Chapter 8
~ Into the Furious Night ~
Sally Hershfield had spent her whole life thus far staying out of trouble. Being brought up by very strict parents, she had worked furiously to keep from doing the wrong thing. She tried to go to the right school, marry the right man, and run the right business with him.
Somehow, Sally felt she had made a bad choice somewhere.
The small business owner cowered, tears flowing from her eyes, in a corner at the end of a very dark alleyway, trying not to make a peep. Down the street, her computer store was ablaze in the night, all she had worked for burning up.
Strange men came storming in after the explosions. She figured they were just trying to hide from the fires that had started, but they quickly began throwing computers around, smashing anything they could get their hands on. When her husband went after them with a rifle, they merely shook off the bullets and went after him.
The men had such an awful look on their faces. They weredistorted, somehow. The men pulled her husband into the air and killed him. It seemed as though they put no effort in it. Their strength was amazing.
Now, they were after her.
"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty," a mocking voice echoed down the alleys. "Where's my little playmate, eh?"
Sally dared a glance over the garbage can to see where they were. She looked down the alley and saw them. They were dark figures against a fire at the end of the alleyway. However, she could see their eyes. They glowed a yellowish tint, and looked abnormal, almost cat-like.
"Gotcha!"
Sally screamed as one of the Vamps knocked over the garbage can beside her and yanked her out, crushing her wrist. "No, no!" she pleaded. "Please, no!"
"Don't know bout you fellas, but I'm plum full," the Vampire laughed. "Maybe we can find another use for this little lady."
"I guess it's the only way you can have any fun," a voice came from above.
The Vampire looked up in time to receive a kick to the face, knocking the man across the alley. He slammed into the wall and fell, unconscious.
The golden-haired savior jumped off the wall and pulled out a long wooden stake from inside her black leather jacket. "C'mon, boys, you wanted a young woman? I'm a young woman. Why don't you come after me?"
The remaining two Vampires charged in at Buffy, who brought her fist up and into the first attacker, knocking him on his back. She then twisted her body around and sent her foot around and through the next Vamp's face.
The first attacker jumped back up and started throwing punches. Buffy blocked each attack with ease, then sent the stake into the Vamp's heart, turning him to dust.
The second attacker slid around at threw his arms around the Slayer's body, trapping her arms. "Got you!" he yelled.
Buffy twisted and tried to turn around, but she couldn't budge. Suddenly, she heard a slight cry, and the poof that accompanied the dust. Buffy's arms were free, and she looked down in time to see the dust fall to the ground.
"Thanks," she smiled, turning to Giles, still holding the stake at the place where the Vampire's heart was.
"Are you okay?" Giles asked, turning to Sally.
"Y–yah, fine, th–thank you," she answered, not really sure what to say.
"You should go to the hospital for that," Buffy said, pointing to Sally's wrist.
"O–Okay," Sally answered.
"It, uh, It's down that alley on the other side of the fence and turn left. You shouldn't run into any Vam–uh, looters on the way there."
Sally shook her head, trying not to show how scared she was. She was so grateful to be alive, though she felt guilty because of all the others around that were dying.
As Sally turned and started to climb over the fence, she could still hear the other two talking. "That's seven, so farhow many of these has Fang got in his troupe?"
"I don't know, he didn't have any the other day."
"Any idea where he could be?'
"I imagine he won't be too hard to find when he wants us to find us."
Sally fell down into the alleyway and started walking towards the hospital. Who were those two? They had no problem with those monsters. Why?
"They were probably regular people, they were just high on Cocaine," she whispered to herself. "Yeah, that's it. Those two just knew how to deal with it."
Sally jogged down the alley, content with the answer, and never again remembered how disfigured the attackers were.
***
"There is no further word from the downtown area, this evening. Police and authorities have not been able to calm the looting and destruction. Though only a few businesses have been destroyed, cars are burning all over the street, and the attackers, described as mostly young, white males, are beating innocent civilians. Two confirmed deaths have been reported so far, and Sunnydale Hospital is overflowing with patients.
"Again, we are facing the worst riot to ever hit the Sunnydale area. Though we have no idea what has caused the Riot, the streets are full of people destroying whatever they can get their hands on.
"People not in the area are advised to stay away until the situation can be brought under control. Lock your doors, and keep the phone lines free for official use"
"This is so unbelievable," Tara said, quietly. "Why are they doing this?"
"I don't know, but I'm glad the Magic Box is on the other side of town," Anya answered, popping a potato chip in her mouth.
"How long has it been going on?" Willow asked.
"About three hours," Tara answered. "Buffy and Giles headed straight for downtown as soon as they heard. Christopher wanted to come with them, but he knew it was more important to find Spike. Maybe through Spike, they could find Fang, or maybe even Adonis."
"Is Victoria awake, yet?" Willow asked.
"Nope, not yet," Anya answered, popping yet another chip in her mouth. "She looked better than she had all day, though, thank goodness."
The door-bell rang, startling the three. Anya looked up at the other two and they stared back. She picked up Giles' baseball bat and walked over to the door. "Who is it?" she asked, yelling through the door.
"Pizza Delivery," the voice yelled back.
"Oh, well, in that case"Anya started, setting the bat aside and opening the door.
"Anya, no!" Willow yelled.
The door opened, and outside Fang smiled at the girls. "Hello."
Anya screamed and slammed the door and ran back to the other two. "It's okay, it's okay! I didn't invite him in!"
The door exploded inward, slamming onto the floor as Fang walked in.
"He doesn't have to be!" Willow yelled. "He has the key!"
"Oh, uh, you don't mind if I invite a few of my friends in, do you?" Fang asked, motioning to the outside. "Why don't you boys come in?"
Suddenly, the windows all shattered and Vampires began to pour through the them at the girls, who turned and ran up the stairs.
"Destroy them all, save the Watcher," the Vampire yelled. "She is mine. Have her brought to my lair for later."
Fang watched the ten Vampires charge down the hall after the girls, smiled, and turned to leave. "Now, for the Slayer and her pet Angel."
***
"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, Steven!" the young boy yelled to his brother. "We're in a cemetery! We can't run from monsters to a Cemetery!"
"Shut up, you nimrod!" Steve yelled, looking back over his shoulder. "John, if you yell anymore, they'll find us and rip us apart."
Only hours before, the two were cruising down Jefferson Ave. in their 72 Dodge, hooting and hollerin' at the babes walking the streets. Two of them at the corner motioned for them to pull over. Sure enough they swung the car right over.
From the start, John noticed something wasn't right. Their faces seemeddifferent. "Hey, Baby, wanna have some real fun?" they asked.
"Uh, well, no, thanks," Steve stuttered, putting the car in gear.
"Oh, well. We're gonna have some fun, anyway," the girl smiled, showing her fangs. "With your head!" she roared, yanking the door off the car.
Steve screamed and hit the gas, but the girls lifted the car up, rolling it over on its side. Shaken, but not finished, Steve grabbed his brother and rolled out of the car. They took off running from the women, who chased closely, growling and screaming at them. Suddenly, one of the buildings in front of them blew up. To avoid the fire, they turned at the corner and ran straight into the Cemetery.
"I saw them come in here! They looked nice and plump!" one of the Vampires yelled, motioning to three others who ran into the Cemetery.
"Oh, shit! Steve, whatarewegonnado?" John cried.
"There they are!" a Vampire screamed from down the aisle.
Steve and John screamed and took off, pursued quickly by the Vampire gang. They dodged around the stones, and ran straight into the fence, not seeing it in the dark night.
"Well, looky what we have, here," the women Vampires smiled, walking up to the boys.
Steve rolled back to his feet and started to run to his left, but was quickly cut off. He looked to his right, but they were now surrounded. He began to cry.
"Oh, manWhat are you gonna do with us, man?" Steve cried.
The women smiled. "Rip them apart."
A Vampire in a black jacket with zippers all over it started to move forward, but was suddenly yanked backwards into the night. The others looked out as he screamed loudly from the distance.
"Mike?" the female Vampire asked. "Mike! Where are you?"
Suddenly another Vamp was pulled away into the darkness. His screams were even louder. "Miller!"
"Spread out," The female Vampire said. "We'll find whatever it is doing this. It's probably the Slayer. It will be fun to eat her heart tonight."
"Steve?" John whispered, standing flat against the wall. "What do we do?"
"I don't know. Just stay here."
Out of the darkness, the sudden screams rang out every few seconds. They came from all over the cemetery.
One of the female Vamps came running out of the darkness straight at the two boys. Instead of her usual smile, the look of fear was spread over her face. Something shot out threw the darkness after her, and she stopped, hands raised into the air. In a flash, she was nothing but a pile of dust.
"Steve? Steve Jacobs? John?" a familiar voice came out. Suddenly, a boy they knew from High School walked out, carrying a crossbow.
"Xander?" Steve asked. "Xander Harris? That you?"
"In the flesh, Steve, how are ya?"
"Uh, well, uh–"
"Don't push yourself too hard, there, Steve. I know too much thinking hurts the cro-mag brain of yours."
"If–If there weren't people around, I'd be a mind to beat your fist in, like I used to in High School, you little idiot," Steve said, suddenly looking angry.
"You won't touch him," another voice came out. A very large man walked into the light carrying a very long sword. His eyes glowed bright blue in the dark night air. "You'd best be going before you pee your pants again like in P.E., Steve."
Xander looked up at Christopher and laughed. "He did? No way. Where were you in High School? Oh, that's right, helping Willow."
Steve grabbed his brother and stormed off into the darkness, mad as hell. John started laughing. "You peed your pants in High School?" he laughed.
"Shut up, ya little pint!"
Christopher turned to Xander. "Now, where is Spike's tomb?"
"This way," Xander answered. "Hey, now, could you see everything that happened? I mean everything?"
"Yes."
"Including the time Willow and I threw the–"
"Yes."
"And the time when we cheated on Cordelia and O–"
"Yes."
"Oh, man, I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do, aren't I?"
"Yes."
***
"I've served on the force for twenty years, Daniel," the policeman said, huddling behind his car. "I've seen some weird stuff, man, but this is just crazy!"
"Did we get blanks, Ben?" Daniel asked. "Every time I shoot at one of those psychos, it doesn't even make them flinch!"
"They're high, Daniel, that's all. Seen it a thousand times. He'll come outta his high in a few hours and suddenly have to get to the hospital!"
Daniel breathed heavily, sitting against the car, not sure if he really wanted to ask the next question. His curiosity overran him, though. "What about their faces, Ben?"
"That's some sort of gang that's been around a long time. New members all the time. They pay to have plastic surgery to distort their faces or something, I don't know. Rich kids in Gangs, you know how it works."
"Heeere, Piggy, Piggies!" the voice hollered out. "heeere!"
The man charged at the car and jumped high in the air. He brought his cupped fists down into the roof of the car, bending either side up, and the middle crushing down to the ground.
The officers ran several steps away, turned, and opened fire. The Vampire swayed with each shot, but, they didn't knock him out. He ran around the car and lifted the two officers into the air by their vests.
"I really hate being shot, you s.o.bs," the Vampire said. "What is that smell, anyway? One of you put on some good perfume this morning?"
The officers looked at each other, turning their noses at the awful smell in the air. Suddenly, the Vampire was knocked out from under them. Both landed hard on the pavement.
Ben looked up to the tree, and saw the Vampire pinned to it. He was fighting with something, but Ben couldn't see what it was. Out of thin air, a blue creature appeared, holding the Vampire against the tree.
"Where is the key?" it asked. It's voice sent shivers through the officers.
"Wh–what key?" the vampire cried out.
"Aurelius–Fang, where is he? I want the key."
"H–he's at the lair! It's in the basement of an old building that has a shoe sign in front of it. Ten blocks north of here, I swear!"
Daniel lifted his gun and put the blue man in his sights. "Son, why don't you put the man down. Let the law handle this."
The Fallen looked at the officers, and back to the Vampire. With a roar, the creature grabbed the Vampire's neck and shoulders and ripped them apart, dust flying everywhere.
"Great God, almighty!" Daniel yelled, lowering his gun. The Blue creature turned to them, and suddenly, gigantic dark wings shot out from his back. He flapped them once, knocking the officers across the lawn and slamming into the side of the house. Both were instantly knocked out and slid into dreamland.
They would both wake up thinking it must have been a dream, and at a loss for how their car was destroyed.
***