Angel in the Frayverse

The three stood in silence. Only the hiss and boil of the lava beds outside and below disturbed it.

Suddenly Spike erupted, "A trial! A bloody, bleeding trial?"

"What you'd rather be dead?" asked Angel.

"Hell yeah," answered Spike, "that was the agreement, wasn't it? We were going out in a blaze of bleeden glory, all dragon slaying, and what not, not dancing in some demon puppet show trial."

"Going out that way, would have been the easy way. I'll tell you what. You're new to this whole redemption thing, so I'll explain it to you. The easy way is almost always the wrong way, which is why I suppose your so attracted to it.

It doesn't work that way though. The fight goes on.

As long as there's a way to live another day to fight the fight, we find it and we fight."

"I hate trials" snapped Spike.

"You've never been to one."

"I was at one once".

"And you ate the judge and the bailiff".

"Cause I hate bloody trials." Spike screamed.

"Still. I don't think that counts."

Illyria strode quietly over to the stone throne of Boluz, and sat in it. It was unusual to see Illyria sit.

"I do not seek redemption", she said, "but there are two who may seek it yet from me. What are these creatures. They are not the Wolf, Ram, and Hart I knew."

"Yeah, explain that one. Mr. high and uppity book reader guy." said Spike.

Angel answered, "Well the book says in the days of the Old ones, demon centres of power were divided into houses. Three of those house were the house of Wolf, the house of Ram, and the house of Hart."

"Those were not houses", interupted Illyria, "those were outdwellings. Vahla Ha'nesh was a house".

Illyria cocked her head, and her attention dissolved into reverie.

"And why puppies, sheep, and Bambis" said Spike, "doesn't sound like any kind of demon house to me. More like breakfast."

Angel forced his dead lungs to take a deep exasperated breath for effect, then continued, "Wolf, Ram, and Hart were not the original words describing the houses. They were translations".

"The hart of my time had teeth the length of a human man, and fed on carrion", said Illyria.

"Well, that explains why Anya was afraid of bunnies", mused Spike.

"What's that?" sputtered Angel

"Nothing", said Spike.

Angel didn't bother to pursue it. He just continued, "The Old Ones were banished from earthly reality by the Magi and the Lorranites. The demons scattered to demon dimensions. Wars developed as they moved in on each other's territories. These wars had a mystical element. They threatened to shatter the fabric of reality, or what the book called the Sh'akara; the pattern of all realities.

The Magi and the Lorranites had to stop this. They created a justice system which even demon Gods were subject to."

"So what's a Magi and a Lorranite" asked Spike, "What made them so tough?"

"You will soon stand before five of them vampire. You may inquire of them what 'makes them so tough' ", interjected Illyria."

Angel once more attempted to continue his explanation.

"There was a problem though...well maybe not so much a problem as a thing. The creation of law allowed lesser demons, craftier, sneakier ones to exploit that law. Thus Vrill and Boluz."

"Yes.." muttered Illyria, understanding now, "Yes...the tithe collectors. The counters of the bones, the dwellers in excrement".

"Vrill and Boluz", said Angel, "were underlings in the houses. Vrill from Wolf. Boluz was some kind of sewer guy from Hart."

"So where's the third then?" asked Spike.

"Not sure" answered Angel, "I think, maybe I killed him."

"You? You killed him?" spat Spike.

"Yeah I think so. He took another form at our Wolfram & Hart one time. I killed him in it. Wasn't sure it would take though. Guess it did".

"So that's the big master plan then is it?" said Spike "We do this trial thing, somehow get through that, kill lard butt and the insect, then head home for a nice gnosh of pig's blood, and a spot of tea."

"Something like that, but not exactly. We'll be representing human reality as it's champions. We'll be asking for retribution, not for ourselves, but for mystical wrongs done that reality."

"Why bother?" asked Spike. "Why don't we just grab these magic lornite guys, smack em about the ears, assuming they have ears, grab whatever it is makes em so tough, zap the gross twins with it, and go home to watch a little Manchester United on the telly."

"Because, it's been tried", said Angel, "without the soccer game, at the end, I mean."

"Oh yeah, and what happened there then?"

Illyria stood slowly, and spoke, "Illyria, God-King of the primordium was sent to an aeon of damnation, imprisoned in the Deeper Well".

Next
Gunn
 
I've only just found this one - excellent stuff N4H. Nice linkage between Angel and Fray. Do we get to find out why Wesley can't be reached or is that one for the imaginations?
 
That's one of the fun things about fanfic, for me. You're allowed to try to make personal sense of background stuff. Yeah, I'll be trying to do that with the death of Wesley.
 
Footsteps sounded far off from one of the hallways that entered the great hall.

They increased in volume and as they did it became obvious it was the marching rythym of a small group approaching.

Angel and Spike turned to face the marching sound.

Seemingly uninterested, Illyria looked to the ceiling, observing the slow drip of moisture from the tiny stalactites that formed there.

Step, step, thump. Step, step thump.

Shadows formed from the far end of the hallway. They marched towards the three in the hall, and as they did their forms took shape.

Five large tusked, helmeted demons, garbed in leather chest guards, and protective chain mail down their limbs soon stood at the entrance to the hall.

The largest of the five lifted a body length halberd it held in one hand, and thumped it heavily to the ground.

"You will come with us", it growled.

In an instaneous flash Spike recognized the red blur he'd seen in the Hyperion alley as it whizzed past him.

He blinked instinctively, and when his eyes opened, Illyria stood in front of the demon, with one fist buried in the creature's chest.

"You dare to speak!" she demanded, then with a flick flung the demon skidding to the centre of the hall.

She turned to the other four. Instinctively they backed away.

"Well that's one way to answer a page." said Spike.

"Illyria", said Angel "Can I get a moment with these guys, before you do whatever it is you're going to do."

Illyria turned to the four trembling demons.

"The merciful God Illyria has extended your life...For...a moment"

Angel walked up to the demon closest to him.

"You're supposed to take us somewhere?"

The demon nodded, drool slithering from it's bottom lip, between the tusks.

"Where?"

"To the brown man."

Angel turned back towards Spike.

"Gunn", said Spike.

"How could he be here already? What I remember of Hell dimensions, time goes slower here."

Spike just shook his head.

"Take us to him." said Angel but as he looked behind them Illyria now stood there shaking her head.

"Well, can you point us?" said Angel.

The demon's shaking hand lifted. It pointed up the hall and to the right.

"C'mon." ordered angel to Spike behind them, and the two crowded past the four demons, and up the hall.

They were half-way up it when the sounds of battle began - crashing, ripping, rending, and the horrible screams and moans of death.

Spike and Angel didn't look back. They turned the corner at the end of the hall, and saw a lit alcove at the end of the new hallway. Within it a figure stood bent over a stack of books.

The two vampires strode slowly towards the the figure in the dim light.

The hallway veered off in two directions before the entrance to the alcove.

Angel stopped at the entrance. Spike stopped behind him.

"Gunn..." said Angel incredulous, "You were behind us. We thought you'd..."

Charles Gunn looked up from the stack of books, and into the shocked faces of his two friends.

"Died?" said Gunn, now smiling, "well that's a story, isn't it? and I thought you ran. Life's just full of surprises. Isn't it?"

Angel and Spike entered the small room, and walked towards the brown skinned lawyer in the thousand dollar suit. Spike raised one pointed finger to touch his new attorney.

Gunn lurched backwards, "Hey now," he said, "no need to get all mooshy".

"But Gunn..." said Angel.

Gunn interrupted, "Look let's just begin shall we. We've got some stuff to cover, before the Cahair Binse."

"But Gunn," said Spike now.

"What", said Gunn still smiling.

"You don't have a heart-beat", answered Spike.
 
Well, duh! Gunn died, how is he going to have a heartbeat?

MAYBE HE'S SOME ZOMBIE!!! :wigglinge
 
This is really awesome N4H, especially since I finally got my hands on Fray. Please keep it up, I'm waiting very impatiently
 
Nerd4hire....dude, this is brilliant work. I'm quite jealous of you right now...this puts my writing to absolute shame.

Marvelous stuff. Very easy to get into.

I hope you stay with it. Looking forward to a little more. :: tu ::




*
 
Thanks Guys. I think in this one case, I'm going to control my natural tendency to debate, and just continue. lol 😀

----------------------

The Prosecution

The smile was frozen on the face of Charles Gunn.

"We had to go." said Angel. "I'm sorry..."

"Hey. Not to worry big guy. That running thing had me a little rattled, but now I get the big picture, and...who am I kidding it's still messed up."

Just then they all heard a familiar voice at the entrance to the alcove.

"Another vampire." said Illyria, "There are too many vampires"

"What?" said Angel.

After a moment of silence Spike blurted, "Oh. Bloody Hell. She's right. Drama of the moment n what not, we missed it. Have a sniff."

"But...what...how?"

"How?" chuckled Gunn still in good humour, "How do you think how? You send a mortal man into a nest of vampires, and then you ask how?"

"But, honestly" said Angel, "I wasn't sure any of us would make it to the alley. This, all this, this was just contingency."

"Again. Cheer up bud. I don't think it took - the vampire thing I mean. I think I'm more a Harmony vamp type, you know all toothless and what not. The vampires, my sires you know, they left me for dead. You're supposed to be dead right? I wasn't. I made it to the alley."

"He lies." said Illyria, "his energy is dark.

"So all my life I get the dark skin hate, and now I'm dead I'm gonna get the dark energy hate." replied the grinning vampire Charles Gunn.

"I do not trust this one" said Illyria, "his words are duplicitous. He speaks like a..."

"Lawyer?" asked Charles, "isn't that what you guys asked for?"

"Yeah, and how did that happen Charlie boy? How'd you get here so quick?" asked Spike.

"Quick? Where do you get quick? The SPs have been after me to do this for years. Hey if I'd known it was you guys, I'd of been on it right now, you know that. As it was, I was..."

"Hiding out?" asked Angel.

"Negotiating" replied Gunn.

Suddenly there was a loud click of static in the air, like the sound of a phonograph needle landing abrubtly on an old turntable record. Then music.

The music was sweet, old, and familiar.

"I know this one." said Angel.

"Twenty- six miles across the sea
Santa Catalina is a-waitin' for me
Santa Catalina, the island of romance, romance, romance, romance"
Click to expand...

The group stared out into the vacant hallway. A dark, rounded shadow swept past, then nothing, then another, then nothing, then another, and another, and another.

"Water all around it everywhere
Tropical trees and the salty air
But for me the thing that's a-waitin' there-romance"
Click to expand...

The hall was filled with shadows, each one dark and globular; darkest at the core, but fading into shadowy mist. One stopped and turned towards the unlikely band of three vampires and a demon god in the tiny room. Within the shadow was a large yellow eye. The shape turned, then proceeded once more down the hall.

"It seems so distant, twenty-six miles away
Restin' in the water serene
I'd work for anyone, even the Navy
Who would float me to my island dream"
Click to expand...

Spike looked down at the hallway floor. It differed from the floor in the great hall. It was black, smooth, and polished. The progression of shadows continued, then just as suddenly as they appeared, they vanished.

Silence...and then there was the sound of an approaching pair of footsteps beating time to the music. One set of loafers, and the rapid tap, tap, tap of spiked heels...approaching.

"Twenty- six miles, so near yet far
I'd swim with just some water-wings and my guitar
I could leave the wings but I'll need the guitar for romance, romance, romance, romance,"
Click to expand...

Two human figures walked past the room; a well dressed young man and woman. Angel recognized the shapes instantly, as did Charles. Spike recognized the man.

"Twenty- six miles across the sea
Santa Catalina is a-waitin' for me
Santa Catalina, the island of romance"
Click to expand...

The footsteps stopped five feet past the open entrance.

"Wait" said the voice of Lindsey MacDonald.

"We don't have time for this" answered the voice of Lilah Morgan.

And then the grinning face of Lindsey MacDonald was peering into the counsel room.

"Angel?" said Lindsey, "I don't believe it. Is that my old buddy Angel?", he looked around, "and assorted soon to be no longer on this, or any other plain of existence, cohorts of Angel? Angel, responsible for my death, and not even having the courtesy to do it himself, but having some green-skinned lackey shoot me, Angel? Is that you? My, my how them mighty do fall. One day fighting the good and noble fight for truth, justice, and the Ad nauseum way, the next quivering in a demon's holding cell."

"Lindsey." said Angel curtly.

"So", said Lindsey entering the cramped space, but carefully avoiding getting any closer to anyone than he absolutely had to, "this is a little too cramped for me. A little too Night at the Opera for my taste. Whatayou think sweetheart, not too close for you, I bet."

Spike looked gape-jawed at Illyria, then turned to Angel whispering, "What's going on? How come she hasn't pulled his head off his shoulders yet. Is he real? Is she real?"

"He is protected." said Illyria.

Spike reached out towards Lindsey. His hand met a thick, spongey almost liguid resistance. The hand of Spike went so far, then stopped.

"Some sort of barrier." said Spike.

"The nether-dwellers also" said Illyria, "the red one, and the fat yellow one. They are also protected...for now."

"Yeah, you minor players still don't get it do you? You are as usual, way out of your league. And this time, well... you're so far out, they cancelled the season, and you don't even know about it yet. You don't have a clue what you're into here do you? How about you Chuck? Your case prepared is it? Did they bother to tell you what happens to losing attorneys in this court?"

"Uh, what? Huh?" answered Gunn, genuinely shaken.

"A tropical heaven out in the ocean
Covered with trees and girls
If I have to swim, I'll do it forever
Till I'm gazin' on those island pearls"
Click to expand...

"And how about that music guys." continued Lindsey, "What can I say? The big yellow guy loves the classics."

Angel looked to the entrance. Lilah Morgan stood there, sharply dressed as always in a beige sweater and tight matching skirt, coiffed like she'd just stepped out of the salon.

"Hello Lilah." said Angel. Lilah nodded with a forced smile, then turned to Lindsey.

"If you're done gloating Lindsey, maybe we should meet the Partners, before trial. Don't wanna reprimand".

Lilah turned to Gunn, "Reprimand" she said, "around here, that's another word for being eaten. Get used to it."

"Oh yeah," said Lindsey continuing to recognize Gunn as the weak link, "and in case you're wondering, being a vampire...no escape. He gobbled the last one up like a Bezoar."

"Don't let him rattle you Gunn," said Angel, "It's what they do when they're worried."

"Yeah," said Gunn a look of worry on his own face, "I know that."

"Forty kilometers in a leaky old boat
Any old thing that'll stay afloat
When we arrive we'll all promote romance, romance, romance, romance"
Click to expand...

"And here's another thing Angel," said Lindsey, "did you ever stop to think that what you do here affects the humanity you claim to want to save. I mean correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you supposed to be some kind of champion or something?"

"Whatever the Senior Partners do, it's no worse than whatever they planned to do. All's we do is make the road there as bumpy as possible."

"Yeah well you keep telling yourself that Angel. As for myself, well it's like Lilah said we've got work to do if we're going to be sending your souls, bodies and minds to eternal damnation, which by the way in case you're wondering is what's going to happen."

"Wait" said Charles.

"Sorry Chuck, gotta run, see you in court." and with that Lindsey placed his arms at his sides with his hands pointed outwards, palms floorside. He side shuffled out of the room like an old-time vaudevillian, then down the hallway.

Lilah still standing at the entrance way shrugged.

"Boys..." she said, "They can be such show-offs. Anyway, it's down the hall, and to the left if you'd like to join us at your trial...not that it matters...oh. and Charles you might want to visit the little vampires room on your right, before you come in".

Lilah turned grinning confidently, and followed Lindsey down the hall.

"Twenty- six miles across the sea
Santa Catalina is a-waitin' for me
Santa Catalina, the island of romance, romance, romance, romance"
Click to expand...

Next:
The Defense
 
This is really good, how much more's left, when you gonna finish? its good though!!!!
 
Well to be honest I'd kind of put it to the side. It's getting much bigger than I'd originally planned.

To be honest all I wanted to do in the beginning was show some people on the posting board I was right and they were wrong about something. It was just me being petty. :banana:

You see I suggested a fanfic could have the end of Not Fade Away evolve into a trial. They said it wasn't possible, because there was no precedent.

Originally this was just going to be my childish attempt at showing them I was right. :bow:

Now though, I'm discovering every time I try to make something make sense, it creates another hole in logic that has to be plugged. For example I just rewatched the episode Deep Down where Lilah reveals there is another Senior Partner with an actual name. I believe it's Mr. Savartek, or something like that. To make this piece make sense, I have to explain that.

Its starting to look like this little fanfic experiment will have to turn into a novel if I want to do it right.

I'll tell you what though...I'll continue adding to it from time to time, if people insist on reading it, otherwise I'm going to have to admit it couldn't be done. In other words I'll have to admit I was wrong and let's face it, that'll never happen. 😀
 
Mr. Pointy
Mr. Pointy
keep it coming matey - I wanna find out what happens
As if on cue the music stopped. The four remaining in the room looked around at each other, deadpan.

"So what you got for us Gunn?" asked Angel.

"Huh?" responded Gunn still shaken.

"What do we know? What's our strategy?

"Hey, I just thought I was going where the fun was. I wasn't expecting no spooky eye things, or castrating lady lawyers, or eternal damnation. I don't know any more about any of this than any of you do."

"So what do we do then?" asked Angel of the group.

"I don't know", said Spike, "Let's kill something."

Illyria looked over at the white haired vampire with a soul, suddenly interested.

"No", said Angel, "Let's play this out for a while. There's still hope we can figure something out, after we...you know...figure things out."

Gunn began shuffling his books and folders into a large leather bag, speaking as he worked.

"Yeah well, I'll go scout things out I guess, try to figure out what's going on..."

With that Gunn lifted the bag onto his shoulder, edged carefully past Illyria, then disappeared out the alcove, and down the hall after Lindsey and Lilah.

"Gunn. Wait..." called Angel.

But Gunn was gone.

"Kind of a disgrace to vampires everywhere isn't he?" said Spike.

"That's the vampire thing though, isn't it?" answered Angel, "It affects different personalities, differently."

Spike thought on that.

"Kind of reminds of this little book-keeper type I used to have working for me."

"Things end well for him, did they?"

"The Judge ate em."

"He had humanity then..." said Angel pensively.

"It is beneath my interest" interrupted Illyria, "One of you should kill him."

Angel now, shook his head.

"No...no. There's something there. Something we need to know. How is time going so much faster in his reality? It's supposed to go slower. He says he's been a vampire for years."

"He lies." said Illyria.

"Maybe." said Angel "Still...we've got to know, what's really going on."

"So..." interjected Spike, "that's happening down the hall, I guess. The finding out what's really going on, I mean."

Angel stood nodding slowly considering the situation.

"Uh yeah...Nothing else to do then I guess, so let's do it."

Angel turned and walked quickly out of the room, then down the polished, black hall. Spike followed, the tails of the leather and cloth dusters of the two flapping in the thermal breeze of the hall. They strode towards a lit doorway at the end of the corridor, and to the left.

Illyria remained in the tiny alcove motionless. Suddenly she cocked her head, froze, then just as suddenly exited the room, and followed the two vampires whose fates had somehow become inextricably bound to her own.

Spike and Angel stopped at the doorway, and looked inside.

It was a large room with polished stone walls. Stone was the theme of it.

Two large stone tables sat at either end of the room. The table at the far end had four empty stone chairs assembled before it.

Closest to the doorway there was another stone table. Lilah and lindsey sat in two stone chairs looking upwards to Gunn, who leaned over the table from the far side speaking with sincerity in a hushed whisper to the amused duo.

At the front of the room farther even than than the empty table laid a large stone platform, elevated about six feet above the floor. There was comfortable space on it for twenty men. It sat there empty, and seemingly purposeless.

Spike and Angel turned from the stone dais, towards the back of the great hall.

A mass of gigantic, translucent, shining eyes stared back at them, each of varying colour.

The inner light of each merged with the group, and congealed to form a kind of aurora borealis of alternating colour shimmering around the crowd of eyes in the darkness at the back of the hall.

As the two vampires stared into the mass of eyes, they noticed each eye had a slight. rounded, shadowy form surrounding itself.

They were the shadows that had followed the music to this court room of dark enchantment.

Angel and Spike entered the court room. The now present Illyria followed. They walked towards the group of whispering lawyers. Gunn looked up.

"Uh, yeah guys, you sit over there. I'll be with you shortly".

Spike strutted over to a chair behind the far table, spun backwards towards the mass of eyes, offered a stage curtsey, then turned and sat with theatrical flair.

Angel walked past Gunn looking at him suspiciously, made his way to the seat beside Spike, and sat.

Illyria strode, following quietly, but remained standing beside her chair.

Spike leaned forward in his stone chair, and looked over to the other table where the three lawyers whispered in what seemed to be quiet conspiracy. His eyes narrowed in concentration. Angel noticed the action and turned to see what his co-accused was looking at.

An expression came over the face of Illyria, as close to a smile as her personality would allow.

"You can't hear them", she said bemused, "It's magic".

They thought on this a moment.

"Can they hear us?" asked Angel.

Silence...Illyria simply gazed about at her surroundings, bored yet masking attentiveness.

Spike looked down at the shoulder of Angel who sat between him, and the other table.

"Let's find out", he whispered, then asked "what's the girl's name again?"

Angel still watching Lilah, Gunn and Lindsey whispered behind his back. "Lilah", then grimmaced, as he thought to himself 'why am I whispering?'

Turning to the front of the room, Spike sat straight, and looking forward, shouted at the top of his dead lungs, "Hey everyone! I think Lilah farted!!!"

An incredulous look came over Angel's face. He turned sneering to face Spike.

"Did they look?" inquired Spike still looking towards the front of the court room.

"No", snapped Angel wondering what he was doing here in a time of inter-dimensional urgency depending only on the support of such as Spike, the uninterested Illyria, and the obviously duplicitous Gunn.
 
That took a month to make... Oh, well... that's better than me! It'd probably take me a year, or two, to come up with something that good.

HAHA! LILAH FARTED!
Gunn is working with the Senior Partners... isn't he!?
 
MentPatient said:
Gunn is working with the Senior Partners... isn't he!?
Click to expand...

Here's something I'm finding interesting about writing this fanfic.

I don't know if it's the same for all people who play at writing fiction, but with me I find I'm reading as much as writing.

What I mean by that is: I think I know what's going on, and what's going to happen, but in truth I don't. As I'm writing, twist and turns in the story come at me from I don't know where. All of a sudden the story is going some place completely different than where I expected.

So you ask me if Gunn is working with the Senior Partners. Truthfully I have to answer, I don't really know. My best guess; kind of yeah, and kind of no.
 
Yea - I get the same thing when I try to write - the story is in control, not the writer...and thus we enter Neil Gaiman territory😉
 
The Trial

Then a sound entered the hall.

It came from the corridor; a mixture of padded thumping, sliding, shuffling, and the clickety-clack of large taloned toes on the stone floor.

Vrill and Boluz appeared at the door.

Next to Lilah at the inside of the table, sat two more stone chairs, one significantly larger than the other, each chair larger than those used by the two lawyers. Boluz waddled over on his six appendages to the larger of the two chairs next to Lilah, then oozed himself backwards onto it.

Vrill clickety-clacked to the outside chair, and sat quickly down.

As if on cue Lilah turned to Vrill and Boluz, speaking rapidly, yet no sound left the large stone table. She pointed intermittently towards Gunn as she spoke. Gunn nodded. Stroking his pointed red chin, Vrill quietly considered something, then nodded back to Gunn.

This appeared to please the, young vampire lawyer. He was now facing the two demons from the front of the table. Spike and Angel could make out the mouthed words "Thank You".

Gunn turned and smiling now, bounced over to the table on Angel's side of the hall, a new found spring to his step.

As Gunn bounded up to the table Spike looked over to Angel, curiosity playing over his face as he condescended to his grand-sire, wondering how the situation would be played.

Angel shot Gunn an expression of sour disappointment.

"What?" asked Gunn, a false smile frozen on his lips, "Nothing...Lawyer talk. It's gonna be OK."

"OK how?"

"We can deal here."

"I don't want to deal. I want the Senior Partners to fry. Tell me how to make them fry Gunn."

"Listen..." began Gunn, but his words were cut short by sound like a low frequency swarm of bees.

The room appeared to darken from behind, and as it did, it at the same time slowly lit from the far front side of the hall where the stone dais had been positioned. Like the beginning of a motion picture, shapes at the wall in that corner began to focus into green light.

Five figures slowly focused into view, one in the front centre, and a pair of figures on either side, and behind the figure at the front.

The green light faded into darkness, and gradually what appeared to be a multidude of stars drifted in from behind the five.

Like an optical illusion the total view appeared to begin well into the hall, and fade outwards into the vast expanse of starlit sky.

Only the central figure was lit. He sat on a jeweled throne. His posture one of regal power. He wore a black cape almost velour in texture embroidered with red silk trim. Multi-coloured, rune-like symbols emblazoned the cape, which fed upwards into a high collar that pointed well upward above the salt and pepper hair on the man's head, to either side.

He was human in appearance, but well beyond the average human male in height. His face was handsome, aged, yet at the same time youthful, of indeterminate age. His gray and black hair grayed solidly at the temples. A thin well-groomed, moustache, was evident above his lip.

The other four figures were discernible, but obcured in a haze of green mist. Two appeared to be female.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM !

The noise suddenly errupted in the court. It came from the front, and to the side of the now fully arriven council of five. All attention turned towards it.

Amazingly another figure had also appeared.

In any other setting it would be the first thing you saw, but here it crept in like a shadow.

A giant, white, humanoid form stood majestically to the front and to the right of the dais. It held a long silver staff. Mounted atop the staff was an, enormous white crystal.

He was bald, and white as ebony, muscular, apparently naked, yet sexless.

He thumped the staff three times on the stone floor, and the entire hall shook.

"Arise!"

A voice thundered, but it was not evident from where.

Lilah and Lindsey instantly snapped up to their feet. Vrill rose, slower, but just as surely. Even Boluz oozed from his chair and and attempted a standing posture on his hind legs, the bulk of his girth flopping over the stone table in front of him.

Angel, observed, and stood. Spike sat and watched like an amused schoolboy. Reaching downwards Angel grabbed him by the shoulder sleeve, and hauled him to his feet.

Illyria who had been standing through the entire process, remained so, frozen like a statue.

"Who summons forth the Mah'grib Bah'eth" demanded the caped figure at the head of the council of five, "and to what purpose?"

The heads of Lilah, Lindsey, Vrill and Boluz swiveled towards Gunn. They observed him with varied levels of amusement.

Spike and Angel also looked over to Gunn, curious as to his next move. Illyria watched the wall in front of her.

Shuffling on his feet Gunn was in obvious discomfort.

"Uh yeah, that I guess would be me, or I mean us, or no, I mean him" he said nodding towards Angel.

"Your honours. My client has made a mistake. He uh has summoned you here mistakenly thinking things could not be resolved between himself and the other litigant. We have since discussed the matter, and believe we can independently come to an agreement amenable to..."

"What?" interupted Angel, "Like Hell we did, I did - whatever."

Lindsey arose.

"My clients humbly request audience before the all-seeing, all-knowing Mah'grib Bah'neth.

We apologize for the insolence with which they have been summoned here by these dog soldiers of the core.

We ourselves have been greatly inconvenienced by this blatant abuse of the power of summons, and request swift maximum, and merciless punishment be meted out to these lower beings who have shown such obvious disrespect towards the protocol of the Bah'neth."

"And yet," said the Mah'grib, "this one claims you have reached an agreement."

"We do not negotiate with lower beings" answered Lindsey.

"Huh? What? Uh, wait a minute... Um...Oh great, green and spooky ones" said Gunn surprised, and attempting to think on his feet, "there seems to be a misunderstanding here, and my clients would request a continuance, after which time we believe matters can be resolved without further bother to the court."

"You shall address myself as Mah'grib" spoke the man in the cape, "and the counsel as Bah'neth, or Mah'grib Bah'neth."

Angel spoke now. "Um I address the Mah'grib, or whatever. I think I can explain this...uh with your patience and indulgence, I mean."

"The Bah'neth is not known for it's patience or indulgence, but we are here, so you may continue."

"Yeah well, first of all. Am I the only one here that read the book? I was told the lords, or champions of a reality could summon an all-wise court to request retribution for transgressions against a particular reality. We; and I'm sorry for saying this, but there's just no other way, are the champions."

"You're honour" said Gunn, "My client is confused, and means no disrespect. If we could just have the tiniest continuance, I think all matters can be resolved without any unnecessary interruption to the valuable time of the Mah'grib Bah'neth."

"Your honours" said Spike suddenly, "I request a recess, so I can take our attorney out back, and rip his head off".

"Will you shut up" said Angel to Spike, "you're not helping".

Too late. Spike was in the zone.

"Oh and if you wouldn't mind there, mister all-powerful, Mah'gribby whatchamacallit thingy, would you mind dropping the barrier around the next table, and I'll do them too."

"Spike" said Angel, "please shut up."

Spike leaned forward.

"Uh...if it please the court, I mean"

"Silence!" demanded the Mah'grib.

"Well you don't have to get all shirty about it." said Spike.

A sudden blast of light shot across the courtroom. The large white-skinned bailiff pointed his jewelled staff towards Spike. Light emitted from it, pushing Spike down into his chair. Strands of light wove around the vampire's wrists, ankles, and mouth.

"Hey" said Angel.

The bailiff turned his weapon to Angel. The light now pushed Angel to his chair, binding and gagging him, as it had Spike.

Angel looked over to spike with an expression that said "here's another fine mess you've gotten us into" as the gag of light wrapped around his skull.

"Ah yes" said the Mah'grib, "that's better. Now...let's see, one left. What do we have here."

Illyria turned her attention defiantly to the Mah'grib.

"Is this Illyria of Vah'la'nesh. Has it been an aeon already? How time flies".

"Perhaps there's hope yet", thought Angel, "He knows her. She knows how the council operates. Perhaps there's hope yet."

The Mah'grib continued, "Illyria, thief of time, perverter of realities, you have served your sentence of reflection in the deeper well, I see.

Your appearance has changed Illyria of Vah'la'nesh. What else has changed. What have you learned?"

Illyria strode erect, three steps towards the Council of Five.

"I have learned," she began, "that the pompuous insolence of pretenders pleases me less now, even than it did then. I have learned to crave the surety of the dark day when I will wear your heart's blood on my fist, and pleasure as that smirk of pretense gives in to inevitable contortions of agony, as you all plead from me the mercy of a quick end to your worthless existence."

Spike's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His lips wrapped around the strands of solid light, as he mouthed the words, "Wuhrr Pucked."

Just as Illyria had hoped, the smirk vanished from the Mah'grib's face. With stoic expression, yet regal certainty he nodded downwards to the monstrous bailiff.

It pointed the jewelled end of the staff towards the unrepentant Illyria. She deemed a sideways glance to the action, then looked back to the council as if the threat of the staff had no consequence.

Light blasted from the jewel and encircled the standing form of the once demon God-king, Illyria.

She stood, and ignored the light haloing about here, as if it were a natural occurence, like day to night.

The grin returned to the face of the Mah'grib.

"Now", he said, "Comes the fun part... The Mahgrib Bah'neth has heard all arguements of all parties and finds the request for retribution unwarranted. Furthermore the Bah'neth in it's wisdom requests suitable punishment to those who would dare to call a Cahair Binse on a matter of trivial merit, not put forward as law by the edict of the Binse.

Let the punishment be immediate, merciless, and serve as warning to those who would..."

Light once more filled the room, but this time it came from behind the convicted trio's heads.

Abrupt and loud, a familiar British voice filled the great hall.

"IF IT PLEASE THE COURT.."

"Who dares?" snarled the Mah'grib.

"Oh wise and benign court of the Bah'neth. I must apologize for my tardiness, but it is I co-council to the accused, Wesley Wyndham Price."
 
I don't think so. I think it's going to be more like Cordelia, when she came back from the higher plain.
 
Yay! Wesley's back. I always thought he'd make a better counsel than Gunn 🙂

Edit - I've just noticed something - did this used to have a different title or am I cracking up?
 
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