Chapter Twenty four
'Becoming'
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AN 2017: The final two chapters for this part. What a ride it has been to redo this story. Odd how you could originally work on something for more then a year and then feel embarrassed by it for many more.
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"Buffy, do you happen to know where Belmovekk is?"
Buffy looked up from doing her homework assignment together with Willow in the library, Xander and Cordelia doing something else, as a very worried looking Giles had returned from spending a morning being somewhere else.
"Why hello back, Giles, how my day was? Fine I might say, especially with Snyder breathing down my neck all day," she said pointing at the back of her neck.
"And she's using sarcastic quote marks there," Xander added eagerly with a big grin.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Buffy," Giles said, massaging his forehead as he nurtured a growing headache, "It's just that I've just been to the natural history museum and seen a very nasty surprise."
"How nasty?" Cordelia asked concerned.
"Let me venture out on a limb here and postulate that it requires lot's of dusty old books, late nights, lot's of caffeine, Twinkies and the services of a certain Super Saiyan," Xander said as in answer to her question.
"Despite you again raping the Queen's English in the most terrible way you are quite right, Xander," Giles said as he took off his coat.
"And they say I never study," Xander smiled to Cordelia.
"Wait a second, postulate," Buffy asked looking at Xander.
"My new word of the day," the young man smiled.
"Well hitting the books is fun, isn't it?" Willow said looking eagerly around her. Xander however was already making pencil through the eye gestures in response.
"It's not the actual research work that worries me, Will," Xander said downcast, "it's the ensuing wackiness, mayhem and destruction that follows."
"So, in all reverence to your bad day, Buffy," Giles tried again, massaging his forehead, "do you happen to know where Belmovekk is?"
"He and my mom sort of took off on a date," Buffy said slightly uncomfortable.
"Hey, so they're finally back together," Xander said, smiling again, "good for the B-man! When did that happen?"
"During our trip to survivor island," Buffy said, "It would seem that Belmo came by the house with a bottle of wine and they talked things out "
"On a date?" Giles sighed shaking his head, "Speaking of bad timing."
"Well, not if you want to hook up with the woman carrying your child," Willow said.
"And define hook up not as a one night stand but something way more 'permanent'" Xander quickly added with a big grin.
Buffy groaned and hit the table with her forehead in response.
"Thank you, guys" she said bumping her head, "thank you for reminding me what I'm trying to repress all day."
"Sorry, Buffy, but isn't it kinda romantic?" Willow smiled.
"I'm not having this conversation," Buffy said, continuing with the bumpage.
"Then perhaps do you happen to know where they were going?" Giles asked.
"He just took her in his arms and flew away somewhere east," Buffy answered, finally giving up on her bumpathon.
"Isn't that sweet?" Willow said dreamily.
"I hear the Grand Canyon is nice this time of the year," Xander smiled, followed by the sounds of Buffy hitting the table again.
"This is most unfortunate," Giles said, "did he take his cell phone with him?"
"The B-man doesn't believe in taking along cell phones. If it is that important people will call back later," Xander said while doing a Belmovekk impersonation.
"His scouter then?" Giles asked, "They have transmitters built into them, right?"
"He didn't have one with him when he left," Buffy replied shaking her head.
Giles started to mutter some authentic English vernacular.
"Easy on the Ripper, Giles. Besides, we're still here," Xander said.
"No offense, Xander, but I'm not even sure you or Buffy can handle this. This calls for the, um , big guns," Giles replied and went into his office.
"OK, raise your hands if like me you are now officially worried," Xander said. They all raised their hands.
The doors to the library opened and in walked Jenny Calendar carrying a newspaper.
"Oh, hi, Miss Calendar," Willow smiled. The others greeted her as well, except for Buffy who just grunted something non-commitantly. She may have given Giles the green light to resume their relationship, it didn't mean she had to be overly friendly to the bi..., person who wasn't exactly on her most favorite person list.
"Hi guys," Jenny said looking around, "is Rupert here?"
"He's in his office, feeling sorry for himself," Xander pointed.
"OK," Jenny said slightly puzzled, then she walked into Giles' office.
"Rupert?" she said.
Giles looked up from sitting slightly depressed in his chair, playing with his glasses.
"Oh, hi, Jenny," he said sullen, "if this is about our date tomorrow, now is not a good time."
"I know," she said and slammed the newspaper on top of his desk, "we have a problem."
Giles put on his glasses and read the headline.
"Oh, dear," he muttered.
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"Well, what do you know," a vampire said in a deep and buried place underneath Sunnydale as he read the morning paper's headline.
'Mysterious Obelisk Unearthed. Excavators Discover Ancient Artifact'.
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It was late in the afternoon, nearly evening, when finally a dot in the sky appeared. The dot quickly turned man shaped, then descended and finally turned into Belmovekk and Joyce landing in front of Revello Drive 1630. Both of them were giggling like schoolchildren, until they saw the welcoming committee waiting impatiently for them on the front porch. Even though they had made it comfortable for themselves sitting on the swinging couch, with ice tea.
And cheesy chips.
"Where the hell have you been," Giles yelled as he walked towards the couple fuming with anger.
"Well, hello dad, I would like you to meet my girlfriend, Joyce," the Saiyan grinned.
"Don't you get funny with me, you Saiyan twit," Giles yelled, "I have been worried all day. A situation has arisen and I desperately needed your help. Would it have killed you to either carry a bloody cell phone or your bloody scouter!"
"He's seriously channeling Ripper right now," Buffy said to her friends and walked up to her mother, "come, mom, let these grownups have their talk. I've made some ice tea. And if you don't give me any details you can tell me what your day has been."
"Go with her," Belmovekk said and kissed Joyce on the forehead, "I will work it out with Master Giles."
"Be gentle," Joyce smiled and went to sit with the rest of the Scoobies as they enjoy the show.
"So, Joyce," Xander grinned moving his hands like in a mock dance before him, "got lucky today? Auw!"
Willows elbow again hit its target swiftly, silently and deadly.
"Why do I keep sitting next to you?" Xander groaned at Willow as he rubbed his ribs.
"So where did you go?" Cordelia asked, "hey, why are you looking so funny at me? I care."
"In some alternate universe maybe?" Xander snorted, "auw!"
Cordelia's elbow also hit its target equally swift, silently and deadly.
"Oh, he took me to the Grand Canyon. It looks so nice this time of year," Joyce replies kinda dreamy, "and then we went to Las Vegas for lunch."
"I knew it," Xander said triumphantly, "I knew it! Didn't I say the Grand Canyon?"
"Then why don't you ever take me there, Xander," Cordelia asked, "you can fly right?"
"Not all the way carrying you, honey," Xander replied, "unless you want the trip to take a week."
"You should train more," Cordelia snorted, "what good are you if you can't even take me along."
"You didn't get married, right," Buffy asked slightly worried.
"No sweetie," Joyce replies and hugged her daughter, "we just talked."
"About what?"
"Everything. Stuff. About the baby, what it would mean for us in the future. About us, about you. You know, the stuff you talk about when on dates."
"With the occasional smoochies, right?" Willow smiled.
"You're not helping, Will," Buffy sighed.
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"Look here," Giles said to Belmovekk, "you can't just go back and forth all the time and not leave us a means to contact you."
"Why, Master Giles, have I not been doing this for quite some time now?" Belmovekk replied with a big grin on his face.
"And look how many things you've missed which you could have prevented if we could have contacted you," Giles countered, "like Angel turning into Angelus."
"With all due respect, Master Giles, I had nothing to do with that," the Saiyan said folding his arms, "that would have happened regardless. Maybe if you had stepped in on time that relationship could have been nipped in the bud. It was already going strong before I ever arrived in town."
"Alright, maybe that was not the best example," Giles admitted but he knew he had a valid point, "but surely you can agree that with the current situation it would be prudent to always carry a means of contacting you?"
"Master Giles, Rupert, you are like a brother to me, but I cannot always be there," Belmovekk said as he put an arm on Giles' shoulder, "you did manage on your own before I came. Surely you could do so without me again. In the name of the Gods, I have trained both Buffy and Xander to the best of my abilities. They are the best they can be right. But I do have other responsibilities."
"Yes, I know," Giles nodded, "the danger you've been sent to fight, and those damn androids in two years time. Look, Belmovekk, it's not that I would bother you with every apocalypse but I do think this case warrants your special talents."
"Alright," Belmovekk sighed after some thinking "tell me your emergency."
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"His name is Acathla," Giles said to the assembled Scoobies seated around the dinner table in Buffy's living room, "once Acathla the demon came forth to swallow the world. He was killed just in time by a virtuous knight who pierced the demon's heart before he could draw a breath to perform the act. Acathla turned to stone, as demons sometimes do, and was buried where neither man nor demon would want to look."
"Let me guess," Buffy said, looking around the dinner table, "right here on the Hellmouth. Amongst all the other wonderfully fun and disastrous artifacts."
"You are of course correct," Giles said, sighing internally at the folly to bury such a dangerous demon at a Hellmouth of all places.
"See, and they say I don't study!" Buffy said as she looked around again triumphantly.
"If demonology was a course you'd have an A, Buff," Xander smiled.
"Isn't this exciting?" Joyce asked, slightly pumped up with excitement, getting some weird looks in response.
"So what is unearthed this thing?" Belmovekk asked. In response to which Giles slammed today's newspaper on the table in response.
"Damn developers," Xander muttered as he read the article, "low cost housing? Houses already cost next to nothing here. I smell money laundering!"
"OK, somebody explain the whole 'he will suck the world into Hell' thing," Willow babbled, "because that's the part I'm not loving."
"Well, the…, uh…," Giles said, straightening his glasses, "the Demon Universe exists in a dimension separate from our own. With one breath, Acathla will create a vortex, a-a kind of, um.. whirlpool that will pull everything on Earth into that dimension, where any non-demon life will suffer horrible and.. eternal torment."
"Charming," Xander said.
"And this happens to you guys all the time?" Joyce asked both curious and shocked at the same time.
"Pretty much," Buffy said, "and guess who gets to clean up the mess."
"Well, not this time, Buffy," Giles said looking her, "it is prophesized that neither man nor demon can destroy Acathla. That is why he was buried. But luckily for us Belmovekk here isn't human."
"Human enough to knock up my mom," Buffy snorted.
"Buffy!" her mother said shocked.
"I can see now why you needed my help, Master Giles," the Saiyan nodded, then he stood up, "Alright, let us get this over with. Time to go the museum."
"Right. Let's go," Giles said as he gathered together his papers.
"If you don't mind I'll stay here and whip up something for when you guys return," Joyce said, "this may sound exciting on paper but it's probably going to give me nightmares."
"You stay and hold the fort, Joyce," Belmovekk said tenderly, causing Buffy to make a fake vomit face behind their back when suddenly the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Joyce said. She left to open the door as the Scoobies prepared to move out.
"Oh, Buffy," Joyce called from the door, "somebody's here to see you."
The Scoobies turned around and saw who entered.
"Oh no," Buffy groaned in response and started hitting the table with her forehead again.
It was Kendra.
"Let me guess," Buffy said after she had composed herself and started imitating Kendra's accent, "a terrible dark power is rising over Sunnydale, right?"
"Right," Kendra smiled as she put down her travel bag.
"Don't you ever go on a holiday, girl?" Buffy asked.
"Evil never sleeps, Buffy," Kendra replied as she took off her coat.
"Doesn't mean you have to bring it along," Buffy retorted.
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That evening Jenny Calendar sat by her desk in her classroom preparing the lesson plans for the next weeks when she heard a strange noise. She got up and opened the door to peer into the empty corridor. She couldn't see anything though. Put at ease she closed the door and returned to her desk when she saw two persons stand in her classroom. Angel and Drusilla.
"Angel…," she exclaimed in shock, "how did you get in here?"
"I was invited," the vampire smiled, "the sign in front of the school.. 'Formatia trans sicere educatorum.'"
"'Enter all ye who seek knowledge.'" Jenny translated without even thinking.
"What can I say? I'm a knowledge seeker," Angelus grinned as he started to walk around her classroom.
"You can't do this...," Jenny said frightened, "the edict..."
"Well, things are going to change here," Angelus said as he examined her computer up close, "me and Dru here have decided that it's time for a new management to take over."
"Belmovekk won't stand for this," Jenny said as she carefully inched back towards the door. Drusilla however noticed and walked towards the door to take up station there. Smiling.
"I don't care," Angelus laughed, "you see, a little birdie told me that it is you who has the curse, not him."
"You can't destroy the curse, Angel, my clan also has it."
"I know," Angelus said, "but only you can perform it right now. Belmovekk is only a moderate sorcerer at best, not schooled in Gypsy magic. And even if he could, if I take if from you that big ape won't be able to perform the curse in time. Enough time for me to bring down the walls of Jericho."
"Acathla," Jenny whispered almost inaudibly.
"Oh, she is smart," Angelus smiled towards Drusilla, "but of course, just in case that big ape and his tame Slayer do manage to find another Gypsy hag I'd like to have your copy of that curse."
"I don't have it here," Jenny lied.
"Sure you do. It's probably in this little box over here," Angelus smiled as he tapped her computer.
"I will never tell," Jenny said defiantly, her eyes desperately looking for a weapon.
"Of course you will," Angelus replied as he sat on her desk, "maybe not to me right now. But everybody talks when tortured. Unfortunately I'm a bit pressed for time tight now so I brought Drusilla along."
The vampiress walked over to Jenny Calendar until their faces were close and she stared deeply into Jenny's eyes, holding up two fingers.
"Look at me," she said.
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"So how's life, Kendra?" Xander asked, as they all sat in Joyce's SUV. Giles had suggested taking his ragged down Citroen but Buffy and the others wouldn't hear none of it. So in the end Joyce had sighed and given them the keys.
"Lots of training, especially with tese new exercises," Kendra responded looking at Belmovekk, sitting up front with Giles, "and den there are still plenty of vampires and demons to kill."
"Even where you are?" Belmovekk asked looking over his shoulder
"Evil is afoot everywhere, teacher," she responded respectfully.
"Weird," the Saiyan said, "if there are vampires and demons everywhere then what is the point of having that single girl, all alone, fighting evil?"
"Tradition?" Xander suggested.
"A vast conspiracy to make my life miserable?" Buffy suggested.
"Still not come to terms with your calling?" Kendra asked her fellow Slayer.
"Still not having a life besides slaying?" Buffy asked back.
"Well, me watcher did take me to a movie, last week," Kendra smiled, "dere wasn't even any fighting in it!"
"Color me impressed," Buffy said, "what did you do? Hold a knife to his throat?"
"And we was going to a big dance, next week," Kendra continued, "but den dis came up."
"Auch," Buffy said apologetic, "I'd hate to rain on your parade, girl."
"It's OK, Buffy," Kendra said, "dere will be others."
"That's the spirit," Xander said enthusiastic, "first slay, then partay!"
"OK, we're here," Giles said and drove the SUV to the back of the old antiquities section of the Mayor Wilkins Sunnydale Museum of Natural History. The place looked utterly deserted.
"Is it normal for the backdoor to be open," Xander asked as he pointed in towards the door in question, "and all the lights out?"
"Oh dear, this is bad," Giles said as he took stock of the situation.
"No time to waste then," Belmovekk said, "Xander, young lady, with me, Kendra protect Giles and the girls."
"Even now he still won't say my name," Buffy sighed as she got out.
"When do I ever learn not to come along?" Cordelia muttered.
"Sorry, babe, gotta go," Xander said and wormed himself from underneath Cordelia.
The three of them jumped from the car and ran to the door. Since they came from Buffy's home she was the only one to have brought a scouter along.
"I do not feel anything," Belmovekk said halting at the entrance, "do you scout anything, young lady?"
"Nope, it seems deserted," Buffy said tapping her scouter.
"Let me be the first to say I do not like this," Xander said.
"Dully noted," the Saiyan said, "lets go in, young man, you form the rear."
"The rear is good, right?" Xander said to Buffy, "Point guy usually gets it."
"Unless it's a Rambo or a horror flick," Buffy said, "then the last guy always gets it."
"You guys watch way too many movies," the Saiyan said and entered the building. Finding no surprises they made their way quickly to the research lab. Inside it was as quiet and dark as the grave. All they find is a huge box covered in cloth.
"Acathla, I presume," Xander said as he and Belmovekk walked up to it
"Let me switch on the light," Buffy said and flicked the light switch, "there, that's better."
"No it's not," Xander said and pointed to a puddle of blood coming from underneath the coverings. Belmovekk grabbed the cloth and yanked it away. What got revealed wasn't the coffin of Acathla but a box containing the dead bodies of the research lab staff. On one of the bodies lay an envelope. Xander grabbed it and opened it.
"Bastard," he yelled angrily and handed it to Belmovekk, who started cursing in his native language.
"What," Buffy asked. Belmovekk gave her the paper. On it are just two words, written in blood in a familiar handwriting.
'Now, Lover!'
"Angel," Buffy said sadly, her world instantly dying a bit. Staggering backwards she can vaguely hear Xander yell at the background as everything now became distant to her.
"Bastard! Let's kill the bastard this time! Fuck the edict! Fuck whatever she may think!"
"But this makes no sense," an utterly surprised Belmovekk said, "he would know we would…., NO! By the Gods, Jenny!"
"Let's go!" Xander yelled.
"You go ahead," Belmovekk said. Xander nodded in agreement and as his chi blazed brightly he took off, crashing through a window on his way to school. Meanwhile the Saiyan turned to Buffy, still in shock.
"Young lady, he said grabbing her by the shoulders, "snap out of it!"
Buffy looked at Belmovekk, tears in her eyes.
"This is my fault," she cries, "If I hadn't."
"Not now, young lady, not ever," Belmovekk said, "if anything this is my fault. Go to Giles, tell them Angelus has taken Acathla and that Jenny is in danger. Drive to the school. Hurry!"
Buffy wiped away her tears and did as she was told. Behind her Belmovekk transformed into Super Saiyan and flew off, breaking through another window in a wave of golden chi.
Outside he overtook Xander in seconds and sped towards Sunnydale High. In no time he landed outside the entrance and de-transformed as he ran inside faster then the eye could see.
The door to the computer science classroom was locked. He kicked the door to Jenny's computer classroom in, ripping it off and sending it crashing inside and stormed inside.
"Jenny..," he said and stopped in his tracks. Belmovekk then collapsed on his knees in shock. The room was trashed, Jenny's computer smashed. Broken floppy disks and papers littered the room. Against the blackboard Jenny Calendar's lifeless body hung, crucified with wooden stakes.
"No," Belmovekk said softly. Besides Jenny's body something is written in blood.
'Up yours, Ape!'
Belmovekk sat there for a minute when Xander stormed in.
"Belmovekk! Is she alright? Oh."
Xander saw the devastation and Jenny's body hanging on the wall.
"It is my fault," the Saiyan muttered with tear stricken eyes, "I thought I had outsmarted him, but now he has killed Jenny, it is all my fault, Xander"
"WHACK!"
Xander slapped the Saiyan in the face.
"Don't you dare go hysterical on me, Belmovekk," the young man hissed, "not now! I need you. We need you. Giles is going to need you. Buffy is going to need you. Don't let the bastard win! If anybody is going to be blamed for this its Angelus. Do you hear me?!"
"Yes," Belmovekk said nodding, "you are right. You are right. What are we going to do?"
"First we're going to get Jenny of the board," Xander said as he pointed at her body, "I'll be damned if Giles has to see his love nailed to a wall. We are going to take good care of her body so we can revive her with those Dragonballs later. And then we are going to find Angelus and stake the bastard once and for all. Fuck it! Staking is too good for him, we're going to tear him apart, limb by bloody limb!"
"Yes," Belmovekk said, some of his resolve returning to his voice, "vengeance!"
"Hell yeah!"
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"How's Giles," Kendra asked the next day as she entered the library.
"As poor as can be expected," Xander replied, "still, the poor guy came to work today."
"If you can call that work," Buffy said and looked towards Giles' office and the heartbroken remains of a human being sitting in it.
"Did Belmovekk managed to find Angelus?" Willow asked.
"First thing we did was beat up Willy, Will," Xander said, "and kill a lot of vamps and demons. Naturally we didn't get him. But it does look like Angelus has hooked up with Spike's boys. Some of them were seen near the museum. And Angelus and Drusilla were spotted near the school."
"But why now?" Buffy said still not believing what has happened, "it makes no sense."
"It makes perfect sense," Kendra said looking at her fellow Slayer, "your ex-boyfriend awakens Acathla, the world ends, we loose, he wins."
"So where is Belmovekk?" Willow asked.
"Speak of the devil," Xander said as the door to the library opened and the Saiyan walked in.
"Kendra is right," the Saiyan said having overheard what she had said, "Angelus must have seized upon Acathla as his chance to break free from us."
"I don't understand," Buffy said looking at him, "you told me you had him under control. That if he just sneezed wrongly you'd come down on him."
Belmovekk looked at Buffy not knowing what to say, then he looked away and turned to Willow instead.
"I am afraid, I was not quite..., um..., truthful in that respect, young lady," he said somewhat uncomfortable, "Willow, can you start up your laptop and connect to the internet?"
"Sure," she said and fired up her workhorse.
"What do you mean by that?" Buffy asked.
The Saiyan just looked pained and lost for words as he continued to evade looking at Buffy. And Xander could understand why. Things would go ugly, any moment now.
And they would never be the same again.
"I'm in," Willow said looking up at Belmovekk.
"Go to the Capsule Corp. website, young lady," he said, "and type in this address."
Belmovekk slid a piece of paper to Willow.
"Why aren't you telling me, Belmo?" Buffy asked again without getting any answer.
"It asks for a password," Willow said.
"Type in, FGH39-DT9510-TSL841-MC915," Belmovekk said eyes closed, his head resting on one hand.
"It now asks for two additional passwords."
"Type in, capital letters, BELMAKOR and BELSAMBAR."
"It now asks for a third password," Willow said shaking her head in bewilderment, "what's on this site?"
"INARIMAYAN," the Saiyan said, "capital letters again."
"I'm in," Willow said, "hey, there's a directory with a single file inside."
"Download it and then open it, young lady."
"Belmo, you're scaring me," Buffy said worried, "why won't you answer me?"
Still the Saiyan wouldn't acknowledge her questions.
"Oh my God," Willow said clasping her mouth as she saw what was in the file. Belmovekk opened his eyes, took a deep breath and walked to Willow and turned Willow's laptop around so the rest could see.
"See the real bargaining chip I had to use to keep Angelus in line," Belmovekk said as he walked away again.
"What is it?" Kendra asked, never having seen a computer up close before.
"It's the curse to re-soul Angelus," Willow said ash stricken.
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Although the entrance of the Hellmouth technically exists underneath the Sunnydale high school library there was much more to it. One could literally dig underneath it and find nothing but rock and dirt. Yet with the right incantations and rituals it became a dimensional portal to Hell.
The whole area around and underneath it however is under the influence of the Hellmouth, riddled with tunnels and caves. Far, far underground in a cave smoothed out to look like a series of chambers a large obelisk stood in its largest room. Around it a large group of vampires had gathered.
Two vampires dragged in a tied young man and they dropped him on the ground before Angelus, Drusilla and a wheelchair bound Spike. Angelus stepped forward and started to speak.
"I will drink.. the blood will wash in me, over me, and I will be cleansed. I will be worthy to free Acathla. Bear witness.. as I ascend.. "
Angel changed into his gameface and continued.
"As I become."
Angelus took the scared young man and dove into his neck, biting, then draining him of his blood, his life. Having drained the young man he let him fall and with bloodied hands Angelus stepped towards Acathla.
"Everything that I am, everything that I have done, has led me here. I have strayed, I have been lost. But Acathla redeems me. With this act, we will be free."
Angelus grabbed the sword sticking out from Acathla's heartbroken and tried to remove it. For a while a blinding light shines, much to Drusilla's obvious delight. Spike on the other hand looked less pleased.
It didn't go well however and the swords remained stuck. A bright red flame erupted from the sword and Angelus was thrown back onto the ground
"Someone wasn't worthy," Spike singsonged, hardly concealing his glee.
"Damn it!" Angel said as he got up.
"This is so…, disappointing," Drusilla moaned as she walked away not knowing what to do.
"There must be something I missed," Angelus muttered, "the incantations, the blood…, I don't know!"
Spike could now hardly contain his laughter.
"What are we going to do?" Drusilla whined.
"What we always do in a time of trouble," Angelus said, "turn to an old friend before our time runs out. We'll have our Armageddon. I swear!"
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"You had the curse," Buffy yelled angrily at the Saiyan, "you told me from the beginning it didn't exist anymore and all that time you had it?"
As Xander had expected things had gotten ugly very quickly indeed.
"Not all the time, young lady," Belmovekk replied in a tone of somebody who had been caught cheating and now felt utterly defeated, "only recently."
"Don't you young lady me!" Buffy pointed angrily at him, "if you had it, why didn't you use it? We could have re-souled Angel!"
"Isn't it obvious?" Kendra said, arms folded, "He didn't trust you. And with good reason. De moment he would have done as you wanted you would have been with your vampire boyfriend again. And den it would have all started over again."
"Stay out of this," Buffy hissed at her fellow Slayer, "this does not concern you!"
"I told you it was unnatural," Kendra said unimpressed, "that nothing good would come out of it! And now we know why. Every time you'd fancy a shag he would have to break out de curse to re-soul him."
"Buffy would never do that," Willow said, staunchly defending her friend.
"And what would you know?" Kendra shrugged, "if she say jump, all you do is ask how high. You's is not seeing the big picture here. Which is dat Vampires must be killed!"
"I second that," Xander said who so far had kept out of the shouting match, "and also third and fourth it!"
"Xander!" Buffy said menacingly.
"No, Buff, it's true," Xander said as he stood up and faced down the Slayer, "we didn't trust you with knowing the curse existed. And with good reason. Even now you are more concerned with getting your boyfriend back then facing up to reality."
"Don't you see, Xander, this is our ticket to restoring both Angel and stopping Acathla," Buffy said passionately as she pointed at Willow's laptop, "we could stop this whole Acathla business this way."
"Why should we even?" Xander countered unimpressed, "Look Buff, when I learned Belmovekk had the curse, and you may find this hard to believe, but I asked him, no, damn, I pleaded him to re-soul Angel. Cause while he may have thought he could control Angelus I saw first hand how utterly mad he is. At several occasions. And I was right. I told him not to condemn Angel for what he could do."
"But until then however Angelus was still playing ball. But now he has killed, Buff. The people at the museum, Jenny. Who knows who else? You didn't saw her body nailed to the Goddamn wall like we did. The bastard broke the edict. I say he dies! Painfully!"
As if to illustrate his point Xander kicked a chair across the library.
"But it wasn't his fault," Buffy said, waving her arms, "it was Angelus!"
Something snapped inside Xander and he started to really yell.
"You don't get to have it both ways, Buff. When he turned you pleaded with us that Angelus was still Angel. That is why Belmovekk went to all the trouble to find a way to keep Angelus in check. Now he finally revealed his true colors and we can't kill him because suddenly Angel isn't Angelus anymore? Fuck him! Angelus is part of Angel and Angel is part of Angelus. Good side, bad side, all the same thing!"
Fuming with anger Xander turned his back on Buffy.
"Xander," Willow said, "you're not being fair. Angel is Buffy's soul mate!"
"Soul mate!?" Xander's voice went up an octave, "She's only 17! What would she know? At that age any boy she dates becomes the one true love for life. But it figures that you are still defending her infatuation. You've done everything but throw high octane petrol on her flames. I know you Willow Rosenberg. You're such an hopeless romantic that this whole doomed impossible opposites attract vampire/Slayer lovefest had you gushing like a medieval damsel in distress. But it blinded you to the truth and as Buffy's friend you should have known this, and this goes for Giles as well, an immortal vampire and a young human girl who happens to be the Slayer can't have a life together. It's just not that kind of a world. If you really were her friend you should have helped Buffy see that, instead of always encouraging it with asking 'hey, how are you an Angel doing?' And Giles should have done his bloody duty and put his foot down before this got pear shaped!"
Willow, Buffy and Xander now all started shouting and pointing at each other. With the Scooby gang disintegrating Kendra jumped in between to keep things from really deteriorating. Belmovekk meanwhile said nothing but sat down on a chair far removed from the group staring blankly ahead of him.
"Buffy is right!"
It was Giles, having emerged from his office.
"Re-souling Angel is our best way to stop Angel," Giles said as he joined the group
"You see," Buffy said smugly.
"I can't believe this," Xander muttered not believing what he just heard.
"But it should not be our only option," Giles continues," we must also be prepared to find Angelus and kill him in case the curse doesn't work."
"Multiple angles of attack, that is acceptable," Xander said finally hearing a glimmer of sense.
"But Giles," Buffy said, "surely the curse…."
"No Buffy," Giles said on a tone that didn't accept any objections, "we cannot risk everything on a single strategy. We, and you, must be prepared to kill Angelus tonight if the curse comes to nothing. You will do this. Right?"
"Right," Buffy replied weakly.
"Oh, and Buffy," Giles said, turning his back on Buffy.
"Yes?"
"If we succeed in re-souling Angel you will break off any relations with him."
"But..."
"This may never be permitted to happen again, Buffy," Giles said, still in his serious tone, "you and Angel will stop seeing each other and he will leave. That's the end of it."
"But..."
"That is my price..., for Jenny."
Buffy sighed and knew she had been defeated.
"Now dat reason has returned it is good ting I brought just de tool," Kendra said relieved and pulled something from her bag. It was a sword.
"Blessed by the knight who first slew the demon. If all else fails, this might stop it. I tink.
"Ooh. May I," Giles asked and took up the sword and examined it, "thank you. At least we have another option if all else fails."
Giles gave the sword back.
"Alright, how are we going to re-soul Angelus," he asked, "Belmovekk? Can you?"
"If I could I would not have tasked Jenny with keeping it," Belmovekk said sullen, "I know sorcery, I know demon magic. This however is based on female witchcraft."
"We need another Gypsy witch," Xander nodded.
"They have been contacted," the Saiyan said, "but they can be here tomorrow afternoon at the earliest."
"We're doomed," Xander said, "plan B sounds better and better. Let's grab some demon guides and go hunt Angelus underground!"
"And what if you won't find Angel?" Buffy asked defiantly.
"Well it beats waiting for your boyfriend to end the world," Xander bit back.
"I could try," Willow said softly.
"You'd love to kill Angel, won't you," Buffy hissed at Xander.
"To save the world? In a second," Xander said back angrily.
"Please, not again," Giles interjected before the two starts fighting in earnest. As the two turned their backs to each other Willow tried again.
"I could try," she said, this time getting noticed
"A-a-are you, um, sure?" Giles asked surprised, "I know you have some powers but don't you think…."
"Me and Miss Calendar did a few Gypsy spells," Willow said slightly embarrassed, "I have some idea what is involved with Gypsy spells. And these are some pretty good instructions."
"But I thought you said you only looked at things," Giles said surprised.
"I, um, lied," Willow grinned sheepishly, "you guys reacted so strongly."
"This is highly unorthodox," Giles said, "and we will discuss your lying later, Willow. But I guess for now we don't have a choice. How long do you think we need?"
"I need about the rest of the day," Willow said as she read the instructions on her laptop again, "and.., an 'Orb of Thesulah'? Whatever that is."
"Spirit vault for rituals of the undead," Giles said and headed to his office, "I've got one. I've been using it as a…., paperweight.
"Buffy," Willow said looking at her friend, "this means I can't help you study for the test."
"Ah, I'll wing it," Buffy smiled, "of course, if we go to Hell by then, I won't have to take 'em. Or maybe I'll be taking them forever."
Of course in reality she's already relieved there will be a resouling of instead of a killing of Angel. Meanwhile Giles returned from his office holding a small crystal ball.
"We're lucky that Angel has a ritual of his own to perform before he can remove the sword and awaken Acathla," Giles said as he gave Willow the Orb, "with any luck, it should take some time. Maybe even time for another Gypsy witch to arrive."
x
x
"So how does 10 G's feel, Kendra?"
"And Buffy does tis all de time?"
"She's up to 25 G's actually," Belmovekk said, as he put Kendra through her paces in his gravity gym.
"25?" Kendra exclaimed not believing what she was hearing, "how does she manage?"
"Gradually, very gradually," Belmovekk smiled and walked back to the controls," here, let me lower it to 7 G's.
"No, it's OK," she said, "I would like to get used to it."
"Ah, a determined young lady," the Saiyan said approvingly, "can you do the katas I sent your watcher?"
"You try to stop me," she smiled.
Slowly, because of the high gravity, but surely Kendra performed her katas.
"Very well," Belmovekk nodded in agreement, "couldn't have done it better myself. You have excellent technique, young lady."
"Tank you, you just gave me watcher good instructions, teacher."
"Zabuto is just a very good teacher as well," Belmovekk said, "He struck me as such when I met him and now he proves it. You have improved greatly these past months. Have you guys ever thought of relocating to Sunnydale? Your training could improve so much more faster. With your dedication and my gym you could probably surpass Buffy within a year."
"Buffy also said my technique is better," Kendra grunted, "she also said it lacks heart and feeling."
"One is not necessarily better then the other, young lady," Belmovekk shrugged, "yes you can compensate technique with sheer guts and determination. But mostly you can compensate zeal and passion with superior technique and tactics. A cool and detached mind is an extremely powerful weapon in battle. More often then not passion can be a distraction in battle. Don't try to be like Buffy, young lady. Find your own path."
"Tank you," Kendra replied and stopped to take a breather, "tis is more tiring then I thought."
"I will lower the gravity to 7. We do not want to exhaust you," Belmovekk said and lowered the gravity, "I have a feeling tonight will be exciting enough for all of us. Just sit, young lady. Gravity acclimatization is also an exercise in itself."
"Pff, 10 G's is very tiring indeed, teacher," Kendra panted as she sat down.
"Would you believe this is normal to me?" Belmovekk said as he lied down next to her.
"What, really?"
"True," Belmovekk nodded, "sometimes I even sleep in here. On my birth planet 10 G's was as normal as 1 G is here. It can be so relaxing, young lady. I even installed a cool feature."
With the press of a button on his remote control the roof of the gravity gym changed color from its normal brown red to a purplish blue. A sun started to appear, somewhat darker in color then the Earth sun.
"Sometimes I just like to lie here and imagine what it was like back then," the Saiyan said as he looked up, "or I can switch it to night instead."
The Saiyan pressed another button on his remote and the vista changed from day to night and stars appeared.
"For a member of a brutal warrior race you are oddly sentimental." Kendra said.
"That is what happens when you get older, young lady," Belmovekk smiled, "imagine adding 4000 years on top of that. Too much time to reflect. Oh, there it is. See that sign?"
The Saiyan pointed to a cluster of stars.
"They all look de same to me," Kendra said. As far as she was concerned nighttime was for patrolling and slaying. She had never bothered watching the stars. So Belmovekk pointed out to her what she should be looking for.
"See that one, start with that, then draw a line through that one, then that and that. Then draw another line from that star back to the others."
"Looks kind of Y shaped," she replied
"Saiyan star signs are not representations of animals or people like on Earth," Belmovekk said, "ours represent abstract symbols. The symbols of the great houses. Because we believed that we originated from amongst the stars. And that particular one is of my house. It was a small one, we were not that important, but it was ours nonetheless."
Kendra noticed the wistful look in the Saiyan's face.
"Do you miss it, teacher?" she asked.
"Vegetasei?" Belmovekk asked, "I guess sometimes I do. I miss doing things like this, with my father telling me about the great symbols when I was little. Lying with my sister like I do with you now, after an intensive training. But I do not miss being there with my people. We were very bad people, young lady. As bad as Angelus is now, he is nothing compared to an average Saiyan. At least there is logic to his madness. We just killed for money."
"Is that why you killed those Tarakans, teacher?" she asked, the incident still haunting her in her dreams sometimes, "because they reminded you of what you used to be?"
"No, I killed them because they tried to kill my friends," the Saiyan said shaking his head, "and I will not let that happen. Which is why Angelus has to go to such extreme lengths to end the world. Because he knows that anything less then the worlds end will not stop me. And if he does kill my friends not even Hell itself will keep him safe. Although I suspect Buffy is no longer my friend after what I did."
The wistful look on the Saiyan's face turned mournful.
"I tink you two ceased being friends long ago," Kendra said putting her hand on the Saiyan, "which is why she will come around. I tink I understand you a bit better now, teacher. And for what its worth, your mistake wasn't in keeping that curse a secret but not killing that vampire when you had de chance."
Belmovekk mulled that over for a while and turned off the light show and switched of the gravity gym.
"What is, is, young lady," Belmovekk said regretful, "I think we should get back to the library. It is probably going to be a long night."
x
x
As Kendra and Belmovekk arrived in the library the sun was setting and everybody present was wearing long faces. Buffy greeted Kendra but ignored Belmovekk.
"What is wrong?" Kendra asked.
"Angelus send us a message," Xander said still pissed. "it was kinda…, graphic?"
He then gave them the details of Angel's colorful message.
"If I don't meet him tonight more people would die," Buffy said.
"Surely you are not going?" Belmovekk said incredulously, "This is a trap."
'You don't get to decide anything anymore," Buffy said refusing to look at him, "I'm going and that is the end of it. I won't have the blood of more people on my hands."
"Come on, young lady, think about it," Belmovekk said, "he has the key to ending the world in his hands. Why would he even waste time on you?"
"Maybe because he's crazy as a loon?" Xander suggested.
"We must prevent him from killing any more people," Giles said, "Willow will need at least half an hour, maybe more, to perform the ritual. Buffy, do you think you can stall him for that long?"
"Starting from now," she said looking at her wristwatch, "I think I can."
"This is madness! Master Giles," Belmovekk pleaded, "if the re-souling Angelus is the key to stopping the end of the world we should not scatter our forces. We should be fortifying the library and maintain a strong defense instead."
"What, and let innocent people die?" Buffy said.
"Listen, young lady, this is no longer about protecting a few people," the Saiyan said and pointed outside, "some nut vampire is about to suck the world into Hell. Let us get some perspective here. Sometimes you have to lose a battle in order to win the war. The military calls it acceptable losses. If saving the world means hundreds of people have to die, yeah, then let them die."
"I will not risk him killing any more people, Saiyan," Buffy replied, with lots of acid on the word Saiyan, "maybe if I live to be 4000 I'll have a similar viewpoint but now, as far as I'm concerned, everybody counts. Besides, why should you care, you're not even human."
"That is not fair, young lady," Belmovekk said, "hate me for lying to you on a strategic decision but do not doubt my intentions."
Kendra could see the Saiyan was hurt by Buffy's words. Which was probably what the blond Slayer had in mind and she was about to defend the Saiyan when Xander intervened.
"Let's all not say stupid things we'll later come to regret," Xander said, "come on, Buff, the B-man has gone above and beyond before us when he didn't have to. He made a mistake but he has proven his loyalty."
"I suppose," Buffy said without any enthusiasm.
"And B-man, surely you can see the wisdom in using multiple angles of attack, right? Willow, for the curse, Buffy or you to take care of Angelus, right? Besides, me and Kendra will be here to guard the fortress. Sure Angelus and Drusilla know some Chi Fu by now. But they haven't been training in a gravity gym, right? Have no fear, the Xandman is still here!"
"But I should be going with her," Kendra protested.
"No," Buffy said, "Belmovekk, while an asshole, may be right. It could be a trap and you can be of more use to help Xander defend the fort here. Cause I have this big suspicion that Mr. Saiyan asshole here will tag along."
"Damn straight, young lady," Belmovekk said, folding his arms across his chest, "like Xander said, multiple angles of attack. If the curse fails, Angelus must die."
"And you still don't trust me, do you," Buffy snorted.
"Oh, I trust you, young lady, I just don't trust Angelus."
"Buffy," Kendra said and took out a twisted but very pointed stake from her coat, "dis is me lucky stake, Mr. Pointy. I killed many vampires with it."
"You named your stake?" Buffy asked surprised.
"Yes," Kendra smiled
"Remind me to get you a stuffed animal," Buffy smiled. You do realize I'm probably not going to need it, right? Chi Fu, remember?"
"Dat's why I said it's also lucky," Kendra smiled.
Appreciating her fellow Slayer's gesture Buffy pocketed the stake and turned to Giles.
"Giles, how will I know the curse has worked?"
"Just hold him off, Buffy," Giles replied, "if the curse works you'll know, if it fails Xander will tell you over the scouter.
x
x
"I can't believe you lied to me," Buffy said as she and Belmovekk walked to the cemetery, "I trusted you with my life."
"I am sorry..," Belmovekk tried to say but got cut off.
"No, don't you sorry me, Saiyan," Buffy said, "sorry isn't going to cut it. We're beyond sorry into get the hell out of here afterwards. We're through. I want you out of here when this is over."
"Well look here, young lady, it's not that simple, there is your mother to consider," the Saiyan objects, "I will not abandon the mother of my child like that."
"Well, too bad," Buffy shrugs as they enter the agreed upon cemetery, "you should have thought of that beforehand. We'll somehow manage. Like we always did."
"Well hello, lover! Having an argument with your tame ape?" Angelus said as he emerged from behind a mausoleum and looked her over, "I wasn't sure you'd come though. Took you a long time."
"After your immolation-o-gram," Buffy replied, "come on, I had to show."
"And hello Belmovekk," Angelus smiled at the Saiyan, "Buffy a bit pissed off when she discovered you could turn me back into her tame pet lover any time you'd choose?"
The Saiyan just gave the vampire one of his patented death glares. But Angelus is too much in gloat mode to care.
"Don't be too hard on your tame ape, lover," Angelus said as he's enjoying himself, "if it hadn't been for Acathla I'd still be playing nice and having nightmares of becoming droopy boy again. Ah, it feels good to finally be able to kill again."
"You haven't ended the world yet, vampire," Belmovekk said.
"Shouldn't you be out destroying the world right now," Buffy said looking around, "pulling the sword out of Al Franken or whatever his name is?"
Angelus just shrugged.
"There's time enough with that Gypsy witch dead and her curse gone. I wanted to say goodbye first. You know, you are the one thing in this dimension I will miss."
"This is a beautiful moment we're having," Buffy replied not buying it, "can we please fight?"
"He seems awfully full of himself," Belmovekk suggested, "surely if you let him gloat he will go on for at least half an hour."
"I think I can wrap it up in less," Angelus smiled, "still, no need to rush a beautiful moment. I didn't come here to fight."
"No?"
"Gosh, I was hoping we could get back together," Angelus grinned, "What do you think? Do we have a shot?"
"You have got to be kidding," Buffy said not believing what Angelus is saying.
"Of course I am. But you see, I have this problem," Angelus said as he started to pace while still in gloat mode, "While I could easily fight with you and your wannabe boyfriend, I knew that that tame ape of yours would also tag along. And he's awfully strong. So even if I do manage to defeat you he'd still finish me off like an insect afterwards."
"They can be assholes, but sometimes there is no substitute for a Super Saiyan," Buffy smiled, "maybe you could ask Vegeta. I hear he's still evil."
"True," Angelus nodded, " but he's no Super Saiyan. And I can't resurrect Freeza. And believe me, I've looked into that real, real hard! He's completely vaporized. But then my old mates Spike and Drusilla came up with an answer. We have the same problem you see. You see, you aren't that important anymore, he is. Luckily for me they've been thinking about it for longer. Belmovekk, my old pal, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine."
As Angelus stepped back from inside the mausoleum came a large figure clad in black. He threw back his hood and revealed a blue head, adorned with bony studs.
"I'd like you to meet the Judge," Angelus smiled.
From sheer habit Belmovekk tapped his scouter to get a reading. But to his amazement no reading appears as the numbers fluctuate all over the place.
"Oops," Angelus gloated as he clapped his hands together in visible glee, "did I forget to mention? Thanks to a certain chaos mage we've all come to know, love and hold dear we have managed to increase the background interference of the Hellmouth. To bad these things never worked quite right the closer one came underground. Now it applies for the whole of Sunnydale. And don't bother to call for help, that won't work either."
"This one is full of life," the Judge said as he appraised Belmovekk.
"Well come and get it," Belmovekk said as he assumed a battle stance and powered up quickly, firing up his chi flame.
"Hmm, tasty," the Judge said as he felt the waves of energy come over him.
Belmovekk made the first move and launched himself at the Judge and delivered a mighty punch that sent the creature crashing through the mausoleum. The Judge however recovered fairly quick and dusted himself off. Belmovekk resumed his attack and pummeled the Judge some more.
"He's not much of a fighter," Buffy said as she appraised the fight, "Xander could take him on if he wanted to."
"Not everything is about being a fighter," Angelus answered, "my boy the Judge may not be big on fighting but he's tough. He'd better be. We've been feeding him lots of lesser demons for the past month to get him up to strength. He also has something in common with my other boy Acathla."
"Oh, I'm dying of suspense here."
"They both like to suck," Angelus grinned.
Belmovekk had cornered the Judge against the ground and delivered a barrage of blows that would have killed either Buffy or Angelus when the Judge managed to place his hand on the Saiyan's chest. Suddenly the Saiyan stiffened and smoke arose from where the Judge was touching him.
"And there he goes," Angelus smiled.
The Saiyan seemed incapable of moving as the Judge got up, still pressing against the Saiyan,. With a look of pure contentment the Judge absorbed energy after energy.
"No, Belmo!" Buffy yelled, her own chi flame coming to life. The moment she tried to intervene she found Angelus in her path, his own chi flame blazing.
"Let's fight, lover," he hissed.
x
x
"Quod perditum est, invenietur," Giles chanted inside the library as the ritual neared its fulmination.
Meanwhile Cordelia was swirling incense all over the place.
'Not dead nor not of the living." Willow said, sitting on top of the table, "spirits of the interregnum I call."
"Can you detect anything," Xander asked worried towards Kendra, who was on the other side of the library as he tapped his scouter," I can't detect anything. I should at least get a reading of Buffy and Belmovekk. Or hear them."
Kendra wore Giles' scouter but she shook her head, she's not getting anything either.
"Please, Xander not now," Giles said, "we need to concentrate."
"Damn it," Xander muttered to himself, "I'm starting to think the B-man was right. Maybe they should have stayed here and forted up. Something fishy is going on and I'm not talking about the swim team."
"Let him know the pain of humanity, Gods," Willow continued meanwhile, "reach your wizened hands to me. Give me the sword."
Suddenly a vampire emerged from between the bookcases and jumped Xander. To his credit Xander managed to roll with the attack and threw the vampire off him. He got up and powered up, chi flame coming alive. To his surprise the vampire did the same.
"You have got to be shitting me!" Xander said as the vampire charged again.
Kendra looked up and saw the fight taking place in the upper level. Before she can react the doors opened and more vampires came in.
"Get out, now," Giles yelled to Willow and Cordelia. To their credit they lost no time and made for the upper level where Xander was still battling his opponent. A fourth vampire came forth and jumped on Giles and knocked him out.
"Giles," Xander yelled. He pointed his right arm at his opponent, holding the hand at a 90° degree angle.
"PHOTON TORPEDOS," Xander yelled. Small orange colored energy spheres packing quite a punch started to blast his assailer. They break through his defenses and on impact started to tear chunks from the vampire's flesh, weakening him. When he had him weakened enough Xander uses his other hand and in one stroke decapitates his opponent, crumbling him to dust.
"Photon torpedo's?" Cordelia said having witnessed it all, "Xander, you're such a geek!"
"It gets the job done," Xander grinned victorious, "Go! Why are you still here?"
He looked at the battle below. Vampire #4 sat on top of Giles shielding him from Kendra, while she is sorely pressed by the two others, the three of them having their chi flames going.
"Desperate times," Xander muttered and tried for an attack which he hasn't had much luck with lately. He held up his right hand and an energy sphere emerged. With grim determination he managed to flatten it into a disc and when he thought it was flattened enough he threw it against the vampire on top of Giles, aiming for the neck and a quick dustification.
The vampire however managed to evade the attack at the last second and it just grazed him in the neck pissing him off.
"Of all the…,." Xander muttered but he didn't get to finish the sentence. The vampire abandoned Giles and jumped to the upper level and attacked him, sending him crashing into the book cases.
This caused a domino effect and case after case tumbled over. While Cordelia had heeded Xander's warning that it was better to fight to live another day, Willow had remained. Now she paid the price as a heavy bookcase plus its content of books fell on top of her.
x
x
"Hmm, so tasty," the Judge said as he continued to draw energy from Belmovekk who was somehow unable to step back. Meanwhile Buffy and Angelus kept on slugging it out as the vampire blocked every move from her to reach the Saiyan.
"Come on, Slayer," Angelus grunted, "where's that passion I've come to known from you? I'm getting the impression here that you're waiting for something. What am I? Rebound guy?"
"Come on, Willow," Buffy muttered. This is not going well. Angel was never stronger then her before he turned and she's been training her ass of in that gravity gym ever since. And yet he kept up with her in strength effortlessly.
Meanwhile the draining of Belmovekk continued. How can this be, Belmovekk thought, this cannot be the end. I've survived Freeza's henchmen, Kal Torak and despair. And somehow this…, this thing, succeeds where everything has failed? Just by touching him?
"No, it can't be, not like this," he hissed.
"But it is," the Judge said, "you are very strong, but you're getting weaker. Soon it will be over."
x
x
"One isn't necessarily better then the other, young lady. Yes you can compensate technique with sheer determination. You can also compensate a lack of zeal and passion with superior technique. A cool and detached mind are an extremely powerful weapon in battle. Don't try to be like Buffy, young lady. Find your own path."
Belmovekk had said those words to her earlier this day. It had hurt when Buffy, in effect the senior Slayer, had said that her technique, though flawless, lacked passion and feeling. At first Kendra felt overwhelmed by fighting two vampires of equal or even greater strength to her. Then it occurred to her that yes, they were strong, but they weren't actually that good. And she had fought vampires before. These were just stronger. But she had superior technique. So she fell back on her training and used what she was taught about vampires, their strengths and their weaknesses, and used it against them. The moment one of them made a mistake she used it and attacked. The first of her opponents then died a dusty death. The other was stunned by that, which allowed Kendra to sidestep him and make her move. So he also died quickly thereafter.
"Dat worked," she said exhilarated. She looked up to Xander who was slowly squeezing the life out of his opponent.
"DIE, DIE, DIE!" the young man screamed as he pinned the vamp down with one hand and squeezed with the other. Although one technically couldn't strangle a vampire because he didn't have to breath the neck was still a vulnerable area. Eventually it snapped loudly to Xander's enjoyment and the vamp turned to dust.
"Bah," Xander snorted disgusted as he dusted himself off, "why can't they implode or something less messy?"
"You is alright?" Kendra asked to Xander as she checked out Giles, still unconscious on the table. Xander jumped over the rail and landed next to her.
"He's fine. Just unconscious," she said.
"We came, we conquered, we kicked ass," Xander said grinning and held up his right hand in a high five gesture. Kendra looked at him puzzled as if she didn't know what to do.
"You've got to be kidding?" Xander said shaking his head. Who didn't know the meaning of the high five? Then he heard a noise coming from the entrance.
"You've got to be kidding!" Xander sighed as he saw Drusilla and 3 more vampires entering the library.
"This is not good," Drusilla said as she saw the carnage. The vampires they had sent ahead were among their best trained. And now they were dust.
"You, take care of the boy," she said to the other three. I'll deal with the other Slayer."
x
x
"Not like this, not like this, not like this, not like this, not like this," Belmovekk said to himself. He was still being held by the Judge and felt he can't hold out much longer. Should have gone all out from the start instead of testing the waters, the Saiyan couldn't help but think, analyzing where he went wrong. If only he could go Super Saiyan.
"Almost over for your alien buddy," Angelus grinned meanwhile as he blocked yet another attempt from Buffy to reach him.
"I think Mr. Pointy has something to say about that," Buffy said and pulled out Kendra's lucky stake.
"Come on, Buff, a stake?" Angelus shrugged, "do you want me to unbutton my shirt? Surely you can do better?"
"Then catch," she said and threw it at Angelus. Two centuries of vampire instincts wanting to avoid sharp wooden pointed objects kicked in and Angelus sidestepped the stake. Meanwhile Buffy jumped back, charged a quick energy attack but instead of firing it at Angelus she fired it at the ground. She still had not learned to fly but this did the trick just as well and launched her in the air to a height of 20 meters. While going up she brought her hands above her heads and rapidly charged a new attack.
"MASENKO!"
A yellow beam shot forth from her hands and Angelus assumed a defensive stance. But instead of hitting him the attack hit the Judge from behind instead.
"What the." the Judge muttered and looked up to see Buffy coming down again.
Belmovekk felt the paralyzing hold of the Judge weaken for an instant and seized upon it. Gathering whatever was left of his energy he reached for Super Saiyan. No golden chi erupted but it was enough for the transformation to take place as his hair turned to gold.
"So you want power," Belmovekk smirked although still paralyzed. But unlike in his normal state where all his power comes within, in Super Saiyan he can draw additional power from the universal energy that surrounded him as well. For as long as his body could manage it that is
"Feel this," the Saiyan roared and started to feed enormous amounts of power into the Judge who by now looked very surprised. Usually his victims tried to withhold power, not feed it to him.
"No...," the Judge said, "what..., is..., this…, too..., much!"
The Judge felt himself starting to shake.
"Too much," he said again.
Belmovekk started to grin. His power is rapidly going down again and he felt he cannot maintain Super Saiyan for much longer. But the Judge looked like he's got a very bad case of indigestion.
"Can't..., take..., this..., much..., AHHH!"
The Judge suddenly stepped back and let go.
"What are you?" he asked panting heavily.
"I am the Child of Grey," Belmovekk smirked, "What is up, had a bit to much?"
"I, no….."
"Surely you have room for just a bit more," the Saiyan said and opened his mouth. A small ball of energy came out and floated gently like a leaf in the wind to the Judge.
"Come on," Belmovekk grinned, "surely a big boy as you can stomach that extra bit of energy? It's just a wafer thin piece of power."
"No," the Judge moaned, then the ball of energy entered his mouth. And the Judge looked puzzled.
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Then he belched.
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Then he exploded.
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Boom.
It was not a big explosion but enough to send pieces of him flying everywhere. At ground zero a column of energy started to swirl around itself as it went upwards until it disappeared into the clouds. The energy went up and up until it reached the higher atmosphere and reacted with the Earth's electromagnetic field to create a spectacular lightshow over Southern California, akin to the northern lights.
Belmovekk however dropped out of Super Saiyan and fell to his hands and knees. Only then did he really start to feel how much he had been drained.
"Damn big ape," Angel said impressed, "I thought the Judge was insatiable but you've given new meaning to the term overeating. It does not matter, you're so much weakened you are in no position to stop me. Even I could kill you now."
"Hello, armed and dangerous Slayer still here," Buffy said, energy attacks glistering in both of her hands.
Angelus looked at Buffy and started to laugh.
"Y-you never learn, do you?," he said scorning, "This wasn't about you. This was never about you."
Angelus stepped back laughing.
"Have a nice evening, lover."
Then it hit Buffy.
"It's a trap," she said as she knelt beside the Saiyan, "he's after the others!"
"Go," Belmovekk panted, "don't wait for me, just go. They need you. The mission comes first!"
Buffy nodded and got up. Hesitantly she started walking and then she ran. Using her improved speed she was like a passing blur to anyone who would have seen her pass in the night. In no time she traversed the distance between the cemetery and Sunnydale high and ran down its corridors. She ran into the library and then stopped, looking absolutely horrified. The place looked like an army had fought inside. Then she saw a familiar shape laying on the ground.
"No," Buffy groaned and slid next to the body of her fallen fellow Slayer. She lifted up Kendra's head and felt for a pulse. But there was none.
Then a voice yelled.
"FREEZE!"
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AN 2017: I really, really, REALLY hate how I wrote so much in the present tense and had to clean that shit up.