Cenodoxus: Part 3
Angel sighed as Buffy kissed his shoulder. She was besotted with his tattoo, insisting the gryphon was a she, and that she was hiding secrets. While he wasn’t sure about the beastie’s sex, he was all too certain of her secrets.
“Tell me what you know, pretty.” Buffy kissed they coyly turned cheek. “You can tell me.”
“She’s just ink.”
“That’s what you think.” She traced the dark lines with her tongue. “At the right time, she’ll tell me everything.”
“Keep licking.” Angel arched up as her warm tongue licked along his shoulder. “Maybe she will.”
“Does this make me a lesbian?” Buffy blew across the wet skin, grinning at the moan Angel made.
“You’re licking my back, so no.” Though the idea made Angelus stir in his box.
“Maybe if I do…” Buffy nipped at the pale skin. “This?”
Shivering, Angel rolled his head to the side, subtly encouraging her to nip at his neck.
Buffy smiled and leaned forward, stretching out to lay on Angel’s back. They might not get to make it to home, but they managed to hit most of the bases. And it was just about time to head for second. She slid a hand down Angel’s side and wiggled her fingers underneath him to stroke his belly.
A knock on the door startled them. Angel pushed himself up and Buffy rolled off his back with a startled squeak.
“Angel!” Giles’s voice came from the other side of the door.
“What?” Angel snarled. Buffy pulled her shirt on and scrambled for her shoes.
“The wards on one of the sewer entrances have been tripped!”
“We’ll be right down.” Pulling on his pants, Angel sighed as he watched Buffy’s golden skin vanish beneath layers of clothing. “We can take up where we left off later, right?”
“We’ll see.” She tossed his shirt to him. “If you’re not too tired after we kill this demon.”
“Tired?”
“You are old, after all.” Giggling, Buffy ran for the door.
In the hallway, Giles was pacing nervously. He frowned as Buffy came out of Angel’s room. “I do hope you’re being careful.”
“What? We weren’t doing anything.” She put on her best innocent look.
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, Buffy – “ He looked over the top of his glasses. “But your shirt is on inside out.”
“Huh?” Looking down, she saw the seams. “Oh. Oops?”
“Oops, indeed.” He put a hand on a shoulder and pushed her down the hallway.
Outside the warded entrance between the school and the hotel, they found a tired young woman dressed in a black uniform similar to the ones Sam and Riley had worn.
“Slayer.” Spike said softly.
“What?” Buffy turned to look at him.
“No.” He pointed to the girl. “Not you, Slayer. Her. Slayer.”
“Oh.” She took another look at the girl. Personally, she couldn’t spot another Slayer unless they were kicking the crap out of a demon.
“I’m Mary Ellen.” The girl said.
“Mary Ellen?” Buffy frowned. Not a name she’d heard, well, ever.
“John Boy sent me.” The girl looked at Angel expectantly.
“He didn’t come himself?” Angel remembered the offhand comment he’d made to Riley.
“He can’t.”
They’d given their theory on Mallory to Riley a few weeks ago and Riley had promised to let them know if it was correct or not. Obviously, something had gone wrong. “Let’s go inside.”
“There might be surveillance.” She shook her head.
She hesitated for a moment, but Agent Finn had told her she could trust these people. “Okay.”
In Angel’s office, the girl settled into a chair, gratefully accepting a cup of hot tea. “Agents Finn briefed us on the situation and told us that if they weren’t back in twelve hours to come here and tell you.”
Obviously, they hadn’t come back. “You said ‘us’?”
“There were four of us. We were told to take different routes, just to be on the paranoid side.” She drew in a shaky breath. “At least, I thought it was paranoid at the time.”
“Obviously not.” Buffy perched herself comfortably on the edge of Angel’s desk.
“Where were they going?”
“There’s a lighthouse in
Giles took the map and studied it for a moment before handing it to Angel. “We’ll figure out how to rescue Riley and Sam. Why don’t you get some rest in the meantime?”
“No, we need to leave as soon as possible.” The girl set her cup on the desk. “It’s already been almost twenty-four hours! And we have to go all the way back – “
“Don’t worry about getting
there.”
“Great! Then let’s go!”
As much as he admired her persistence,
Angel knew the reality was that anything Mallory was going to do to Riley and
Sam, he’d already done it. “Get some sleep. We’ll have a plan ready in a few
hours.
“But – “
“Now.” Angel put a sharp edge to his voice, one reserved for fledglings and minions – and young Slayers.
“Yes, sir.” She snapped to attention.
“Come on, Mary Ellen.”
“My name is Najwa.” The girl smiled. “Mary Ellen was just a code name.”
“Oh. Well.” The redhead flushed. “Najwa’s a nice name, too.”
After they left, Angel settled back in his chair. “What do you think?”
“I think Mallory’s probably killed ‘em both by now. “ Spike swung his booted feet up on Angel’s desk, ignoring his grandsire’s glare. “All we’re going to do is clean up the mess.”
“You don’t know that! They could be locked in cells and just waiting for us to come rescue them – “ Buffy looked around. They all had the same expression. “Well maybe?”
“I’ll go prepare our supplies. Too bad we don’t know if our theory about Mallory is correct.” Giles mused as he left the office.
“So are we planning or what?” Faith twirled a strand of hair around her finger. She’d gotten out of a warm bed – and warm arms – and never even got to punch anybody.
“We’ve got a plan. We go, we kill Mallory, we rescue.” Buffy told her. “Or, plan B, we rescue and then we kill Mallory. I’m flexible.”
“My kinda plan.” The other Slayer grinned. “I’ll be upstairs. Holler when it’s time to rock and roll.”
Watching her go, Spike licked his lips. “Oh, to be a fly on the wall.”
“You’re – ugh!” Buffy moved to sit on Angel’s lap. “So now that the planning is done…”
Angel wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tighter against him. “I’d say we should rest until it’s time to go.”
Spike watched them kiss for a few moments. “Shouldn’t you have your hand on her tits by now?”
Breaking the kiss, Buffy glared at him. “Do you mind?”
“Oh, not at all.” He leered. “Carry on.”
“Out.” Angel kicked Spike’s feet off his desk. “Now.”
“Well, you’re no fun anymore.” Getting up, Spike ambled out of the office. “Not that you ever were.”
“Whatever.” Angel kissed the funny end of Buffy’s nose. “I’m a fun guy.”
“I think so.” She took his hand and put it on her breast. “He’s right about this, though.”
“Only because I taught him.” Angel kneaded her breast.
“Teach me.” She purred against his lips.
The sun was nearly set, the lighthouse silhouetted against the darkening sky wrapped in the last strands of orange and pink.
“Ready, Will?”
“Ready.” The power was bubbling through her veins, ready to be unleashed. Not wanting to hurt the guards, who were probably innocent of Mallory’s true nature, she’d decided to set up a diversion to draw them away.
“Do it.” Buffy watched as
“It’s not real,”
“Oh. Good.” Thank God. “In that case, it’s pretty.”
“She. It’s a she.” The nice thing about doing research is that there were a lot of cool looking demony things. “She’s a Cadborosaur, extinct since like the second century.”
“That’s probably a good thing.” Who knew what the hell it took to kill that thing?
The creature cruised toward the shoreline, belching fire toward the small town there. Buildings began to explode and burn.
“Also
fake.”
“Let’s go.” Angel led them toward the now abandoned gateway.
Najwa keyed the gate for them and waved them through.
Angel didn’t like bringing Najwa along, but her statement that she knew how to get past the different lockdown systems was something he couldn’t argue with. It would speed up their movement, and they might need that extra edge.
Not sure what to expect in
the way of Initiative soldiers, they’d kept their party small. Angel, Buffy, Spike,
Faith, Najwa, with
Inside, the lighthouse appeared to be merely a typical lighthouse. Najwa opened a door, moved cans of vegetables aside to expose a keypad, and punched in a code. The pantry slid aside to reveal a small elevator.
They crowded inside, Faith eyeing the walls nervously. “This is too much like the joint.”
“Oh yeah?” Spike chuckled. “I’ll be your bitch.”
“Please.” She kicked back, clipping him in the shin with her boot heel. “Like I’d have you.”
“Ow! Dammit!”
The elevator opened up on a long corridor of doorways. According to Najwa, Mallory’s office was at the end, next to the lab.
As they moved down the corridor, Spike hesitated.
“Come on.” Angel hissed. It was only a matter of time before the guards came back.
Frowning, Spike followed the group down the corridor. From time to time, he shot a glance over his shoulder.
A few yards from the end of the corridor, a scent caught Angel’s attention. Raising his head, he brought the group to a halt.
“What?” Buffy watched Angel scent the air. All she could smell was hospital cleanser, which remind her too much of – well, hospitals. Angel’s nose was a million times more sensitive, and he was obviously picking up something more than industrial strength Pine-Sol.
“Sam.” He moved closer to one of the doorways and slid open the peephole set in the door.
“In here?” Buffy stood up on her toes but came just short of the peephole.
“Soldier Boy’s in here.” Spike jerked his head toward a door just across the hall. “I’ll get him out. You get her.”
“There’s blood.” Angel shot him a look.
Spike nodded slowly. “Ladies first, then.”
Najwa keyed the door open and started inside, but Angel caught her arm. “Buffy, Faith.”
Great. Victim recovery, my favorite thing. Buffy gave her stomach stern orders to stay in its proper place as she entered the cell. Luckily, her head had standing orders to do the same.
A blow to the side of the head made her ears ring, and Buffy staggered. The second blow was headed for her face, but before it could land, Faith stepped in front of her and deflected it.
“Oh my God, I’m sorry!” Sam put a hand out to Buffy. “I didn’t know it was you.”
“S’okay.” Buffy got to her feet. “As welcomes go, I’ve had worse.”
“We probably should have known better than to just walk in.” Faith stripped her jacket off and gave it to Sam.
Buffy noticed for the first time that Sam was naked. “What – no, never mind. Here – “ Sometimes fashion was functional. Peeling off the top shirt of the new layered look she was wearing, Buffy handed it to Sam.
“Riley?” Sam asked as she pulled on the t-shirt and jacket.
“He’s in one of the other cells.” Faith rubbed her arms nervously.
“Your theory was right. Mallory’s using vampire blood to stay young.”
“You’re sure?” Buffy had only half believed it herself.
“I put holy water on my hand and I shook his hand. It burned him.” She buttoned up the jacket. “He hit me and knocked me out. I woke up in here. I probably should have had a backup plan.”
Out in the corridor, Angel and Spike kept their eyes carefully on Sam’s. There was no doubt in their minds as to what had happened to her. Spike flicked his gaze to Angel’s. Angel shrugged slightly. GI Finn had always been a bit naïve, maybe he’d miss it.
“Where’s Riley?” Sam looked at the group.
“We let you out first.” It was the truth, more or less. Najwa keyed open Riley’s cell.
This time, instead of going inside, they waited for Riley to come out on his own. After a few moments, he stepped cautiously out into the corridor. Seeing Sam, he rushed to her. If Riley noticed his wife’s state of dress, he didn’t say anything. He was shirtless and his body bruised.
“You got through.” Riley reached out and shook Najwa’s hand. “What about the others?”
When she looked away, he squeezed her hand. “He told me he’d gotten all of you. I’m glad he was wrong.”
“As touching as this is – “ Spike yawned. “Let’s get on with it. It’s open mike night at Daddy-o Dave’s.”
“Let’s not deprive Spike’s fans of another literary masterpiece.” Angel smirked. “What are there? Two of them now?”
“I’ll have you know – “
“Stop it, both of you.” Buffy pushed between them. “Mallory. Remember?”
The two vampires glared at each other over her head. Clearly, this argument was far from over.
“Do you have a plan?” Riley asked.
“Sort of.”
“Let me guess.” His brief time with Buffy had taught Riley that Buffy wasn’t much of a planner. “Just run in and grab him?”
“That sounds good.” She grinned.
Mallory’s office was empty and they continued on to the lab. Pausing at the doorway, Angel and Spike took a moment to listen.
“I’ve got six heartbeats.” Angel said softly. “One’s slow, too slow.”
“Bet you a carton of cigs that’s Mallory.” Spike shifted to game face.
“I quit smoking – it’ll kill you.”
“Wait here.” Buffy pushed past them and walked into the lab. She made it most of the way to where Mallory was examining a dead demon before the soldiers in the room noticed her. “Hi! I’m the Slayer. You’ve heard of me, right?”
They had, and they hesitated, unsure of what to do.
“Ms. Summers.” Mallory straightened and turned to face her. “To what do we owe the honor of your presence?”
“Nothing special.” She put on her best airhead smile. “Just tracking down a vampire.”
“Shouldn’t you look in your own bed?” He smirked.
“I’m sorry, did I say I was looking for a vampire?” She giggled. “I meant a pet.”
“Again, I suggest you look in your bedroom. Now, Ms. Summers, if you’ll excuse me – “ He motioned to the corpse on the table. “We’re doing real work here.”
“Playing doctor? Like Maggie Walsh?” Buffy dropped the silly girl tone.
“Walsh was a lunatic. She read Frankenstein one too many times – she must’ve skipped the last chapter.”
“And you’ve read Dracula one too many times.”
Mallory motioned to Buffy. “Agent Holmes and Anderson, please escort Ms. Summers out.”
A pair of soldiers moved to take Buffy’s arms and found themselves flat on their backs staring at the ceiling. The other three rushed to their aid only to be intercepted by Najwa and Faith. Spike and Angel moved in to flank Buffy.
“I’m just going to skip the usual ‘there’s two ways we can do this’ speech.” Buffy stepped forward and grabbed Mallory by the collar. “Okay by you?”
Angel had warned her that Mallory would be stronger than a normal person, and so Buffy treated him as if he were a regular vamp. Spinning him around, she shoved him at Angel and Spike. They caught him and held him easily between them.
“Now here’s the thing.” Buffy stepped between Mallory and the two soldiers who had picked themselves up off the floor. “Your boss has been experimenting on himself and we’re going to have to kill him.”
“I can’t allow you to harm General Mallory.” One of the soldiers moved forward to look down at her. “We have rules about letting someone harm a superior officer.”
“Well, I guess you’ll have to make an exception to the rule.” She pulled a communion wafer out of her pocket. “Watch this.”
Mallory struggled in Angel’s and Spike’s grasp. “Arrest her! She’s obviously fallen prey to vampires!”
She pressed it to Mallory’s face. As the blessed wafer came into contact with his skin, he cried out and tried to pull away. When smoke began to curl up around her fingers, Buffy pulled the wafer away.
Shaken, but not convinced, the soldier searched for a rational answer. “That – that – could be dipped in something – “
“Get one from supply.” Riley ordered as he stepped into the room.
“Agent
Finn?” The soldier gasped at
Riley’s condition. “What happened?”
“He’s in league with her and her vampires!” Mallory shouted. “Arrest him!”
“Agent Holmes, General Mallory’s been holding us prisoner because we discovered his secret.” Riley pointed at a set of cabinets. “Get wafers or holy water – whatever you feel you need.”
“Hey, no holy water!” Spike protested. “Some of us burn easy!”
One of the soldiers opened a cabinet and took out a jar of communion wafers. He brought it to Agent Holmes who opened it and took one out.
“I’m probably going to get
court-martialed for this.” Taking a deep breath, he pressed the wafer to
Mallory’s forehead.
“Put that away! Soldier, I order you to put that away!” Mallory struggled and cried out as smoke poured from the fresh burn.
Agent Holmes flicked his gaze to Riley. “What do we do now, sir?”
“We take the appropriate steps.” Riley gestured to a rack of weapons. “Bring me something sharp.”
“I’ll have you all court martialed!” Mallory fought to free himself.
Riley took the machete one of the soldiers brought to him. “We’ll need holy water and a flame thrower.”
“Wow. Soldier Boy knows how to party.” Faith gave Riley the thumbs up.
“Whoa!” Spike stepped to one side as Riley raised the machete. “You know how to use that thing?’
“Trust me.” Riley grinned. “Just like cutting down corn stalks.”
Angel and Spike stretched Mallory out between them in a move that Buffy thought seemed very familiar to them. Mallory struggled and thrashed, but his enhanced strength was no match for the strength of two real vampires.
“They’re the enemy!” Mallory snarled. “I’m doing what’s good for the country!”
“Right. So did that McCarthy chap, as I recall.” Spike jerked back as Riley swung the machete. “Watch it!”
Angel stepped back as Mallory’s head separated from his body. For a moment, it hung up in the air as if still connected before plummeting to the floor.
“He didn’t go poof.” Buffy toed Mallory’s body. “Why didn’t he go poof?”
“Because he’s not a vampire.” Riley handed the machete back to Agent Holmes. “Look at his blood, clearly he’s not human. Who knows what he was?”
Thick, dark blood was oozing out of the stump on Mallory’s shoulders. Riley caught Buffy’s eye. The last thing they needed was for anyone else to discover that Mallory had been using vampire blood to extend his life.
I’m blonde, not stupid. Buffy stepped away from the body. “Who cares? Seen one demon, you’ve seen ‘em all.”
“But General Mallory worked for us.” One of the soldiers moved to stand next to the body. “I don’t understand.”
“Evil is patient. Evil can wait.” Angel said softly. “Fifty years, a hundred years, it means nothing to an immortal. Evil takes its time.”
The soldier looked at Angel. Then he nodded and walked away.
Riley lit the flame thrower and Angel and Spike both moved hastily away from the body.
“That was downright poetic.” Spike commented.
“Thank you. I’ve been inspired by this poet I know.” Angel smiled as Spike preened under the assumed compliment. “I tried to make it as incomprehensible as possible.”
Spike’s smile faded. “Conceited poof!”
Author’s note: Cenodoxus was written in the late 1500’s and published in 1602. It was one of the primary inspirations for Goethe’s Faustus, published in 1808, the definitive work of good and evil and itself the inspiration for thousands of similar works.
The prompts used in these three chapters were:
unlikely to return
persistence
an exception to the rule
up in the air
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Chapter 4:Skeleton Dance – Some family secrets refuse to stay buried.