Spike the Vampire Slayer - Welcome to Sunnydale: Chapter Four
by Diana van der Pluijm
Dangerous Lives
In the shadowy cave the Master beckons Luke to come closer.
"Luke," the ancient vampire says, "I am weak."
The bulky vampire reacts by quoting a scripture from the ancient scrolls that contained the ritual how to let the Master rise again and get him his strength back: "In the Harvest he will be restored."
"Ah, the Harvest," the Master sighs, and his thoughts briefly drift back to a time when he was at his full strength.
Luke, as faithful as a dog, sees that his Master is being overtaken by memories and softly remarks: "We are almost ready. Soon you will be free to overtake this world, and the mortals shall be ours to feast upon."
These words bring the Master back in the present, and with his right hand he touches the confines of his supernatural prison. To his anger they're still as strong as before.
"I must be ready, Luke," he says, and his gaze fixes his servant to the spot, "I need my strength."
"I know, my Master. I have sent some of your servants to bring you some food."
Although Luke knows that his Master will not harm him in any way, for even the Master has never indulged in that terrible practice of drinking vampire blood, the look in the old eyes, that have seen uncountable horrors - most of them inflicted by himself - is enough to even give him the shivers.
"Good," the Master remarks to no one in particular, and articulates every word he speaks with strange precision, "and Luke?"
"Yes?"
"Make sure they bring me something… young, will you?"
Although it is phrased like a question, it is an order that must not be disobeyed.
"It shall be done."
The conversation is clearly over, but Luke hesitates to go away. He still wants his Master to know about the two odd, and very dangerous, vampires.
"What is it?" asks the Master, when he sees his servant has something on his mind.
He does this not out of compassion for a troubled servant - oh no, heaven forbid - but out of evil curiousness. If there is something that troubles his most faithful servant and most powerful bodyguard, it is something that he has to know of.
"It's these two vampires, Master," Luke says softly, "they're abominations. They… they prey on other vampires, and they hunt with werewolves just as often as they hunt them down. They… they should be staked."
The Master is quite aware of the ancient but unwritten pact that exists between the vampires and the werewolves, about not interfering with each other or each other's business. Well, well, the ancient vampire thinks, it seems I have some interesting problems on my hand. But problems can be turned to one's advantage.
"What are their names?" he asks, in the same tone when he would have asked about the weather, if vampires were interested in trivial things like that.
"Xander and Willow. The Devil Pair."

&&&&&&
Oz is still being dragged towards the cemetary by the girl. He's starting to feel more and more uncomfortable with the situation. I wish I wouldn't have done this, he thinks. I wish I would've listened to Spike's motto. To get rid of his surfacing feeling of fear, Oz tries to start a conversation.
"You know, it's… I mean, it's… I'm trying to say that…," he stutters before he closes his mouth again.
The girl keeps on walking.
Because he can't think of something coherent to say other than 'nice weather, eh?' Oz decides to say something very original.
"It's kinda dark, isn't it?"
This gets the girl's attention. She turns her head around and says sarcastically: "That's because it's night."
"Well, uhm, yeah, but that's normally a dark time, isn't it? You know, I can't remember seeing you around school this year. Do you have Miss Valera for maths?"
Now we're at least getting somewhere, Oz thinks relieved. But to his dissapointment the girl ignores him and takes him into the cemetery.
"Uhm, you know, eh, you know the ice cream bar is this way? It's past Hamilton Street," Oz remarks when he notices they're not at all going in the direction he was expecting them to go.
"I know a shortcut," is all the girl says, and grabs Oz' hand tighter while leading him into the cemetery.
A shortcut? But when Hamilton Street is that way, how can this be a shortcut? And why is that girl so strong? I can't even try and break loose. It's starting to get clear to Oz that he's in a situation he definately doesn't want to be. I think I want to go home now… Spike, help me!

&&&&&&
Spike's Slayer instincts are still in charge of his body when he reaches the gates to the cemetery. There his mind finally catches up with his muscles and forces them to a screeching halt. While he's trying to get a grip on the situation, Spike manages to temporarily overcome his rage and thinks about what his next action should be. I know there's vampires out there, I can sense them. But now what? I counted on one vampire, a quick stake through the heart, and back to safety. I can get that Watcher-woman to help me, but by then it may be too late for Oz. Damn those bloody demons! They always manage to screw up my life!
"Hey… stranger…," comes a voice from behind him. The owner is clearly out of breath.
The Slayer almost jumps out of his skin before he turns around with an unhuman swiftness. His right fist stops just an inch or two away from Cordy's face.
The girl yelps, and staggers backwards at seeing the incredible speed with which Spike just moved. Cordelia also notices the immense tension in his muscles. It is clear to her that it took him an enormous amount of willpower to stop the motion of his oncoming fist just before it would've hit her.
"Jeez, man, you scared the shit out of me!" she shouts at him while trying to sound angry, but for some reason it doesn't come out as threatening as it should have been.
"I'm… sorry," Spike apologizes, and slowly relaxes his body.
"It's just that… well, Oz is out here and, and… he's with this girl, but that girl is uhm," Spike gets more and more unsure as to what he's gonna say, "well… let's just say she's bad news. And I'm here to-"
"… to keep Oz from getting into trouble. If that's the case, than you can count me in too. No but's, he's my friend also."
From the looks in Cordelia's eyes Spike can see that she means it. He knows that look all too well. Well, I guess it's better to have a bit of backup than no backup at all. As for the vampire-bit… I'll figure that one out when I get to it. Suddenly he realizes that Cordy has already done him a favor. The rage is contained again. For now. Thanks to her unexpected appearance. Maybe we do stand a chance to survive this night. That last thought comes as a surprise to Spike, because he didn't think this is a night different from any other night. But somehow, deep down, maybe because of his supernatural senses, he knows his last thought was the truth. There's something going on. And it sure as Hell ain't gonna be something pretty.
"Besides," Cordy adds, "if you're gonna do some slayin' tonight, I want to see it. Ever since I-"
"Say what?" Spike interrupts her with a bemused look on his face.
Cordelia repeats herself: "I said, if you're gonna do some slayin' tonight, I want to-"
Spike interrupts again, stammering: "I, what, are you…"
He stops, takes a deep breath and tries again: "Was there some sort of news flash on television? Was there a note in the goddamned newspaper? Why the Hell does everyone I meet around here seems to know I'm the Slayer? Even though I'm not even sure I am?"
"Well… as for now, I'm not even convinced I have to believe that load of bull about the Slayer-stuff, although I overheard it in-"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Look, there's no point in arguing whether or not I'm a psycho fruitcake, 'cause you're friend Oz is in very serious danger!" Spike shouts, angried by the fact that he's about to take on the role he swore never to play again. "Now, I know that Oz in in here," the Slayer points to the cemetery, "and I know that if we won't get to him in time, he's gonna be paying a visit to his ancestors very, very soon! Are you gonna help me, or not?"
For a brief moment Cordelia thinks about the options. Staying here would be safe, but cowardly. Going with that guy could be trouble, if we're caught. But if Oz went with a sleezy tramp, he could be in for a big hurt. And what if Spike is not a mental case? Still… It doesn't take long to make up her mind.
"I'm with you," Cordy says firmly, but on the inside, for the first time in her life, she's really frightened of what she might come across.

&&&&&&
Oz starts to panic more with every step they take into the cemetery. He doesn't know why, but from deep down from his brain comes the feeling that today might very well be the last day that he's walking this earth.
"Al-alright, I-I'd really like to… to go home now. Please?" he pleads just when they reach a mausoleum.
"Hey," the girl says, as though she's suddenly come up with something funny, "ever seen one of those from the inside?"
"N-no, an-and I really, really d-don't want to, either," a very scared Oz answers.
His voice sounds softer and softer, until it's not more than a whisper. In a last half-hearted attempt to escape he tries to kick the girl, but she only grabs hold of his wrist more firmly and forces him to start walking towards the eerie building.
"Oh come, I'm sooo sure it'll be fun…" she purrs.
Her face shows Oz a wicked smile and her eyes cast a dark look in his direction. Whatever courage he had left in him, seeps away at the look of pure evil that the girl gives him. Defeated by something he has no name for, Oz lets her pull him towards the mausoleum.

&&&&&&
Spike and Cordelia arrive just in time to see Oz disappear into the mausoleum.
"Damn! She's taking him into that… uhm… little building, and there's probably more of them around," Spike whispers loudly.
"That's called a mausoleum, you know," Cordy helps him. "What kind of a… a Slayer are you that you don't even know the names of buildings on a cemetery. That is, if it's true."
"Believe me, it's true. I wish it wasn't, but it is. Here," Spike throws Cordelia a wooden cross from his backpack, "that way you can defend yourself. When a… a vampire comes for you, just hold it between you and him. If it works, he won't bite you."
"Now that's a comfort. You haven't used a cross on them before?" Cordy says after catching the cross. She examines it from all sides, but there's nothing special about it. It's just a… a cross.
"Nope. Never had to use them. Most vampires I come across," the Slayer pulls out a pair of wooden stakes, "turn to dust when they see me."
Although she thinks she's not seeing it right, it looks as though a broad smile is appearing on Spike's face. Please God, have mercy on me. Let him be sane. Please?
"Now, let's have some fun," he says, and proceeds towards the mausoleum while he tries to clear his mind.
But while he's getting pumped up by summoning all the anger he can muster, a few stray thoughts haunt him. Let's pray that I haven't forgotten what I was taught. Damn, why does it feel so good when I'm getting ready to fight? Why does it make me feel so much more… alive?

The Slayer fights again

The girl pushes Oz to walk before her, so he almost tumbles down the short stone steps and his head misses the large stone coffin by an inch. His right arm however hits the stone, causing a short burst of pain. Immediately lone tears are forming in his eyes while he grabs hold of his hurt arm and sinks to his knees. I wish I was at home… I wish I was anywhere but here… What's gonna happen to me?
When he sees that the girl walks down the stairs and towards him, he makes a soft sound like a frightened animal and backs away from her until he feels that his back is pressed against a wall. With his hand still on his arm, he instinctively tries to make himself as small as possible by crouching, although it won't help. There's only one exit from this tomb, and the evil girl is blocking it.
"I… I want to go home now, please?" he whispers softly.
"Oh, I'm sorry, but that's just not possible. You absolutely have got to meet someone before you go," she says with a wicked smile as she advances slowly.
Her voice sounds dead but yet has a certain ring of triumph in it. That's because her game is coming to an end, Oz thinks. This thought isn't at all comforting, and succeeds only in scaring him even more. But then, his senses, that are higtened by the adrenaline that's coursing through his veins, pick up something his mind didn't notice. While the girl is walking to the place he's sitting, she leaves an opening for him to escape by. But… but won't she notice? he asks himself. And she's so much stronger… No! I have to try, if only to let myself know I'm not going down without a fight! Oh, man, I almost sound like some bad actor from a B-movie. He tenses his muscles, and his whole body is ready to flee. have to try. I just have to.
At the moment the girl is only one step away from him, his adrenaline-drenched muscles snap into action. Oz lunges forward, almost to fast for his feet to keep up and flies by the utterly surprised girl, who makes no attempt to catch him. I did it, I can go home! flashes through Oz' mind a second before a strong hand grabs holds of his arm and stops him dead in his tracks.
"And where do you think you're going, little prey?" a male voice asks.
Every fibre of Oz' being is paralized by the dark and evil voice. No escape, he thinks. She knew it. I'm dead. I'm sorry, mom and dad, I'm sorry. And I won't live to tell you I regret I ever wanted to be a normal boy.
The male sees him over, and comments: "A bit thin, I think. No backbone whatsoever. A scrawny little thing, this is. And this is the best you could find?"
"He was the only one willing to come with me. But he's fresh!" the girl answers with a slightly trembling voice, and gives the man an angry look.
If I wouldn't know better, I'd say she doesn't like him, Oz thinks.
"It's hardly enough for one vampire to feed well, let alone two, Jeanne," the male remarks casually.
Jeanne almost explodes, manages to control herself, and sneers: "If that is so, Xander, than why didn't you go out and catch your own? You know how the Master feels about parasites."
That struck a nerve. Xander's eyes bulge out with anger before he replies in an icy tone: "Actually, I did."
It seems to Oz as if the girl had been waiting for that, because she stumbles in right after the man said that. To his fear, he sees that she holds a handkerchief to the side of her neck. Bloodstains cover the cloth, and the front of her T-shirt is livened up with a few red spots.
"Hey, wait up! It's really hurting, you know!" she yells at him.
"Oh my God," Oz says when he recognizes the girl, "Darla?"
Xander releases Oz who quickly steps forward to catch the girl when she collapses. She looks very weak, and Oz guesses it's possibly because of the blood loss.
"Hey Oz," Darla says when she notices him, and smiles weakly, "you here? I thought you'd be at home at this time of night."
"Nope, I just had to go out and get myself a date, tonight of all nights. I see you didn't do very well in the date departement either?"
"What d'you mean?" Darla asks, surprised by his remark. "I know I'm a bit tired, but that's all, and I…"
"… was bitten in the neck by your date, and now you're bleeding all over your shirt," Oz finishes the sentence, seconds before he realizes two things.
Oh God, I'm gonna die too, is the the first thought, which strangely enough doesn't seem quite as scary as before, and the second is: I think I should've been a little less blunt about it to Darla, when he sees the eyes of the girl going wide with horror and realization of what happened.
"But, how, I mean… I just… Angel said… and then... he didn't love me… I was so angry with him! And now, I just… I want to go home…" she stutters, and starts to sob very softly.
The warm tears that leak down her cheeks onto Oz's right shoulder while he holds her and tries to comfort her in what probably will be their last moments alive, send shivers through his cold body. Only now does he realize that it's a very cold night tonight. In more ways than one.
In the mean time the two vampires quarrelled with each other about the two teenagers, and now Jeanne focuses her attention on the preys once more.
"You know," she purrs contently to Xander, "I see you couldn't resist to take a bite out of her. I wonder what the Master will say about that? It's common knowledge that there's one thing the Master hates more than parasitic vampires: vampires that think that they're more powerful than him."
Jeanne gives Xander her most sardonic smile, knowing she has won the argument.
But Xander allows her to indulge herself in her so-called victory over him. Before we're in the lair, you'll be dust, wench. Just you wait…
Together they walk towards the shivering duo - Oz shivers because of the cold, Darla shivers because of her fear - and they pull them off the ground.
Darla starts to scream the moment Xanders touches her: "Let me go! Let me GO! Please, I won't tell! I'll do anything! Just let me go! Please!"
Oz just stands up himself, and watches the kicking and screaming girl with a feeling that for the most part resembles surrender, and for just a little part resembles fear. So this is it, he thinks. This is how Oz' life will end. And what a crappy ending it is.
Xander slaps Darla across the face to silence her so he has her full attention. He forces her to look at him, and as she watches his face, it turns into a demonic parody of his human one. The totally paralyzed girl looks into his eyes with the yellow irises and tries in vain to utter a sound, any sound. Her mind overflows with incoherent thoughts. Mom? Dad? Please! GOD! Anyone? Where's my angel? Angel? Help me! One clear thought punctures her stream of consciousness: I-just-want-to-go-home!
"Now, ain't that a neat trick?" he asks her, and smiles to bare his fangs.
That's too much for the already terrified mind of the girl, and Darla's body decides it's time to fade away completely.
Jeanne turns Oz around so he also has to face his attacker as her face morphs into a hideous demonic mask. When she opens her mouth and moves towards his neck, Oz does something he hasn't done since his mother stopped tucking him in at bedtime. He prays.

&&&&&&
Joyce Summers is an extroadinary Watcher in the sense that instead of just sitting in a library and looking up usefull stuff for a Slayer, she actively trains to keep herself in shape. Although she'll never be a match for a fully-trained Chosen One, Joyce has followed martial arts classes since she was four years old and is a master in karate, jiu jitsu and judo. This has one major advantage: when push comes to shove, she knows how to take care of vampires on her own. Combined with her standard Watcher weapons training, she's as deadly as a cobra. Of course, so is a Slayer, even without training.
But although her physical condition is one that many an athlete would be jealous of, she wasn't able to follow Spike to where he was going. So she decided to go to the library to find out as much as she possibly can about this Harvest-thing. And now all I can do is sit here and wait. And of course read. Damn! I wish the Council would have put someone on the job who's more qualified. That is, if that someone wasn't killed by a very powerful vampire… and if that hadn't resulted in his Slayer coming here.

&&&&&&
Although his adrenaline is getting the better of him, Spike doesn't just rush in to face the vampires. Before he goes down the small stairs, he lets his eyes momentarily adjust to the darkness. For a Slayer, that doesn't take a full thirty minutes it does with a normal human, but it still takes about a minute. Spike plays with the two stakes he holds, and his whole body is now completely attuned to only one thing: kill… or be killed. And if I have anything to say in it, I'll be the one who does the bloody killin'!
Cordy sneaks up behind him, cross in her left hand, stake in her right hand, and stops when she's next to him. Her excellent hearing is certainly a match for Spike's, because she can hear by the sound of footsteps and the noise of different people's breathing that there are four people down there. And by the smell of it, two of them are scared… and one is very scared. Damn! Why can I smell that? She looks to her right, and sees the tension on Spike's face. I figure he's heard as much as I have. Does that mean that he could be right? I-
Her thought is never finished, because deafening screams rise from inside the tomb and force Spike to take action. He plummets downwards, leaving a very confused Cordy behind. But when she hears him talking, she follows him downstairs. Something she'll regret thoroughly for weeks to come.

&&&&&&
Oz feels the two tips of the girl's fangs touch his neck, when she suddenly pulls back and turns her attention to something else. It takes Oz a few seconds to adjust to the new situation, which means he's not in mortal peril for a while longer, and tries to focus on what happened that caught her attention. To his surprise and relief he hears Spike talking, but the relief all too soon fades away when he realizes there's nothing his friend can do either. Except die with me.
"Well, ain't this a sight for sore eyes. I wouldn't have guessed that vampires got all cozy before killing people off. It's not exactly my style, I mean, the loose rubble and broken tiles is a bit too casual for me, but if it works for you, who am I to criticize?"
"Probably someone who's had a lot to drink and thinks he's immortal. But hey, when dinner arrives at your doorstep, and you don't have to do anything for it, who am I to criticize?" Xander replies sarcastically, while smiling his most foul grin.
"What? Was that supposed to be a joke? What is this world coming to? Bloody vampires that start to make jokes? The whole natural balance is going to be upset!" is Spike's evenly sarcastic answer.
And the sorry thing is, I mean it! I like to taunt demons and other scum before I finish them off, but now they take even that pleasure from me! Although Spike still wears a big smile on his face, every last ounce of sincerity has vanished from it. He radiates danger, and the two vampires involuntarily take a small step back.
"Who are you, anyway?" Jeanne asks, frustrated by the feeling of uneasiness that begins to surface.
"Are-are you kidding me? Spike answers, being genuinly baffled by the question. "Is-is… you don't know? Wow, and I thought that keeping secrets in Sunnydale was going to be tough, I mean, with almost everybody around me knowing and all. I'd hate to be Superman and live in this town!"
"Ehm, Spike, you've had your fun with them, and I know you'd love to fight now, but… isn't it time for us to, like, bail out or something?" Cordy interrups him before he could continue his taunting.
"Not before we have fed!" Jeanne yells when she's regained her confidence, and the vampiress now advances on Spike and Cordy, forgetting all about Oz in the process.
Oz is not about to let that opportunity pass by, and he scurries past her towards Cordelia. Maybe we can get out of this alive, he thinks, when he notices that Spike carries two sharp wooden objects and looks ready to make a stand.
While Oz made it past Jeanne, Xander still held the unconsious Darla in his hand. Now he drops her to the ground as if she's nothing more than a broken toy, and positions himself between the small group of humans and the only escape route from this dungeon. That fool Jeanne won't stand a chance against him, he knows. As for me, if things turn out for the worst, I can always make my quick getaway. A faint smile touches his lips, and from his white eye comes a faint glow.
But to the vampire's surprise, the Slayer suddenly turns his attention away from Jeanne and faces him. When Spike sees the vampire that stands behind them, a sudden wave of dizzyness, choking darkness and… recognition washes over him.
His mind starts to race, and in an instant he's back at the scene from his nightmares, the dying man and woman lying at his feet, and the words… the words, filled with promises… "The anger will never be satisfied… never go away… I can wait… you will be mine…" No! It can't be! Not this, not him, not here! He almost lets out the tortured scream that surges through his body, but he overcomes it, and faces the vampire that followed him here with an icy determination. Only one of us is walking out of here alive, is his one grim thought.
Xander sees the far-away look on the Slayer's face, and knows exactly what's come over him. The words that he spoke to the outraged and sorrow-filled Slayer that night are words that he likes to say to himself when he's perfectioning his plan to get rid of that annoying bastard, the Master. It's a pity no one ever told you what exactly is so special about you, Slayer. So special, that they sent you to another continent, even after disrespecting every rule about Slaying there is, to this place.
"Slayer," Xander remarks in a casual tone, but still so soft, that no one besides the Slayer can hear him, thus confirming Spike's thoughts.
The feral grin of demonic happiness on his face it almost too much for Spike to bear, and he inches closer to the fanged fiend.
"I'd like to answer with your name, but I haven't had the pleasure of being introduced," Spike retaliates.
"My, my, aren't we the nosy one? I'd love to stay and chat, but I think you're gonna have other things on your mind soon," the vampire says, and still smiles his wicked smile.
"Yeah, right. And now you're going to say 'look out, behind you', isn't it? As if I'd fall-"
The Slayer's words are cut short when something heavy hits him from behind. As he crashes into the floor while whatever is on top of him tries to bash his brains out, he hears a maniacal laughter coming from above him. Damn! I've forgotten all about that crazy vampire bitch. Note to self: when engaging a discussion with someone, always make sure there aren't any rogue vampires around! Between trying to roll over to get rid of his enemy and looking around if the others are unharmed, he catches a glimpse of the male vampire walking away. With one great effort he knocks the vampiress off him, kicks her in the head, and yells after the vanishing vampire: "Hey, you sod, you never gave me your name!"
Again, in the faintest whisper, the answers comes to him as if carried by the wind.
"Xander. Just... Xander."
There is no time for Spike to say anything else, because Jeanne has recovered from the blow and is asking for his attention by throwing a high punch at him. Spike blocks it easily, and Jeanne tries a backhand punch. However, the Slayer blocks again, and quickly follows up with a front snap kick to Jeanne's stomach. The vampiress leans forward from the pain of the nasty blow, and still can't believe that a puny human could have hurt her this much. She tries to stand up, but Spike slams his elbow into her back with a mean, unhuman-like snarl. The vampiress goes down with a howl of pain, and Spike takes this short pause to turn to his friends.
"Cordy, Oz, take Darla with you and go! Go now! I'll take care of things here," he manages to say before he has to execute a high kick to knock Jeanne against the wall.
Cordy, who had looked at the entire scene without even moving a muscle out of fear that someone would notice her, wakes up with a start when she hears Spike say her name. Immediately her inborn leader skills take over, and she turns to Oz.
"Oz, help me collect Darla. You take her left arm, I'll take her right. Careful now, we don't want her to get more bruises than she already has," she commands, and lifts the girl from the ground.
Oz, who was starting to get more into shock with everything he saw and heard, obeys her without objecting. The two of them make their way past the fighting duo. Once they're clear of the building, they walk away as quickly as possible.
Inside the mausoleum, the vampiress isn't doing to well against the Slayer, as expected. Jeanne hits a wall and falls to the floor, totally winded. Bruises cover her face and arms, there's blood all over her clothes, and her body is trembling… with fear.
"You know," Spike starts while Jeanne is lying on the floor, his anger getting the better of him, "I actually thought my old man was right about coming here. Sure, it's not as if everyone welcomed me with open arms, but between the nerds, cool dudes and library, I thought I was actually going to have a normal life. As normal as a teenager can get, anyway. But no. The minute I come here there's this crazy woman that just has to remind me of where I come from, and then one of you suckers goes of with a person who was becoming my friend! Why? Why the Hell are you here, in this stupid little town that not even less than one thousandth of a percent of the Americans know about? Why won't you assholes let me get a life?!"
Stunned by Spike's speech and his apparent lack of fear for supernatural beings such as she, and, to be honest, the fact that he totally kicked her butt, all Jeanne can do is look up at him and ask a question.
"Who-who are you?"
"You really don't know, do you?" he answers, and is actually stunned by her ignorance.
And I really thought that every vampire should've know by now!
But his surprise doesn't last long, because a large hand grabs him by the neck from behind, and a low and dark voice answers his question: "I don't care!"
Spike is thrown across the room with such force, that rubble falls from the ceiling when he hits the opposite wall. Oh man, it's a good thing that a Slayer comes equipped with supernatural healing and dexterity, flashes through his mind and he tries to stand up. His legs are still a bit shaken by the hard crash, and it takes him a few seconds to fully regain control of his body.
Lucky for Spike, the large vampire that threw him focuses his attention on the fallen vampiress.
"You were supposed to bring an offering to the Master, as he asked of you! The Harvest is near, and yet you toy with this youngster?"
The clear contempt that lies in the words that are spoken, makes Jeanne cringe in his hands as he picks her from the floor.
"Why are not on your way to the lair? Why are you-"
His words are cut short as Jeanne quickly explains: "We-we had someone, but… but then HE came! He-he was about to kill me, and… he's strong, Luke, stronger than any mortal I've ever seen."
The big undead brute growls when he hears the fear that's in the vampire's voice, and he looks the young boy in question over. A look of intense devilish pleasure appears on his savage face when the thought of fighting with someone who's worth the effort appeals to him, especially when he thinks of what kind of torture he'll inflict on the boy after he's done with him. But, strangely enough, his look is mingled with a shade of admiration, like a warrior has for another warrior, even though they're sworn enemies. This young boy emanates an aura of skill that I haven't come across for a while. He'll make a good offering for the Master, and maybe… maybe even a better vampire.
When Spike sees the interest with which the big vampire looks at him, he knows he's going to be in for a very hard fight. He's seen that look before, just moments ago, on the face of that other undead bloodsucker who, somehow, knows all about him. But that's just what I've been waiting for: a good, decent, bone-breaking, skull-cracking fight! The rage inside him howls like a savage animal when it feels its victory over the rational mind. Another shot of adrenaline immediately flows through the Slayer's veins.
Luke disposes of the snivelling vampire in his hands in an effectively simple yet very evil way: he throws her at the Slayer, who reacts with lightning speed. Before Luke can even blink his eyes, the right hand of the boy moves in a fast, fluid motion, and, while still in mid-air, the vampiress is dust. The gray haze showers down on the boy, who doesn't even blink. My, my, could I be mistaken? Or is he… a Slayer? That would make things much more fun for me!
The vampire approaches Spike, who keeps his eyes on his undead adversary. Still, the attack comes unexpected, as Luke attacks Spike with a double punch. The Slayer blocks Luke's blows, and retaliates with a punch of his own to the vampire's gut, followed by a hopping front snap kick to Luke's jaw. The bloodsucker takes a step back because of the force behind the blows, but he doesn't even look like he's had so much as a push from Spike.
"You're strong," Luke remarks, with just the faintest bit of recognition for the Slayer's powers.
Before Spike can react, these words are followed by a swift solid backhand fist from the vampire. The impact sends the Slayer flying, and again he slams into the wall.
"But I'm stronger!" shouts Luke, confident of his own strength, and he walks slowly towards the fallen Slayer.

&&&&&&
Outside, on the cemetery, Oz and Cordelia support a now slightly awakend Darla as they half-run, half-walk to the gates as fast as they can.
"We-we'll get the po-police," Oz stutters, and he tries to catch his breath, "it's just a few-few blocks up!"
"Oh yeah, and what are we gonna tell them? That we were attacked by a group of undead vampires? I'm not ready for a life behind bars yet!" Cordy snaps at him, but regrets it at almost the same time.
Oh, why don't I keep my mouth shut sometimes? Poor Oz, it's not as if he's been through enough already. She opens her mouth to apologize for her harsh words, but holds back when she sees the fear-filled look on his face. Did my words hurt him that much?
"Hey, Oz, look, I'm sorry man, I didn't-"
"Cordy," he whispers, the terror in his voice increasing with every word, "I'm… it's not what you said, it's, ehm, we have company."
He points over her shoulder, and Cordy slowly turns her head, only to see what she actually already knew the moment Oz answered her. Because of her preoccupation with escaping, she didn't react on what she heard and smelled before. But now the stench of undead is indeniable.
Oz, Cordelia and Darla are surrounded by a group of vampires.

Friends and enemies

"You know, you're wasting my time. In an enjoyable way, but still…"
Both fighters have adopted a fighting stance again after seriously beating the crap out of each other. Spike and Luke are covered with rubble, and their clothes are torn on several places. Although Spike looked forward to doing some serious damage, he didn't dare let go of himself again. And Luke, who sensed this hesitation, used it to his advantage. But their skills match, and both look worn out from the fighting.
Spike's Slayer senses tell him that his friends are in trouble, due to the amount of vampiric presence that surrounds them. Slowly he backs away from Luke and up the stairs, towards the exit.
"You know," Spike says, and his voice betrays the strain that he's under, "it's not like I wanted to spend my evening bashing vamps either, okay?"
Luke sees what the Slayer is trying to do, and advances on Spike.
"You're not getting away from me, Slayer," he hisses.
"Wow, a vampire that actually knows who I am. I should be happy, but I'm not. And now, I have to get going. Bye!"
In one smooth movement Spike turns around and throws himself outside the mausoleum. Luke pursues him, and grabs hold of one of Spike's legs. A fierce kick from Spike's free foot makes Luke stumble backwards, dizzy from the mighty blow to his jaw. Before, Spike didn't dare to give himself over to his anger. But now that his friends are in danger, he has no other choice. For all the times that I could not control my anger, for the innocents I have hurt… I will use you to save my friends! With a load roar of pure rage the Slayer jumps back into the crypt and delivers a set of bone-cracking blows to the vampire's head.
Although Luke doesn't go down, he is taken aback when he sees this walking explosion of fury coming for him. Never have I seen a Vampire Slayer with such rage, such passion for all life… and such total lack of fear for his own. This fight will have to be fought another day, on my terms. And I will defeat him, and I will serve him to the Master as his first victim of many. I- A flying kick to the chest cuts the bulky vampire's thoughts short, and in spite of what he was thinking, he feels fear for the first time in his unlife. His reflexes kick in, and in a last effort to save his hide Luke lifts the huge stone lid of the coffin in the middle of the room and throws it towards the Slayer.
Spike lets himself fall to the side, and the lid soars by and crashes into the falls, which causes another rain of dust to fall on the Slayer. Where is he? Where is he? he thinks as he stands up to continue the fight.
"Vampire! You can run, but you can't hide! I'll find you! We'll finish this! You are dust!" Spike cries in an outrage.

&&&&&&
Luke hurries through the immense underground Sunnydale sewersystem, and tries to shake off that eerie feeling of destiny he got when he heard the angry cry of the Slayer. At every corner the vampire takes, he cites obscure quotes from the prophecy that will ensure the renewed reign of the vampire race.
"And like a plague of boils, the race of man covered the Earth."

&&&&&&
In the library, Summers pages through an old and dusty volume. When she comes across a vague picture of Satan, from whose hand comes a bolt of lightning which reaches a man's hand, her eyes widen.
"The Harvest… Dear God, I never thought it would come to be! Not even the Council regarded this prophecy as something more than the ravings of a mad vampire! I have to warn Spike… the Harvest must be stopped!
She gets up from her chair and runs towards the library doors.
The wind she creates with her quick departure, stirs the pages of the old book, and the page with the picture flips over. On the next page is a second picture about the Harvest… and it shows a terrible and bloody massacre of humans, by vampires with devilish grins on their faces while they bathe in the blood of mortals…

&&&&&&
The next corner, and Luke continues: "But on the third day of the newest light would come the Harvest. And the blood of men will flow as wine."

&&&&&&
In the underground cave, the old and brutal vampire named the Master, sits in an intricately carved chair. When someone would look closer, they would see the horrible slaughter that the carvings present. Like cattle, humans are drained from their blood by multiple vampires, and skulls surround the images of hordes of undead that walk the Earth, standing side by side with their creators, the immortal, pure Demons.
A small and vile grin creeps up the Master's face, for he knows the time of his freedom is at hand. The Old Ones will walk on this pitiful planet once more, like they did at the beginning of time itself! And we shall walk by their side, and never fear mortals or that horrid Slayer again!
"When the Master will walk among them once more," he whispers at the same time that his servant Luke says them out loud, as if he knows what Luke is doing at that very moment.

&&&&&&
With slowly but steadily increasing fear, Oz and Cordelia look around for a way to escape, even if it would mean leaving Darla behind. I would dispise myself for even thinking it, but when it comes to life or death… I'll take life anytime, Cordy thinks.
The same goes for Oz, although he's still hesitant about dropping the unconscious girl to the ground and making a run for it.
"He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day," whispers Oz ever so softly.
Cordy hears what Oz is saying, and responds by whispering back: "I agree… but it's only the question if we can make it out of here alive to fight tomorrow. Besides, you stole that from someone, I believe?"
A faint smile flashes across Oz' face.
"And I always thought you didn't believe in stuff like books and movies."
"I do now. Especially books and movies with very, VERY happy endings," she says, and watches the vampires come closer.
Dear God, she thinks, let this please be a happy ending…

&&&&&&
Spike's rage hasn't been subdued one bit by the short outburst he had seconds ago. And now that he's unleashed it, it doesn't want to got away ever again. Fight… kill… save my friends! are the only coherent thoughts that the Slayer can muster at this time, and his muscles tense once more in anticipation of another fight. Save Oz… and Cordelia… He quickens his pace and breaks into a fast run when he feels that the vampires are closing in on the only two possible friends he's had in this short time. Please… let me be in time!

&&&&&&
Luke is almost at his Master's lair, and recites, speaking - unknowingly - in perfect unison with his Master: "The Earth will belong to the Old Ones."

&&&&&&
Just as the first vampire comes within grasping range of the three teens, Spike comes running to the rescue. He leaps into the air and lands, stake first, on the male vampire that's closest to his friends. With a surprised yelp, the vampire vanishes into the night in a cloud of dust, and the Slayer immediately jumps up and is on his feet before anyone could even blink an eye. The remaining vampires are a bit confused for a moment or two, but quickly regain their senses. Although they back up a bit to size up their new, and apparantly very capable enemy, they do not flee.
Not yet, anyway, Spike thinks, as his rage subsides long enough for him to crouch down and take a good look at the three teens in distress.
"Are you okay?" he asks, and his voice sounds as if he's not really present.
Oz doesn't notice this, and gives Spike a warm smile to indicate he's okay. He's too tired and mentally beat-up to do anything more than just the utmost necessary. We're… alright. It's all gonna be alright now…
But Cordelia somehow hears it. And she knows this night is far from over. Even though she wasn't there when Spike 'let go' and almost killed the brutal vampire in the crypt, she recognizes the signs of a person who's over the edge. But as long as he kicks some serious vampire-butt, I'm not complaining. After we get out of this in - almost - one piece, I'll worry about this at a later time. But he needs help… even more because he thinks he doesn't need to. Just as I need it, with my problem… All this and more shoots through her mind when she sees the worn-out expression on Spike's face, an expression that says that the owner of it was just timing out for a second. As soon as she nods a tiny confirmation of her being alright, the expression vanishes… and a wild, outraged Spike takes its place.
"Alright then. Now it's time… to make some vampires cry," he whispers, and slowly rises from the ground.
His eyes look like they're on fire with an almost supernatural anger, and his pose conveys one thing and one thing only: I'm dangerous and ready to kill, and you're next.
And the vampires tremble when he turns around to face them.

&&&&&&
Luke, as well as the Master, as well as Spike, all say the same line at the exact same time.
"And Hell itself will come to town."

&&&&&&
Luke reaches the cavern, and kneels down before the Master. He looks up at the ancient vampire, smiles, and says: "Amen."

&&&&&&
Xander disappears into the night like a shadow fleeing from the sun, after casting one last look on the scene behind him. He knows the vampires don't stand a chance, just as Jeanne was dead from the moment on that Spike walked into the tomb. So far, so good. It's nice to see that plans work out sometimes after all. And I hate to be cliché, but…
"Until we meet again, Slayer," he whispers, and walks on.

&&&&&&
Just as Spike is about to let loose his anger, the wind carries the faintest whisper of a voice in his direction.
"Until we meet again, Slayer," promises the wind, and the Slayer knows that he hasn't seen the last of Xander.
But for now, he focuses on the moment, and chooses his target. A small, female vampire is standing a bit out of the line of the circle that the vampires formed, and he estimates the distance between her and himself. Let's start off easy, he thinks, and in the blink of an eye he grabs a stake from behind his back, where it was tucked away in his belt, and throws it at the vampire. She doesn't even have time to make a sound.
The familiar swooshing-sound and the disappearance of one of their number without them even noticing that the Slayer made a move, makes the fearless undead… fearing.
"Well, that certainly was easy. And now… who's next?" he asks, semi-casual, and gives the undead an unpleasant and very mean-looking smile.
"Or should I just… kill you all with one blow?"
For most of the vampires, these are the last words they'll ever hear. The next few moments it's like a local hurricane swept down from the sky, filled with stakes, and kills them one by one. Spike leaps, turns, kicks, stakes, punches, breaks and crushes, all without even blinking twice when dust comes swirling down and lands in his eyes.
Cordelia watches in awe and horror as she realizes that it looks almost as though the Slayer… is dancing. Dancing a last dance with the undead, before sending them to their eternal resing places. If it wasn't so brutal, I would say it's… beautiful.
Oz watches too, but all he can think is: yesterday my life was normal. Today I'm in a graveyard with a girl who has almost bled to death, a guy who has the combined strenght of five bodybuilders and a bunch of undead people who appear to be vampires! I don't know whether to be thankful for this big change or to burst in tears! But that's something I'll wonder about later. For now… Let's just see how Spike gets rid of these… unliving people.
While Spike is busy kicking some serious vampire butt, and Oz and Cordy watch his horrific dance, they don't notice the vampire that's sneaking up behind them. But instead of harming them, he grabs hold of Darla's right arm - she still lying on the grass, unconscious - and starts to slowly pull her away from them. As soon as she's out of their reach, he lifts her over his shoulder and quickly flees the scene of the slaughter. Behind him, the screams of horror and dry 'poofs' of forever disappearing vampires soon die down as he gets further away. That was an easy picking... the Master will be pleased when I bring him this one, and tell him what happened here, Nicholas thinks. Maybe he'll even allow me to be a part of his elite guard. And then... then I could finally get rid of those two abominations of vampires, Xander and Willow...
The Slayer is one with his reflexes, and it soon becomes apparant to both the watching humans and the still attacking vampires that it'll be all over in a matter of minutes. As graciously as any balletdancer Spike jumps into the air, over the heads of two surprised vampires, swirls around and stakes them both at the same time by violently slamming two stakes in their backs, right through their undead hearts. They vanish... and so do the few remaining vamipres, who finally wizen and decide they'd rather face their Master's wrath than die by the hands of this very angry Slayer. Spike sees them run, and lets out a triumphant howl before turning to his friends.
It's only at that moment, when the last of the dust settles down onto the tombstones and the Slayer's clothes, that they suddenly realize that someone's missing.
"Darla! Where-where is she? She was just here, lying on the ground. She couldn't have gotten up and walked off, she was out cold!" Oz yells with both surprise and disbelieve sounding through his voice.
"She... she got taken away by a vampire, I-I can smell it," Cordelia whispers, taken aback by this awful possibility.
Spike records the strange fact that she could smell that, and decides to ask about it later. For now, he focuses on finding Darla.
"I... I think we maybe have to try and find her. It may not be too late yet."
The words come out with difficulty, like his brain is still trying to recover from the surge of anger that just moments ago rushed through it. But now, the anger has completely disappeared from his mind and body, and the few bruises that he got from the fight are already vanishing.
"Well? What are we waiting for then? Let's find her!" Cordelia says excited, and jumps on her feet.
"Wow, not so fast, Cordy!" Oz intervenes. "It's not as if we have any clue as to where we have to search for her. And we... we have to face another possibility. She could already be... uhm... she could be..."
His voice gets stuck in his throat, because he doesn't have the courage to say out loud what he's thinking. But, being the Slayer, Spike speaks out what Oz fears.
"She could already be dead," Cordelia gasps at his words, "and although I didn't even know her, knowing that she could be, darkens my soul. Because that would certainly mean that she's only the first of many."
There's a certain ring of truth that accompanies his words, and Oz wonders: if he is a... a Slayer, he's part of a dark and evil world that I've never even dreamed of. I wonder if what he's saying is not only his own gut-feeling, but a subtle message from the power of good that he's supposedly fighting for. Oz raises his eyebrows when he thinks this. Man, listen to me. If I wouldn't know any better, I'd think I was in contact with these things way before I even met Spike!
Spike gets a strange feeling, that going after the girl would be a bad idea. His thoughts race through his mind, and it feels as if a silent voice is warning him that he's not up to the challenge yet. I tried brute force. Maybe now it's time for some thinking. And I know just the person to help me with that.
"As much as I hate to say it, but Oz is right. It's really no use going after her now, although I just said it might be worth the effort. But somehow... somehow I think that she's already lost. And we have to find out what's going on, and why there are suddenly so many vampires running loose in a quiet town like this. I think it's time to re-acquaint myself with someone."
He looks down at Oz, and extends his right hand. Oz takes it, and is surprised by the apparent ease with which Spike helps him get up. Then he looks at Cordy.
"Well? What do you think? Are you gonna help me?" he asks, and now he's the same Spike again as they met this morning.
"I think," Cordy slowly says, "we'd better get to that person you're talking about, and the sooner the better. This graveyard has never frightened me, but now it's giving me the creeps."
"My sentiments exactly," Oz agrees.
Spike nods, and turns around to lead them out of the eerie cemetery. It's clear to him, that this was just the beginning.

This story archived at: The Slayer\'s Fanfic Archive
The Slayer\\\\\\\\'s FanFic Archive - http://www.slayerfanfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=2230