-Chapter 1-
Feminine feet delicately touched the earth, not an echo of a whisper was heard. Standing to her full height, the woman took in her surroundings. 'Adequate' she thought, this would do nicely for her time here. Grasping her long black tendrils and twisting them into a tight ponytail, she then tucked in her wings. They made a resounding snap before disappearing under the flaps on her back. Taking stock that she had all her desired weapons with her, she lightly ghosted over her sheathed blade with her fingers that was strapped to her hip. She could not care less if the humans found it odd that she would carry a sword with her in public, besides their opinion was irrelevant. They had no right to question a being of higher status, anyway. With that thought in her mind, she began a brisk pace down the narrow road leading into the small town. Her mission began here and if she succeeded, it would end here as well.
A month later...
With a growl and resounding snap of her wrist, the offending demon was thrown back a ways after he had attempted to make her a midnight snack. Unsheathing her weapon, Kaira blew a long black tendril out of her eyes and began to advance effortlessly upon the prone form. She could not believe she was still on this plane, it had felt like eons since she was last home. In all reality, it had equated to one full mortal month. Her frustration was an understandable one in her eyes, almost palpable. Her Deity had sent her here on a mission to stop a demon from destroying this town, a powerful one at that. But not once since she had landed here had any demon been strong enough for her angelic strength. It was becoming quite irksome, not to mention exasperating. While standing over the collapsed vampire, a noticeable scowl gracing her lips.
"Stand and fight me demon," she demanded placing her weapon against it's neck. When he still did not move, Kaira huffed her disappointment and dusted the creature. Sheathing her sword, she placed her hands on her hips with a grimace. All she wanted to do was return home to continue her training, being on Earth was a waste of her time. She had been on the mortal Earth far longer than she had ever cared to be. None of these demons on this plane were very strong and it bored her, this was no mission at all! This was clean up duty and she was above that. As she pondered of her next course of action, a presence made itself known with a slight tingle at the back of her neck. 'Ah…finally.' Kaira thought to herself with a smile. It had been so long since she had faced a worthy opponent…maybe this was the demon she was sent specifically to bring down. Drawing out her sword and pointing it at a tree a few feet away, Kaira moved gracefully into a battle stance.
"Come out demon and face me, or are you a coward?"
"Now love, callin' me a coward is a bit harsh, don't ya think?" A man slowly made his way out from behind the tree. He wasn't overly tall but he was muscled from what she could see at the distance. His bleach blond hair was slicked back so tightly to his head she was afraid it might be hurting him. He wore far too cocky of a smirk on his face that seemed to her that it was a constant. He leaned his body against the trunk of the tree he had been hiding behind and studied her. Kaira straightened and gave the man a level stare. He was most definitely a demon, his aura screamed it, a red pulsing color rolled off him in waves and sent small goosebumps down her skin. He was strong, stronger than any demon she had faced the past month she had been here, maybe the strongest she had ever faced but Kaira would never openly admit , she did not relax her body, staying ready for any possible attack from the demonic creature before her. He studied her in turn, his stare calculating and his eyes visibly caressing her physical form with interest to make her uncomfortable. Kaira was not used to having a physical body, it was created for her race when the descended from the Above. Trying not to let her unease show, she widened her stance and confronted him further.
"I see that you denied being a coward, but did not deny being a demon. What have you to say demon?" Kaira spat venomously while keeping a level glare at the man, cursing herself for feeling the slightest bit unguarded because of him. He stood to his full height, away from the tree and began a slow stride, almost gliding toward her. Straightening her further and she scowled at his figure, her hand going itching toward her weapon. When he stood directly in front of her, his eyes roved over her once more. The same smirk returning to his face.
"Now pet, what's there to deny? I am what I am. However, it would greatly please me if you would tell me who and what you are?" His devilish eyes shone with humor as he goaded her. She knew that he was doing it purposefully. She knew that she shouldn't fall for it, she was much smarter than that. Gritting her teeth, Kaira took a leap of faith while unsheathing her sword and led the tip of her weapon to where his heart would be. Which clearly wasn't too hard due to the lack of space that was between them.
"Who I am and what I am is of no concern of yours, fiend. I am above you and you are beneath me, submit." His eyes flashed with a bright burn of anger and he moved before she could even blink. A surprised gasp escaped her lips as he grasped her neck in a strong hold and slammed her into a tree nearby. His face had contorted into that of his demon, sharp ridges lined his forehead, blue eyes morphing into a strikingly bright amber and his teeth lengthened into predatory incisors. Her eyes widened in shock, she hadn't seen him move…and that in itself was a feat. Just what was he?
Spike gripped the woman's neck tighter, a dangerous growl ripping up his throat faster than he could think. He bared his teeth at her to show her just how aggressive he really was. The lithe woman dangled from his grasp against the tree a look of complete boredom directed back at his face. She showed no fear of his form like most humans would, he even had scared Buffy at one point, being a master vampire and all. That ruled out her being a human. He released her and she slowly slid to the ground elegantly.
"Have you proven your point now vampire?" She herself snarled, anger sparking off her like electric shocks. She placed her hands onto her hips and feet placed shoulder width part that Spike was very familiar with, almost intimately so, was "pissed off" female. Her eyes had narrowed into slits and her whole body language seemed to harshly reprimand him as if he were a small child; and not a 126 year old vampire.
"Obviously intimidation doesn't work on you, pet." he huffed in frustration, trying to mask the general anger he had displayed and felt at her words. He didn't want this mysterious creature, whatever she may be, to know any weakness he might have. Her nostrils flared at the endearment he kept calling her and he desperately tried not to laugh when it reminded him of another hardened young girl he knew. Thinking of Buffy, he began to compare the two woman. They were about the same weight and height with the same build, the same fighting style, both being perfectionists. But that was where the similarities ended and the stark differences began. Where Buffy seemed to enjoy her job as the vampire slayer, this woman seemed to find it to be a chore if not an obligation. There was no excitement when she fought, just cold calculation. The same attitude was presenting itself when she spoke to him, as if it took a great effort not to be bored.
"I have seen intimation before cretin, what you did was vulgar. Thinking you could best me because you are opposing sexes. I have seen it a fore in many a men and it does not suit my tastes whatsoever. Your act of intimidation was amateur at best as to shake any confidence I might hold. However, you could not even come close to accomplishing that." Her words were bitter taste to Spike as he took a step back, lest his anger get any more violent. Gritting his teeth, he squared off with the woman again, his ire now plain to see.
"Stop calling me those filthy names, pet. I have a name, which you have failed to ask of."
"Why ask of a name when I have no interest in knowing it. Besides, fiend, I have my own ways in finding out who you are with just an easy snap of my fingers. I do not need you telling me of who you are." Her matter of fact words caught Spike off guard and he couldn't stop the scoff that escaped his lips, even if he had wanted to. Her eyes widened in insult, narrowing to slits. He was making her anger spiral more and more out of control with each passing minute, which for Spike made it even more entertaining. To make her show any kind of emotion so far was an amusing feat and he watched her with a smirk as she grounded her teeth while lifting her hand in the air. With a quick snap of her fingers, a plume of smoke puffed into the air. The smoke was blinding and made him cough out a breath he didn't need. When the smoke lifted, a long piece of parchment paper was in the woman's grasp, just barely hovering above the ground. Clearing her throat delicately, her voice hummed with irritation as she began to read.
"William Pratt, age one hundred and twenty six. Before being turned, he was renowned for being a lousy poet but a caring son. When turned he became an evil man whom earned the nickname Spike after stabbing his victims with railroad spikes," lifting her eyes from the parchment with a narrow suspicion she sneered,
"Need I go on?" Baffled, Spike blinked a few times to try and clear the haze in his head. How in the bloody hell had this woman learned information on him? He hadn't given her any notion as to who he really was. He took a step back from her out of caution, he was wary of her, which was a new feeling for him. With another quick snap of her fingers, the parchment once again went up in a puff of smoke and vanished. Lifting her eyes to him once more, they smoldered with hatred that was beginning to become mutual. With a twist of her body she put her back to him as if he were not a threat and immediately dismissed him.
"I hope you never grace my presence again Spike," her voice held the sneer she had directed at him earlier and turning her head over her shoulder she looked at him one last time,
"If you do…I will not hesitate to kill you." With those parting words, she walked off leaving Spike standing alone in the cemetery like an idiot that he felt that he was.
Keeping her walk as brisk as possible Kaira made her quick escape. She growled at her own choice of words. She didn't like the fact that the man had gotten under her skin, he had intimidated her. That was a first and a feeling she did not want to experience again…a feeling she would not feel again. Throwing the demon's presence to the farthest reaches of her mind, Kaira reached into the pocket of her leather jacket and withdrew her phone. The contraption was still new to her as she was used to speaking to her brethren through telepathy. Though she was slowly becoming accustomed to the device that did not mean she had to like it.
"Kaira, what is the meaning of this phone call? You were not supposed to contact us until tomorrow." Gabriel's voice was gruff over the phone speaker, sounding disgruntled as if he had just woken. Kara winced and apologized for calling at such a late hour instead of on the time that was specified. Explaining in detail to her superior the accounts that had gone on, and how this night took longer than Kaira would have wished. When she had finished her tale there was silence on the other end of the line.
"Gabriel?"
"You mean to tell me that there was a master vampire and you did not dispose of him?"
"I could not my lord, he had disarmed me before I could react maybe if I had some he-"
"No child, this is your duty alone. It is your right of passage to become an arch angel, it is a test that cannot be assisted with. You know this unless you wish you tell us of your incompetence." Kaira gritted her teeth as Gabriel spoke over her. His words were true. This test was hers and hers alone, she could not have any assistance and her failure to kill him was only giving them reason to doubt her intelligence.
"Then, pray tell how am I going to be able to conquer him?" She spoke through clenched teeth, sometimes Gabriel really knew how to push her buttons.
"You must find that solution out on your own Kaira and you must do it quickly, the One Deity has shortened your time upon the Earthly plane. You must be done with this task within the year or you will fail," and with a resounding click Gabriel hung up on her. With a gasp of astonishment Kaira stared at her phone. That wasn't much time at all.
Buffy paced the confines of her room in a huff. Her wing man was late, again. What could possibly take Spike so long when he was usually being his creepy self and waiting in her yard underneath her tree? She glanced at her watch on her wrist for what felt like the tenth time, when a flutter of fabric and the familiar smell of leather and nicotine wafted into her room. Buffy whirled on her heal grinding her teeth at the vampire who stood casually in her bedroom, hands in his duster pockets and a cigarette sitting loosely between his teeth.
"Spike! My god, how many times have I told you not to smoke in my room!" Buffy huffed planting her fists upon her hips at tapping her foot on the floor. Spike's eyes widened as he looked at her and then peered down at the offending cigarette dangling from his lips. With a quick roll of his eyes he snuffed out the cigarette with the bottom of his boot and slipped it into his pocket to throw away later.
"Sorry love, I can never seem to remember," he chuckled making his mood aloof. Buffy's eyes narrowed as she watched the master vampire fidget, something was up that he wasn't telling her.
"What's going on Spike?" He lifted his head and looked at her raising one brow.
"What are you talking about, pet?"
"Oh come off it Spike! I've known you for year and I can tell when you're hiding something from me. What's going on? Spill." Spike shuffled from foot to foot, obviously he was trying to come up with a different story to tell her. She had been with him for so long starting as enemies, then frenemies, then friends, lovers for a good long while, and then friends again. She knew when he was going to blatantly lie to her face.
"Do not lie to me William. I will go back on my word on not staking you if you do." Spike gulped slightly and his eyes spoke that lying wasn't the best course of action, but he wasn't female and did not want to gossip about someone he might have taken an interest in. Buffy waited her foot tapping against her bedroom floor with renewed impatience, and with a sigh Spike 'spilled.'
"There was a woman in the cemetery ton-" Buffy let out a little feminine gasp.
"Oooo a woman? I hope she wasn't a fledgling Spike and you didn't kill her."
"Oh for the love of! No she was not a fledgling and if she were I would have staked her on the spot and you know it love! Bloody hell what do you take me for?"
"Now now Spike, don't get your panties in a twist and stop changing the subject. Who was this woman?"
"If you wouldn't interrupt me woman I would finish! I do not know what she is, no do not give me that look. I really do not know. She was no demon nor was she a potential or I would have felt it."
"What was she like then?" Buffy asked, maybe if she asked certain questions they could come down to the bottom of who this woman was that seemed to turn Spike into knots of frustration. Spike growled softly, seeming to remember something that he wasn't so eager to share. But if he said nothing then Buffy would just pry it out of him anyway.
"She was aggravating, insulting and had an ego a mile wide. Huh… sounds like someone else I might know, doesn't it love?" Spike gave her a knowing look which Buffy returned by immaturely sticking her tongue out. Spike chuckled and continued,
"She was very strong, she took out a lot of fledglings before I even showed up. She moved with swiftness and grace as if her feet didn't even touch the ground. I do believe at some point I intimidated her though," Spike's voice trailed off slightly as he remembered it, but quickly as it came it vanished and he continued once more,
"What really got to me was with a quick snap of her fingers, she was able to bring up this whole scroll that was my life story essentially!" Buffy's eyes widened at his words. She had never heard of such a creature before, and if she wasn't a demon then Giles hadn't taught her about it either. Speaking of Giles…
"Spike, let's postpone patrol today for now I want to call Giles as see what he has to say about this, give me a moment." And with that Buffy grabbed her phone off her dresser counter and left the room.
Spike sat patiently on Buffy's bed. Well as patient as he could, his leg was jumping up and down a mile a minute. He was hoping that the Watcher would know what they were up against. He heard Buffy's soft spoken words outside the bedroom door, they were hushed to a point that she purposely did not want Spike to hear. But her screech of alarm had Spike bolting out of the room as fast as he could. Almost ripping the door off its hinges Spike ran out into the hallway, and wouldn't you know it, standing a few feet in front of him was the woman. Her bright green eyes were leveled on him with an icy resolve.
"S-she just popped into the hall!" Buffy squeaked her hand over her heart and her phone forgotten on the floor. To scare the slayer who had reflexes and senses of a honed warrior was a feat, which also confirmed that she was not a demon. The woman planted her hands on her hips and glared.
"Really now William ,if you wanted to know who I am so badly all you really had to do was ask." She hissed her anger pulsing off her in waves. Spike audibly swallowed as he moved himself to flank Buffy.
"How was I to know you would answer, love?"
"You were not, but things change," and with a speed he could not follow she was before them with her blade pointing at his neck before he could blink, "My name, Spike, is Kaira. I was sent from the One True Deity to wipe filth from this plane so that I may take my place among my brethren. You are my last demon to kill so that I may leave here." Her speech dripped with so much resolve that Spike believed that he nor Buffy stood a chance against her. But being a master vampire didn't stop him from blabbing his mouth.
"The One True Deity huh," he mocked and watched as Kaira eyes glowed with her rage,
"What makes him so special as to decide these things?"
"He is special because He is the creator of all human life, and you fiend are not human."
"Then what make that you?" Spike growled leaning closer, trying not to fear the sizzling noises he was hearing against his neck from the blade. Kaira watched him calmly and took only one step back. Then Spike watched with astonishment as two wings burst from her back. They were white as snow with golden tips and the arched and fluttered in an effort to fit in the crowded hallway. An unearthly glow emanated from behind her head. Spike gaped, an angel? Truly an angel stood before him!
"I am his devoted servant you vile creature. That is why I am here to destroy you. Are you prepared to die?" With her final words she swung her blade, aiming right at his neck with a beautiful and fierce smile on her lips.
