Rayne – or Red as she preferred to be known - Redfern sat on the roof of Sunnydale high looking down on the small Californian town. She had run away from home a week earlier, home being a Night World enclave in England. She had left everything she knew and held dear to find the one who haunted her dreams. A vampire unlike any vampire she had ever seen. Red knew it was crazy to go running off the way she had and only one other person knew about any of it. That was her best friend, Tiamet Abforth, Tiamet was an 18 year old witch and Red herself was an 18 year old vampire. Lamia to be exact meaning she was born that way. Finally after a month of dreams that had become more vivid and real, dreams where any injury sustained in the transferred to the waking world, Tiamet had solved it. She had managed to track down where the dreams were being sent from and that place was, dun dun dun, Sunnydale California. So here Red was. According to Tiamet's the place was research the whole town was built on something called a 'hellmouth' but Red hadn't had a clue as to what Tiamet was talking about. After about 5 minutes it had also become clear that even Tiamet didn't know what Tiamet was talking about.
Red continued to watch the humans scurrying about town, she smiled to herself, she could think of several cousins who would've loved to have been there with her, just for the hunting opportunities alone. A town completely bereft of Night World influence, she hadn't thought it possible "Jez and her gang would love to know about this place," Red thought to herself. Red shook herself out of her reverie and stood up; with one last glance out over the town she dusted herself off and went back to her motel room. It was time for her to feed and that meant she had to change, her sights were set on the only club in Sunnydale. The Bronze. She'd found out about it from some stupid tourist brochure, like you even needed one. Red took a shower and got changed; she wore a black bikini top with black leather trousers. She also wore her faithful New Rock calf length booth with metal on the heel. She brushed out her red hip length hair, glossed her lips and looked critically at herself in the mirror. Right now her eyes were emerald green but they changed at regular intervals due to her lamia heritage. She was descended from the first vampire Maya. Like all born vampires she was blessed with preternatural beauty no prey could resist. Blowing herself a kiss she left, grabbing her long leather coat on the way.
Being the only club in Sunnydale Red noticed that the youngest humans there had to still be in high school. She didn't mind though, as far as she was concerned The Bronze was the vampire equivalent to McDonalds. Red was watching the dance floor from one of the balconies, she liked being high up, and it meant she could watch without being watched. So far she had chosen several possible meals from the 'menu'. But she could wait. Garbage were on stage performing her favourite song 'Cherry Lips',
"Not going to go down and dance?" A voice asked her from behind. She had been aware of him watching her for a while, possibly plucking up the courage to talk to her. Red turned and looked at the human boy behind her, he had warm brown eyes and dark brown hair. A lock of it fell over his right eye, she also noticed he was about two inches shorter than her. She guessed his age to be 16 or 17.
"Why? Are you planning on joining me when I do?" Red asked, her voice was husky and many guys found it sexy and disarming.
"Maybe," He replied smiling.
"I'm Red, and you are?" She asked him.
"Gabriel is your name really Red or is it a nickname?" Gabriel asked curious. Red just smiled and said:
"Still on for that dance?"
"Sure why not?" Gabriel replied. Leading the way Red went down the stairs to the dance floor just as Shirley Manson reached the chorus of Temptation Waits. She could feel eyes on her as she threaded her way through the crowd. Once she found a space she switched to hunt mode knowing her prey didn't stand a chance.
Buffy Xander and Willow were also at The Bronze; their attention was currently on the gorgeous redhead dancing with a dark haired boy.
"Could she look anymore like a model?" Buffy asked unhappily.
"I know she's hot!" Xander exclaimed; it was all he could do not to drool.
"I hear you," Willow said agreeing with him. Red had heard their comments and smiled to herself. When she found herself facing their direction she winked at the two scoobies.
"Did she just wink at me?" Willow and Xander asked in unison.
"Jeez, I never thought I'd see you two fighting over a girl," Buffy said laughing.
"We're not fighting Buffy," Willow told her.
"Yet," Buffy replied. They all continued to watch the redhead girl.
Red was starting to feel almost overwhelmed by Gabriel's blood; she could almost hear his heart pumping it through his veins. As the song came to an end Red found herself trying to lead Gabriel outside.
"Where are we going?" he asked her.
"Somewhere quiet where we can get to know each other better," she said smiling wolfishly at him.
"I'm not sure, can't we just hang here until Garbage finish their set?" Gabriel asked, Red could see him starting to tense.
"Oh come on it'll be fun," she then added a little more forcefully, "what are you afraid of?"
"Listen maybe we should just forget it. I'm going back to my friends, sorry but this isn't going to work," he told her. Oh no, Red thought to herself, there's no way I'm letting you get away from me now. She led him outside and into an alleyway; already the bloodlust was starting to claim her she could feel a vague burning in her muscles. She was literally aching for his blood, pinning him to the wall she was about to lean in and give her vampire kiss when…
Alarm bells went off in Buffy's head; she was still watching the redhead and the dark haired boy when she noticed him tense. They had been talking one minute and the next he looked scared. Moments later he relaxed as if nothing had ever been and he followed the redhead out of the club.
"Did you guys see that?" She asked her friends.
"That was weird, for a split second he looked scared but it faded almost a quickly," Willow said.
"I missed it, are you sure it wasn't a couple's argument?" Xander asked, one look from Buffy told him it wasn't.
"Lets go check it out," Buffy said. They all stood and left The Bronze, they were walking past the second alleyway when Buffy caught sight of something. It was the redhead girl with the boy, it looked as though she was nuzzling his neck except when she turned to meet their eyes she looked completely different. Not like any of the vampires they'd ever seen, but there was no mistaking her fangs. In the dark her eyes seemed to flash like a cats, her skin seemed to glow with a preternatural beauty and her fangs were just like a cats canines. They were long and curved slightly ending in delicately fine points.
"You vampires are all so arrogant thinking you can feed right under the slayers nose," Buffy said advancing on Red. Red looked confused and speaking easily around the fangs that slightly indented her lower lip she said:
"Slayer? What's a slayer?" She let the boys body slip to the ground and she tensed in anticipation of a fight. Oh great, Buffy thought to herself, another British vampire.
"The chosen one?" Buffy replied, when Red still looked at her blank she added "The girl who's going to kick your ass!" Red snorted when she heard this.
"Oh this is too good, you're going to kick my ass? Listen to me Blondie, you just made the worst mistake of your pathetic life interrupting my meal," Red informed Buffy, her eyes flashing. They were now standing face to face, watching each other for the slightest movement that would give away the next move. Before Red could say another word Buffy backhanded her across the face. Red's bottom lip split and she tasted her own blood, instantly it healed.
"Excuse me, but OW!" Red exclaimed as Buffy followed it up with a roundhouse kick. Before her foot connected Red caught her foot and threw her backwards, she went sailing back into her friends. The landed on the floor in a heap, Buffy scrambled to her feet while Red turned her attention back to her meal and picked him up. Seconds later she heard something flying towards her, instinctively she dropped the boy for the second time that night and brought up her hand to catch what was flying at her head. Red smiled when she saw what it was.
"Is this a stake? It's an honest to goodness stake? Does that mean you're a vampire hunter or something because I heard they were just stories to make sure little kids stay in line," Red said still looking at the stake.
"What planet are you from? Of course it's a stake! Besides which I'm Buffy the vampire slayer, didn't your sire tell you about me?" Buffy asked thinking of the best way to take this bitch down.
"I don't have a sire… uh Buffy was it? I was born this way," Red informed her. Buffy was so thrown by what the vampire girl had said she didn't see the fist coming or the kick that followed it. The next thing she knew was that she was in the girls grip. Xander and Willow started running at the vampire with crosses and were surprised to see her throw back her head and laugh at them