**********
"Giles, there's been nothing seriously evil going on for a month now,"
Buffy said. "What, should we be worried there's a big sinister plan in
the making?"
"That's always a possibility," Giles agreed from his spot at the table
behind a stack of books. "But remember that Spike and Drusilla are
gone. And Spike always did love to stir up trouble. I suggest you just enjoy the relative peace while it lasts."
"Okay, but I've just got this feeling that something big is coming,"
Buffy replied.
"Really," Giles looked up from his book, a curious expression on his
face. "What kind of feeling?"
"I can't define it," Buffy said with a sigh. "It's what I call my
spider-sense, you know?"
At Giles blank look, Xander supplied, "You know, Giles, it's a
pop-culture reference? ... Spiderman???"
"I see," Giles nodded, but he obviously didn't. "Well, if you can give
me something more to go on than a feeling, Buffy, I'll be glad to
research it. But as it is--"
"I know, you can't do anything if you don't know what the bad is,"
Buffy said. "Well, I'll just do the standard patrol. But if I don't find anything unusual, do I have to check in?"
"You don't have to come by, but I would appreciate a call at the very
least, so I don't worry," Giles replied.
"Fine," Buffy said. "Come on Xander, I want to find some demons to
kill."
*********
9 pm
One of many cemeteries
"This is boring," Buffy complained. "Here, demon, demon, demon," she
called playfully.
"Don't do that," Xander said nervously. "Just because you slay them,
doesn't mean you have to call them to you!"
"Fraidy-cat," Buffy taunted.
"Yes. Yes, I am!" Xander replied. "And that's how I've stayed alive so
long. Well, that, and because I let you save my life anytime you're
around."
"You can't expect that I'll always be there to--Oomph!" Buffy was cut
off by the large demon that tackled her. "Get off," she muttered, and
finally managed to get an uppercut to the demon's jaw, knocking him
off her.
"Hey!" Buffy heard Xander, and then saw Xander go down as the demon
tackled him next.
"What is this, demon football training?" Buffy said in
irritation. "Get off!" she said for the second time that night. She
had run over to the two struggling forms, and pulled the demon off
Xander.
*It's a Chaos demon* she realized. *Great, those are hard to kill* To
her surprise, the Chaos demon pulled away, got to his feet and
ran. "Oh, no you don't!" she yelled. She ran after the creature as
fast as she could. She saw it duck into a wooded area, and followed.
She heard Xander call after her, and she stopped and looked back. She
didn't see him anywhere, and she didn't want to lose the
demon. "Sorry, Xander," Buffy said. "Hopefully you're out of danger
since I'm after the Chaos Demon." As she reached a clearing, she
scanned the area for the demon. "Oh, that's where I am," Buffy
realized as she saw Angel's Mansion twenty feet to the right of
her. "Damn demon got me turned around with his running through the
woods." She heard footfalls behind her, and turned, whipping a knife
out of her pocket.
"Whoa there, I come in peace," Xander panted, and doubled over, trying
to catch his breath.
"Where'd it go?" Buffy asked, scanning the area again.
"You don't think it's in there, do you?" Xander suggested, indicating
the mansion.
"It might be," Buffy agreed, but made no move to find out.
"Well, don't you think we should go in and see?" Xander pressed.
Buffy hesitated, looking at the building. *I haven't been in there
since... Slayer duties, Buffy, remember, you have to prove you can
handle things again.* She nodded slowly. "'Kay. Let's go. And this
time see if you can keep up," she teased.
"Hey, only you and the demons can run that fast," Xander protested as
he followed her into the Mansion.
Buffy wrinkled her nose as she walked in. The Chaos Demon was there,
all right, along with several of his friends. She could smell them.
{More than one} she mouthed to Xander, who nodded that he understood.
He pulled a hunting knife out of his pocket, ready for the coming
attack. {Stay near the exits. Don't let them corner you} Buffy
mouthed again. At his nod, she turned her attention back to locating
the current residents of the house.
She didn't have to wait long, as five of them rushed the Slayer at
once. She kicked one in the stomach, sending him flying, then turned
to the next, punching him in the...well, face if you could call it
that. She heard the cracking of bones, and smiled with satisfaction.
As the demon put his hands to his face instinctively, she knifed him
in the heart.
*One* she thought as he vanished in a cloud of dust. She saw out of
the corner of an eye that Xander was dealing with the one she had
sent flying. As she held the other three off, she stopped long enough
to satisfy herself that he was handling it, and didn't need her
immediate assistance.
She turned and swiped at her nearest adversary with her knife, making
him jump back and give her more room. She grabbed one of the remaining
ones by the arm, pulled it over her shoulder, and using her body
weight sent it onto its back behind her. While he was momentarily
disoriented, and the other was laughing at his predicament, she
leaned down to knife him too in the heart.
Almost.
She yelled in anger as the demon she had forgotten about grabbed her
by her collar and pulled her back, throwing her against the far wall.
This time she heard her bones crack, as her left shoulder hit the
wall at a bad angle. She stifled a cry, steeling herself against the
pain.
"Buffy!" she heard Xander yell. He finally managed to find the chaos
demon's heart and stab him there. He rushed over to her, as the last
two demons were approaching her from the other side. "I heard that
sound, you okay?" he asked worriedly as he offered a hand to help.
She gave him her right hand, and said, "Dislocated shoulder," through
gritted teeth as he helped her up. "Let's finish this." She walked to
the two demons. "All right. Which one of you gained me another trip to
the hospital? Never mind, you both irritate me," she shrugged as she
flew at the both of them.
She threw her knife, and it landed on target in the heart of one of
the demons. As he vanished in a cloud of dust, she reached the other
and punched him hard knocking him off his feet. He tripped her, and
she scooped up her knife and turned onto her back as he leaped at
her. *I hope he lands right* was her only thought, followed by a sigh
of relief as he did.
She slowly sat up, brushing the demon dust off her clothing.
"That was impressive," Xander said, as he walked over to help her up
again. "Now like you said, it's to the hospital to get that shoulder
set." He pulled her to her feet, and said, "You didn't really need my
help after all, I guess."
"That's not true," Buffy protested. "You did kill....um, one of them."
"Yay me," Xander said sarcastically. "Somehow I think I got the
weakling of the pack. Or herd. Or whatever it is that demons travel
in."
Buffy giggled, and said, "Most are loners, except when they have a
common interest. This one being to kill the Slayer."
"Which just happened to be an incredibly stupid common interest,"
Xander replied. "That was a demon massacre. I'm a little surprised
their hideout was here, though."
"Makes sense," Buffy shrugged. "It's abandoned, and out of the way.
And it's not like I make a habit of checking the place out at standard
intervals. Guess I have to add this to my list of patrol places."
"Yeah, well, do we go to Giles' place first, or the hospital?"
"The screaming pain in my shoulder tells me Giles can come to me for
my nightly report," Buffy replied, as she cradled her left arm
gingerly.
"You're the boss," Xander shrugged as he followed her out.
*****
End of 12
"Giles, there's been nothing seriously evil going on for a month now,"
Buffy said. "What, should we be worried there's a big sinister plan in
the making?"
"That's always a possibility," Giles agreed from his spot at the table
behind a stack of books. "But remember that Spike and Drusilla are
gone. And Spike always did love to stir up trouble. I suggest you just enjoy the relative peace while it lasts."
"Okay, but I've just got this feeling that something big is coming,"
Buffy replied.
"Really," Giles looked up from his book, a curious expression on his
face. "What kind of feeling?"
"I can't define it," Buffy said with a sigh. "It's what I call my
spider-sense, you know?"
At Giles blank look, Xander supplied, "You know, Giles, it's a
pop-culture reference? ... Spiderman???"
"I see," Giles nodded, but he obviously didn't. "Well, if you can give
me something more to go on than a feeling, Buffy, I'll be glad to
research it. But as it is--"
"I know, you can't do anything if you don't know what the bad is,"
Buffy said. "Well, I'll just do the standard patrol. But if I don't find anything unusual, do I have to check in?"
"You don't have to come by, but I would appreciate a call at the very
least, so I don't worry," Giles replied.
"Fine," Buffy said. "Come on Xander, I want to find some demons to
kill."
*********
9 pm
One of many cemeteries
"This is boring," Buffy complained. "Here, demon, demon, demon," she
called playfully.
"Don't do that," Xander said nervously. "Just because you slay them,
doesn't mean you have to call them to you!"
"Fraidy-cat," Buffy taunted.
"Yes. Yes, I am!" Xander replied. "And that's how I've stayed alive so
long. Well, that, and because I let you save my life anytime you're
around."
"You can't expect that I'll always be there to--Oomph!" Buffy was cut
off by the large demon that tackled her. "Get off," she muttered, and
finally managed to get an uppercut to the demon's jaw, knocking him
off her.
"Hey!" Buffy heard Xander, and then saw Xander go down as the demon
tackled him next.
"What is this, demon football training?" Buffy said in
irritation. "Get off!" she said for the second time that night. She
had run over to the two struggling forms, and pulled the demon off
Xander.
*It's a Chaos demon* she realized. *Great, those are hard to kill* To
her surprise, the Chaos demon pulled away, got to his feet and
ran. "Oh, no you don't!" she yelled. She ran after the creature as
fast as she could. She saw it duck into a wooded area, and followed.
She heard Xander call after her, and she stopped and looked back. She
didn't see him anywhere, and she didn't want to lose the
demon. "Sorry, Xander," Buffy said. "Hopefully you're out of danger
since I'm after the Chaos Demon." As she reached a clearing, she
scanned the area for the demon. "Oh, that's where I am," Buffy
realized as she saw Angel's Mansion twenty feet to the right of
her. "Damn demon got me turned around with his running through the
woods." She heard footfalls behind her, and turned, whipping a knife
out of her pocket.
"Whoa there, I come in peace," Xander panted, and doubled over, trying
to catch his breath.
"Where'd it go?" Buffy asked, scanning the area again.
"You don't think it's in there, do you?" Xander suggested, indicating
the mansion.
"It might be," Buffy agreed, but made no move to find out.
"Well, don't you think we should go in and see?" Xander pressed.
Buffy hesitated, looking at the building. *I haven't been in there
since... Slayer duties, Buffy, remember, you have to prove you can
handle things again.* She nodded slowly. "'Kay. Let's go. And this
time see if you can keep up," she teased.
"Hey, only you and the demons can run that fast," Xander protested as
he followed her into the Mansion.
Buffy wrinkled her nose as she walked in. The Chaos Demon was there,
all right, along with several of his friends. She could smell them.
{More than one} she mouthed to Xander, who nodded that he understood.
He pulled a hunting knife out of his pocket, ready for the coming
attack. {Stay near the exits. Don't let them corner you} Buffy
mouthed again. At his nod, she turned her attention back to locating
the current residents of the house.
She didn't have to wait long, as five of them rushed the Slayer at
once. She kicked one in the stomach, sending him flying, then turned
to the next, punching him in the...well, face if you could call it
that. She heard the cracking of bones, and smiled with satisfaction.
As the demon put his hands to his face instinctively, she knifed him
in the heart.
*One* she thought as he vanished in a cloud of dust. She saw out of
the corner of an eye that Xander was dealing with the one she had
sent flying. As she held the other three off, she stopped long enough
to satisfy herself that he was handling it, and didn't need her
immediate assistance.
She turned and swiped at her nearest adversary with her knife, making
him jump back and give her more room. She grabbed one of the remaining
ones by the arm, pulled it over her shoulder, and using her body
weight sent it onto its back behind her. While he was momentarily
disoriented, and the other was laughing at his predicament, she
leaned down to knife him too in the heart.
Almost.
She yelled in anger as the demon she had forgotten about grabbed her
by her collar and pulled her back, throwing her against the far wall.
This time she heard her bones crack, as her left shoulder hit the
wall at a bad angle. She stifled a cry, steeling herself against the
pain.
"Buffy!" she heard Xander yell. He finally managed to find the chaos
demon's heart and stab him there. He rushed over to her, as the last
two demons were approaching her from the other side. "I heard that
sound, you okay?" he asked worriedly as he offered a hand to help.
She gave him her right hand, and said, "Dislocated shoulder," through
gritted teeth as he helped her up. "Let's finish this." She walked to
the two demons. "All right. Which one of you gained me another trip to
the hospital? Never mind, you both irritate me," she shrugged as she
flew at the both of them.
She threw her knife, and it landed on target in the heart of one of
the demons. As he vanished in a cloud of dust, she reached the other
and punched him hard knocking him off his feet. He tripped her, and
she scooped up her knife and turned onto her back as he leaped at
her. *I hope he lands right* was her only thought, followed by a sigh
of relief as he did.
She slowly sat up, brushing the demon dust off her clothing.
"That was impressive," Xander said, as he walked over to help her up
again. "Now like you said, it's to the hospital to get that shoulder
set." He pulled her to her feet, and said, "You didn't really need my
help after all, I guess."
"That's not true," Buffy protested. "You did kill....um, one of them."
"Yay me," Xander said sarcastically. "Somehow I think I got the
weakling of the pack. Or herd. Or whatever it is that demons travel
in."
Buffy giggled, and said, "Most are loners, except when they have a
common interest. This one being to kill the Slayer."
"Which just happened to be an incredibly stupid common interest,"
Xander replied. "That was a demon massacre. I'm a little surprised
their hideout was here, though."
"Makes sense," Buffy shrugged. "It's abandoned, and out of the way.
And it's not like I make a habit of checking the place out at standard
intervals. Guess I have to add this to my list of patrol places."
"Yeah, well, do we go to Giles' place first, or the hospital?"
"The screaming pain in my shoulder tells me Giles can come to me for
my nightly report," Buffy replied, as she cradled her left arm
gingerly.
"You're the boss," Xander shrugged as he followed her out.
*****
End of 12