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fandomtownies2005-11-18 07:58 pm
notstakedyet.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomtownies2005-11-18 07:58 pm
In the woods outside of town
[You should definitely read this, then this, then this before reading
Pain was no stranger to him. He'd been tortured by many, abused by experts, and even sent into hell for so long that he honestly couldn't answer the question of how many years or even centuries he'd spent there.
He also knew pain. How to cause it, create it, make it into his own personal symphony played out on the instrument of the human form.
But nothing was like this. Nothing was like the deep, unrelenting agony that had taken hold of every cell of his being and refused to let go.
He ran. It didn't help, but he couldn't not run. Instinct older than he was took a hold of him and made him move to get away, to get out, to try to escape the one thing that would never ever leave him.
Somehow he was in the woods. He knew that distantly, as his senses took in the feeling of branches snapping against his burnt chest as he ran through them. But the flashes of pain that those caused were nothing compared to what was inside of him.
He ran until he couldn't run anymore. His foot hit a root. He stumbled, fell, and rolled through piles of dead leaves and cold earth.
He stopped where gravity stopped him. He lay there, curled into himself, and prayed for death.
Dean Bristow stepped out from behind a nearby tree, as if he'd been waiting. "Get up."
Angel managed to push himself up to his hands and knees. He listed, as though his muscles weren't fully capable of supporting his weight.
Brown eyes blinked and tried to focus.
"Bristow?" he asked, as though not fully certain what that word meant.
Dean Bristow glared down at the prone vampire. "Get. Up. I won't repeat myself again, Mr. Angel."
The surprise at being addressed by the correct name cut through the chaos in his mind. It didn't sober him entirely, but it was enough to bring some coherence.
Angel stood up, slowly, leaning heavily on a tree for support.
"You're tired. You're confused. I understand this. I don't care." Dean Bristow crossed his arms. "People have died."
"Did you do it?" Angel asked, quietly. As though realizing the question wasn't clear enough, he added, "Bring me back?"
"This was not my plan. I would have preferred that you rot for your crimes, but I've allowed you this instead as you're more useful with a soul than without." He allowed his eyebrow to arch a few millimeters. "Perhaps I was misinformed."
Angel's fingers dug into the tree trunk. It was clear it was taking every ounce of strength for him to stand and to focus. When he spoke, his tone was that of someone expecting to be given a specific mission. "What do I have to do?"
"You have to face them. You have to face every student at Fandom High with the knowledge of what you did, with their knowledge of what you did... and you have to survive that. As a student, I'll see that you go unharmed, but whatever else they put you through is not my concern."
The enormity of the task was not lost on Angel. "Unharmed? You'd protect me? Why?"
"There is no penance if you're dust. I don't believe Angelus can be redeemed for his crime. I'm hoping that Angel will be different." Bristow's jaw set. "However, if redemption is impossible, tell me now and we'll end this while you're still incapacitated." He pulled his jacket aside to reveal a wooden stake.
Angel looked at the stake. For a moment there was something not unlike wistfulness in his eyes. Then he set his jaw in a more determined line. "How do I know this isn't a trick? That this isn't some scheme to get me to work for evil, even with the soul?"
"You don't. But right now there are many, many people who wish you harm and I'm your only chance at surviving. You have to trust me. You have no choice."
"I want to do good," Angel said. He faced Bristow down as best as someone who was barely standing could manage. "If I can't - " he nodded at the stake, clearly acknowledging his own weak status " - then go ahead and dust me. I'm betting the fight'll be really funny."
"I somehow doubt that. Follow me. We'll get you back onto campus."
Angel's adventures continued here
***
[ooc: you know the drill by now. all this was slowplayed so IC interruptions are not possible, but ooc comments are welcome]
Pain was no stranger to him. He'd been tortured by many, abused by experts, and even sent into hell for so long that he honestly couldn't answer the question of how many years or even centuries he'd spent there.
He also knew pain. How to cause it, create it, make it into his own personal symphony played out on the instrument of the human form.
But nothing was like this. Nothing was like the deep, unrelenting agony that had taken hold of every cell of his being and refused to let go.
He ran. It didn't help, but he couldn't not run. Instinct older than he was took a hold of him and made him move to get away, to get out, to try to escape the one thing that would never ever leave him.
Somehow he was in the woods. He knew that distantly, as his senses took in the feeling of branches snapping against his burnt chest as he ran through them. But the flashes of pain that those caused were nothing compared to what was inside of him.
He ran until he couldn't run anymore. His foot hit a root. He stumbled, fell, and rolled through piles of dead leaves and cold earth.
He stopped where gravity stopped him. He lay there, curled into himself, and prayed for death.
Dean Bristow stepped out from behind a nearby tree, as if he'd been waiting. "Get up."
Angel managed to push himself up to his hands and knees. He listed, as though his muscles weren't fully capable of supporting his weight.
Brown eyes blinked and tried to focus.
"Bristow?" he asked, as though not fully certain what that word meant.
Dean Bristow glared down at the prone vampire. "Get. Up. I won't repeat myself again, Mr. Angel."
The surprise at being addressed by the correct name cut through the chaos in his mind. It didn't sober him entirely, but it was enough to bring some coherence.
Angel stood up, slowly, leaning heavily on a tree for support.
"You're tired. You're confused. I understand this. I don't care." Dean Bristow crossed his arms. "People have died."
"Did you do it?" Angel asked, quietly. As though realizing the question wasn't clear enough, he added, "Bring me back?"
"This was not my plan. I would have preferred that you rot for your crimes, but I've allowed you this instead as you're more useful with a soul than without." He allowed his eyebrow to arch a few millimeters. "Perhaps I was misinformed."
Angel's fingers dug into the tree trunk. It was clear it was taking every ounce of strength for him to stand and to focus. When he spoke, his tone was that of someone expecting to be given a specific mission. "What do I have to do?"
"You have to face them. You have to face every student at Fandom High with the knowledge of what you did, with their knowledge of what you did... and you have to survive that. As a student, I'll see that you go unharmed, but whatever else they put you through is not my concern."
The enormity of the task was not lost on Angel. "Unharmed? You'd protect me? Why?"
"There is no penance if you're dust. I don't believe Angelus can be redeemed for his crime. I'm hoping that Angel will be different." Bristow's jaw set. "However, if redemption is impossible, tell me now and we'll end this while you're still incapacitated." He pulled his jacket aside to reveal a wooden stake.
Angel looked at the stake. For a moment there was something not unlike wistfulness in his eyes. Then he set his jaw in a more determined line. "How do I know this isn't a trick? That this isn't some scheme to get me to work for evil, even with the soul?"
"You don't. But right now there are many, many people who wish you harm and I'm your only chance at surviving. You have to trust me. You have no choice."
"I want to do good," Angel said. He faced Bristow down as best as someone who was barely standing could manage. "If I can't - " he nodded at the stake, clearly acknowledging his own weak status " - then go ahead and dust me. I'm betting the fight'll be really funny."
"I somehow doubt that. Follow me. We'll get you back onto campus."
Angel's adventures continued here
***
[ooc: you know the drill by now. all this was slowplayed so IC interruptions are not possible, but ooc comments are welcome]
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*attempts to ties up Buffy to keep her away from Angel...watches the Slayer kick her ass and run off to the woods*
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*applauds the Dean and the Dude!*
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