Spike and crew had pulled over for the night. “Damn Slayer holiday. Always ruins a bloody great night of fun.” Spike cursed.
“But Spike, why do we have to rest tonight?” a newbie asked.
“You want to try to feed tonight? Go ahead and see what happens. If a creature of evil even looks at an innocent in a bad way, they’re zapped with lightning. Not enough to kill you, just enough to make it hurt like a bitch for about three days. It happened to me about ninety years ago.” Spike explained.
“Damn, so we’re just going to sit tight tonight, in the middle of the freaking desert?” the newbie asked.
“Hey, I don’t feel like getting my ass fried right now, okay?! Now, shut up and get to sleep.” Spike ordered.
* * *
Buffy awoke from the first descent night of sleep in months. “Oh...” she moaned. “That was wonderful.”
“Good dream?” asked Willow.
“Even better, good night’s sleep full of good dreams. No Slayer nightmares of prophetic doom. It’s too bad I’ll have to wait another ten years to have a night like that again.” she smile wryly.
“Buffy, you don’t know that. Who knows? Maybe things will quiet down in the future.” Willow offered.
“Sure, then Angel and I will get married, have a couple of kids, and buy a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence.” Buffy answered sarcastically.
“Buffy, don’t think like that.” Willow frowned.
“I’m sorry, Will. It’s just that being the Slayer hasn’t left must room for optimism. I mean, damn it, I get a day to relax and I’m still bitching about my life. I promise to try harder at being happy, okay?” she smiled wide to prove her point.
“Let’s wake Giles and Xander up and get some breakfast, the school’s paying!” Willow said.
* * *
“All right, boys! The Slayer’s little holiday is over, let’s move out.” Spike ordered just as the sun peeked over the horizon. “It’s amazing that know one has tried to pull us over for having the windows and most of the windshield painted black. Just another example of how stupid humans can be.” he chuckled to himself.
When they were near the site, about an hour later, Dru started screaming and convulsing. “The power...the endless paths...the most unbelievable worlds!!! Too close...calling me to it...it wants to open up and let us be masters of many worlds!!...OH! the power!!!!” She shouted and collapsed into the seat.
Spike pulled over. “What the Hell just happened. Dru, luv, are you all right?”
“The gateway...it needs us to help it open...to let the Dark One out. We must get there.” she whispered.
“But, ducks, the Hellmouth is back in Sunnydale. What to you mean--” Spike was trying to understand.
“NO!! The Gateway needs us. Not the Hellmouth. We must open the gateway.” Dru interrupted. “It is close.” Suddenly she spoke with a voice that was not her own. “Come to the military building and all will be explained.” Dru closed her eyes and sleeped deeply.
“What the BLOODY HELL was that all about! Charles, get in the behind the wheel and get us to that earthquake site right bloody now!” Spike was confused, he didn’t like being confused.
People and demons died when William the Bloody was confused and worried. That is why the old conversion van flew down the highway at an insane 140 miles per hour. Not a single minion said a word. Spike would not hesitate to blow off steam by ripping a vampire in half. A short time later the group arrived at an old, abandoned military-looking warehouse.
The “not-Dru” voice spoke again. “Enter and your questions will be answered.”
“They better be, or else someone ain’t walk outta here.” Spike growled. “Boys, get the trenchcoats and umbrellas. I’m not frying my ass off today.”
* * *
At breakfast, Xander was inhaling stacks of pancakes, sausage, chocolate milk, many other breakfast items.
“Xander, I understand your healthy appetite and even though the school is paying for this trip, I will still have to justify the expenses.” Giles warned.
“Don’t sweat it G-man. I ordered the ’All-you-can-eat-without-surgery-buffet.’ I could clean this place out and it’ll only cost $5.99.” assured Xander. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s still room in my stomach.”
Buffy watch Xander with a look of revoltution as she calmly ate her fruit salad. “I still can’t understand how he can put away that much food.” she wondered allowed.
“And still look like that.” added Willow, this merited a smirk from Buffy.
“Well, I hope you all are enjoying yourselves.” Giles said while enjoying his tea and jelly doughnut (this is funny if you’ve seen “The Zeppo”). “If this turns out to be nothing, it’s back to Sunnydale and back to that evil little troll.”
“I hate to be the one to say this, but if this little quake is something serious, we probably should leave soon. We’re not too far so we can check it out and be home late tonight.” Buffy said.
“We ought to leave in the next fifteen minutes.” Giles suggested.
“That should be enough time for Xander to polish off two more plates.” Willow giggled.
* * *
“According to my calculations, we are at the quake’s epicenter.” Charles said.
“Wait a minute. You mean that those tremors came from here? Why is the building still standing. Why the hell isn’t there any damage out here?” Spike inquired.
Charles got out his calculator. “I’m not sure. The building should have sustained some structural damage. It’s as if this area was not even near the quake.”
“Enter the building. Your questions will be answered. There are refreshments for you group. Enter!” the deep voice eminated from Dru.
“You heard the voice, get your coats and get in there.” Spike ordered. “What the Hell in going on here?”
* * *
“Goodness, Xander. You just ate an hour ago and yet here you are stuffing yourself with cream puffs.” Giles admonished.
“C’mon, G-man! I’m a growing boy.” Xander retorted.
“-Boy- would be the right word.” Giles mumbled.
“Knock it off guys!” Buffy said. “We still have a couple of hours to go. So grow up!”
“I’ve isolated the cause of the earthquake down to thirty-five possibilities.” Willow interruppted. “There is a chance that this was all just an normal earthquake. Since there is a minor fault line in that area, but quakes in that area are very rare. There are twenty-four natural, but rare occurances that could cause the quake.”
“And the other ten?” Buffy asked.
“The other ten are all magic related. Elementals, demons, witches, warlocks, etc.” Willow explained.
“Hey, one in four odds that things are bad. Anyone feeling lucky?” Xander asked with a smirk.
* * *
“Alright, it’s time for some answers.” Spike announced. “If I don’t start finding out what the Hell is going on here, some nasty things are gonna happen.”
“SILENCE!!!” a voice thundered.
Spike was about to reply, but thought better of it.
“I am Nefarium. Lord and Master of this demon realm. I have brought you here to assist me with something. If you bring what I need, you will be granted you desire... the elimination of the Slayer.” the voice continued.
“And how do you plan to do that?” Spike asked.
“I grant the Slayer immortality and hold her here. She will not die, thus another Slayer will not be activated. All I ask is for a small bit of her blood. That single item will allow me to enter into your realm. Do you understand?” Nefarium explained.
“And what happens are you go nuts out here, eh? I don’t know if I’d want to be taking orders from you.” Spike wondered.
“This planet can be yours, I want your realm. After I am free, I will rule this universe and you’ll likely never see me again. Besides, if you don’t assist me, your lover will be destroyed. I do have some power in your realm. Now, do we have an understanding?” The Darkness asked.
“Fine.” he answered. “I’ve got a lousy felling about this, but what choice do I have?” Spike thought. “So, what’s the plan, Nefarium?”
“We have time to discuss that later. You must be hungry. We have a few security guards that you can dine on. Puck! Show our guests to the refreshments.” the voice ordered.
Puck stepped out of the shadows. “If you’ll follow me.”
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