Traitor
Isobelle ran. The monster that was chasing her looked exactly as her grandmother had described. Up to now Isobelle thought her elder had gone insane in her old age, but now she knew this wasn't the case.
She finally reached her house and slammed the door behind her.
"What are you doing?"asked one demon to the demon that had been chasing the girl.
"I was trying to kill her!" replied the sarcastically.
"You know we need her alive." shouted the first demon, "We will kill them all when we have the goblet."
"You've got to help me!" shouted Isobelle down the phone.
"Look, slow down and tell me what's wrong." said Buffy.
Buffy didn't even know this Isobelle girl, but Isobelle knew someone in Buffy's old class from high school, and so when she told her friend of the demon chasing her, she was given Buffy's number.
"It was a Diltric Demon." said Isobelle, "My grandmother said that one of my ancestors banished them from our world centuries ago, but they can come back for one day every hundred years to kill all who were related to this ancestor."
"Look," said Buffy, I'll come around with a few friends and we can talk properly then."
"Did you grandmother say anything else about these Deltric Demons?" asked Giles.
"Yes," replied Isobelle, "she told me not to let them get the Goblet of Nosgaurd."
"What's that?" asked Xander.
"It's a really old cup." replied Isobelle."Apparently it's in the basement of the old family house, but that's been derelict for years. I can give you the address if you like."
"Don't worry," comforted Buffy, "We'll help you."
"So what do you know about these Diltric Demons then?" asked Buffy.
"Nothing," replied Giles, "I've never heard of them before."
"So what do we do now?" asked Buffy.
"You had better go on patrol, " replied Giles, " and be prepared for anything. You two," he said to Willow and Xander, " can go and get that goblet, while I find out whatever I can about the Deltric Demons and the Goblet of Nosguard."
With that the small group of friends dispersed into the night.
Spike was curious what was going on. Giles looked as if something very evil was in town, and Spike wanted in.
"Anything lethal lurking around the corner?" he asked.
"Possibly." replied Giles.
"What do you mean possibly?" asked Spike.
"Well I don't know." replied Giles, "There's a demon around that I've never heard of before."
Just then Giles had a thought.
"I don't suppose you've heard of a Diltric Demon?"he asked.
"No." said Spike rather confused by the fact there was a demon out there he didn't know anything about.
Willow felt that they wern't alone as she and Xander walked back from the old house. The goblet was a curious thing. It didn't look very much more than a metal cup, but she knew that it was awsomely powerful.
Xander felt happy that Willow trusted him with such a powerful thing, but he too was now beging to feel weary of his surroundings. He put it down to what he was carrying. But that was something moving out the corner of his eye wasn't it? YES IT WAS!!!
Xander ran. It seemed pointless, but he wasn't just going to stand there at let this thing kill him. He knew it would cacth up with him. He could hear its breathing getting louder, he could almost feel its claws grasping at him.
Xander dropped the bag. Daft he knew, but it was weighing him down and at the moment saving his own skin came before saving a group of strangers.
Anyone else would have hardly heard anything above silence, but Xanders head was full of noise. He could he his own heart beating furiously, he could hear his feet thumping on the floor and he could hear it. But there was something else, somthing like an engine.
Xander couldn't believe his luck! Driving erratically down the road was his uncle. As soon as the car stopped Xander jumped in.
"What was that?" asked his uncle.
Xander, thankfully, could smell alcohol on his uncles breath. He'd probably believe anything Xander said at the moment and then forget all about the whole experience in an hour or two.
"It's a monster and it's trying to get me!" shouted Xander.
"For a minute there I thought it was your mother!" said his uncle.
Xander laughed.
"Did you see where it went?" Buffy asked Willow.
"It went straight after Xander, after all he was carrying the goblet." replied Willow.
"And you left him?!" asked Giles, not believing what Willow was saying.
"No!" exclaimed Willow, "He left me. Ran of at the speed of light."
"We have to find him." stated Giles.
"Leave him be." argued Spike, "It's about time something ate him!"
"What did it look like?" Asked Giles, ignoring Spikes comment.
"Big." answered Willow.
"Well that narrows our search down doesn't it!" said Spike sarcastically.
"It was dark and it moved so fast." replied Willow defending herself from Spike's words.
"We'd better hurry." said Giles.
The gang left the house to rescue their friend.
Xander was just wondering if he needed rescuing. His uncle's driving wasn't good when he was sober.
"Don't look so worried!" said Xander's uncle," I'm sure that thing is miles away by now."
Xander didn't tell his uncle what was really making him so uneasy, but he felt himself turn around to check anyway. The road was empty and they were travelling in the complete and utter wrong direction to home.
"Where are we going?" asked Xander.
"To find an off licence." replied his uncle.
That seemed normal enough. Anyway, it didn't really bother Xander where they were going as long as it wasn't back to that demon.
Xander started to feel more comfortable and chatted away with his uncle about nothing in particular. It wasn't often the two spoke and when they did it wasn't usually, "Good evening, how was your day today?" but Xander felt happy that his uncle had turned up when he did and he probably wouldn't forget it for at least two weeks.
"Hey wasn't that Xander in that car?" asked Buffy.
The gang ran after the car, but it was getting further away. Luckily it stopped at some traffic lights for a short while before driving off again.
The gang was not quite sure of what they had just seen. Inside the car was Xander happily chatting away to the Diltric Demon.
"I don't understand." said Willow, again.
"Unlikely, I know," said Giles, "but the only thing I can suggest is that Xander has joined the Diltric Demons. These things do happen."
"But why?" asked Buffy.
"Most likely Xander found the power he will gain by being part of this plan too tempting." suggested Giles.
"So what do we do?" asked Buffy.
"We mustn't let our past blind us," answered Giles, "we will go on as if Xander was a total stranger. If we find him or he turns up we'll capture him, but you know what you'll have to do if we don't find him in time."
"I really don't know if I could." replied Buffy.
"OH COME ON!" blasted Spike, "We are talking about Xander here! You know, annoying loser? He would never go to them! He cares for people. Life is very important to him, probably because he hasn't got his own. Something strange is going on here."
"People do change." argued Giles.
"Not him! He couldn't change his socks let alone his whole personality!You lot are blind! I'm leaving!"
With that Spike picked up his coat and marched straight out the door slamming it behind him.
"Could he be right?" asked Willow.
"He has just proven my point about how quickly you can change." Pointed out Giles.
"Hmm" agreed Willow quietly.
"So where's your bag?" asked Xander's uncle.
"What bag?" Xander enquired.
"The one you took out with you." replied his uncle.
"I didn't know you where watching me." said Xander.
"You don't know a lot of things." stated his uncle, "You'd better not have lost that bag!"
"What's it to you if I have?" asked Xander, "I payed for it and it wasn't that expensive."
"You're a grown man now and you should be responsible enough to look after your own things." replied Xander's uncle.
Something wasn't right. This wasn't like Xander's uncle at all, he wouldn't usually care if the house had been burnt down and now he's bothered about a bag? And where on earth where they going? They must have passed at least five off licences now.
Xander turned to look out the window. He didn't recognise the area anymore and was begining to wonder if he was safe.
"This isn't right." said Xander, thinking out loud.
"You're right there!" said the Diltric Demon.
Xander's uncle was no longer driving the car, in his place was a diltric demon. Xander paniced and reached for the door, but it wouldn't open. Even as Xander looked for a way out the whole car seemed to change, colour, size, make, everything. Xander reached forward to grab the demon, but as he moved ropes grew from the car seat and pinned him back down. No matter how hard Xander struggled he just couldn't get free.
"What do you want with me?" he shouted at the demon.
"Two things really." replied the demon, "Firstly you will tell us where the goblet is."
"And then?" asked Xander.
"You will find that out when we get there."replied the demon.
"Get where?" asked Xander.
"You're not going to know where." replied the demon.And with that he turned and hit Xander over the head. The blow knocked him unconcious immeadiately.
"So what do we do now?" asked Willow.
"Well, we must assume that the Dildric Demons have the Goblet."said Giles.
"How are we going to stop the poison?" asked Buffy.
"We'll have to get the goblet back and destroy it."replied Giles.
"And how are we going to find it."asked Buffy.
"All I can suggest is to head in the direction Xander was heading in,"stated Giles, "but they could have turned at any point."
Spike was annoyed. No one ever listened to him when it came to the crunch. Well he wasn't going to sit around doing nothing. As soon as they come out he would go in and find out what he could about these Diltric Demons.
Xander's head was throbbing annd his vission was blurred. He probably would have collapsed if he wern't chained to the wall. It was cold and damp in that room and extremely dark. Xander could feel the blood dripping from his head. It was quite unbelieveable that he'd only been hit by a fist, but then again, those demons were fast.
As he gazed around he became aware that his shirt had been removed. He wished he was still wearing it, he was cold and didn't much like the feeling of slimy wet algae on his back. It didn't smell to good either.
Xander's vision started to improve and he could just about make out a pillar in the cetre of the room. It only stood a couple of feet off the floor.
A door opened and the light made Xander squint.
"Where is the goblet?" asked the demon.
"I don't know." replied Xander.
"Tell me." commanded the demon.
"I must have dropped it. I don't know where." replied Xander.
He was trying to sound honest, which was proving to be quite difficult despite the fact he was actually telling the truth.
"Where am I?" he asked.
"Somewhere no one can hear you." replied the demon and with the he thumped Xander in the stomach.
"Where is it!"he yelled.
"I don't know" Xander yelled back.
The conversation continued in this way for longer than Xander could remember. In reality it was only half an hour, but it looked as if he'd gotten into a fist fight with every wcw wrestler there was is and ever will be.
The demon began to wonder. Perhaps he doesn't know. Surely he would have said by now if he could. The demon left the room without saying a word to Xander.
"I don't believe this!" said Giles, "Someone's stolen half my books!"
"Why would someone do that?"asked Buffy.
"Wait a minute." said Willow, "There's a note here, "I've got your books. Spike". Short and to the point."
"What does Spike want with your books?"asked Buffy.
"He's probably trying to find a reason for Xander being with that demon."replied Giles.
"I can't believe I let him get away with that goblet." said Willow.
"It wasn't your fault."said Buffy comfortingly, "You didn't know what Xander was planning, none of us did."
"We still don't,"added Giles,"but we have to find out, but first we have to get my books back, otherwise we won't know what these demons plan to do."
Spike was determined to prove himself right. He had no idea how Giles could spend so long doing this research thing. It was so boring and not very realistic. These books lacked the vivid descriptions Spike liked. He was tempted just the skip through a bit, but he was certain that he'd miss something.
"What are you doing?" asked Giles.
"Research." said Spike.
"You're wasting your time trying to prove something you can't."said Giles.
"I'm fed up with being ignored."sulked Spike,"I hate all this "Oh his the evil one, he's only been around for a couple of centuries what does he know!" Well quite a bit I can tell you! Now if you would leave me for a while I will prove to you that I'm right and you're wrong!"
"I need my books." said Giles.
"Fine take them!" shouted Spike, "I'll find another way. I was getting bored with all that reading anyway."
"He must know." said one demon to another, "He had it in his hand! I saw him with it!"
"Well, beating him up hasn't solved anything." the other demon replied, "What should we do?"
"We'll have to start the spell without the goblet. We've already wasted too much time."
Xander was worried. He didn't even know where he was so how were Buffy and the others supposed to. But they always do. They'll be coming in throught that door any minute now. Won't they?
There was a knock at the door. Isobelle opened the door and there standing on the step was some guy with bleached hair.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Spike. I'm a friend of the slayers. I was wondering what you can tell me about these Deltric Demons."
"Not much," replied Isobelle, "all I know is that Gran used to tell us not to let them get the goblet. Look, why don't you come in and sit down."
"Sure!"
Giles felt a bit happier now he had found somthing on the Goblet of Nosgaurd. It wasn't much, but at least he knew what it was for.
"So what's it for?" aske Buffy.
"The metal it is made of contains a mystic poison, which is so powerful that anyone related to the person drinking from the goblet will die."
"Potent!" remarked Willow.
"So what's the cure?" asked Buffy.
"There isn't one." replied Giles, "All we can do is get back the Goblet and destroy it."
The door opened and in walked two of the diltric demons.
"Look," exclaimed Xander, "I DON'T know where the goblet is!"
"We know."answered one of the demons.
"Then what are you going to do?" asked Xander worringly.
"You," began the other demon, "are a vital part of a spell we are going to do."
"This spell doesn't invole dying by any chance?" asked Xander getting increasingly more worried.
"No," answered the demon, "but you'll wish it did!"
The other demon pulled out a knife and stepped towards Xander. Xander closed his eyes and willed the demons to go away. Of course it didn't work, but Xander concentrated on the thought with all his might, until the demon started to carve something into his chest.
"So these were you Grandomther's?" asked Spike.
"Yes," replied Isobelle, "but I've never been able to read them. It looks like they're in German or something."
"Would you mind if I took these?"asked Spike.
"No," replied Isobelle, "you can keep them. They're no use to me"
"Thanks."
"I've found something!" said Willow looking at her computer screen.
"What?"asked Buffy.
"There's an industrial estate about three miles away from here." she said, "This news report says that a man walking his dog saw a monster inside looking out the window."
"Let me see." said Giles. "The description does match that of the Deltric Demon."
"They must be there!" said Buffy.
Xander looked down to see what the demons had done to him. His chest was now covered in blood, but he could make out some words amongst the wounds. It looked like German or something, but Xander wasn't really bothered about that. He was worried about what was coming next.
The room was lighter now, as one of the demons had brought placed a candle on top of the pillar. Xander could now see that he was in somesort of warehouse. Only a small one, but quite empty. The pillar was the only thing in the room and seemed totally out of place. The top of the pillar had been slightly hoolowed out into a bowl shape and now a group of demons were throwing things into this bowl. They were being very careful about it and were chanting something in some foriegn language, apart from that everything was quiet.
Then Xander had an idea. He'd probably get hit for it, but he guessed that a thump, even from one of those things, would be a lot nicer than what they had planned.
"OY YOU!" Xander shouted, "WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE!"
Sure enough one of the demons came over and gave Xander a good bashing, but that wasn't going to stop Xander.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR? I HAVN'T DONE ANYTHING TO YOU!"
Spike was chuffed with himself. He'd got what he'd been looking for, but would it be enough to convince the others? Spike kept on reading the book in his hand as he walked, this was great!
Suddenly Spike tripped over something. He was just about to kick it when he thought he recognised it. Surely he wasn't THAT lucky? But he was. There lying infront of him was Xander's bag and inside was the goblet! PERFECT!! Now the others had to believe him.
Buffy was just checking over her crossbow when Spike waltzed in.
"And where are you all going in such a hurry?" asked Spike.
"To get the Goblet back." Buffy replied.
"You mean this goblet?" asked Spike as he pulled the goblet from the bag.
"Where did you get that from?" asked Giles.
"It was lying in the road." replied Spike, "Xander must have gotten rid of it before the demons took him."
"Why would he do that when he was in that car, talking to one of those demons, like he'd known it all his life." asked Willow.
"Perhaps he thought that he did!" replied Spike.
"What are you talking about?" asked Giles.
"It says right here," said Spike pointing to a passage in one of the books Isobelle had given him, as he passed it to Giles, "the Diltric Demons have telepathic powers,clear as day, well if you know old German it is!"
"You were right?" exclaimed Giles.
"What do you mean?" asked Buffy.
"Well," began Giles, "while we could see that Xander was sitting in that car talking to a Diltric Demon, he could have been thinking that it was one of us."
"But why would they want Xander?" asked Willow.
"Well, he had goblet."replied Giles.
"You've missed the best bit!" said Spike.
"What do you mean?" asked Giles.
"If you read on, you find out that Diltric Demons can only exist in this world for one day a century, but there is a spell, which can allow them to stay on Earth for as long as they like. This spell involves two things. Firstly getting revenge on all who have crossed them,"
"For, which they need the goblet." said Giles.
"And secondly, they need to cut the words of the spell into a human." finished Spike.
The group were all worried for their friend.
"Yes, by now Xander will be a human spell book!"smirked Spike.
"Come on we've got to go now." said Buffy.
The group ran for the door, but Spike didn't move.
"Aren't you coming?" asked Giles.
"Why would I want to save HIM?" asked Spike, "What I did, I did to prove that I'm better than you lot, not to save that pathetic idiot. You want to save him go ahead. I'm waiting right here and smile at myself."
Well, at least he had stalled them for a while and he couldn't say something that would get him into more trouble. Xander did wonder where on earth these demons could get duct tape from. It was a very strange thought to have at such a time, but Xander had had so many blows to his head his brain probably wasn't working as it should.
Xander strained his eyes to see what was going on. One of the demons had some sort of powder in his hand. As he threw it into the hollowed-out pillar, a blue mist slowly creeped from the pillar and crept toward Xander.
Xander knew this wasn't good. He would have struggled to get free, but at that moment he found it difficult even to lift his head. There was an emense amount of fear in his eyes as the mist came closer and closer.
When the mist reached him it entered through the words cut into his cheast. The pain was unlike anything Xander had even dreamed about. He screamed, or at least moaned with pain through his duct tape gag. Tears of pain streamed down his face and, even as he tried to stand uprighht he collapsed, not unconcious, just unable to move because off the pain. Hell probably wouldn't be this bad.
"Is this the place?" asked Buffy.
"Yes." replied Willow.
Buffy didn't like it. If Xander was in the vacinity surely he would be making some sort of noise.
"We've got to be quick." said Buffy, "We've already wasted too much time."
Xander tried desperately not to think of the pain, but it the only thing he could think of. It was intense and each time he moved the pain seemed to grow.
The demons where now dispersing. All they had to do now was to get revenge for thier banishment. Suddenly, the disorganised group all looked up at the same time. Someone was coming.
Xander heard the door open and looked up to a sight he knew all too well. Despite the pain he smiled, which made the pain double.
For once Buffy was both angry and silent at the same time. She knew the odds were against her this time, there must have been twenty or more demons in that room.
"The slayer." said one of the demons.
"That's right," said Buffy, "and you really shouldn't mess with my friends!"
The demons could see the anger in Buffy's face. It was almost as intense as the pain Xander was going through.
The demons were lost in the fight. It seemed to them that there was to method in the slayer's fighting. She seemed to go from one bad situation into a worse one and STILL come out on top.
Buffy was finding the fight quite difficult, but as she fought, Giles and Willow came into the room and cut Xander down from the wall and helped him out of the room.
Eventually Buffy won. Only one of the demons had managed to run away.
When Buffy caught up with the others outside she found them all huddled around Xander.
Giles pulled the duct tape from XAnders face.
"Sorry about that."apologised Giles.
"That's . . . . . . not . . . . . half . . . . . as . . . . ." started Xander, but he fell unconcious before he could finish what he was saying.
When he came to, he was back at Giles' house. He was still in great pain, but not half as bad as it was before.
"You took your time." he said to the gang.
"Well we thought you'd turned evil." said Willow.
"What?!" exclaimed Xander.
"Well we saw you in that car with one of the demons."explained Buffy.
"Only Spike believed you weren't evil." said Willow.
"Yes," agreed Giles, "If it wasn't for Spike you'd still be in that warehouse."
"Thanks." said Xander rather touched by what he was being told.
"Hey I didn't do it for you!" said Spike, "I had my own selfish reasons, which revolved around me and no one else. But you do owe me one!"
"Do you think this will scar?" asked Xander looking at his mutilated torso.
"It might," said Giles "but I don't think that it's as bead as it looks or feels."
"Where's the goblet?" asked Xander.
"We destroyed it before we came to rescue you." answered Buffy.
"Just one more question," said Xander, "Has anyone seen my shirt?"
Isobelle ran. The monster that was chasing her looked exactly as her grandmother had described. Up to now Isobelle thought her elder had gone insane in her old age, but now she knew this wasn't the case.
She finally reached her house and slammed the door behind her.
"What are you doing?"asked one demon to the demon that had been chasing the girl.
"I was trying to kill her!" replied the sarcastically.
"You know we need her alive." shouted the first demon, "We will kill them all when we have the goblet."
"You've got to help me!" shouted Isobelle down the phone.
"Look, slow down and tell me what's wrong." said Buffy.
Buffy didn't even know this Isobelle girl, but Isobelle knew someone in Buffy's old class from high school, and so when she told her friend of the demon chasing her, she was given Buffy's number.
"It was a Diltric Demon." said Isobelle, "My grandmother said that one of my ancestors banished them from our world centuries ago, but they can come back for one day every hundred years to kill all who were related to this ancestor."
"Look," said Buffy, I'll come around with a few friends and we can talk properly then."
"Did you grandmother say anything else about these Deltric Demons?" asked Giles.
"Yes," replied Isobelle, "she told me not to let them get the Goblet of Nosgaurd."
"What's that?" asked Xander.
"It's a really old cup." replied Isobelle."Apparently it's in the basement of the old family house, but that's been derelict for years. I can give you the address if you like."
"Don't worry," comforted Buffy, "We'll help you."
"So what do you know about these Diltric Demons then?" asked Buffy.
"Nothing," replied Giles, "I've never heard of them before."
"So what do we do now?" asked Buffy.
"You had better go on patrol, " replied Giles, " and be prepared for anything. You two," he said to Willow and Xander, " can go and get that goblet, while I find out whatever I can about the Deltric Demons and the Goblet of Nosguard."
With that the small group of friends dispersed into the night.
Spike was curious what was going on. Giles looked as if something very evil was in town, and Spike wanted in.
"Anything lethal lurking around the corner?" he asked.
"Possibly." replied Giles.
"What do you mean possibly?" asked Spike.
"Well I don't know." replied Giles, "There's a demon around that I've never heard of before."
Just then Giles had a thought.
"I don't suppose you've heard of a Diltric Demon?"he asked.
"No." said Spike rather confused by the fact there was a demon out there he didn't know anything about.
Willow felt that they wern't alone as she and Xander walked back from the old house. The goblet was a curious thing. It didn't look very much more than a metal cup, but she knew that it was awsomely powerful.
Xander felt happy that Willow trusted him with such a powerful thing, but he too was now beging to feel weary of his surroundings. He put it down to what he was carrying. But that was something moving out the corner of his eye wasn't it? YES IT WAS!!!
Xander ran. It seemed pointless, but he wasn't just going to stand there at let this thing kill him. He knew it would cacth up with him. He could hear its breathing getting louder, he could almost feel its claws grasping at him.
Xander dropped the bag. Daft he knew, but it was weighing him down and at the moment saving his own skin came before saving a group of strangers.
Anyone else would have hardly heard anything above silence, but Xanders head was full of noise. He could he his own heart beating furiously, he could hear his feet thumping on the floor and he could hear it. But there was something else, somthing like an engine.
Xander couldn't believe his luck! Driving erratically down the road was his uncle. As soon as the car stopped Xander jumped in.
"What was that?" asked his uncle.
Xander, thankfully, could smell alcohol on his uncles breath. He'd probably believe anything Xander said at the moment and then forget all about the whole experience in an hour or two.
"It's a monster and it's trying to get me!" shouted Xander.
"For a minute there I thought it was your mother!" said his uncle.
Xander laughed.
"Did you see where it went?" Buffy asked Willow.
"It went straight after Xander, after all he was carrying the goblet." replied Willow.
"And you left him?!" asked Giles, not believing what Willow was saying.
"No!" exclaimed Willow, "He left me. Ran of at the speed of light."
"We have to find him." stated Giles.
"Leave him be." argued Spike, "It's about time something ate him!"
"What did it look like?" Asked Giles, ignoring Spikes comment.
"Big." answered Willow.
"Well that narrows our search down doesn't it!" said Spike sarcastically.
"It was dark and it moved so fast." replied Willow defending herself from Spike's words.
"We'd better hurry." said Giles.
The gang left the house to rescue their friend.
Xander was just wondering if he needed rescuing. His uncle's driving wasn't good when he was sober.
"Don't look so worried!" said Xander's uncle," I'm sure that thing is miles away by now."
Xander didn't tell his uncle what was really making him so uneasy, but he felt himself turn around to check anyway. The road was empty and they were travelling in the complete and utter wrong direction to home.
"Where are we going?" asked Xander.
"To find an off licence." replied his uncle.
That seemed normal enough. Anyway, it didn't really bother Xander where they were going as long as it wasn't back to that demon.
Xander started to feel more comfortable and chatted away with his uncle about nothing in particular. It wasn't often the two spoke and when they did it wasn't usually, "Good evening, how was your day today?" but Xander felt happy that his uncle had turned up when he did and he probably wouldn't forget it for at least two weeks.
"Hey wasn't that Xander in that car?" asked Buffy.
The gang ran after the car, but it was getting further away. Luckily it stopped at some traffic lights for a short while before driving off again.
The gang was not quite sure of what they had just seen. Inside the car was Xander happily chatting away to the Diltric Demon.
"I don't understand." said Willow, again.
"Unlikely, I know," said Giles, "but the only thing I can suggest is that Xander has joined the Diltric Demons. These things do happen."
"But why?" asked Buffy.
"Most likely Xander found the power he will gain by being part of this plan too tempting." suggested Giles.
"So what do we do?" asked Buffy.
"We mustn't let our past blind us," answered Giles, "we will go on as if Xander was a total stranger. If we find him or he turns up we'll capture him, but you know what you'll have to do if we don't find him in time."
"I really don't know if I could." replied Buffy.
"OH COME ON!" blasted Spike, "We are talking about Xander here! You know, annoying loser? He would never go to them! He cares for people. Life is very important to him, probably because he hasn't got his own. Something strange is going on here."
"People do change." argued Giles.
"Not him! He couldn't change his socks let alone his whole personality!You lot are blind! I'm leaving!"
With that Spike picked up his coat and marched straight out the door slamming it behind him.
"Could he be right?" asked Willow.
"He has just proven my point about how quickly you can change." Pointed out Giles.
"Hmm" agreed Willow quietly.
"So where's your bag?" asked Xander's uncle.
"What bag?" Xander enquired.
"The one you took out with you." replied his uncle.
"I didn't know you where watching me." said Xander.
"You don't know a lot of things." stated his uncle, "You'd better not have lost that bag!"
"What's it to you if I have?" asked Xander, "I payed for it and it wasn't that expensive."
"You're a grown man now and you should be responsible enough to look after your own things." replied Xander's uncle.
Something wasn't right. This wasn't like Xander's uncle at all, he wouldn't usually care if the house had been burnt down and now he's bothered about a bag? And where on earth where they going? They must have passed at least five off licences now.
Xander turned to look out the window. He didn't recognise the area anymore and was begining to wonder if he was safe.
"This isn't right." said Xander, thinking out loud.
"You're right there!" said the Diltric Demon.
Xander's uncle was no longer driving the car, in his place was a diltric demon. Xander paniced and reached for the door, but it wouldn't open. Even as Xander looked for a way out the whole car seemed to change, colour, size, make, everything. Xander reached forward to grab the demon, but as he moved ropes grew from the car seat and pinned him back down. No matter how hard Xander struggled he just couldn't get free.
"What do you want with me?" he shouted at the demon.
"Two things really." replied the demon, "Firstly you will tell us where the goblet is."
"And then?" asked Xander.
"You will find that out when we get there."replied the demon.
"Get where?" asked Xander.
"You're not going to know where." replied the demon.And with that he turned and hit Xander over the head. The blow knocked him unconcious immeadiately.
"So what do we do now?" asked Willow.
"Well, we must assume that the Dildric Demons have the Goblet."said Giles.
"How are we going to stop the poison?" asked Buffy.
"We'll have to get the goblet back and destroy it."replied Giles.
"And how are we going to find it."asked Buffy.
"All I can suggest is to head in the direction Xander was heading in,"stated Giles, "but they could have turned at any point."
Spike was annoyed. No one ever listened to him when it came to the crunch. Well he wasn't going to sit around doing nothing. As soon as they come out he would go in and find out what he could about these Diltric Demons.
Xander's head was throbbing annd his vission was blurred. He probably would have collapsed if he wern't chained to the wall. It was cold and damp in that room and extremely dark. Xander could feel the blood dripping from his head. It was quite unbelieveable that he'd only been hit by a fist, but then again, those demons were fast.
As he gazed around he became aware that his shirt had been removed. He wished he was still wearing it, he was cold and didn't much like the feeling of slimy wet algae on his back. It didn't smell to good either.
Xander's vision started to improve and he could just about make out a pillar in the cetre of the room. It only stood a couple of feet off the floor.
A door opened and the light made Xander squint.
"Where is the goblet?" asked the demon.
"I don't know." replied Xander.
"Tell me." commanded the demon.
"I must have dropped it. I don't know where." replied Xander.
He was trying to sound honest, which was proving to be quite difficult despite the fact he was actually telling the truth.
"Where am I?" he asked.
"Somewhere no one can hear you." replied the demon and with the he thumped Xander in the stomach.
"Where is it!"he yelled.
"I don't know" Xander yelled back.
The conversation continued in this way for longer than Xander could remember. In reality it was only half an hour, but it looked as if he'd gotten into a fist fight with every wcw wrestler there was is and ever will be.
The demon began to wonder. Perhaps he doesn't know. Surely he would have said by now if he could. The demon left the room without saying a word to Xander.
"I don't believe this!" said Giles, "Someone's stolen half my books!"
"Why would someone do that?"asked Buffy.
"Wait a minute." said Willow, "There's a note here, "I've got your books. Spike". Short and to the point."
"What does Spike want with your books?"asked Buffy.
"He's probably trying to find a reason for Xander being with that demon."replied Giles.
"I can't believe I let him get away with that goblet." said Willow.
"It wasn't your fault."said Buffy comfortingly, "You didn't know what Xander was planning, none of us did."
"We still don't,"added Giles,"but we have to find out, but first we have to get my books back, otherwise we won't know what these demons plan to do."
Spike was determined to prove himself right. He had no idea how Giles could spend so long doing this research thing. It was so boring and not very realistic. These books lacked the vivid descriptions Spike liked. He was tempted just the skip through a bit, but he was certain that he'd miss something.
"What are you doing?" asked Giles.
"Research." said Spike.
"You're wasting your time trying to prove something you can't."said Giles.
"I'm fed up with being ignored."sulked Spike,"I hate all this "Oh his the evil one, he's only been around for a couple of centuries what does he know!" Well quite a bit I can tell you! Now if you would leave me for a while I will prove to you that I'm right and you're wrong!"
"I need my books." said Giles.
"Fine take them!" shouted Spike, "I'll find another way. I was getting bored with all that reading anyway."
"He must know." said one demon to another, "He had it in his hand! I saw him with it!"
"Well, beating him up hasn't solved anything." the other demon replied, "What should we do?"
"We'll have to start the spell without the goblet. We've already wasted too much time."
Xander was worried. He didn't even know where he was so how were Buffy and the others supposed to. But they always do. They'll be coming in throught that door any minute now. Won't they?
There was a knock at the door. Isobelle opened the door and there standing on the step was some guy with bleached hair.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Spike. I'm a friend of the slayers. I was wondering what you can tell me about these Deltric Demons."
"Not much," replied Isobelle, "all I know is that Gran used to tell us not to let them get the goblet. Look, why don't you come in and sit down."
"Sure!"
Giles felt a bit happier now he had found somthing on the Goblet of Nosgaurd. It wasn't much, but at least he knew what it was for.
"So what's it for?" aske Buffy.
"The metal it is made of contains a mystic poison, which is so powerful that anyone related to the person drinking from the goblet will die."
"Potent!" remarked Willow.
"So what's the cure?" asked Buffy.
"There isn't one." replied Giles, "All we can do is get back the Goblet and destroy it."
The door opened and in walked two of the diltric demons.
"Look," exclaimed Xander, "I DON'T know where the goblet is!"
"We know."answered one of the demons.
"Then what are you going to do?" asked Xander worringly.
"You," began the other demon, "are a vital part of a spell we are going to do."
"This spell doesn't invole dying by any chance?" asked Xander getting increasingly more worried.
"No," answered the demon, "but you'll wish it did!"
The other demon pulled out a knife and stepped towards Xander. Xander closed his eyes and willed the demons to go away. Of course it didn't work, but Xander concentrated on the thought with all his might, until the demon started to carve something into his chest.
"So these were you Grandomther's?" asked Spike.
"Yes," replied Isobelle, "but I've never been able to read them. It looks like they're in German or something."
"Would you mind if I took these?"asked Spike.
"No," replied Isobelle, "you can keep them. They're no use to me"
"Thanks."
"I've found something!" said Willow looking at her computer screen.
"What?"asked Buffy.
"There's an industrial estate about three miles away from here." she said, "This news report says that a man walking his dog saw a monster inside looking out the window."
"Let me see." said Giles. "The description does match that of the Deltric Demon."
"They must be there!" said Buffy.
Xander looked down to see what the demons had done to him. His chest was now covered in blood, but he could make out some words amongst the wounds. It looked like German or something, but Xander wasn't really bothered about that. He was worried about what was coming next.
The room was lighter now, as one of the demons had brought placed a candle on top of the pillar. Xander could now see that he was in somesort of warehouse. Only a small one, but quite empty. The pillar was the only thing in the room and seemed totally out of place. The top of the pillar had been slightly hoolowed out into a bowl shape and now a group of demons were throwing things into this bowl. They were being very careful about it and were chanting something in some foriegn language, apart from that everything was quiet.
Then Xander had an idea. He'd probably get hit for it, but he guessed that a thump, even from one of those things, would be a lot nicer than what they had planned.
"OY YOU!" Xander shouted, "WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE!"
Sure enough one of the demons came over and gave Xander a good bashing, but that wasn't going to stop Xander.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR? I HAVN'T DONE ANYTHING TO YOU!"
Spike was chuffed with himself. He'd got what he'd been looking for, but would it be enough to convince the others? Spike kept on reading the book in his hand as he walked, this was great!
Suddenly Spike tripped over something. He was just about to kick it when he thought he recognised it. Surely he wasn't THAT lucky? But he was. There lying infront of him was Xander's bag and inside was the goblet! PERFECT!! Now the others had to believe him.
Buffy was just checking over her crossbow when Spike waltzed in.
"And where are you all going in such a hurry?" asked Spike.
"To get the Goblet back." Buffy replied.
"You mean this goblet?" asked Spike as he pulled the goblet from the bag.
"Where did you get that from?" asked Giles.
"It was lying in the road." replied Spike, "Xander must have gotten rid of it before the demons took him."
"Why would he do that when he was in that car, talking to one of those demons, like he'd known it all his life." asked Willow.
"Perhaps he thought that he did!" replied Spike.
"What are you talking about?" asked Giles.
"It says right here," said Spike pointing to a passage in one of the books Isobelle had given him, as he passed it to Giles, "the Diltric Demons have telepathic powers,clear as day, well if you know old German it is!"
"You were right?" exclaimed Giles.
"What do you mean?" asked Buffy.
"Well," began Giles, "while we could see that Xander was sitting in that car talking to a Diltric Demon, he could have been thinking that it was one of us."
"But why would they want Xander?" asked Willow.
"Well, he had goblet."replied Giles.
"You've missed the best bit!" said Spike.
"What do you mean?" asked Giles.
"If you read on, you find out that Diltric Demons can only exist in this world for one day a century, but there is a spell, which can allow them to stay on Earth for as long as they like. This spell involves two things. Firstly getting revenge on all who have crossed them,"
"For, which they need the goblet." said Giles.
"And secondly, they need to cut the words of the spell into a human." finished Spike.
The group were all worried for their friend.
"Yes, by now Xander will be a human spell book!"smirked Spike.
"Come on we've got to go now." said Buffy.
The group ran for the door, but Spike didn't move.
"Aren't you coming?" asked Giles.
"Why would I want to save HIM?" asked Spike, "What I did, I did to prove that I'm better than you lot, not to save that pathetic idiot. You want to save him go ahead. I'm waiting right here and smile at myself."
Well, at least he had stalled them for a while and he couldn't say something that would get him into more trouble. Xander did wonder where on earth these demons could get duct tape from. It was a very strange thought to have at such a time, but Xander had had so many blows to his head his brain probably wasn't working as it should.
Xander strained his eyes to see what was going on. One of the demons had some sort of powder in his hand. As he threw it into the hollowed-out pillar, a blue mist slowly creeped from the pillar and crept toward Xander.
Xander knew this wasn't good. He would have struggled to get free, but at that moment he found it difficult even to lift his head. There was an emense amount of fear in his eyes as the mist came closer and closer.
When the mist reached him it entered through the words cut into his cheast. The pain was unlike anything Xander had even dreamed about. He screamed, or at least moaned with pain through his duct tape gag. Tears of pain streamed down his face and, even as he tried to stand uprighht he collapsed, not unconcious, just unable to move because off the pain. Hell probably wouldn't be this bad.
"Is this the place?" asked Buffy.
"Yes." replied Willow.
Buffy didn't like it. If Xander was in the vacinity surely he would be making some sort of noise.
"We've got to be quick." said Buffy, "We've already wasted too much time."
Xander tried desperately not to think of the pain, but it the only thing he could think of. It was intense and each time he moved the pain seemed to grow.
The demons where now dispersing. All they had to do now was to get revenge for thier banishment. Suddenly, the disorganised group all looked up at the same time. Someone was coming.
Xander heard the door open and looked up to a sight he knew all too well. Despite the pain he smiled, which made the pain double.
For once Buffy was both angry and silent at the same time. She knew the odds were against her this time, there must have been twenty or more demons in that room.
"The slayer." said one of the demons.
"That's right," said Buffy, "and you really shouldn't mess with my friends!"
The demons could see the anger in Buffy's face. It was almost as intense as the pain Xander was going through.
The demons were lost in the fight. It seemed to them that there was to method in the slayer's fighting. She seemed to go from one bad situation into a worse one and STILL come out on top.
Buffy was finding the fight quite difficult, but as she fought, Giles and Willow came into the room and cut Xander down from the wall and helped him out of the room.
Eventually Buffy won. Only one of the demons had managed to run away.
When Buffy caught up with the others outside she found them all huddled around Xander.
Giles pulled the duct tape from XAnders face.
"Sorry about that."apologised Giles.
"That's . . . . . . not . . . . . half . . . . . as . . . . ." started Xander, but he fell unconcious before he could finish what he was saying.
When he came to, he was back at Giles' house. He was still in great pain, but not half as bad as it was before.
"You took your time." he said to the gang.
"Well we thought you'd turned evil." said Willow.
"What?!" exclaimed Xander.
"Well we saw you in that car with one of the demons."explained Buffy.
"Only Spike believed you weren't evil." said Willow.
"Yes," agreed Giles, "If it wasn't for Spike you'd still be in that warehouse."
"Thanks." said Xander rather touched by what he was being told.
"Hey I didn't do it for you!" said Spike, "I had my own selfish reasons, which revolved around me and no one else. But you do owe me one!"
"Do you think this will scar?" asked Xander looking at his mutilated torso.
"It might," said Giles "but I don't think that it's as bead as it looks or feels."
"Where's the goblet?" asked Xander.
"We destroyed it before we came to rescue you." answered Buffy.
"Just one more question," said Xander, "Has anyone seen my shirt?"