CHAPTER 13

Buffy stumbled as she passed the dark alleys. The poison was on full swing now. Her strength was gone. The waves of dizziness were now more frequent. She stopped and breathed hard as she leaned back on a wall. Her legs wobbled. She felt tired. She just wanted to lie there and wait…. She sat on the ground and looked toward the direction she had come from. The sounds of footsteps were now reaching her ears. He was coming. "Come out where ever you are", a taunting voice called out. "It is no use for you to be here. Let me make it quick and painless". Buffy tried to get up, but her body was not cooperating. All of the sudden she felt being pulled up. The wave of dizziness hit her again. When she recovered she looked directly into a pair if deep yellow eyes. The vampire growled as he smashed her hard against the wall. The blonde slayer bit her lip in order to withhold the pain. The vampire growled again as he repeated the move. This time the young girl was smashed right through the wall. Buffy crumpled on the floor. Her body begged for mercy. She felt everything going very black. Soon there was nothing more to see than pure darkness.

*****

Galgamesh heard a faint grunt around the corner. He slowly moved towards the sound. Braking wood was the next piece of noise that reached his ears. He turned the corner and saw nothing but one of the beings he hated the most. A traitor to his kind. A worm. The bleached haired vampire looked back at him with snotty smile drawn all over his face.

"Lost something mate?", Spike asked.

"How dare you?", Galgamesh asked. "Of all the vampires….of all the demons….why you?"

"Um", Spike said as he slowly walked towards the powerful demon. "Don't follow".

"It doesn't matter", Galgamesh said as he returned the smile. "It is not you I look for. Where is the slayer?"

"You can't have her", Spike said deep in his accent. "She is mine. I, and only I will kill her".

"You won't", Galgamesh said with a laugh. "In all the chances you will have…in all the opportunities you will obtain. You will not even come close".

"Maybe so", Spike said. "But I am pretty sure I will come closer than you".

"And why is that", Galgamesh asked.

"Because", Spike started. "I will be here long after you are gone. See…you will live no more".

Galgamesh smiled at the idea. "We will see about that", the evil demon said. As the words left his lips, both vampires rushed at each other.

*****

Xander walked with Kat putting her entire weight on his side. Her legs felt heavy. The drug had stopped circulating through her system now. It was just present. "We cannot let her die", Kat said.

"I know that", Xander said as he walked by the large warehouses.

"She is part of a plan", Kat said trying not to lose her senses. Her voice was getting all groggily. "She leads four to obtain the artifact", Kat said her eyes rolling back. Xander wanted her to stop, but the words just didn't reach his lips. "All of them have to make it to the most high. They will face the ultimate evil. She must live for this to become a reality".

"I won't let anything happen to her", Xander said. "Now quiet down. You are revealing us to much information".

"Thank you for everything", Kat said.

"Quiet", Xander ordered. "I hear something".

*****

"I can't just stay here", Giles said to both Willow and Tara.

"We have to", Tara said. "Everything is falling into place".

"What do you mean?", Willow asked.

"I am not sure", Tara said. "Ancient writings said that when the time line is interrupted, a certain aura surrounds everything".

"What does that mean?", Giles asked as he looked at the girls and than at the direction Buffy had gone.

"The aura can either be positive or negative", Tara said. "If it is positive, the wheels of time are turning like they should".

"And if it is negative?", Willow asked.

Tara looked at her friend with gloomy eyes. "The end of mankind as we know it. The destruction of our known universe".

"I don't care", Giles said was he made his way towards the deadly direction the others had followed.

"Giles wait", Tara said. "Trust me. We have to let it be"

Giles looked at her in disbelief and ran towards the mortal direction. Tara looked at Willow. The red head looked undecided. She than grabbed her friends' hand and followed the older man.

*****

Spike screamed in pain as his body got smashed into a wooden crate. His body was taking a long time to react. He felt himself being picked up and put back on his feet. "What does she see in you?", Galgamesh asked the blonde vampire. "Why would Michaela want a wimp like you?"

Spikes eyes fired up in rage. He stood up and fired a solid right to the devil's chin. The dark vampire staggered at the blow. His vision was suddenly clouded with another ball of skin. He slumped down the floor. He was about to get up when Spike saved him the trouble. The next thing Galgamesh knew, he was flying through the air an crashing through a wooden crate. Spike's face was filled with rage. The mention of that female name fired up his human spirit. He was going to murder the devil.

"Now we are getting serious", Galgamesh said as he stood up. "The girl is not here to protect you. You will be dusted within seconds".

"Cut the evil talk", Spike said. "I am evil. I have done it".

"Ok", Galgamesh said. "Let's get nasty". The words hadn't even left his lips when Spike ran towards the demon with murder in his eyes.