Welcome To the Hellmouth
Michael woke up in a cold sweat, which was weird as the first rays of the California morning sun were breaking through his blinds and tingling on his skin. He blinked and shook his head. Joyce's voice carried up to him from the kitchen, followed by the smell of pancakes.
"Buffy?"
Buffy called back down. "I'm up, Mom!"
His irritated voice came back at her, "Well I wasn't! Thank you Buffy for waking me from Pamela Anderson's loving embrace. Much appreciated." He turned and his feet hit the floor and he let a strained yawn, grumbling as he left the room.
Joyce called up again, sounding cheerful and encouraging. "Don't wanna be late for your first day!"
He heard Buffy muttering dejectedly. "No... Wouldn't want that."
He pulled on his dressing gown and walked through into her room. Michael David Summers yawned again and scratched his head. "You know that talking to yourself is a sign of madness, right?" Buffy stuck out her tongue at him and threw her pillow at him.
"Morning to you too, o bane of my life." She glared at him and Michael looked scandalized.
"Hey, I'll have you know that was a compliment!"
"Huh?" Michael rolled his eyes.
"I'll tell you later B." He headed off towards the shower and he called down to Joyce, "Hey Mom, have you seen my razor?" He had grown a rather nice moustache and soul patch type thing over the last month. The smell of pancake batter set his senses ablaze.
1010101
Buffy was almost silent the whole drive to the school. Michael was nervous. Buffy being quiet meant one of two things, Buffy angry or more likely, Buffy scared. He banished the thoughts as they pulled up outside the school building, which was only confirmed by the sheer amount of hormonal teenagers and the sign saying 'Sunnydale High School'.
Joyce grinned at Buffy as the car stopped. "Okay!" Buffy got out quickly and turned back as Michael did the same.
Joyce smiled a little sadly. "Have a good time. I know you're gonna make friends right away,
just think positive." She gave Buffy a thumbs up. Michael rolled his eyes and grinned. Buffy nodded. They turned around to see the school.
Joyce called back. "And honey?" Buffy turned back to face her.
"Try not to get kicked out?" Michael scowled a little.
Buffy smiled a small, fake smile. "I promise."
Michael put his arm around her shoulder, but she didn't complain. "She'll be fine Mom." He then grinned widely at Buffy. "After all, she's got her very own bodyguard standing right here." They rolled their eyes and Buffy poked him in the ribs.
Joyce relented. "Okay." She restarted the car and drove off. They turned to the school and Buffy let out a deep breath. Michael sighed.
"Well Buffy, welcome to Sunnyhell High School!" She looked despairingly at him. He grinned hugely and she smirked. "Abandon hope all ye who enter our gym hall." He let out an evil laugh.
"Oh come on Mikey, it can't be all that bad. Kinda looks like Hemery, but with more palm trees." She was smiling, almost happily.
"And fewer shallow bimbo fashionistas, hopefully." He rolled his eyes as a group of half a dozen girls all wearing Gucci and Prada, crossed the road headed by an equally gorgeous blonde and brunette. "I retract my previous statement," he said quickly.
"Hey! I used to resemble that remark," Buffy huffed with her arms folded. Michael laughed and they began to walk forward toward the steps at the front of the school.
Xander Harris was feeling a well known rush as he manoeuvred in and out of the other students. He was quite skilled, and he knew it. "'Scuse me, comin' through, pardon me, 'scuse me, whoa!'Scuse me, not sure how to stop! Please move, whoa, 'scuse me..." As his eyes fell upon the most beautiful girl he had ever seen walked up the steps, beside an older boy who had his arm around her shoulder. "Whoa!"
Then he felt a lot of pain as his skateboard, with him on it crashed in to the staircase railing. "Ow... staring at girls hurts me. Bad idea." Willow Rosenberg rolled her eyes and stepped quickly up the stairs to help him. "I'm okay. I'm good." She grinned as he saw her and their eyes met. "Willow! You're so very much the person that I wanted to see!" Her heart leapt a little at that thought and she internally smirked.
"Oh really?" She said it a little smugly.
They started walking toward the school. Xander sighed, but smiled. "Yeah. You know, I kinda had a problem with the math."
Her heart sank a little but her face remained straight. "Uh, which part?"
"The math. Can you help me out tonight, pleeeease, be my study buddy?" She giggled. No one but Xander could make her do that.
"Well, what's in it for me?" She was a little sly and smiled.
Xander grinned proudly at her. "A shiny nickel!"
Willow nodded. "Okay. Do you have 'Theories in Trig'? You should check it out."
"Check it out?"
Willow raised an eyebrow. "From the library? Where the books live?"
Xander finally nodded in recognition. "Right, I'm there! See, I wanna change."
Just then the third of their crazy band showed up and wrapped his arms around their shoulders. Jessie McNally, Xander's brother in everything but blood and Willow's target when it came to poking.
"Hey, hey!"
"Hey, Jesse, what's what?"
"New girl." He seemed pretty excited.
"That's right, I saw her. Pretty much a hottie." He didn't notice the quick frown on Willow's face.
"I heard someone was transferring... two someones actually." Xander blinked at her. "Oh, the guy with her. Brother maybe? So tell!"
"Tell what?"
"What's the sitch, what do ya know about her?"
"New girl!"
Xander grinned. "Well, you're certainly a font of nothing!"
1010101
Michael slouched down in the comfy chair outside Principal Flutie's office while he was 'welcoming' Buffy. The gym incident would be called into question, he wasn't stupid. He still wondered what had actually happened that night before Buffy drove off with Pike. He wanted really badly to know what had actually gone on when the gym decided to catch fire.
But he was patient, and Buffy would come clean when she was ready to. It had always been that way between them, from the first day of high school. She always came to him for someone to talk to; about boys, whether she looked good enough for a party or whether the sky would fall tomorrow. Strangely enough the latter hadn't happened yet.
Flutie seemed like a nice enough guy, but a little ... edgy around him and Buffy. Although he was wondering the pecking order of the school, he had never been the most popular; although he hadn't exactly promoted himself to be popular. He simply was; he simply existed. He wasn't the type to get involved, unless Buffy was involved. Hey, someone had to look out for his vertically challenged sister.
The office door opened and Buffy stepped out, a thin smile on her face. They made eye contact and Michael nodded. He understood and she smiled. "Mr Summers, could you step inside please? Buffy, could you wait there for a moment?" They nodded and traded places, and then Flutie closed the door behind him. He made eye contact with Michael, smiling brightly.
"This isn't standard Mr Summers-"
Michael hid a scowl as he raised his hand. "My name is Michael."
"My apologies Michael. Now as I was saying, this isn't standard, but could I ask you a question about Buffy. Nothing invasive of course but I wanted an outside view on her ... record" Michael nodded. He sat quietly, and then smiled nervously. "I realize that it is ... colourful as she described it, but I don't really see someone like her doing something so ... dark. Could you give your views on Buffy, even if you are her brother?"
Michael spoke without hesitation. "One of the first things you must know about Buffy is this, she is a California girl. That being, she is more insecure than she lets on. She used to draw a veil of popularity and fake friends around herself; in fact I don't doubt there's an exact equivalent at Sunnydale. But she's a good kid and I would defend her no matter the cost to myself. She's my little sister, and my best friend." He smiled. Flutie returned the gesture and nodded.
"Noted Michael. Now about your record, it's quite impressive for an inner city high school. You'll do well here as far as education goes, but the real thing of note is the language scores. That is outstanding for a man of your age. Spanish is obligatory in most schools I've taught at, but you took extra time to learn Russian and Greek of all things. Why?"
Michael grinned. He loved this part. "Curiosity mostly. I won't give you some ghost written story about other cultures being my forte, but languages are. The greatest stories of the old human race are written in languages we barely understand. I want to read those stories and then pass them around." Flutie nodded again, showing himself as a man of habit.
"Thank you Michael, that's all the questions I have for now. I can see a bright career in whatever you may choose to do. Hopefully we won't be called into any problems involving you or Buffy during your time here at Sunnydale. Have a nice day." Michael shook Flutie's offered hand and smiled.
Michael left the office grinning like an idiot. Buffy was sitting in the seat where they had left her. The bell had just gone and the hallways were filling with students on their way to first classes. Michael hugged her and said, "Flutie seems decent enough Buff, I think it could work here."
"You really think so? He didn't like the Hemery report so much." She pouted.
Michael kept grinning. "Well Buff you kinda did burn down the gym." He yelped as she punched him in the shoulder, but he could see she was smiling.
"Got to go to class. History, snore." She grinned at the small frown on Michael's face. "I know you love the dark and the dusty Mikey but it makes me want to sleep. See you later Mikey." She turned and walked down the corridor and around the corner.
He spun on his heels and stepped in the opposite direction and turned the corner into a well filled corridor, lined with lockers as expected and bustling with students. He returned the nods from a few of what seemed to be the older kids and smiled at a few of the more pretty sophomore and senior girls. He was male, he liked the attention.
Just then, a short red headed blur sped past him. Michael turned around and saw a boy about six feet tall and a buzz cut hairdo. His face was contorted into a snarl as he looked down and saw the red head hiding behind the door frame. "Whoa big guy, calm down!" He looked very nervous.
"Osbourne!"
Michael now had a pretty good guess of what was happening and he shook his head. He shouldn't get involved, but... The jock, judging by his size of shirt, tried to step past Michael, but he moved in the way.
"Pick on someone closer to your own size fat boy. Or can I call your mom and ask for a second date?" He smiled wryly as the corridor quieted considerably. People were staring at the new kid. He had longish blonde hair, was quite tall and deep brown eyes, which were twinkling with a sly light. He was currently facing down the shorter of the football team's linemen without breaking a sweat. A girl with red hair much darker than the boy's watched from the cover of the hallway corner.
Michael looked up at the jock and then suddenly realized how bad an idea this was. The towering steroid junkie in front of him smelt fear and grinned, teeth like a shark. Michael laughed nervously and fidgeted with the signet ring on his finger. "New meat. How appropriate." He pulled his fist back, and then blinked, and the boy was no longer there. Michael was running away down the hallway, yelping and dragging the short redhead with him.
"Why did I get involved? I am now going to die at the hands of a steroid junkie!" The red head was easily keeping pace with him as the jock lumbered after them. Michael got eye contact with the red head and spoke as they ran.
"Hi I'm new. The name's Michael. What did you do to fat boy back there to piss him off?" He turned the corner and saw the pretty red head girl. He stopped, winked at her and she blushed darkly. Then he took off running again.
"I didn't do anything. Name's Oz." Short and sweet if nothing else.
He was calm and concise. Michael nodded as they bolted into a full classroom and grinned sheepishly at the assembled faces staring back at them. The teacher rolled her eyes and smirked at the two boys catching their breath. She was young and brunette, with small glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. A very pretty lady."Sorry we're late ... Miss Calendar ... had a run in with ... footballer," Oz panted. She nodded and smiled.
"No problem Daniel. Who's your handsome friend?" Michael blinked. Did she just flirt with him? Fair enough...
"Michael Summers miss ... I'm here for Computer Science ... I think." She nodded and pointed to the empty desk, biting her own lip a little and trying not to laugh. They sat down and chuckled as they saw the jock still running after them pass the classroom door. Moron.
1010101
"... So I ended up in Smalltown USA with my mom and sister Buffy." Oz raised his eyebrow. "Short for Elizabeth, this is So Cal after all. Still wonder what my mom and Hank were on when they came up with Buffy though." He grinned.
"A weird nickname. Is she as bad?" Oz was short spoken and so calm it was humbling. Michael liked him and he shook his head.
"She's my little sister, and you need to ask that question?" Oz laughed. "When she was younger, like seven or eight she used to matchmaker me with her friends' dude. I was nine! Girls still had cooties and wore nothing but pink. And this was LA. Not a good place to be with girls chasing you." Oz burst out laughing and Michael fell in as well. "Well Oz, it was cool to meet you but I need to grab some textbooks before next class." He held out his hand.
Oz looked down and grinning; took it and shook it steadily. "Nice to meet you Mike. See you around." He turned and walked down the hall. Michael entered the library and calmly walked up to the desk. There was no-one around that he could see, no sound to indicate that there was anyone about. He sighed and sat down on the librarian's chair, feeling bored.
A glint of something caught his eye, flashing at him from under the counter. He took the heavy tome from under the desk and read the gold scripted 'Vampyr' on the cover. 'Cool story book' he thought to himself. He flicked it open at a page near the back and started to scan quickly down the page. His eyes widened at the detailed and gory manner in which the 'Untill Demons' were described. Pale and translucent, they hunted in packs and devoured their victim's entrails before killing them and eating their hearts and eyes. Wicked, but really gross...
'Whoa. Flutie would flip if he saw –'He cut his thoughts short as a crash resounded from the bookshelf in front of him and sharp yelp followed. He slammed the book shut and jumped over the desk to where a middle aged man in glasses lay in a pile of what seemed like computer equipment. He rolled his eyes and bent down to pull the dazed man out of the heap of wires and chips.
"Why thank you young man. You offered me a great assistance there. Always suspected those infernal machines were out to get me." There was a strong British accent and a slight nervousness which Michael found comfortable to be around.
"No problem man. Michael David Summers at your service, sir." He bowed low, earning a snort from the librarian.
"No need to bow young man. I work for my pay check." Michael smirked. "Rupert Giles, school librarian. Is there anything I can assist you with?"
"Yes Mr Giles there is something you can help with. You see I'm new in school and I need ..."
1010101
"The new kids? She seems kind of weird to me. What kind of name is Buffy? The brother's a major hottie though. Looks like that college guy Harmony was dating last year."
Another girl entered the changing room. "Hey, Aphrodisia!
"Oh, Hey!
Aura continued. "Well, the chatter in the caf is that she got kicked out, and that's why her mom had to get a new job. Too bad. I might have to go comfort her poor brother myself..."
The girls worked the combinations to their gym lockers.
Aphrodisia looked shocked. "Neg!"
Aura nodded. "Pos! She was starting fights!"
Aphrodisia shook her head. "Neg-ly!"
Aura opened her locker. "Well I heard from Blue, and she said that..."
The pale corpse juddered forward and hit the ground with a sickening thud. Aura started to scream.
1010101
Buffy approached the red headed girl she had seen Cordelia put down earlier. She felt guilty about not helping her out, but this was not the time for that. She needed help and a friend. Seemed like they both did.
"Uh, Hi! Willow, right?"
Willow looked round and replied sadly, "Why? I-I mean, hi! Uh, did you want me to move?"
Buffy frowned, confused. "Why don't we start with, 'Hi, I'm Buffy,' and, uh, then let's segue directly into me asking you for a favour. It doesn't involve moving, but it does involve hanging out with me for a while."
"But aren't you hanging out with Cordelia?"
Buffy frowned. "I can't do both?"
Willow shook her head and said sadly, "Not legally."
Buffy breathed out patiently. "Look, I really wanna get by here, new school, and Cordelia's been really nice... to me... anyway, but, um, I kinda have this burning desire not to flunk all my classes, and I heard a rumour that you were the person to talk to if I wanted to get caught up."
Willow brightened and nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, I could *totally* help you out! Uh, if you have sixth period free we could meet in the library?"
Buffy froze and backtracked. "Or not. Or we could meet someplace quieter. Louder. Uh, that
place just kinda gives me the wiggins."
Willow nodded, understanding. "Oh, it has that effect on most kids. I love it, though, it's a
great collection, and the new librarian is really cool." She smiled widely, enjoying talking about what she loved most. Books.
Buffy blinked. "He's new?
Michael came out the door and heard Buffy talking to the pretty red head from the hallway. He came up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Yeah I met him earlier. Nice guy, if a little stuffy. Hi, I'm Buffy's brother Michael. Nice to meet you again." She blushed a little and shook his offered hand.
"I-I'm Willow. Nice to meet you," she said finally.
"Cool. Anyway, about Mr Giles?"
Willow continued on happily. "Yeah, he just started. He was a curator at some British museum,
or, or The British Museum, I'm not sure. But he knows everything, and he brought all these historical volumes and biographies, and am I the single dullest person alive?"
Buffy and he both answered simultaneously. "Not at all." It was sincere and Willow smiled, breathing easily.
Then Xander hopped up onto the wall behind the girls and sat on it between them. Jesse stood in front of them and dropped his bag beside Michael.
Jesse nodded at Willow. "Hey!"
"You guys busy? Are we interrupting? We're interrupting." Michael smiled. Xander threw his bag to Jessie.
Buffy and Willow greeted them, "Hey!"
"Hey there!" said Jesse. Michael smiled wider. These two were cool.
Willow introduced them. "Buffy and Michael, this is Jesse and that's Xander."
"Oh, me and Buffy go waaay back, old friends, very close. Then there's that period of estrangement where I think we were both growing as people, but now here we are, like old times, I'm quite moved." Michael smirked.
Jesse looked disappointed. "Is it me, or are you turning into a bibbling idiot?"
"No, it's, uh, it's not you." Michael raised an eyebrow.
Buffy laughed, feeling a little awkward. "Well, it's nice to meet you guys, I think."
Michael nodded. "Same here dudes."
"Well, you know, we wanted to welcome ya, make ya feel at home, unless you have a scary home..." Buffy and Michael shared a look.
"And to return this." Buffy's face paled, looking at the piece of wood he was holding. "The only thing I can think is that you're building a really little fence."
Buffy stuttered, "Hah, no, um, a-a-actually it was for self-defense. Everyone has them in L.A. Pepper spray is just so passé." Michael's first thought was 'What? She's lying big style, not a normal thing. Wonder what's got her in that 'mood''
"So what do you do for fun, what do you like, what do you look for in a man, let's hear it." Michael sniggered.
Jesse interrupted. "If you have any dark, painful secrets you'd like us to publish?"
Buffy laughed nervously. "Gee, everyone wants to know about me. How keen."
Michael laughed. "Age before beauty works out well here." Buffy made a face at him.
"Well, not much goes on in a one Starbucks town like Sunnydale. You're pretty big news."
"We're not. Really."
Then Cordelia sauntered up to them. "Are these guys bothering you two?"
"Uh, no!" Michael shook his head slowly, not liking the vibe this direct, if gorgeous, girl gave off.
Willow blanched. "They're not hanging out with us." Michael frowned. Maybe this girl had done something to Willow; definitely bad pile if so.
Jesse stood next to her. "Hey! Cordelia!"
She wrinkled her nose as did Willow. "Oh, please! I don't mean to interrupt your downward mobility, but I just wanted to tell you that you won't be meeting Coach Foster, the woman with the chest hair," she ignored Michael's snigger, "because gym was canceled due to the *extreme* dead guy in the locker."
Buffy's face went paler. "What?" Michael flinched.
"Somebody stuffed a dead guy in Aura's locker." Michael and Buffy blinked. "Really freaked me and the others out."
Jesse winked at Willow, who looked confused. He shuffled closer to Cordelia. "Y'know, if you need a shoulder to cry on or just to nibble on..." Michael's smile widened. He had respect for this guy; he had cajones, if nothing else.
"Guess it is true then," said Michael nonchalantly.
Cordelia's eyes narrowed at him. "What's true?"
"Oh nothing. I heard that guys would kill to get in there." Buffy and Willow groaned. Xander and Jesse started to snigger, while Cordelia snorted with disgust. 'Intended effect reached. Insert evil laugh here!'
"That was bad even for you Mikey," said Buffy. Xander and Jesse saluted him and he bowed low.
"My mastery of the goof amazes even myself. Thank you ma'am." She rolled her eyes and grinned.
Cordelia blinked and then retorted, "I can the creepy flowing around you. You're not worth my time." Michael grinned. 'Even if you are salty goodness...'
"Thank god for that." She walked off, head held high. Michael growled. "I hate shallow people. Get on my nerves." Willow nodded in the affirmative at him.
Buffy stood up with a nervous look on her face. "Um, I gotta book. I'll, I'll see you guys later." She walked off quickly into the school. Four pairs of eyes followed her as she left.
1010101
Michael dropped onto his bed and released a breath. School was good and all, but a new night on the local nightclub? Unknown territory, plus all the danger that came with it. He smirked, feeling slightly creepy at the thought.
Small town equals creepy serial killer or freaky monster. With a name like Sunnydale, it just got worse. All the great examples sprung to mind. Crystal Lake, Elm Street, Amityville and Overview Hotel. Seemingly happy names equals evil.
He picked himself up and rifled through his wardrobe, picking out a pair of worn jeans and a The Who t-shirt. He splashed on a bit of aftershave, which was weird because he kept his taschy-beardy goatee thing well trimmed.
Et voila, five minutes and ready. He heard Buffy picking out an outfit rather vocally, commenting on enormous sluts and watchtowers. A well rehearsed routine he thought as Joyce entered the room.
He walked over and hugged her tightly, causing her to drop the washing basket she was carrying.
"Not that I don't like you hugging me Michael, but what brought this on?"
He released her and blinked dust from his eye. "Nothing mom. Just ... thanks for setting up our lives again after Hemery. Buffy may not say it but she feels the same way. Thank you, for everything."
Joyce smiled and nodded. She left the room. Michael flopped down onto the bed again and waited for Buffy to finish. If she ever did, that is.
1010101
The Bronze was like any club, thought Michael. Except it was smaller, not as packed, good music was being played live and there was no cigarette smoke. He liked this place. The weird thing was the sheer amount of teens and college kids who wore badly out of date clothes. Including himself, some might think.
He saw Oz on stage with a guitar, playing some obscure chords while another guy from homeroom sang into the mic. A lead guitarist with a band. That was pretty damn cool in his books. His eyes glanced around the bar, not focusing on anyone for too long.
There were several characters in the club that looked edgy, apart from Jesse who was practically licking the boots off Cordelia. Michael could see she didn't actually like the boy's attention. Poor Jesse couldn't catch a break.
He saw Buffy and Willow talking across the landing from him. They were both on edge, and Buffy kept looking around as if she was being watched. 'Which she kinda was but that wasn't the point,' he thought. He was bored.
He looked back and Willow was now talking to one of the bad shirt people. This didn't seem like her very much. Buffy was also watching her with ... Mr Giles? This was quite weird. Willow then took the guy's hand and walked out the utility door. He blinked and saw Buffy go after them. Ok now he was interested.
Quickly he stepped down the stairs and followed where she had gone through the utility exit. He turned a corner and slammed straight into a distraught looking Cordelia. They both hit the floor and Michael yelped as he smacked his back off the wall corner. Cordelia looked at him and blinked. Then she glared and started shouting at him.
"You're just as crazy as her, are you going to try and kill me with a pointy stick as well?"
"What?" She stood up and crowded over him.
"Run into me again and the consequences will be ... severe." Michael couldn't help it. He laughed and got to his feet.
"Just try it. Rich snob." With that he walked out the door and into the cool night air. He looked around, but couldn't see Buffy around. 'She didn't ... double-back? Cheeky little sneak.' He decided to keep on walking and try to find Willow and the bad shirt guy. He didn't like the look of him, too ... dated. He walked around to the front of the Bronze and saw Buffy outside with Xander. He stayed by the corner and kept to the shadow, trying to hear what they were saying.
"We're talking about Willow, right? Scorin' at the Bronze, work it girl..." Michael almost laughed.
Buffy interrupted, "No, I need to find her. Where would he take her?"
"Why? Oh, hey, I hope he's not a vampire, because then you might
have to slay him." Michael froze. 'What. The. Hell?'
"Was there a... a school bulletin? Was it in the newspaper? Is there anyone in this town who doesn't know I'm the Slayer?" 'The what-now?'
"No. I only know that you *think* that you're the Slayer and the reason why I know that..."
"Well, whatever, it doesn't matter; just tell me, where would Willow go?"
Xander blinked. "You're serious!"
"We don't find her and there's gonna be one more dead body in the morning!" Ok, it was time to follow the creepy little sister and the hulking monkey man to these 'vampires'. Pfft. Right.
1010101
"Ok, either my sister really did lose it in L.A. or this is the most awesome prank ever." Michael had followed the two of them for a little while before the cemetery, and against everything in him that told him to run, he kept following. There was a little ticking noise at the back of his skull that seemed to help avoid all the potholes and new graves that he would usually have fallen straight into.
The graves around him seemed recent, very recent. And there were a lot of them; that was the worst thing. The gargoyles glared down at his trespassing it seemed and the dark silhouette of the mausoleum that Buffy and Xander were near did nothing to calm him. But he still followed. They walked in and he crept up to the pillar, staying in the shadow. He listened to the conversation within, between a badly bleeding Jesse, a terrified Willow, bad shirt guy and a pretty blonde girl. Then she changed.
He cringed back in horror, reviled at the face of the girl. Her head muscles were prominent and her eyes glowed a deep yellow. Her teeth were long and glinted sharply above her ruby lips. Vampire. The word shot through him. And Buffy was taunting her!
"You mean there's actually someone in this town who doesn't know already? Whew, that's a relief, I'm telling you! Having a secret identity in this town is a job of work."
"Buffy, we bail now, right?" 'Good idea.'
"Not yet!" 'Quiet bad shirt guy.'
"Okay, first of all, what's with the outfit? Live in the now, okay? You look like DeBarge!" 'Ouch.'
The two of them circled her, but she stood still.
"Now, we can do this the hard way or... well, actually there's just the hard way."
The blonde snarled. "That's fine with me!"
Buffy nodded. "Are you sure? Now, this in not gonna be pretty. We're talking violence, strong language, adult content..."
The bad shirt guy roared and jumped. Michael thought too slow, 'BUFFY!' Then he turned to dust. 'Thank you God above!' The blonde's eyes widened as did everyone else's, including Michael's. 'Go Buffy, go Buffy...'
Buffy tutted. "See what happens when you roughhouse?"
Darla drew back in fear. "He was young and stupid!"
Buffy motioned. "Xander, go!"
Darla's eyes flashed with anger. "Don't go far!"
The two lunged at each other. Darla threw a punch for the face, but Buffy blocked. Xander helped Willow pick up Jesse. Darla threw a backhand punch, but Buffy blocks again and followed up with a front snap kick to Darla's stomach. As she leant forward from the pain, Buffy slammed her elbow into the blonde's back. She hit the dirt.
Buffy crouched over her. "You know, I just wanted to start over. Be like everybody else. Have some friends, y'know, maybe a dog... But, no, you had to come here, you couldn't go suck on some other town."
Darla's eyes widened. "Who are you?"
Buffy laughed. "Don't you know?"
Then Michael's heart froze as a giant of a man grabbed his sister by the back of the neck "I don't care!" He threw her across the room and hoisted the blonde to her feet.
"You were supposed to be bringing an offering for the Master! We're almost at Harvest, and you dally with this child!" 'They're Amish vampires?'
"We had someone, but then she came. She killed Thomas. Luke, she's strong."
"You go. I'll see if I can handle the little girl." Michael knew that glint in his eyes. A predator.
Buffy started to get up, still a little dazed, as he closed in. The blonde quickly climbed the steps and looked back once. Michael stuck his leg out and she tripped as she ran out, smacking her head off the step and knocking her unconscious. He grinned.
"You're strong." He landed a solid backhand fist on her. She went flying. "I'm stronger!"
Michael couldn't move. His sister was getting beaten up by a monster and he couldn't move an inch. He watched as she backed away up the stairs toward him.
"You're wasting my time."
"Hey, I had other plans, too, okay?"
Luke shoved the heavy lid off of the coffin. Buffy did a cartwheel onto and over it to avoid it and kicked Luke in the chest with both feet, knocking him down. She grabs the stake from the floor and lunged at him, but he grabbed her by the wrist.
"You think you can stop me? Stop us?"
He grabbed the stake with his other hand and broke it. Then he grabbed her by the shirt. "You have no idea what you're dealing with." He threw Buffy onto the rim of the now open coffin. She rolled off onto the floor, dazed. Luke got up and started toward her, quoting scripture.
"And like a plague of boils, the race of man covered the Earth. But on the third day of the newest light would come the Harvest. And the blood of men will flow as wine. When the Master will walk among them once more! The Earth will belong to the old ones.'
Luke loomed in her face. 'And Hell itself will come to town.' Michael watched in horror, frozen to the spot. Luke grabbed Buffy and growled. He lifts her by the throat and threw her toward the coffin. Buffy flips over in a front layout and lands in the coffin and Michael heard a quick scream, but then remained silent. Suddenly Luke jumped up and into the coffin. Michael's fear suddenly left him and he stood up.
"Amen!"
Luke moved in to bite Buffy. Michael sprang from behind cover, a rock in his hand.
"Get off my sister you big bastard!"