Bella Mia: Let the Games Begin
by Bangelic
A/N: Chapter 3 is finally done. Hope you like it :)


Chapter 3


“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing.”

Buffy looked at Giles in disbelief. The books had yielded no information at all on the demon or the shield-device he had used on Kyla and Pilar.

“But she got a good look at him. We have a detailed description and everything. How can there be nothing?”

Giles rested against the edge of the table and sighed.

“Well, there are several possibilities….” he began.

“Why do I not like the sound of that?” Buffy muttered.

“Either this demon has never been encountered in this dimension before, or all references to it have been expunged. Or….Leah may not have saw what she told us she saw.”

“You’re accusing her of lying?” Buffy said.

Giles shifted and took a deep breath, looking at her.
“I’m not trying to accuse her, well, not exactly. But Buffy, the situation is a difficult one. Two girls died and Leah was the only one to come out of it. If there was something she didn’t want us to know about how that happened…”

“No, Giles.” Buffy snapped. “She was telling the truth, I know she was. It has to be one of the other options.”

Giles didn’t look convinced, but he held his tongue.

“We’ll just have to keep looking,” Buffy said, trying not to let her uncertainty about the situation show.

***

Angel really hated being left alone with Illyria while Spike was out. He could tolerate her on the battlefield while they were on the same side, but he’d never talked much to her in private. What did you say to the former god who’d killed your friend and assumed their body as their own?

Illyria in that respect resembled a vampire demon, killing the host human and taking their body. Like Illyria, they too could take on some of the characteristics of the host, enough to convince those that had known the host that they were the same.

But Angel had to admit that unlike a vampire demon, Illyria was not evil.

She had experienced human emotions, such as her affection for Wesley and her grief at his death. She had got on well with Drogyn too. She had fought by their side in the battle, and remained with them even now.

Yes, he had to admit that Illyria wasn’t all bad. But that didn’t take the sting out of Fred’s death, nor alter his conviction that Illyria didn’t belong here. Her time was long past, and she should be in the Deeper Well still, with the other Old Ones.

But she was here, and that didn’t look to be about to change anytime soon.

“You blame me for her death.”

Angel turned his head to look at her.

“It’s hard not to,” he admitted. “We all loved Fred very much, and your coming into this world meant Fred going out. But no, you are not totally to blame. Knox, Gunn, Wolfram and Hart, they all had their parts to play as well. Even me, for taking over Wolfram and Hart in the first place.”

“You have no psychic powers. You could not have foreseen this event.” Illyria dismissed his role.

“No, but I could have foreseen that it’d end badly,” Angel muttered.

“Then why did you do it?” she asked.
“At the time, it was the only thing I could do,” Angel admitted. “The alternatives were worse and I thought maybe we could make it work. Use their resources to help people on a larger scale than we’d ever done before.”

“And this is your purpose. To help people.” Illyria stated.

“Yeah. As a vampire, there were a lot of people I hurt. Even before I was turned I wasn’t exactly a good guy. I was too selfish, too focused on my own concerns. But there’s a lot of people out there who need help, and we give them all we can.”

“Humans are such low creatures. Powerless and stupid, greedy and deceitful. You should not bother with them.” Illyria said.

Angel smiled.

“I might remind you that you liked one of those lower creatures quite well.”

Illyria looked affronted, then she relaxed a little.

“You speak of Wesley.”

“Yeah. He was a good friend, and a good human being.”

“You mourn his loss.”

“Yes. I miss him,” Angel stated simply.

Illyria was silent, then finally she spoke.

“I miss him too.”

The sound of Spike’s footsteps cut the conversation short, but at last Angel was beginning to feel like Illyria could one day be a part of the team.

***

Belthusar stood in front of his audience, using a remote to change the pictures on the screen.

The demons looked at the image of the blue-haired woman.

“This is the Old One, Illyria. She is alive, and you will find her and bring her to me.”

The demons chattered noisily.

Belthusar hurled an axe that split open the head of a demon in the second row.

The crowd quieted.

“It is a difficult task, but you are the best and I expect you to perform to the best of your ability.”

“Believe in yourselves and this organization, and we can do anything,” he concluded happily.

The demons looked at each other in disbelief.

“This guy’s a freak,” whispered a Hyunzi to his neighbour.

“Always knew those motivational speakers were hellspawn,” the Thusnyu in the row behind added.

“Go now, and seek her out. Remember, think positively and remember what I’ll do to you if you fail,” Belthusar concluded, smiling beatifically.

The demons shuffled out.

***

Buffy was out on patrol.

Since the incident with Leah, Kyla and Pilar, she went out every night.

The old killer of her social life was back in force, and Buffy was definitely not happy. The sooner she found this demon guy and kicked his ass, the better. She hadn’t seen her boyfriend for a week. Although, with things still up in the air with Angel and Spike, Buffy wondered if that was such a bad thing.

She hadn’t told him much about her trip to L.A. She knew that he knew Angel and Spike from some dusty century long past, and that he knew she’d dated both of them. But she was definitely not going to try to hash out what she felt for each of the three men, and was relieved that the Immortal had dropped the subject.

A flash of light in the distance caught her eye, and then disappeared.

Buffy started for it, remembering what Leah had told her about Kyla seeing something in the distance.

She approached the site cautiously, spidey-senses on high alert.

She crept into the clearing formed by the trees on the outskirts of the graveyard.

Nothing.

She turned around, doing a full 360-degree scan. Still no sign of evil.

She was about to leave when there was a flash of light and the demon appeared, just as Leah had described, holding the shield pointed straight at her.

Buffy backed off, eyes fixed firmly on the gem in the middle of the shield. Her adrenaline was pumping and she had no idea how to fight this guy. Or if she’d even be able to if he zapped her with that thing.

“You know what they say about guys with big shields, don’t you?” she said weakly.

The demon looked at her intently.

“You are the One. The Mother of All Slayers.”

“Uh, no, I’m not their mom. More like their coach, really.”

“You gave them their power. And now I am here to take it. And yours.”

Buffy strengthened her position, watching for an opportunity.

“I really can’t let you do that.”

The demon regarded her.

“You have never wondered what it would be like to be free of your duties? But of course you have, Chosen One. You died, and you were free. There are others to carry the mantle now. You don’t have to fight anymore. You have earned your retirement.”

Buffy’s mouth went dry.

She knew you should never listen to what evil things said. They were just trying to trick you.

But to be free of being a Slayer, once and for all, had been her deepest wish since she was Called.

She had accepted her duty because she had to. If she didn’t save the world, no one else was gonna do it for her. She dealt.

But that had changed since the activation of the other Slayers. She now had plenty of people who would do it for her. She could retire, if she wanted to. She could live life just as plain old Buffy Summers.

The idea hung before her, tempting her.

The demon raised his shield, and Buffy didn’t know whether to fight him or give in.

***

Deep in their underground home, Angel and Spike were caught totally off guard by the attack.

The demons swarmed in, a variety of species, all intent, all dangerous.

Their cover was blown.

Angel could do nothing but sit, and try to protect Gunn if it came to that. He got in a few whacks with his crutches, decapitating a Fruul demon.

Spike was fighting furiously, and Illyria had joined him, blasting the invaders with blue fire.

But still they kept coming.

Spike was thrown against the wall and Illyria was left on her own.

The two Durkin demons distracted her while the Aryaal came up behind her and pricked her neck with its talon. The natural tranquilliser set in, and Illyria fell.

The demons left, having gotten what they came for.

Angel dragged himself over to help Spike up, cursing his lame leg so furiously he felt like cutting it off.

How could he go on like this?

Illyria had been taken right from under his nose and he couldn’t do a thing about it.

Who would he fail next?

Gunn?

Spike?

Connor?

Angel pulled Spike up and sank down, his head in his hands.

Spike knew what Angel was about, and he kept silent, giving him some space.

He’d have to find out who took Illyria.

And then hope to hell that he could rescue her on his own.

***

Belthusar smiled, looking over the unconscious form of Illyria.

Let the games begin.

***


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