![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
suki_blueSeries Title: From out of Nowhere
Story Title: Pandemonium
Pairing: Spike/Xander, Angel/Doyle
Rating: NC-17 for violence and potty mouth
Warnings: Some amount of angst.
A/N: I've been working on Pandemonium for some time now and it's nearly complete. I just have the very end of it to write. So expect some fairly rapid updates on this.
Summary: Angel and the gang step in to help clear up an LA neigbourhood of it's demon gangster activity.
Previous parts of the series have all been completed and are HERE.
Beta'd by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kitty_poker1
Xander slurped his drink and glanced over Spike’s shoulder. “What is that thing?”
“What thing?” Spike asked.
Xander pointed. “You know what thing. That thing. That ugly, grotesque thing that is seriously making me want to scream and run for the hills.”
Spike looked behind and grinned. “Oh! Sorry, luv. That’s Angel.”
Xander hit him. “No! The guy he’s doing the dodgy deal with.”
“Ah. That, my love, is a… Actually, I don’t know what sort of demon that is. Not local, I don’t think. Not originally, anyway.”
“How can you be so calm?! That demon is at least ten feet tall!”
“So? What’s size got to do with it? Never heard of a gentle giant? Or The Jolly Green Giant?”
“Yes, but I never pictured The Jolly Green Giant twisting off somebody’s head.”
“Well, he’s a bouncer. That’s his job. And that’s what happens to drug dealers in this place.”
“How comforting.” Xander took another swig of his drink and slammed the glass down. “And this stuff is disgusting. What is it?”
“You really want to know?”
Xander put on expression number seventy eight: doubtful and slightly scared. “No. I’m gonna go get a Coke. They do sell Coke, right? Or am I going to end up with a glass of demon seed?”
Spike couldn’t help but flick a guilty glance at Xander’s half empty glass. He decided that honesty was not always the best policy. “They do Coke,” he offered.
“Great. You want anything?”
Spike opened his mouth.
“Besides a shag?” Xander continued.
Spike closed his mouth again and checked that he still had plenty of lager in his glass. “Nope. I’m good. You’ll give me a shag later, though?”
Spike grinned again as Xander rolled his eyes and made his way to the bar. He picked up his drink and took a long sip, his eyes constantly on his lover as he weaved through the crowd. The bar was a clean, peaceful one, with most of the clientele there to just get away from everyday life, but Spike was always one to err on the side of caution.
Almost exclusively for demons only, many of the club’s patrons had a dislike of humans. It wasn’t that they hated them, made war with them or went out of their way to hunt and kill them. Quite the opposite. They went out of their way to avoid them, many existing almost permanently in underground dwellings and only venturing out to socialise with other like-minded demons in clubs such as this one.
The result of this was that humans weren’t exactly welcome. Vampires – fine in small doses. Humans – considered low-down Nazis.
See, vampires just do their thing and get on with it. They hunt, they kill, and they avoid the sun. Job done. But humans? They were complicated, arrogant, unpredictable and violent beyond any comprehension. For souled beings, the behaviour of most humans was pretty horrific. At least, that’s how much of the demon population saw them, many of those demons retreating to a gathering place that was devoid of human activity.
Hence Spike’s intense scrutiny of Xander’s whereabouts and the proximity of the demons to him. Now, strictly speaking, Xander wasn’t exactly the most human of humans in the whole world. A vampire’s consort and gifted with powers of the gods, Xander was probably one of the most inhuman of humans that any of these demons had come across. But they were still suspicious. They could tell that Xander was different, but they couldn’t quite work out why. The consort status flared like a beacon and warned them not to touch, but that little something extra that he had put them on guard.
Besides, something was very wrong with this neighbourhood right now.
Spike leaned back in his seat and smiled as Xander tried to order his Coke. The poor boy was getting increasingly frustrated as every time he tried to order his drink the bartender frowned, shrugged and wandered away, only to do the same again when Xander called him back and re-ordered. What Xander didn’t realise was that the bartender was a Gremolian demon. In that language, ‘Coke’ meant ‘Please take yourself away’. Rough translation.
“Geez, what was that guy’s problem?” Xander asked as he plopped himself back in his seat. “All that for a Coke? You’re ordering next time.”
Spike saluted. “You’re the boss.”
“Really?”
“No.”
“Oh.” Xander drummed his fingers on the table and took a good look around. He hadn’t really registered his surroundings before now, his attention being somewhat fixed on the surprisingly large demon - that didn’t look in the slightest bit jolly – that Angel had immediately met up with.
Considering that this was a demon club, it wasn’t actually that bad. Well lit and surprisingly clean, Pandemonium was the best demon club that Xander had ever been to. And he’d been to a few.
“So, I’m guessing this place isn’t advertised much,” Xander mused.
“Nope. Demon exclusive. They don’t like prying eyes around here, especially human ones.”
“Is that why every other demon in this place is looking at me like I’m some sort of fungal infection?”
“Yep.”
“And I can expect to get my throat cut when, exactly?”
“They won’t touch you. They just don’t trust you.”
“But they trust you?”
“I’m a demon,” Spike replied with a shrug.
“No fair. I’m nothing but a meddlesome kid.”
“But you’re a sexy meddlesome kid.”
“Duh.”
“Hey, guys. What’s cooking? Angel nearly done?” Doyle sat himself down in one of the empty seats and leaned his elbows on the table.
Spike turned around to briefly check. “Don’t look like it. He’s still in conversation with the object of Xander’s nightmares.”
“He’s scary looking,” Xander explained.
Doyle gave him a look. “You of all people should know not to judge a book by its cover.”
“I’m not saying he’s evil. I’m just saying that…he looks evil. He has evil lookage. And have you seen the size of his claws? Those things could easily rip open a stomach or a bag of chips in a split second. That’s speedy, my friend. And sharp, too.”
Doyle chuckled and shook his head. “You’re out of your tree, man.”
“Who was that bloke you were nattering to?” Spike asked, motioning his head towards the crowd of demons.
“Just an old mate. We used to be poker buddies.”
“You play poker?” Xander asked. “How come I didn’t know that?”
“Because I don’t play anymore,” Doyle answered immediately. “It’s a mug’s game.”
“Yeah, but only if you lose,” Xander argued. “Otherwise it’s win, win all the way to the piggy bank.”
“I used to play for slightly more than money box currency.”
“You in the big league?” Spike asked. “Broken fingers and lots’a cheating?”
“Something like that.” Doyle looked vaguely uncomfortable, so Spike dropped the subject.
“Um, you often hang out with demons?” Xander asked slyly. He’d long suspected that Doyle was more than he seemed and day by day his curiosity grew.
Doyle shrugged. “Sometimes. I never used to – when I was young. But as I got older and realised that…things weren’t always what they seemed, I hung out with a few here and there. I think Angel’s finishing up,” he suddenly said, steering the conversation away.
“All done?” Spike asked as Angel approached the table.
“For tonight.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, he doesn’t trust me. And why should he? A vampire that kills his own kind with a Childe that does the same. And two humans that are…human.”
“So, he won’t help us?” Xander asked.
“No. Not yet.”
“Does it really matter, Angel? There are other informants,” Doyle reasoned.
“Not like this one. Breeta’s got the lowdown on just about all the dodgy demon activity in this area. If we can get him onside, it could really help us in the future.”
“And just how are we going to get him onside? Sacrifice a baby to his demon god? Put on a little skit? What exactly is it going to take this time?”
“Spike -” Angel started.
“Okay, okay, no fighting! Please!” Xander interrupted, jumping quickly between them. In the weeks since Angel had got the chip out of his head, things had been slowly going back to normal between Spike and his Sire. In other words, they were fighting like cat and dog. In a way it was sort of comforting, but in another it was annoying – especially at two in the morning after a long day of listening to Cordelia bitch about her manicurist. “Angel, just tell us. What is it going to take to convince him to help us?”
Angel hesitated before answering. “…I don’t know. Maybe just perseverance. Maybe more. He needs to see that he can trust us to clear up this neighbourhood.”
*This* neighbourhood had once been a good one. A place where families could thrive, children could play in the park and where you could walk down the street without fear of catching a bullet in your back. But that was all slowly disappearing. A wave of crime, drugs and guns had hit this corner of the city hard and the citizens were going crazy with fear, paranoia and the basic need to survive.
The result? A demon war that was about to spiral out of control.
There were three key players:
K’Bat, a cross-breed demon that specialised in drugs that could melt a human brain and hook a demon after the second hit.
Isaac, a bitter and twisted Snarf demon that lived on the fear of others and had an extra special fascination with guns.
Sharl, a demon that was so far in the shadows that no-one even knew what breed he was. His name was the definition of fear and the demon populous cowered from it. Angel wasn’t sure what his involvement was, but the demon did seem to have a five block territory that kept out other gangster activity.
These three demons were greatly feared and, although they were the cause of the neighbourhood problems, no-one was about to point the finger at them. Not without protection and a guarantee of absolute safety.
“So we just keep coming back, then, every night until he does trust us,” Xander said, gathering up his jacket. “Maybe he can tell us something small and we can sort it out for him. Maybe that would help.”
“That’s actually a good idea…” Angel started.
“I’m glad you think so. But not tonight. Some of us have freaky brain-power training with Jaham in the morning. An early-ish night is definitely called for.”
Angel nodded and stared around him. This place was a haven. He wondered for how much longer that would be true.
“We come back tomorrow.”
TBC…
Story Title: Pandemonium
Pairing: Spike/Xander, Angel/Doyle
Rating: NC-17 for violence and potty mouth
Warnings: Some amount of angst.
A/N: I've been working on Pandemonium for some time now and it's nearly complete. I just have the very end of it to write. So expect some fairly rapid updates on this.
Summary: Angel and the gang step in to help clear up an LA neigbourhood of it's demon gangster activity.
Previous parts of the series have all been completed and are HERE.
Beta'd by
kitty_poker1Xander slurped his drink and glanced over Spike’s shoulder. “What is that thing?”
“What thing?” Spike asked.
Xander pointed. “You know what thing. That thing. That ugly, grotesque thing that is seriously making me want to scream and run for the hills.”
Spike looked behind and grinned. “Oh! Sorry, luv. That’s Angel.”
Xander hit him. “No! The guy he’s doing the dodgy deal with.”
“Ah. That, my love, is a… Actually, I don’t know what sort of demon that is. Not local, I don’t think. Not originally, anyway.”
“How can you be so calm?! That demon is at least ten feet tall!”
“So? What’s size got to do with it? Never heard of a gentle giant? Or The Jolly Green Giant?”
“Yes, but I never pictured The Jolly Green Giant twisting off somebody’s head.”
“Well, he’s a bouncer. That’s his job. And that’s what happens to drug dealers in this place.”
“How comforting.” Xander took another swig of his drink and slammed the glass down. “And this stuff is disgusting. What is it?”
“You really want to know?”
Xander put on expression number seventy eight: doubtful and slightly scared. “No. I’m gonna go get a Coke. They do sell Coke, right? Or am I going to end up with a glass of demon seed?”
Spike couldn’t help but flick a guilty glance at Xander’s half empty glass. He decided that honesty was not always the best policy. “They do Coke,” he offered.
“Great. You want anything?”
Spike opened his mouth.
“Besides a shag?” Xander continued.
Spike closed his mouth again and checked that he still had plenty of lager in his glass. “Nope. I’m good. You’ll give me a shag later, though?”
Spike grinned again as Xander rolled his eyes and made his way to the bar. He picked up his drink and took a long sip, his eyes constantly on his lover as he weaved through the crowd. The bar was a clean, peaceful one, with most of the clientele there to just get away from everyday life, but Spike was always one to err on the side of caution.
Almost exclusively for demons only, many of the club’s patrons had a dislike of humans. It wasn’t that they hated them, made war with them or went out of their way to hunt and kill them. Quite the opposite. They went out of their way to avoid them, many existing almost permanently in underground dwellings and only venturing out to socialise with other like-minded demons in clubs such as this one.
The result of this was that humans weren’t exactly welcome. Vampires – fine in small doses. Humans – considered low-down Nazis.
See, vampires just do their thing and get on with it. They hunt, they kill, and they avoid the sun. Job done. But humans? They were complicated, arrogant, unpredictable and violent beyond any comprehension. For souled beings, the behaviour of most humans was pretty horrific. At least, that’s how much of the demon population saw them, many of those demons retreating to a gathering place that was devoid of human activity.
Hence Spike’s intense scrutiny of Xander’s whereabouts and the proximity of the demons to him. Now, strictly speaking, Xander wasn’t exactly the most human of humans in the whole world. A vampire’s consort and gifted with powers of the gods, Xander was probably one of the most inhuman of humans that any of these demons had come across. But they were still suspicious. They could tell that Xander was different, but they couldn’t quite work out why. The consort status flared like a beacon and warned them not to touch, but that little something extra that he had put them on guard.
Besides, something was very wrong with this neighbourhood right now.
Spike leaned back in his seat and smiled as Xander tried to order his Coke. The poor boy was getting increasingly frustrated as every time he tried to order his drink the bartender frowned, shrugged and wandered away, only to do the same again when Xander called him back and re-ordered. What Xander didn’t realise was that the bartender was a Gremolian demon. In that language, ‘Coke’ meant ‘Please take yourself away’. Rough translation.
“Geez, what was that guy’s problem?” Xander asked as he plopped himself back in his seat. “All that for a Coke? You’re ordering next time.”
Spike saluted. “You’re the boss.”
“Really?”
“No.”
“Oh.” Xander drummed his fingers on the table and took a good look around. He hadn’t really registered his surroundings before now, his attention being somewhat fixed on the surprisingly large demon - that didn’t look in the slightest bit jolly – that Angel had immediately met up with.
Considering that this was a demon club, it wasn’t actually that bad. Well lit and surprisingly clean, Pandemonium was the best demon club that Xander had ever been to. And he’d been to a few.
“So, I’m guessing this place isn’t advertised much,” Xander mused.
“Nope. Demon exclusive. They don’t like prying eyes around here, especially human ones.”
“Is that why every other demon in this place is looking at me like I’m some sort of fungal infection?”
“Yep.”
“And I can expect to get my throat cut when, exactly?”
“They won’t touch you. They just don’t trust you.”
“But they trust you?”
“I’m a demon,” Spike replied with a shrug.
“No fair. I’m nothing but a meddlesome kid.”
“But you’re a sexy meddlesome kid.”
“Duh.”
“Hey, guys. What’s cooking? Angel nearly done?” Doyle sat himself down in one of the empty seats and leaned his elbows on the table.
Spike turned around to briefly check. “Don’t look like it. He’s still in conversation with the object of Xander’s nightmares.”
“He’s scary looking,” Xander explained.
Doyle gave him a look. “You of all people should know not to judge a book by its cover.”
“I’m not saying he’s evil. I’m just saying that…he looks evil. He has evil lookage. And have you seen the size of his claws? Those things could easily rip open a stomach or a bag of chips in a split second. That’s speedy, my friend. And sharp, too.”
Doyle chuckled and shook his head. “You’re out of your tree, man.”
“Who was that bloke you were nattering to?” Spike asked, motioning his head towards the crowd of demons.
“Just an old mate. We used to be poker buddies.”
“You play poker?” Xander asked. “How come I didn’t know that?”
“Because I don’t play anymore,” Doyle answered immediately. “It’s a mug’s game.”
“Yeah, but only if you lose,” Xander argued. “Otherwise it’s win, win all the way to the piggy bank.”
“I used to play for slightly more than money box currency.”
“You in the big league?” Spike asked. “Broken fingers and lots’a cheating?”
“Something like that.” Doyle looked vaguely uncomfortable, so Spike dropped the subject.
“Um, you often hang out with demons?” Xander asked slyly. He’d long suspected that Doyle was more than he seemed and day by day his curiosity grew.
Doyle shrugged. “Sometimes. I never used to – when I was young. But as I got older and realised that…things weren’t always what they seemed, I hung out with a few here and there. I think Angel’s finishing up,” he suddenly said, steering the conversation away.
“All done?” Spike asked as Angel approached the table.
“For tonight.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, he doesn’t trust me. And why should he? A vampire that kills his own kind with a Childe that does the same. And two humans that are…human.”
“So, he won’t help us?” Xander asked.
“No. Not yet.”
“Does it really matter, Angel? There are other informants,” Doyle reasoned.
“Not like this one. Breeta’s got the lowdown on just about all the dodgy demon activity in this area. If we can get him onside, it could really help us in the future.”
“And just how are we going to get him onside? Sacrifice a baby to his demon god? Put on a little skit? What exactly is it going to take this time?”
“Spike -” Angel started.
“Okay, okay, no fighting! Please!” Xander interrupted, jumping quickly between them. In the weeks since Angel had got the chip out of his head, things had been slowly going back to normal between Spike and his Sire. In other words, they were fighting like cat and dog. In a way it was sort of comforting, but in another it was annoying – especially at two in the morning after a long day of listening to Cordelia bitch about her manicurist. “Angel, just tell us. What is it going to take to convince him to help us?”
Angel hesitated before answering. “…I don’t know. Maybe just perseverance. Maybe more. He needs to see that he can trust us to clear up this neighbourhood.”
*This* neighbourhood had once been a good one. A place where families could thrive, children could play in the park and where you could walk down the street without fear of catching a bullet in your back. But that was all slowly disappearing. A wave of crime, drugs and guns had hit this corner of the city hard and the citizens were going crazy with fear, paranoia and the basic need to survive.
The result? A demon war that was about to spiral out of control.
There were three key players:
K’Bat, a cross-breed demon that specialised in drugs that could melt a human brain and hook a demon after the second hit.
Isaac, a bitter and twisted Snarf demon that lived on the fear of others and had an extra special fascination with guns.
Sharl, a demon that was so far in the shadows that no-one even knew what breed he was. His name was the definition of fear and the demon populous cowered from it. Angel wasn’t sure what his involvement was, but the demon did seem to have a five block territory that kept out other gangster activity.
These three demons were greatly feared and, although they were the cause of the neighbourhood problems, no-one was about to point the finger at them. Not without protection and a guarantee of absolute safety.
“So we just keep coming back, then, every night until he does trust us,” Xander said, gathering up his jacket. “Maybe he can tell us something small and we can sort it out for him. Maybe that would help.”
“That’s actually a good idea…” Angel started.
“I’m glad you think so. But not tonight. Some of us have freaky brain-power training with Jaham in the morning. An early-ish night is definitely called for.”
Angel nodded and stared around him. This place was a haven. He wondered for how much longer that would be true.
“We come back tomorrow.”
TBC…
