Hey,

Here it is! At long last we learn just how it is that Angel met Mara.
Plus, some longtime Buffy favorites are along for the ride. I think you
might be able to guess who. ;)




Oslo, Norway
November 3, 1891


	Darkness and cold gripped the city tightly. It was the sort of
bitter cold that made even the hardened locals want nothing more than to
toss another log onto the fire and to spend the night nestled in their
beds with an extra blanket or two to help keep winter�s chill at bay.
Few people moved though Oslo�s streets this night. The few who did moved
at a hurried pace, clothes clutched tightly to their bodies to try and
retain as much body heat as possible until the traveler could reach
someplace warm.
	But as with all things there are exceptions. In the dark streets
near the harbor four people walked casually as if the cold meant nothing
to them. Two of the travelers were women, one blonde the other brunette.
Both were strikingly beautiful and wore thick designer cloaks made of
wolf fur. The other two were men, one also the blond and the other
dark-haired. They wore thick woolen overcoats that were currently the
fashion in England. 
	As they walked the travelers did so with a casualness and
swagger that amazed anyone who caught a glimpse of them. To the dead the
cold means very little.
	�God, will you look at all this snow,� grumbled the blond man.
�It�s like the Sahara Desert only the wrong color.�
	�It�s not true what they say about how no two snowflakes are
identical,� said the brunette girl as she watched several flakes float
by. �That�s just a rumor they started to make it easier for them to
trick us. I can hear them all. Plotting away and singing Christmas
carols all the while.�
	�Ask them to sing something else then,� replied the blonde
woman. �I hate Christmas.�
	�After what you did five years ago in Jerusalem I imagine
Christmas is none too fond of you either, darlin�,� countered the
dark-haired man.
	�Nothing like slaughtering two dozen religious pilgrims on the
holiest day of the year to get you on Father Christmas� naughty list,
eh, Darla?� snickered the blond man. 
	�I don�t believe in Father Christmas, William,� replied Darla.
�But if I do ever met him I�ll be sure to rip his throat out. For some
reason he never visited me when I was a child.�
	�I told you to call me Spike,� snorted the vampire. �But offing
jolly old St. Nick, now that would be a spot of fun, wouldn�t it, Dru?�
	�Oh, that does sound like fun,� cooed Drusilla. �I�ve never
killed a saint before. I wonder what they taste like.�
	�Rather bland, I�d say,� mused Darla. �What do you think,
Angelus?� 
	�The problem with killing saints is that they can�t become
saints until after they�re dead,� said Angelus. �So the only way you
could ever find out what a saint�s blood tasted like is to kill him
while he�s still a mortal holy man.�
	�Which we did lots of last month,� noted Spike. �Priests and
nuns really are bland so I suppose Darla�s right.�
	�Bland or not maybe we shouldn�t have killed so many of them
back in Copenhagen,� muttered Angelus. �That�s what got that pack of
vampire hunters after us.�
	�But, Angelus, we couldn�t let my Spike have all the fun, now
could we?� said Drusilla.
	�She�s has a point there,� smirked Darla. �Besides, those
vampire hunters were far from the most formidable that we�ve ever faced.
It�s not as if we were dealing with Holtz, after all.�
	�They may not have been Holtz but they did have numbers on their
side,� countered Angelus. �That�s what forced us to flee the city on the
first available ship. Which, by cursed luck, brought us to this iceberg
of a city.� 
	�Nothing warms me up like a spot of blood and a bit of murder.
And I think I�ve just found a place were we can all have a bit of both,�
smiled Spike as he pointed to a building with lit windows across the
street. The sign above the building�s entrance read �The Gray Cat
Tavern�.
	�It rather late and very cold. I imagine that there aren�t very
many people inside,� mused Darla. �And we do need a place to stay. I
don�t relish the idea of spending the night in the sewers in this
weather.�
	�There�s Viking blood in there,� whispered Drusilla. �It�s in
little flesh bottles that have �Drink Me� written on their necks. Just
like in Alice in Wonderland.�
	�Well, what�s say we all make a little trip to the pub then?�
said Angelus gleefully.
	With that, the four vampires strolled across the street. A icy
blast of wind rushed into the tavern as Angelus pushed the door open, a
sad omen of what was to come. 
Inside were four men. Behind the bar was a heavyset man who looked as if
he were fighting a losing battle to stay awake. At a nearby table,
surrounded by many empty bottles, were two men wearing outfits common
among the local sailors. One was in the middle of telling an extremely
lewd joke, much the enjoyment of his companion. Lastly, sitting at a
table in a corner was a bookish man who had a nervous air about him. A
bowl of soup sat growing cold before him, but the man was too occupied
with futzing with his pocketwatch adjusting his glasses to pay it much
heed. 
	�Oh, good evening ladies and gentlemen,� said the bartender as
the group entered. �I�m afraid we�ll be closing soon so the kitchen is
no longer open. But if you�d like to sit by our fire and have a quick
drink to warm you on this awful night I�d be more than happy to
accommodate you.�      
	�Thank you kindly, good sir,� replied Angelus warmly in passable
Norwegian. Behind him Drusilla and Darla moved to stand a few feet away
from the sailors, much to the enjoyment of the seamen who were now
giving the female vampires their full attention. Spike, meanwhile, had
edged over to near were the nervous man sat. 
The entrance of the newcomers seemed to have only made the man more
worried. Spike noted the man�s hands were now trembling slightly.
Hhhmmm, I think the little poof is on to us, thought Spike. Right then.
When we show our hand I�ll have to grab him nice and quick to make sure
he doesn�t get away.
	At the bar Angelus was giving the bartender one of his best
smiles. �Tell me, sir, just what sort of brandy would you happen to have
back there?�
	�Ah, a fellow brandy drinker,� grinned the bartender. �Well,
you�re in luck tonight, my friend. I received a shipment of most
excellent quality just the other day.�
	�Wonderful,� said Angelus as he morphed to his vampiric visage.
�Nothing washes down fresh blood quite like good brandy.� The bartender
had only time for a short gasp before Angelus grabbed him and sunk his
fangs into the man�s neck.
	The two sailor sat staring, jaws agape at what had happened.
They were snapped back to reality when Darla and Drusilla, now also in
vamp mode, turned to face them. 
	�Allez cuisine!� cackled Darla as she and Dru pounced on the two
men.  
	As anticipated, the nervous man made tried to bolt the moment
Angelus had changed. But Spike had been ready for him and grabbed the
man before he�d made it two paces.
	�No! No! No!� screamed the man as Spike turned him around so
that they were face to face. �You�re demons aren�t you!? I�m trying to
help you! I have the information she wanted! Let me go! Why are you
doing this!?�
 	�We�re vampires. This *is* what we do,� answered Spike. �Now
shut up and die with some dignity. On second thought, just shut up and
die. I don�t give one toss about your dignity.�
	With that, Spike pulled the man�s neck close and began to feed.
	Several minutes later the vampires were done feeding and the
bodies of their prey had been tossed casually in a corner.
	�Mmm, that was a lovely meal,� said Drusilla contentedly as she
sat down in a chair and lay her head on a table. �I could taste the sea
in him. Now I�m rocking from side to side on the inside just like a
boat. It�s ever so much fun.�
	�I�m happy for you, pet,� grumbled Spike as he plopped down into
a nearby chair. �But I�m still a bit peckish. A skinny little bloke like
that isn�t very filling.�
	 �I�m afraid you�ve just have to live with him for tonight,
Spike,� said Darla as she went about closing the shutters on the
tavern�s windows. Given recent events Darla didn�t want to take the
chance that a stray passerby might spot the bodies of the vampire�s
victims. 
	�Cheer up there, Spike,� called Angelus from behind the bar.
With a flourish the vampire pulled two large bottles of brandy out from
under the bar. �This stuff will do a fine job of fillin� the rest of
your belly. Best of all, these drinks are on the house.�
	Spike grinned at his fellow vampire�s joke. 
�Cheers, mate.�

~*~


	 �Wake up!�
	The words cut like an icepick though Angelus� brain. Who�s
shouting at me like that and just how slowly can I kill them? wondered
the vampire as he began to open his eyes.
	Angelus� thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly felt a hand
grab his throat in a viselike grip and haul him out of his chair and
into the air. The shock of this managed to cut though the alcohol haze
that had been clouding his mind just moments before. Angelus looked down
and saw that the person holding him was a woman with dirty blonde hair,
a series of red markings on her face who sported a black dress with bust
and hem lines that would have been considered quite scandalous by the
standards of the day. The woman�no, a demon, the vampire�s senses
mentally amended�was extremely angry. 
	�You miserable, pathetic leech!� howled the female demon. �Do
you have any idea what you�ve done!?�
	�Gaaakkk!!� replied Angelus.
	With a sound of disgust the demon released the vampire and
watched as he tumbled to the floor.
	�Nice of you to wake up,� called Spike. �It seems we�re in a
rather big spot of trouble.�
Angelus, after taking a moment to be grateful vampires didn�t need air,
looked to see Spike, Drusilla and Darla standing to the demon�s side a
several feet away. Though they were trying to hide it, Angelus could
tell that they were all very afraid. He didn�t blame them a bit.
Angelus� senses were sharp, even for a vampire, and right now his senses
were screaming at him that the woman before him was not only a demon,
but a very powerful one as well. As a rule demons and vampires usually
didn�t get along well. This, to put it mildly, wasn�t good.
If he was going to get out of this Angelus decided he�d have to be very,
very clever.
	�My dear lady, it seems that my companions and I have done
something to upset you,� said the vampire in his most charming voice
while giving a graceful bow. �Please enlighten me as to our
transgression and I swear we�ll do all we can to make amends.�
	�It takes more than sweet words to fool Mara, you worm!� spat
the demon. �Because of you four the entire universe just may come to an
end.�
	�Oh, fun!� giggled Drusilla.
	�Love, now�s not the time,� whispered Spike. �Let�s try and get
the very angry and powerful demon over there not to kill us and then we
can look into destroying world some other time.�
	�Promise?�
	Spike gave a quick metal sigh but nodded. She may be mad but
that�s part of way I love her, he thought. I just hope Angelus can talk
us out of this so I can keep that promise.
	If Mara heard that conversation she ignored it. Right now all
her attention was focused on Angelus. �You fools didn�t know it, but the
man with the glasses over there was a member of a cult who worshipped
the Frost Giants, the ancient and sworn enemies of the Norse gods, both
good and evil. The cult�s worship of them was giving the Frost Giants a
great deal of power. 
I doubt creatures like you know the ancient stories of this land so I�ll
enlighten you as to why this is bad. If the Frost Giants gain to much
power they�re sure to attack the Norse gods. A final war between the
Norse gods and the Frost Giants is one of the signs of Ragnarok, the end
of the universe.
I don�t know about you, but neither the gods or myself are keen on the
idea of Ragnarok happening just now. That�s why my masters assigned me
the task of locating and destroying the Cult of the Frost Giants. The
man you killed was a member of the cult who was willing to sell them out
in exchange for his own life being spared. Because the cult has powerful
mages who would have noticed if he�d just summoned me directly I
arranged to meet him here to gain the location of the cult�s
headquarters.�
Mara�s eye flared red as she glared at Angelus. �But then the four of
you had to come in here and kill him!�
Angelus took a moment to process what he�d just been told. Given the
circumstances it was no wonder the demon was so enraged. In fact, the
vampires were very lucky she hadn�t destroyed them yet.
It was then that Angelus had an idea. It was a longshot, but it was
better than being turned to dust.
�Most ancient and powerful one, please accept our most sincere
apologizes for interfering in your most noble mission,� began Angelus.
It took all the vampire�s self-control not to wretch at being forced to
speak such sycophantic words. �Since it was our error we would be most
honored if you would allow us to aid you in your quest.�
�Aid me?� said Mara as she arched an eyebrow. �How can you lot help me?�
�Even a demon us powerful as you clearly are can�t be everywhere,�
replied Angelus. �Allow us to be your agents and search the city for the
base of this cult you speak of. Once we�ve located their lair we�ll even
destroy them for you if that�s your wish.�
�Big talk, leech,� snorted Mara. �It took me weeks to get a line on the
cult and find someone willing to turn on them. What makes you think you
and your pals can accomplish what you claim?�
�Angelus can be most�persuasive when he wants to be,� cut in Darla.
��Angelus?�� repeated Mara. �I�ve heard tale of you, vampire. They call
you �The Scourge of Europe� do they not?�
�Ay, that they do, my lady,� answered Angelus.
Mara stood silently, her face a mask of contemplation as she considered
the offer she�d been made.  
�Very well, vampire, you and your companions have a deal,� announced the
demon after several long and tense moments. Mara then reached into the
cleavage of her dress and pulled a scroll of parchment from it. 
�Give me you hand, Angelus.�
The vampire was less than thrilled at the idea of offering the demon his
hand but complied. Mara carefully took Angelus� right hand with her left
and lifted it up to face level. Suddenly the demon�s head leapt forward
and Mara�s teeth clamped down on the vampire�s thumb.
Angelus let out a shout and jerked his hand free. �What in the hell are
you doing?!� he growled. The vampire then glanced down at his injured
finger. Under normal circumstances a small wound like that would heal
almost instantly. Angelus� thumb, however, remained bloody. The vampire
suspected that since the wound had been inflicted by a demon it might
take longer to heal.
As Angelus turned his attention back to Mara he noted that she now had a
quillpen in her left hand. �Here�s the deal, you parasites. This
parchment is a contract by which you four swear to track down and
destroy the Cult of the Frost Giants by dawn tomorrow. If you succeed
I�ll release you from my service and let you live. If you fail you�ll
burn with the morning sun. After I�ve made you suffer for a while, that
is. Of course, as with all demon contracts, this one must be signed in
blood. Now, who wants to sign first?�   
After a moment of silence Angelus said �I will,�. Mara nodded and handed
him the contract and the quill. After dipping the end of the pen in some
of the blood that had flowed from his finger, the vampire placed the
parchment on a table and quickly signed his name.
As the other three vampires watched Angelus Mara drew a wicked-looking
knife from her sleeve and hurled it at the table. It embedded itself in
the wood just inches from one of Angelus� hands. To his credit the
vampire showed no reaction. He simple moved off to the side a bit.
�The rest of you may use the knife to draw your blood,� informed the
demon. Drusilla, Spike and Darla did so and Mara�s contract was soon
signed. Once that was done the demon rolled the contract up and stuffed
it back down her cleavage. Mara then drew a gray stone from an unseen
pocket in her dress and tossed in to Darla.
�That�s a summoning stone,� said Mara. �Once you�ve completed your
mission, if you complete it, squeeze the stone and speak the words Vise
seg, Mara to summon me.�
The demon then flashed a nasty grin. �Oh, and if you�re thinking of
skipping out on our contract I�d advise against it. That contract was
signed in your own blood which means there�s nowhere you can run or hide
that I can�t find you.�
�We�ll keep our word,� replied Angelus. �By dawn tomorrow the Cult of
the Frost Giants will be but a memory.�
�Then stop the lollygagging and get to work, Dead Boy!� commanded Mara.
�Or I�ll make sure you all suffer twice as much before I let the sun
burn you to dust.�
With that, Mara vanished leaving only the strong smell of brimstone
behind her.
For several moments the vampires stood silent.
��Dead Boy?�� Angelus repeated. �Remind me to slowly skin the next
person who calls me that.�
�Well this is just bloody wonderful!� shouted Spike as he tossed his
hands in the air in frustration. �We�ve just signed a blood contract
with a demon who plans to torture and then roast us if we don� find and
destroy some cult in just over a day. We may as well stake ourselves
right now!�
�Stop being so dramatic, Spike,� ordered Darla. �We�re still alive and
that�s what counts.�
�We�re alive but we�re dead. I don�t know if that�s funny or not,� said
Drusilla quietly.
�It�s most definitely not funny,� grumbled Angelus. �We�ve bought
ourselves some time but we�ve also incurred quite a task.�
�Don�t be so down, dear,� said Darla. �I spent decades under the
personal tutelage of the Master. He taught me many things, including how
to track down people and things.�
�The Master never stuck me as the Sherlock Holmes of the vampire set,�
groused Spike. �But how do you expect us to find this cult in one day
when it took that demon three weeks just to get a solid line on them?�
�Demons like Mara are too arrogant and pompous to be very good
investigators,� answered Darla. �They have a hard time bringing
themselves to consort with the sort of low-born creatures who often have
the sort of information she was looking for. Lucky for us, thanks to the
Master�s teachings, I know were such creatures can often be found in
cities like this.�
�I knew that bald bastard was good for something,� said Angelus. � So,
quickly, we�ll burn down this place to cover our tracks and get to
investigating.�
�As Holmes might say, the game is afoot,� smiled Darla.  


Skyrocket
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