Cordelia Always loved the sun, Must have been her Californian blood she thought, which was one of the thing that was responsible for her current mood. Not a cloud in sights a big bright sun but she could not feel its warmth. Being incorporeal had more drawbacks then positive in her opinions.
Ok so she was able to help the helpless, instead of being bored out of her skull in limbo or whatever, she was a guide to a champion, just like when she was alive, and she still enjoyed helping people. He wasn't Angel, nowhere near in fact but he did want to help event if he was arrogant, self centered and well ugly. Demons are not known for their flawless skin and good complexion after all, Except for her Part demon time of course!
But no one could see or hear her except for Taz and he was a "no time to chat evil is a foot" kind of guy. He was so bad sometime she found herself yearning for her cordette vapid conversation. Ok not really, nothing was worst then those but still. She couldn't even change her close for god sake. 6 month in the same outfit that was her idea of hell, well maybe not now, but it was when she was in high school. Now she knew better the last few years thought her a lot. Thing could always be worst she know she lived trough a lot worst. having your body possessed by an evil entity and all your friend forget about you the moment you end up in a comma as a of a way of changing your value system.
So here she was the sun in her eyes in a little no name town in a mission for the power.
In front of there sixth demon remain of the day. They were sent here after a painless vision showing her a group of red horned demon killing a whole town for no apparent reason. Except those remains were not from red horned demon just some demon in hood and with strange alphabetical sew eyes
That wasn't so strange she had vision were the reason made itself clear later. The strangeness came from the fact that they were already dead. They died by what appear to be bullet wound . Really who would be stupid enough to uses guns against demon
She envied her old friend Dennis a lot some times at least he was able to move thing. She could just stand there and wait for Taz to finish sniffing the demon. She did not remember Angel sniffing thing so much it was kind of disturbing.
She was brought out of taught by Taz growling voice:
"Same guy human, killed this one with an axe "
"Maybe he ran out of bullet" Trying to be helpful.
"It still not Right"
"Maybe the people here decided to defend Themselves"
"Sheep do not defend themselves against wolves that what the shepherd is for"
Maybe she should add pretentious and self-righteous to the list of adjectives to described him
"There not sheep there people and let me tell you when I was alive i did defend myself against . "
"They have no power they should let the professional handle this they can only get in the way"
"You arrogant bastard i did not get in the way"
So maybe sometime her temper still got the better of her but she was getting better honest.
She took a deep breath to calm herself. Looking at him she knew he did not understands why she was getting angry. To him she was not a helpless human she was a chosen one. Chosen by the power to rid the world of evil he keep saying. Not some human who got caught up in something a lot bigger then her and got bit on the ass for her effort. She forgot Sometime that Demon don't have a really high opinions of human maybe that why for them it's so easy to dismiss them as prey or food. Sometime she really missed Angel at least he cared about the people he help he did not see it as a job to do, more of a calling. Sometime of course she remember 'Wolfram and heart 'angel and she does not miss him at all.
"We don't have time for this evil is a foot a we have to stop it before this human get killed trying to be a champion" Said Taz growly voice.
Sometime she hated this word, sometime it was all she had to define herself.
She was about to start a whole tirade about how it is not a good idea to piss of Cordelia Chase when the sound of a shotgun was heard.
Taz started running to the sound and she had no choice but to follow. They ran for about five minute Taz stopping from time to time to sniff the air getting direction. They arrived to late again the only thing there was the corpse of tree demon. she could see that one of them had been shoot and de other two had been cut open with a brutality that would have made Angelus proud. No she was not going to think about him again not event the evil part of Him. Next thing she knew she would be remembering the good old days in the janitor closet of Sunnydale high school. And that was a whole other level of pathetic.
She was saved from her decent into self-pity by Taz saying.
"We mist him again it your fault if you stopped wasting time by discussing everything over and over this job would be over by now we could move on"
He really was trying to piss her off.
"if you didn't stop to sniff every 5 second and bought a map to get direction like a normal person we wouldn't have been late you overgrown steroids enhance knuckles head"
"map . You are talking non sense and are still wasting time this amateur is still on the lose and we have to catch him before he kill an innocent or get himself ."
suddenly Taz was 2 feet of the ground and thrown face first in the wall in front of him at the same time the powerful blast was heard.
"hey ugly looking for me! well I would feel lot more special if you weren't talking to the wall moron . " said a frightfully familiar voice.
What did she do to deserve this she was a good person she helped people. She did not deserve to have to deal with him again.
Taz was slowly regaining his footing while the voice continue on
"You know other people get targeted because they are a torn in some big bad side me it's because a wall told you so!"
a ruffle of some leafs was all that alerted her to his approach any second now she would be face to face with one of the worst mistake of her life. When he detached himself from the shadow she could not stop herself say :
"What the hell append to him"
There he stood a patch over one of his eye a week beard and hair cut so short he looked almost bald.
"You know there I am getting my vengeance on cause if I cant kill the first for killing my girl I sure as hell can kill anything that work for him, when I see this big ugly demon near."
seeing Taz ready to make Xander burger size Xander stopped talking, his face went cold and his eye reflected noting of the goofy boy she knew. She knew he was about to do something stupid there is no way he could stand up to Taz the guy is even better then Angel at killing thing so She had to do something he may not be her favorite persone in the world but she didn't want him dead.
"don't hurt him his a good guy just tell him you work for the power, like Angel "
Taz stopped in is track gave her a look that meant I will not let this puny human get one over me.
"Don't give me that look we are here to help people not to kill good guy"
Taz nodded reluctantly but she knew the first sign of trouble Xander was a dead man.
"I 'm a on the side of good I am a champion of the power that be. If you get ."
"the Power Just like Angel then"
"Yes now."
"The same Assholes that killed Cordy ?"
his voice was so full of hate and venom she was almost frighten of him but still a little part of her was glad that at least someone cared about her even if it was Xander Harris.
"Great, I couldn't get to mister I-cant-keep-it-in-my-pants-even-do-every-time-I-do-it-lot- of-people-die he's to well protected, and I cant kill the power for killing my other girls but I sure as hell can kill anything that work for them so Come on ugly let teach to lowlife to stay the hell away from My dimension".
Great she thought he's insane, she was not going to be able to stop Taz nobody talk badly of the power in front of him an he didn't back away from a challenge certainly not from a human.
"Taz don't "
but It was to late Taz was already charging full of rage and confidence. He grabbed Xander by the neck and lifted him in the air. Xander was still not moving. Great she thought Moronboy is to afraid to do anything. Suddenly Xander hand flashed and the next thing she new Xander was released and Taz was howling in pain trying to get something out of his eye. Taz finally got rid of the object and was about Start pounding Xander when he suddenly stopped .
"Elephant tranquilizing triple dose cant get it trough your skin but trough the eye work like a charm plus it hurt like hell trust me I know. Say night night Ugly Cause You wont Wake Up !!!"
Taz tried to take a step but half way trough he just fell down.
Xander just stood there is face filled with ha smile who was more of a caricature of a smile it looked almost evil. He slowly drew up an Big Axe from Somewhere on is back.
Still with the same smile on is face. Looking Taz in the Eyes While the tranquilizer took complete effect.
"Xander Harris don't you dare touch him he may be annoying but I'm is guide and I wont let you hurt him."
So there was nothing she could do to stop it but she was still in shock she expected a dead Xander not her Champion at the merci of Xander Harris of all people.
Xander suddenly turn around and looked her right in the eyes like he could see her a look of shock passed troughs his eye but was rapidly replace by a look of pure homicidal rage.
"So you finally show your face Fucker I thought you would have her face, Probably to Afraid of her Vengeance if you tried to mess with me with her face on. So you go to the next best thing my other dead ex very original.
"You can see me?"
Xander just ignored her and readied his axe
"Xander Harris don't you dare kill him I lost angel to the dark I wont looses an other to the Zeppo you hear me"