. He moved so fast that I don't even want to think of fighting him hand to hand when he's coherent. Hearing all of the screamed and whispered words I could understand why he had gone ballistic though.
"I make friends with the Slayer. Found out what's been killing us, wish I hadn't. Had to kill my best friend not two hours later. I had to kill him you understand he was turned. He was turned. I've turned." The attack started to slow. The finally it stopped the kid had sunk to the floor tears running down his face. "I've turned."
I looked around the room and I see a total disaster area with the kid dead center. My sarcastic mind could only come up with 'Boy the maid's just going to love us' before I collapsed against the wall behind me and slowly slid down. I spied Richie across the room clutching his ribs. He chuckled then grimaced, "That went well." I half smiled as I felt my bones snap back into place.
"Next time you do all the talking." I said when I could finally move my jaw again.
The kid had stopped crying his face had reverted and he was just staring at his hands eyes still glowing but that was fading too. I didn't know what to say when he slowly looked up at me and in such a lost voice asked, "What am I?" Bloody tear tracks drying on his face.
Richie managed to get up and slowly make his way over to the boy. He put one hand on the kid's shoulder still holding his ribs and said, "Don't worry it'll be okay." willing reassurance into his voice.
The kid's response was to look back down at his hands and say, "Will it? It never has before."
Xander
I was surprised after my out burst that they didn't just kick me out on my ass for what I'd just done to them. I could see blood. Hell I could smell blood. Though how come that blood didn't tempt me had me at a loss. I ended up back on the bed I had vacated feeling ashamed. While the two guys I had just thrashed checked each other's wounds. I distinctly heard the red head's dislocated shoulder being popped back into the joint. I recognized the sound because I had to have it done to me after a couple fights. Those hurt like hell.
I winced in expectation. These guys probably weren't to thrilled with me. In fact I wasn't to thrilled with me either at the moment. I had better control than this but some how I just couldn't pull myself together.
"I don't know about you but I think I'd like to know your name." Said the red head as he and his friend sat down.
"Name's Xander Harris."
"Richie Ryan." The red head returned.
"Adam Pierson." The guy with the black hair seemed to be following Richie's lead I noticed Richie rolled his eyes at that. They had taken the seats that they had left when I attacked. Again I felt a rush of shame.
Shifting nervously on the bed I decided to do something I rarely do apologize. "Um, I'm sorry."
Adam I think blinked. "For what? This." He waved his hand at the mess. "This is nothing. Kid, we're not going to hurt you or even let you kill yourself before you know the whole deal."
"But I am vampire and I just beat the cramp out of you." I said feeling tears well up in my eyes again. "Man I'm a regular water fountain today." I said wiping the tears away before they could fall. But the stuff on my hands didn't feel like tears slowly looking down at my hands I found they were covered in blood. Suddenly I felt like crying again. This time I controlled it though I didn't want any more blood on my hands or my face for that matter.
"Kid you're not just a vampire if you were you'd be having a serious case of blood lust and you wouldn't be thinking of killing yourself. Which you are aren't you?" Adam asked looking at me with a penetrating stare.
I was still gazing at my hands but I nodded. Richie got up and took my bloody hands in his. "Xander you're not just a vampire you're also like us, immortal. Before you woke the demon was expelled by your immortality as we watched. It was a great light show. That means you're not a demon. You don't have to worry about suddenly killing someone if want to you won't."
I gazed into his eyes and found a spark of hope but the immortal reference confused me. "What's an immortal and how'd I become one?"
"Immortals are people that don't age, heal from any wound, and will never die unless they lose their heads. Immortals are born immortal but age and get hurt like any normal person till their first death." Richie paused then went on. "There are also some cons to the whole immortality bit. We can't have children we're all sterile, we're all foundlings, and we play this 'Game' and the loser pays the ultimate price. I never heard anything about anyone being turned as their first death and I don't know how that's going o effect you but we'll," He waved to his friend, "help you figure it out."
I gave him a wry grin, "My world's just been turned on it head again hasn't it?"
Adam nodded, "Afraid so kid." He paused. "You're taking this rather well."
I sighed, "I learn denial doesn't help a long time ago. You know what Shakespeare wrote 'There are more things in heaven and earth that are dreamt of in your philosophy Horatio.' And if I believe in vampires and demons why shouldn't I believe in immortals? I have one question though."
"Only one?" Richie asked.
I grinned more genuinely this time. I was starting to feel more like myself. "Okay more maybe more than one but my big one is what is this 'Game' and how do you play?"
Methos
The question I dread the most when I'm explaining immortality to a new immortal is the one bout the 'Game'. I mean how are you supposed to tell some housewife or banker or just about anybody that they had to go from relatively good citizen to killer. Yes, it is a kill or be killed situation but it is not an easy thing to accept especially today. As people have gotten more "civilized" killing has gotten less acceptable. So I decided to save Richie from explaining it to Xander.
"The 'Game' is something every immortal plays and you can't run from it. It only follows you and the only way to avoid it is to live on holy ground your whole life because that is the only place that immortals can't and won't fight. When two immortals meet we get this warning buzz in our heads there's a reason for this. When an immortal loses his head their power goes to the closest immortal. The more heads you take the more powerful you become. Get it?" Xander nodded a look of grim understanding spreading across his features. "There are very few rules in this 'Game' one our fights are always one on one and two DON'T fight on holy ground. Rumor has it last time some one did Pompeii got buried."
Looking decidedly grim and serious Xander slightly shook his head. "As my grandmother would say 'There's a price for everything and back fees are a killer'. So what do we fight with? I mean cutting a person's head of isn't easy. And man I swore to myself that I'd only ever kill vamps and demons but I guess that's going out the window." Putting his head in his hands Xander shook it even harder and mumbled some thing. Sounded like "Fate just loves me."
I couldn't help but smile at that the kid reminded me strongly of Richie. They joke to cover how scared they feel. Most of the time when I discover a new immortal I ship them of to one of my other immortal acquaintances but this kid was tugging at my heartstrings just like Richie and McLeod had done. Plus the way Richie looked at the kid I knew he felt for him and wouldn't like me giving over his training to some one else. After that whole mess with Mac I felt more inclined than ever to go along with his wishes.
Richie
I saw myself in Xander. We were both too young having our worlds turned upside down by things out of our control. The feeling of helplessness, the general unfairness of it all, and the way that it seemed to all to be ganging up on you all were familiar feelings. In fact sometimes I still felt them. Methos gave me a look that asked 'Should we keep him?' and I nodded. With Methos as his teacher I felt sure that Xander would survive a long time. After all the guy had survived 5,000 years. He has to know something.
Xander still had his head in his hands so I shook him to get his attention. "Xander what do you think? Want to train? Or you want to be a sitting duck?"
"What choice do I really have?"
"None." I said sadly.
"Okay Teach let's get to it." Xander said surprising me with his willingness.
"Whoa, whoa kid. First I think we should get a days rest. I already feel like we've went through a training session and we haven't even gotten a sword in your hands yet." Methos said putting his hands up as to stall Xander. Thoughtfully he added, "You know some of those moves you used were real professional, seemed military." He raised an eyebrow inquisitively.
Xander shifted uncomfortably and said, "Um, well that's a long story." Trying to change the subject he asked, "What do you mean a sword?" Methos and I exchanged a glance but we let it drop.
"Like you said earlier cutting a person's head off isn't too easy. Commonly immortals use swords some have used axes though but it's not too popular." Methos explained. "Now I suggest you go home. It's late and you need your sleep." Xander nodded then tried to stifle a yawn apparently the mention of sleep made him realize how tried he really was.
Getting up he got ready to leave when I noticed that he still had yellow eyes, facial rides, and fangs. While I felt Xander wouldn't want to be reminded of his vampirism I couldn't just let him walk out that way. People would talk. We'd been so caught up in what was going on we just forgot though I think it also was partly because we wanted to forget. Clearing my throat I stopped Xander at the door. He turned around to look at me. Uncomfortably I said, "Um, you may want to figure out to um, hide that." Waving my hand at his face for elaboration.
"What?" Confusion dominated his face but comprehending slowly dawned. Worriedly he mumbled, "Alright here it goes. Hope I got this right." He took a deep breath and the vampire features seemed to swiftly melt back into his face. Looking a little disgusted and pale Xander turned and quickly dashed out he door.
Xander
I woke up to the sun shining on my face. 'Hmm guess I should have shut the curtain. Never know might have burst into flames.' Seeing as how the sun felt pleasantly warm and my face was not smoking I figured that the sun wouldn't hurt me. Which was a relief. With a sigh I heaved myself out of bed and headed towards the kitchen a familiar rumble telling me it was time to eat. I was half way through me Corn Flakes when I realized that I was eating solid food and smiled. 'No liquid diet for me.'
I realized that even with all of the down falls of being immortal, and they were many, were a lot better than being a vampire which I would have been if I wasn't an immortal. Of course I was still somewhat vampiric. Which once again made itself know when I accidentally pulled the door of my fridge. I pulled a little too hard and it came right off. 'Wonder how I'm going to explain this one to the hotel manager.'
That reminded me of the irony of it all. When I had stepped out of Richie and Adam's hotel room last night I found myself in my hotel. Which I guess shouldn't have surprised me because there are only two hotels in Oxnard. All I had to do was walk up the stairs and turn the corner and there was my room. No wonder I thought our rooms looked similar.
It was 5 o'clock in the morning but I was an early riser a trait that had been ingrained so deeply I don't think I'll ever be able to break it. It was reinforced by my acquired solider memories. I learned when I was about four that I didn't want to be around when ever my father came home. Dad would stagger in drunk as a skunk, and smelling like it too, around six each morning because that's when the last bar closed. Though I couldn't figure out why, until I met Buffy, Sunnydale bars stayed open till dawn. Apparently a lot of owners died when they wouldn't stay open long enough for the "night people" and the rest got the idea. Any way my father always took full advantage of this when he could, when mom wasn't home, and get as drunk as he could. My father was and still is a mean drunk and if I was still around when he got back I'd get the crap beat out of me. Lucky for me Sunnydale sunrise is early because I used to have to hide outside in the park or in a tree or just anywhere I could in those days. If it weren't early I would have been vampire food a lot earlier.
'I'd been vampire food. Hmm, not many people can say that because they're buried six feet under. Wish I couldn't either.' With a sigh I picked up my cereal bowl and headed to the sink. The thoughts of my family always get me all confused. My Mom was a big time attorney so she was always busy and never really noticed how bad Dad drunk. Especially since he only did the diehard drinking when she was away on a case. That's when he'd yell and scream and hit me and he'd always blame my bruises and broken bones on fights with the other boys. I never told her the truth because Dad told me that he'd hurt her if I did. He knew I'd do anything for mom. So mom put me in self-defense class while my father was against it. Totally the reverse of the usual as my instructor told me once. I think the only reason Dad protested was he wanted it to be easy to beat on me.
My Mom was never like other moms she never really had much time to pay attention to me and so to keep me busy when I was younger she'd give me a book to read out of her show library. You know those libraries packed with books that people never read and just have to show others that they have one? Well ours actually got used. When I'd finish one book my mom would blindly reach into the shelves and pull me out another one. Then she'd buy me something or do something with me no matter how busy she was. I'd hand her my finished book and she smile down at me with her brightest smile that made me feel that every thing would be all right. I must of read every book in our library some more than once. I know I read Charles Dickens "A Tale of Two Cities" at least three times. Sometimes it wasn't even a book that I got. She'd sometimes get her cases mixed in with the books but the was okay I had already read all her legal books. I know more about the criminal law system then most lawyers.
Shaking of the memories I decided to head down and see if my new teachers were up yet I'd been sitting at my table reminiscing for... I glanced down at my watch 45 minutes so it was almost six. My twisted sense of humor made itself know. 'Hey if they weren't up already then them being waken up by their new student would be a great way to begin the day.'
Methos
'Some times I really hate Richie.' He is always up on 4:45 on the dot. Every morning! Even when he doesn't have an alarm clock. I can hear him moving around when he wakes and it wakes me up too. He's very quiet about it and sometimes I sleep through it but most of the time I don't. Takes me a while to get back to sleep after he's up and I wish Richie would break that habit. When I asked one day why he does it and he shrugged, looked at me sheepishly, and totally avoided the question. I didn't push. Richie usually doesn't go silent but when he does I know it's bad.
Richie had left an hour ago because he didn't want to keep me up, so being woken yet again by the knock at the door considerably annoyed me. My clock read 5:59 and I groaned cursing all the world's early risers. I didn't feel a buzz but I didn't approach the door any less cautiously after all some immortals have been know to hire mortal henchmen. Henchmen that word always made me think of super villains not real people.
I hate mornings. I really hate mornings. Noon is a much better time of day and no matter how many people tell me the early bird gets the worm I still see no reason to wake before 12:00.
Pulling the door open I am totally shocked to see the kid, Xander, standing outside the door. He's rubbing his temples but stops when he looks at me. Smiling he says, "Now I know why you call it a buzz." And walks past me. 'Now this is an interesting development.' I think pulling my jaw off the floor.
Shaking off my shock I look intently at Xander who had sat down on the same bed that he had woke on yesterday. "Kid how did you do that?"
He looked confused for a second. "Do what?"
I slowly resumed me previous seat also and realizing that he didn't know what I was talking about I explained. "When you felt my buzz kid I didn't feel yours."
I could practically see the wheels turning in the kid's head. He was thinking it over and fast too. Suddenly he snapped his fingers and stood up saying, "I got it." Then started pacing back and forth. "I noticed several things this morning you know. 1) The sun doesn't burn me like it should a vampire." He gestured outside to the sun brightly streaming down. "2) I can eat real food not just blood. Which I greatly appreciate let me tell you. And 3) I have a reflection. So it stands to reason that if some of the things that are true to vampires don't apply to me that therefore some of the is true for immortals won't be for me either. My immortality blocks parts of my vampirism and my vampirism blocks parts of my immortality."
Now I was rubbing my temples. I could feel a major headache coming on. "Kid I think you are going to confuse a lot of people."
He gave me a half grin, "I already do." As an after thought he asked. "Would you stop calling me kid?" I just grinned.
Richie
Even the restaurants in this town suck. Having woken up at 4:45 like always I found even less to do than I usually do. When you wake up as early as I do there isn't much for you to do when everyone else is asleep. Especially when your travelling companion doesn't like to get up before noon but I usually can find something. Not in this town. I decided to go back to the hotel being up early for once wouldn't kill Methos and I was getting seriously bored.
He asked once why I wake up so early. I didn't know what to say to him. I mean how do you tell someone that you learned to wake up early enough to evade your foster parent's groping hands? My terror at waking up to feel the person that is supposed to take care of you and protect you fondling you is still strong enough to make me get up before 5:00. That's when Mr. Jenson used to get home from work dead drunk. I learned to get up and be somewhere else before he got home so not to get caught by him. Lived with that perv for only six months but after that I can never sleep past 4:45 I just can't. And I don't know how to tell Methos that so I just shrugged and changed the subject wishing for not the last time that my childhood had not been so fucked up.
Finally spotting the hotel I pushed the memories of my past out of my mind. There is no time for the past when you have to deal with the present. I can feel two buzzes coming from our room but I could tell from the strength that it had to be Methos and Xander unless some other really strong immortals had arrived in town over night. The one felt a little muffled like it was wrapped in cotton but I put that down to my imagination. Xander must be an early bird too. Methos would never get up by... looking at my watch it read only six.
Methos is not going to be in a good mood. 'Ah well, he'll get over it. I hope.'
Methos
Feeling exasperated I went to open the door. Richie was back. I guess I should have been relived but I was when the first words out of Richie's mouth were "So I see you haven't killed him yet." I was blocking his view of the room so there was no way that he could actually see Xander meaning that he had felt him. 'Curiouser and curiouser.'
The kid was rubbing his temples again when I turned around and just shrugged at my raised eyebrow. Apparently he had heard Richie too.
"Richie could you feel Xander?" I asked while we headed into the room.
He looked at me confused. "Of course I did. Why do you ask?"
"Because I didn't."
It took a minute for this to sink in. He groaned and sank in to a chair putting a hand over his eyes. "Why me? Ok when I walked up I felt two buzzes but one was kinda muffled. I just thought it was my imagination again."
"Don't worry about it Richie," Xander said, "I think I need to be some what normal." He frowned. "Well as normal as an vampire/immortal can be."
I decided to change the subject. "Well Kiddies we're leaving this dump today. This town is no place to train. I mean come on even drunk bums will notice a bunch of people fighting with swords."
"So where will we go?"
I smiled. "To a place where no one cares if you're weird as long as you have money. To a place where weird occurrences happen every other hour. Where you can walk around half naked as long as you say it's the latest fad. Where I happen to own a house. Boys we're going to L.A."
"I'll start packing," Xander said standing up to leave. "Just about anywhere has got to be better than here."
He had his hand on the door when Richie said, "Wait what if the sun burns you!"
The kid just smiled and said, "It won't. How do you think I got in?"
***
Chapter II: Ah, L.A.
(What the heck it's close enough to Venice)
Two months later
Xander
I wiped the sweat out of my eyes, while trying to dodge Adam's sword. Learning sword work was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Adam told me when we started that strength isn't everything in a fight there's also tactics and speed and agility. Mostly I already knew from fighting the way stronger demons that hang out at home but I still was surprised at how much I had to learn. When I spar with Adam four out of five times I end up on my ass. Though I get my licks in first. I tend to beat the crap out of him. But since he has a lot more experience with a sword fighting than me I usually end up with my ass as grass. Though I don't know how much more experience he actually has because Adam won't tell me his exact age. I can understand that seeing as how, it seems immortals, accumulate power with age. I think that Adam's fairly old since duh he's teaching both Richie and I. Then there is the fact that Richie likes to call Adam "Old Man". Richie and I, well, we're pretty much even. Which means we pretty much knock the hell out of each other when we go at it. Richie's a fairly new immortal like me so with my vampiric enhancements and his few years on me we're almost but not totally equal.
Right now I'm fighting with Adam and he's just pulled one of his tricks. Throwing in a new move that I haven't seen before. We've been fighting this fight for over 30 minutes and even I feel tired. My vampire strength, speed, and stamina come in handy when fighting with Adam though I wish I didn't have them. They are a constant reminder of the fact that: I am not normal. Immortality I can ignore most of the time but not my vampirism. New shit pops up everyday. I find it pretty ironic now. I used to feel like I was useless when I was with the Scoobies because I had nothing special to contribute. I was donut boy. Now I wish that I was just plain old Xander again. Because even if I had it rough before I found out that Buffy's right having a lot of power ain't worth jack shit if everyone wants you dead.
Reminiscing isn't the best thing to be doing between sword parries and I find it impossible to dodge this new move Adam's thrown in because of my lack of attention. I may have been able to handle it if I had been paying more attention to the fight but now... I can't block either or I'll end up in a deliberate trap. I take the third option and end up with Adam's sword in my gut but with my sword at his throat. "There can be only one." I said as I died.
Taking the sword was no big deal as a mortal I had taken stupid risks all the time. Some how my hunches always paid off. Well almost always. I see a glimmer of approval in Adam's eyes then the world goes black.
Methos
I have to admit it the kid's sword work impresses me. Most immortals even after a couple centuries don't like to die to win and this mere kid who had only been training for a couple months understood that sometimes the only way to live is to die. Like I said impressive, especially in light of the way he acts when he's not training. He is one of the biggest goof balls I have ever known but he seems to take training deadly seriously. Xander is a strange combination of clown and warrior and I can't help but wonder how he can maintain that balance.
I hear clapping accompanied by a buzz. I didn't worry even if it isn't who I think we're on holy ground.
"He got you." It's Richie all right and he's grinning. "He's getting better everyday." He winced at the fatal wound. "That had to hurt. How long do you think it will take to heal?"
"Not long the kid heals fast." Richie nodded.
"You know he royally creeps me out sometimes." I frowned. "Especially when he gets all fangy, but then again I think that creeps him out too."
"I've noticed that also. Probably has to do with his past experiences ay?" Richie and I winced in unison as we recalled the tale our young friend had told us of his life. Xander's tale had been bad with hell demons, sociopaths, bug people, possessions, hordes of vampires, and much, much more but it had also had deeply impressed us. I mean how many people can say they've been fighting the powers of darkness since they were sixteen? That they'd gone up against things hundred of times stronger than them and come out of it alive? Sure most immortals lead less than normal lives but that's usually after they actually become immortals and after they've finished puberty. Some of the things I would have had trouble believing if didn't see them every night when we go out hunting. Which is another story.
We started hunting down L.A.'s demon population after Xander casually mentioned that demons and vamps usually hang out in cities and that L.A. probably had quite a few I decided that they would be a good way to practice. After all you don't have to worry about hurting them and vampires are more like real humans than a dummy. It also would be a good thing for the town. I planned it so we would split up after the first night and Xander had showed us the ropes. Xander said I was a sadistic bastard when I explained exactly what we'd be practicing, how to make um hurt like they've never hurt before so you can win, and asked if we were going to keep score. He grinned while he said it though and not a nice grin either. I returned it.
It was a great idea. People work harder they get all competitive. So I set up some simple rules. The rules were if you're to busy trying to get kills to save a life, well you lose more than your kills. If you need help on a kill everyone shares in the kill. Things like that.
Turned out the splitting up thing didn't work out too well either we do better as a team, pack hunting our prey but hey, all my ideas can't be gems. To my surprise I have trouble keeping up with the kid. He knows what he's doing. Right now his score is 55 mine is 52 and Richie's is 47 Richie's still a little ticked about that but he's catching up. Xander was right L.A. does have a big vampire population and we've barely made a dent in it. Along with its monster population, not all being demons, our nights are pretty busy.
Xander
'Damn that hurts.' Groaning I sat up. Two buzzes hit me as I revived. Opening my eyes I quickly jumped into a defensive stance I only relaxed when I saw it was only Richie with Adam. Adam blinked at me and I tried to figure out why. Then I realized that I was Grred. Quickly I shifted back feeling disgusted with myself. Shaking the feeling off I smirked to cover my feelings. "Ah guys I didn't know you cared." Seeing the blood that covered me from my death I pushed myself off the floor. Richie smiled back at me as I got up.
"But Xander we don't. I was just waiting for you to wake so I can kick your ass later to night."
"You'll have to wait a little longer. I'm going to go change since some one came along and ruined my shirt." 'Immortality sure is tough on the wardrobe. My workout clothes are full of holes. Though my two sparring partner's aren't fairing much better.'
"Hey don't look at me," Methos said rising up his hands in a show of his harmlessness, which brought the bloody sword he used to kill me with into view. At Richie and my pointed stares he revised his first statement. "Okay do look at me, but you're the one that made the move kid."
"Yep, I did." I smirked at him as I ascended the stairs. I heard Methos mumble when he thought I was out of hearing range 'He's getting way too cocky.' And I heard Richie snort then reply 'You're just saying that because he beat you'. 'Damn straight.' was the last thing I heard before I really got out of range. My senses increased about ten fold because of my little "accident" with sharp and pointy objects and I've learned they can come in handy and have been working on developing their different aspects. I learned long ago to make use of everything that could come in handy, but learning to use my vampire abilities still makes me queasy.
Sighing I change in to my hunting outfit. It's not what a person who's seen too many movies would think a "bad ass vampire hunter" would wear. You know the sunglasses, the baggy clothing, and the big clunky boots. No when your hunting vamps you got to play it smart, I learned that in all my years playing second string to Buffy. Sunglasses reflect even the tiniest bit of light immediately giving away you location plus they make everything darker and since your hunting at night they would make it near impossible to see jack-shit. Baggy clothes catch on things, make it harder to move, and make more noise a definite no-no. Clunky boots, do I even have to explain it? Make way too much noise, make for bad footing, and less effective fighting. No what I wear is nothing like that. I wear all black or really dark colors that's about the only thing the movies do have right, but what idiot ever thought that a fighter would wear leather? To constraining that's for sure and hard as hell to fix once ripped, which happens a lot. My clothes tonight are matte black nothing shiny they're tight but not so tight that I can't move. I wear soft-soled thieves' shoes. They're hard to come by. Custom made to look like regular shoes but don't make a whisper of movement if you walk right.
One of my Dad's girlfriends after my mother died was a thief. She liked me a lot and taught me some of her tricks. I got the feeling that I'm the reason she stuck around so long since my dad is good to look at but not much in the personality department. Any way she told me who her supplier was and I told Adam and Richie about her. To say the least hey were impressed and so was I. I'd never actually met Terri before but she sure knew her stuff. Outfitted us at half price too when she found out her 'old friend' sent us to her. Terri's was where I got most of my outfit, most of my other clothes too since when I left Sunny-D I didn't take too much with me.
Back to my night time attire, everyone's seen those long sweeping trench coats that the baddies and the goodies for that matter wear, right? If it were up to me I wouldn't wear that either. I hate it when those self- righteous pricks do that walking in to the wind shit. You know where their coat flaps around them as they walk away? Probably jealousy now that I think about it. I mean before I knew I wasn't a super hero or super villain and that meant I had no right to wear the coat because I wouldn't be able to pull it off. The thing is that I now I can. When that vamp killed me he pretty much insured that I'd be wearing a coat of one form or another for the rest of my unnaturally long life and I now have the badass attitude to pull off the coat sweep. And once again I find I don't want what I wanted before. The idea disgusts me because it reminds me of what I have become.
But like with my abilities I can't afford to let my feelings get in the way of an opportunity. Because long coats are just too practical to this lifestyle to abandon. Both Richie and Adam have taught me the little tricks to using my coat to hide my sword from view and besides that they are very good for hiding other things in too, like guns. All those nights alone in my room with nothing to do gave me plenty of time to familiarize myself with just about every type of weapon known to man from a simple six shooter to a air tank missile. Hey, everybody's got to have a hobby. They also taught me how to sew in the invisible sheath so I can adapt any new coat I may wear. I never thought that my learning to sew would help extend my life. But being immortal is a lot tougher than just the sword work you also have to learn to blend in, to change ids, and so on. So I wear a long black coat but I don't have to like it. It's starting to grow on me though.
Something I've learned in my life is it pays to be paranoid and Adam has just reinforced that idea. Richie had a harder time adapting to the always be prepared motto that Adam seems to go by than me but he's changing too. I've gathered that Richie's first teacher was some all out Boy Scout who was really good with a sword but had no real sense. Not that either of them really talks about it but they do make references some times and that's how the guy comes across to me. Richie's been learning some of the stuff I have right along with me. Like that you should always wear more weaponry then just your sword. Right now I've got knives all over me in hidden sheaths. After Adam found out what good hand eye coordination I have he made a present up for me, a set of knives and their sheaths that can be hidden anywhere and everywhere on the body. Then he taught me all about their usage and so not to leave Richie out he gave him the same teachings also. I remember Adam said to us during our knife training 'Knife fighting isn't pretty it's gutter fighting. You slash where it hurts and you try to inflict the most damage you can with out you getting cut into little bits into the process. Throwing your knife at some one right off the bat isn't a good idea unless you have a true shot cause you just threw away your weapon. No throwing a knife at some one may look heroic but heroes more often than not end up dead because their target moves. 'No I don't want you to be heroes I want you to live.'
I also carry two Glock 9mm pistols in shoulder harnesses. Bullets may not kill a demon or vampire but they sure as hell can hurt them and usually slow them down. Besides monsters aren't the only evil things that walk or crawl through the night. And then there were the Green Berets' memories I picked up that Halloween, not having a side arm nearby makes me feel naked. In Sunnydale I could ignore it, I felt semi-safe there. It was my territory I guess but here I always feel on edge plus the feeling is stronger not as muddled as it was before. That's another thing that my little trip to the land of the dead changed, the memories of that little Halloween incident are now clear as a bell where they were foggy before. Methos said it was probably because my Quickening latched onto the memories when it was still dormant because that's what Quickie's are supposed to do; store the memories and power of the loser. So mine did it with them because it couldn't tell the difference between a Quickie and a spell. The memories were there but dormant with my immortality and that's why they weren't clear until my death. I guess that sort of makes sense. I must admit that sometimes I find these memories just as disconcerting as my vampiric abilities.
That leads me to the last bit of my weaponry. My sword. Drawing it I recall the day I received it. Adam got a big kick out of giving me this particular sword. I can still remember his smile as he handed it to me. He told me he picked it up in Japan, he wouldn't tell me exactly when, and that it had belonged to a samurai he defeated. Apparently the samurai thought that Adam was a demon and had been determined to defeat him. 'Too bad he lost some times I think maybe Adam is a crony of Satan.' At the time he had thought the design on the handle to be very bizarre so he kept it. Katanas often were ornate but the design on this samurai's sword he had never seen the likes of before. It had what appeared to be a deformed bunch of fierce snarling dogs inlaid in gold twined around the black handle. They were so realistically rendered that they almost looked like they were ready to run off the handle in pursuit of their prey. Still it was the blade that was the real eye catcher. It was long, 3-feet, and some how the smith had been able to give the metal a reddish tint as if it was perpetually covered in blood. Now it must have been Fate once again deciding to have a laugh at my expense because how else would Adam have killed just the right guy to get just the right sword with just the right design to poke fun at a student he wouldn't have for another thousand years or so. I mean come on how many swords out there have hyenas on the hilt? Ha! I never thought there'd be one! Hyenas aren't the most loveable creatures after all.
Re-sheathing my sword I checked myself I the mirror. Nope can't see any of the hidden weapons. Good. Well time to go kill some evil blood-sucking fiends. Smiling I headed down the stairs where Richie and Adam were waiting, they had no idea what they're getting into tonight.
Richie
Methos is a great guy - most of the time - but he can be really aggravating. After Xander went upstairs Methos started doing the one thing he knows drives me batty, singing - in German. Xander says it's worse than Klingon opera and after finding out what the hell that was I have to agree with him. I can't wait till Xander gets down here and we can go just so Methos will stop.
"Do you have to do that?" I finally asked not able to stand it when he started the second chorus.
"Yep." He said and started again. I mentally started banging my head against a wall. Suddenly Xander was behind me. My heart jumped three feet and took up residence in my throat. 'Damn he's good at that!'
Xander nodded to us. "Let's go." ' He's too quiet. Oh, no. He's in full hunt mode. Xander's really breaking out the big guns, wonder why?' Glancing at Methos I can see that he's come to the same conclusion. 'Shit.'
Four hours later
Richie
Well nobody died. Well nobody who wasn't dead already. A couple people got hurt but no one died, that we know of. After four hours of almost constant hunting I feel like I've been ten rounds in the ring. Falling onto the nearest piece of furniture, a leather chair, I rested my head on the arm. Lifting my head up I glared at Xander who was doing like wise.
"How in the hell did you know it was going to be that bad?"
"Vampire New year."
"You're kidding me."
"Nope."
"Oh shit." I dropped my head back on the chair.
"Yep."
Not bothering to move this time I ask. "Where's Adam?"
"He said something about a shower. He did get pretty well covered in that slime."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"I don't have the energy to move. I'm going to sleep."
"Good idea." After that the only sound that could be heard was snoring and the sound of running water. Adam almost drowned when he fell asleep standing up in the shower but the rest of the early morning was quiet except for our snoring.
Xander
This is what I get for trying to get one up on Adam. 'Staring out at the rooftops of L.A. is all well and good and it is a great view but hell, patrolling alone is boring.' As punishment for the shock of Vampire New year Adam decided to make me patrol by myself for a week and none of the vampires I kill count. All the work and none of the points, 'Shit. I'm going to get them for this.'
Hearing a loud scream I swore. 'I'm really going to get them.' Turning