CHAPTER 8
Dawn's body was healing fast. Whatever spell Mary had cast over her was doing her job. Still she needed the both Faith's and Mary's help to walk. Buffy glanced back at her sister. Dawn smiled reassuringly. "I just need lie down", Dawn said.
"We are almost there", Buffy replied as she led the small expedition back to the church. She had mixed feelings of all that had taken place in the last hour. The knowledge of having a daughter, that the father was her soul mate, that her daughter waited anxiously to meet them. And just when she is about to see her for the first time, the news of Dawn being in danger. Buffy smiled at herself. She had trained Dawn well. Her little sister had taken care of several Gargoyles before she had intervened. Than the image of that female demon, holding Dawn by the throat, filled her mind. Her anger started to flare up again. Suddenly she felt someone grab her hand. She turned and saw Angel at her side.
"Good thing Dawn had a good teacher", the vampire said smiling. If as he had read her thoughts.
Buffy smiled and looked back towards Nikon who was dragging Rita on the gravel. Rita just wailed in pain. The demon looked up and saw before her the holy structure. She spit at the doorsteps of the church.
Buffy signaled for everybody to enter the church. Angel waited beside her as she looked down towards the broken Demon.
"You are going to wish you stayed in hell after I am through with you", Buffy stated.
"What do you mean Dawn is a slayer?", Giles asked perplexed. How could he have been so careless and not realize something so simple? It was just not him.
Willow, Xander and Wesley were just as amazed. "Why didn't you tell us?" Willow asked. Her voice sounded hurt when the words came out of her mouth.
Buffy looked down at her boot before answering. "It was for your protection", Buffy said. She felt she did not need to justify her actions, but she was not about to say that. She needed everybody to be on the same team. She needed them to understand. "I entrusted her to protect you guys without revealing her powers. You were always safe when she has been near you"
"But why not let us in the loop?", Xander asked.
"Because you would all put her in a sport where she would be compared", Buffy declared. "You would always look at Dawn and compare her to other slayers... compare her to me. It would not be fair"
They all stood in silence. Buffy paced herself in the small living room of the basement. This was the part that she was destined to play. Always. To be the one they look for answers. The one to ask the questions. The one expected to lead. And with that came the responsibilities. She knew this day would come… and dreaded it.
She looked at her arsenal. She had Xanders, Willow, Giles and Wesley. That was the human side. Outside was Dawn recovering. Her little sister had her slayer blood running through her veins. Faith who was a powerful weapon to whoever could wield her. Than there were the vampires. Mary, a 25 year old looking vampire slayer that got herself turned less than 2000 years ago. Nikon an ancient vampire almost of the same age as Mary. And of course… her Angel.
That was it. They alone were the last defense against the end of the world. But it would be all in vain if they did not put their petty differences aside.
Buffy looked at her friends with determination. "Look", she started. "Whether I shared the fact that Dawn was also a vampire slayer, is not important anymore. What is important is that the end of the world as we know it is upon us… and we are again in the middle of it. After us there is no one else".
Xander and Willow looked at each other, than at Wesley. All of them had their baggage concerning the apocalypse and the end of mankind. They had seen their best and their worst at the most terrible moments. And here they were again.
Giles was the first to speak. "Buffy is right", he said. "I apologize".
Willow and Xander nodded in agreement.
"I need you guys", Buffy said. Her voice cracked a bit. "I can't do this without you".
"Ow", Dawn exclaimed as Mary cleaned her wounds. "Stings".
Faith chuckled. "For a girl that just got smashed into hard concrete, you sure make a fuss concerning cleaning open wounds".
Mary smiled as Dawn frowned at the comment. "Hey", Mary said softly. "I think you did great… taking on those gargoyles. Not an easy task"
"They double teamed me", Dawn said. "And when they took me up for a flight, I just lost control"
"When were you afraid?", Mary asked. Faith raised her eyebrows at the question. Mary continued. "Where you afraid of them when you saw them… or after they double teamed you?"
Dawn thought for a moment. She had faced the whole demon squad head on. But anguish came when she was airborne.
Mary realized Dawn had the moment in her head. "Hell Gargoyles are demons that feed on fear", the ancient slayer started. "They feed of it. When they sense fear they grow more powerful. Stronger. Faster. Do not let in to your fear and it is easy to beat them. As any normal demon"
"That is why Buffy was so fast over them", Faith concluded. "They were just moving slower"
Mary smiled. "Buffy is more powerful than you think", Mary said. "But in a way, you are correct. Buffy just wanted to rip them apart when she saw what they did".
Faith looked at the closed door where the original scoobies were huddled up. She had seen he enemy's firepower. If Buffy was more powerful… could that give them the edge?
At that moment the private office of the basement opened and Buffy came out followed by Xanders, Willow, Giles and Wesley. Buffy turned towards them.
"Wesley", Buffy instructed. "Check on Cordelia, see if she's ok. Maybe we have new information on what we are dealing with". The blonde slayer than turned towards Xanders. "Xanders… you are on supplies run. Make a head count of all the survivors stacked up here. Take Gunn and get food, water and weapons. I have a feeling we will need them"
Xander and Wesley left the group while Buffy turned towards. Willow and Giles. "I need to gather all the information we have on this. It's time to map out our game plan. Angel and Nikon are interrogating Rita upstairs in front of the altar. I want you to listen in on all the dirt she blabbers out. We are going to need it".
Giles and Willow walked up the stairs while Buffy gathered with Dawn, Mary and Faith. Faith smiled as the blonde slayer approached. "Getting used to barking out orders aren't we 'B'?"
"Never imagined the day would come", Buffy sadly said as she sat at the head of her sister's body. "How you holding up Dawnie"?
Dawn smiled back. "Whatever Mary and Nikon are doing is working", she said. "I don't feel like I was hit by a train now. Just a small armor truck"
Mary reassured Buffy. "She will be fine in a couple of hours. She will be a bit stiff but almost as good as new"
Buffy surveyed her team of slayers. She knew she counted on them. If there was a way she could avoid involving them, she would do it. But she needed their strength. She needed their wit. Buffy rubbed Dawn's head lovingly. Her kid sister was all grown up now. She thought to herself. She hated herself for involving her. The only promise she made to mom was to protect her. And now her life is her hands as well as the balance of the world.
"I need all of you on this", Buffy said.
Faith looked at Mary and then at Dawn. "I got your back 'B'… always."
Dawn strained to stand up. She looked at her sister adoringly and nodded.
Buffy then turned her eyes towards Mary. She was surprised. She looked into the ancient vampire's eyes. She could see a different set of emotions. There was sadness and lack of hope. She had battled with Mary many times. It was the first time her eyes did not reflect confidence. Still Mary nodded in agreement.
"Ok", Buffy said somewhat doubtful. "Let's go upstairs and see what this demon has to say"
Nikon and Angel looked flabbergasted as Father Michael drenched Rita with Holy Water. The demon just twisted in pain.
"Enough!" Rita screamed. "Enough Holy man!"
Father Michael smiled and looked back at Angel and Nikon. "It's incredible how holy water and a cross can do much harm in a demon isn't it?" Saying that, Father Michael placed the cross on the demon's forehead.
Rita screamed in pain. She looked at Angel expecting mercy. "You said I would be killed quic… ARGHHHHH!" She screamed again as the cross was placed on her chest.
Angel looked at Nikon than at Rita. At that moment Giles and Willow has joined them. Angel took a step towards Rita. "Why are you here?", he asked.
Rita gasped as the cross was taken away from her. "This is our world. We are taking what is rightfully ours".
"Not yours for some time", Nikon stated. "You were banished. This world is yours no longer".
"Daristos will bring all back", Rita said. "He doesn't eat… He doesn't sleep… He will not rest until you are all DEAD".
"Why New York?", Angel asked. "Why Los Angeles?"
Rita looked away only to find Father Michael a cylinder filled with holy water. Rita wailed at the burns "ARRHHHHHHH… Hopelessness… merciless… faithlessness".
Nikon understood. "He destroys cities that have no hope", the vampire said. "And as the world turns their attention on that, they cannot help but fell hopelessness themselves".
Giles realized the ugly truth. "He is removing hope from the world", he said. "He is robbing it by striking with fear"
Rita smiled. "Once every ounce of hope is vanquished from the world", she started. "The earth will be ripe for our taking".
Father Michael walked over to the altar and refilled his water glass. He announced the blessing words and Rita just screamed as the words left his mouth. Angel had never seen a demon in physical form, hurt so much at the words of a priest. "Your weakness is hope", Father Michael said. "That is why you came to this town… That is why you are sending your demons to physically destroy those who cannot be broken by the images you transmit".
Father Michael walked back toward Rita. "Your plan is to kill the people that transmit hope to others", the priest continued. "And stinguishing it from the face of the earth".
Rita flinched but smiled an evil smile. "You have no idea who you are dealing with", she said. "Daristos… The General of The Underworld. He brings forth armies. And as hope disappears from your so called New York… He will bring forth an army that has never been seen".
"You mean what has been done to New York is only the beginning?", Willow piped in.
Rita hissed at the question. "Witch!" Rita exclaimed. "There is no hope for you. There is no hope for anyone in this room. In three days… Daristo's Army will enter this plain… And you will all die".
Buffy entered the circle with her arms crossed followed by Faith, Dawn and Mary. Rita's evil smile disappeared from her face. Fear was present in her eyes as the blonde slayer stood before her.
Father Michael smiled as she saw the change of expressions in the demon's face. He turned towards Buffy. "She fears you my child", he said.
Buffy kept looking at Rita coldly. "She fears pain", Buffy stated. "And if she fears pain… She fears death".
"Daristos will destroy you", Rita said in fear. "He will not stand what you have done to me". Rita's eyes closed for a moment. "He sees what I see. Feels what I feel". Rita's eyes opened and they were fiery red. "He will break you!"
Buffy crouched near Rita and grabbed hold of her throat. Rita gasped as she felt Buffy's grip tighten. Buffy turned towards Giles and Nikon. "You got everything?" Buffy asked them as she squeezed tighter.
Giles looked at Nikon. Nikon's face had been serious for the entire interrogation. He feared the worst. "We know what we need to know", Nikon stated.
Buffy turned towards Rita and asked. "Is Daristo looking through your eyes now?"
Rita tried to nod but the grip on her throat was just to much. She could feel Daristos looking through her.
Twenty five hundred miles away, Daristo's felt her sisters pain. He looked into her eyes and all he saw was a blonde girl. Rays of light formed behind her. "I have your attention now", Buffy taunted. "Your demons came to my world. They have hurt innocent people. That ends now. You sent your minions and now they lie in a heap. Now we go for you".
Finishing her speech Buffy twisted Rita's neck. The demon's neck gave in to the strength of the slayer. Daristos felt it. Daristos looked at his minions that surrounded him. He than looked at the clouded sky. A ray of sunlight escaped the clouds.
"ARGHHHHHHHHHH!", he screamed in frustration.
Buffy looked at her small army. "I felt that I rushed into that speech", she said nervously. "I felt I rushed it. Do you guys think I rushed it?'
"I think it came out well", Angel said. Nikon and Mary agreed.
Giles just cleaned his glasses and smiled. Some things never change.
