Outside, the sky’s threatened any living thing below, and the wind howled throughout the trees. Faith stood in the middle of Revello road, a crude smile on her face. Her body was soaked with rain and her drenched hair whipped around her face. The lights flicked in all of the houses around her, but her gaze was set on the Summers’ home. As the town came into darkness, the scream of girls inside of the house in front of her filled the air. She turned and walked away, throwing a lit match into the yard as she did. The rain drops sizzled out of the flame, and a foot pushed it into the ground.
Xander walked around downtown Sunnydale, a look of pure disgust on his face. The rain fell off of his leather coat and pants, but his white shirt was soaked. His hair dripped water droplets into his eyes, and he shook his head to get them out. An animal like growl erupted from his throat as his arm reached out and grabbed a running passerby by their throat. He squeezed tighter, and drew them to him. It was a women, with shoulder length blonde hair. He smiled as she screamed when she saw his face. Twisting her neck, he dropped the body to the ground. He hated humans.
Andrew ran past the Espresso pump, Xander hot on his trail. Spotting the run down Magic Box down the road, Andrew ran faster. Xander followed him close behind, his breathing heavy. Upon reaching the deserted store, Andrew tried the handle. Locked. He turned to Xander who had just approached.
“It’s locked.”
“No, duh.” Xander pushed him out of the way and threw his shoulder into the door. It opened with a crack as thunder rolled on above them. He ran into the old familiar store, Andrew right after him. The young blond shut the broken door as best he could. The soft pitter patter of rain could be heard from inside the abandoned building. Xander took off his coat and rung the water out of it.
“Your car sucks.” Andrew told him, squeezing out his shirt that sucked to his chest.
“And your face is ugly. What else is new?”
“I still don’t see why we couldn’t have just gone to the Espresso pump.”
“Because with the Master and vamp me and Willow out there, I figured we would stop by here on our way back and pick up a few things.”
“Like what?” Andrew asked, looking around the ruin about them.
Part of the ceiling above them was on the ground, and the clay roof top above that was the only thing keeping them dry. Old books and crystal balls were in destitute around them. The round tables that had once been used for research were now in pieces on the floor, obvious recollection of what had happened two years ago. The year when Warren killed Tara and Willow had turned into the Big Bad Witch of the West.
“I think I like Glinda-Willow better than the Wicked Witch of the West-Willow.” Andrew said. “Say, why didn’t Giles keep the place going?”
“Maybe because he went back to England to rehabilitate Glinda.” Xander said as he put his coat back on. “Now help me look for anything that looks like it could be…useful.”
Andrew just sighed. “This is so dumb.”
“Wanna know what else is dumb?” Xander asked.
“No.” Xander and Andrew answered in unison.
Their eyes lifted from scrounging the floors, and their gazes meet. Both had fear in their eyes – both new that it wasn’t Xander who had really just asked the question. Andrew turned around as Xander’s gaze went past him. The humans eyes went wide, a Xander was standing right behind them. He shook his head, and when he looked back at the two pale stricken men, he smiled. Two sharp vampire fangs protruding from his mouth.
“You are.” The vamp-Xander said, punching Andrew in the face. He went down, and vamp-Xander just smiled.
Dawn and Kennedy jumped up when they heard the girls upstairs screaming their heads off. The two were barely off the couch when all sixteen potentials ran down the stairs and into the living room, Rona leading them, their screams still in the air.
“SHUT UP!!!!” Kennedy’s voice drowned them all out, and soon all was quiet.
“Annabelle.” Molly started. “Upstairs.” She pointed up the staircase, catching her breath. “I saw her…”
“We all did!” Anna told them as she pushed past the group and went to Dawn’s side. “We have to get out of here. It isn’t safe!”
“Never was.” Annabelle said as she slipped down the stairs.
Everyone backed up, some scatted into the dinning room. Dawn, Molly, Kennedy, Rona, and Anna all stayed put. Chao-ann backed slowly away from Annabelle. Her lack of English knowledge made everything difficult, but since everyone had been screaming around her, she did too. Now she was standing behind Dawn, her body trembling. The tension and fear in the room hit everyone, but most of all Dawn. No one was there for them – they were completely alone with the First.
Willow played with a string on the seat of a brown hospital chair in Buffy’s room. She curled the thread around her finger and snapped it off, sighing. She whirled it off her finger as she connected eyes with Buffy.
“Bored?” The Slayer asked her.
“Yup. You?”
“Going to die. Again.”
“Oh.”
“So…”
“So…” Willow continued as she stood up and stretched out her legs. “At least the backup lights and stuff work here.”
“Ya. No T.V. though.”
“Nope.”
“I wonder how Dawn is…” Buffy mused.
“She’s probably good. Xander, Andrew and Spike are with her. I’m sure her and the potentials are all fine.”
“I guess your right. I just wish that the potentials would go home already.”
“How many are still there again?”
“A little less than twenty I think.”
“Let’s see, there’s Anna, Molly, Rona, Chao-ann, Kennedy…”
“And she’s never leaving.” Buffy teased her. “And I don’t think Anna will go home anytime soon either – her and Dawn have gotten pretty close.”
“And I don’t see Molly or Rona leaving anytime soon. But what are the other girls’ names?”
“Kelly, Melissa, Selena, Gabriela, Ariel, Beth, Laura, Maggie, Julie, and Christina.” Buffy said with a grin. “It got a lot easier with the girls from China gone.”
“Aren’t you forgetting me?” Annabelle asked as she walked into the hospital room. “I’m still here too you know.”
Vamp-Xander slowly advanced on Xander, who was frantically looking around for a weapon. He gulped when he didn’t find one, and noticed that he had been backed up into a corner.
“Whoa!! That’s me. In leather.” Xander grinned, his voice edgy. “Doesn’t that stuff get hot in Sunnydale? I never could understand how anyone in their rightful mind could wear that stuff in this heat…”
Vamp-Xander just licked his lips, a devil like appearance becoming present on his face.
The Master walked throughout one of the cemeteries in Sunnydale, vamp-Willow at his side.
“We have much to prepare for here.” The Master told her.
“I want to go find the Puppy…” Willow mused as she broke a twig from a nearby bush.
“He is of no concern to us now. The Slayer is our main concern now.”
“Mmmm.” Willow whimpered. “Once we take care of her…” A sharp wind blew her red hair in her face, and she pushed it behind her ears. The rain dripped on her leather outfit, her swaying hair absorbing most of it’s moisture. “I hate it when it rains.”
Above them, a helicopter roared and fought it’s way through the winds. Willlow sighed, hoping it would crash.
Everything was in freeze frame to Dawn. Annabelle was slowly descending down the stairs, a smile on her face. She was wearing the outfit she had when she died, the blood spots gone.
“It’s what you all mistake everything for. It was never safe. As long as the First was around, it was bad.” Annabelle told them.
“You are the First.” Dawn said, fear shaking her voice.
Annabelle threw back her head and laughed as she stepped in front of the young girl. “You would like that, wouldn’t you? But someone is with your sister, right now…” She smiled evilly and grabbed Dawn by the throat with her bare hand. “And I’ll give you a hint, it ain’t me!”
Anna kicked out at Annabelle, her foot connected with solid flesh. As it did, Kennedy pulled her back, and Molly grabbed for Dawn. With all of the strength she could muster, she ripped Dawn from Annabelle’s grip.
“Form.” Kennedy said, “The first doesn’t have form. It can’t touch you.”
“No shit.” Annabelle said. “Told you I wasn’t who you thought I was…”
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