Disclaimer: I created Kruel, Max, Zach, Morello, Wilk, Blush, The Apostle, Athemon, The Christkiller. All other characters created and owned by Joss whedon and Mutant Enemy Co.
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Part Two
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**Fifteen Years ago. **
It was a cold, pitch-black evening in Death Valley. The day's heat had cooled down from the icy winds caused by the bizarre weather of that night. Four shadowy figures walked through the sandy earth. Their steps inaudible to the increasingly loud, howling coyotes. "Is this it? Is this the place?" One called out in the darkness. Another nodded his head,"Yes, this is the place!"
"Where we shall find the "Bleed-stake", after all this time." Another one smiled through the shadows. "Seventy-three years, my friends. It comes down to this moment in time. When we retrieve it, we shall find the slayers and kill them all.. . as many a times as they are born.. .. we shall kill them all."
A large rocky mountain stood high above, towering every single thing. The vamps made their way up the steep-climb, until finding a small secretive entrance on the side. One spoke out, he was the first near the entrance,"Remember to be careful, the roman catholics set traps here to kill intruders.. . so be al.. ! Ugh!" A multitude of dagger-ended crosses embedded into the vampire's back from the a hidden trap. He dropped to his knees and dusted. "Satan D. Mephistopheles! What the?!.. ." One vamp stepped back in surprise.
"No! Athemon! After all this time.. . to die so close!" The others groaned in disbelief. The remaining three vampires, looked at eachother. One had a mane of long black hair, his skin pale. He was turned into a vampire as he fought against Arthur's roundtable. His clothing, now nothing near any of his past armor. A shirt sporting the logo "Wham!" His puma sneakers, and Lee jeans said nothing about him than just a odd-looking person. His name "Keskesa" which he would later turn into the pseudo-name "Zach".
Another, his head completely bald. A vampire ever since the fall of the roman empire. His eyes, turquoise blue, and his lips full. He wore a tye-dye shirt and long black pants, to his cowboy boots. His name "Vemethahn", which would later become "Wilk". His temper shortened, as his nostrils flaired for his fallen comerade.
The last of the three a crazed individual, with mental problems, who was turned into a vamp in the middle-ages. He wore a leather jacket, blue jeans and boots along with sunglasses. As the other humans would at that era of time, like their movie-screen idols. His short brown hair hidden under a baseball-cap. His name "Tibor" which he would later change to "Morello".
"Nothing more than a simple setback my friends. We shall reach the weapon, and become the saviors of our people." Keskesa, snorted as he idly stepped around Athemon's ashes. He noticed the string, trip-wire that Athemon hadn't, so he made his safe way in. "Come on. Let's get going." He muttered. The two followed him in.
The three intruders slowly made their way in, their vision expertly atuned to the darkness. Keskesa led skillfully, until he reached a giant oval-shaped rock, lit by a glimmer of water. "What could be lighting it?" Keskesa murmured to his allies. The two shrugged in utter confusion. "The stake must be hidden under there." He continued.
"Now, we must be careful, decisive, and slow to retrieve it." Keskesa gritted his fangs, as his eyes shut thinking of a plan.
"Got it." Tibor smiled, lifting up the stake to their eyes. "It was on this lever, see?"
"Let's get the hell outta here!" Vemethahn snarled.
The three vampires hurried back through the passage they had came through. A slight tremor shook them, followed by crumbling earth. They made no note of the strings they had eased by, just quickly snapping through them. They all reached the exit, each leaping out to saftey, yet still running. The rocky terrace caved in before their gleaming eyes. The Vampires gave eachother welcomed high-fives in united victory.
Keskesa took the weapon from Tibor,"Wonderful, my brethren. We are now the soldiers of darkness."
"Can we use the stake to kill innocents? Please, it will be so much fun!" Tibor shuddered and grinned in pure glee.
"In good time. We shall wait for the next Slayer to be chosen, then we shall hunt her down and stake her." Keskesa grimaced.
"Cripes! That's a long time!" Vemethahn snarled.
"Well, too bad." Keskesa snarled back at Vemethahn,"I am in charge now."
* * *
**Now**
Kruel sipped at his soda, resting himself on a bench outside of the school. The acids burning at his tongue, causing him to smile at the slight pain. 'Sadist. ' He thought to himself. As he lurched forward, he placed the can to his side, resting his head in his palms. A small figure entered his view, a delicate flower of a girl, with long flowing red hair walked closer. He rose his face to take a quick glance, it was the quiet, sweet, Willow Rosenberg.
He hurriedly grabbed his can to stand up, she stopped in front of him. Willow spoke up first. "Oh, you don't have to leave. I won't sit here if you don't want me to. I mean it would actually be nice to sit next to someone so I won't be all lonely like usual since my friends aren't around.. ."
"Willow, you're sputtering." Kruel smiled sincerely.
"Oh sorry, I tend to do that that alot. I'll be going now." She blushed.
"No, no, join me. Be my guest. I'm sorry if my would be quick-exit frightened you. You see, I'm usually the guy that scares people out of sitting next to me. Don't worry, I won't bite." Kruel sat back down, and patted at the next seat with his free hand.
Willow chuckled at the "Bite" reference, if only he knew. She slowly sat near him, removing her bag from over her shoulder. "No, I think the way you dress is cute. Oh god, did I say cute?" Willow's eyes rolled around in her head, and she felt like making a quick sprint for freedom of an embarrassing situation.
"Hmm.. there's a thought. I can take it as a compliment or a real bad insult. You know, since I'm so far from trying to be dressing "cute"." He scratched at his chin, lowering the soda can once again.
"Oh I'm sorry. I mean, you're very scary, frightening. Yipes! see, I'm startled." Willow tried to save face.
"Ah, but you did not let me finish. I take it as a compliment coming from you." Kruel smirked.
Willow giggled to herself, blushing even more. She tried to hide her face by turning it away from him. Until wrenching her gaze back onto him,"You remembered my name?"
"Oh yeah, it's a gem of a name. Heck, I wish I had a better name, as cool and original as yours." Kruel slightly frowned.
"I think Kruel is.. ."
"Are you gonna say cute again?" Kruel stared at her intently.
"Um.. . nightmarish." Willow finished, she smiled. Kruel mirrored the reaction.
The two started to chat, not noticing the time fly by. Willow and Kruel listened on intently at eachother's words.
* * *
Xander and Buffy sat at the large table in the library once again, minus Willow. A mumbling Giles scanned his eyes along the text of an ancient book, he'd taken from the stacks a few nights before. Xander strummed his fingers across the wooden furnishing. Buffy rolled her eyes, her sight lay upon the ceiling, trying to find any blemishes.
"Hey Giles, why isn't Willow suffering with us?!" Xander imaptiently yelled out.
"Well, we don't need her right now, she's been had an abundance of work on the.. the Web. As for you Harris have been slacking off." Giles' eyes kept ricocheting off the words. Xander pointed at himself, giving a shocked look at a smiling Buffy.
"Well, come on tin-man, what's the news?" Xander rested his chin on his fists.
"Well it seems that there have been a large amount of spontanieous human combustion going on as of late." Giles rested the book near a pile of newpapers on the table. His arms resting to his side.
"Were they all cheerleaders?" Xander's ears perked up. Buffy remained silent.
"No. They were regular people, all of the incidents occured at night. In a pattern around Sunnydale. The question is, they were human combustion, but there were no signs of fire or charred remnance anywhere. Usually, in combustion cases, some appendages are left, and there is an amount of burnt objects nearby. But none in this case, just simple ashes. Like someone would come into the middle of the street and empty urns. They are ashes in the same manners of vampires, but there has been no vampire activity as of late to classify them other than humans." Giles' eyes narrowed in confusion.
"So what is actually going on here?! Some people light matches and forget to turn them off?" Buffy chimed in inuisitively.
Giles continued,"Well here is the only theory that aligns itself with this problem. centuries ago, when the Hellmouth was at its' strongest. The most intelligent vampires around forged a weapon from what was thought to be the flames of hell. The weapon was forged not to harm vampires, but to combat the Slayer herself. It was called the "Bleed-stake", for it's mystic reciprication for turning humans into dust."
"Excuse me? What now? I'm in danger how?" Now Buffy's ears perked up.
"Well, the "Bleed-stake" was pretty much a mystic weapon. For how the Slayer used their stakes to "Dust" vampires, the "Bleed-stake" was used to "Dust" humans. Pretty much a revenge weapon. The weapon's creators only made the prototype, never to make copies since the Roman Catholics had found out. The holy warriors killed the Vampires, and took the weapon for safe-keeping. Now there would be turncoats during the crusades, so the Holy warriors decided to hide the weapon in a safe place, at the time it would be the caverns of Death Valley since it was so sun-ladened, and there were no modes of transportation other than horse." Giles finished his speech.
"Oh man, this isn't good. So who or what could have this weapon now?" Buffy looked on worried.
"Well, there were these four vampires by the names of Athemon, Keskesa, Vemethahn and Tibor. They are the main suspects because they were noted in the various papers of the nineteen-hundreds as explorers for the "Bleed-stake". But legend takes the four as joined as a group for a span of ninety years. Only one of them was reportedly killed.. . Athemon. The rest, well have been unnacounted for but probably have changed their attire, and possibly names. Keskesa is highly intelligent and would like to remain part of the crowd so he could go through plans uninterrupted, as reports to these books." Giles finished, his arms crossing.
"Damn." Buffy cursed under her breath.
"Sheesh! I wouldn't shack up with any dudes for ninety years.. . you have to be.. .. you know.." Xander waved his hands suggestively. An unamused Buffy and Giles watched on.
* * *
*Much Later*
The night crept up on Sunnydale, the shadows enveloped the streets. The sky had turned into a star-less dark painting. The crisp air gave an ominous howl as it rolled along. Leaves and discarded papers flew off the ground with each strong gust of wind. It was always dead-silent in this town at night, nobody even looked out their windows. It was worse than D. C.
A lone person walked down the sidewalk, his hands inserted in his pockets since it was pretty chilly. It was Kruel, he whistled to himself as his darted across the street. He was coming back late from having a lecture from every teacher that was in Sunnydale, even ones he didn't have. He had been a usually grade A average student, until he sunk into his goth clubbing, then dropped the whole facade and went back to school. It wasn't because of apathy, it was just having to do with breaking up with his last girlfriend.
As he walked, a slight crunching sound entered his ears. It was someone or something lurking around the trees he'd just passed. The sound of something making dried leaves crackle becoming louder and louder which got him unnerved. 'The hell with this!' he thought to himself, quickly bolting down the sidewalk in direction of his home. A shadowy figure popped out in front of him and tackled him. "Phigggy.. ." It snarled.
* * *
Buffy Summers in the meanwhile stood cold and impatiently with her Watcher beside her. Giles was giddy at the chance of seeing the well-documentated "Bleed-Stake". All the exitement kept Giles warm enough to not let the near-frigid winds chill him. Buffy muttered insults under her breath. "Buffy, this will be, well a fantastic experience. To retrieve an artifact that's been thought to be lost for so many years." A grin cracked his face.
"What makes you think these yahoos have the weapon anyways?" Buffy wrapped her arms around herself.
Giles shrugged. "Would you buy,"Gut feeling"?" Buffy bit her bottom lip and snarled at him.
* * *
Xander Harris sat on his bed, he stared at the ceiling silently, very much bored. A lound ring bellowed from his phone causing him to jump. "Lord Christ!" His heart seemed to burst then slowed its' violent thumping and he relaxed, he reached for the reciever and brought it to his ear. "Hello, and thanks for calling the "scare the hell out of Xander" hot line." A low, warm chuckle came from the other end.
"Hi, Xander." It was Willow.
"Oh, hello my bestest friend in the world." Xander rested himself back on the bed. Willow sighed a bit at the words. "bestest friend" came to mind. "So where the heck were you when Buffy and I were busy stuck with Giles, the human Ironing Board?"
"Well, I was talking with this guy.. ."
"What? Who?" Xander interrupted, startling Willow.
"Um.. that guy. Kruel.. . with the "K" Willow informed.
"What? What're you doing with that loser? That Goth weenie! He's a weirdo, Will. Did he tell you to do anything?" Xander's voice became one of concern.
"Wow, um excuse me? I mean, He's a cool guy. He's a friend, Xander. I mean, he's not like he was last semester. You know, he's gotten rid of the face paint and the piercing. I mean, he's always been nice to me. I thought it would be nice to be, Um nice back." Willow stuttered.
"Look those dark weirdo types don't mean good. Look at Angel and Buffy? What'd lead to? Sure wasn't Fun city. Plus the name, what kind of stuff is that? Kruel? He's more like Creep or Wuss. With the right letters." Xander kept up his tirade going strong.
"God, Xander. What's your malfunction?! He's a nice person. Seemingly nicer than you are at this moment!" Willow yelled into the phone, then slamming it down.
"Look, Willow. I don't want to see you get.. hello? Hello? Damn." Xander slammed the phone down, waited for a few seconds then picked it up again. He dialed Willow's phone number but to of no avail, she had her phone off the hook.
* * *
Giles still smiled on as the minutes passed into hours. Nothing had come of it but a sure-fire cold, and mild hypothermia. The two stood in the same place where the dusting attacks had happened the night before. But nothing, not even regular vampires swung on by. "Look, Giles. They're not coming here. So your little fanboy sickness won't be treated tonight. I guess we'll be lucky another time." Buffy bit her tongue.
Giles face drooped in faded happiness,"W-well, I guess so." His shoulders slumped and he had the expression of a child being slowly dragged away from the toy store.
"Well, you'll have a big dream about the "bleed-stake". and if you wish enough, magic fairies will give it to you like a christmas present!" Buffy egged Giles on for bringing her to such a boring watch. Giles muttered unkind words under his throat this time, as they got into his ancient automobile and sped off into the night.
* * *
Zach mulled about in his dwellings, cursing himself for not going out and finding the Slayer. "I knew I should've gone hunting for her tonight!" He knocked some books off a case as he walked by. Wilk and Morello paid no attention to him, their eyes followed the actions on the screen of a hand-held TV. Morello smiled as the red-headed angent on the show got herself an unwanted beating from an interstellar villain. "She takes a licking but keeps on ticking." Morello smiled, Wilk laughed.
Zach snarled, vying for attention from the two. He snatched the gadget from Morello's grasp, shaking it in his tight fist. "Why are you watching this drivel? The female agent has seen enough paranormal activity to last a lifetime, yet she still doesn't believe it? That's highly impossible! Who's this villain? Mr. Incanto? Oh, he's my favorite. He sucks the fat out of chicks!" Zach took over their roles as a stupified entertained zombie.
"Gimmie that!" Morello yanked the object back. "Tooms is much cooler than Incanto! He could squeeze into anything!"
"No, no, that Pusher guy who could make people do whatever he said. Well, he had a sucky death, I'll give you that." Wilk hung his head in shame for the fallen character.
"Well, that's beside the point. Um, what was my point?" Zach searched through his memory banks,"Oh yes. The Slayer. It is high-time we go out and find her. Dusting these humans these past few nights is just not enough warning for the Slayer. We haven't found her. It is now we should be on full alert to find the Slayer, and win this war." Zach snarled at his peers.
Wilk and Morello stood to their leader. Morello put his fist up, as did Wilk. Zach joined in,"To the death of the Slayer.. ."
Their united front was cut off short by the sound of clapping. Zach bolted back, stumbling on his feet. Morello and Wilk followed suit. The three stared at the shadowy figure that somehow found a way to their base of operations. "What the hell is that?" Zach asked forcefully, his tone showing anger. He slipped back to a casing and opened it. He fumbled his hands, and yanked out the "Bleed-stake".
"Show yourself." Zach raised the weapon towards the intruder.
A tall, slender man. Handsome, with slight blonde-brownish hair that lay upon his shoulder stepped foward. Some long strands draping over the sides of his face. He was clean cut, his eyes light-blue. His lips, full and a straight perfect nose. He was suited in a a black sweater, and dark-blue jeans, brownish boots. A smirk parted his expression as he finished clapping.
The three vampires were not afraid, nor ready to attack, just filled with a sense of surprise. "And you are?" Zach asked, he lowerd the weapon to his side, not sure to make a threat to someone who had simply appeared out of thin air.
"Forgive me on my intrusion, children." The stranger's voice was both calming and unnerving. A simple oxymoron in and of itself. He blinked, his hands resting to his sides as he strode into the room. The three vampires stepped back, Zach raised the weapon a bit. A slight tremble moved his wrist unconsiously.
"What the hell do you want?" Morello stood strong, his eyes deadlocked on the stranger.
"Well, heh." The stranger gave an audible swallow,"Let's just say I've been your shadow, boys. I've kept a close eye on you all for longer then you've banded with eachother. I know you. Keskesa.. . Vemethahn.. . Tibor.. ." The stranger gave a small giggle with his spouting of knowledge.
There three vampires freaked out now,"H-h-how the h-h-hell do you k-k-know t-t-this all?" Zach stuttered uncontrollably.
"W-w-well, I was in this whole scheme of things before you knew of it." The stranger mocked Zach, then walked towards them, slowly, cautiously. "I made Athemon."
Zach's jaw dropped,"Oh no."
"Oh yes." The stranger continued,"I knew he would be looking for the "Christ-killer".."
Zach cut him off,"The what?"
"That little weapon you hold in you dear hands. It's not named the "Bleed-stake", it was given that horrid nickname for its' backfire problem. It was named the "Christ-Killer", a weapon to combat the Slayer, who in those times were looked upon as children of God. But what the creators of the weapon didn't know was that it had a tremendous flaw." The stranger smirked. "Athemon, was to serve me, give me the weapon as he had retrieved it. But sadly he lost his life. And I've been watching you fools toy with it ever since.. . But no more. I take charge now."
"The flaw?" Zach was aweshocked.
"Yes.. ." The stranger let his palms fall as a pair of gutting blades dropped out of his sleeves into his grasp. He charged towards the three, Morello leaped towards him with clenched fist aimed at him. The stranger dropped like a sack of potatoes, and flashed his hands around to decapitate the unlucky Morello. The vampire dropped and dusted, his head rolled across the floor and and soon joined his body.
"Tibor!" Wilk howled, jumping on top of the Stranger's back. The stranger giggled again as he pressed a part of his chest and a collection of wooden sticks sprouted from his back impaling Wilk, and making him explode into the air. His body was no more.
The sticks sunk bank into him, and he began to dust himself off. Zach looked on dumbfounded and speechless. "What the hell?"
"Modern technology is just the snazziest, no?" The stranger threw his blades straight towards Zach. The blades sunk right into his shoulder, pinning him to the walls. The weapon dropped from his grasp.
"I guess I'll show you what the flaw of this weapon is.. ." The stranger laughed under his breath, he picked up the weapon and aimed it towards Zach's heart. "By the way, if you were to live. I would've let you call me by my title. "The Apostle".. it's quite catchy, eh? " He smirked in Zach's face. "And now.. the flaw.. you've been waiting for. Legend said this weapon dusted humans.. . well the flaw also was since it was the opposite.. the other thing happened to the vampires. It made us Bleed on the Earth if we were killed by it." Apostle thrust the stake into Zach's chest, a blood-gurgling howl left his throat as he dropped his head, lifeless. "Was it nice to die as a human?" Apostle smiled, then yanked the bloody weapon from the dead vamp's chest.
He took a small towelette from the ground and wiped it clean.
"Now the game has truly begun."
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