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Banner by Me
Chapter 5
“Spike, I need to know everything you can remember about that base. Get some paper, draw me a floor plan.”
Rather than object to Angel’s domineering tone, Spike got up and hunted down paper and pen and got to work. He wrote down everything he could remember – his cell, Xander’s, the lab, the demon dump, everything. He also tried to reconstruct the base from the exit he and Xander had taken all the way back to the lab. Everything was pretty hazy as he was either unconscious from a beating, or drugged when he was pulled from his cell.
While he was writing, Wesley was busy working on a spell to disguise them so that they could infiltrate the base.
Angel’s plan was to go that night. They didn’t want to chance anything bad happening to Xander, and the longer he was kept there, the more likely it was. Plus, if they didn’t go in soon, he wouldn’t put it past Spike to do something on his own. He’d been overly protective of Xander while they’d stayed at Angel’s house.
A bond had formed between the two while they’d been held captive and it didn’t take Angel being a genius to figure out that something was going on between them… no matter how much Xander had objected when asked.
He just hoped that Xander knew what he was getting into associating with Spike.
“Well?” Angel asked. He was hovering over Spike’s shoulder, watching as he put the finishing touches to his makeshift map.
“Best as I can remember it,” Spike said. “Was kept drugged up a good bit of the time.” Or I was beaten unconscious.
“We’ll risk it. I’m sure we’re going to be flying by the seat of our pants anyway. This, at least, gives us something to work with. What about guards?”
“Pretty much everywhere. Before… Xander and I stole some uniforms. Helped us get around unnoticed for the most part. May wanna do that again.”
Angel nodded. “Alright.” He turned to Wesley. “Wes?”
“I’m ready.”
“Then let’s go.”
~*~*~*~*~
“So how are we going to get in?” Cordelia asked.
“Like this,” Angel said. He took an ax to the ground where Spike had indicated, and didn’t stop until the stairs leading down to the base were revealed. “Alright, everybody stick together.”
Spike went down the stairs first, followed by Cordelia, Oz, Wesley, and Doyle. Angel brought up the rear. They’d timed their arrival, hoping that the early hours of the morning would have a decreased number of soldiers patrolling the facility. So far, they’d gone down two floors and had encountered no one. Either the spell was working, or their hunch had paid off.
“Shh!” Spike said suddenly, holding up his hand for quiet. A moment later he took off running down the hallway, going right when the hall came to a dead end.
“Go!” Angel urged. He’d heard the sounds coming from nearby, figuring it had to be the holding cells.
When they burst through the door, Spike was fighting off four soldiers. Another three were arming themselves with what appeared to be tranquilizer guns. Another soldier was reaching for the microphone on a control panel in the far corner of the room. Various demons were pounding on the windows that made up the front of their cages, sensing their possible freedom.
Angel went after the soldier trying to sound the alarm and everyone else fanned out to take on the remaining soldiers. He easily disarmed the man, then threw him towards the other soldiers that had just turned away from the weapons rack. They all went down in a heap, giving the others time to surround them.
“Drop it!” Cordelia demanded of one of the soldiers still holding his weapon. She was brandishing a stun gun and was eager to use it. The soldier held up his hand, palm up, and the gun slid free. “Wise decision.”
Spike finished off the last of the soldiers he’d been fighting then began frantically searching the cages for Xander. He nearly passed by him, not recognizing the completely shaved body huddled naked in the corner.
“Angelus!” Spike shouted, pounding on the door to Xander’s cage. “Get these doors open!”
“Wes!”
Wes rushed to Angel’s side and tried to figure out what button opened the doors. “Got it!” He pushed the button marked five and the door Spike had been pounding on slid open.
Spike rushed forward and knelt at Xander’s side. “Oh, pet!” He carefully lifted the boy in his arms, mindful of the small cuts to his body that had yet to fully heal.
“Let’s get out of here,” Spike said as he stepped out of Xander’s cage.
They would have, but a commotion at the far end of the room drew their attention. The door flying inward had everyone scattering.
“What the bloody hell is that?”
“Cordelia, look out,” Doyle shouted. He shoved her out of the way and received a backhand to the face for his trouble.
Angel leapt the console and shouted for Wesley to open all the cages, and threw himself at the demon that seemed determined to take his team apart. While he had it distracted, he noticed that Oz was helping Cordelia to her feet and leading her towards the exit at the opposite end of the room. Spike, cradling an unconscious Xander, was right behind him.
Wesley got the doors opened and shouted in triumph.
“Wes, get Doyle and follow Spike!” Angel yelled.
Angel was thrown back and crashed into the demons just now emerging from their cages. He made sure his team got out, then shoved demons between him and the freaky looking demon Frankenstein still advancing towards him.
An alarm sounded and Angel knew that in a matter of minutes the place was going to be flooded with soldiers. He turned and ran, quickly catching up with the others.
“Hurry!” he said. “We don’t have a lot of time.”
They all ran as best they could back the way they’d come. Eager to be away. For the night to be over.
They all were a little worse for wear, some more than others.
~*~*~*~*~
Spike strode into the mansion, Xander still held in his arms, and went towards the bedrooms, claiming the one furthest away for himself and Xander. He walked in and kicked the door shut, then set Xander down on the bed.
He wanted to get Xander cleaned up, but didn’t want to reopen the cuts on his body. Instead, he stripped out of his clothes and climbed into bed, gathered Xander in his arms and slept.
~*~*~*~*~
“Don’t!” Angel said when Cordelia tried to check on Xander.
“But he’s hurt.”
“Spike will look after him.”
“But—”
Angel looked firm and Cordelia finally relented. “You should probably get some rest. I want to be out of Sunnydale as soon as Xander’s better.”
“Angel! The tracer!” Cordelia suddenly remembered.
Angel was up and moving before she could say anymore. He yanked open the door and stared down a snarling Spike. Cordelia came up behind him holding a kitchen knife.
“We’ve got to get rid of the tracer, Spike.”
Spike’s eyes widened and he carefully turned Xander onto his stomach and began probing the area where his had been placed. It had to be there because it was the only area on Xander’s body that had been left alone.
“You got a knife?” Spike asked.
“Here,” Cordelia said. She moved into the room and handed the knife to Spike.
He held it poised over the area he figured the piece of metal to be and hesitated.
“Want me to do it?” Angel asked.
Spike nodded, grateful, and handed the knife to Angel. He held Xander while Angel lifted a section of skin and made a small incision, and then another, then folded the skin back to reveal the small piece of metal with a flashing red light. He used the flat edge of the knife to pull it free and backed away as Spike moved in and began licking the skin back into place.
“Come on, Cordy. We’ve got to get rid of this before the soldiers track it here. I’m not sure how well the concealing spell will hold up against such harsh scrutiny.”
He walked back out into the living room.
“Oz, you think you can drive this around and then chuck it somewhere.” Angel held up the tracer.
“Sure.”
“Wesley, go with him.”
Angel opened the door to walk the two outside and encountered Buffy, hands on her hips and ready to do battle.
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