Hell 2.0, or Spike Makes a Friend.

[rudolphofvamps]

[ he was carrying his sword and an axe today, plus some stakes for good measure. not that there were many vamps left out here. a serial killer had to be easy to spot, right?

spike climbed off cordy, but nothing for miles smelt human.. he was starting to get nervous, brian could hack up girls but could he really hold his own here? he took a deep, albeit unneeded breath and kept his senses keen, cordy watching his back ]

Comments

[rudolphofvamps.livejournal.com]

Oh, no doubt about that, is a drag, mate. Can't say as I miss the beach, what with this delicate skin of mine.

[acrotomophile]

[he snorts] Delicate, sure. But there must be some perks, aside from the Dorian Gray thing.

[rudolphofvamps.livejournal.com]

I heal fast, for one. Can only kill a vampire a few ways, but I got that super strength goin' for me too. Course, most vampires get the luxury of bein' guilt free. Once you put the soul back in, no such luck.

[acrotomophile]

Is that how it works? [he asks, more genuinely interested now.] That's interesting. So a soul acts like a conscience.

I wonder if there'd be any difference if I lost mine.

[rudolphofvamps.livejournal.com]

[ he tilts his head ]

Maybe not, huh?

[acrotomophile]

What defines a sociopath? [rolling his eyes] It's beyond me. Everyone has their own internal standards, their own bias. It's not something that affects me.

[rudolphofvamps.livejournal.com]

Don't really see anything wrong with that, be honest. Makes things simpler, probably.

[acrotomophile]

[he can't help it - he starts laughing]

You're a singular kind of guy, Spike. I like you. So are we gonna kill some demons or what?

[rudolphofvamps.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. [ Spike flashes a smile, rounding the corner - they're hidden by a half demolished building. A gang of suspiciously human-looking creatures is gathered there. But some have extra limbs or strange-colored eyes. Antennae, or bumpy skin. Some, more disturbing still, are indistinguishable from an actual human. Only Spike knows the difference. ]

See them? Been trying to find these guys for weeks.

[acrotomophile]

What's been keeping you? Am I just a lucky charm or something?

[ Brian hauls his bag up and zips it open. ] Okay, wait, I need your opinion. Garrote or knife?

[rudolphofvamps.livejournal.com]

Must be.

Knife, mate. ..Who still carries a garrote? I'm almost impressed.

[acrotomophile]

Only almost? I'll have to try harder.

You'd be amazed what's useful post-mortem. Or maybe you wouldn't, what do I know. [He pulls a barely-legal sheathed hunting knife out and sticks it through his belt, zipping the bag closed again and swinging it around to hang behind him. Ordinarily he wouldn't work with weapons at all, preferring to leave the body untouched, but this is a different world, and demons, and Spike had said to. Brian wanted to make a new friend and all.]

[rudolphofvamps.livejournal.com]

[ Spike steps out, making himself known without revealing Brian right away. Though he knows full well human is an unmistakable smell. Especially down here. ]

Well, well, what've we got here?

[ the demon lot seems to tighten up a bit, wide eyes going wider in surprise, maybe fear.

"...Spike..." is the only word that can be made out between them. ]

That's right, former king of Beverly Hills. All bloody hail.

[ one snickers, but Spike glares and the smirk drops from his fishface ]

Didn't think you'd mind, but I brought a friend. [ motions for Brian to come out of hiding, rushing at the previously snickering demon, not checking Brian's reaction. No hesitance, the sword goes in, bluegreen blood slicking his boots and the street below. Spike straightens up and turns to the others. Some are already trying to beat feet, but he doesn't really intend to let them get away. ]

[acrotomophile]

[The color of the blood is new, but Brian's filed that away, lets his honest reactions become needless background noise. He makes some quick deductions on how they'll expect him, a human, to react, based on what he sees and what Spike's told him, and as one demon turns to run past him he affects wide-eyed fear.

As he'd expected, it sees him as temptingly easy prey and veers sharply to grab him. Brian lets him get close, and then side-steps, not fast enough to entirely avoid him. His left hand comes up as he moves, driving the knife into the demon's gut and slicing up hard until it meets rib cage.] I might not know everyone's anatomy, [he says coolly, a hint of amusement on his face as it gasps in pain, shivering down onto its knees,] but a stomach wound is a stomach wound.

[It is a fight, so he can't stay preoccupied here, grandstanding or no. Brian uses one hand to brace the thing and hauls his knife out of him, turquoise blood of a strange consistency drenching his knife and hand and the pavement. The demon collapses to its knees in it, still in shock as its guts spill out.]

[rudolphofvamps.livejournal.com]

Nice work, mate! [ Spike calls across the carnage, getting distracted for almost one second too long, but he's grinning as he beheads the second one - like a knife through butter ]

Watch it, [ he manages to call out, the wounded fishman grabbing at Brian's leg ] This would be a lot easier if you all just dropped dead, huh? [ Spike grits his teeth, chopping up another demon before managing to slide closer to Brian in case he needs help ]

[acrotomophile]

[Brian's not doing perfectly, but he'd be damned if he needed help when he was trying to show what a cool cucumber he was. He'd been in just enough fights to know that if you couldn't out-power your opponent, you could out-vicious them, and intimidate them that way. That in mind, he used his free foot to kick the fishman sharply in the face, then reached down and plunged his knife deep into its eye, until the blade of it scraped against bone.

He certainly wasn't taking out as many as Spike was, but he liked to think he was making an impression. Leaving the knife there, he straightened up and said,] Anyone else?

[rudolphofvamps.livejournal.com]

[ Spike points to the one, getting away, before calling to it in a strange language. ] Bloody coward. Scared of a human are we?

[ The demon turns, eyes glowing an unEarthly blue. Suddenly, Spike finds himself flat on the ground, slimy fish hands closing in on his throat ]

Are you bloody stupid, mate? Vampire's don't breathe. [ he kicks the thing off him, reaching for his sword, stabbing it shallowly in the arm when it tries grabbing at him again. He turns to Brian, an almost bored look on his face. ] That blood'll never come out, you know. Sticks to everything. These were my favorite jeans.

[acrotomophile]

[Brian has to laugh, backing up a few steps from the carnage and setting his bag down on the ground. In a wide scale battle, or against one of these things determined to kill him, he'd probably be toast - or at least in serious trouble.

Picking a fight yourself was another story entirely, though he still felt on edge enough to be continually glancing around, making sure he kept track of where everything was, even as he laughed. Paranoia and enjoyment didn't need to be mutually exclusive in his book.]

We'll have to pick up some new ones for you on the way back to the hotel, honey, [he says, mimicking a concerned 1950's housewife with decent skill.]

[rudolphofvamps.livejournal.com]

[ Spike got to his feet, holding his sword to the thing's neck. He acknowledged Brian's words with a slight smile, but he was speaking in that funny language again. ]

Tell all your fishy friends that Spike's gonna run this town, huh? If you got any left.

[ When the thing didn't immediately get up, Spike lunged at it, and it ran - dripping a teal beeline away from the scene of the crime. ]

Not really like killing people, is it? [ he said, voice a bit dark as he brushed past Brian, tucking his sword back onto his back. ]

[acrotomophile]

What's with the dramatics? It's exactly like killing people.

[Apparently they aren't sticking around. Brian grabbed his bag again and jogged lightly after Spike to keep up.] Demon, person, only difference is anatomy as far as I'm concerned.

[rudolphofvamps.livejournal.com]

It is, you know. Got your bad people, your good demons. Nothing's black and white, the way I thought they were.

[acrotomophile]

You thought it was black and white? But you're one yourself. How'd that work?

[rudolphofvamps.livejournal.com]

Back when I was evil, I mean.

[acrotomophile]

I go with the old standby: it's complicated, and I don't give a fuck. Solves everything.

[rudolphofvamps.livejournal.com]

I know that adage well enough. Just trying a new one, is all.