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Emitter: Angel
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11 idiot vampires led by one slightly less idiotic leader.
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After Glory, Angel and Faith are almost relieved to be fighting a dozen idiot vampires.
9/26/2016 8:00 PM
Golden Gate Park San Francisco
Golden Gate Park[]
The western side of the park features a number of athletic fields, open meadows, and lakes. Also located here are the Golden Gate Park Stadium in the center of the area and Murphy's Windmill near the southwest corner. By contrast, the northwest corner features the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden and the Dutch Windmill. This area also features a dog training field, senior center, model yacht racing area, bison paddock, and equestrian center. For fishermen there are the fly casting pools and Anglers Lodge, and of course the park has its own golf course. Amidst the more grown-up diversions, a playground can be found along the south side of the park. The western edge of the park stands atop the cliffs of the coast, overlooking the shimmering Pacific Ocean.
The eastern entrance to the long stretch of Golden Gate Park is preceded by a block-wide strip of parkland extending eight blocks towards down. Here, a gate offers one of the many access points to the park itself. Major features in this area are the children's playgrounds and carousel, tennis courts, several sports fields, and the large Sharon Meadow. A bit farther in one can find the Conservatory of Flowers, the oldest glass-and-wood Victorian greenhouse in the Western Hemisphere and home to more than 10,000 plants from around the globe. Several buildings, such as the California Academy of Sciences and a few museums, are housed in the center beyond the Garden of Shakespeare's Flowers, and near the western edge of this area of the park is the Japanese Tea Garden.
The park is a world away from the city, with enough trees to feel like a forest broken up by cobbled paths and dirt trails in between broad lawns and playgrounds. There are several large ponds or small lakes, and even a waterfall or two. It is cool and peaceful here, and it's large enough that even though the park is very popular there always seems to be room for everyone.
The evening's stars are mostly hidden by dark clouds above. In autumn, nighttime temperatures approach an average of 45?F. The leaves are turning to red and gold, collecting in piles on the ground. There is a chill on the air. It's foggy and cool.
Despite the new Mantle allowing Angel greater freedom of movement during the day, the truth is, evil still lurks at night. And things that prey upon the innocent seem to like doing so here at the park. The thin veil here seems to be the nearest equivalent for a 'Hellmouth' in terms of people getting eaten or whatever. So, Angel's out here on patrol, in his typical black trench coat and all. What fiends lurk tonight? Time will tell...
Plus, to be honest? Faith is often more comfortable during the hours of darkness. She's given Buffy back the scythe and has only her normal selection of stakes and knives. Wandering along next to Angel, she does not look like a Slayer on full alert.
Angel has his usual stakes, but should he need a weapon, the Glamour on Caladbolg hides it from view, much like an Immortal's blade does, unless and until it should be needed. Though it isn't an official mission and the weapon will not operate at full strength just now. So far, the Park is quiet, and the autumn chill is quite notable. "It's getting quiet..." Which means the line of duty probably isn't too far away...
"Yay. I don't smell any vampires yet." Of course, could be another kind of vampire, could be a demon, could just be human idiots casting spells they don't understand...so many possibilities.
Were they downwind? They must've been. What's interesting, though, is the numbers. There must be a dozen vampires cruising the park as a gang. 'Gang related, PCP indeed.' They don't usually gather in such groups, so something interesting must be going on. "...I don't like the looks of that. I think we have some fun to ruin."
"Looks that way." Faith tugs a stake out from her jacket and twirls it. "Shall we?"
"Let's!" And Angel...doesn't just blindly rush in. With a group this size, he's actually wondering how many he can pick off before they even notice they're being targeted. After all, he's a vampire too, they might not recognize him as a threat. "We'll take 'em out quietly, and see how long it takes for them to notice they're missing a few."
Angel demonstrates the concept by sneaking up behind the vampire in the rear...and staking him in the back. And then he walks along with the group like he'd been there all along. Because it's funny.
Faith Lehane manages not to laugh. She can't quite do that, of course...they'll hear her heartbeat...but it's still funny. Instead, she's going to sneak closer, closer, let's see how long before they notice her.
These idiots don't notice the heartbeat lurking around...or perhaps they do, but only as a meal, not as a threat. One of them finally turns around, and, "Where'd John go?" "Said he was hungry, went to get lunch" Angel replies. "Goddammit, he just fed last night, he's going to draw too much attention..." The leader doesn't sound pleased.
One of the other vamps says, "Well, I'm hungry too!" Angel nods once. "I hear a heartbeat over there behind that tree, eat up." Of course, that heartbeat is Faith, so that's going to end badly for him. "But we're not waiting for you. You can catch up later." And then the company turns to march forward again. Angel brings up the rear...and casually stakes another one in the back, who didn't even get to scream. He's just...dust in the wind.
Behind a tree? Yup, Faith behind a tree, stake ready, and these guys don't even need to be softened up. Meaning vampire goes behind tree, vampire does not come back out.
That's 3 of 12 down, and they haven't even noticed there's a problem yet. The next time somebody turns around, "And now where's Bruce?" Angel shrugs, "Broke off to share the snack, I guess." Of course, by now, the heartbeat is now likely behind a different tree. A siren's call of food wonderful food to the troop. Bob says, "Hey, got another snack over there..." Of course, it's the same 'snack' as before. Angel nods, "Have fun! Sounds like a strong heartbeat, should feed you well." And Bob goes off to have his 'snack.' Always thinking with their teeth, which...is turning out to be a fatal habit for these guys.
They turn around again, and Angel casually stakes ANOTHER one in the back. Not a noise was made.
Yup. Heartbeat behind tree. Nice bait. Nice trap. And she isn't even having to use Rabbit's blood this time. She's stil managing not to laugh. Barely.
Now 5 out of 12 are down. Next time they turn around, the boss is starting to catch on that Something Is Wrong. "What's TAKING those idiots! You 3! Go check behind that tree and tell Bob to stop playing with his damn food and get back to the ritual!" He points to Angel and two others. Angel shrugs, "We're on it, boss!" And the 3 vampires go to check on Bob behind the tree, only to find one brunette standing there and a distinct lack of Bob. "What the..." Is all the guy in front of Angel gets out before he turns into a big pile of dust. The guy in front? Poor guy. Meanwhile, Angel, looking thoroughly amused, shouts back, "Hey, boss, you gotta come check this out!"
"What!? We don't have time for this nonsense!" The thoroughly annoyed leader starts coming over with what remains of his group...all 4 of them.
Not laughing. Totally not laughing. Esp. as she heard the word ritual. So, they were up to some serious no good. Fortunately...they were not up to *competent* no good. Stake. And waiting for all four to come over now.
So the 1 leader and 4 vamps come over to find one brunette girl and Angel standing there. And no sign of Bob or the other two who'd been sent over the check. "Well, don't just STAND there you idiot! If you're gonna eat her, eat her, we don't have time to waste if we're going to unlock the portal to D'Tagh!" Angel steps back, behind, in fact, one of the other vampires remaining. "Oh, no, after you boss. Her blood will totally help you complete the ritual, and it's so hard to find good help these days." Particularly when it keeps turning into piles of dust. Like...there goes another one. This time, the boss finally notices Angel dusting one of his people and, "What're you DOING, you traitor! Get him, guys!" Apparently they haven't noticed the 'meal' is a threat yet.
The meal smiles. It's not a very nice smile. Then she's abruptly moving, full Slayer speed, but she's not going for the two on Angel. She's going not straight, but at a neat angle, for their boss. High kick to throw him back, stake for follow up. This one MIGHT be a bit tougher.
The boss was certainly not expecting an attack from the meal! Particularly not a competent vicious attack like this. The boss, either by luck or by toughness, manages to get an arm between the stake and his chest, but Faith's strength pushes the wood right through the bones of his arm. Not enough stake left to penetrate his ribcage, though. "What the...it's a trap!"
"No, really? What gave you that idea?" Angel lets the enemy approach him, and then, with a stake in each hand, dodges left into one opponent, stakes that one, and turns to face the remaining two. One of the stooges finally gets the idea. "Wait a minute, I think I heard about something like this, a vampire gone rogue who works with Slayers..." On that thought, he turns to run away. He doesn't get far at all before Angel throws the other stake at his back. It dusts him from behind, leading just one opponent, and Faith's badly wounded boss.
Faith...leaves the stake in his arm, pulling out a second with her left hand, the right she grabs for his wrist. Showing off by going for a combo move which should leave the second stake where it belongs through his back.
The boss's luck fails to hold out a second time, and he makes an ash of himself. Meanwhile, that leaves one poor little minion against Angel. He decides to run for it. He doesn't get very far at all before a firm hand grabs him and turns him around. "Wait, please spare me!" Angel shrugs, "If you tell me what I want to know about this ritual of yours, maybe I will." "I don't know anything I swear! I'm just a follower, man!"
Angel almost sighs. "Then you're useless." And a stake later, the cowardly vamp is dead. "Should tell Giles about that ritual later. He might know what they were trying to do."
And...now they're all dead Faith bursts into peals of laughter from which it's going to take her a little bit to recover.
Perhaps it's something to do with the mantle, but Angel even laughs a little himself. Such is the power of the incurable cheerfulness of the mantle. "...I'm laughing?" This is new...
"Well, it was funny. Not one of them realized you weren't actually one of the people in the group." She straightens up. "I don't think we had much to fear from their ritual.
"
"Yeah. Well, idiots will be idiots. It was funny, though. I don't think I've laughed like that in a long time." Any number of things could be changing, but it's still interesting for Angel, often introspective, to catch himself laughing.
"And a few less..." Faith blows dust off her stakes. "...bloodsuckers out there." The stakes go back into her jacket.
"Yeah. I can't believe that worked. None of them even recognized me till the end." Well, however unusually stupid it is, the world is shy a few bloodsucking idiots now. "At least they won't be able to kill anyone else now.
"Hence why I'm not too worried about their ritual. It's probably to summon beer or something." Faith grins. "Shall we look for more>"
"We could. I doubt we'll find anything so idiotic the next time, but that just makes it more of a challenge." If they find anything else tonight, that was a pretty big group.
"They probably...hrm. I'm not smelling anything else, at least not yet. Well, other than the fashion failure over there, but I'm thinking that's human." It is.
Angel halfsmiles, "Good thing you're not Cordelia, she'd have insisted it's a demon from the worst Hell and we should slay it immediately." But yes, that is just a terribly tackily dressed human. Well, there's worse in the world.
"It's ugly enough," Faith notes. "But Cordelia is the one who really cares about such things."
"It's true. So she'd either tell us to kill it or hand it a business card because 'we help the hopeless.'" And Cordy would certainly consider that poor soul very, very hopeless.
Faith Lehane laughs a bit. "Oh man. That latter is tempting." She studies the unfortunate individual some more. "Is she color blind?"
Angel shrugs, "I have no idea, fashion's not my thing." Possibly why the vampire wears black all the time. It goes with itself, and goes with anything. After all, he can't look in a mirror.
"Cordelia hasn't really made that much of an effort to make you over yet." Of course, now Cordelia's talking to Faith...guess who's likely next on the list.
"Probably thought to give Buffy first shot at it. But if she doesn't get around to it, it's only a matter of time before Cordelia drags me to the Hell Dimension known as the mall." Granted, it's only a hell dimension for guys like him, but a hell dimension nonetheless.