" SLAYERS INCORPORATED "
It's a normal day in Sunnydale. Unusually, though, it's been awhile since any "feedings" from the local pests. Buffy and Xander are sitting in the library, listening to yet another one of Giles's important, yet absolutely boring, lectures.
" And I must say that your irresponsible behavior the last few nights has been completely unacceptable. How do you expect to become a slayer of the highest potential, if you keep sneaking off with this boyfriend of yours?" says Giles, not really expecting an answer. " Hey, I do have a name, Giles. It's Xander. That's X-A-N-D-E-R. Xander." says Xander, putting his arm around Buffy. " Yes, yes. I know." replies Giles, " Buffy. I know you're somewhat attached to this social-life of yours, but your going to have to prioritize." Buffy snuggles closer to Xander. " But Giles, there hasn't been any demons, monsters, or flesh eating principals even remotely close to Sunnydale, for about a week now." says Buffy, trying to defend herself.
Suddenly, Willow bursts into the library. " Why do I have the feeling that all that's about to change?" Xander asks himself. Willow comes over to them, with a worried look on her face...as usual. " My God, Willow. What is it?" asks Giles, trying to study her facial expression. " I...I...saw something. Something horrid. And, and, really really evil looking." says Willow, sitting down. " Kinda' like Buffy in the morning." jokes Xander. Buffy gives him a look. " Can you remember what it looked like?" asks Giles, " Draw it maybe?" Willow reluctantly nods her head. Giles quickly hands her a pad and a pen and she goes to work. " Something's not right with her, Xander." whispers Buffy. " What are you talkin' about? She looks alright to me." he replies, " Trust me she's fine. She's just being good ol' Willow."
MEANWHILE...
" Oh you want some more, huh?" says Jacen, dodging a blow from his opponent. He quickly counters with a roundhouse, which sends his enemy flailing into a large pile of crates. " Damn. I know that hurt." he says, stepping slowly backwards. Suddenly, two more vampires jump down from a nearby roof top. He spins kicks one of them, sending him flying into the wall. The other grabs his shirt and lifts him into the air. " Where is she?" he asks, showing his saliva-dripped fangs. " Man, I got two words for you. Mouth. Wash." says Jacen. The vampire throws him to the ground. " Where is the slayer? Tell me now or die." the vampire says, looking down at him. Jacen looks around and sees that he's outnumbered. " Alright. I'll tell you where she is." he says, standing up, " But you gotta' promise me you won't hurt her." The vampire grabs him again. " You ain't gone keep wrinklin' up my clothes either. That's the quickest to catch a beatdown from me." says Jacen, breaking free from his grip. " You have ten seconds." says the vampire. " Alright, alright, look. She's right...there!" answers Jacen, quickly pointing to the sky. All of the vampires look up, in anticipation. Jacen double kicks two of the vampires, sending them back first into a pair of stakes. As they disappear in a cloud of dust, Triana stands up smiling. " Took you long enough." says Jacen, jabbing a vampire in the face. " Just shut up and cover me." replies Triana, running towards the remaining undead soldiers. She strikes with ease and confidence, taking out vampire after vampire. Jacen stakes the vampire he's tussling with and turns to watch the show. He smiles as Triana takes out the last one. " God I love you." he says, walking over to her. He pulls her close and kisses her. " Only because I can kick your ass." she replies. Jacen laughs and puts his arm around her. Together they walk off into the night.
BACK IN SUNNYDALE...
" This is extraordinary. Look at the detail." says Giles, examining Willow's drawing. " Okay, we've got us an art lover on our hands." say Xander. " What is it, Giles?" asks Buffy. " Well, I'm not sure exactly. But rest assured it isn't good." he answers, sitting down at his desk. " I coulda' told you that." says Xander. " Does he have to be here?" Giles asks Buffy. " Yes, he does. He's my boyfriend and I love him. So you're just gonna' have to deal with it." says Buffy, wrapping herself in Xander's arms. " Hey, I hate to be the one to break up this lovely show of affection. But, Buffy and I have gym now, and we need to get going." says Willow, " Is it okay if we go?" Buffy picks up her books, and kisses Xander on the cheek. " I'll see you at lunch?" she asks. " You betcha'." Xander replies. " Giles." says Buffy. She shakes him. " Huh? Oh yes of course. Um...meet me here after school. I should have some sort of information for you by then." he says, studying the drawing once more. Buffy and Willow leave the library, and Xander sits down next to Giles. " You don't like me, do you Giles?" he asks. " Oh don't be ridiculous. You're not that intolerable." replies Giles, looking through a book. " Oh okay. Just checking." says Xander. He grabs a book and starts searching for the picture also.
ELSEWHERE...
Julian sits atop his throne, anxiously awaiting the arrival of his dinner. He smiles as he hears footsteps coming toward him. A badly bruised vampire enters the room, dragging behind him a body. " Master. It wasn't my fault. The slayer... she had help." he says, bowing down to his master. Julian looks at him evily. " So you're telling me that the slayer is still alive?" he asks, already knowing the answer. The vampire looks up at him. " Regretfully so, master." he says, slowly. Julian steps down from his medievalistic chair and walks around the room. " No matter. We'll soon be out of here. Get some rest. Tomorrow's a very big night for us." he says, heading through an arched-doorway. " What should I do with the body, master?" the vampire asks. " You eat it. I've suddenly lost my appetite." replies Julian, already out of sight. The vampire happily drags the body to a nearby table and sinks his teeth into it's neck. " Hmmm. Needs salt." he says.
BACK IN SUNNYDALE...
Willow and Buffy are sitting on the bleachers in their gym uniforms. " And I think you and Xander make a really good couple. I really do." says Willow. " I do too. But who woulda' thought I'd end up dating Xander." agrees Buffy. " I know, you're so, you know, you-like. And Xander, well he's kind of a...you know." says Willow. " Yeah, I know what you mean. But that's one of the things I love about him." says Buffy. Willow looks around and spots Cordelia entering the gym.
" Uh-oh. Here comes trouble." she says, as Cordelia makes her way over to them. Buffy, sarcastically, smiles as Cordelia sits down next to her. " Well well. If it isn't the Olsen twins. Tell me, which one of you will be going out with my Xander tonight?" says Cordelia. " Get over it, Cordelia. Xander's mine now." says Buffy, defensively. " Don't flatter yourself, okay Buffy? Xander is not all that." says Cordelia, " Besides, I was through with him anyway." Cordelia gets up, and walks away. " What did Xander ever see in her?" asks Buffy. " I think it was maybe more of a physical attraction. You know cuz she has big, you know. And you have, well..." says Willow. " Hey, I have enough for Xander. That's all that matters." says Buffy, sticking her chest out. " That's right." agrees Willow. " Besides, I'm buying a miracle bra this weekend." she adds. Her and Willow laugh, as the gym teacher blows the whistle.
MEANWHILE...
Jacen and Triana are sitting here, getting yelled at by Martin. " What were you two thinking?! Huh?!" exclaims Martin. " Chill Martin. We was just doing what we do best." says Jacen. " No. See, that's where you're wrong. You're not a slayer!!" says Martin. " But I'm dating one." replies Jacen, " A damn good one at that." Martin sits down. " Look, just...just tell me what the hell you were thinking, Triana. Using Jacen as bait. I mean, what the hell were you thinking?" says Martin, trying to calm down. " I don't know what I was thinking. I was just trying to get the job done." replies Triana, " But what about you, Mr. Watcher? Why weren't you watching me?"
" How the hell am I supposed to do that, when you're always out with him?!"
" Look, the whole thing was my idea. Alright? The fact is, we got the job done. End of story." says Jacen, trying to end the argumentative conversation. " It's not the end of story. And it won't be until Julian is dead. He's the key." says Martin. He gets up and goes into the kitchen. Jacen and Triana just sit there. " You think he'll ever forgive me?" asks Triana. " Of course he will baby. He's just blowing off a little steam right now." answers Jacen, putting his arm around her. Martin enters with a tray of tea. " Here, you two drink this and goes upstairs to bed. We'll continue this in the morning." he says, heading for the study. " Martin?" says Triana. He turns around. " I'm sorry." says Triana, just before she kills her tea. " Good night." says Martin. He goes into the study and closes the door. " I ain't drinking this stuff. It smell all funny." says Jacen, examining what's in his mug. " Just drink it. It's for endurance and stamina." says Triana. " What am I gone need endurance and stamina for tonight? The sun'll be up soon, ain't no biters out there." says Jacen. Triana gives him that look, and smiles. " Oh I know that look. Oh hell-yeah." he says. He drinks down this glass of tea, and stands up bravely. He picks Triana up, and carries her upstairs.
BACK IN SUNNYDALE...
" Giles. Giles, I think I found it." says Xander, staring at a very large book. Giles rushes over to him, with the pad. He compares the two pictures. " They do appear to be identical." says Giles, " However, there is one thing though." Giles examines the book's picture closer. " The one in the book appears to be printed on a shield of some sort." he concludes. " Good. At least now we know what we're looking for. A large shield with a demon on it." says Xander. Buffy and Willow enter followed by Oz. " What ya' guys doin'?" asks Buffy, putting her books down. " Oh, looking at cool demon pictures. Ya' know, guy stuff." says Xander. " Ooh guy stuff. Let me see." says Oz, heading over to the other guys. " UhWillow? Where exactly did you see this symbol?" asks Giles. " It was on somebody's arm. Like a tattoo, sorta'." says Willow. " Hmmm." says Giles, sitting down. " Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Giles?" asks Buffy. " Maybe. I'm thinking that whoever created this symbol is planning something big. Very big." says Giles. " But who?" asks Buffy. Xander picks up the book and carries it over to the table. " The guy's name is Julian. It says here, that he's some sort of slayer hunter." he says. " Oh yes, of course. The legendary Julian. He who thrives off the blood of the chosen one." says Giles, recalling points from his past. " Okay, can we get back to the slayer hunting part?" says Buffy, " What do you mean, he hunts slayers?"
" He's not hunting my slayer." says Xander, protectively, " He's gonna' have to go through me first."
" Trust me, for Julian, that won't be difficult." says Giles. " So how do we stop this thing?" asks Oz. " I don't know exactly. We've got to find him first." says Giles. " Oh my God." says Buffy. " What?" asks Xander. Buffy looks at him, with a worried look in her eyes. " Faith."
ELSEWHERE...
The radio's blasting in Faith's hotel room, which is a mess. She's on the ground doing push-ups. " 50...51...52." Faith says, counting her push-ups. There's a loud knock on the door. " Damn. Always while I'm training." says Faith, getting up and grabs a towel. She opens the door and Buffy throws her arms around her. " Buff? What are you doing?" asks Faith, shocked to see her. Buffy let's go of Faith and motions Xander in, who's carrying the book. " We've got a problem." she says. Faith closes the door and Xander turns down the radio. " What's up?" asks Faith. Xander shows her the picture. " Have you seen this before?" he asks. Faith thinks for a minute. " Yeah. Not too long ago actually. It was on some guy's arm. He was pretty cute too." she says. " Uh-oh." says Buffy and Xander in unison. " Okay, could somebody please tell me what's going on?" asks Faith, becoming impatient. "Okay, you know how us slayers hunt vampires, right?" says Buffy, " Well this time we're the vampires."
"What?" Faith asks.
" The guy's name is Julian." says Xander, showing Faith the book, " He's a slayer hunter." Faith looks up at him. " Okay, I don't like the sound of that." she says. Suddenly, something comes flying through Faith's window. " What the hell?" she says, jumping up. They go over to the window and peer out. " I think we may have a problem here, guys." says Xander. " Day walkers?" says Faith, trying to grasp what's going on. " In Sunnydale?" says Buffy, adding her confusion. Faith swings open the closet, and tosses Buffy a couple of stakes. " Let's stake it to 'em, partner." says Faith, climbing through what used to be the window. " I'm right behind ya'." says Buffy, following. Xander stands there, thinking. " They can handle it." he says, sitting down on the bed. " Damn. I gonna' hate myself later." he says getting up. He goes into the closet and comes out with a crossbow and stakes strapped around his leg. " It's showtime." he says, leaving through the window.
MEANWHILE...
Martin is asleep on the couch, with a large book on his face. Triana and Jacen come down the steps. " I figured I might as well shoot the three. Cuz I just knew we was gone win anyway. So I stopped, pulled up, and...three!!" Jacen says, getting loud. Triana hits him in the arm. " Shhh. Martin's sleep." she says, heading quietly into the kitchen. Jacen follows her, closely. He sits down at the table, while Triana grabs the orange juice and a couple of glasses. " So how do we find this guy?" Jacen asks. Triana sits down across from him. " We ain't gonna' find him. I am." she replies.
" What? Baby, there is no way I'm gonna' let you fight this guy alone." says Jacen pouring some orange juice. " Why not? You don't think I can take him?" asks Triana, defensively. " Triana, I just don't want you to get hurt, okay? I mean, I love you." Jacen replies. " I love you too Jacen. Which is why I've got to go after this day-walker alone." says Triana, grabbing Jacen's hand. " But.." Jacen protests. " But nothing." she interrupts, " Now promise me you won't try an' be a hero." Jacen looks away. " Promise me." she insists. " Alright, I promise." says Jacen, reluctantly. Suddenly, there's a loud "thud" noise. " What was that?" asks Triana. Jacen shrugs his shoulders. " Sounded like a body hitting the floor." he says. They look at each other, then in the living room's direction. " Martin!" they exclaim together. They rush into the living room only to see Martin picking himself up off the floor. Triana rushes to help him. " Martin? Martin are you alright?" she asks, helping him back up to the couch. " Uh, yeah, I think so." he says. " Listen, I'm sorry about last night. It was very dangerous and irresponsible of me to have endangered the lives of others. I just hope you can forgive me." says Triana. Martin looks up at Jacen, who's just standing there. " Oh, I get it. This is one of those watcher-slayer moments, right?" says Jacen. " Something like that." answers Martin. " I'll be upstairs." says Jacen, heading up the steps. Martin turns to Triana, who has her head down. " Listen to me. Triana, I know you. And I know you would never intentionally put others in harm's way. But you have to realize what we're dealing with here." says Martin.
" I know. I'm sorry. It's just..."
" Just what?" Martin asks. " I want this guy sooo bad. I want to end this, now." she answers. " I know you do. And it will end, eventually. But as for right now, try an'..."
Jacen comes flying down the stairs. " Martin! Triana! I found him!" he says.
" Who?" asks Martin. " Julian. He's in Sunnydale." says Jacen. " Sunnydale?" Triana asks, confused. Martin stands up, thinking. " Sunnydale...of course. What better place to command an army of day-walkers than at the hell-mouth itself." he says, cleaning his glasses. " Wait a minute, Jacen, how do you know he's in Sunnydale?" asks Triana. " Cuz baby, he's all over the news." Jacen answers. " And we're all over him." says Martin, " Get your gear. We've got a vampire to slay."
BACK IN SUNNYDALE...
Xander flies into a nearby car, back first, and slides to the ground. " No you didn't just hit my man." says Buffy, roundhousing the already hurting vampire. Faith goes airborne and jump kicks her opponent in the face, sending him sprawling to the ground. Julian stands a few yards away from the battle, with his right hand man, Marlous. " Look at them, Marlous. They're fighting like true slayers." he says, studying Buffy and Faith. " Why not kill 'em now, master?" Marlous asks. Julian stares at Buffy. " I don't know. There's just something about that slayer. Something different. I want her." he says. " Sorry master, but I don't think she's your type. You're a vampire, she's a slayer. I'm sensing a strong conflict of interest." says Marlous. Julian looks at his watch. " We'd better get down below. The day-walking serum should be wearing off soon." he says, walking away from the battle. Marlous follows him.
Buffy uppercuts one of the vampires, and he flies into the air. Then, almost instantly, he melts. The same thing happens to the others. " What the hell is going on?" asks Faith, walking in Buffy's direction. Buffy shrugs her shoulders, and notices Xander's body lying behind a car. " Oh my God. Xander!" she drops her stake and runs over to him, followed by Faith. She kneels down next to him, while Faith checks his vital signs. " Xander? Honey, can you hear me?" asks Buffy. She looks at Faith, who just shakes her head. " Oh God, please. Not Xander..." she says, crying, " Please. I...I need him. Xander, I need you." Faith holds Buffy. " Just hang on, Buff. You'll be alright." she says. Xander slowly moves his head back and forth.
" Need me, for what?" he asks, weakly. " Xander! You...you're alive!" exclaims Buffy, throwing her arms around him. " Of course, I'm alive. You think I'd let something like death come between us?" says Xander, smiling. She kisses him. " I love you, Xander." she says, helping him to his feet. " I love you too, Buffy Summers." he replies. " And I'd love to find out why the hell those biters just melted like they did." says Faith, trying to change the subject, " They were day-walkers." They walk over to where the vampires used to be. The ground is stained, with outlines of their bodies. " We gotta' tell Giles about this." says Buffy. " I'm with ya' Buff." says Faith.
LATER...
" Temporary day-walkers? That's highly unlikely." says Giles. " It can't be. Cuz Faith and I saw it, with our own eyes." says Buffy. " What about you Xander?" Oz asks him. Xander takes the ice off of his head. " Well I was unconscious most of the fight." he says, rather un-happy with himself. " Are you guys like sure that...that they didn't like just run away? Like really really fast." asks Willow. " Nobody can move that fast." says Faith. " Are you sure there haven't been any recordings of temporary solar immunity, in one of these books somewhere?" asks Buffy, flipping through the pages of one. " Not that I can recall. But..." says Giles, " I might be able to find out." Giles gets up and goes into his office. " Is it me or does he get weirder everyday?" says Faith. " Both." says Oz.
Martin comes into the library, followed by Jacen and Triana. " Excuse me." says Martin. The gang turns around. Willow walks over to him. " I'm looking for Mr. Giles. Rupert Giles." says Martin. " Oh, well he's um, in his office right now. I'll get him for you." Willow says, slowly walking towards Giles' door. She sticks her head in the office. " Uh, Giles? There's a guy out here, looking for you." she says. Giles looks through the blinds. " I don't believe it. William Martin. Tell him to come in." says Giles happily. Willow goes back over to Martin. " Okay, he says to tell you to come in." says Willow. " Thanks, uh..." says Martin.
" Willow. Uh, Willow Rosenberg."
" Willow." Martin turns to Jacen and his slayer. " I'm a go talk to Giles. You two hang out here, okay?" Jacen nods his head. " No problem." he says. Martin heads off to the office. " Willow, isn't it?" asks Triana. " Yeah." Willow replies. " How ya' doin'? My name's Triana. Morgan." she shakes her hand, " And this is my boyfriend, Jacen." Jacen and Willow shake hands. " Yeah, we're vampire slayers." he adds. Triana elbows him. " Let me introduce you to my friends." says Willow. Jacen and Triana follow Willow, over to where the gang is sitting. " Guys? I'd like you too meet Jacen and Triana. They uh...work with us." says Willow. " Hi...how ya' doin'?" says Triana. " Uh...let's see. This is Buffy. That's Faith. Over there is Oz. And he's Xander." says Willow, pointing everybody out. " Let me guess..." Jacen walks over to Buffy and Faith, " You two are the slayers." Buffy and Faith look at each other. " How did you know that we were..." starts Buffy. " Slayers?" interrupts Jacen, " I know a slayer when I see one. It's a special gift I have."
" How do ya' think he met me?" says Triana. " Hol' up, you're a slayer too?" asks Oz. " Guilty as charged." says Triana. " What's this a vampire slayer convention or something?" says Xander. " Well, I think it's kind of nice. You know, slayers of all styles, trading strategies and techniques. This could prove to be educational." says Willow. " So why are you guys here?" asks Oz. " We're looking for someone." says Jacen, " His name is Julian."
" The slayer hunter?" asks Faith. " That's the one. You know where he is?" replies Triana. " Not exactly." says Xander. " We had a run in with this character earlier." says Buffy. Giles and Martin come out of the office. " Everyone. This is William Martin. An ol' academy friend of mine." says Giles, happily. " Cute Watcher." says Faith. " Thanks." says Triana.
ELSEWHERE...
Julian and Marlous sit side by side. " I want her to lead my army." says Julian. " But master, she's a slayer." says Marlous. " I am aware of that, you imbecile. And it is that which makes her the perfect general for my army." says Julian. " I don't understand." says Marlous, trying to figure his master out. Julian gets up, and prepares for his evil-villain speech. " Imagine it, Marlous. An army of undead soldiers, virtually invincible. Led by the one thing that can stop them." Julian smiles happily. " But how? I mean, I don't think she'd be interested in such a generous offer." Marlous inquires. Julian walks over to a chest. He opens it and takes out a very large sword. " She will be." he says, staring evilly at the weapon he's holding.
THAT NIGHT...
Joyce is sitting in the living room, reading the newspaper. The doorbell rings. Joyce slowly gets up, and goes to the door. She opens the door and standing there is an old friend. " Angel? Wha...what are you doing here?" asks Joyce, shocked to see him. Angel forces an uneven smile. " Sorry to bother you, Miss Summers, but I need to talk to Buffy. Is she home?" inquires Angel. " Oh, she's on her way home now." answers Joyce. " Do you mind if I wait here for her? It's really important." says Angel. Joyce looks into his eyes, studying him. " Sure, come on in." says Joyce. Angel enters and she closes the door. " Thank you." says Angel. He follows her into the living room. They sit down. " So, how've you been? I heard about the whole... death and torture thing." asks Joyce, awkwardly trying to make conversation. " I'm hanging in there. I should be back to my normal self any day now." says Angel.
" That's good." Joyce replies. They both take a deep breath and then there's an eternity of silence. Until, Buffy enters. " Mom, I'm home!" shouts Buffy, as she comes through the door. Faith and Triana follow her. " I'm in the living room, honey!" Joyce shouts back. Buffy and her friends head to the living room. " Sorry, I'm late. We stopped to get a bite to...Angel?" says Buffy, who's shocked. " Hi Buffy. It's been a long time." says Angel, standing up. She goes over to him and hugs him tightly. " Uh...Mom, Angel. This is Triana. She's one of us." says Buffy. " Oh, you're one of those slayer people too, huh?" says Joyce, " Well, I'm gonna' go upstairs to bed. See you girls in the morning."
"Okay, good night, Mom." Buffy says. " Night." Joyce replies, on her way out of the room. " Buffy, I...I think you may be in danger. In fact, all of you are." says Angel. They sit down. " What kind of danger?" asks Triana. " Well, see there's this guy right? And he hunts slayers and..."
" Julian?" asks Faith. " Yeah, how did you know?" asks Angel. " Me and your ex here, had a little scuffle with some of his goons, today." she answers. " Uh-oh. That means he's already administered the serum." says Angel, mainly to himself. " What serum?" asks Buffy. " It's a serum we invented when we were kids. It's used to grant temporary immunity to sunlight." Angel explains. " Well, that explains the random meltation factor." says Faith. " Wait a minute. What do you mean, when you were kids? You know this guy?" inquires Buffy. Angel stares out the window. " Yeah, sorta'." he says, " He's my brother."
To Be Continued...