Fic: From out of Nowhere - Part 10 - Pandemonium - Chapter 2

[suki_blue]

Series 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.

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.

Previous Chapter in the tag.

Beta'd by kitty_poker1



It was six o’clock in the evening and Xander had been through eight hours of training with Jaham. This was now a daily event. As the weeks had passed Xander had set fire to two couches, Angel’s carpet and had accidentally caused lightning to strike a poor defenceless mail box that had refused to open up.

Angel’s carpet hadn’t been an accident. Xander just hated it and after finding out that Doyle did, too, he decided to do his friend a favour.

All this meant that Xander needed serious training to harness his powers and prevent him from hurting himself and those around him. And, at Spike’s insistence, Xander was learning how to use those powers in defence and attack. As far as Spike was concerned, the more arsenal Xander had at his disposal the better. It helped Spike to sleep better at night…day.

“Wakey, wakey, rise and shine,” Jaham whispered to bring Xander out of his trance. His training always began and ended with meditation that put him under so deep that he seemed to leave his body and just float away.

Xander’s eyes flickered and slowly opened. “Hey, are we all done?”

“Yes. For today. How do you feel?”

“Am I supposed to say empowered? Rested? Meditated?”

“You may say whatever you feel.”

“Okay, then. I feel…excited!”

“Ah, I thought a saw an extra bounce in your flame throwing this morning.”

“Yeah, sorry about your drapes, man.”

“That’s quite alright. I can get more.”

“Exactly! That’s what I tried to tell Angel about his carpet. He wasn’t quite so understanding, though. How was I to know it was an antique? But then again, it did look totally old.”

Jaham motioned Xander to his feet and passed him a large glass of orange juice. “And why are you so excited?”

“It’s my birthday tomorrow.”

“Congratulations, young man.”

“Thanks. This will be my last day as a teenager. Tomorrow, I become a fully fledged adult.”

“That certainly is something to be excited about.”

“Oh, but that’s not the best part. Spike’s going to give me my main present today. He said he would have given it to me tomorrow, but tomorrow is Sunday and they wouldn’t let him get it then. It had to be today.”

Jaham gave him a curious look. “Sounds interesting. Any ideas what it might be?”

“No idea. Spike said he was having trouble deciding what to get me for my main present but then, from out of nowhere, he had this idea. Anyway, I gotta run. Duty calls. I gotta go help Cordy mind the… one phone that we have.”

“Of course. Well, it’s been nice to see you again. Will you be attending tomorrow?”

“Absolutely.”

“Wonderful. Perhaps we can work some more on the telekinesis? I’m positive that it is lying dormant somewhere. Best find it before it finds you, yes?”

“Great! Sounds like a plan. See you then.”

“Goodbye, and mind how you cross the street. The traffic gets worse by the day.”

Xander nodded in agreement and offered Jaham a blinding smile. He never got tired of Jaham’s fussing. The old man was fast becoming a beloved friend.

The journey home was a quick one, even though Xander chose to walk rather than take the bus. Considering that he fought beside two vampires and…whatever the hell Doyle was, Xander needed every opportunity to keep fit. And he took those opportunities wherever he could. Power walking - Xander-style - home from Jaham’s was just one of them.

These walks home also gave Xander time to reflect and think, a little bit of alone time which was essential to keep him sane. He would think about that day’s session with Jaham, Spike, his consort status, Angel’s recent problems, Doyle’s secret, his own future. Sometimes he would just let his brain wander and see what it came up with.

Today Xander’s brain decided to think about college. He and Spike had first discussed this back when they lived in their little house in Sunnydale. Spike was convinced that Xander had a talent for art and had persuaded him to consider applying for UC Sunnydale.

Of course, none of that had happened. Not because Xander had wussed out but because the Initiative had struck and made it too dangerous for him and Spike to be in Sunnydale. After the fall-out they had left immediately and come to LA with Angel. So, with all that upheaval, Angel’s near breakdown, the chip, the problems with Graham, not to mention Xander’s gift from Isis, college had been pretty low down on the list.

But things were calmer now – from a personal point of view. Perhaps when the whole demon war thing was all said and done - and Xander had no doubt that with Spike and Angel on the case it would be – he could consider the option of college again. He was sure that Spike would still support and encourage him and the thought of having something of his own, something that no-one else he knew could do was very exciting. Well, he was the only one among them that could do a rain dance, but that was hardly the same thing.

“Hey, Cordy. What’s the sitch?” Xander asked as he stepped through the Angel Investigations door. “Any demons to chase or oogie boogies to smack down?”

“Nada,” Cordy replied without looking up from her book.

Xander sat himself on her desk and fiddled with her pencils. “Watcha reading?” He tilted up the book to look at the cover. “Exorcism for Dummies? Cordy, I think this might be a little advanced for you.”

Cordelia looked up and glared. “Mock all you want. But don’t come running to me when your head starts spinning around and you vomit your lunch all over the floor.”

“And ruin another carpet? I wouldn’t dare. Don’t worry. I promise to remain possession free. Are Angel and Doyle up yet?”

“Hey, it says here that a demon can possess your body at any time. And yes, they’re in Angel’s office.”

“Great. Thanks. For both pieces of info.” Xander slipped off the desk and made his way into Angel’s office without a glance back.

“Oh, but you may want to…!”

“GAH!”

“…knock,” Cordelia finished. “Ooops.”

“Oh, my god,” Xander cried, slapping his hands over his eyes. “I so did not need to see that. I’m definitely deleting that from my memory banks.”

Angel and Doyle pulled apart. “I-I didn’t hear you coming,” Angel spluttered.

Xander kept his eyes covered and instinctively turned away. “Please tell me you’re talking to me and not Doyle. Because if you two aren’t done then can I suggest that I go away and come back at a more convenient time?”

“What’s this, then?” Spike asked in an amused tone as he appeared at the door and leant on the frame. “Blind man’s buff?”

“There’s a blind man in the buff?! Oh, gods, did I step into the Twilight Zone?”

Spike chuckled and moved to pull Xander’s hands from his eyes. “Blind. Man’s. Buff. You gone deaf as well as barmy?”

“No. I just can’t hear very well when my eyes are shut.”

“That statement could only have come from you.”

“Well, it’s true!”

“I have no doubt. Now shut your trap and gimme a kiss, sexy.”

Xander grinned and did just that. The most wonderful place in the world was right here in Spike’s arms, and it had been hours since he’d felt them wrapping around him and holding him tight. Spike’s lips were cool to the touch and Xander felt a chill go through his body as their tongues met and slid together.

“Euw. Gross. It isn’t enough that I have to put up with the touchy twins here – I have to deal with the two of you going at it, too? I don’t get paid nearly enough for this.” Cordelia stood indignantly with her hands on her hips and her nose turned up.

“Yeah, whatever, luv,” Spike laughed. “You love it and you know it.”

“Spike, you’re a pig. And there’s someone on the phone for you.”

“Ah. Great.” Spike released his lover with a final peck to his lips and walked back into the main office.

“And I’m not your secretary!” Cordelia shouted after him as an afterthought.

Doyle smirked. “But if you were, you’d be so good at it. Great dresser, wonderful hair, perfect shoes – you’re every guy’s dream secretary.”

“Really?” Cordelia smiled. “Hey, you’re right. Anybody would be lucky to have me. I mean, so what if my typing sucks and my filing bites. At least I look good while I’m doing it!”

Everybody nodded and made positive noises.

“Right. All set,” Spike announced.

“For what?” Angel asked.

“For Xan’s surprise birthday present, of course.”

“Oh! What is it?!” Xander asked.

“Not telling! Wouldn’t be a surprise, then, would it?”

“I guess not. Can I try and guess?”

“No.”

“Not even with Twenty Questions?”

“No.”

“Can I have a hint?”

“No.”

“Not even a small one?”

“Not one more word, luv, or you’ll get nothing.”

Xander pouted.

“And pack that in, too. It won’t work – much. Stop it!”

Xander grinned and flopped into Angel’s chair. “So when do I get it?”

“When I go and pick it up.”

“And that would be when?”

“Tonight. After we’ve done our bit at Pandemonium. Speaking of which, what’s the plan, Peaches?”

Angel shrugged and ushered Xander out of the chair. “We go. We blend. We see what happens. Not much more we can do at this point.”

“Are you gonna try to talk to this Breeta again?” Spike asked.

“I’ll try. I have to. We need the low-down on these ‘Kingpins’. And right now? He’s all we’ve got.”

**

“Is it me, or is it busier in here tonight?” Xander asked.

“Saturday night, man,” Doyle explained. “What demon doesn’t want to shed his briefcase and dance his troubles away after a hard day of demoning?”

“Good point. Wow, there sure are some scare-your-pants-off types in tonight. Look at that horn!”

Doyle glanced over at the demon that Angel was trying to make conversation with. That was, indeed, a very impressive horn. Doyle frowned in the general direction of his lover and for just a moment he wished that Angel wasn’t quite so single minded.

For weeks Angel had been convinced that this neighbourhood’s demon gangsters centred on this club. All arrows, fingers and claws pointed here.

Doyle wasn’t so sure. The club seemed, to all intents and purposes, to be as clean as a whistle. No drugs, no guns and even biting wasn’t allowed. But there was one thing that did tie the club to the local mooks. The bouncer – Breeta.

That name came up over and over again. Breeta appeared to be the local hardman – a protector of his people and someone that the gangs never messed with. Doyle had trouble figuring that one out. If he was that well known as opposition to the gangs, wouldn’t they just off him? Maybe they were afraid that killing him would just make him into a martyr? Or maybe they were just too afraid.

Doyle watched intently as Angel and his horned companion were joined by Breeta. He’d have to keep his eye on that one.

“Whoa, check out all the tentacles!”

Xander’s exclamation nudged Doyle from his thoughts and he looked around him until he saw the only demon that Xander could possibly be talking about.

“Wow. That is a lot of tentacles.” And there were. Attached to a stunning, electric blue demon, ten long tentacles weaved and wavered in the air. The demon was tall and slender and had the body of the most beautiful woman that either man had ever seen. Perfect in every way, the creature’s body shone with iridescent light as she moved through the crowd, her sensuous tentacles brushing softly against every male within her reach. She turned towards Doyle and Xander only momentarily and smiled before she carried on towards the bar. Her face was human in shape, but the colour and watery texture of her skin made her look very alien indeed.

She was beautiful.

And she was touching up Spike.

“Hey!” Xander slammed down the glass he was holding and marched across the club.

“Sweet Mary Mother of…” Doyle muttered as he followed along behind. He hoped to god this wasn’t going to result in a fight. Or a fire.

“Hey, blue girl! Get your rubbery tentacles off him!”

“Xan,” Spike started.

“No, I got this. I said, unhand him! Or, un-tentacle him!”

The demon slowly withdrew her tentacles. “I am sorry. I didn’t realise the vampire was taken…by a human?” She looked surprised and drew close to inhale deeply. “Almost human,” she remarked, more to herself.

“Yeah, that’s right. He is taken. By me. A human – kinda. He’s mine. So stay away or…”

“Or what, half-breed?” The demon’s tentacles rose and waved in the air in a threatening, Kali-like formation. “Do you believe you can best me?”

Spike put a hand against Xander’s chest and pushed him back. “Hang on a minute, here. Drop the tentacles and step away,” he warned the demon.

“But your lover challenges me.”

“No,” Spike insisted. “He just doesn’t want you to touch me. He doesn’t like it. He’s a bit protective like that. Got a real territorial streak, yeah?”

“Me?!” Xander squealed. “I’ve got a territorial streak?! That’s rich!”

“Shut it,” Spike told him. “He’s just guarding what’s his, understand?”

“The boy shows his loyalty to you?” the demon asked.

“Yes.”

“Then I will forgive the insult.” Tentacles lowered and Spike resisted a sigh of relief.

Xander huffed. “But, I didn’t insult…!” Spike glared. “Nothing.”

“I apologise for any…misunderstanding. Loyalty is one of the most important possessions that anyone – man or demon – can hold. My name is Gagan.”

“Spike. This is Xander. Doyle. And there’s an Angel around here somewhere.”

“It is good to meet you. Will you join me for drinks?”

“Yeah, why not.”

Gagan turned to attract the bartender’s attention.

“Do you want to sleep on the couch tonight?” Xander hissed.

“What?”

“You want to have drinks with her?!”

“Yeah? So?”

“She tried to touch you up!”

“Xan, baby, she tries to touch everybody up.”

“And how would you know?”

“Because she’s a Ka’di demon. That’s just what they do. Very highly sexed. Procreate like mad monkeys.”

“Oh, wonderful. Well, that makes me feel so much better. Why don’t you just go ahead and…mpfh.” It was hard to finish a sentence when a sexy vampire had his tongue in your mouth. And hand on your ass. And another one sliding down your pants. “Um, public place?” Xander reminded as Spike released his mouth.

“Just wanna show you how much I love you. You seemed to be needing a demonstration. Want me to go on?”

“Uh…” Xander checked around him. Apparently no-one was paying attention, especially Doyle, who had found an interesting spot on his shoes. “Demonstration, huh? I can get down with that. In fact, I think it’s definitely called for. And then perhaps an in-depth follow-up when we get home? I got a lot of learning to do.”

Spike grinned and rubbed himself against his lover. “That you do. We’d better get an early start.”

~ahem~

Spike turned his head to meet the gaze of an un-amused Angel. “Everything alright?” he enquired in his most polite voice.

“What are you doing?” came the irritated response.

Oh, yeah, Xander thought. He’s back to his old self. Oddly comforting in a bizarro kind of way.

Spike heard the thought and sniggered.

“Uh – we’re just having a drink with the lady here,” Doyle interjected before Spike could tell him in no uncertain terms exactly what he and Xander were doing.

“I am Gagan,” the lady announced, holding out a tentacle for Angel to shake. “And you must be Angel.”

“Ah, you’ve heard of me.”

Gagan looked mildly amused. “I have not. Your friends mentioned your name.”

“Oh. I see.”

Xander smirked. So did Spike.

“But what brings you to our club, Angel, with two almost humans in tow? A little risky, no? You never know who may be lurking.”

Doyle avoided Xander’s quick glance at that statement and instead went back to the spot on his shoes.

“My friends can take care of themselves.”

Gagan moved from the bar towards a booth and motioned for them to follow. Her movements were like liquid silk gliding over a smooth surface and Xander couldn’t help but stare. Until a sharp elbow brought him around.

“Oi,” Spike whispered. “Pack that in.”

“Me? You’re one to talk. Your eyes are practically bulging.”

Gagan cast a brief amused smile at them before turning back to Angel as she sat. “You didn’t answer my question, Angel,” she persisted. “What brings you here?”

“Answers. Questions. Information.”

“Of what kind?”

“The gangland kind. K’bat. Isaac. Sharl. That kind.”

“I see. I trust that you’ve had no luck.”

Angel hesitated before he spoke. “…No. Not yet.”

“And neither will you. Trust is aberrant in these parts. You will not find it easily.”

Xander interrupted. “But you know who they are.”

“Xander,” Angel chided.

Gagan smiled kindly. “It is fine. The boy is right.”

“So that means you can tell us stuff about them, right?” Xander asked.

“Correct. But why would I when talking would get me and my family killed?”

“But if you let us help you, we…” Doyle started.

Gagan finished the sentence for him. “Could take that danger away? Eliminate the threat from my shore?”

“Yup,” Xander said confidently.

“And what will you do when someone else takes their place? The ladder of succession is always present. There is always someone willing to climb to the top.”

“Then we’ll knock them back down and destroy that ladder,” Angel confirmed.

“Um, there isn’t actually a ladder, is there?” Xander asked. “‘Cause I’m kinda scared of heights.”

Gagan tipped back her head and laughed. “I’m sure your vampire will catch you.”

“But what if we’re both on the ladder. Then who’ll catch him? Hey, I guess you could catch us all, what with all the tentacles. I bet you do really well at multi-tasking.”

Gagan continued to laugh. She wiped a tentacle over her eyes before she spoke again. “Actually, I do sometimes get confused. Take my advice, young boy, never plunge a toilet and groom the cat at the same time. The cat won’t appreciate it.”

Xander looked shocked for only a moment before he collapsed into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, followed by his best impression of a very shocked feline.

“So, what else can you do with your appendages? How far do they stretch? Have you got suckers?”

“Xander, can we save the crazy question time for later?” Angel asked.

Spike shot his Sire a dirty look as the bartender brought over their drinks. “So if you won’t give us information, who will?” he asked.

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t give you information.”

Xander nodded his head in agreement.

“So, you’ll talk to us?” Doyle asked.

“I didn’t say that either.”

Xander fiddled with a beer mat and accidentally flicked it in the air, narrowly missing Gagan’s top left tentacle. “Ooops. How about if we prove to you that we can get the job done, then will you help us?”

“Maybe.”

“Great. Well, here’s our number. Angel, give her a card. Call us. We help the helpless and the hopeless.”

Gagan scooped up the card that Angel laid on the table and began to walk away. “Angels and demons. Who would have thought?”

Xander gave his friends a thumbs up. “I think we’re on to something.”

“She won’t call,” Angel insisted.

“She might,” Doyle argued.

Angel shook his head.

“Come on, guys,” Xander encouraged. “Lets see some positivity!”

Spike slung an arm around Xander’s shoulders and pulled them both back to recline in the seat. “Yeah, nothing like a bit of positive thinking. Well done, luv. I bet she’ll call tomorrow. In the meantime, who wants another round?”

“Gods, yes, me.” Xander held up the concoction that Gagan had bought him. “I didn’t even dare sip this. Spike, green steam can’t be healthy.”

Spike took the glass and examined it. “Probably for the best. Looks like poison for alien rats. Or that cheap Wal-Mart pop.”

“Really?! Oh, I love that stuff! Gimme!”

TBC…