If there had been a third party present they would have felt it just from the tension that filled the room, sensed it from the gritting tones of the voices and seen it in the body language...

...Any fool could see, these two men were out for blood.

But it was alone in this basement lair that these two found themselves - spotlit by a single bulb, barely out of each others reach, both waiting for his foe to make a disastrous mistake, and each fully primed for this game they knew only too well.

The faintest of shudders coursed through Wesley.

Observing the motion his opponent saw victory within his reach and with a subtle nod of his head prodded. "Well?"

Wesley's jaw tightened. "Don't rush me."

"Wouldn't think of it."

"You only think you have me in a difficult position, but I 'will' prevail." The young Watcher promised with all the bravado he could muster.

"We'll see about that. You know this hasn't really been your night."

Unconsciously Wyndam-Pryce grimaced, his mind cranking through the options. Without a doubt he was backed into a corner with only two courses of action left to his disposal and neither of them were optimum.

Then it came to him... a third possibility. Carefully, as to not tip his hand by centering on his plan of attack, his eyes slowly scanned the arrangement before him.

"By God, this could work." Wesley thought, steeling himself for the assault. "All I have to do is toss out the bait and..."

Straightway Wesley made his move. His challenger openly sneered and instinctively blocked the attack. "That wasn't in your best interest..."

Even before the other had finished his statement, Wesley played his coup de maitre, punctuated by the self assured declaration of, "Checkmate Angel.. checkmate!"

Kimberly's Angel Fiction

SGtVS/Hyperion Index

Fiction