wesleynotponcy | Some Old Apartment Building | Los Angeles, CA

So Wesley was back in LA. Only for a weekend (he hoped), and this time with some actual research to guide what had previously been a wild-stab-in-the-dark sort of attempt at a demon-hunting spree, but yes. Los Angeles. On the prowl for a demon he'd read a bit about, which called for his absolute classiest rogue demon hunter attire ~~alas, sans motorcycle~~. And yeah, he would avoid mentioning that back at Fandom, because he didn't really want to be mocked for all eternity.

So. Finally he came to the building where the trail leaded. There was some, er, interesting yellow fluid outside the building, which, though he hadn't read about it being found elsewhere, seemed to suggest that there was a demon afoot. So this was the right place, then.

He checked that his weapons bag contained all the necessary materials and then made his way inside. The building was in significant disrepair, full of lights flickering and ominous floorboard-creaking and all that. Totally not alarming at all, though. He was just fine.

The yellow fluid led him to an apartment on the second floor. Nervous but intrigued and wanting very much to do this properly, he opened the door, only to find there was someone inside. By some miracle, he managed not to shriek like a girl and jump a foot into the air. And then the lights flickered just as he was raising his crossbow, and -- oh.

"Hello, Angel."

Angel	Angel hadn't wanted to run into anybody - well, ever, but least of all when he was searching Barney's apartment. If he'd been asked to name someone he'd like to run into at this moment in time it certainly wouldn't have been the name that came out of his lips when he saw who was pointing a crossbow at him. "Wesley."
Wesley	Yeah, the whole running-into-people thing wasn't top of Wes' list either. The whole point of going to LA and killing a demon was that he would do it alone, right? But at least he was the one with the crossbow. That set the power structure. Ah, Wes. What a silly notion. "I'll wager you never thought you'd see me again," he said, still holding up the crossbow.
Angel	"To tell you the truth I hadnt given it much thought one way or the other," Angel replied without missing a beat. He tried to figure out why Wesley was there but then remembered he didn't care enough to put that sort of effort in. Not when he could just ask, "What are you - "
Wesley	Wesley still wasn't getting that his perception of the power structure here was kind of wrong. "Ah-ah-ah," he cut Angel off, raising the crossbow. Then, with a respectable attempt at authority, he intoned, "I'm the one asking questions here. And I think it only fair to warn you, any sudden movement and I'll be forced to -- "
Angel	Angel batted the crossbow out of Wesley's hand.
Wesley	Mollified, Wes started to come to grips with reality. "Right, then," he surrendered. "You had a question?"
Angel	Angel looked Wes over. Specifically, Wes and all the leather. "Interesting look for you."
Wesley	"Yes. Well." Eloquent, this guy. "It seemed a rather appropriate ensemble, given recent changes in circumstance," he said vaguely.
Angel	"Like you joining the Village People?" Angel asked. Because that seemed far more plausible than biker gang.
Wesley	"Hardly," Wesley said with as much dignity as could really be achieved in all that leather. "Simply that I'm working as a rogue demon hunter." Somehow in his brain that translated into leather. And yes, he was going to go ahead and leave out the part about how he was actually here taking a few days off from high school, because Angel didn't need to know that. Shh.
Angel	Angel rolled that around in his head for a moment. "You're a demon hunter."
Wesley	Well, that simply wouldn't do at all. "Rogue demon hunter," he corrected Angel. Then, all puffed-up with pompous smugness: "But yes, yes I am." "And I'm on the trail of a particularly nasty bugger right now, so I'd suggest you stay out of my way."
Angel	"Easy, tiger," Angel said. "I think you might be making a mistake. If we're talking about the same demon here, he seems pretty harmless to me."
Wesley	Ah, so Wes was dealing with a rookie here. By way of correction, Wes insisted, "He's left a trail of corpses, human and demon, all mutilated!" Clearly Angel was unschooled in the ways of being a rogue demon hunter. More patiently, Wes continued, "Each of the victims possessed some unique power -- telepathy, poisoned tongues, healing hands. Whatever the physical source of their power, it was ripped, gouged or torn from their corpses."
Angel	"Mutilated?" Unfortunately Angel had enough experience with reasons to inflict horror that he could guess what the demon was doing. "He's collecting powers."
Wesley	Wesley lacked said experience, but yes. "To what purpose, I can only guess," he said wearily. "The fiend's cut a swath across half the continent. Or so I inferred from my, er, research."
Angel	"Research," Angel repeated. He was picturing Wes in the leather outfit thumbing through books in a library. He really didn't want to be picturing that.
Wesley	Drat. Here came the big reveal. "Yes, actually," Wesley said. "I did a spot of research back at school. In fact, since leaving the Council, I've been enjoying other academic pursuits and I've found the new environment quite enjoyable." So intent was he on this rambling that he didn't notice the yellowish fluid falling onto his shoulder. Or it could just be that the leather was too thick to feel it.
Angel	Angel didn't really register the part about Wes and school because he didn't care enough to puzzle it out. Especially when he saw what was dripping down onto Wesley. "Environment like acid rain?" Angel asked.
Wesley	"Er. What?" He turned. Yup, there was indeed a viscous fluid dripping from the ceiling onto his shoulder. Which begged the question of what exactly was on the ceiling. Oh, look, it was a Kungai -- which proceeded to drop down from the ceiling and hurl him against the wall. Hello, manners?
Angel	Angel wasn't as easy to toss aside. He attacked the demon, trying to subdue it. They exchanged blows, Angel giving as good as he got, until the demon got in a lucky blow and knocked Angel to the ground.
Wesley	That was when the crossbow came in handy. (Again.) Well, the crossbow and Wes' surprisingly good marksmanship. He held it up, took aim, and actually hit the demon square in the chest. The demon's response was to hurl itself out the window. Well, that seemed practical.