Chapter 11
~ What the Night Can Bring ~
For almost two years, now, there have been very few visitors to the burned out building that stood on this block of the eastern part of Sunnydale. Once, the building was busy every day with students walking to and from class. Then, on Graduation Day, 1999, the mayor of Sunnydale turned into a giant snake. After eating the principal, bringing darkness to the Earth, which allowed bands of Vampires to roam free, and chasing the Slayer through the school, the giant snake, with the entire school building, was blown up. Though, there are conflicting reports of what really happened. The school has yet to find the funding to rebuild.
At the heart of this building once stood a library which held a nice little secret: It was the entrance of the Hellmouth. This point had seen many great battles, from Drusilla the Vampire killing a Slayer, to demons coming out of the Hellmouth and barely being defeated.
After two years of relative quiet, the old school was about to be busy again.
The sky was overcast, now, no stars shining above as a strange figure came down from the sky to the grounds in front of the school. After a hard landing, it set down its baggage: a young redhead that the creature just picked up from the Summers' home.
Willow was still unconscious from her attempted escape, and she fell right to the ground. The Fallen took a few steps forward, surveying the building and smiled. "Good, good. This is it," it said with a smile. "Well, my precious, we've got quite a job on our hands."
The Fallen turned and kicked Willow gently, causing her to stir. "Wake up."
Willow painfully looked up, rubbing her eyes, and holding her head. "Wherewhere are we?"
"The Hellmouth. Start concocting a transportation spell."
Willow stood up and looked around, still not sure where they were. "Why? I meanI need stuff to do that. What do you need me for?"
"I don't think you understand your situation, little girl," Adonis said, leaning in and breathing down on her. "If you don't start the spell, I will pull your little head off."
Willow stood back and cringed her nose, trying to get away from the spell. "I can'tI don't have the powders."
"Here," the Fallen said, throwing a bag of the necessary items to Willow. "Start, now, or I will kill you."
"What if I say no? You can't kill me, you need me."
The Fallen leaned in real close, his eyes glowing bright yellow in the night. "I can find another wizard after I kill you. Start now."
Willow trembled, slightly, and keeping an eye on Adonis, kneeled down and started sorting through the bag to find the materials. "It won't work. You can't get into heaven with a Transportation Spell. Not even with the Key. Victoria said you wouldn't be able to use it."
"Shut up, little girl," Adonis grumbled, turning to the street to keep watch out. "What makes you think I want to go to Heaven."
***
"Giles, c'mon! Make this hunk of junk go faster!" Buffy yelled. "Don't worry about the cops!"
"I'm giving her all the gas I can!" Giles barked back.
Xander and Spike held onto the doors as the car swung around back and forth. Xander's face was starting to turn slightly green from the motion.
"Why is he going to get the little pi–I mean, Willow," Spike yelled. "There are more powerful sorcerers in Sunnydale."
"She's perfect," Buffy yelled. "She's powerful enough to open a gateway to another dimension, but she's not strong enough to fight off an Angel."
"Plus," Giles started, swinging the steering wheel around, "He doesn't know many wizards, I'll bet. But, he does know of her because Christopher used to protect her!"
The car turned around the corner, fishtailing on the slick roads, and shot down the street. Giles glided up to Buffy's house, pulling the car straight into the yard.
"Good God," Buffy whispered, looking over the windshield of the convertible. "Mom's gonna freak."
The door was missing, the windows were all busted, and articles of furniture were laying in the window, half outside.
The four hopped out of the car, and started walking forward, keeping an eye out for trouble.
"Xander?" a voice yelled from the darkness beside the house. "Is that you Xander?"
"Anya?" Xander replied back.
"Xander!" She screamed, running out and throwing her arms around him. "Oh my God, Xander, I was so worried about losing you, Xander!" She kissed him again and again. "When we get home, we're going to have sex all night."
"Good God," Buffy said again. "I didn't need to hear that."
"Ripper?" Victoria asked, liming from around the side of the house, being held up by a tearful Tara. Giles ran forward and helped her down to the ground, feeling her injuries.
"They're not too bad, just a broken rib," Giles said. "Still, we have to get her down to the hospital."
"No," Victoria said, a look of determination on her face. "Not until we get Willow back."
"What happened?" Buffy asked, standing at the porch of her house. "And why are there pencils stuck in the living room wall?"
"We were attacked by eight or so Vampires tonight," Tara cried out. "We stopped them, but then he came!"
"Stinky Casper?" Xander asked.
"Yes," Victoria said. "Er, well, Adonis is his name. He came. We tried to fight him off, but he was just too powerful. He slung me into the couch, which knocked the couch through your window."
Anya, still clinging to Xander looked back at them. "He wanted Willow. Didn't say anything, just I need you.'"
"What about Christopher?" Buffy asked, turning to Tara, and putting her hand on her shoulder.
"He–he is with you, right?" Anya said.
"No, I saw him," Victoria said. "He was flying. He came over for a second, looked around, and sped off."
"Which way did he go?" Giles asked calmly.
"East. I think that's East. That way," Victoria said, pointing.
"East? What's East?" Xander asked.
Buffy thought for a moment, then started towards the car. "Let's go. We have to go, NOW."
"Where on Earth to?" Giles asked.
"School."
***
"Ah, yeshere he comes. Not a complete fool after all," Adonis said, smiling.
"Who?" Willow asked, trying to see.
"No one. Shut up and work!"
"Oh, look at Mr. Tall-Dark —and mean."
"Oh, and I know what is involved in the spell chants, little girl, so don't try anything funny."
A small light shined in the distance. It could easily have been mistaken for an airplane, but it was smaller. It grew bigger and bigger, and was moving fast. Finally, the Angel came in to full view, swept down, and landed gently in front of Adonis, his wings gusting great winds as he landed.
"Willow? You okay?" Christopher asked calmly.
Willow smiled and stood up. "Christopher? Look at youyou're all glowy and everything."
"What are you doing?" Christopher asked. "This is no way to get back to Heaven."
"I'm not going to Heaven. I'm inviting Hell to come here."
Christopher's eyes widened. "I c–can't let you do that."
"The spell is finished, you fool. The girl is under my control, though she may not know it. In just a second, I will open the Hellmouth with the Key, releasing all the evils of Hell to the Earth."
Christopher looked past the Fallen Angel. "Willow?" he asked, raising his hand.
"Yes?"
"Go to sleep, now, it's late," he said, lowering his hand. Willow fell straight to the ground, sound asleep. "Amazing how many nights I had to use that as she grew up."
Adonis, looking astonished, turned to the girl. Suddenly, he felt a great blow from behind, and he and Christopher blew through the already shaky building.
The Angel lifted him up and slammed him hard into the ground, causing the earth around them to shake violently. Adonis brought his feet up quickly and swung the Angel over, sending him rolling into the grass.
The two rose to their feet quickly and squared off.
"It is useless, Christopher!" The Fallen yelled. "I have the key, now. I know how to use it. Though I may not have the magics to open the Hellmouth myself, the key's own magic is strengthening me every minute. An upstart fool like you can't possibly take me, now."
"You underestimate me," Christopher said, eyes shining like bright stars. "I'll not stop until I have that key."
"Why?" Adonis asked. "Why do you protect these–these monkeys? What are they worth to you?"
"I do it because I'm asked to. I protect her–because I love her."
Adonis laughed loudly. The laugh came from deep inside and roared out into the night. "Love? Angels cannot care for them. They are beneath us."
"She is far above you," Christopher said, holding his fists up.
The Fallen stopped laughing. Suddenly he became quite serious. "You will die, now, you insignificant pest."
Adonis charged forward, grabbing the Angel by his wings and slammed through a tree. Christopher rolled along the ground, but couldn't get his footing. The Fallen moved in and sent his knee crashing into the Angel's gut, knocking the wind out of him.
The Fallen Angel, with a smile, grabbed Christopher's top wing with his right hand. Yanking as hard as he could, Adonis ripped the wing out of Christopher's back, feathers flying everywhere. The Angel screamed out in agony.
"It's like plucking a chicken, actually," Adonis laughed. He picked up the big main wings of the Angel, and using his new strength pulled as hard as he could. The muscles in the wings snapped, and Christopher again screamed out.
In desperation, the Angel rolled forward, and threw a punch behind him. The punch was weak and not well thrown, and did no damage. Adonis, laughing charged in hit Christopher across the face, sending blood shooting out from his mouth to the sidewalk pavement.
"Stop it!" Willow screamed, shaking off the sleep. "Stop!"
Christopher fell to the ground, breathing hard, blood trickling out from his nose and eyelids. He tried to pull himself back, but was in too much pain. The golden glow was now gone. He looked almost human, except for the now deformed wings behind him.
Adonis laughed again. "You fool," he said. He turned away and walked to Willow, grabbing her by the hand, and putting his hand over her forehead. She tried to struggle away, but his grip was too much. The Dark Angel turned his head up to the cloudy sky and spoke: "Anethitus, omagdun, Fuertesium nagothal."
The Earth began to shake, and a bright red light shot up from the school building to the sky.
***
"There!" Buffy yelled. The car screeched to a stop at the curb, and all the riders shot out. "Willow!"
A thin red light shot up into the night sky, and was now beginning to widen greatly. The Earth had finally stopped shaking, but the air began to get warmer and warmer as the Hellmouth continued to open up. Screams of agony, great cries of pain, and growls of huge beasts began to fill the night air around the gang. A cloud of Bats began to fly out from the light and into the sky.
Buffy charged across the field, axe in hand to Willow, who was now passed out on the ground. A trickle of blood came from her nose, and she was obviously exhausted.
"Will?" Buffy asked, trying not to cry. "Will, can you hear me?"
"No, she'll soon be demon food," a voice came from behind. "As will you."
Buffy turned to see Adonis. At least, it sounded like Adonis. His eyes were yellow, and his body was blue, but other than that, he didn't look at all similar to what he did twenty minutes ago. Since the opening of the Hellmouth, the last of the black feathers fell from his wings, and great spikes now adorned his body. He looked more demon-like than Angelic.
"My fall is complete," Adonis said, smiling. "Welcome to Hell, Slayer."
"Why are you doing this?" Buffy cried out, looking at the massive being.
"BecauseI hate you. I hate all here, most of all, I hate his kind," he said, pointing to Christopher. "If Hell takes over Earth, it will only be a matter of time before we recapture Heaven."
Giles, Xander, Tara, and Spike ran up behind Buffy, weapons raised, while Anya and Victoria ran to Christopher, limp on the ground with blood all around him.
"Is there anything we can do for him?" Anya asked. Just then, he moved. He looked up at Victoria, eyes glowing. "Give thisto Buffy," he said, holding his hand out.
Victoria opened her hand, and Christopher dropped his own key into her hands.
Anya looked down at him. "You–You're not going to–d–die are you?" She asked, tears going down her cheeks.
"Justa rest for a moment" Christopher said weakly. "loner. Havereinforcements."
"No!" Anya yelled, as Christopher fell to the ground, very limp. "You can't die!"
As Victoria stood up and turned to give the key to Buffy, she was knocked forward by a great blast of wind. A small golden orb came from Christopher's back, and shot straight up to the clouds, disappearing behind them.
Anya leaned forward and listened to his back. She raised her head and looked at Victoria, as the winds began blowing trash around the air. Suddenly, a smile came across Anya's lips. "He's aliveI think"
Tara quickly pulled Willow away as the other three stepped forward. "Close the Hellmouth!" Buffy yelled. "Now!"
The Demon chuckled. His voice echoed and was now very, very deep. His skin had now turned from blue to a dark, dark black. He almost seemed to absorb light. Even Spike noticed how bad the smell was, now.
"And what will you do to me, mortal?"
Buffy charged in, axe raised, and brought it down as hard as she could. The axe clanged in her hand, and she pulled it back, not leaving a scratch on him. Suddenly, black goo that had gotten on the axe began to crawl down the shaft towards her hand. She dropped the axe quickly, before the goo reached her.
Adonis smiled, his teeth yellow behind the black lips. He brought his spiky hand back and threw a great punch, knocking Buffy several yards back.
Giles and Xander charged in on either side and swung hard with their sword and baseball bat. The bat splintered across one side, while the sword shattered to pieces. The black goo fell to the ground and started for both men. Xander wasn't quick enough to get back, and the goo got on his shoe, and began spreading across his body.
The creature threw his wings straight out, knocking both men far away, and landing painfully on their backs. Xander screamed and tried to push the goo off, but it continued to spread across his body.
"Xander, no!" Anya ran over. She threw her hands down on the goo to try to push it off, but it simply spread to her, too. She started screaming, as it quickly shot up her arm straight for her face.
"Right, well," Spike said, looking up at the creature. "Don't suppose you wanna go have a beer down at the pub, and talk about this like good gents, eh?'
Adonis sent his fist straight into Spike's face, knocking him down to the ground with such force, it would have killed any human. "Ooooh," Spike moaned. "Didn't think so"
Buffy felt slapping on her face. She painfully opened her eyes, and Victoria kneeled over her. "Put this on, quick!" she said, handing her a necklace with a cross and the Key on it. "It'll add Christopher's strength to your own. You should be able to fight him."
Buffy snapped the necklace around her neck. Her eyes widened as she felt the strength of an Angel begin to course through her veins. All her injuries didn't hurt anymore, and she could suddenly see clearer, move quicker, and sense everything around her better. "Good God," Buffy whispered.
Her voice was drowned out by the great moans and screams that now echoed throughout the valley. The wind was beginning to carry small cats, large boxes, and the like into the air. Tree branches fell everywhere around them.
Buffy stood up and looked around. "Is there even a point, now?" she asked. "They're coming through the Hellmouth!"
Suddenly, the winds died down. Buffy and Victoria looked all around them. Things floating in the air suddenly stopped and fell to the ground. The screams and moans continued, and the red light was still getting larger, but the winds completely died.
The two covered their eyes with their arms and ducked suddenly as a bright blue light flashed in the sky. The clouds opened up in a large rotating circle, and a blue spot appeared, shining light down onto the Earth. The Blue light grew larger and larger very fast.
"They're coming" Victoria said, looking with utter shock at the sky. "An Army of Angels is coming."