Chapter 9
~ Dissent ~
"Spike! Open up! It's Xander!"
The young man knocked loudly on the door to the tomb again. Finally, the door just slammed down to the ground off its hinges, the impact thundering out, heard for yards around.
"That worked," Xander sighed, walking in. He turned and looked at Christopher. "You coming?"
"I can't…not until you invite me in."
"What?" Xander asked.
"As an Archangel, I can't go into a Demon's home without being invited," Christopher said. "Kind of a trade off for Vamps not coming into human homes."
"Oh, well, come in, then," Xander laughed.
"Look! I already said 'no!' I don't want to join you, Ashbur–" Spike yelled, coming up from his basement, then stopping when he saw who his guests were. "Aw, bloody hell, what did you go and do that for, invitin' that sod in here?"
"Where's Ashbury?" Christopher asked.
"Man, he stinks, too!" Spike yelled, holding his nose.
"Listen, Spike," Xander pleaded. "This isn't really a good time for jabber. We need to find the big bad, like, now."
"Oh, yeah?" Spike smiled. "Ashbury's got you all a little scared, huh?"
"He should have you scared, too, Spike," Christopher smiled. "As soon as he destroys the Slayer, he'll find out she's had a Vampire helper. He won't have forgotten your lack of help behind the cemetery, either."
"Yeah, well, not that I care, mind you…Jus' I don' really want any real harm to come to…her," Spike said uneasily.
"What do you want, Spike?" Xander asked. "Tell us where he is, and we'll pay you, or do whatever it is you want…"
"Really?" Spike smiled, sitting comfortably in his chair. "Anything?"
"Well, not anything, but tell us what you want, and maybe we can work something out," Xander replied.
"Well, your mate, there, knows what I want, and I know he can tell me," Spike said, looking at Christopher.
"I can't," Christopher responded. "It's not allowed."
"It seems my memory is slipping," Spike said, falling back in his chair.
"All I can say is that anything is possible," Christopher replied. "Maybe she will, maybe she won't, depending on what you do in the next several months."
"But that's not a 'no,' is it?" Spike sat up, suddenly very excited. "Is it?"
Christopher sighed. "It's a maybe."
Spike slapped his hands together and smiled. "Aw, right, then, boyos. You jus' got yourself some good help. I'll lead the way."
"Whoa, whoa," Xander said, putting his hands up. "I didn't ask you to come. Just tell us where it's at."
"No go, there, sonny," Spike answered. "I come, or no deal. Besides, you could use my help."
Xander looked up at Christopher who was staring at Spike. "Very well," Christopher answered. "If Aurelius figures out how to open gates, we may need his help."
With a laugh, Spike ran past the two and out the door. "C'mon! We have some big bads ta bust up!"
Xander turned to Christopher as the two turned and left. "What exactly did you tell him?"
"He just wanted to know if he has any real chance with Buffy," Christopher responded.
"Maybe?" Xander asked, suddenly very scared. "What did you mean by 'maybe?"
"Stranger things have happened. First, Buffy and Spike have to live through tonight."
***
"Yeah, kick the damn glass out!" the Vampire yelled as his friend sent his foot through the windshield of a car. "I hate this town, just destroy everything!"
For about 4 hours, now, three Vampires had calmly walked down the street, destroying everything in their path. Behind them, shattered glass, overturned cars, flames burning out from buildings, even the occasional water shooting up from a destroyed fire hydrant.
"Hey, you notice anything strange?" one of the Vamps asked, stopping and looking around.
The other two stopped and listened. "No, don't hear anything? Why?"
"That's just it! It's too quiet out here," The Vamp answered. "I mean, isn't this supposed to be a riot? Where's Gregory? Where's Marshall?"
The other Vamps looked up and down the street, but, save their path of destruction, nothing could be seen.
"Maybe we were supposed to meet up with the boss an hour ago or something?"
"Nah, he said to destroy all we could. Have fun all night."
"Yah, well, then, where is ever'one?"
"The boss woul' give us holy hell if he saw the street this empty! Maybe we shou' go back to the lair?"
"And, exactly where would your boss be?" a strange voice came from the alley. A petite, blond girl in a leather jacket and blue jeans walked out and put her hand on her hip. "Where is this lair of yours?"
"Well, well, well, James, lookey wot we have, here, now," one of the Vampires laughed.
"Careful, now, Beringer, she looks like she might be a nasty one, wot with those big muscles an' all," James answered. The three Vampires jumped down from the car and circled around the blond girl, as she leaned against the wall, smiling.
"Must admit, my pretty, you got guts…Do you know what we are?" Beringer asked.
"Losers?" Buffy asked. "High School rejects who haven't been any stores with fashion since at least 1994. Oh, wait, that was a Rhetorical Question, wasn't it?"
"A Rhet–wot?" James asked.
Buffy looked at the Vampire, not believing he didn't understand. "Boy, you are dumb, aren't you?"
"Listen, here, missy, We's Vampires. We're gonna suck yuir blood! See all that damage? We did that."
"Yeah, okay," Buffy said, leaning off the wall. "Listen up, I haven't much time, which of you is the smartest one here?"
Two of the Vampires looked to Beringer. "Um, why does you want to know that one?" Beringer asked.
The pluck of a crossbow could be heard from the alley, and James suddenly vanished into a pile of dust, an arrow landing on top. Buffy quickly pulled out Mr. Pointy and sent it deep into the chest of the Vampire standing in front of her.
Beringer gasped, and turned to run. Before he could take any steps, though Buffy grabbed his jacket and slammed him against the brick wall, as Giles ran up, carrying the crossbow.
"Where's your Lair?" Buffy asked.
"I–I can't say…He'll kill me."
"If you don't say, I'll kill you anyway," Buffy answered. "You know why there aren't any Vampires around? None of them would tell me where your lair is. You're lucky, though. Bein' the last one, I won't kill you too quickly. We'll just torture you for a while."
"Yes, I suggest doing what the Slayer says," Giles added. "She may let you live."
Beringer looked all around, trying to see if there was any escape. Finally, he realized he was stuck there. "If I tell you, you promise to let me go?"
"For now," Buffy replied.
"Bloody Hell…It's in downtown…Brick basement with a big sign over it. The sign says "shoes" on it."
Buffy looked to Giles. "Yes, I think we can find it…I think I know what he's talking about."
Buffy set the Vamp down. "Better get out of here before I change my mind."
The Vampire turned and ran down the street like a bat out of hell.
"Do you hear that?" Giles asked.
"Yeah, sounds like sirens. I guess we offed enough of them for the cops and firefighters to move back in."
"Well, we better get going. We have a bit of a walk ahead of us."
***
"Like shooting fish in a barrel!" Edward yelled, as he chased the three girls out of the living room. He charged forward, licking his lips, ready to sink his teeth into their necks. Without looking, he stepped onto some red powder that had been sprinkled around the couch. A small fireball shot up the vampire, consuming the Vampire in seconds.
The Vampire screamed in agony as the other attackers looked in horror. As quickly and as fiercely as the fire came, it left. The charred body fell to the floor.
"Damn it, Edward!" one of the leading Vampires yelled. "Don't step on the powder!"
"Fang said they wuz witches, so watch out!"
Two of the Vampires quickly ran back outside and ran around to the back door. They kicked it in, and stepped through, seeing a young, red-haired girl smiling at them. Suddenly, the two Vampires were dowsed in water that fell from buckets resting above the door. Smoke began to dance up from their skin and clothes, and the two Vampires screamed and ran back out the door.
"Hope that Holy Water burns you to death!" Anya yelled. "Don't come back!"
Three Vampires moved carefully around the body of the charred Vampire and into the dining room, where a blond-haired woman stood, eyes closed and arms crossed.
"What is that?" one of them asked.
"Looks like…Pencils?" another answered.
Floating carefully in the air all around Tara two big boxes of Pencils that had been emptied were ready to be flung across the room. Tara suddenly opened her eyes and flicked her arms forward. Like a rain of gunfire, the pencils ripped through the air, slicing through the Vampires and into the walls behind them. Two neat piles of dust lay on the floor together with the pencils that had lodged in their bodies.
"Anya, Tara, C'mon!" Willow screamed. "There's more coming!"
The two girls shot across the room and up to the stairs. Willow poured some powder carefully along the bottom step as the other two passed her. "Illuminous noone," she whispered, and the dust disappeared. Willow then turned and ran back up the stairs.
The three remaining Vampires carefully moved up on the pencils and dust and looked around the corner.
"You sure we want to keep going, Hilda?" one of them asked.
"I'd rather face three weak humans than Fang, wouldn't you?" Hilda asked. "You two go up the stairs, I'll go around and come in on the roof.
As Hilda turned and went outside, the remaining two Vamps carefully walked to the stairs. "No sign of 'em. That's not a good sign."
"You go first, mate. I'll be right behind you."
The Vampire looked carefully at the stairs and moved forward. A redhead girl stuck her face around the corner as the Vampire stepped on the first step. "Innundae!" She yelled.
The invisible dust blew up, sending the Vampire through his pal and into the wall behind them. The Second Vampire, standing behind his friend was impaled on the wooden chair that splintered as they went through it, turning him to dust. The other Vampire shook off the pain, stood, roared, and charged up the stairs.
Willow screamed. Turning and running down the hall, she screamed to the other two. "One got through! He's coming"
The three huddled together, back to back to back, holding weapons and looking at the door as the Vamire, smiling, walked calmly in the room. "You're outta tricks, aren't you? An who is this little pretty?" The Vamp asked, looking down on the bed at Victoria.
"Now!" Willow screamed. The three charged at him with an axe, a sword, and a stake. The Vampire punched Willow, sending her flying back, and sent his foot into Anya's chest, dropping her to the floor.
Tara let out a scream that was more scared than brave and sent the Axe flying. It lodged in his brain. The girl cried and fell backwards, scared of what she did. Willow quickly jumped up and put the stake through his heart before he could take out the Axe.
"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay!" Willow yelled, dropping the stake and putting her hands on Tara's head. The tears streamed down Tara's face.
"That was awful!" she murmured.
"You had to," Willow said.
"If you didn't, it would have killed me," Anya added, holding her head and trying to get up.
"But, I–"
Before she could finish, the window came crashing in, and a woman Vampire stood by the bed roaring at the girls. Willow grabbed the axe and charged up, but Hilda easily knocked the weapon away and sent Willow crashing through a desk.
Anya jumped on Hilda's back, not sure what she was doing, but trying to do anything. Her legs flailed around as she tried to choke the Vampire. Hilda flipped her over and slapped her across the face, then sent her flying into the hallway.
"You…you little bitch!" Hilda said, turning to Tara. "You act so innocent, but I saw you slay my Vampire!"
Hilda walked over and grabbed the crying girl by her throat and lift her into the air. Tara felt the fingers tightening, and thought that any second, now, it would all be over. Instead, she was suddenly dropped to the ground and swung around. The Vampire pulled her head sideways.
Tara could feel the teeth beginning to sink in, then there was a poof, and…nothing. Tara turned around to see the Vampire, but dust particles floated in the air. On the bed, Victoria was painfully sitting up, holding a crossbow, and smiling.
Willow painfully pulled herself up from the wood piles of the desk and walked up to Tara. "Are you…okay?" Willow asked.
Tara rolled her eyes a little. "No," she whispered, as she began to break down crying. Willow put her head into her chest and held on tightly.
"I'm hurt, too!" Anya said, walking in and holding her shoulder. "Where's my Xander to hold me?"
"We need to put up a blocking spell before anymore Vampires get invited in," Victoria said, standing up.
"Are you sure you feel all right?" Anya asked.
"I have a wallop of a headache, but I'll be alright, don't worry. C'mon, then," she said, turning and starting down the hallway.
***
A single light swayed back in forth in the dark, dingy basement of the Shoe building. It was more than enough for Vampire eyes to see in, and what's more, three swirling clouds stood at different parts of the room, a red light barely shining through the dark clouds.
"Come on, now, don't keep me waiting," Fang said, laughing to himself.
Out of each of the clouds, large demons stepped, holding differing weapons. They looked similar to a Minotaur, each with massive muscles, bull-like heads, and human bodies. They were known to the Council as Lochmeyer Demons, and to the Archangels as simply, Bull-Demons, and they were heavily feared by both leagues.
"A remarkable thing, this key," Fang said. "Seems I can reach into any dimension I want. I could send you three straight into the armies of Heaven, where they will destroy you immediately. Or, maybe I'll send you to the belly of a Dragon-Demon, where you can suffer for three thousand years as you're digested?
"Simply put, my friends, if you do not follow what I say, I will see to it you are easily destroyed. Not to mention, if you were to try to attack me, it would be fruitless, as long as I wear the key. Do you understand?"
The Demons each nodded.
"I don't want you as slaves…No, no. I respect your power far too much for that. I could simply use Vampires for that. I want to set you free wherever you want. However, before you do that, I have a little favor to ask of you. Should you help me, I will see to it that you are rewarded with the trip of your dreams.
"All you have to do, is kill one Slayer and one Angel. Can you do this?"
The Demons all nodded and looked at each other, smiling.
"Excellent," Fang smiled. "They will be here shortly. Oh, and if they should bring any extra humans, feel free to have fun with them as you feel fit."
The Demons smiled, and fell to one knee as Fan sat in his new throne. "As you wish, master," they all said in unison.
***