In a sparsely lit park in Sunnydale the red and blue flashing lights of a Sunnydale PD cruiser illuminated the night. The car was parked next to a corpse. A recent victim of the Sunnydale nightlife who looked as if he'd been speared by something before being dragged more than a hundred feet. There was still fresh blood and the tattered remains of his clothes that left a trail. Emergency Medical Technicians, clearly realizing any attempts to revive the man were hopeless, moved off from the dead body to fetch a gurney, while the officers were interviewing the witnesses. Their frantic words seemed to make no sense as they rambled on incoherently; but for one figure, partially concealed in the bushes out of sight, listened with keen interest.

"We were….we... were walking and…and…this guy on a motorcycle came out….out of…nowhere!!!" a woman sobbed. "He came right at us laughing….it was horrible! Before we…knew what was…was happening he drew a sword and he impaled my husband…then he….he dragged him across the road…WHILE HE WAS STILL ALIVE!" The woman broke down completely at this point but her words were enough.

Anakin lowered his head and sighed; this had just recently happened, he could tell by how only moments ago he had felt the man become one with the Force. Anakin might have arrived sooner but he had encountered numerous people in distress who were all being attacked by animated corpses. Anakin had to repress a sneer of disgust. What was with this world and its obsession with the abomination of the undead? If vampires weren't bad enough now he had to deal with Zombies? Yet another perversion and mockery of the living Force. Thankfully the Jedi were civilized enough to burn their dead, this world was a case in point why one should never bury them. He'd make sure his apprentice understood this.

Shaking his head slightly to center his focus he realized this thought was a waste of time. He had to move. The Dark side was growing stronger as the night progressed and was beginning to cloud his vision with the Force. He had encountered something like this before, just before the Clone wars had begun. It could only mean one thing. The power of the Dark side was growing. He needed to end this now.

Slipping unnoticed back into the bushes Anakin continued his hunt for the enemy.

*******

Sunnydale General Hospital was a beehive of activity. Within the past two hours numerous patients had been brought in for a myriad of reasons ranging from broken bones to more serious trauma. It was getting to the point that the hospital staff was getting overwhelmed. Already all off duty staff were being recalled but within the past hour even a few of them had come in as patients. Victims of what the police were calling a 'spat of gang violence'.

At present a trauma team was doing their best to save a severe burn victim. The man had been brought in twenty minutes ago; the victim of a house fire. It was a 'true' accident, as far as such things could be judged. And considering the absurd death toll in Sunnydale those accounted for only a rare few.

As the trauma team went about its work it was becoming increasingly apparent all their attempts to revive the man were in vain. A nurse held a pair of defibrillator pads ready while a doctor conducted chest compressions, while yet another nurse bagged him.

"Come on, breathe, breathe!" The doctor silently willed. But despite his efforts the man's vitals remained flat lined. The doctor finally gave up and stepped back motioning to his team to do the same.

"Alright, look. These burns are too extensive. It's 7:43. Let's call it."

The doctor walked off with a shake of his head, clearly not happy losing a patient but he pushed it aside and moved off to another. The two nurses put away their equipment and soon joined him.

However unbeknownst to them the mask of Ovu Monbani— 'The Evil Eye' - was working its dark magic. The burn victim's eyes suddenly opened. He sat up in bed leaving a puddle of blood on the pillow and started moving off.

"Oh my God!" one of the nurses cried out.

The reflection on the heart monitor screen showed the now deceased man violently knocking people out of his way as he moved toward the exit.

*********

At the party Buffy was at the snack table gathering empty cups when a guy cut in front of her for a handful of party mix. He leaned his head back and dumped the contents into his mouth but most of it spilt to the sides and on the floor. Buffy just shrugged and grabbed a few more cups and moved to throw them out. She passed two guys talking and slowed when she overheard their conversation.

"Hey, what's the deal with this party anyway?" the first guy asked.

"This party? Heard it was for some chick that just got out of rehab." The second guy, who was obviously stoned, took another drag from a joint.

Buffy just stared at them for a second before she snorted and continued on towards the kitchen. Needless to say she was less than pleased about the latest rumor going around about her. Just shy of the kitchen door she stopped suddenly as she overheard her mother's voice.

"Whew!" Joyce exclaimed.

"Now, how you holding up, Joyce, hmm? Really."

"Really? I'm…I don't know," Joyce answered honestly. "While Buffy was gone, all I could think about was getting her home. I just knew that if I could put my arms around her and tell her how much I loved her, everything would be okay."

"But?" Pat prompted.

Buffy stood stock still, tuning out the band and the conversations behind her as she listened intently to the conversation in the other room.

"Having Buffy home, I-I thought it was gonna make it all better, but in some ways, it's almost worse."

Buffy felt as if she'd just been stabbed in the heart with a stake. She slowly set the cups down and rushed to the stairs. Coming back had been a mistake. What had she been thinking? That everything was just going to go back to the way it was? That they could put this all behind them? She should have never come back. She rushed to her room and partially closed the door behind her. She looked to her bed sadly and sniffled, trying her hardest to keep the tears in. She bent down and pulled her bag from under her bed and slammed it onto the mattress. She went to her closet and grabbed a pile of clothes and stuffed them into her bag.

*****

In the Joyce's room the eyes of the mask were now glowing brighter than before. Drawing yet more power from the Hellmouth for its dark purpose.

*****

Just past the opposite end of the park Anakin unfortunately ran into yet another setback. A number of Zombies had been in the middle of attacking a group of teenagers who had the rather unfortunate case of being in their way. Rather than run away, which would have been the smart thing to do, the three teenagers watched in fascination…until that fascination rapidly turned into terror when they were quickly surrounded and attacked. Anakin had arrived just in the nick of time and quickly dispatched the Zombies before any of the teenagers had been seriously hurt. But as he did so more began to show up, and more behind them, and yet more behind them; there were dozens of them coming from at least three directions yet curiously moving toward a set purpose westward. Revello Drive, if he remembered correctly. Unfortunately Anakin and the three teenagers were right in their way.

Not for the first time that night Anakin wondered if he had made the right choice in going after the enemy in his visions rather than the cause of this recent chaos. But the Force had been clear in who was the greater threat. And despite the chaos in front of him, the carnage he had felt in that vision had been many times worse.

"What are they!?" One of the teenage girls nearly screamed. Her two companions, another girl and a young boy also looked on the verge of panic as they all hugged each other. The boy showed the makings of some courage as he tried to shield the two girls with his body from the zombies.

Anakin did not answer. He could feel his target getting further and further away and it was becoming nearly impossible to track him through the thickening shroud of the Dark side. If this continued his vision with the Force would be utterly useless before the night was over. He was losing valuable time.

It would have been so easy to leave these foolish teens to the fate they had brought on themselves and carry on his mission. To hunt down the true threat and eliminate it before it could unleash its carnage. Surely what were the lives of three stupid teenagers, who should have known better, compared to dozens if not hundreds of lives?

Do good in the here and now and let the future attend to itself…

Not for the first time he could remember Qui-Gonns words rang sharply in his ears, reminding him of his duty. After all, were these not the same words he had imparted on his young apprentice? They were the very basic tenants of the Jedi, to help those in need. What good was he as a Master if he could not practice what he preached?

But just as importantly, to abandon these young innocents to a gruesome death, while he had the power to prevent it, would weigh on his conscience and he already had enough of those. He had undeservedly reclaimed the title of Jedi Knight. A title by all rights he had lost with his turn to the Dark side. But if he was so insistent on reclaiming that title then he should act as a Jedi. And a Jedi would not leave these people to such a fate.

"Do you know a place of refuge where you can find safety?" Anakin asked. The first of next group of zombies were almost upon them and getting closer moving to engulf them like a putrid sea of death.

"Yeah" The boy answered. "My house is just past the park, over there." He pointed in a direction past the oncoming zombies; towards a well lit house not far off.

"I will carve a path through these things. Stay behind me, and do not deviate from the path I create. Once inside the house you stay there. Do not come out until it is safe. Do you understand?" Anakin demanded. His tone was firm and brokered no dissent. Thankfully the three were so scared out of their minds they simply nodded in consent.

"Very well." He brought his sword up and assumed a Juyo opening stance while at the same time reaching out to the Force he encased his charges in a barrier of Force energy. Just for good measure.

The first zombie came within striking distance and promptly toppled over into two halves that fell on either side of the ground next to Anakin. His strike had been so swift the three frightened teenagers hadn't registered that he had even moved. Fighting past their shock and awe they quickly followed his instructions and stayed close behind him. Anakin pressed his opening and pushed forward. Like Moses parting the Red Sea, his blade moved with deadly purpose cutting a gaping path through the large number of zombies. None came close to touching him or those he was charged to protect. The Force guided his actions as he surrendered to its will; always placing his blade where it would have the most effect or using a Force push where it would do the most good. He seemed to be everywhere at once, moving in a blur to the startled teenagers. His application of power and skill were so efficient and overwhelming he had managed to cut through the crowd of zombies much quicker than he expected without any of them getting close to those he deemed to protect. He needn't have bothered with the barrier of Force energy. Once free of the swarm of Zombies Anakin took a moment to survey his handiwork; not one Zombie had been left standing.

The group soon arrived at the porch to the house.

"Now stay indoors until this madness has ended," Anakin ordered.

The three teenagers nodded numbly and complied without another word. No thanks were offered, but then none was required either.

Turning back towards the park Anakin stretched out with the Force once more and repressed a scowl of frustration. His vision with the Force was nearly useless now; like trying to see the surface of Raxus Prime from orbit with the naked eye. Taking a deep breath Anakin searched for a calm centre, letting his frustrations dissipate with each calming breath. It took longer than he would have liked, his anger and frustrations straining for release like a blood thirsty Kath hound, but he slowly brought his anxieties under control. Slowly the fog cleared by only a fraction but it was enough for Anakin to sense beyond his immediate surroundings.

There were four signatures that sang through the Force; each one powerful enough to penetrate the shroud of the Dark side like a beacon in the night. Two were together and he recognized them instantly. Xander and Buffy were together and as Anakin focused more on them he realized they were already at what he was beginning to realize was the epicenter of this demonic activity. Anakin nodded in approval. His apprentice and the Slayer were already on the job. Good. Working together they would surely prevail; of this he had no doubt. The third signature was moving north and Anakin recognized him as his target. He was a few miles out and didn't appear to be in any hurry. Good. He could still catch him. So who was the fourth signature then? It was much farther away well outside of town but Anakin had a strong suspicion it was heading this way. No matter. Whoever it was would not take part in this battle tonight. Centering his focus Anakin moved off in relentless pursuit of the enemy.

******

At the Library the cat meowed menacingly and was constantly ramming the side of the cage. Something had obviously riled it up and it had given Giles a reason to double check his books to make sure he hadn't missed anything. It was a good thing he had.

"Oh, Lord!" Giles exclaimed. He ran into his office to set the books down on his desk. He turned the page back to where he had marked it and once again he came upon the picture of the Mask. A mask he had seen earlier that day.

Frantically Giles picked up the phone and dialed Buffy's number and impatiently waited as it rang.

******

Back at the House the Dingoes were playing their next song and the guest were chatting or dancing to the music. The phone could barely be heard by the few people around and none thought to pick it up until finally someone did. The stoner who had inadvertently informed Buffy over the latest rumor about herself. The stoner put the phone up to his ear and plugged his free ear with his finger.

"Party Villa, Can I rock you?"

"I-I-I need to speak with Buffy. Um, immediately! I have some information that is extremely important!"

At that same moment someone broke a glass cup which distracted the stoner from the call.

"Yeah! Fiesta foul! You gotta do a shot!" the stoner said to someone in the crowd, practically ignoring the guy on the phone.

"I need to speak to Buffy! Now!" Giles insisted from the phone.

"Bunny?" the stoner asked distractedly before lowering the mouth piece before he spoke to his friend, "that guy's gotta do a shot."

"Buffy!" Giles nearly shouted through the phone.

The stoner simply held the phone out towards the crowd. "I need to talk to a Buddy! Is there a Buddy here?" When no one answered he put the phone back to his head. "He's not here. You got the wrong casa, Mr. Belvedere." He hung up the phone and rejoined the party.

*******

Back at the Library Giles could barely hear what was being said but the click of the phone line going dead was unmistakable. He slammed the phone down in annoyance and quickly gathered his things then rushed out the door.

*******

There are those moments in life in which we want something so bad we can taste it, feel it even. What it is that we selfishly desire becomes our sole focus. It consumes us rather than allowing us to focus on we know we must do. This unfortunately was the case for one Xander Harris. Xander had been on a sort of euphoric high for the past few days. He had been so happy that life seemed be returning to a semblance of normal that he allowed his feelings to cloud his better judgment. His friends were all home and safe; he was secure in his girlfriend's affections, and he was growing more confident in himself and his skills. Life was going great…which was just when the Hellmouth decided to turn his world upside down.

Xander and Cordelia were making out passionately; each allowing their hands to roam all over the other without thought, both of them totally lost in the moment. Xander may not have gotten into Cordelia's pants yet but that didn't mean he hadn't gotten into her blouse. With each passionate kiss and intimate touch their emotions built to a crescendo that threatened to break like dam. Despite previous claims of wanting to wait until the right moment they were quickly approaching the point of no return. Xander's thoughts and feelings were so focused and in tune with Cordelia's right now that sensing his environment with the Force was the last thing on his mind. Which could probably explain why he hadn't picked up on or acted on the threat of Ovu Mobani…simply because he hadn't been paying attention.

With each passing moment as their as their kisses intensified, their enemy grew stronger. As they began stripping the other of clothing, danger grew closer. But there was only so much ignoring of the warnings from the Force that Xander could take before something finally cut through the fog of lust and desire that had been clouding his mind.

Xander's eyes snapped open in alarm as he pulled his hands from under Cordelia's bra. He took a horrified step back and frantically searched his surroundings while breathing heavily. He could feel it now he had opened his awareness. Someone or something was coming and would be here very soon. He could feel dark power all around him, like a whirlpool of energy pulling everything in. How in the hell had he not felt this? And here he was with his shirt off, disarmed and totally unprepared to meet it!

"Xander…Xander, what's wrong?" An equally half naked Cordelia asked in numb confusion as she struggled to calm the raging fire in her belly and regain her composure. It was a good thing Xander had stopped; otherwise she wouldn't have been able too. Rallying her wits swiftly she started looking for her blouse and his shirt.

"I feel a disturbance in the Force…" Xander muttered to himself absently. He was so distracted by own sense of self recrimination that he wasn't thinking about what he was actually saying.

Cordelia stopped dead in her tracks and starred directly at Xander. "You feel a disturbance in the what? Xander how can you…." Her surprised stare turned into one of suspicion. "Xander…what's going on? What aren't you telling me?"

Xander suddenly couldn't meet Cordelia's eyes.

Uh oh…

"Only Anakin knows how to use the Force," Cordelia stated with certainty. "How could you…." Her eyes grew wide then and she started to shake her head. "Noooo….no…no, no, no! I knew it!" Cordelia furiously launched herself up to face Xander square on. "I just knew it! I was wondering when the other shoe was eventually going to drop! I just knew this was all too good to be true! The body, the new attitude, the super boyfriend act, I just knew there was something going on and I just knew he had to be behind it!"

"Cordy, please—"

"Don't you 'Cordy Please' me, mister! Were you ever going to tell me? Whatever it is that's going on?" Cordelia put on her blouse and started buttoning it. Xander hesitated for a moment which was enough for Cordelia in her agitated state of mind to condemn him. "You weren't, were you?"

"Of course I was going to tell you!" Xander replied.

"Like when? At the turn of the Millennium? The next apocalypse? When were you going to say something, Xander!?"

She was furious, Xander knew that much, he could feel it emanating off her like heat. He had gotten so used to keeping this secret from her and his friends that he had grown comfortable with it. He realized now that he hadn't really considered how they would feel when they eventually found out.

He though it was no big deal, that it wouldn't really bother them when they found out, but judging by Cordelia's reaction he had miscalculated. Oh, boy, had he miscalculated. He could feel Cordelia's anger bordering on fury. If he wanted to salvage his relationship with her then he'd better start with the damage control and fast. Unfortunately the Hellmouth was not going to give him that kind of time.

"I wanted to tell you right away, Cordy. I swear." Xander tried to fend off her anger.

"Oh sure you did, Xander!" Cordelia huffed angrily and threw his shirt at him. Xander caught it in mid air and started putting it on. "You know in some books not telling someone something as important as this is just as good as lying to them."

Cordelia stopped suddenly as if something occurred to her. She turned her eyes in horror at Xander. "Jedi can…can read and manipulate people's minds. I mean we've seen him do it on more than one occasion. Can you read people's minds? Can you read my mind?"

He had never violated her like that, and he never would. Xander had always respected Cordelia's privacy and inner most thoughts. But her surface emotions on the other hand were fair game and by careful observation of her emotions alone he could usually pin down what was on her mind. It was actually getting harder not to feel them, so what she was asking did have some merit to it. But he didn't really know how to explain the complexities of empathy and telepathy to her. He wasn't even fully sure he understood it himself.

So her question was met by stark silence.

"Xander?"

"Kinda…"

"Have you been reading my mind? Have you been manipulating me?" Cordelia asked, her voice holding the slightest hint of betrayal.

How much of this was actually me and not you taking advantage of me?

"Cordelia, I'm sorry…but we don't have time for this!" Xander pleaded. "We have to go, now! Can we talk about this later?"

"No you don't Xander Harris! We will talk about this right now!" Cordelia snapped.

"Cordy? Bad feeling in the Force, something bad is coming. Just trust me on this."

How do you expect me to trust you anymore when you've been lying to me and manipulating me?

Cordelia seemed to deflate somewhat. "Fine. But if you think this is over you are sadly mistaken, Harris!" Cordelia hissed, she stormed past Xander and headed up the stairs with Xander right behind her.

Their once solid relationship was now suddenly on very shaky ground.

****

It was… not right, unworldly. The floor was smooth like glass, the pillars holding up the roof coated in some reflective material that shimmered in coldness. The colors were harsh, repulsive, designed to inflict discomfort on those passing this way and encourage them to leave quickly and get on with their business.

It was clinical, a faint stench of bleach and burning stinging the air, a few silent mutterings as huddled forms devoured flesh in badly lit corners, harsh lighting flickering overhead as the Warrior entered this place laughingly called a Palace.

"Double Meat Palace," the Kurgan rasped with obvious amusement. "I love mankind I really do."

He slammed the doors shut behind him, the glass panes smashing with the force and tinkling on the pavement outside.

"Oops," the Kurgan said with mocking insincerity. "Sometimes I don't know my own strength."

He strode across the fast food joint clad in his black armor, decorated with its grotesque skulls and plumed helmet, the baleful and sadistic face of the warrior gazing out like carved granite. He pushed aside patrons as he moved forward knocking down one elderly man with a wave of his hand.

"Sorry gramps!' He snickered as he moved forward. About a foot from the counter he pushed an overweight man aside before the man could grab his bag of burgers. The man tried to protest but the Kurgan grabbed him with his left arm, hoisted him up then threw him threw a glass paneled window.

"Burgers are not your friend, fat boy!"

The Kurgan turned back to the front, leering a smile as he stopped at the counter, looming over both it and the extremely unlucky girl on the night shift.

"Things have changed since the Eighties." He grinned a toothy smile, the type of grin a wolf would show a sheep. "Got any recommendations honey lips?"

"Please…help yourself…really I insist. In fact take whatever you want!" the cashier whimpered in fright as she stepped back from the towering figure in front of her. She was a young pretty strawberry blonde that the figure couldn't help but notice. Which was probably what put her on the front counter in the first place.

"Don't mind if I do!" the Kurgan laughed as he took the bag of burgers from the counter without paying then casually snatched the money from the register. Depositing the money in a pocket he grabbed a burger from the bag and took more than half of it in one massive bite.

"A double meat stacker; a burger to sooth your savage hunger; a Double Meat Palace specialty. Something about that statement just sings to me! I couldn't pass it up! Do you know how long it's been since I've eaten anything?" He leered suggestively as he open mouthed chewed his burger.

"No," the girl squeaked. Behind her the rest of the crew and the manager were slowly making for the rear exit while the customers behind the Kurgan quickly made for the front entrance.

"Practically a lifetime, sweetness!" He tossed the rest in his mouth. "Hmmm, tasty." He began flickering his tongue at her obscenely.

The girl started backing away from the counter slowly.

"Ah, don't be shy, I'm just being friendly!" the Kurgan leered "So how old are you strawberry?"

"Sev...sev… seventeen," the girl croaked.

"mmmm…nice and ripe," the Kurgan chuckled darkly.

The girl was really starting to get scared now.

"But then I've always been a 'if there's grass on the field then play ball' kind of guy, you know?"

The girl gulped. She looked around and suddenly realized that she was alone with the guy.

"So what do you say strawberry? We grab a hotel room and I make you my willing little love slave? I have lifetimes of experience and boy am I packin!" The Kurgan wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"I think…I…I think I'll be going now." The girl turned and bolted for the rear exit.

Oh! She's one of the fun ones!

He smiled darkly as he let the girl get a head start. While he'd never admit it, never once in his long centuries of life, he was actually somewhat impressed. When confronted by his awesome presence, most women froze like deer in the headlights of an oncoming truck, completely helpless against his advances; this one had the strength to break through her fear and run, and with such speed at that. Oh, this was going to be so much fun. As far as he was concerned, she'd already earned her life, once he was done with her.

He was just about to hop over the counter and run after her when he felt a tingle run down his spine. This wasn't the usual tingle he felt in the back of his head when in the presence of another Immortal. This was something else. It was powerful and it was heading his way.

The Kurgan spun back towards the front entrance, his intent to hunt down the girl and have his way with her instantly forgotten as he felt the power of a potential challenger. Whoever it was clearly wanted him to know he was there.

It was a challenge. One he eagerly accepted.

"There can be only one!" he cackled in delight. Walking prosperously towards the door, he reached into the bag of burgers, pulling out one of the sandwiches and casting the rest aside. With a savage twist of his head he consumed almost half of it in one bite and finishing the rest in seconds. When he was finished, he threw the wrapper over his shoulder and strode out the entrance with deadly intent.

****

In her room Buffy was pulling out more stuff from her closet. She went back to the bed to stuff the things in her bag. Her attention had been so focused on her packing that she hadn't heard the door opening behind her until a voice spoke up.

"You're leaving again?"

Buffy spun quickly and saw Willow standing at the door. She turned back and continued packing.

"What, you just stopped by for your lint brush and now you're read to go?" Willow asked, highly upset.

"It's not like anyone will mind."

"Oh, no. Have a great time. Oh, oh, and don't forget to not write," Willow huffed sarcastically.

Buffy finally broke down and began sobbing as she turned to face Willow. "Why are you attacking me? I'm trying."

"Wow, and it looks so much like giving up!" Willow fired back she was also breaking down and in tears.

"I'm trying to make things easier," Buffy said.

"For who?" Willow asked.

"You guys were doing just fine without me," Buffy replied in a strained voice.

"We were doing the best we could! And we were doing okay, but it's not like you left us a choice in the matter. You abandoned us!"

"Sorry that I had to leave, but you don't know what I was going through!" Buffy whined.

"Well, I'd like to," Willow countered.

"You wouldn't understand," Buffy said.

"Well, maybe I don't need to understand. Maybe I …I just need for you to talk to me," Willow considered.

"How could I talk to you when you were avoiding me?" Buffy asked.

"This isn't easy, Buffy! I know you're going through stuff, but…so am I."

"I know that you were worried about me, but—"

"No! I don't just mean that. I mean my life! You know? I, um…I'm having all sorts of—I'm dating, I'm having serious dating with a werewolf, a—and I I'm studying witchcraft and killing Vampires. And there's this mysterious guy who freaks me out more than Angelus did. And I didn't have anyone to talk to about all this scary life stuff. And you were my best friend." Willow also broke down and began sobbing. The tears were flowing freely as they finally began to get to the heart of the issue that had come between them.

****

Giles was driving his car through the deserted streets of Sunnydale. Unknown to him the local populace had since figured out that something 'weird' was going on and decided to stay indoors to wait it out, as they had every other major event in recent memory. This left the streets blissfully empty for one very annoyed Watcher as he sped through the seemingly deserted streets heading to Buffy's house on Revello drive.

"Unbelievable." Giles said in a mocking tone of Joyce "Do you like my mask? Isn't it pretty? It raises the dead! Americans!" He looked up just in time to see that he was about to hit someone.

"Jesus!" Giles exclaimed as he slammed on the brakes and began to skid. Unfortunately it wasn't enough as the man hit the hood of his car and bounced off the windshield. The man rolled a few times before coming to a rest. Giles stared in shock for a moment before he snapped out of it.

"My God!" He exclaimed. He quickly rushed out of the car to check the man. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Giles began to check for a pulse but the man turned over and Giles recoiled when he saw that he was in an advanced state of decay.

"Good God!" Giles started to backpedal away but the zombie grabbed him and lifted him by the coat. From his peripheral vision Giles could see more zombies approaching from an alleyway.

It was already too late.

********

"You have no idea how much I missed you. Everyone. I wanted to call every day."

"That doesn't matter, Buffy. It doesn't make it okay that you didn't."

At that moment Joyce walked by the room and saw the bag on Buffy's bed. "What is this? Is this some sort of a joke?"

"Mom, please, could you, could you just--"

"No, I can't, just!" Joyce replied hotly. "Buffy, what is this?"

"She was running away again," Willow accused.

"No, I wasn't," Buffy paused in confusion, "I'm not sure."

"Well, you better get sure and explain yourself right away!" Joyce replied sternly.

"Stop it! Please! I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing!" Buffy sobbed. Without thinking she rushed from her room and headed down stairs with her mother and Willow hot on her heals. She stopped at the front door and turned to the living room where she saw a disheveled Xander and Cordelia coming towards her.

"Don't you leave this house, young lady!"

Buffy looked longingly at the door which was enough to tip Joyce off to her intentions.

"You know what? That's it!" Joyce moved up to Buffy and grabbed her arm and turned her to face her. "You and I are going to have a talk."

The band stopped playing and people in the crowd stopped talking. An eerie stillness crept over the room. Buffy looked around at everyone staring at them.

"Mom, please," Buffy implored with a desperate look on her face.

Xander and Cordelia stopped a few feet away.

"You know what? I don't care. I don't care what your friends think of me, or you for that matter, because you put me through the wringer, Buffy." Joyce inhaled sharply "I mean it. And I've had schnapps." She exhaled sharply, "do you have any idea what it's been like?"

"Mom, this isn't the time—"

Willow was looking around worried as Oz slowly put down the guitar and made his way through the crowd to move to her side.

"You can't imagine months of not knowing. Not knowing whether you're lying dead in a ditch somewhere or, I don't know, living it up—"

"But you told me!" Buffy interrupted. "You're the one who said I should go. You said if I leave this house, don't come back. You found out who I really was, and you couldn't deal. Don't you remember?" Buffy fired back in her own defense.

The crowd began to thin out as people started to leave, most of them thinking the cool party had suddenly turned into a drag.

"Buffy, you didn't give me time. You just dumped this thing on me and you expected me to get it. Well, guess what? Mom's not perfect, okay? I handled it badly. But that doesn't give you the right to punish me by running away."

"Punish you?!" Buffy said the words as if they tasted bitter in her mouth. "I didn't do this to punish you!"

Xander interjected himself in the argument. "ah…guys this really isn't—"

"Shut up, Xander!" Buffy snapped. She turned angrily to the rest of the crowd while Xander backed away with his hands up in surrender. "Anyone else have any stunning insights or revelations? No? No one else wants to weigh in? How about you by the dip?"

Jonathan froze in the middle of bringing a chip laden with dip to his mouth and looked around nervously at everyone suddenly staring at him. "No, thanks. I'm good."

"What about you?" Buffy pointed to Larry standing by the drinks.

Larry folded his arms across his chest and shrugged noncommittally. "I'm cool."

"Wow, Buffy, are you having a total meltdown or something? Why are you acting like a complete psycho?" Cordelia snapped.

"You're being really selfish, Buffy," Willow pointed out.

"Okay! Okay. I screwed up. I know this. But you have no idea! You have, you have no idea what happened to me or what I was feeling!"

"Did you ever try talking to anybody?" Xander found himself asking. Despite the fact the Force was screaming a warning inside his head.

"There was nothing that anybody could do. Okay? I just had to deal with this on my own," Buffy sobbed.

"Yeah," Xander snapped sarcastically, "And you see how well that one worked out. You can't just bury stuff, Buffy. It'll come right back at you."

"Oh you are so right about that," Cordelia spoke forcefully through gritted teeth. Her eyes never wavered from Xander when she spoke.

Xander swallowed heavily and looked around helplessly. This situation was going from bad to worse and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

******

Giles was finding his vision starting to dim as the zombie strangled him. Pushed back against the hood of his car Giles barely managed to get enough leverage to bring up his right foot and kick the zombie off him. Scrambling quickly Giles made it back inside his car and locked the door. Unfortunately his actions had roused the attention of more zombies and they encircled his car and started pounding on it. Giles reached for the ignition and discovered his keys missing. He searched his pockets and came up empty. He looked out to the street and spotted them.

"Oh, good show, Giles," he moaned in self recrimination. Giles had to think fast. His antique car was taking a pounding that it couldn't really tolerate. In a flash of inspiration he reached under the dashboard and pulled out some wires. In his younger days the trick of hotwiring stolen cars had been a bit of a game for him and Ethan and they had both gotten really good at it. He hadn't done it in years, nearly two decades. But now that little half remembered trick just might save his life.

The wires sparked and the engine started up causing Giles to smile ruefully. "Like riding a bloody bicycle!"

The driver side window suddenly exploded in a shower of glass which slightly disorientated him. Before he knew what was happening an arm was wrapped around his neck and started pulling him through the driver side window. Giles fought back valiantly against the superior leverage and inhuman strength but he was quickly being overpowered.

"Bloody hell!" Giles gasped as he fell back against the seat, the pressure around his throat suddenly disappearing…along with the arm of the zombie which suddenly fell into his lap. Giles stared at the severed arm for a moment in stunned disbelief then quickly tossed it out before he looked up to see several zombies fly into a nearby brick wall. Blinking for a moment Giles saw a familiar figure in dark clothing cutting down the last of his attackers.

"Hello Rupert, it appeared as if you were in need of some assistance," a familiar voice said to him.

"Anakin." Giles smiled in relief. "Yes that was a bit of a tight spot…but I've been in worse. It's a good thing you're here. Ovu Mobani is drawing these zombies to him. We need to get to Buffy's right away."

"I'm afraid I cannot join you."

Giles blinked. "What?"

"I cannot go with you."

"Yes, I understand that's what you said but I'm a bit curious as to why?" Giles asked in confusion.

"There is something here Rupert. Something worse than the current chaos we face."

Giles blanched at that statement. "Are you sure?"

Anakin raised an amused eyebrow in response.

"Right, of course you're sure." Giles shook his head.

"I have been tracking him for some time but I have yet to encounter him. I keep running into people in distress."

Giles nodded. "It's the mask of Ovu Mobani. It's reanimating the dead and drawing them to it. If one of them succeeds in putting the mask on it'll become the demon incarnate."

"Then you must make sure that does not happen."

"That's proving to be somewhat more challenging than I had anticipated," Giles replied emphatically.

"It's drawing on the Dark energies of the Hellmouth to amplify its power then projecting its effects through the Force. It's making things…more difficult for me."

"In what way?" Giles asked. He was surprised.

"My vision with the Force has been, clouded. It's making it more difficult to see beyond my immediate surroundings and to track my enemy. And it's… making it… harder to draw on the Force."

Giles was slightly ashamed to learn that he felt a sense of relief at that statement. From the moment Anakin arrived he had displayed feats of raw power and skill that deeply frightened the Watcher, though he had never shown it around his young companions. In fact Giles had yet to see Anakin truly exert himself in a fight, even against what should have been considered overwhelming numbers of vampires and demons. He had seen many powerful warriors and magic users in his time but none who had such power and skill the likes of which Anakin possessed. Sadly Buffy also fell into this category, the watcher reluctantly admitted. It seemed to add an air of invincibility about the man. But for Anakin to admit, even reluctantly, to a weakness proved that he wasn't invulnerable after all. And that comforted the watcher somewhat.

"And you think the mask of Ovu Mobani might be causing it?" Giles asked, shaking the thought off.

"I believe so, yes."

"Then all the more reason to destroy it," Giles nodded thoughtfully. He expected his line of reasoning would provoke a response from Anakin, but when none was forthcoming Giles turned to face him. Anakin was staring down the opposite end of the street Giles had just come from.

"Problem?" Giles asked cautiously.

"Yes and coming this way."

**********

"As if I could've gone to you, Xander. You made your feelings about Angel and I perfectly clear," Buffy said.

"Look. I'm sorry that your honey was a demon, but most girls don't hop a greyhound over boy troubles," Xander countered.

Cordelia interjected herself into the conversation. "Wow Xander, we have time to talk about this but not our problems? What was it that you were saying about bad things coming with no time to talk? But then again this is about your precious Buffy, so naturally she takes priority over me."

"Cordy…" Xander pleaded.

"No, no, no. I get it. Let's analyze this situation and get to the heart of the matter. I mean put yourself in Buffy's shoes for a minute. Okay? I'm Buffy, complete freak of nature, right? Naturally I pick a freak for a boyfriend, and then he turns into Mr. Killing Spree, which is pretty much my fault—"

"Cordy! Get outta my shoes!" Buffy interrupted.

"I'm just trying to help, Buffy." Cordelia shrugged.

Willow stepped forward. "Buffy, you never—"

"Will, please. I can't take this from you, too," Buffy said nearing the breaking point.

Xander snorted. "Let her finish! You at least owe her that!"

"God, Xander! Do you think you could at least stick to annoying me on your own behalf?"

"Fine!" Xander huffed angrily "You stop acting like an idiot, I'll stop annoying you!"

Buffy stepped up to Xander. "Oh, you wanna talk acting like an idiot, Nighthawk?"

Oz interjected himself between them. "Okay. I'm gonna step in now, being referee guy."

"No, let them go, Oz," Willow snapped, earning a disapproving look from Oz. "Talking about it isn't helping. We might as well try some violence."

Xander's head snapped to the window mere seconds before several zombie smashed through it.

"I was being sarcastic!" Willow exclaimed.

A zombie rushed Xander and grabbed him by the shoulders but Xander simply rotated his arms upward then slammed then downward again, breaking the zombie's grip. Seizing the initiative Xander placed a powerful kick to the zombie's gut. As the animated corpse doubled over from the sheer impact, Xander grabbed it by the hide ran forward and tossed it back out the window.

Xander didn't have time to savor his small victory. The Force alerted him to another potential threat, a zombie that had rushed past him while he was dealing with the first one was heading straight for the stoner who simply starred in dumbfounded confusion. Acting swiftly Xander performed a back spin kick that connected with the zombie's ribcage knocking it into the wall.

Willow and Oz shook themselves out of their stupor and scrambled to help. They grabbed the zombie by either arm, hefted him to his feet then, then working together, promptly threw him back through the window right into another three zombies struggling to come through.

The stoner blinked a few times, looked to the mass of zombies trying to come through the window, then to the blunt in his hands, back to the zombies then back to the blunt. "Wow…what did he put in this stuff?" The stoner shrugged and took a long drag from his blunt.

The sound of breaking glass coming from the kitchen warned Xander and Buffy that the zombies were coming in through the kitchen door window. By this point the remaining party guests were finally responding as they tried desperately to keep the zombies from coming through the living room and dining room windows, but no one was covering the kitchen.

"Xander, kitchen!" Buffy yelled over the noise.

"I got your back, but we need weapons!" Xander replied.

Buffy looked around and spotted an andiron from the fireplace. She grabbed it and tossed it to him. Xander quickly moved off to the kitchen with Cordelia close behind him.

A zombie managed to break through the group of party guests trying to hold the line at the window and came directly at Buffy. She launched into a hopping side kick that connected to its gut. The zombie staggered from the attack for a moment but then came on again. The zombie threw a punch which Buffy sidestepped and then countered with an upper cut under his arms. It didn't faze him. The zombie swung with both arms and knocked her aside, but Buffy sprung back up instantly and counterattacked with a jab hook combo then ducked under the zombie's questing arms.

Joyce couldn't help but wince and cringe as they exchanged blows. She looked around frantically for a weapon herself and spotted a vase.

The zombie spun back towards Buffy and tried to make another grab for her but Joyce came up behind him and smashed the vase over his head. Buffy took a second to scan her surroundings with her peripheral vision. She could see the rest of the party guests were having limited success in keeping the zombies at bay but they were already starting to get pushed back. They were about to be overwhelmed.

Buffy turned her full attention back to the zombie and swept his legs out from under him.

"It's some kind of monster!" Jonathan croaked as he gripped Joyce's left arm tightly in a bear hug.

Joyce spared him a sympathetic look of reassurance before turning back to Buffy. The boy had brought up a good point. "Are these vampires?" Joyce asked.

Buffy studied her downed opponent for a brief moment. "Uh, I don't think so."

"Buffy, heads up!" Willow shouted a warning. She had found a piece of a broken window frame and tossed it to Buffy. Buffy snatched it firmly then planted the impromptu stake perfectly into the zombie's heart. The zombie just stared back at her.

"No, not vampires," Buffy stated, her eyes widening slightly.

The zombie started to get back to its feet and Buffy readied herself for a fight.

******

In the kitchen Xander was squaring off against a lone zombie, thankfully the only one to come through the rear kitchen entrance. Xander had been unable to probe further with the Force; some kind of dark fog was clouding his vision, making it impossible for him to see a few feet beyond his immediate surroundings. But since no other zombies had joined his new sparring partner he was reasonably sure it was the only one to use the kitchen entrance.

Xander attacked with a series of well placed powerful blows to the zombie's head and upper body, all of which would have easily incapacitated a fledgling vampire without much difficulty. Unfortunately all it did was cause the zombie to stagger a bit.

"Man, this sucker wobbles, but won't fall down!"

"Xander, you can use the Force, right?" Cordelia asked from behind him.

"Yeah," Xander acknowledged, but a little irritated by the question.

"Then stop fighting like a retard and USE IT!" Cordelia yelled.

Xander delivered a powerful side kicked that knocked the zombie back. He looked around and saw the stake on the nearby island. Gripping the stake with the Force, Xander launched it at the zombie with tremendous power causing the stake to punch cleanly through the zombie and exited out the other end and through the door like a high caliber bullet. The zombie fell back against the door and slumped down. It stared at the hole in its chest for a brief second then slowly began to stand back up.

"Okay…not what I was hoping for." Xander grimaced. He brought the andiron into a Soresu opening stance as he seemingly waited for the zombie to attack. But in actuality Xander was attempting to reach deeper into the Force to draw the energy inside him… and meeting serious interference in the process. Xander could feel the horrible stench of the demon Ovu Monbani radiating through the Force; Its putrid power tainting the pristine web of energy with every passing moment and affecting his ability to reach out to it. He had never even considered, let alone trained for the possibility of something cutting his connection to the Force, cutting him off from his source of power and comfort. As much as he tried to focus on his training he couldn't help but feel his own fear rising in response.

"Oh for God's sake, Xander, do that wavy thing with your hand!" Cordelia flapped her wrist in a poor imitation of a Force push.

"A what?" Xander asked in irritation as he spared her an angry glance.

"Telekinesis or whatever you call it!" Cordelia snapped.

Xander lowered the andiron by a fraction and blinked then spared Cordelia another glance. He turned back to the zombie just as it rose to its feet. With a look of pure loathing etching itself on his face, the demon became a focus of all things demonic he despised. Stretching out to the Force with his fear and anger, Xander was able to cut right through the interference clogging his connection. Reaching deeper into the Force than was necessary Xander unleashed a far more powerful wave of energy than he intended which slammed into the zombie like a cannon ball; knocking it back through the door in an explosion of wood splinters and body parts.

"Oh, way to go genius!" Cordelia shook her head with a look of open mouthed horror.

"What are you talking about?" Xander scowled.

"Everyone else is barricading the windows and doors and you just send the bad guys an open invitation to come right on in!" Cordelia exclaimed.

"You said to use the Force and push it back. Well I did!" Xander snapped.

"Does using the Force make you stupid or something!? You open the door first then push it out!"

Xander seemed to come to himself as he snapped out of his funk and turned back to the door with a look of dawning realization. She was right. Rather than keep his cool he had allowed his anger to cloud his judgment. And in giving into his anger he had acted rashly and may have just doomed them all.

An explosion of glass from above the kitchen sink rained down on them as another zombie attempted to break through. A deeply shaken Xander took a deep steadying breath to rein in his anger then he moved to the window. He couldn't afford to lose it now. They still had a fight on their hands.

*****

The situation in the dining room and living room were becoming desperate. Two more zombies had broken though the line, one of them disappearing the other deciding to join its companion already fighting Buffy. Jonathan and Joyce were hitting it repeatedly with broken pieces of wood while Larry was pummeling another threatening to break through with a vicious combination of punches.

"We got to get em back outside!" Buffy yelled as she dogged another wild haymaker from the zombie.

"On three!" Joyce commanded. Devon and Oz broke from the window and moved to aid both Summers women. Jonathan grabbed the door handle while Devon and Oz grabbed the second zombie. On a nod from Joyce, Jonathan opened the door quickly allowing Devon and Oz to toss the zombie out. It stumbled for a second then turned back to storm into the house. It didn't even take a step as the first zombie Buffy had been battling flew through the open doorway and into its companion, both of them flying backwards from the impact and flipping over the wooden banisters on the porch and into the bushes. Jonathan immediately closed the front door and locked it. His face was completely ashen and he was breathing heavily.

"You okay?" Buffy asked in slight concern. Jonathan offered a weak smile and thumbs up. Buffy returned his smile. He was holding up remarkably well, keeping his wits about him instead of panicking. In fact, if Buffy had to guess, he seemed more alive than at any point she could remember seeing him. It seemed there was a bit more to Jonathan than she first believed.

"Ah, Buffy, they're starting to push through! We can't hold them!" Larry spoke up over the noise of battle.

"They're getting through!" Willow added in a near panic.

"We need some help out here!" Buffy shouted.

******

In the kitchen Xander struck with a Force enhanced right hook that knocked the zombie back through the window. Both Xander and Cordelia heard Buffy's plea for help. They shared a brief look before Xander took control of the situation. "Go and help them I got things covered here."

Cordelia looked as if she wanted to say something but held her tongue. She nodded; a look of regret on her face and then she left without another word.

****

In the living room Oz had traded places with Jonathan and was pushing all his weight against the door while the other guests were still busy trying to fend off a horde of zombies at the window.

"Grab that table!" Oz motioned to Devon. Devon grabbed the table and helped Oz position it at the door. Devon then went off to get another one. Xander showed up at this point and started looking for any way he could help. Suddenly a zombie punched through the door and made a grab for Oz's shoulder, the rest were nearly through the window.

"We can't hold them, they're breaking through!" Larry shouted.

"Upstairs--"

"--Out the back!" Xander and Buffy shouted in unison.

Buffy ran up the stairs and into her mother's room with Willow and Joyce right behind her. At the top of the stairs Joyce spotted Pat laying unconscious on the floor down the hall.

"Oh, Pat!" Joyce rushed over to her friend with Buffy and Willow right behind her.

"Oh, God…"Joyce nudged Pat forcefully in an attempt to wake her. Pat moaned and shifted causing Joyce to sigh in relief. She grabbed Pat under one arm while Willow grabbed the other and they carefully hoisted her up.

"I got you Pat, your gonna be okay," Joyce said reassuringly. They made their way into the master bedroom and closed the door behind them.

*********

In the living room the attempt to hold the line at the door and window completely crumbled as the zombies burst through. In complete panic the remaining guests started running for the kitchen, and seeing the open door and no zombies ran through it and out of the house. Several of the guests, including Oz and Cordelia made attempts to run up the stairs but the zombie breakthrough had been so overwhelming that they got cut off from the stairwell.

"Oh crap. Think fast." Oz backed up with Cordelia, Devon, Larry, Sandy, and Jonathan behind him.

"Out the back, I'll cover you!" Xander said from his increasingly untenable position.

"Xander!" Cordelia cried out just as Oz grabbed her hand and lead her out the back with the others following behind him. They made it a grand total of five steps out the back door before they stopped in their tracks. Just ahead and loitering in the area were a number of zombies.

"We are so dead." Cordelia deflated.

"Back inside!" Oz said, and the others turned quickly. They made their way back to the kitchen and into the living room only to witness a spectacle they would never forget.

Xander was moving with a speed and skill matching that of a slayer. With the others safely out of sight he believed it was relatively safe to openly draw from the Force. Surrendering himself to the will of the Force, Xander moved as the Force guided his every action in fluid movements of precision and skill he'd never demonstrated before. Using the andiron as a makeshift weapon, within the span of a few seconds Xander had gone from being nearly encircled to cornering most of the zombies before unleashing a wave of Force energy that sent them flying back through the window.

Acting instantly to deal with the few zombies that had managed to get past him, Xander spun in the direction of the stairwell and launched the andiron like a spear. His aim was true as he connected with a zombie in the back of its head, at the brain stem; impaling it as the andiron imbedded itself in the wall. The zombie ceased struggling and hung limply as its two companions in front of it continued on unhindered.

He'd done all he could really do for now. He'd managed to slow them down and buy Buffy time, but not much. He needed a weapon and fast. Remembering that Buffy kept a small stash of weapons in her basement (a fact he had forgotten after the tongue lashing from his pissed off girlfriend), Xander turned and stopped dead in his tracts as he came face to face with six slack jawed faces staring right at him.

Oh shit…

"Whoa, Harris!" Larry praised.

"That was amazing!" A familiar feminine voice praised.

Sandy? Xander blinked in recognition.

"Xander." Sandy smiled flirtatiously.

"Excuse me?" Cordelia put her hands on her hips and directed a pointed glare at Xander then Sandy.

"No time, basement!" Xander ordered and the six spellbound teens complied at once. They managed to make it into the basement before more zombies entered the house and slowly made their way upstairs.

*************

The Streets of Sunnydale

There was a rustle, a scuffle further up the road obscured from sight by a hedge row and a car abandoned in the road.

"Something else?" Giles regarded the disturbance.

"Something else." Anakin strained, unable to truly make it out. "Not more of these corpses."

"I can still take care of myself in a fight, if you need a little assistance?"

Anakin managed a smile. "Thanks, but there's still chaos out here. You'll be needed elsewhere. You should see how the rest of the group is doing."

"Alright." Giles exhaled. "But for heavens sake be careful."

"You know me." Anakin winked. "Now go, I won't be long."

He advanced cautiously, tightening his grip on the Katana and checking over his shoulder to make sure the coast was clear. When Giles was out of sight he moved forward more forcefully, trying to focus on the sensation of danger ahead. The Force remained cloudy, meaning he had to use his eyes and ears more, he had to rely more on his mortal senses which left him feeling vulnerable, like a knight without armour.

He almost stumbled on the body, a Police Officer with a massive cut across his chest. It was not the work of a Zombie. He tightened his jaw and strode around the hedge into full view of the most intimidating figure he had seen in decades, a warrior radiating darkness who stood impassively, stood waiting.

A tense palpable stillness and expectation filled the warm night air with the impending confrontation of two titans about to clash. Anakin slowly advanced on the man he'd been tracking for most of the night. The large powerful warrior on the motorcycle seemingly to study him intently, his face twisted in what could be described as a sadistic smirk as he watched him approach. As Anakin drew closer he studied the warrior intently as well taking in every detail he could to gain the measure of the man.

He wore some form or archaic, horrific armor which used the bones of demons and metal plating, fused together in a sickening and disturbing fashion. Two skulls adorned on either of his shoulders of demons long since vanquished with one particularly fierce skull serving as a makeshift helmet. Anakin supposed the armor was as much for intimidation as it was for protection. He wasn't so much impressed by the armor, he'd seen better. The warrior however was an altogether different story.

He held what Anakin recognized as a great sword, its tip on the ground and his hands resting on the pommel, a casual pose betraying no fear in the face of the Jedi.

The figured chuckled darkly as Anakin came within a few feet and slowly dismounted the bike and moved forward to meet him. They stood in the open, deserted street, mere feet apart, studying the other intently. But of all the features that Anakin took in none disturbed him more than the eyes. Black pools of sheer madness that promised untold carnage and death. It confirmed what he already knew and he vowed he would not allow it to happen.

"So you're the one who's called me out," the large man said gratingly. "At last we meet."

Anakin replied tightly. "I have. Who are you? Why are you here?"

"The name is Kurgan" the large warrior said with a mocking bow. "As for why I'm here, well this town looks like one big party and I intend to crash it!" The Kurgan laughed.

"Your idea of fun has already cost innocent lives. It ends here and now." Anakin's tone was harsh and dripping with disdain. The Kurgans laughing slowly died away as regarded the warrior before him with intense, calculating scrutiny.

"And just who the hell do you think you are?"

"My name is Anakin Skywalker. Jedi Knight."

"Never heard of ya."

"How unfortunate, for you," Anakin countered.

"You don't look like much to me kid," the Kurgan snorted in derision. "But then looks can be deceiving," he added in a surprisingly more thoughtful tone. He was already starting to get bored with this conversation.

"I'm older than I look."

That statement made the Kurgan study Anakin with renewed interest. "Is that a fact? Funny, you don't feel like an Immortal."

Immortal? As in immortality?" His former master had always claimed that mastery of the Dark Side was the key to Immortality. Could this man have achieved the impossible? But how?

It didn't matter, not anymore. Cheating death had only ever meant one thing to Anakin. Saving Padme. With her death Immortality had lost its appeal to him regardless of whatever he had proclaimed to Darth Sidious.

"You are not welcome here, Kurgan. It would serve your best interests to return from where you came from and never return," Anakin said in a firm tone of voice. Anakin could feel the power of the warrior rising up like a tidal surge prompting him to reach out to the Force in effort to meet its incredible power.

"Really?" The Kurgan drawled. "Cause I really don't feel like leaving."

"This town is under my protection. I will not ask you again."

"Then I guess we're done talking." The Kurgan drew his blade prompting Anakin to do the same as the two warriors launched themselves at each other.

Anakin leapt forward, he could feel he wasn't fast enough, not strong enough, his power was being leached by this black malaise but he couldn't turn back now. He had his duty, to stand and deny the right of evil, and if he were down to his dying breath he would hold to that promise. It was all he could do.

Their blades met with a harsh clang, the shock shivering his arm as the Kurgan grinned. Despite the immense size of his great sword and the weight of the blade he was parrying and cutting as if it were made of plastic. He whipped the blade around in a tight arc, making Anakin give ground as he measured his enemy, tried to get a feel for his weaknesses.

"You are not impressing me little boy." The Kurgan growled in amusement. "You chose a child's sword, you wear no armour, how did you think that was a good idea?"

"I don't need armour; you're never going to touch me."

Anakin side-stepped as the Kurgan struck again, avoiding the stroke and immediately retaliating, sweeping his sword up. The Kurgan expected it, millennia of combat leaving him very hard to surprise. He kept moving with his blade, momentum carrying him clear of the Katana. He at once reversed his attack, swinging around a 360 degree sweep that collided with Anakins Katana and knocked it aside, causing the Jedi to stumble.

"Interesting." The Kurgan twirled his blade. "What next boy?"

"Has anyone ever suggested cough medicine, for that raspy throat of yours?"

"Oh I see, the lets chat to throw me off my guard technique? Have you really sunk to such a pathetic level? Is this all this town has to offer me?"

"I can't show a little concern for my fellow man?"

"I'm going to bludgeon your friends to death with your own skull, how's that for concern?"

"Touching." Anakin flexed his arm. "I just want to say he's behind you."

"If you think I'm going to…"

Anakin pounced, with all the speed he could muster he jumped up and over the Kurgan, flipping mid air to land behind him, sword already cutting. The large warrior moved surprisingly fast, pivoting to avoid the strike and lash out with his fist. He punched Anakin hard enough to daze him, making his follow up katana thrust easily blocked.

"Bouncy aren't ya?" The Kurgan laughed, grabbing Anakins katana by the blade. He tightened his hand around it, blood seeping through his armored gloves as he chuckled.

"Pain is a reminder boy, telling us we're alive." He yanked the blade toward him, Anakin pulled back as expected leaving him open to a vicious head butt. He reeled backwards, barely recovering in time to stop a hack from the immense warrior, back stepping rapidly as he fought to regain his composure.

It was clear his saber training wasn't suited to this kind of battle. He was trained to focus his strength keenly, for speed and impact all carried through the blade. He could improvise of course, but this steel blade wasn't made for his kind of combat. His enemy should never have been able to grab his sword, it had thrown him. It wouldn't happen again.

He had to adapt, right now he was fighting on the Kurgans terms. The Immortal had been bred to battle with steel blades; his armour could shrug off glancing hits while Anakin was defenseless. He couldn't keep blocking attacks, his blade would probably snap before Kurgans huge great sword did, he had to step back and play to his own advantages.

Anakin centered, drawing what he could from the Force and made his move, flipping over the Kurgans sword as it swept towards him. He didn't stop, his feet barely touching the ground before he was airborne again, somersaulting to a new location before the Kurgan recovered. He leapt a third time, trying to keep his movements random, ahead of the Kurgan's blade. He had immense power but no speed to match, and that was something Anakin could use.

He dropped in front of the Kurgan, slicing his katana and narrowly missing the sneering face of his opponent. In return the warrior drew back his arm and threw his massive blade at Anakin, forcing the Jedi to duck as it glittered past. He snapped back up, rolling his head as the Kurgans fist narrowly missed him. It was a decoy, Anakin realized too late as the Kurgans other hand grabbed his clothes and tugged him forward, propelling him upwards and away, then with both hands launching him across the street with a crowing laugh.

Anakin landed hard, rolling to pick up momentum and flip up onto his feet. He took up a defensive posture, catching his breath, but he didn't have to worry. The Kurgan was running in to the opposite direction towards a large building, snatching his sword out of its wall and booting in its door.

"Come on Jedi, come get me!"

Anakin lurched after him, and then faltered when he recognized the building. Sunnydale General Hospital.

With a grimace he took off, chasing after the warrior into the panic stricken building.

The hospital was in lock down, something more associated with prisons in most other parts of the world, but not Sunnydale. Here the hospital was also fitted with security doors and metal gates that separated various wards from each other. Most people barely noticed, it was only in times of chaos such measures appeared.

The authorities knew there was something odd about Sunnydale, they said nothing but they took precautions. The deployment of a full heavy armored Division with the latest tanks and weapons just a few miles outside of town was more than coincidence, and the interior of the hospital, the place where the dead came and blood was stored, was also evidence of this policy.

People were confined to their wards, sealed off. The vulnerable were relatively safe in their caged off little prisons and the undead were also contained. Some people were no doubt trapped in the sealed areas with them, but that was their problem. Until SWAT teams arrived the Hospital was shut down, its corridors deserted, its staff and patients cowering elsewhere. Only two men moved freely through the building.

"Can you hear me Jedi?" The voice mocked from nowhere. "Can you find me?"

"Running away?" Anakin advanced slowly through the hallways, the floor strewn with tossed aside debris, rags and upturned beds. The lights were out, just the red emergency bulbs dimly lighting the way. "Why don't we just settle this?"

"Why the rush? Aren't you having fun?"

"I was planning a nice evening in, maybe a game of Yahtzee." Anakin quipped, channeling his Apprentice.

"Sorry to interrupt that." The Kurgan mocked. "Perhaps you should find a girl, that's my plan for later on."

"I'll send her flowers when you don't show up."

"Don't you have a girl to go home to?"

Anakin briefly saw a flicker of Padme.

"Or is it she doesn't want you anymore? Left you somewhere?" The Kurgan chuckled. "And not by your choice. You silence tells me everything."

"Not as much as my sword in your neck will tell you." Anakin grunted. "Come on you Nerf Herder, let's get this done."

"As you wish."

Anakin pushed aside a pair of doors and stepped into another long corridor, this one running down the centre of the Hospital. Warning lights flashed from several roof mounted sirens, a red strobing that flashed light and dark, light and dark, blood and night.

At the other end the Kurgan waited, his shadow sweeping with each pass of the siren light, the strong contrast of the shadows spooking Anakin's vision. With his senses unattuned the flickering of light and dark was going to be distracting.

He steeled himself as he walked forward, flexing his sword arm, checking the distance.

"Cosy isn't it?" The Kurgan smiled. "Enclosed walls and roof, not that much space to bounce around in, is there?"

Anakin cursed inwardly, the Kurgan was right, in these corridors he had less space to dodge and leap, he was fighting in a cage. This warrior had positioned him right where it suited him, and Anakin had no choice but to face him. To walk away would cost innocent lives.

"I don't need to evade you." Anakin snapped his blade to the salute. ""You're going to die here."

The Kurgan raised his own blade overhead. "You can try boy."

Anakin dropped the tip of his blade to point at the enemy, holding it horizontal across his chest, his free hand outstretched. It was the poise his old Master Obi-Wan had favored and Anakin adopted it in his honor. He smiled, even with the odds he smiled.

"There is no try."

Anakin ran, eating up the yards as he attacked, the Kurgan roaring as he jolted forward himself, slashing his massive sword in a tight arc. Anakin swerved, running along the wall, using the Force to charge across the vertical surface and launch himself sideways at the warrior. The Kurgan swept around, the black mane of his helmet flicking out behind him as Anakins blade barely missed. Their swords met, withdrew and met again; seven times they clashed in less than five seconds, both men fighting with speed and power.

"More like it!" The Kurgan bellowed. "COME ON!"

Anakin locked blades, raising his elbow sharply to catch the warrior, cutting his lip.

"More!" The Kurgan laughed, spitting out blood. "MORE!"

They crashed together, their swords dented and notched by the raw power of each strike. Anakin was making it up on the spot, drawing from every style of combat and what he had seen of the Kurgan. He kicked the warriors knee to little effect, punched him again and again, but the heavily built man was resisting his attacks and Anakin couldn't focus enough for a massive knockout blow.

"This is nothing!" The Kurgan bellowed, backhanding Anakin across several yards of flickering corridor and through a door into an inhabited section of the hospital, a dozen people cowering in the corner of the large room trembling. "I'm wasting my time!" The Kurgan seemed to disappear into the shadows.

Anakin was finally able to gain a moments respite to analyze the situation and contemplate his next moves. The Kurgans style of combat suited him well; relying on brute strength and an even more brutal style of combat with a virtual endless supply of raw power that he seemed to be able to draw from. But it couldn't be endless. There had to be a limit to what he could draw upon.

Unfortunately for Anakin he was already starting to reach his limits. He was expending too much energy for very little gain in turn, forcing him to draw even more heavily from his reserves. Something he had never really needed to do before in his past. And it was getting harder and harder to draw on the Force to reenergize himself and rebuild his reserves.

Anakin had rarely been forced into prolonged battles. There just simply weren't that many people who could stand against his awesome power. As Darth Vader that had become even less of a problem as his passion fuelled the Dark side allowing him to easily overwhelm anyone who stood in his way. It was only during the battle against Obi-Wan on Mustafar this had not been the case, as his old master and friend had patiently weathered the virtual tsunami of Anakin's Dark side rage like a stubborn rock refusing to be swept aside. Until Anakin had virtually exhausted himself and made a mistake.

To make matters worse while the Kurgan had come into this battle fresh, Anakin had not. Throughout the night he had battled numerous zombies and saved countless people in distress; drawing heavily from the Force the entire time. While the Force granted enhanced strength and endurance to those who called upon it, prolonged, intense use of the Force could be extremely taxing on the mind and body leaving numbing weariness and fatigue. It was much like how athletes would suddenly hit a wall in their performance. There was only so much the human body could take.

This had become even more of an issue for Anakin as he had to expend considerable effort just to fight through the interference of Ovu Mobani's power in the Force, exasperating the problem.

You are weak, Anakin. You are but a shadow of your former self. Greatness reduced to mediocrity. You are pathetic. A deep mechanical voice echoed in his mind. Anakin brutally tried to repress that voice but he didn't succeed.

Not now! Of all the times he didn't need to deal with this, not now!

The specter of Darth Vader, always at the back of his mind, had now broken free and come to the fore. He could feel the dark shadow in his mind feeding off his fear and doubt; becoming stronger with each passing moment. And in his weariness his will to fight it was slowly slipping away.

Weak and misguided Jedi, cowering in fear. Is this what the great Anakin Skywalker been reduced to?

"Shut up." Anakin said quietly through tightly shut eyes gritted teeth. But Vader refused to yield.

Do the lives of your new friends mean nothing? This thing will surely kill them. You will fail them as you failed Obi-Wan. As you failed Padme. But you have the power to prevent it! Anakin struggled not to listen.

Give yourself to the Dark side…It is the only way to save your friends. Anakin felt his breath catch in his throat. Xander, Oz, Giles, Cordelia, Willow even Buffy…he had to protect them from this monster. They were all he had now, his only connections keeping him grounded in this world.

Yes…your thoughts betray you, your feelings for them are strong…

"I SAID SHUT UP!!!" Anakin snapped in rage. The few people who had been cowering around him for relative safety scrambled like startled Gizka from the increasingly unhinged young man.

Good! Feed off their fear! Let it fuel your real power!

Anakin didn't respond. He was so tempted to give in he could almost feel the familiar presence of the Dark side beginning to envelop him. All he had to do was take that final step and give in. Suddenly he caught sight of something in his peripheral vision near the shattered door and he spun quickly, weapon raised to meet it as he reached back to call forth the power of the Dark side... and locked eyes with a robbed bearded figure with deep sad eyes staring back at him.

Obi-Wan?

At once Anakin was assaulted with an overwhelming sense of shame and guilt, snapping him out of his rage. He lowered his head and looked away from the man he had betrayed and murdered. He couldn't bear the look in those eyes; the disappointment, the accusation, the truth.

Betrayer, murderer, monster, those eyes said to him even if the figure hadn't.

Your destiny lies with me Skywalker. Obi-Wan knew this to be true. And yet in that moment of self loathing Anakin discovered a fundamental truth hidden by the deception of the Dark side. In order to save his friends he had to first save himself. Giving into the seductive easy power of the Dark side might deal with the immediate threat. But ultimately he would become the monster they would ultimately have to destroy. And with that realization he found the strength to resist the call of the Dark side, to fight back.

He looked up to meet the eyes of his old friend and Master, willing to face the accusing stare he knew he rightly deserved. But what he saw was curiously not what he expected. The eyes were bright and understanding, filled with sympathy and love for one who viewed him as his brother, encouraging him-- encouraging Anakin to fight. Could the part that was Vader have so distorted what he had seen? Twisting his perception of the truth to weaken him and allowing the Dark side to once again take hold? His feelings told him this was true.

That one simple act of encouragement, of compassion, from the one person who should have condemned him to his fate filled him with a sense of hope; that there truly could be redemption and forgiveness for someone like him. It strengthened his resolve.

With renewed purpose he stretched out to the Force. Anakin struggled to reach a calm, serene center in his thoughts. Breathing deeply while slowing his beating heart he slowly began to push away the malignant power of the Dark side. Raging passion slowly gave way to calm serenity as the fog began to lift from his mind. But perfect serenity seemed just beyond his reach…always beyond his reach.

It was so hard. It was so very hard. He had fallen to the brink so fast, nearly being swallowed whole. Until now he hadn't realized how far he had come to nearly being seduced yet again. But as he slowly pulled himself away and his mind cleared he could see just how close he had come.

We will meet again Anakin. You will never truly escape me. The shadow of Vader whispered in his mind before disappearing where Anakin banished him.

With his emotions under fragile control and the monster beaten back Anakin looked toward the figure standing next to him…and frowned when he saw nothing but empty air. In that instant the Force screamed out a warning. Acting instantly and without hesitation Anakin rolled out of the way a mere second before a sword completely exploded through the drywall behind him; right where his head would have been.

Completing his roll the Jedi knight turned to face his opponent head on as the Kurgan plowed through the weakened drywall effortlessly.

"You were starting to bore me." The Kurgan said stepping into the strobing red emergency lights. His patented sadistic smirk etched on his face.

Anakin kept his face firmly impassive as he brought his weapon up into a high guard stance and rallied the last of his reserves. He needed to rethink his strategy. Trying to physically overpower the Kurgan obviously wasn't working. He needed a different approach.

"You can't run from me forever boy!" The Kurgan bellowed. "The longer you run the more tired you'll be when you die!"

"I'm not running." Anakin faced him. "I know where I stand."

He lashed out with the Force, his mind still too clouded to gain a perfect connection but now serene enough to tap into more of the awesome power bequeathed to him. A wave of energy picked up the Kurgan and smashed him hard into a concrete wall, the blocks bulging as he staggered to the ground in a haze of grey dust.

He took two leaping steps and met the Kurgan again, both swords once more flashing in the disorientating light. Anakin had much more control now, more focus, more precision. He could see the Kurgans moves more clearly; each strike was almost in slow motion, so easy to dodge.

He leaned sharply back, the massive sword gliding a mere centimeter above his face as the Kurgan missed, before lunging with his own sword. The Katana caught the Kurgans chest, sliding past his armour and drawing blood before he fully turned aside, the big warrior snarling in surprise more than pain.

"I have you now." Anakin grinned darkly. "Last chance to come with me quietly."

"You're still playing by the rules." The warrior mocked. "That's why you're going to lose."

"I'm not the one bleeding all over the floor."

"No." The Kurgan suddenly shot an arm out to the side and seized something from the shadows, a screaming pregnant woman Anakin in his distracted state had not been able to sense. "But if you don't back off she's going to start bleeding too."

Anakin froze, his eyes narrowing. "If you touch her…"

"What? Like this?" The Kurgan raised his eyebrows, then licked the panicked woman's neck, relishing the moment. "Nothing tastes better than fear."

"This is between you and me!"

"Actually she is between you and me." The Kurgan smiled widely. "Like I said, why bother with rules."

"I thought you were a warrior, I thought you wanted a challenge?"

"I wanted a good time; maybe my new friend can help me out with that?" He leaned closer to her ear. "I don't mind that extra weight you've got, it'll make things more interesting. More cushion for the pushing I say!"

Anakin could feel his rage boiling up again, the frustration of it, the pure anger at the mockery this man was making of him. The voice inside was starting to sound again, his every heartbeat sounding like the thump of the Dark Lords armored footsteps drawing ever closer. He was breathing shallowly, rasping, and every intake of breath sounded more and more mechanical to his ears.

"You will not have her!" He stated forcefully.

"Stop me."

"You should not underestimate my power."

Anakin stretched out his hand and felt the Kurgan's throat. From ten yards away he pressed, tightening the grip around his neck. He could hear him choking, the warriors eyes widening.

"How…" He coughed. "Can…?"

"Your strength, your experience, your anger, it's all insignificant compared to the power of the Force."

He lifted the Kurgan off his feet, the warrior still clutching the screaming woman and lifting her with him. Anakin tightened his grip, growing more and more angry as his opponent refused to die. He could hear cartilage breaking as the Kurgans windpipe folded inwards, yet still he lived. He had one choice left, drawing from within he prepared to fry the man with Force lightning, and the woman too. She was an unfortunate casualty.

Even as he thought it he knew it was wrong. He hesitated, pausing just long enough to hear a gentle whisper in his heart. The quiet but immensely powerful voice that was always just beyond his senses, the words of the wisest of the old Jedi.

Find another way Anakin.

He closed his eyes, releasing the Kurgan, and in doing so finally purging the taint of the Dark side.

"I will master Qui Gonn." Anakin whispered.

He raised his gaze again, the Kurgan obviously hurt and stumbling, his arm still around the pregnant woman but loose now. This was his moment. He struck with the Force, pulling the woman towards him while also pushing the Kurgan away. It took extreme precision, being as gentle as he could with the woman and as brutal as possible with the Kurgan.

The Pregnant woman fell into his arms, Anakin caching her as the Kurgan was smashed through a set of Elevator doors into the empty shaft behind. He grabbed onto the edges with both hands, yelling a stream of abuse at the Jedi as he teetered on the edge. His massive great sword disappearing into the shaft behind him.

"Wait here." Anakin moved the woman aside, then raised his sword. With the Force guiding his hand he threw the blade, a long silver bullet that pierced the Kurgans armour and cut through his heart.

The warrior grunted, looking down at the sword buried up to its hilt in his chest, then chuckled as he toppled backwards. Anakin pulled the sword back to his hand with the Force as the Kurgans body bounced down the lift shaft to the bottom, landing with a thud.

"Who was that?" The Pregnant woman squeaked.

"I don't know fully, but he can't hurt anyone now." Anakin assured. "Come with me, I'll keep you safe."

"Thank you, I… Thank you."

Anakin lead her away, pausing for a second as he heard the rasping hiss of a ventilator in one of the rooms, the mechanical breathing forcing him to suppress a wave of bitterness.

No matter how far down he pushed it, it was always still there.

*******

In the dark, laying in a pile of rubbish and bleeding heavily, the Kurgan broke a smile. He was immortal, and had neither use nor need for a heart. Today had been an interesting day, but not nearly as interesting as he was going to make the next days.

********

The Summers Home

Revello Dr. Sunnydale California

In the basement Xander and Oz frantically searched for any weapons while Larry, Devon and Jonathan firmly barricaded the door. Cordelia and Sandy simply stood off to the side and eyed the young man with looks of fury and awe respectively.

"So ah, Xander?" Larry called from the doorway, "I know you guys are into some weird shit, but…what the hell were those things?"

"Zombies," Xander answered absently. He was too focused on his search for weapons to even attempt some lame story.

"Zombies…zombies he says." Larry shook his head with a snort.

"I buy it," Jonathan said. "I mean a lot of really weird things happen here. Take Halloween for instance. I mean I went as…"

"Can we keep the traumatic memories down to a minimal? I would rather you didn't remind me of that night, or the fact I paid twice what that outfit was actually worth!" Cordelia said with a sickly sweet smile that wasn't fooling anyone. Jonathan immediately went quiet with a gulp.

Sandy shook her head in amazement. "How did you do that?" she directed her question to Xander.

"Do what?" Xander asked as he pulled out a short sword from behind the book case.

"When you were going like all…super fast and stuff...and...and that thing you did with your hand that made those zombies fly through the window. I...I I've never seen anything like it!" Sandy beamed excitedly.

"I'd kind of like to know that too," Oz muttered in agreement.

Xander didn't answer right away; instead he tested the grip of the weapon and took a few practice swings before frowning. Short swords weren't his thing really, but it would have to do. He turned to face the others.

"I can't talk about it right now. Let's just leave it at that." Xander said simply. He wasn't going to lie to them. They were his friends and they deserved to know the truth but his Master had made it very clear he wasn't to discuss his training with them till he felt comfortable, and that still applied even now.

Thankfully no one protested, however Cordelia snorted and mumbled something under her breath while Sandy simply looked disappointed. Oz was studying Xander with keen interest. He'd known that something had been off about Xander lately. Well maybe 'off' wasn't the right description, but more 'in tune' was a better way of putting it. Oz had had his suspicions for a while now but he'd kept them to himself. It wasn't his place to blurt out the man's business. Oz nodded slowly, a sure sign for anyone who knew him that he was going to let the matter drop.

For now.

"We're getting out of here." Xander took charge of the situation before they could ask more awkward questions. He moved to the stairwell but stopped short when Oz put a hand on his shoulder to stop him then moved past him toward the door.

"I'm on point," Oz said firmly. Xander nodded while the three young men at the door moved down the stairs and out of his way.

"I don't hear anything. Do you guys? Should we check?" Cordelia asked. Sandy, Devon, and Jonathan shook their heads in the negative.

"Let's go for it," Oz said. He opened the door slowly to look out and was relieved to see no zombies. He opened it wider and looked the other way and exhaled in relief when he saw no more zombies. It looked like the coast was clear but they all could hear noises coming from upstairs. Oz turned back to the others and gave a meaningful glance as the others slowly filed out behind him.

Cordelia spotted a pair of ski poles and handed one to Oz. "Here."

"Thanks." Oz nodded.

Larry grabbed a baseball bat just as the group filed out towards the hall and the stairs. Just as they reached the kitchen door Oz went rigid and gripped his weapon tighter. Xander and Cordelia acted instantly coming to either side of him while Larry, Devon, Jonathon and Sandy held back. Suddenly Giles appeared at the doorway but stopped abruptly when he nearly stumbled into three sets of weapons pointed at various parts of his anatomy.

"Cordelia....Xander, Oz, It's me! It's me!"

"How do we know it's really you and not zombie Giles?" Cordelia responded.

"Cordelia, do stop being so tiresome," Giles retorted.

"It's him." Cordelia breathed a sigh of relief.

All three teenagers drew back their weapons while the noise upstairs grew louder as they slowly moved to the stairs again.

"I think the dead man's party moved upstairs," Oz reasoned.

"That makes sense. It's the mask in Joyce's bedroom they're after," Giles explained.

"Mask?" Cordelia asked.

Giles nodded "The mask holds the power of a…zombie demon, called Ovu Mobani—Evil Eye. I don't think we can get past them."

"Well, what happens if they get the mask?" Oz asked.

"If one of them puts it on, they become the demon incarnate," Giles explained.

"Worse than a zombie?" Cordelia asked.

Giles looked at Cordelia as if she'd grown another head. "Yes, worse."

"We need a plan then," Xander said looking up the stairs.

"Got one in mind?" Oz asked.

"Yeah I do." Xander nodded. "I want you guys to get out of here. I'll deal with this."

"That's not a good plan, Xander," Giles admonished. "We need to work together."

"We can't do that while watching these four." Xander countered with a wave toward Jonathan, Larry, Devon and Sandy.

Larry crossed his arms over his chest. "What are you saying, Harris, that I can't handle myself?"

Once upon a time Xander might have been intimidated by Larry. Not so anymore.

"Against this?" Xander pointed upstairs. "Yes," he stated bluntly.

"Enough, both of you," Giles said sternly, cutting Larry off before he could respond. "This is not a game and the less people involved the better."

"I'm really fond of running. I'm no fighter," Sandy said weakly.

"Me neither," Devon added with a shrug.

"So what do you want us to do?" Jonathan croaked. "We can't go out there! There could be more of them!"

"Of course not." Giles groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just…stay back, behind us."

"It would so be nice if we had our super hero friend right now," Cordelia replied in exasperation.

"Unfortunately Anakin has been detained dealing with another matter," Giles explained.

"What could be more important than this?" Cordelia asked bruskly.

"He mentioned something far worse than Ovu Mobani. He gave no other details. I'm inclined to trust his judgment."

Xander surprisingly felt torn on the subject. He had faith that his master could handle anything the Hellmouth threw at him. But still, he wanted to be there by his side. They way it should have been, Master and Apprentice, fighting side by side. Anakin was the first person to truly believe in him. Teaching Xander a variety of skills that would allow the young man to reach his full potential, opening his mind to the Force.

He owed Anakin so much for that.

But at the same time his friends needed him here and he would never, could never abandon them. He hoped future battles would never force him to divide his loyalties between his Master and his friends. But he had a feeling that somewhere down the line, he would have to make a choice. He didn't want to entertain the thought, he needed them both equally. But right now he pushed the thought away and focused on the task at hand, just as his master had trained him to do, they had a big bad to take down.

***********

In Joyce's bedroom things eventually deteriorated. Joyce was tending to Pat who was sitting on the footrest at the same time the zombies eventually overpowered Buffy at the door, knocking it open violently. Joyce fell to the floor and back peddled away from the two zombies but there were several more behind them.

"Res publica Undo!" Willow chanted from next to Buffy. A solid wave of energy coalesced and slammed into the first zombie knocking it and three more of its companions back out the door and through the far wall into the bathroom in a shower of exploding tiles and debris.

"Oh no..." Joyce groaned when she saw the massive hole in the wall.

"Willow!" Buffy directed an angry glare to Willow.

"Eep, sorry!" Willow replied meekly.

In that instant another zombie stormed the room. It backhand punched Buffy sending her into the wall. With its back turned, Willow jumped on the zombie's back, but the undead creature effortlessly slung her off and onto the bed where she rolled off the far side.

Pat had been watching the fight in a sort of daze but her eyes soon fell on the mask which had fallen on the floor and locked onto it. She stood up; her gaze still locked on the mask and stepped over toward it. Joyce saw her stand and looked at her in amazement. She got up off the floor and moved to Pat's side.

"Oh, God! We thought you were—" Joyce tried to hug Pat, but Pat grabbed her outstretched arm and pushed her hard on to the bed. Joyce rolled off of it and landed next to Willow. Pat bent down and picked up the mask and held it to her face as she stood up. The eyes suddenly began to glow a bright red and the mask integrated itself into Pat's face. The zombie that Buffy was still battling suddenly stopped fighting and fell to its knees, screaming and cowering.

"Oh. This is not good," Willow whimpered.

"What's going on?" Joyce asked, perplexed.

"When big scary monsters get scared it can only mean things are about to get really, really bad." Willow rose quickly and readied her energies to call on a defensive spell when the demon suddenly turned its attention to her, transfixing her with its stare.

"I live, you die," Mobani's double voice echoed menacingly.

Buffy kicked the zombie in the chest and sent him back into the hallway then spun and immediately moved to get between Willow and Ovu Mobani. Mobani turned to her and its eyes flashed, mesmerizing Buffy on the spot. The demon backhand punched her, sending Buffy flying into a high arc against the closet door. Thankfully whatever it was wore off quickly and she swiftly rallied her wits from her slight daze. She raised herself onto her hands and knees and saw Willow backing away fearfully from Mobani.

"Willow, don't look!"

Mobani's eyes flashed again at Willow and she froze on the spot. The demon strode over toward her and grabbed her by the jaw and the back of the head. Buffy lunged at Mobani and with considerable strength tackled the demon and dove out the window. The two slowly rolled off the roof and into the backyard.

********

The crash of glass and the sound of bodies rolling on the roof and into the backyard were unmistakable. Xander instantly knew it was Buffy. A moment ago he felt a wave of vertigo translated through the Force, nearly overwhelm him and causing him to almost retch. Something bad had just happened but before the others could ask what was wrong with him he waved them off. It had only lasted for a moment before passing. But now as he regained his senses and the Force began to clear he realized the fight had moved outside.

"Buffy!" Xander cried out. He missed Cordelia's jealous glare burning a hole in the back of his head at his worried cry.

"Out back!" Giles warned.

The seven of them had been making their way up the stairwell but with the sound of conflict now coming from the backyard they instantly turned and moved back the way they came. A zombie appeared from the dining room and grabbed Giles by the neck. The older Englishman simply pushed his entire body weight into his shoulder and rammed the zombie knocking both of them to the ground.

The zombie recovered faster but not fast enough before it found itself squaring off against Xander.

"Oz, Larry, Cordelia, get upstairs and check on Willow and Ms. Summers. I'll deal with this!" Xander ordered sternly.

Oz didn't hesitate. He was seriously worried about Willow and it showed. He bounded up the stairs two at a time with urgency, Larry and Devon right behind him.

Cordelia hesitated for only a moment, wondering when Xander had become such a commanding presence before she too moved up the stairs, but not before she wondered if Xander would ever make the same effort for her.

The white knight going to rescue his precious Buffy! Cordelia thought jealously. She moved up the stairs but not with the same urgency as the others.

The zombie was in a kneeling position by the time Xander was on him. The young Padawan didn't even give the undead creature a chance to stand before Xander lashed out with a viscous snap kick that knocked the demon upright with the sheer Force of his enhanced blow. The demon raised its arms to grab the young man but Xander cut off each arm at the elbow in quick succession before severing the head of the demon with a graceful stroke of his blade. A final backspin kick knocked the body back towards the front door where it lay unmoving.

Xander turned to Sandy and Jonathan kneeling over the downed Watcher. "You two stay here and watch him," Xander ordered. Both nodded with awed looks on their faces staring back at him. Xander ignored them and turned his attention back to Giles. "You okay, Giles?" Xander asked.

"I'll be fine, go help Buffy!" Giles coughed as he messaged his neck.

Xander didn't hesitate and bolted for the kitchen.

"Xander, tell Buffy Mobani's power lies in his eyes, his eyes, Xander!" Giles cried out to his retreating back.

***********

Willow was slumped against the dresser in a daze with Joyce kneeling over her.

"It's ok honey, come on" Joyce said in a comforting voice as she helped Willow get to her wobbly feet. At the same moment the zombie that Buffy had been battling earlier reappeared in the doorway. It spotted the two young women and malevolently made its way toward them. Willow spotted the creature coming up behind Joyce and her eyes went wide. But before she could shout a warning the demon suddenly arched back and was slammed into a nearby wall. Willow and Joyce looked up to see Oz impaling the creature with a ski pole. The young man withdrew his weapon and moved to stab the zombie again but the demon grabbed the ski pole and began grappling with the young man. Larry appeared at that moment to assist and delivered a powerful enough haymaker on the demons temple that Oz could almost feel the shockwave from the impact. Larry stepped back for only a moment to hand Joyce his bat. His fists were all he needed.

The demon released its grip and staggered for a second then came on again. Oz ducked under a blow and stabbed the demon in the gut but it didn't faze it. Undaunted the demon grabbed the ski pole protruding from its gut and snapped it in half with an angry roar then tossed it aside. Oz and Larry smoothly traded places with Larry hammering the demon with a series of jabs, hooks and uppercuts with considerable skill. He managed to push the demon back toward the door only to see it arch it's back again as Cordelia entered the fight by impaling the demon in the lower back with her ski pole. Working together the two were quickly able to push the zombie back towards the door.

Oz moved to Willow's side. "Babe, I was worried. Are you okay?" he asked.

"I think so." Willow rubbed the back of her head.

"What happened?" Oz asked.

"The mask, Pat put it on and then she attacked us. We have to help Buffy!" Willow pleaded.

"Xander's already out there," Oz said.

"What!?" Willow was instantly ready to run downstairs.

Unfortunately fate had other ideas. At that moment four more zombies appeared; the very ones Willow had in fact blasted with her magical assault. Cordelia, realizing she was trapped between two enemies acted quickly by kicking the first zombie into the room then turning around to slam the door shut and put her body weight behind it. However she didn't have the strength to hold off four undead demons and the door was being forced open when a rotted arm began snaking though.

"Devon! Unlike the time we were dating why don't you do something useful other than standing around! Some. Help. Would. Be. Appreciated!" Cordelia exclaimed through gritted teeth.

Devon snapped out of his stupor and moved to the door to aid Cordelia. Oz and Willow ducked out of the way of Larry and the first zombie exchanging blows then moved quickly to the door as well. Joyce gripped the baseball bat tighter and with a determined look on her face moved to assist Larry.

******

Buffy groaned in pain. She'd had the wind knocked out of her when she fell off the roof but thankfully Pat's body had cushioned the blow. Now as she made her way to her hands and knees she spotted the shovel she had used to bury the cat the previous day. Behind her Ovu Mobani had already risen to its feet and began coming for her again. Buffy snatched the shovel, quickly shot to her feet, turned and raised it with the intent to strike, but the demon flashed its eyes again, freezing her on the spot. Taking a second to revel in its moment of triumph Mobani moved to snap the young girl's neck, when suddenly, something powerful slammed into the demons back; knocking it to the ground on its stomach. The demon turned to the direction where the attack came from and snarled at a young man on the back porch.

Xander lowered his hand from his Force push and gripped his weapon tighter. He looked to Buffy only to see she was still mesmerized on the spot and vulnerable.

No one hurts her; it's just not gonna happen! Xander swore to himself.

Reaching out to the Force Xander launched himself in a Force enhanced jump directly at the demon, weapon raised over his head for the coup de grace. The demon Mobani snarled and quickly made its way to its feet just in time to catch Xander's arm, arresting his downward stroke. The demon head butted the young man, momentarily stunning him then kicked the short sword from his grasp. The demon grabbed the young Padawan by the collar of his shirt then tossed him in a high arc near the bushes. Xander landed with a thud just shy of the bushes and rolled back to face the demon, with the intent of springing right back at Ovu Mobani when a flash from its eyes paralyzed him on the spot.

Mobani laughed in triumph.

"Hey Pat!"

Ovu Mobani snapped its head around to look at Buffy in surprise. Buffy slammed the shovel into the demon's eyes, embedding it deep in its head. The demon grabbed the shovel handle out of pure reflex and tried to pull it out but simply couldn't.

"Made you look," Buffy snickered.

In a flash of brilliant light Ovu Mobani disappeared.

Buffy wasted no time in savoring her victory and quickly made her way to Xander's side and knelt down.

"Xander, are you okay?" Buffy asked in concern.

The young Jedi padawan shook the cobwebs from his head and stared up at Buffy in confusion. "What happened?" he asked, groggily trying to get to his feet.

"Add one more for the home team." Buffy pulled his arm over her shoulders and effortlessly helped him to his feet. Xander wobbled for a moment but she held him steady. She smiled warmly at him. "It wears off after a few moments."

"Thanks Buff," Xander said quietly. Buffy studied him carefully; there was just something off about his voice; as of it held a tone of defeat. But she couldn't be reading that right, could she? They'd won hadn't they?

"Are you sure you're alright?" Buffy asked in concern.

"I'll be fine." Xander smiled reassuringly.

No, he wasn't fine. He'd failed; repeatedly. First off, he'd been complacent and dropped his guard. He hadn't been paying attention to the Force as he should have, which allowed Ovu Mobani to go unchecked until the demon struck. Which made this entire situation his fault, and people had nearly been killed because of his failure. He was lucky no one had been killed; he didn't know if he would have been able to live with that.

Let's see, what else? Ah, yes, he'd failed to keep his anger under control. He'd failed to act rationally; and he had miserably failed to tell Cordelia the truth. But wait there was more! He had utterly failed his Master by allowing his secret to be exposed. Considering the situation and how things could have played out that may not have been fair, he had been partially effective in deciding the outcome of the battle, but not in the way he had hoped. It still stung, so he still tallied it as a failure.

And then there was the most important failure of all.

He had failed to save Buffy….

What good were these powers if he couldn't use them to save the ones he cared about? His list of failures tonight alone went on and on. He was so angry with himself that he could barely think straight. And for a brief moment he wondered if he had made a mistake in accepting this Jedi thing. He wasn't a hero. He didn't beat the big bad, Buffy did, as she always did. His actions tonight had proven he wasn't cut out for it. He could feel his confidence plummeting because of his repeated failures. But he kept it inside, silently, and just smiled at Buffy. He felt so ashamed of himself he could barely maintain eye contact but he forced himself to less she grow suspicious of his inner turmoil.

Buffy returned his smile. She knew there was something going on under that brave front he was putting on. She wasn't completely convinced by it but she wasn't going to press the issue. She was so proud of him. He had been so brave tonight and a big help in rallying the others, watching her back and in the one moment when it really counted, distracting the demon and saving her life. But most of all she was just glad her Xander shaped friend was safe and sound.

"Come on, let's get back inside." Buffy put her head on his shoulder and hugged him tighter. They moved toward the steps with Xander disentangling himself from Buffy and moving under his own strength.

"By the way Xander, how did you get out here so fast?"

Xander smirked mirthlessly, "If I told you I flew through the air would you believe me?"

Buffy let out the first real laugh she'd had since coming home. As the two young heroes went inside she couldn't help but feel a sense of hopefulness that things were going to be okay, that things just might be getting back on track. And leave it to Xander to be the one to make her feel better about it all.

*******

In Joyce's bedroom Larry and Joyce were still beating a zombie senseless with Devon, Oz, Willow and Cordelia pushing their body weight into the door for dear life when suddenly, with a flash of light, the zombie disappeared. The attack at the door also ceased abruptly.

"What happened?" Joyce asked in surprise. She and Larry exchanged confused looks.

Oz looked around and nodded. "I think they're gone."

"You mean it's finally over, Oz?" Devon asked in strained voice.

"Think so," Oz responded carefully. He gently nudged the others aside and opened the door to find no zombies. The others sighed in relief.

And just like that it was over.

The group cautiously moved down stairs to find Sandy and Jonathan slowly helping Giles to his feet.

"You okay, Giles?" Willow asked.

"I shall live to fight another day." Giles massaged his sore throat gingerly with a grimace.

"Buffy?" Joyce called out. She ran down the stairs, through the living room looking for Buffy and spotted her and Xander coming through the kitchen.

"Honey!" Joyce ran over and embraced her daughter tightly. Buffy returned her embrace.

They released their embrace and stepped apart. "Are you alright?" Joyce asked.

"Yeah," Buffy nodded.

"So is this a typical day at the office?" Joyce asked.

"No. This was nothing," Buffy said.

"So this is normal?" Larry asked.

The Scoobies, Giles and Joyce faced the four amazed newcomers.

"More or less," Xander shrugged.

"So those were demons?" Jonathan asked.

The four Scoobies, Giles and Joyce shared nervous glances. "No. Those were zombies. The mask was the Demon," Xander finally responded.

"Okay, I'm not going crazy," Jonathan said nearly panting.

"I think I'm going to go home now," Sandy said, "And try to pretend none of this ever happened." She looked as if she was going to ask Xander to escort her home but Cordelia's glare made her think twice.

"Yeah me too," Devon agreed.

The Scoobies shared knowing glances at those remarks.

"Ignorance will only get you killed. Or worse," Xander responded.

"Wow Xander," Buffy smiled in appraisal. "When did you become the wise master spouting out meaningful platitudes?" Buffy asked. She of course missed the evil glare from Cordelia for stealing her question.

Xander shrugged. "Live in Sunnydale long enough and you pick up a few things."

"You know, it's been real Summers, but I gotta go. I'll make sure these three get home safely," Larry said, breaking up the interplay between the two friends. "We'll talk later after I've had time to process all of this." Larry ushered them out the destroyed front door leaving the Scoobies, Joyce and Giles alone.

Buffy sighed as she took stock of the destroyed house. "Why doesn't anyone ever want to help with the cleanup?"

******