Technology Doesn't Last Forever
by Invisible Sun
Summary: What happens when it begins to falter? (B/S)
The full moon shone down upon the streets and cemeteries of
Sunnydale, home of the 'boco del inferno,' the Hellmouth.
The home of demons of the many varieties, vampires, and the
Slayer. Buffy Summers. The seemingly immortal Slayer.
The one who died twice and came back twice. The one feared
by all things evil.
Well, almost all things evil. One vampire didn't fear her.
Rather, he loved her. His appearance was quite appealing.
Startling blue eyes, beautiful chiseled cheekbones, hair
unnaturally blond. He was graceful as he moved. Swift.
Quiet. Like a predator. A predator with a long billowing
duster floating behind him as he walked. He went by many
names. Big Bad, Deadboy Jr., the undead English Patient,
Hostile 17, William the Bloody, but he preferred Spike.
Spike was different from most vampires right from the very
beginning. He seemed more human than most vampires. Smarter,
more cunning, too. He was the slayer of two Slayers. One
in China during the Boxer Rebellion and another in a subway
in New York City. He was lethal. Feared. The Scourge of
Europe. That all changed, however, three years ago. Our
William the Bloody was an unfortunate guinea pig for a
government experiment. Deeply embedded in his cerebral
cortex laid a tiny bundle of wires and microprocessors.
A chip. A nifty little mechanism that sent out a nasty
shock whenever he tried to hurt a human. The chip rendered
him virtually incapable of defending himself against humans.
Harmless.
The chip aided Spike in his growth as a person. Desperate
to kill something, anything, as a means of releasing pent-up
anger, he joined the self-titled Scooby Gang. He then found
himself in love with the killer of his kind, Buffy, and he
grew to adore her little sister, Dawn. It seemed like he
found his new place in the world. But technology doesn't
last forever. And that chip, that catalyst for the changes
he made in his unlife, is reaching its termination date.
What's to become of Spike?
"Hyah!"
Buffy kicked the vampire, sending him flying into the wall
of the mausoleum. He fell down to the ground, with a loud
thud.
Spike watched the scene unfold before him, concealed in the
bushes, as the vamp lunged at Buffy again, only to be, once
again, effortlessly tossed aside. Spike smirked in approval.
This vamp won't be seeing the end of this fight. And he
didn't. Spike smiled as he watched the whelp disintegrate
into a big pile of dust as Buffy's stake entered his chest,
piercing his heart. He watched her get real quiet and
concentrate.
"I know you're out there. You might as well come out,"
she said, her back still turned to Spike.
He sighed and thought about staying where he was but decided
against it. If he didn't come out, she'd come get him anyway.
So Spike stepped out from behind the bushes and approached
her from behind. She twirled around, stake up, ready for
the possible assault.
Upon seeing Spike, she dropped her weapon hand and looked
at him. "Oh, just you."
He smirked.
"What are you doing here?" she paused. "You were following
me, weren't you"
Spike scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself, Slayer," he responded.
He spoke with a British accent, finally beginning to fade
after the years.
"Then what *are* you doing?" she demanded.
"In case you haven't noticed, I live here," he said, pointing
to his crypt off to the right.
Buffy was at a lost as to how to respond. He was right.
Off to the side, laid his crypt. "Oh."
Spike grinned. He loved it when he was right.
"Well, what are you doing out here instead of in there?"
she asked, mostly out of desperation for a comeback.
He chuckled. "Is that the best you can do, Slayer?"
She glared at him. She's so beautiful when she's angry,
Spike thought. Suddenly his head began to pound. He
tried to stifle a groan as he rubbed his forehead with
his hand.
Buffy regarded him. "What's wrong with you?"
He decided to play it cool. "Your pathetic excuse for a
comeback is giving me a headache."
She glared at him again. He started for his crypt, hand
still rubbing his forehead. "See you later."
Spike stumbled into his crypt, the intense pain in his head
too much. He collapsed into his ratty old chair. This wasn't
the first time he experienced unexplained headaches, or
migraines, rather. But this was the most intense he felt yet.
He needed to dull the pain. He reached for a bottle of whiskey
beside his chair and began to do just that.
Slowly, very slowly, Spike opened his eyes. He was still
in his chair, clutching an empty bottle of bourbon. His head
still hurt. However he was at a lost as to if it was from
last night or his morning hangover. He groaned and tilted
his head to the side. He tried to will himself to lose
consciousness again. He didn't know if he could stand this
pain. It was too much.
Slowly, very slowly, unconsciousness claimed him again.
The sun had long set over the horizon before Spike opened
his eyes again. His headache had diminished somewhat.
It wasn't nearly as intense as it was earlier. He sighed
in relief. He didn't think he would have been able to deal
with the pain any longer. Maybe I should tell the Scoobies.
Maybe they'll know what's wrong with me, he thought. He
couldn't help but think it had something to do with the
bloody chip shoved into his brain. Like they'd help me.
They'd just prefer to watch me suffer..., he continued to
think. He shrugged and got up. Even if they won't help
him, he saw no reason not to go out and patrol the streets.
Maybe he'll come across Buffy...
Our vampire liked to patrol the streets and alleyways of
Sunnydale, ridding the town of any baddies he can find. It
made him feel useful, even if he didn't get the proper
gratitude for his contribution to the protection of the
innocent unknowing civilians. Though he liked to pretend it
didn't bother him, deep down inside, past that cold exterior,
it did. He felt he wasn't appreciated. He didn't like to
admit it, but it hurt. He didn't know what he had to do to
earn their respect. Everything he had down so far hasn't
worked... He sighed, deciding it was too much for him to
think about right now. His head still throbbed slightly.
He was heading for the magic shop. Spike knew the Scoobies
would be there. They always were. As he rounded the street
corner, he heard sounds of a struggle. Looks like I found
Buffy. he thought as he heard her yells and grunts.
He watched her fight with a gang of three vamps. Nothing
she couldn't handle. So Spike just watched. Buffy wouldn't
like it if he joined in. And he didn't quite fancy getting
punched in the nose or possibly staked through the heart.
So he watched.
Buffy handled the vamps easily, gracefully. Except for the
one sneaking up from behind, ready to deliver the deathblow.
Bugger. Can't just sit back and watch him kill her. Spike
decided to intervene. He reached into his duster pocket and
pulled out a stake. The vamp now had Buffy in his grip and
was ready to sink his fangs into her. Spike quickly dusted
him before he could. Buffy looked to see who had saved her.
Seeing Spike, she glared at him and stormed off in the
direction of the nearby Magic Shop. Spike, confused by her
severe lack of acknowledgment, followed her.
When to two of them entered the shop, Spike asked, "What
the hell kind of gratitude is that, pet?"
Buffy looked at him. "Gratitude? For what?"
The Scoobies watched this exchange with mild interest.
It was nothing they'd never seen before...every night.
Spike sighed, "For saving your life."
Buffy scoffed, "You didn't save my life. I totally had
that vamp until *you* screwed it up."
"Oh, sure. And let me guess, you had everything planned."
At her nod, he continued, "And having that vampire sink his
teeth into you neck was all a part of this plan?"
"Buffy, did some vamp almost...have you?" Willow asked.
The Slayer shook her head, "I was completely on top of
everything. That is, until my very own shining knight in
armor had to screw every thing up." She turned to scowl at
Spike again and noticed that he seemed to be in incredible
pain.
He was clutching his head in his hands and bent over. He
groaned.
"Spike?" Buffy asked, "Are you okay?"
He fell to his knees. He managed to gasp out a single word
before he fell to the floor, unconscious. "Help."
End Part 1
by Invisible Sun
Summary: What happens when it begins to falter? (B/S)
The full moon shone down upon the streets and cemeteries of
Sunnydale, home of the 'boco del inferno,' the Hellmouth.
The home of demons of the many varieties, vampires, and the
Slayer. Buffy Summers. The seemingly immortal Slayer.
The one who died twice and came back twice. The one feared
by all things evil.
Well, almost all things evil. One vampire didn't fear her.
Rather, he loved her. His appearance was quite appealing.
Startling blue eyes, beautiful chiseled cheekbones, hair
unnaturally blond. He was graceful as he moved. Swift.
Quiet. Like a predator. A predator with a long billowing
duster floating behind him as he walked. He went by many
names. Big Bad, Deadboy Jr., the undead English Patient,
Hostile 17, William the Bloody, but he preferred Spike.
Spike was different from most vampires right from the very
beginning. He seemed more human than most vampires. Smarter,
more cunning, too. He was the slayer of two Slayers. One
in China during the Boxer Rebellion and another in a subway
in New York City. He was lethal. Feared. The Scourge of
Europe. That all changed, however, three years ago. Our
William the Bloody was an unfortunate guinea pig for a
government experiment. Deeply embedded in his cerebral
cortex laid a tiny bundle of wires and microprocessors.
A chip. A nifty little mechanism that sent out a nasty
shock whenever he tried to hurt a human. The chip rendered
him virtually incapable of defending himself against humans.
Harmless.
The chip aided Spike in his growth as a person. Desperate
to kill something, anything, as a means of releasing pent-up
anger, he joined the self-titled Scooby Gang. He then found
himself in love with the killer of his kind, Buffy, and he
grew to adore her little sister, Dawn. It seemed like he
found his new place in the world. But technology doesn't
last forever. And that chip, that catalyst for the changes
he made in his unlife, is reaching its termination date.
What's to become of Spike?
"Hyah!"
Buffy kicked the vampire, sending him flying into the wall
of the mausoleum. He fell down to the ground, with a loud
thud.
Spike watched the scene unfold before him, concealed in the
bushes, as the vamp lunged at Buffy again, only to be, once
again, effortlessly tossed aside. Spike smirked in approval.
This vamp won't be seeing the end of this fight. And he
didn't. Spike smiled as he watched the whelp disintegrate
into a big pile of dust as Buffy's stake entered his chest,
piercing his heart. He watched her get real quiet and
concentrate.
"I know you're out there. You might as well come out,"
she said, her back still turned to Spike.
He sighed and thought about staying where he was but decided
against it. If he didn't come out, she'd come get him anyway.
So Spike stepped out from behind the bushes and approached
her from behind. She twirled around, stake up, ready for
the possible assault.
Upon seeing Spike, she dropped her weapon hand and looked
at him. "Oh, just you."
He smirked.
"What are you doing here?" she paused. "You were following
me, weren't you"
Spike scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself, Slayer," he responded.
He spoke with a British accent, finally beginning to fade
after the years.
"Then what *are* you doing?" she demanded.
"In case you haven't noticed, I live here," he said, pointing
to his crypt off to the right.
Buffy was at a lost as to how to respond. He was right.
Off to the side, laid his crypt. "Oh."
Spike grinned. He loved it when he was right.
"Well, what are you doing out here instead of in there?"
she asked, mostly out of desperation for a comeback.
He chuckled. "Is that the best you can do, Slayer?"
She glared at him. She's so beautiful when she's angry,
Spike thought. Suddenly his head began to pound. He
tried to stifle a groan as he rubbed his forehead with
his hand.
Buffy regarded him. "What's wrong with you?"
He decided to play it cool. "Your pathetic excuse for a
comeback is giving me a headache."
She glared at him again. He started for his crypt, hand
still rubbing his forehead. "See you later."
Spike stumbled into his crypt, the intense pain in his head
too much. He collapsed into his ratty old chair. This wasn't
the first time he experienced unexplained headaches, or
migraines, rather. But this was the most intense he felt yet.
He needed to dull the pain. He reached for a bottle of whiskey
beside his chair and began to do just that.
Slowly, very slowly, Spike opened his eyes. He was still
in his chair, clutching an empty bottle of bourbon. His head
still hurt. However he was at a lost as to if it was from
last night or his morning hangover. He groaned and tilted
his head to the side. He tried to will himself to lose
consciousness again. He didn't know if he could stand this
pain. It was too much.
Slowly, very slowly, unconsciousness claimed him again.
The sun had long set over the horizon before Spike opened
his eyes again. His headache had diminished somewhat.
It wasn't nearly as intense as it was earlier. He sighed
in relief. He didn't think he would have been able to deal
with the pain any longer. Maybe I should tell the Scoobies.
Maybe they'll know what's wrong with me, he thought. He
couldn't help but think it had something to do with the
bloody chip shoved into his brain. Like they'd help me.
They'd just prefer to watch me suffer..., he continued to
think. He shrugged and got up. Even if they won't help
him, he saw no reason not to go out and patrol the streets.
Maybe he'll come across Buffy...
Our vampire liked to patrol the streets and alleyways of
Sunnydale, ridding the town of any baddies he can find. It
made him feel useful, even if he didn't get the proper
gratitude for his contribution to the protection of the
innocent unknowing civilians. Though he liked to pretend it
didn't bother him, deep down inside, past that cold exterior,
it did. He felt he wasn't appreciated. He didn't like to
admit it, but it hurt. He didn't know what he had to do to
earn their respect. Everything he had down so far hasn't
worked... He sighed, deciding it was too much for him to
think about right now. His head still throbbed slightly.
He was heading for the magic shop. Spike knew the Scoobies
would be there. They always were. As he rounded the street
corner, he heard sounds of a struggle. Looks like I found
Buffy. he thought as he heard her yells and grunts.
He watched her fight with a gang of three vamps. Nothing
she couldn't handle. So Spike just watched. Buffy wouldn't
like it if he joined in. And he didn't quite fancy getting
punched in the nose or possibly staked through the heart.
So he watched.
Buffy handled the vamps easily, gracefully. Except for the
one sneaking up from behind, ready to deliver the deathblow.
Bugger. Can't just sit back and watch him kill her. Spike
decided to intervene. He reached into his duster pocket and
pulled out a stake. The vamp now had Buffy in his grip and
was ready to sink his fangs into her. Spike quickly dusted
him before he could. Buffy looked to see who had saved her.
Seeing Spike, she glared at him and stormed off in the
direction of the nearby Magic Shop. Spike, confused by her
severe lack of acknowledgment, followed her.
When to two of them entered the shop, Spike asked, "What
the hell kind of gratitude is that, pet?"
Buffy looked at him. "Gratitude? For what?"
The Scoobies watched this exchange with mild interest.
It was nothing they'd never seen before...every night.
Spike sighed, "For saving your life."
Buffy scoffed, "You didn't save my life. I totally had
that vamp until *you* screwed it up."
"Oh, sure. And let me guess, you had everything planned."
At her nod, he continued, "And having that vampire sink his
teeth into you neck was all a part of this plan?"
"Buffy, did some vamp almost...have you?" Willow asked.
The Slayer shook her head, "I was completely on top of
everything. That is, until my very own shining knight in
armor had to screw every thing up." She turned to scowl at
Spike again and noticed that he seemed to be in incredible
pain.
He was clutching his head in his hands and bent over. He
groaned.
"Spike?" Buffy asked, "Are you okay?"
He fell to his knees. He managed to gasp out a single word
before he fell to the floor, unconscious. "Help."
End Part 1