The night was crisp and cool. Spike leaned against the welcome sign to Sunnydale and stared into the recently slayerless town.
"Well, pet, if what's stirring from underneath is true you've been neutered," he said to himself, "now I think it's time for old Spike to step in and take the lead. Your time has come slayer and I think it's time to collect my price."
Spike turned around to face the vampire hoard behind him.
"Our target is the slayer. If the word is true she has gone and got herself powerless. When we hit town I want her to be found and very hurt but I don't want her killed. That honor is mine . . ."
Spike turned back and faced the town. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
". . . The little girl's gonna learn what happens when she makes daddy mad."
Buffy walked cautiously down the hallways of Sunnydale High. She'd just had to sit through Principal Snyder's lecture on what the conditions of her return to school will involved. As she moved over to her new locker she saw Xander and Willow standing causally near one of the lockers.
Buffy stopped for a moment. She wasn't sure whether to go in the opposite direction or walked up to them. After a moment the two of them noticed her. Buffy smiled awkwardly at them.
"Hey guys," Buffy said nervously, "how's things."
Buffy couldn't help but notice Willow slowly edge behind Xander. Xander folded his arms.
"Hey look Will it's the queen of the bats," Xander said, "tried to use anybody else's skull to hit a home run recently Buff?"
Buffy looked away ashamed.
"Guy's I'm really sorry."
"And that's gonna make everything sunshine and roses again right?"
"I-I didn't want to hurt you two I just needed the stone."
"Hey, quick thought, did you ever think of trying to talk to us," Xander snapped, "or maybe, I don't know; try this crazy thing called trusting your friends."
"I know I-I should have done that. I feel really awful . . ."
"So, what, we're supposed to make me feel better?" Willow asked
"No . . . No I just wanted to . . ."
Willow stepped out from behind Xander and stepped up to her defiantly. Buffy backed off slightly as Willow glared at her.
"You threatened me with a crossbow, Buffy, you were . . . were gonna kill me . . ."
"I wasn't Will . . ."
"You were gonna kill me if I got in you're way."
Willow pouted angrily at her. Buffy tried to move in but somebody pulled her back out of the way. Faith stepped between her and Willow and Xander.
"You know Blondie," Faith said, "I think we need the ten foot rule here."
Buffy glared at her Faith folded her arms and walked up to her slowly.
"Oh don't even think about it. You're light is out and I'm in a major hurting mood you come near me and mine again and I'm gonna open a barrel of whoop-ass on you."
Buffy began to pout. She turned and paced away as fast as she can. Faith turned and face Willow and Xander.
"You two alright?" she asked
"Yeah, thanks," Willow replied anxiously, "I-I don't feel safe around her anymore."
"No big," Faith replied, "Blondie tries something I'm gonna tear her a new breathing hole."
The three of them turned and left the hallway. Buffy leaned against the hallway wall slowly she slid down as she began to cry.
Quentin Travers closed the book Danny handed Giles. He sat against the table and stared at Giles seriously
"You assured me that we would get the items back in the vault."
"Yes, I know," Giles replied, "none of us knew about Ethan's full plan until it was too late."
Quentin folded his arms.
"About Ethan Rayne's plan you say the slayers companion told you this information. Do you think we can trust him?"
"I think we can," Giles replied, "He was a confused as the rest of us when Buffy . . . We can trust him."
"So Ethan's planning on handing the power to the demon world"
"I'm afraid so."
"Do we have any idea where he is?"
"So far all we know is he is taking the sphere to the Bei Wen Ji."
"That's going to be a complication. The council has lost track of the Bei Wen Ji a few years ago."
"Not going to be a problem."
Quentin looked at the watcher curiously.
"But I thought you said the tracking spells you placed on the items failed."
"Well, yes they did," Giles replied, "but not the tracking spell I had put on Ethan. I had a feeling he was going to do something of this nature so I felt it best to have a redundancy plan. We'll be able to track him once he reaches the market"
"And then we'll send a team to retrieve the sphere."
"Not to sound negative Quentin but I'm pretty sure Ethan would have begun production by now."
"Not to worry Giles. Fortunately for us Ethan is using the Tome of Ronshar. The copies will be stable but they require the original to be unharmed to remain that way. Destroy the original sphere . . ."
"And the duplicate become useless."
"Precisely"
"On top of that, if the Sphere of Altera is broken the essence contained within will return to it original host."
"Yes, Miss. Summers," Quentin replied, "I'm afraid that's something we need to discuss . . ."
The library door closing caught their attention. Buffy stood awkwardly in the doorway.
"We'll leave this conversation for another time," Quentin said standing, "Good Day."
Buffy watched as Quentin left the room. Giles smiled lightly at her as she walked up to him nervously.
"That looked really serious," she said softly, "Guess I made the cover of 'what's bad' weekly."
"No," Giles replied, "we're just trying to stop Ethan before he destroys the good / evil balance."
"Not like I was a big help in that department."
Giles nodded. He took of his glasses and began to clean them.
"I'm not going to lie to you Buffy. You have put this world in grave danger," He replied calmly, "You're rash and selfish decision has, not only, put yourself in danger but everybody else around you."
Buffy dropped her head sadly. She gripped her books tighter.
"Are . . . Are you mad at me?"
Giles sighed. He walked over to Buffy and put his arms around her.
"Buffy. What you did was wrong but I understand why."
Buffy hugged him tightly.
"I loved his so much," Buffy said, "He was cured, he was Angel again, and I killed him anyway. How can I be a hero if a can't keep the people I love alive? I-I just wanted this thing out of me and gone! It's given me nothing but pain."
"I know," Giles replied softly, "I know."
Outside the door Quentin watched the two of them hugging. From down the hallways another watcher approached.
"You called me." He asked
"Yes," Quentin replied, "Miss. Summers has become I liability to the council."
"What do you want done?"
"Have her put out of the way silently," Quentin replied, "Make sure Giles is not informed."
"Yes sir."
The First paced backwards and forwards in its cavern. It stared at the spot where the Prophet Stone used to sit.
"Well now," a voice said from the doorway, "someone's made themselves a mess."
The first turned to see Caleb enter the chamber the priest looking at the table curiously.
"And I see there's something wrong with the décor." Caleb replied
"Thanks for coming so soon." The First commented
"Thy will be done."
"Good to hear. I had a rude visit from the slayer."
"Which one?"
"Buffy. She took my stone from me."
"What would you want me to do?"
"Simple. I want you to bring the slayer and the stone back to me."
"Alright . . . Now when you say bring back how many pieces are we talking?"
"The whole person," The First replied, "I want you to kill her in front of me."
|
|
|
|
Rave
Barbie Girl (Becca)
biscuit07
Filmtheory (Jim)
Malice (Jess)
MebbtheScribe (MichaelB)
Reset (Allie)
Shay (Marrisa)
somnambulist29 (Shea)
Stephanie Loss
Wendyness (Wendy)
Questions?Contact Us
|
|
All stories on this site have been archived with the authors' consent. Do not copy these stories for your own uses without the express consent of the author themselves. Buffy the Vampire Slayer TM and Angel TM are © UPN, WB, Fox and its related entities. All photos on the site are © UPN, Fox, Warner Bros, and/or their respective owners. No profits are being made by use of these images.
Powered with the assitance of eFiction.
|
|
|
