9: Bad choices
In the world of black magic there are many items that can bestow great power on the sorcerer who owns them. Most sorcerers would fight for these items, some would even kill for them. One such item was the box of Gavrok. It was an artefact steeped in dark magic, with a history to match. Over the centuries it had seen many owners, currently it was held by Richard Wilkins III, in his home, which also doubled as his mayoral office. It sat on a plinth, alone, in an empty, circular room.
Empty until Darkside appeared. His arrival was heralded by a black hole which close shortly after he exited. After looking around to make sure he was alone he walked over to the box. He stopped just a few feet in front of it. He reached out, then jerked his hand back as he touched the magical barrier protecting it.
"Oww! Son of a...Oh, so you're going to be like that are you?"
This time when he reached out he used darkness to attack the shield. There was a crackle as the two energies met, then the stronger overpowered the weaker. The barrier fell as the darkness devoured it.
He reached out to touch the box yet again. He was interrupted a second time when he heard footsteps approaching the door.
Darkside left the box and teleported into the closet opposite the holding room. He carefully opened the door and saw Faith walking into the other room.
"Hello? Someone in here?"
'No Ansem to save you now.' he thought. Then he had an idea.
Faith walked around the circular room, checking for any sign of forced entry or something amiss. She had heard something coming from this room, she knew she had.
"Ok, I know someone is in here out come out now!" she demanded.
"Faith." She spun round to face the voice. No one there. She'd recognised that voice, but that was impossible.
She turned back to face the box, and saw Darkside standing in front of her. She stared at him for a moment, unable to accept what she was seeing. Then he started walking towards her. Faith backed away, until her foot caught on the doorstep causing her to stumble and land outside the room.
Darkside stopped just at the threshold and looked down at Faith. "You didn't have to kill me." Then the door slammed shut.
Faith jumped back up and flung the door open again. Nothing, the room was empty. She stared at the empty room for a moment. "Get a grip Faith. He's dead. And you don't care." She closed the door and left.
Darkside re-materialised back in the room. He was trying hard not to laugh. "Oh, that was fantastic. But now, back to business." He looked at the assembled Heartless who were gathered around the box. "Now I like to gamble, take risks. But I don't mind having the deck stacked in my favour."
Darkside opened the box. As soon as he did a spider like daemon the size of his head jumped out at him. He caught it and held it up of the others to see. It screamed slightly as he slowly crushed it.
"Get in there and wipe these bugs out." The heartless obeyed. One by one they crawled into the box. They were going to be a very nasty surprise at tomorrow night's festivities.
Inside the Sunnydale Highs cafeteria the scobby gang was waiting. After a botched attempt to get to box of Gavrok lead to Willow being captured a trade had been organised. They would give the mayor the box and he'd give Willow back.
The groups latest addition, a which called Tara (who was also Willow's girlfriend) tested one of the doors. "Ok. All the doors are locked, except the one at the front."
"Yeah, it gives me that comforting trapped feeling." said Xander.
"One way out means one way in. I want to see them coming." said Buffy, then the lights went out.
"Guess they're shy." Xander sounded a little nervous this time.
"I can see alright." said Angel.
Two vampires opened the front doors, followed by the Mayor and Faith who was holing Willow by the arm. The two groups faced off with Buffy and the Mayor advancing to within arm's reach of each other.
"Well, this is exciting, isn't it?" said the mayor, breaking the silence. "Clandestine meetings by dark of night. Exchange of prisoners. I just, I, I feel like we should all be wearing trench coats."
"Let her go." demanded Buffy.
"No. Not until...does anyone else hear that?"
"What?" asked Buffy,
"That...singing?"
Buffy listened. The mayor was right she could just about make out the sound of someone singing. And it was getting closer. She looked over to the origin of the sound, the doors on the rooms far side.
"There'll be dancing, grooving, howling at the moon. The beat will rattle your bones. There'll be rolling, rocking, get up out you're coffin. 'aint nobody going home." The doors burst open and Darkside walked in. "I'm back."
Everyone in the room was staring at him. Some with annoyance, others with disbelief.
Buffy recovered first "Darkside ,your alive?"
"Point to the short, blonde slayer. Yeah I'm alive and still fabulous."
"That's not possible." Buffy looked over at Faith. "I killed you. You died!"
"Oh please. I faked the whole thing. I wasn't even hurt."
Faith frowned as she absorbed this. "So what I saw yesterday. That was you."
"Yes again. The look on your face was priceless." Faith's frown was replaced by anger. She was about to attack Darkside but the Mayor held up his hand, holding her back. "Well you did kind of deserve it. Knowingly or not, you left me to die twice and I...hi Tara."
Buffy looked over to Tara. She knew Darkside?
"Um...hi." she replyed.
"Well. I didn't expect to see you here. Guess you hooked up with Willow, right?"
"Y-yes."
"Knew it, some things never...Wesley?"
The already confused look on Wesley's face deepened. "Yes. How do you know my name?"
"Sod that, what the hell are you doing here?"
"That's none of your concern."
"Well, as interesting as this all is, there's still the matter of my box and your friends life." said the mayor. Buffy handed him the box. As soon as he had it Faith released Willow's arm. She ran over to stand next to Tara.
"Um, yeah. About your box. Hope you need a replacement toilet 'cause that's about all its good for now."
The mayor's triumphant look faltered at that. "What?" He opened to box to find it was...empty. "What...there should be...what did you do!?"
"I broke your toy. I've had enough of inaction, enough of playing the comic relief. I'm bad, I'm evil and I'm-
Darkside was interrupted by Principle Snyder and two police officers who burst in through the doors behind him.
"Nobody moves!" demanded Snyder. "I knew you kids were up to something."
"Snyder, get out of here." warned Buffy, but he didn't listen.
"You're not giving orders, young lady." Then Snyder noticed Darkside "Hey. I remember you. You're the one who assaulted me."
"Snyder...for once, I'm glad you showed up."
Darkside dashed forwards with supernatural speed. It was almost like someone had skipped a scene. The next thing Buffy knew he was standing next to Snyder, holding a large, black sword. One of the officers fell to the floor, a red pool expanding around him. Buffy knew what had just happened but she couldn't accept it. Darkside had just killed someone.
The other cop came to his senses and started fumbling for his gun. He never got a chance to draw it. Darkside did another speed flash and the second cop went down, as dead as the first.
Snyder ran for the door but the cops had locked it when they had come in. Darkside reached round and grabbed him by the throat, then he took a few steps forward. "What a loser." Then he ran Snyder through. Darkside swung the sword to the right and Snyder's body slid of the blade, landing in a pile of chairs.
"Oh...my." stammered Wesley.
"Buffy. That sword, it matches the wounds on Harmony and Quentin." said Giles.
Buffy couldn't believe what she was hearing "What...you mean he-"
"That's right. I killed Harmony and Travers and those are just the ones you know about. There have been thousands, maybe more. But now, dear friends, I must cease the pleasantries." Darkside surveyed the room. "Here you are, all my enemies in one place. This was too good to miss."
"If you think you can take us all then your crazier than Faith." said Xander.
"Alone?" Darkside smiled in a way that made Buffy feel uneasy. "No. Not alone." A black aura enveloped him as soon as he finished speaking. Something rose up out of his back. It was formless at first but then it solidified. The creature had a humanoid torso with muscular arms and inky-black skin. Its face was featureless save for two bright yellow eyes and two long, crooked antenna that fell down over its back. The creatures body ended below the waist with a small, tail like appendage that faded away into Darkside's body.
Darkside smiled widely at the group, then he attacked. Another dashing strike that killed the vampire on the mayors left. The other vampire tried to fight back by leaping at him but the strange creature caught him in mid air and decapitated him with a sweep of its arm. Then the two changed their attention to the Mayor and Faith.
"Shouldn't we, you know, help them?" asked Willow.
"I'm happy with them killing each other." said Angel.
"No." they all looked at Buffy. "Darkside killed Harmony and god knows how many other people. We stop him now!" She was about join the fight when five shadowy creatures rose up out of the floor. They were very similar in form to the thing connected to Darkside except they had legs instead of a wisp like tail. The creatures were standing in a line, blocking the scoobies off from Faith.
Buffy looked over behind the black creatures to see how Faith was fairing. It wasn't good. As fast as Faith was, Darkside was faster. He was avoiding her every blow while his never missed, plus he wasn't alone. He had the guardian creature. Every time Faith looked like she could get a hit in the creature blocked her or moved Darkside out of the way. After dodging another hit Darkside did another speed flash. Faith prepared herself for a sword attack but instead he simply appeared in front of her with this arms folded. Faith hadn't been expecting this so she was unprepared when the creature grabbed her by the shoulders. She tried to break free but the thing wouldn't let go.
Behind Darkside the Mayor was in worse straits. Three of the same creatures blocking Buffy's path had their arms wrapped around him, holding him in place.
"Richard Wilkins the third." said Darkside. "You wanted to ascend, well, I'll let you have your wish."
Another shadow creature rose up in front of the mayor. It seemed to regard him for a second, then it lashed out, jamming its hand into his chest.
"Boss!" Yelled Faith.
Buffy watched as the mayor fell sideways, the creatures releasing him. As he fell his body evaporated, replaced by a thick darkness that was somewhere between oil and smoke. The mass took shape and solidified. The black creature that had been the mayor stood up and joined with its fellows.
Faith looked at the creature. She seemed utterly defeated. Then the creature holding her began to squeeze. Faith thrashed a little before falling into unconsciousness.
Darkside looked over to the scobbies. "Later 'tatters." then he, the creature and Faith vanished in a large black hole. As soon as they were one the other creatures left to, fading back into the floor.
"We are in so much trouble." said Xander.
Will Faith survive? Will Buffy defeat Darkside? Will I ever finish this damb story? Stay tuned.
