Demon-friendly part of Sunnydale

November 3rd, 1997

The clock struck midnight, and elsewhere many gods sensed what had happened with Harry Potter and Twilight near the Hellmouth. But the Foot Clan knew nothing about all that; they simply brought Buffy to Shredder on a rooftop, as it started to pour down with rain.

"So we finally meet face to face, Slayer. Why Bellatrix wants you I don't know, but the truth is I could care less," Shredder sniffed.

"You work for Xander's crazy aunt?" Buffy demanded, recalling the witch's name at once.

"I work for no one. SHE should be working for ME! No matter, I'll deal with her soon enough," Shredder replied, slitting his eyes.

"Who are you, and why'd you bring me out here? So I can catch a cold?" the Slayer quipped.

"Very funny, Slayer. And my name need not concern you for now." Shredder pointed his blades on the back of his hand to her neck. Buffy tried not to look concerned, but Shredder's dragon-like eyes were definitely not helping.

"Release her," he abruptly commanded.

Immediately, the Foot ninjas let go of her arms. Buffy wasted no time taking the minions on, while Shredder watched her kick their asses. Once she took them all out, the blonde (and now very wet) Chosen One went into a fighting stance and faced the Big Bad.

"Not bad, Slayer," Shredder congratulated the girl. Rain dropped down from the armor's and helmet's blades. "Join me. This is a one-time offer to take over Sunnydale, and then New York."

Buffy didn't even bother thinking about it. "No way in he ll will I ever join you!"

"Very well then, you die!"

Buffy dodged his blades as best she could. But Shredder was way faster than her, inhumanly fast. His blades slashed at her side, just as she lashed out at his head with a side kick, knocking the face mask off. The Chosen One hit the ground, holding her bleeding side with her right hand. If she had been a normal person, Buffy would have already been dead.

"Nice move there, Slayer." Shredder looked down at her with an evil grin.

Buffy couldn't believe her eyes. "Xander?! What, how-?" She was shocked at seeing Shredder's face. "Xander, is that you?"

Immediately the Big Bad laughed, and his red eyes glowed darker than ever. The look in those inhuman eyes was death itself. May even be the last thing Buffy would ever see...

"You fool! I'm Oroku Saki." He grinned wickedly, showing his dragon-like human teeth. "Bellatrix sent your friend to Tartarus, and now, you will be joining him!"

{ Maybe I should use holy water on him... } Buffy used her free hand (the one not trying to staunch the bleeding) and scrabbled around in her back pocket. As Shredder advanced, she threw the glass vial at her enemy - which exploded in his face, and burned his eyes.

"AHHHHHH!" Shredder screamed, temporarily distracted.

{ Now's my chance. Get up! Move! } Buffy yelled at herself. She somehow managed to get going, leaving some blood behind, which the rain washed away...

"I will rip you apart and eat your heart!" Shredder screamed in sheer rage towards Buffy, even if he didn't chase after her. The Foot Clan needed to feel his displeasure, first.

Playing it smart and remaining silent, Buffy exited through the rooftop door of the building. Luckily, she found a first aid kit in one of the many empty rooms below. Her fingers feeling like lead, Buffy called Giles on the phone...

Elsewhere in the wizarding district, a short while previously, Xander had drunk the polyjuice potion, becoming York Morgan. He had the hair, his face and even the two scars. One on his check and the other through his hair line to his eyebrow.

"Wow, how awesome is this?! I become one of my favorite characters from Deadly Premonition!"

Merlin merely sighed and rolled his eyes. "Come, Xander. I have some powerful magic to teach you."

Harris had a huge grin on his new face, the young wizard looking forward to learning at the feet of the master. Then he frowned, as he remembered how he'd left Cordelia waiting outside Willie's Bar for so long. { Betcha she's left to go home by now. }

Elsewhere in the gym at Sunnydale High, Giles was still busy training Willow with some spells he knew. There were numerous loud curses and hexes, and that was why neither of them heard his phone go off (in the library).

"Shit, Giles, answer your fucking phone!" Buffy ranted, before she slammed the phone receiver down. Binding her wounds as best she could, the Slayer then exited the building and started looking for a cab. Even though in Sunnydale at this time of night, that was pretty pointless. Eventually, after all her strength was gone, Buffy passed out on the sidewalk.

A few minutes later, Faith and Dawn spotted her laying there as their car passed by (on the way out of Sunnydale). Faith slammed down on the brakes, before the vehicle skidded to a halt and both sisters got out. They walked towards Buffy, and Faith bent down to check on the wounded blonde.

"This wound looks really bad, Pip." She picked her mystical sibling up and then put her in the back seat, wincing at the bloodstains getting on the upholstery. Getting into the driver's side and gesturing to Dawn to sit in the passenger seat, Faith started the car again.

"Who is she, Faith?" Dawn asked, staring at her big sister.

"Not sure, kiddo, but I saw her in my Slayer dream recently."

Dawn frowned. "That mean we're not leaving town yet?"

"'Fraid so..."

They drove off to the hospital with a badly hurt Slayer with them.

Elsewhere, Bellatrix was beyond pissed at her henchman, Skin Taker. Granted, he was dead now so that anger served no useful purpose. Also, she knew that Shredder wouldn't give her the Slayer dead or alive.

The mad witch KNEW she should have chosen better minions. But she was unaware that she was merely a pawn of the demon gods, or that her *dear* nephew Xander had returned from the Underworld. She considered bringing Angel back to serve her will. But why bring a souled vampire back from the dead?

{ Perhaps Angelus would be better? No, wait, Barnabas Collins would do for sure. Or would he? } Bellatrix knew she couldn't take the chance that he would kill her, like Barnabas had done with Angelique. Collins was one of the most powerful vampires of all. { Damn it. I need to remove a heart of someone very powerful to control... }

Meanwhile, on the moon, Zod and Regime Superman were still fighting. The battle had been going ever since Halloween night, and a very even match it had been so far...

But even Kryptonians can get tired or distracted, and sensing an opening Regime Superman ripped off Zod's right arm, blood spurting and quickly evaporating into the vacuum of space. Zod was instantly in agony, but still attempted to punch hard with his other arm. But Regime Superman grabbed his fist and ripped off that arm as well!

Zod had lost the battle, and knew his life was now forfeit to the spawn of his hated enemy, Jor-El.

"What are you waiting for, Kal-El? End it already!" he spat, resigning himself to death.

"Gladly, Zod," Regime Superman replied. He put his hands on Zod's neck and snapped it. Allowing the armless body to fall into the lunar dust, he then took off into space.

Faith carried Buffy into the hospital's emergency room, while Dawn followed her big sister. She then went off to wait in the waiting room, while the Slayer allowed the doctors to take over care of her mystical sibling. The former Key had the funniest feeling that she and Faith weren't going anywhere, now...