Battle of the champions chapter 1
An: I only own the plot and any original characters that you might see here and all the rest belong to Joss Whedon.
"I am so glad that you could all make it today," said the beautiful brunette who was speaking to an audience of both humans and demons. "To those that do not know me, my name is Lilah Morgan, and I was Head of Special Projects for Wolfram and Hart in L.A. before I was killed."
Some of the audience laughed nervously at the brunette who was wearing a tailored suit, the only mark of her murder disguised by the Pashmina scarf around her neck "The Senior Partners have authorized me to tell you that we are hosting an upcoming event which will restore your faith in the firm. Now, I know that we have suffered a few setbacks recently – the destruction of the Circle of the Black Thorn and the rising number of Slayers disrupting your business affairs being among them," Lilah added.
Her audience, which had been drifting off to a sales pitch that had seemed like any other, now lifted their heads in interest. Many of them had lost profits and lucrative international business markets/territories due to the recent efforts of the new Watcher's Council. Those whose concerns were more local were painfully aware of the death of Sebassis, Vail, and Brucker. Everyone was concerned, and everyone was angry.
"How is this going to change things?" asked a demon from the audience.
"I'm glad you asked me that question. Our plan is to take seven champions – the seven greatest thorns in your sides – and to put them in peril. My assistant will pass around copies of their files for your perusal," finished Lilah in a matter of fact tone as a blonde vampire moved efficiently through the roomful of investors, handing out copies of the pertinent files.
A few moments passed while the lawyer's audience carefully read through the dossiers' contents.
At length, Lilah readdressed the room. "If everyone has finished reading the dossiers, I think we can all agree that each one of these champions is an influential player for the forces of light. The Senior Partners do not want any further disruption to their plans coming from any of these quarters. As such, they will soon be taken into custody and then placed in a holding dimension owned by the firm. There, they will face foes from their pasts as well as other dangerous creatures."
With a wave of the lawyer's hand, her assistant opened a wooden door at the far end of the room. Six cloaked beings walked in and there were two women with blonde and black hair and at least four males and one of them was a cyborg and the other was a huge monster with horns and their robes were hanging off their bodies as they were huge beings. The audience turned to watch in amazement as each of the six disrobed in return. The audience's initial gasps were soon replaced by thunderous applause.
Lilah smiled broadly. "The forces of light may have their champions, but we have equally deadly champions on our side. Those among them who survive will be honored by the Senior Partners and allowed to share in the rewards once we remake the world"
The audience cheered and some had smirks on their faces.
Lilah then smirked to herself and left and she joined her fellow conspirators and she rolled her eyes with disgust to see her old rival Lindsey McDonald and Eve kissing passionately.
"Cut it out you two" barked Lilah and the couple turned around with annoyed expressions at being interrupted.
"So we heard the cheering from the other room Lilah and congratulations are in order for reassuring the firm's important shareholders that we are looking out for their interests" said Eve smoothly but Lilah could hear the insincerity in the younger brunette's voice.
"Yes and I did my best in there to promote the firm's interests as we all should since the Senior Partners hold our employment contracts in perpetuity" replied Lilah coldly.
"Yes the Senior Partners should be respected by all for their power and you Eve could learn this lesson as you betrayed them for a mortal," added Hamilton sneering coldly at the brunette.
"Shut up Hamilton! As Lindsey is a good man who had suffered most in his battles against Angel," replied Eve hotly.
"Well personally I find it difficult to take any woman who slept with Lindsey McDonald seriously," said Lilah mockingly and Eve nearly lunged at her with her bare hands outstretched.
"Now don't be jealous Lilah as I heard that the only meaningful relationship that you had was with one of Angel's groupies and I am guessing that was the only chance of you screwing Angel" replied Lindsey laughing evilly.
"That no longer means anything to me anymore as Wesley is dead and you are the one to talk as you had a stupid crush on Darla" said Lilah trying to keep a matter of fact tone and she did her best to keep the others from hearing her grief for the ex-Watcher who thought that she was worth saving.
"Enough! The Senior Partners have authorized a bounty on the heads of the seven champions that were mentioned in the dossiers and details of the bounty being offered should go to each of our offices in the world and soon we will be able to get revenge for the losses that we have suffered" interrupted Hamilton firmly.
"How much is the bounty that is being offered" asked Lindsey and he hoped that Angel was on the list of people that were affected by this bounty.
"One hundred million dollars on the heads of Buffy Summers and Angel. Quarter of a million on the heads of Connor, Faith Lehane, William the Bloody, Rosenberg and the Old One Illyria and they are to be paid for them to be delivered to us alive and in one piece" replied Hamilton and everyone even Lilah whistled at the sums.
"I want to go into the arena as one of the champions for Wolfram and Hart" announced Lindsey as he still wanted revenge on Angel for ordering a flunky to shoot him.
"Lindsey sweetheart you mustn't as Angel or Spike might tear you apart and I could not bear it if I lost you again" replied Eve in a horrified voice.
"Have faith my love and I can hold my own against Angel or Spike as I have done some training and studied some of the magical arts" said Lindsey reassuringly and he kissed her and she threw her arms around him responding to his kiss.
"Oh dear god you two are making me ill and I can't wait to finish this so that I don't have to see you morons ever again" said a disgusted looking Lilah and even Hamilton looked a little green with disgust or envy at seeing the lovers kiss.
A day later in Seattle a motorbike roared down the street and two people shared it and their black helmets obscured their faces and then bike pulled to a stop.
"I do not like this head shell as it is uncomfortable" complained the lithe woman in a red bodysuit who had removed her helmet.
"Tough luck Blue as it is the law to wear one of these" replied her companion who had removed his helmet.
Illyria then curled her lip in revulsion at the mode of transportation before saying "Why should we use that thing to move around the human world as it makes too much noise
"You didn't have to come Blue for this mission as I could have this done this without you" said Spike with some annoyance.
"What is there left for me to do half breed? My kingdom is gone and Wesley was killed by the forces of the Wolf, Ram and Hart" said Illyria in a roar of anger.
"Do you miss him then Blue" said Spike
"I don't want to hear any more of your absurd questions half breed as we must retrieve the new warrior although I do not understand why your Buffy collects those with the same power as her" replied Illyria and her blue eyes had darkened.
"No one has the same power as that blonde woman" replied Spike shaking his head.
"She is only a Slayer and they were supposed to be above the mortal rabble as a beacon of power and now there are thousands of them" said Illyria firmly.
"They are soldiers in an army and you must understand that Blue as didn't you have an army back in the day" replied Spike
"I had many! But they did not have the same power as me and if you ask me giving the same power that you have to your soldiers is just asking to be conquered" snapped Illyria
"Trust me Blue there is no one in this world or any other dimension can conquer Buffy Summers" replied Spike
The sounds of a brawl interrupted their argument and both vampire and Old One raced to the scene in the alley where a young woman was being menaced by five or six vampires. They then leaped into the fray and Spike found an abandoned metal pole and then swung it to hit one of the vampire in the head who then moaned in pain and then Spike pulled out a stake from his leather duster and used it to stake one of his undead brethren.
"It's Spike the one from the list" said one vampire seeing the bleach blonde man staking one of his pack
"Well then subdue the Old One" ordered his leader and one of the vampires crept up behind Illyria who had been fighting with her opponent wielding a syringe and then jabbed her in the neck and the lithe woman passed out
'What the Bloody hell" commented Spike in some shock.
The young woman then pulled out a silenced pistol and fired twice into Spike's chest and he was on the ground in considerable pain.
"Well you found a Slayer in Seattle as Buffy Summers told you to do but it's just too bad for you and her that Wolfram and Hart has offered a large bounty on your head " said the young woman with a smirk.
"Well done Miranda and you had better get out of here as my boys and I can take it from here" said the suited man stepping out from the shadows.
Please read and review and I wish to thank Starway Man for his kind assistance in my story.