Encounter

London 1880

September

Will returned his journal to its hiding spot and locked the drawer once more, placing the key on top of the wardrobe. Those early days of his training were still fresh in his mind.

Many more brutal fighting sessions with Hobbs had occurred before he had begun to learn how to use a man's own strength against him and avoid his blows. Gray had been a little more difficult to contend with. He used speed and skill to his advantage to gain the upper hand and evade his opponent's every strike. Eventually, Will caught on to that too.

They took him to many Club meetings where he learned how to network in order to gain information about possible targets. He also entered the sparring matches held there, and soon climbed to the top of the leader board, much to the annoyance of Hunters who had been training their entire lives. Will had a lot of enemies in those early days, always seen as the Council snob who fancied himself a tough guy. Only after proving himself to them in the ring, and on the battlefield at night, did they grudgingly accept him. He earned the respect and admiration of the Hunters on his own, knowing Gray and Hobbs couldn't defend him if he ever wanted to be accepted on his own merit.

He learned the town anew; every abandoned building, back alley, twisting street, and dead end were ingrained in his memory, allowing him to move through London swiftly on patrol and locate the demon hot-spots. After some initial fear when out hunting those first few nights, he learned how to channel his adrenaline into a fight. Will discovered a flair for battling a supernatural being with greater strength and ability than his own. It intrigued and terrified him. He loved the fight, almost disappointed when the final blow was made, but kept such feelings to himself. It was why they thought he was reckless and mad, the way he jumped into a brawl when he might have used stealth to his advantage and defeated his quarry from a distance. He wasn't sure why he preferred to do it the hard way, only that it felt more like the way a warrior should fight, in close quarters instead of striking when hidden from afar.

Will got ready for bed and was pleased to note that his wounds were healing nicely. Another day or two and he should be strong enough to begin the hunt for Angelus and his entourage. His chest wound no longer ached and the burn on his leg was slowly fading. He would have a long night tomorrow at the Hunter gathering, and he knew there would be arguments.

Many Hunters preferred to stay out of the way of notorious creatures like the Aurelius clan, while others wanted the glory of bringing these pests their final death. He knew they would bring up the Slayer, asking why the Council didn't send her here to face the monsters she should be fighting. Hunting was what they did, and they would have to get used to facing the elite of the evil that they fought against without a Slayer around. They had to protect the people, because if they didn't, no one else would. With these thoughts in his head, Will crawled into bed and fell asleep sooner than he expected.

A fog was rolling in as the Hunters filed into the large barn on the outskirts of town. It added to the tense atmosphere amongst the men inside, whispering together, discussing the latest reports of the alarming increase in the number of vampire victims of late. It was clear that the three famous vampires had taken up residence in London and were making themselves at home.

The moon was large and almost full in the darkened sky, illuminating the misty countryside around the barn, and making it glow an eerie greenish yellow. Will was leaning against a fence watching men as they entered. Most of them had shown their faces tonight. They were scared. Afraid of the new threat, and hoping someone would know how to save them from a gruesome death. The Aurelians were known to torture before killing their prey, murdering for fun, and with a twisted sense of art. A man approached Will from amongst the stragglers coming up the path. He was short and walked with a limp. Will recognized him as one of the few older Hunters who focused on gathering information and training recruits now that his fighting days were behind him. He joined Will by the fence, watching the late arrivals disappear in through the doors.

"Not often that Hunters have to band together like this anymore. Was beginning to think we might have settled things down for a while," he commented.

"That was foolishly optimistic of you," Will murmured.

The other man laughed and shook his head, picking at his coat.

"It was at that. Don't know what I was thinking of. Been at this long enough to know it never gets easier. Suppose I just sort of hoped it might. Would make all this, everything these men and ourselves have been doing, seem worthwhile."

"Can't argue with a desire to hope. It won't ever be easier, but maybe the fact that you had that hope to begin with, after everything you've witnessed in your life, is enough to prove that it is all worthwhile. If we manage to get rid of the reason we're gathered here tonight, that should definitely prove how necessary it is."

They stood in silence for a minute. One of the large barn doors was closed, all the men having arrived at last. The mist was thickening, and Will realized a heavy fog was rolling in, quickly diminishing the light of the moon and casting a shadow over the two men and the barn before them. Will's companion spat on the ground and straightened himself up.

"Well, I suppose we best get in there before the meeting starts without us."

Will nodded, shivering when the cold and clammy tendrils of fog encircled him, chilling his skin through his clothes. He wrapped his long brown coat tightly around himself and followed the shorter man to the barn, his breath blowing past his face like smoke in the cold night air.

Inside, it was considerably warmer, the packed bodies and hay generating enough heat to combat the chilly country air. A makeshift stage had been set up at the far end of the barn where Clive Woollam-Evans stood, speaking with two other men who had their backs to the group. He was the Head of the Hunters in the London district. Unfortunately, this also meant he was in close contact with the Council. Like the Council leaders, his role was to sit behind a desk in a comfortable office and send men out to eliminate whatever threat they were facing at that time with very little regard or consideration for them. He saw their deaths as inconveniences rather than tragedies, and thus was not very well liked by his employees.

Will found a spot next to Hobbs leaning against a side wall. Gray was chatting with some other Hunters seated a few rows ahead of them. Satisfied that everyone was accounted for, Woollam-Evans gestured for everyone to return to their seats and called for order. The murmuring died down as he gained the men's attention, holding both hands in the air as he waited for absolute silence. With all eyes trained on him, he began to pace a little across the small stage, beginning his speech.

"Gentlemen, I am sure that by now you are all aware of the arrival of the Aurelius clan in London, just as I am sure you have heard of the increase in deaths across the city, including the number of Hunters who have been killed recently. You have been gathered here for two reasons. One is to discuss a suitable means of combating this threat. The second is to discover the source of the false information that has caused the deaths of these Hunters."

The murmuring started again, hasty whispers that grew in volume as the men recounted the number of rumors they had heard, each hurrying to inform the others of their own stories about the traps hunters had fallen into. Will spotted a few men glancing over at him as they spoke, and knew that word of his own narrow escape had spread.

"You're popular," Hobbs mumbled out of the corner of his mouth to Will, as he too noticed the attention turning their way.

"What else is new? My reputation is going to get me in trouble one of these days," Will answered.

"I think it already has." Hobbs nodded at Woollam-Evans who was now looking at Will with narrowed eyes.

Both men squirmed a little, not liking the attention they were getting. Will had a feeling Woollam-Evans was going to be calling on him to voice his opinion soon, and he wasn't looking forward to it. While he had no qualms about sharing what he knew or suspected, Woollam-Evans was not Will's biggest fan, and while reluctant to put the spotlight on Will, would no doubt use the opportunity to belittle him as much as possible.

"I see most of you have heard about Mr. Pratt's close call a few nights ago," Woollam-Evans said, still facing Will. "He is the one who brought the Scourge of Europe's presence to our attention. He is also one of the first Hunters to have fallen into the trap they'd laid out for us. Mr. Pratt, perhaps you would care to share your experience with us for those who may not have heard it." Woollam-Evans gestured for Will to approach the stage, his condescending voice and the cold look in his eyes belying the friendly smile straining his mouth.

Will sighed and straightened up as he pushed himself off the wall and made his way past the rows of Hunters eyeing him on his way to the stage. Things had gone quiet in the barn once more, Will's footfalls and the occasional stifled cough the only noise upsetting the silent expectancy. He took his place next to Woollam-Evans, who gave him a scathing glance before turning back to face their audience. Will's eyes turned to meet those of the crowd, some his friends, others reluctant colleagues, and most indifferent to him altogether. He licked his lips and folded his arms as he addressed them, aware of Hobbs and Gray's eyes on him, but refusing to meet their gaze.

"I don't know what more I can tell you, since I'm sure most of you have heard about my little encounter already, but on the off chance you haven't, here it is. I was taking a Watcher recruit out with me to hunt down some fledglings who our contacts informed us would be in the area. It wasn't first-hand information, and so far we haven't been able to trace it back to a specific person. When we arrived, it was clear that these were no newly risen vampires. It was Angelus, Darla, and Drusilla, the Scourge of Europe, and three of the most notorious vampires in our records." Will scanned the captivated crowd before him.

"My interaction with them was minimal. They were gathered at one end of a narrow alley, while we entered from the other. They set their minions on us and left. It was an unexpected turn of events but I managed to get the boy out alive. We spread the word about the false information. Unfortunately, it didn't spread quickly enough to prevent some of the other deaths the past few nights. The message they were sending was clear. They have moved in here, and they have no intention of leaving anytime soon. No Hunter is going to stop them. We have to make sure we do stop them, or more people are going to die, more of our friends, more of our colleagues, and more innocents who aren't even aware of the danger."

Woollam-Evans cut in, staring at Will haughtily. "Yes, we are aware we need to put a stop to these vermin, but first we need to clarify that it's them. You are quite positive they are the vampires you witnessed that night? If it was a darkened alley, isn't it possible you were mistaken?"

"You mean the acts of torture and twisted forms of 'art' found at the site of the murders aren't proof enough for you? Those are Angelus' calling cards." Will didn't even blink as he answered the man, just loud enough for their audience to hear.

Woollam-Evans' eyes narrowed even further; there were a few murmurs of agreement and one or two hushed comments about the brutal acts. Will stared back at his superior before continuing, his voice as steady as when he first began speaking.

"They matched the description we have of them, and I identified them from photographs in Council records. I heard the maniacal giggling of the dark-haired vampiress, which makes it more than likely that she is Drusilla, the woman Angelus drove to insanity before turning her. I also heard the Irish accent of the male when he spoke."

"He spoke?" One Hunter in the crowd asked, curiously. "What did he say?"

Every eye in the barn turned to Will. He swallowed once, quickly, remembering the smile on the vampire's face as his gaze locked with Will's in the alley. He had seemed amused and curious as he studied the man before him.

"He said, 'So you're what all the fuss is about? I have to say I don't really see what has them so worked up. Besides, you'll be dead in a few minutes. All you Hunters will die soon.' Their minions surrounded us then, and he left with his women. It was definitely a trap, and it was definitely the Aurelius clan."

The man who had spoken looked down at the floor. Things had gone quiet again. The atmosphere in the barn had shifted—from one of agitation to fear. The threat Angelus had made lingered over them, and they had heard it from Will. He heard it straight from the horse's mouth, and at the time it seemed more than just a threat. It was practically a promise. Woollam-Evans broke the silence.

"Fine. So we've established it's truly them. What we need is a plan." He turned back to his audience again, dismissing Will as if he was no longer even standing there. "We must eliminate them. The Scourge of Europe has reigned long enough. It is time to put an end to their unspeakable acts of murder."

"And jus' how are we s'posed to do that then?" A Hunter from the back stood up, all eyes turning to him. "Wha' 'bout the Slayer? Ain' it her calling to protect the innocent? How come she ain' here fightin' 'em?"

There were several cheers and shouts of agreement as angry and questioning faces turned toward the stage. Will bent his head and sighed. This was what he had been waiting for. The outrage, brought on by years of resentment toward the Council. They had a right to be angry he supposed, but the accusations, and threats, and complaining weren't going to get them anywhere.

"No doubt, if the Slayer were here she would, but she is not, and I'm assured that she is in a location that requires her presence. She is fighting evil as she has been called to do in the area that needs her assistance the most. She is but one girl. It would be much more beneficial if there were a Slayer for every country in the world, but there isn't, and so it falls to us to—" Woollam-Evans was cut off mid-speech by more outraged Hunters rising to their feet in protest.

"Oh really? It's up to us because she's too busy to deal with it? These are vampires who have been on the Council's most wanted list for a while now, aren't they? And you're telling us they aren't dangerous enough to warrant her attention?"

"Places in need of her assistance more?" Another Hunter spoke up. "Haven't they heard about the deaths? How many Hunters have died lately? Not to mention there's someone working against us, leading us into these traps. How do we know it's not the Council behind it? They never wanted us around in the first place, but they had no choice than to employ us. How do we know they aren't trying to get rid of us now?"

"That is preposterous. The Council hires us because we fight evil, just as the Slayer does. It's their job to uphold the balance and keep evil at bay. They aren't trying to kill off their allies." Woollam-Evans raised his arms for order, his voice growing louder.

Will rubbed a hand over his face as he listened to the bickering continue. More protests, shouts, and jeers, and Woollam-Evans arguing his point in defense of the Council.

"Bloody hell," he muttered under his breath, as the noise became deafening.

"How do you know? You aren't as privy to their intent as you'd like to think you are. Or maybe you do know what's going on. How do we know you aren't a part of it?" One Hunter argued, glaring at Woollam-Evans who couldn't help taking a step back at the furious looks now turning his way.

Will had heard enough. Things were spiraling out of control and they would do nothing but fight among themselves all night. He slammed a fist down on the small table in front of him and the sudden noise had the desired effect. The men silenced in an instant, and all eyes fell on him.

"That's enough! We are not here to throw accusations at each other. We are here to figure out a way to put a stop to these vampires. If we do nothing but fight amongst ourselves, they've already won. Can't you see that? What do you think Angelus gained by setting minions on us and causing fear in our ranks? He wants us to fall apart. He wants us to think he finds us insignificant, and we're falling for it!"

"Aren't we?" One hesitant voice spoke up, and the crowd turned to the young Hunter, now glancing around nervously at all the attention, swallowing before voicing his question to Will again. "Insignificant I mean? Aren't we? To him?"

They turned back to the stage, awaiting Will's answer. He leveled them with a hard gaze, keeping his voice even and confidant when he replied.

"No. We aren't. The proof is in the act of hunting us down the way he has. He wants to frighten us, true, and he can kill us without a second thought, we know that. But if we really mean so little to him, he wouldn't be trying so hard to make us doubt ourselves. Facts are facts, gentlemen. We face three fearsome vampires, but they face dozens, upon dozens of us. Separated as we have been, we are easy kills, but if we can work together to divide them, we have the upper hand." William spoke in earnest now, his confidence growing.

"It comes down to numbers. There are more of us, and as long as we use that to our advantage, we do stand a chance, and a damn good one at that. Individually, we have taken down demons much stronger than vampires. Together we can defeat them, but not if we continue to bicker like this instead of working out an actual plan."

There was silence for a few seconds as they processed what Will had just told them.

"Hear, hear!"

The solitary voice spurred the men into action again, and soon there were more cheers and a few men started clapping. Will caught Gray's eyes and nodded in acknowledgment of his friend's supportive grin. Woollam-Evans rolled his eyes and took a step away from Will in annoyance. Of course, not everyone was ready to agree with Will's assessment of the situation.

A nasal sounding voice spoke up from the crowd. "Very inspiring speech, Pratt. Of course, it's not so long ago you were one of the hopeful little Watcher recruits yourself. You act as though you're thinking of us, but what if you're just protecting the Council? You seem awfully eager to stop us accusing them."

Will knew the man who had spoken and was grinding his teeth in frustration at the idiot's stupidity. He was one of those who still refused to accept Will as a Hunter, and was mistrustful of him because of his origins, despite the numerous times Will had proven himself. He practically growled a response, clenching his hands, restraining himself from rushing over and punching some sense into the git.

"What I want is to focus our attention on what matters. I am one of you, and probably have less contact with the Council than you do at this stage. Not to mention, I was one of the first Hunters to fall into their trap. You're accusing me of protecting people who tried to kill me?"

"You're the only one to have made it out of one of those traps so far."

"I was lucky. I don't like where you're going with this. I was one of the ones who arranged this meeting, and I informed you all about the bloody trap. I don't think I deserve to be accused of anything nefarious. As for the Council, no, I don't think they're behind it. I would be first on board should the Slayer be sent here, but she won't be and we're all just going to have to accept it and make adjustments. We made this our fight when we became Hunters, and it's our duty to protect the innocent as much as it is the Slayer's, but so far we're doing a piss-poor job of it. I hate to admit this, but I agree with Mr. Woollam-Evans that the Council aren't trying to kill their allies."

That earned him a sideways look fromWoollam-Evans, but he was too busy glaring at the buffoon trying to stare him down to bother to acknowledge him. A different Hunter broke the silence, but he was another one of those who seemed intent on displaying his resentment for the Council instead of trying to come up with anything remotely helpful.

"The Council don't care about us. They don't care how many of us die. We're beneath them, that's all we are. Angelus and his ilk could kill a hundred of us tomorrow and not one of them would care."

"Why wait until tomorrow?"

The noise in the barn came to an abrupt halt as they tried to pinpoint the speaker. Will's blood ran cold at the sound. He knew that voice. His eyes joined the others in darting about the room, trying to locate the source. The owner of the voice spoke again, and this time they realized it was coming from the hayloft above the back of the barn.

"There's that sayin' after all. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. I've always thought that to be sound advice."

A figure emerged from the shadows. Will froze in place. There were gasps from the crowd as recognition dawned on the Hunters. Woollam-Evans clutched at the little table. Everyone stared up at the reason they were gathered here. Angelus smiled down at them all, raising his hands out by his sides and chuckling to himself.

"Look at you all. All huddled together because of me. Makes a fella feel so…appreciated." He began to pace along the hayloft, watching them. "So feared. All wondering who it is that wants ye dead. Doesn't matter much. All that counts is that I'm going to kill each and every Hunter here, as well as anyone in London who gets in my way. Heh, let's be honest, I'll more'n likely kill anyone I come across, in my way or not."

Several hands reached for concealed stakes and other weapons as they began to break free of their shock. Will grabbed a stake from his coat, but Angelus' laughter gave him pause. This vampire was no fool, and yet he'd stepped into a room full of Hunters without a care. Something was off here.

"Don't be hasty now, gentlemen. Try anything, and you'll be dead before we can have a decent chat."

"Scum! You dare to come here and threaten us? You're outnumbered! If anyone dies tonight it will be you!" One Hunter shouted, aiming a crossbow at the amused vampire and firing.

The bolt shot free, headed directly for its target's heart. Angelus quickly side-stepped and shot his hand out, turning away from them for a split-second. When he faced them once more, he held the crossbow bolt in one hand, while with the other, he brushed a long lock of dark hair away from his face. He tilted his head at the hunter in a "you should know better" gesture, right before snapping the bolt in half and letting it fall to the ground.

"Now, now boys. Let's not be unpleasant. I only came to see what sort of an organization you've arranged here." He paused and stared directly at Will. "After all, I've heard some great things about ye. Or terrible things, depending on your point of view I guess. No. No, great things. I don't much care for any of the demons you've killed."

"What are you doing here?" Will spoke for the first time since seeing the vamp.

Angelus' cold eyes were boring a hole into Will, as though searching for something in him, perhaps his soul.

"Well, you see, Will. I heard about your little get together and since it was me you lads were discussin', I thought it fittin' that I should be in attendance, despite the lack of an invitation. Then again, I don't really need one to enter the home of animals," Angelus sneered. "Before you go thinkin' of performing some foolish act of heroic bravery, I'll let you know that I have minions set up around the perimeter. You fellas are nicely penned in here. Now, I just had to come and see what condition you were in after escapin' the trap we had set for you. I have'ta say, I was impressed. I guess all those rumors I was hearin' about you weren't just rumors after all."

"So what's it to be, Angelus? You want to try killing me yourself, since your minions weren't enough?" Will asked, steadily, gripping his stake a little tighter, ignoring the anxious glances of his friends.

Angelus glared at Will angrily. "Don't insult me boy. You think you're worthy to battle me? I'd drain you dry in an instant. Those were foolhardy fledges. I am much more dangerous. I'll tell you what though, if you get out of this one alive, I'll consider givin' you a real fight."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Will didn't like this.

Angelus just smiled again and started backing up into the shadows.

"Boys, if you will!" Angelus shouted, as he vanished into the blackness.

"Everyone out!" Will called, and leaped off the stage to head for the door.

Those nearest the exit turned and were met with yellow eyes, moments before fangs pierced their necks. There were startled shouts as the Hunters saw their comrades tossed to the ground, still bleeding, while the bloody faces of their attackers grinned back at them and hauled the door shut. They ran towards it but it held firm, and they heard the locks sliding into place outside. Will stopped in his tracks and looked around.

"Find another way out!" he shouted.

Gray and Hobbs tried to force their way through the crowd towards him. There were startled cries as men started backing up to the middle of the barn, away from a sudden smell of smoke and the crackle of burning wood. Flames began licking up the walls and across the floor, quickly igniting and spreading across the hay.

"They're going to burn us alive!"

"God in heaven, we're all going to die here!"

"We're trapped!"

Panic quickly set in and the group became a frightened mob, pushing and shoving at each other, searching for a way out and backing away from the fire, regardless of the people around them. Men fell to the floor, trampled by the throng of men in the grip of fear. Will was shoved sideways and barely managed to remain upright. A tortured scream rent the air and the crowd parted briefly to reveal a man on fire, screaming for help as his clothes and flesh burned and melted. Some men found a trough and started hauling buckets of water out in a desperate attempt to quench the inferno. The heat was building rapidly, becoming stifling and unbearable. Smoke began to thicken, blinding them and choking their lungs.

"One trough won't be any use!"

"God help us!"

"I don't want to die!"

More screams. The smoke was a black fog now. Shadowy shapes moved through it, an orange glow flickering in the background as the fire continued to rage.

"Will!"

Will coughed and held his arm up in front of his mouth, trying desperately not to breathe in any more smoke, his lungs already burning. His eyes stung and he couldn't see. His name was called again, closer this time. Hobbs emerged from the blackness and gripped him by the coat.

"Will, they have us trapped." Hobbs began a coughing fit of his own, bending over and maintaining his grip on Will as more men shoved passed them.

"There has to be a way out." Will fought his way through the smoke, looking for anything that could be considered an exit, pulling his friend behind him.

He stopped suddenly, his shoulder brushing up against a ladder that was nailed to one of the beams in the barn. He looked up. It led to the hayloft from which Angelus had vanished. There must be a way out up there. It was their only chance.

He grabbed Hobbs and pushed him against the ladder, pointing upwards. Hobbs nodded and began climbing. Will looked around, grabbing at anyone who came near him and shoving them toward the escape route. Shapes came toward him out of the blackness and he urged them up the ladder. Breathing was much more difficult. His throat felt raw and each pull of smoke-filled air was like acid to his lungs. The barn was a furnace. He could feel his skin burning. Unable to bear it any longer, he had no choice but to grab hold of the ladder himself. He clenched his jaw when pain shot through his blistered hands and started to climb.