Bleed on the Earth: Part Five
by Alex Mercado
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Giles, Willow, Xander, Cordelia, Angel, Prinicpal Snyder, Sunnydale, Sunnydale High are created and owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy Co. /*\ Blush, Kruel, Morello, Zach, The Apostle, Auria, Sheen, Estevez, Peter Reiker, Charlie Thrugood, Craig, Wilk, Maxwell, the bleed-stake(aka the christ killer) Athemon, AND the plot of this story are creations of KiNeTiC (aka) Alex M.
Proofread by Kimly and KitCat.
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Part Five
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The sidewalk along SunnyDale High was going to be the grounds for one of the most disturbing massacres to ever happen hit this town. As it raged on, unlucky students caught in the grasp of modern-day knights lost their lives.
Apostle would grab a teen, look at the taped photo on his hand, and compare. "No, not him." The "Bleed-stake" slipped out of a compartment under his wrist and plunged in the kid's heart. A cloud of ashes blew where the victim once stood. Apostle and his crew kept up their carnage. Charlie, Peter and the other armored vampires made sure to cut off all other people from getting off campus.
There were still about three-hundered and twelve students and facutly held up in the school. "Look, children of Sunnydale, we do not intend any harm." Apostle's hands raised in the air, the Bleed-stake retracting back into his wrist. "I have no intention to.. ." "Bullsh.. ." a student, clad in gray clothing, yelled but never finished his expletive. A nine-inch arrow pierced through his heart and knocked him down. Courtesy of Peter, he recived a nod of approval from Apostle. Students cried and gasped, shocked at the horrible doings.
"All I ask for is you children to line up so we can take a view of your faces." Apostle's tone of voice sounded too vain for himself. "Except for females, all females on the campus grounds may leave. But you must line up in an orderly fashion." The last twelve females outside of school were sobbing. Their boyfriends latched onto them, but eventually let them go. When the girls lined up, Apostle's muffled voice muttered "Waste them." The knights let their ammunition fly, and the femmes fell lifeless.
After that, the frightened calm broke and everyone tried to get the hell out of there. Apostle, emotionless as always, let his gaze fall across the panicking people to land on two individuals trying to climb out of a window. A red-haded girl and a boy dressed like.. . a vampire. Well, a sluggish, cheap vampire would.
Suddenly a light snapped in his head. He looked at the photo on his palm. It was him! His blood-relative. Phigbert Bload, who was now calling himself "Kruel" was trying to make a hasty escape with Willow. A girl whom he all but fell for. "THERE!" Apostle howled, pointing at Kruel from far away. "Oh shyte!" Kruel bellowed, Willow's eyes widened to the max. An arrow caught Kruel through his shirt and pinned him to the wall. Another arrow aimed for Willow's forehead was launched, Kruel screamed and tried to wave his hand around so it would catch him and not her. But it was too late, it sped up and right before impact Buffy jumped and snapped the arrow in two with her forearm.
She had a fire-axe strapped to her back, quite possibly because she had seen her mother use one to save her life. With cat-like quickness, she yanked the arrow from Kruel's shirt, letting him collapse. Willow jumped out and fell on him. "Uh, thanks, Buffy." Willow grinned. Buffy nodded like a robot, turned around and went to continue her assault on the bad guys. Xander and Craig had followed Willow from the school, running into the far woodlands. Buffy ducked and rolled under the onslaught of arrows and whatever was thrown. Students around her were dropping like flies, the sight of so much death disturbed Buffy beyond belief and it almost distracted her. The knights had their knapsacks full of weaponary goodies, when done with one, a shiny new toy would be used.
Peter kept firing the arrows with his mechanical bow, but it was useless, he hit everyone else but Buffy. When the arrows were out, he dug into his knapsack, but Buffy flipped over him and pulled his legs from behind him. Peter dropped with a heavy clang, and Sheen rushed to his aid. Buffy elbowed him in the stomach, leaving a dent in his armor and making him fall. "Let's see who you are under that helmet, fly boy. You like killing girls?" A muffled continuation of "Nooo!" came from Peter's faceles Masque. She yanked his helmet off and saw Peter's face a few seconds until the sunlight claimed him and turned him into ashes.
Estevez jumped at Buffy with his Katana. Buffy rolled to the side, and the metal blade sparked as it contacted with the cement. She managed a 360 spin on her back, courtesy of the axe, and tripped the vampire. She crawled towards Charlie and he aimed his rifle towards her head. He pulled the trigger and it jammed. Buffy smiled at him. He of course, frowned in his helmet. Mustering up all her might, she punched him in the groin, making the suit's crotch area bend inward. Charlie screamed in pain, his voice overcame the muffling suit.
Apostle was trying to catch up to Buffy when some of the football squad of SunnyDale high attacked him. Of course, by now, the school was empty. Principal Snyder still cowered under a lunchtable inside. As the football team had a collective bearhug on Apostle, the mighty vampire flexed and threw the jocks off of him. Taking each of their arms with him. He flung the rapidly cooling limbs across the street and sneered at the yelping sports heroes. "Try and make passes now, fools." Apostle kicked the starting quarterback in the mouth, destroying his jaw.
He turned around to see Buffy beating the daylights out his minions."Unbelievable!" he screamed at the top of his dead lungs, his Bleed-stake once again appeared ready to strike Buffy in the back when twelve or so arrows lodged themselves into Apostles armor. He turned around again to wonder who had the balls to do that. The Bleed-stake sucked back into his wrist. Giles smirked with *his* mechanical bow and arrow. "A god damnned Librarian!" Apostle kicked his foot into the ground. "Look, you horrid monster. I have enough arrows to pierce your flimsy tin can suit many times. So many times, a hole will appear, and with the sunlight.. . it most defenitely will burn you to death. Would you like to take that chance?" Giles' eyes were cold circles. Apostle stood there silent, then nodded his head,"I think I will." Buffy kept attacking Charlie and unbeknownst to her, Sheen and estevez were busily schemeing. They began to lift a car over their heads that was parked nearby. Buffy heard the metal clanking behind her and spun around. "That's Giles' car! Put it down!"
She howled. Giles looked and threw a fit "My car!" Apostle pounced on him and placed his hand on Rupert's chin and neck, slowly sperating the two. "Slow decapitation is excellent to watch, even more entertaining to be apart of!" Buffy finally used her nifty fireaxe and swung it at Sheen's left leg, relieving him of it. Sheen cried in pain before the sunlight crept up his stump and destroyed him. Estevez wasn't that strong of a vampire so of course, the car fell on him and cracked open his armor with the efficience of a nutcracker. A cloud of ashes flew, the last remnants of those two. Buffy turned to see Apostle attacking Giles and ran foward, drop kicking him off of her Watcher.
Apostle quickly rose to his feet, all of the arrows broke off into the suit. "Technology is a bane of some people. Is it yours?" Buffy wordlessly shrugged, helping a coughing Giles onto his feet and ushering him to the side. Apostle then punched a fist into his open palm, and out sprouted two five-inch metallic claws from his knuckles. "Okay, that's very nice. But you might poke your eye out, so put them back in." Buffy said, laughing nervously. A twinge of fright creeped under her skin. He lunged at her, but she ducked and the claws found their way into a dazed Charlie's chest piercing his armor. He dusted, and Apostle shrugged. Buffy took his right claws and shoved them, slightly impaling Apostle through his stomach. It sure took him by surprise. "Clever girl." He said robotically. Buffy gave him a disgusted look,"Look, jerk-off. If I happen to push, then pull on your wrist, you're screwed. See, a hole will form on your armor." Apostle nodded, he wasn't a moron. "What do you want to know, Slayer?" All of a sudden, Kruel ran from out of nowhere with a Louisville Slugger bat clutched in his arms ready to strike at the Apostle. He tripped over the corpse of an armless football player, and the bat slipped out of his grasp. It flew and knocked Buffy on the head knocking her out cold. Giles rushed to her side and proceeded to drag her out of harm's way. Apostle ran towards Kruel, hand still through stomach, picking up the slacker. Giles was too busy with Buffy to notice. All the way Kruel was screaming obscenites, as he was taken down into the darkeness of the sewers.
Xander held a shaking Willow, she cried into his shoulder. It was deeply bizzare, that his friend of so many years, was having feelings for Kruel. Craig watched on silently, the nervous shift in his stomach made him sick beyond belief. The reek of death from SunnyDale High was sure to fill the air.
* * *
Hours passed, and the stench of the massacre now came into fruition. It was not that decay had already come; it was just a sickening smell. Bodies piled upon the steps of Sunnydale, on the lawns, on trees, everywhere. Nothing this drastic had been witnessed in a long time, if there were many witnesses at all. In a thick forest-like area behind school Xander, Willow and Craig hid. The latter of the three rested his head against the trees; bile beginning to rise in his throat. He forever had the image of the cheerleading squad being torn apart. It was too much; he began vomiting out of the other two's field of vision.
Willow cried violently into Xander's torn shirt. He rubbed his gentle hands through her now sweat-soaked hair. His chin resting on her head, his thoughts spun into a confusing pool of distraught. The whimpering of the Hacker into him was so sad, it made a tear sneak out of his left eye. He quickly swiped away with his free hand. Then the flow of tears that soaked into him began to lessen, and he felt a violent push. Willow shoved him away, and Xander looked at her in wonder. "Willow, what.. ." He sputtered.
Willow's eyes were reddened with the combination of anger and sorrow."Xander? What the hell is wrong with you? Are you so damned pig-headed you can't see when you really make an ass of yourself?" Her voice became muddled with built up saliva and choked-back tears. "What is your problem, do you not want me happy for once? Truly happy?"
Xander stared dumbfounded,"Will, what're you talking.. ."
"You're such an asshole, I can't believe you would treat people like that. I don't even know you anymore." Willow waved her arms around in distress.
Craig walked in on the two, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Willow, calm down." He laid his other hand on her shoulder. Enraged, she backhanded him, hurtling him towards the ground. He was too shocked to let anything register yet. He lifted his head to look at her burning gaze.
"And you, you little henchman son-of-a-bitch." Willow pointed her small finger at the overweight boy. "You of all people shouldn't pick on others just because they're different! Have you even looked in a mirror?" Willow's bottom lip quivered, she had no control over what she was saying. Knowing she didn't mean any of this, she stopped herself. Craig's jaw dropped, his eyes watered and he began to lift himself up. "Oh god Craig.. . I'm sorry." Willow felt a tinge of remorse, although it was her right to be angry.
Craig got on his feet and dusted himself off,"No Willow, I'm the fat bastard. I'm the bad guy." He raised his palm to his face, hung his head low and began to walk away in a quick pace. Willow almost followed him but Xander stopped her. Her defenses were down now, and Xander was going to let her have it.
* * *
Giles kneeled outside of his car, which was partially totaled. Buffy lay across the front seat unconscious, as he stroked her brow with ice wrapped in a handkerchief. Swabbing the spreading bruise on her forehead, he stared at her face. The overwhelming feeling of helplessness shook his soul. Under Buffy's eyelids, rapid movement started. Giles snapped his neck back to her, his train of thought derailed. Her eyes fluttered open, and she awakened in a groggy state. In an almost silent tone she mumbled "Giles, did.. . we win?" Giles smiled, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "I'm afraid not, Buffy."
"Nuts." She raised herself to get out of the car, Giles tried to stop her but to of no avail.
"Buffy, please, you need your rest. I don't want you to see.. ." Giles grabbed for her arm, but only got air. When Buffy turned her head, it all came back to her. The corpses littered the streets, and she dropped to her knees. Doubling over, she went into a fetal position. Giles walked to her, having no idea what to do. He laid his hand on her shoulder. A silent prayer quivered in his throat.
* * *
Craig walked along the dead bodies, his heart had been broken, shattered, you name it. Willow was the unrequited love of his life, and she just defaced him. She was the dream of his, everything else he had lost hope on. Willow had become his Holy Grail over the years. Craig realized he was a loser. In his eyes, he was no longer even Craig. Stumbling across a body clad in black. He kicked it over so it would face up to him.
It was Maxwell.
It boggled the mind; he dropped to his knees like many others that day. He put his hands inside of Max's pockets and found something. Taking his hand out, he retrieved two blades. Craig's face was covered with a bittersweet smile. Flinging one blade into the distance, he took the remaining one and nicked his right wrist. The crimson began to flow down, and he slit his other wrist. He crossed his arms, and silently lay down near the bodies.
* * *
"Willow, what the hell is your problem!?" Xander's eyes narrowed in anger.
"Xander, I don't want to talk about this. I have to find Craig." Willow tried to walk away once again.
"Listen, damn it! You want to know why I have such a problem with that damned freak?" A nerve pulsed violently on Xander's forehead. He grasped Willow's hands tightly. "Because what's Kruel? Huh? What is Kruel? What has he been running around like for the past few years? Like a God Damned vampire!"
"Xander, you're hurting me!" Willow shook her hands loose, frightened.
"What the hell killed Jessie? Huh? He was my friend for a long time, and what took him away from us? Those damn monsters! Your friends in the lounge? What killed them?!" He began raving, his face had become beet red. Spittle escaped from his lips. "All monsters. What does Kruel and his little friends do?! Emulate those monsters. Is it so wrong for me to care so much for you? That you were getting close to a wannabe monster?"
Willow's eyes were sunken in, she knew that Xander was right and wrong on both accounts. She had suffered too many traumas to deal with anymore for the rest of the day. Just between the two of them stood a thick silence. Willow kept still, Xander's emotions took over him and he rushed to her. They hugged tightly, each wanting the other to take them away from the cold, cruel world.
* * *
Under the streets of Sunnydale, in the crusty sewers was Apostle's lair. Kruel was tied to a chair near a wall, hyperventilating. Apostle walked out of the shadows, placing an arm around the jumpy Kruel. "Phigbert, don't be so scared. You're on my side." Apostle smiled, dragging the "Bleed-stake" from under his jacket. Kruel's eyes widened.
"Oh god! Don't kill me, man!" Kruel's breathing became faster.
"Don't worry about it, Phigbert. Today I realized I didn't need this weapon. We're all going to take a trip out west." Auria slowly stepped out from the same darkness and rested one hand on Apostle's wounded chest. "On our way past the desert, I'm going to drop this off from where it once was. I don't need it now. In years to come we will retrieve it again."
"What do I have to do with all of this?" Kruel asked in monotone.
"You will be prince and heir to my power and you will have your bride. Now be prepared.. . we leave tonight." Apostle winked, Auria gave her love a deep long kiss. The two left the room for some much-needed fornication. Blush walked in sultry, wearing her short black mini-dress, which began riding up her slim hips. She sat on her ex-boyfriend's lap. "You're all cold, baby." She tilted her cute face to the side and stared into Kruel's eyes.
Kruel chewed on his lower lip.
Life had become much weirder than it should've been.
* * *
The next day came, and the whole crew relocated to Giles' home for the time being. Sunnydale High had been closed indefinitely. Sitting around a coffee table, were Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Cordelia, who had just come back from a skiing trip. Giles stood at the doorway.
"What do we do now, Giles? You saw what they could do." Buffy's forehead lay in her palms.
"They took Kruel, we have to do something." Willow's nose was wrinkled from all her crying that morning. Xander's eyes were still red, from when he found out that Craig Warrant had died in the massacre, twenty minutes after it was over.
"Um.. . I don't know how to say this. They're gone." Giles looked towards the ground ashamed. "We didn't catch them on time. According to Apostle's MO, and information from other Watchers. They should be gone by twenty hours at most."
"That's it? That's how it ends!?" Xander cried out.
"What're you saying, Giles? We lost? We actually lost?" Buffy spoke through trembling lips.
"I'm afraid so, Buffy. Through this I hope we can learn that if we prepare and don't get other things on our minds we can come through with things." Giles removed his glasses and cleaned them with a handkerchief. "That we can't blame ourselves for problems that were out of our control. Out of this, we must find some good."
Everyone in the room stared at Giles with weary eyes, and the librarian's heart sunk.
FIN.
(Thanks for reading everyone. ~Alex M. )
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