Disclaimer: Buffy and all related Characters belong to Joss Whedon . Zauriel and his friends belong to me . Just wanna tell a story so tell me what ya think of it . peace I'm out .
Outside Huxen movie theatre .
Sunnydale California .
12.45pm
where is he ?
"Buffy , what time did we promise to meet Xander here ?"Willow asked .getting a little impatient with waiting
the blonde smiled at her redheaded friend " Don't worry Will he's only two minutes late so far.I'm sure he'll be here any minute . oh !see ? there he is now ."she said pointing to the boy before them .
"where?.....hi Xander!!" Willow perked up immediately after seeing her best friend ."you're late.!"
"hey ! considering what I've did just now , be thankful I'm not an hour late ." Xander replied slightly out of breath .
With a goofy smile on his face he proceeded to draw the two girls into a hug ."didja miss me fellow Scoobies ?? how late am I anyway ?" he said with a voice tinged with a little fear as they withdrew from the hug .
"you're on time actually . so what movie do you guys wanna see ?" Buffy asked looking through her purse for money . "any suggestions guys ?"I never thought I'd be so glad to see Xander
"Can we see a movie with naked women ?" a hopeful Xander asked , getting a slap on the head for his efforts .instead of retaliating he just gave Buffy his trademark lopsided grin how about just you Buffy ? You look awesome enough with that dress
I said it too soon stifling a giggle Buffy continued "I think you're too young for nudity. I'll get the popcorn. Decide quickly before I pick one myself "
turning his eyes to Willow , Xander asked "hey so Faith isn't coming ?" Buffy sure is lookin fine today just like every other day.
"I tried but she had other things she wanted to do and I asked nicely too. .....Xander are you listening ?"
admiring the gift of nature Xander smiled to himself .god she's beautiful
"XANDER!!!" a certain redhead shouted to his ear .
"wh-wha...oh yeah sure Willow. No biggie." Xander replied still not keeping his eyes off Buffy
"...right.....could you at least try to be less obvious .you're drooling. Again." Willow said offering a tissue. boys...
"I try to do it once every week ."he says with a silly grin .
better to just blurt it out"So how are you holding up with Cordelia ?" Willow cautiously asked .
I knew this was coming. "I'm getting better I think . Cordy seems to be better with the insults. And for once I deserve them after causing her so much pain. Heard you're back with wolf boy . Good for you Will ." everyone's better but me...
"Xander ... you never meant this to happen even more than I did . things will get better I promise" offering a comforting smile .
"thanks Will . I forgot to tell Buff to buy more twinkies. I'd better go and buy 'em myself." he said smiling back at Willow .
"so you guys choose yet? " Buffy asked after buying the popcorn . it'd better be a good one
"yep . Jackie Chan is who I wanna see today. I'll just grab a couple of twinkies and we'll be on our way." Xander answered for both of them getting a thumbs up from the two girls .
Moving underground in sewers , a certain vampire with a soul made his way to meet up with Giles . The sewer system under Sunnydale connected almost everywhere making it a lot easier for Angel to move about in the day . the nights had been non-eventful for a while and he enjoyed the peace .but now its been getting a little too quiet for his taste . he had a feeling something was up and wanted to check with Giles for any new developments.
He could use some action after Buffy broke up with him . He knew it was better for both of them this way. The way it should've happened . Still ,serving the greater good didn't mean it don't hurt . in fact it hurt a whole lot more knowing that it was for the better . He couldn't complain about anything . the fault he felt , was his and his alone . A vampire pursuing a relationship with the slayer that was doomed from the start.
It could never work out . Yet he still loved Buffy with all of his heart and soul ....what's left of it at least , knowing he might never love anyone as much as he loved her .
He'll still fight by her side as always , irregardless of how he feels about her and everything else. He was sent to help her and help her he will . Feelings would only compromise their work . that's been his company stand for these few weeks . He wondered how long that would last .
Its going to be awkward for both of us. It's for the best . Maybe we might pull it off . who's to say it won't...wha.?
He stopped in his tracks as his ears heard a noise at a frequency normal humans can't hear . Sounded like static . it was there a mili-second and gone the next . He strained his ears waiting for it again and after a few minutes he gave it up .
Thinking about Buffy is getting to my head . Probably nothing he thought continuing his walk .
He was only halfway over to the library till a blast of light stunned him . his eyes though still wincing from the sudden outburst could vaguely see two men who emerging from the light source . Angel hid himself not wanting to do anything yet till he was certain ,observing quietly from the shadows .
He could not make out any faces , his eyes trying to get use to the brightness even as it dissipated . He tried getting closer but thought better of it . the energy that was discharged in the light show had somehow weakened him . Risking his hide at that time wasn't such a good idea . He'd be so much dust in moments so he stayed put and allowed his heightened sense of hearing to eavesdrop on their conversation . He didn't understand much of it . There was talk of a guardian of sorts , a source and the world ending . there were no clear specifics .
how original .another apocalypse he mused to himself .
"Who else can stop us ? With the guardian a million miles away .the power is ours" said the first voice .
"There is still the slayer to deal with. The hellmouth is not without protection ."replied the second voice .
"We've planned it perfectly . You said it yourself , everything has gone smoothly so far." the first voice said again .
"Indeed but when has everything been perfect ? The slayer is of no real concern to me . Zauriel on the other hand might still be a problem . I should know. I made him who he is." answered the second voice .
"Also I'll make this clearer . the power is mine and mine alone . You do as you're told and you'll be rewarded. " he finished .
with that Angel heard their footsteps leaving and soon he was alone again .
I'm still too weak .Can't track them in this condition. Better try to get to Giles
He stood up only to fall down clumsily .
well....maybe later when the feeling returns to my legs
National University Hospital (NUH) Singapore
5.26 am
"Hospitals don't quite excite me as they usually do," Zauriel spoke to no one in particular. There wasn't anyone to really talk to anyway , the seats in the waiting hall were pretty much empty.
Glancing up at the clock hanging on the wall , he squinted his eyes to focus .
it's already morning and I still haven't slept yet "the joys of saving the world ," he sighed shaking his head .
let's see how the girl's doing standing up he made his way to her ward .
NUH ward 12b
Huiyao cursed the day that left her but thanked all the gods she knew for sparing her life .Being kidnapped by monsters was not high on her to-do list . Still she'd wondered what happened to the guy who saved her life .
Days before her longtime boyfriend proposed on his knees for hand . she didn't know quite what to say and she turned him down hoping for some time to think . Her answer was no . it would disrupt her entire life . Heaven knows she loved him and he loved her but was it enough ? what about her career ? her family obligations ? it seemed to matter till today .
Now her answer was yes and she smiled at that . life was meant to be lived .
I'll marry you my sweet Choon she thought imagining the wedding ring on her finger .
The sound of footsteps stopped her thoughts and she turned to the direction of the door .
"Hey how are ya doin ?" a kind voice spoke . A stranger wearing a long sleeved black turtleneck and similarly black baggy pants walked in and greeted her with a warm smile .
"Well ...the nurse said I'll be alright .just a few stitches . I never had a chance to thank you" Huiyao spoke
"You're welcome. I came to check on you and ask a few things before the police beat me to it" He clarified.
Huiyao nodded and then asked "were they really monsters ?"
"Yup . I know they were after you but they won't be back . I'll promise you that . Were you attacked before this ?"
"not by monsters" she answered.
Zauriel was silent for a second and continued again . "I need to re-open the portal and I need your blood to do it . Can I have your permission?"
"why do you need my blood ?"
"hornhead told me you're a descendant of the gatekeepers . your blood is key. Might come in handy" he explained .
"okayy.... I guess." She still replied though she understood nothing of what she said.
"Don't worry...," He reassured ."I'll just need a few drops if you don't mind." He said whilst taking out a few things from his pocket.
"were you really this short ? You looked taller before." the girl said while looking from head to toe .
"Excuse me?...er.... this will just take a sec. "
After getting what he needed the guardian was about to leave when a man rushed into the room nearly running into him . Zauriel was on guard at first but relaxed when he saw the look on Huiyao's face . he looked at the man whose breath was raggedy and turned to her again . a realization came .
"I'll leave you two alone." He said with a smile walking out the door .
"Wait ! I don't even know.... your name" but he was already gone by the time she finished.
Well on to more important matters right Huiyao? She turned to the man in front of her .with a deep breath she spoke softly , clearly nervous with what she was going to say.
"Choon ,can I still be your wife ?......."
"..........."
He said yes.
The guardian made his way back home as quickly as possible . He needed to prepare himself .There's no telling what he'll be up against . He'll need supplies if he was going after whoever or whatever through that portal . His thoughts drifted to the Chinese girl as he finished planning . He hated to admit it but he was a little envious of her .at least she has a normal life. Wouldn't want to screw with that
"am I really that short?" he asked the image looking right back at him in the mirror.
He resigned himself back to planning . magic has never been my strong suit and the spell is surely gonna be tricky but I'll improv I guess. I wonder who could help me with thathe flipped open his address book and began to look through it but didn't get as far as the first number .
BRRINGGG RRRRIIINNG
who the heck would call at this hour? " might as well answer it" . He left the address book on the table and got up to answer the phone in the kitchen .
Turning on the kitchen light he noticed the ringing didn't come from 'his' phone.
"Wait a second . Since when did I buy a cell phone ?" he looked curiously at the little black thing ringing on top of the kitchen cabinet .
hope something doesn't blow up when I answer this "here goes nothing." he picked the phone and raised it to his ear .
"Hello ?"
Then the lights went out coincidentally .
Sunnydale
5.35pm
oh this is so bad
"Chocolate chip is WAY better than cookies and cream !!"
"no it isn't Xander !"
"it IS too Buffy!!"
"is not!!"
"is TOO!"
"IS NOT!!"
Both of them exchanged icy stares and turned to a nervous Willow . Very Bad
"tell her Will.Chocolate chip right ?"
"yeah tell him Willow .Cookies and Cream rules!!"
"Well......umm. Aren't they kinda the same thing ? I-I....mean they both taste good." A sheepish Willow declared a nervous smile forming on her face. looking up ahead her face lit up "oh Goody ! we're finally here at school ! Giles must be so lonesome .I'll go say hi ." she said rushing off to the library glad to leave the subject of ice cream .
"why are we here anyway Buff ? didn't G-man give us the day off . We still have a lot of day left .what's with throwing that away?" Xander asked .
"I wanted to check with Giles . see if anything's up. Make sure everything's normal before we hit the town again." She answered quickly , "besides I'm still a little tired from all the fun stuff we did . I need a breather ."
"Y'know you could've sat down for that somewhere instead of....I dunno... having us walk all the way here ."he said entering the library . "my legs are killing me .Oooh.... a CHAIR !" He sat in it and moaned in pure ecstasy . " Heaven....ahh" leaning his back into it . "do you mind massaging Buff ? cos I use that right about now."
Buffy ignored him "Giles ?"she called out to the stack of books in front of her .
"Hidey Ho Watcho ! watcha doing?" Xander called out but received no answer himself .where's Willow?He looked around from his chair .
"Where are..."
"I'm up here with Willow ."a voice answered from above her head .
Buffy looked up to see Giles coming down to greet her with a smile . Willow was closely behind him carrying a few books with her . Before Buffy could even open her mouth Giles interrupted her quickly as soon as he was in front of her .
"We haven't found anything at all yet .I've even checked that out with all of my contacts .nothing seems to be out of the ordinary .I'd check again but people might get suspicious if I keep calling up the county morgue .I expect Angel to be here soon to see if he has anything and Faith will soon go to see what she could get out of Willy." putting a hand on Buffy's shoulder, he gave a reassuring squeeze and continued "if there's anything at all happening we're on top of it .You really shouldn't be too worried ."
Her mouth hung slightly open for a few moments before she processed everything .Then finally she spoke
"Wow...It seems you got it all covered then." She said more than slightly amazed that he just answered every question she wanted to ask and even those she hadn't thought about asking.
"Impressive"
"yeah G-man ."he nodded . "I'm impressed as well. Great Work!"Xander commented with a thumbs up from his chair .
Willow agreed as well. "see Buffy , Giles is on the job . Nothing to worry about ."she said putting the books she carried on the table .
"You're right Willow . I guess I have been a little on edge lately ."she smiled
"There is nothing wrong with being er..cautious Buffy. Just don't let it bother you too much . How was the movie ?"
"the movie was great and we had ice cream on the way here ."Buffy replied pleased to move to a lighter topic . "we're going to the Bronze to dance the night away. Wanna come with us ?"
"thank you but I still have work to do if you recall. " Giles replied before proceeding to bury himself in research once more .
"ok we'll catch you later then .let's go Will ." she turned to Xander " Coming ?"
"Do I Have to walk again ?" Xander asked a little weak at the prospect of another step .
"Exercise is good for ya . C,mon let's go You Big Baby." Buffy answered while flashing an evil grin
Xander held out both his hands crying in exaggerated agony "Will you carry me my princess for I wish to feel the caress of your hands on my weak dying devilishly handsome person?"speaking in an irritatingly squeky voice while fluttering his eyelids for added effect , earning himself a few laughs from both Willow and Buffy .
"Yes, please do leave . ALL of you ."an exasperated Giles spoke out turning his gaze upon Xander .
He turned back to Buffy "t-try to enjoy yourselves." putting on an extra cheery smile while giving Xander a light kick to the leg .
Getting the hint Xander got up reluctantly from the chair and followed them out mumbling away.
As soon as the group left Giles turned his attention to the books Willow left on the table .He skipped a few pages of a hardcover book he opened and found something that attracted his interest. It was already time for his tea break as evidenced by the watch on his hand but he still read on forgetting tea for the moment.
"Hmmm...fascinating "
"How utterly boring"
lying on her bed , Faith just finished reading the comic book she bought earlier. "Spiderman just didn't have the same appeal as it used to." She sighed before throwing the comic to the floor . I knew I should've gone with the gang to the movies but NOOOOOO I had to be little miss anti-social
Its been going slow these few days for the raven-haired slayer . Really slow .There hasn't been anything that needed any slaying so far . not even a decent mugging to foil . All in all , it bores one who thrives on the sheer adrenaline rush of saving the world from vampires , to tears . Reading comics could only remedy the situation so much .
She looked at her watch time to check out Willy's "something better happen tonight or I'll definitely die of boredom ."
Getting off her bed she put her jacket and boots on and picked up her favourite stake , concealing it within easy reach . "Maybe I'll get lucky and vampires will show up when I get out of the door ."
Locking up , she took the fastest route to Willy's . Along the way she sensed someone following . Halfway reaching there she took a detour into the park for a change in scenery and waited for her stalker . Her stalker or stalkers in this case showed up punctually with vampiric game faces already on .
With a hand placed on her hip she stood facing them with a smirk on her face. It wasn't going to be a boring evening after all . three vampires all to myself .what fun !
"Hey boys . lookin for me? She taunted loudly .
the vampires a little surprised at her boldness shrugged and began circling her, expecting an easy meal . Getting impatient of waiting all three attacked at once .
In reaction Faith jumped forward with a sidekick to the first one , smashing his chin up with an awful crunch while backhanding the one going from the side . in one fluid motion she punched again hitting the next attacker , spun the vamp in front around and pinned his back .
taking out her stake she smiled "I am so lucky," and plunged it straight into his heart turning him to dust.
Quickly she spun around with stake in hand to face the next vampire . The vamp charged swingin his arms at her face barely missing. Faith went a step back and dropped to her knees springing forward with an elbow and shot her foot up its groin letting off a sickening crunch that pleased the slayer. The vamp whimpered after the hit and made himself an easy staking . That left only one more .
"C,mere fangboy . You're not afraid are ya? " she called out calmly , striking a more relaxed pose .
The now intimidated vampire decided to call it quits and lifted its feet to run . It didn't get too far .
"What the..?!" the last words it managed to utter before it exploded into green flames and soon to dust .
Faith looked on confused by the sudden turn of events . "That was cool but that wasn't me ."
The ashes of the vampire gathered themselves into a pile and floated into the air in a steady stream .
Faith's eyes followed the direction of the ashes and nearly popped open when she saw the ashes enter the mouth of a man standing nearby . He was tall and tanned sporting a pony tail , decked out in a worn out trenchcoat that covered most of his body .
His tongue licked off any remains of his meal from his mouth as his eyes began to glow an eerie green . When the glow faded he greeted Faith with a grin on his face and a curtsy bow.
"So you're the reason the vampires are gone ?" Faith said in acknowledgement of his presence lowering her guard .
"At your service .You're the slayer right?. thank you for coming here .saves me the trouble of looking for you ." keeping the grin he inched closer towards Faith.
"I'm Faith the vampire slayer but who are you?"
"You look good enough to eat but that last vamp already filled me up" he stopped moving and suddenly vanished entirely from the slayer's view.
Faith jumped back and reassumed fighting stance . the winds grew cold and leaves rustled restlessly.
"sorry about killing you my dear," A voice then whispered into her ear sending shivers into her spine .
She turned only to face nothing but shadows . Bracing herself for trouble ,she kept calm and scanned everything around her but her senses still found nothing .
where is he?"come out weenie !fight me man to woman !" she shouted into the void wimp
Suddenly from out of nowhere a fist hit her with a force that rivaled her slayer strength . She fell on her back with the impact knocking the wind out of her . a bruise started to form on the side of her face as she tried standing up .she gripped her stake even harder and ignored the pain rushing into her head .
Only when she looked up did she notice two figures circling her .they looked human but her senses told her they were most definitely not .Faith stopped herself from thinking any further and let her instincts take over. She rushed forward at both of them landing a hard blow to one on the head and a kick to the chest of the other . She moved gracefully between hits and sweeped one of them off its feet with a precise kick to the knee .
With a great opening waiting ,she wasted no time and lunged her stake for the heart of her fallen foe driving it home . She let out a breath she held , a silent congratulation to herself only to have her neck caught in a choke and thrown meters away by the same guy she just staked .
Pulling out the stake still lodged in his chest , he turned to a stunned Faith and bulldozed his right hand into her stomach , slamming her into a metal street lamp that bent with the force she was flying .
A red liquid started dripping from her mouth . She was hurting internally but forced any tears from rushing out as a result of piercing pain in both her chest and stomach .
these guys aren't vampiresshe stood up shaking off the effects of the hit she just took ,realizing more eyes were upon her . half a dozen more pairs .
"I am so lucky...."
Outside Huxen movie theatre .
Sunnydale California .
12.45pm
where is he ?
"Buffy , what time did we promise to meet Xander here ?"Willow asked .getting a little impatient with waiting
the blonde smiled at her redheaded friend " Don't worry Will he's only two minutes late so far.I'm sure he'll be here any minute . oh !see ? there he is now ."she said pointing to the boy before them .
"where?.....hi Xander!!" Willow perked up immediately after seeing her best friend ."you're late.!"
"hey ! considering what I've did just now , be thankful I'm not an hour late ." Xander replied slightly out of breath .
With a goofy smile on his face he proceeded to draw the two girls into a hug ."didja miss me fellow Scoobies ?? how late am I anyway ?" he said with a voice tinged with a little fear as they withdrew from the hug .
"you're on time actually . so what movie do you guys wanna see ?" Buffy asked looking through her purse for money . "any suggestions guys ?"I never thought I'd be so glad to see Xander
"Can we see a movie with naked women ?" a hopeful Xander asked , getting a slap on the head for his efforts .instead of retaliating he just gave Buffy his trademark lopsided grin how about just you Buffy ? You look awesome enough with that dress
I said it too soon stifling a giggle Buffy continued "I think you're too young for nudity. I'll get the popcorn. Decide quickly before I pick one myself "
turning his eyes to Willow , Xander asked "hey so Faith isn't coming ?" Buffy sure is lookin fine today just like every other day.
"I tried but she had other things she wanted to do and I asked nicely too. .....Xander are you listening ?"
admiring the gift of nature Xander smiled to himself .god she's beautiful
"XANDER!!!" a certain redhead shouted to his ear .
"wh-wha...oh yeah sure Willow. No biggie." Xander replied still not keeping his eyes off Buffy
"...right.....could you at least try to be less obvious .you're drooling. Again." Willow said offering a tissue. boys...
"I try to do it once every week ."he says with a silly grin .
better to just blurt it out"So how are you holding up with Cordelia ?" Willow cautiously asked .
I knew this was coming. "I'm getting better I think . Cordy seems to be better with the insults. And for once I deserve them after causing her so much pain. Heard you're back with wolf boy . Good for you Will ." everyone's better but me...
"Xander ... you never meant this to happen even more than I did . things will get better I promise" offering a comforting smile .
"thanks Will . I forgot to tell Buff to buy more twinkies. I'd better go and buy 'em myself." he said smiling back at Willow .
"so you guys choose yet? " Buffy asked after buying the popcorn . it'd better be a good one
"yep . Jackie Chan is who I wanna see today. I'll just grab a couple of twinkies and we'll be on our way." Xander answered for both of them getting a thumbs up from the two girls .
Moving underground in sewers , a certain vampire with a soul made his way to meet up with Giles . The sewer system under Sunnydale connected almost everywhere making it a lot easier for Angel to move about in the day . the nights had been non-eventful for a while and he enjoyed the peace .but now its been getting a little too quiet for his taste . he had a feeling something was up and wanted to check with Giles for any new developments.
He could use some action after Buffy broke up with him . He knew it was better for both of them this way. The way it should've happened . Still ,serving the greater good didn't mean it don't hurt . in fact it hurt a whole lot more knowing that it was for the better . He couldn't complain about anything . the fault he felt , was his and his alone . A vampire pursuing a relationship with the slayer that was doomed from the start.
It could never work out . Yet he still loved Buffy with all of his heart and soul ....what's left of it at least , knowing he might never love anyone as much as he loved her .
He'll still fight by her side as always , irregardless of how he feels about her and everything else. He was sent to help her and help her he will . Feelings would only compromise their work . that's been his company stand for these few weeks . He wondered how long that would last .
Its going to be awkward for both of us. It's for the best . Maybe we might pull it off . who's to say it won't...wha.?
He stopped in his tracks as his ears heard a noise at a frequency normal humans can't hear . Sounded like static . it was there a mili-second and gone the next . He strained his ears waiting for it again and after a few minutes he gave it up .
Thinking about Buffy is getting to my head . Probably nothing he thought continuing his walk .
He was only halfway over to the library till a blast of light stunned him . his eyes though still wincing from the sudden outburst could vaguely see two men who emerging from the light source . Angel hid himself not wanting to do anything yet till he was certain ,observing quietly from the shadows .
He could not make out any faces , his eyes trying to get use to the brightness even as it dissipated . He tried getting closer but thought better of it . the energy that was discharged in the light show had somehow weakened him . Risking his hide at that time wasn't such a good idea . He'd be so much dust in moments so he stayed put and allowed his heightened sense of hearing to eavesdrop on their conversation . He didn't understand much of it . There was talk of a guardian of sorts , a source and the world ending . there were no clear specifics .
how original .another apocalypse he mused to himself .
"Who else can stop us ? With the guardian a million miles away .the power is ours" said the first voice .
"There is still the slayer to deal with. The hellmouth is not without protection ."replied the second voice .
"We've planned it perfectly . You said it yourself , everything has gone smoothly so far." the first voice said again .
"Indeed but when has everything been perfect ? The slayer is of no real concern to me . Zauriel on the other hand might still be a problem . I should know. I made him who he is." answered the second voice .
"Also I'll make this clearer . the power is mine and mine alone . You do as you're told and you'll be rewarded. " he finished .
with that Angel heard their footsteps leaving and soon he was alone again .
I'm still too weak .Can't track them in this condition. Better try to get to Giles
He stood up only to fall down clumsily .
well....maybe later when the feeling returns to my legs
National University Hospital (NUH) Singapore
5.26 am
"Hospitals don't quite excite me as they usually do," Zauriel spoke to no one in particular. There wasn't anyone to really talk to anyway , the seats in the waiting hall were pretty much empty.
Glancing up at the clock hanging on the wall , he squinted his eyes to focus .
it's already morning and I still haven't slept yet "the joys of saving the world ," he sighed shaking his head .
let's see how the girl's doing standing up he made his way to her ward .
NUH ward 12b
Huiyao cursed the day that left her but thanked all the gods she knew for sparing her life .Being kidnapped by monsters was not high on her to-do list . Still she'd wondered what happened to the guy who saved her life .
Days before her longtime boyfriend proposed on his knees for hand . she didn't know quite what to say and she turned him down hoping for some time to think . Her answer was no . it would disrupt her entire life . Heaven knows she loved him and he loved her but was it enough ? what about her career ? her family obligations ? it seemed to matter till today .
Now her answer was yes and she smiled at that . life was meant to be lived .
I'll marry you my sweet Choon she thought imagining the wedding ring on her finger .
The sound of footsteps stopped her thoughts and she turned to the direction of the door .
"Hey how are ya doin ?" a kind voice spoke . A stranger wearing a long sleeved black turtleneck and similarly black baggy pants walked in and greeted her with a warm smile .
"Well ...the nurse said I'll be alright .just a few stitches . I never had a chance to thank you" Huiyao spoke
"You're welcome. I came to check on you and ask a few things before the police beat me to it" He clarified.
Huiyao nodded and then asked "were they really monsters ?"
"Yup . I know they were after you but they won't be back . I'll promise you that . Were you attacked before this ?"
"not by monsters" she answered.
Zauriel was silent for a second and continued again . "I need to re-open the portal and I need your blood to do it . Can I have your permission?"
"why do you need my blood ?"
"hornhead told me you're a descendant of the gatekeepers . your blood is key. Might come in handy" he explained .
"okayy.... I guess." She still replied though she understood nothing of what she said.
"Don't worry...," He reassured ."I'll just need a few drops if you don't mind." He said whilst taking out a few things from his pocket.
"were you really this short ? You looked taller before." the girl said while looking from head to toe .
"Excuse me?...er.... this will just take a sec. "
After getting what he needed the guardian was about to leave when a man rushed into the room nearly running into him . Zauriel was on guard at first but relaxed when he saw the look on Huiyao's face . he looked at the man whose breath was raggedy and turned to her again . a realization came .
"I'll leave you two alone." He said with a smile walking out the door .
"Wait ! I don't even know.... your name" but he was already gone by the time she finished.
Well on to more important matters right Huiyao? She turned to the man in front of her .with a deep breath she spoke softly , clearly nervous with what she was going to say.
"Choon ,can I still be your wife ?......."
"..........."
He said yes.
The guardian made his way back home as quickly as possible . He needed to prepare himself .There's no telling what he'll be up against . He'll need supplies if he was going after whoever or whatever through that portal . His thoughts drifted to the Chinese girl as he finished planning . He hated to admit it but he was a little envious of her .at least she has a normal life. Wouldn't want to screw with that
"am I really that short?" he asked the image looking right back at him in the mirror.
He resigned himself back to planning . magic has never been my strong suit and the spell is surely gonna be tricky but I'll improv I guess. I wonder who could help me with thathe flipped open his address book and began to look through it but didn't get as far as the first number .
BRRINGGG RRRRIIINNG
who the heck would call at this hour? " might as well answer it" . He left the address book on the table and got up to answer the phone in the kitchen .
Turning on the kitchen light he noticed the ringing didn't come from 'his' phone.
"Wait a second . Since when did I buy a cell phone ?" he looked curiously at the little black thing ringing on top of the kitchen cabinet .
hope something doesn't blow up when I answer this "here goes nothing." he picked the phone and raised it to his ear .
"Hello ?"
Then the lights went out coincidentally .
Sunnydale
5.35pm
oh this is so bad
"Chocolate chip is WAY better than cookies and cream !!"
"no it isn't Xander !"
"it IS too Buffy!!"
"is not!!"
"is TOO!"
"IS NOT!!"
Both of them exchanged icy stares and turned to a nervous Willow . Very Bad
"tell her Will.Chocolate chip right ?"
"yeah tell him Willow .Cookies and Cream rules!!"
"Well......umm. Aren't they kinda the same thing ? I-I....mean they both taste good." A sheepish Willow declared a nervous smile forming on her face. looking up ahead her face lit up "oh Goody ! we're finally here at school ! Giles must be so lonesome .I'll go say hi ." she said rushing off to the library glad to leave the subject of ice cream .
"why are we here anyway Buff ? didn't G-man give us the day off . We still have a lot of day left .what's with throwing that away?" Xander asked .
"I wanted to check with Giles . see if anything's up. Make sure everything's normal before we hit the town again." She answered quickly , "besides I'm still a little tired from all the fun stuff we did . I need a breather ."
"Y'know you could've sat down for that somewhere instead of....I dunno... having us walk all the way here ."he said entering the library . "my legs are killing me .Oooh.... a CHAIR !" He sat in it and moaned in pure ecstasy . " Heaven....ahh" leaning his back into it . "do you mind massaging Buff ? cos I use that right about now."
Buffy ignored him "Giles ?"she called out to the stack of books in front of her .
"Hidey Ho Watcho ! watcha doing?" Xander called out but received no answer himself .where's Willow?He looked around from his chair .
"Where are..."
"I'm up here with Willow ."a voice answered from above her head .
Buffy looked up to see Giles coming down to greet her with a smile . Willow was closely behind him carrying a few books with her . Before Buffy could even open her mouth Giles interrupted her quickly as soon as he was in front of her .
"We haven't found anything at all yet .I've even checked that out with all of my contacts .nothing seems to be out of the ordinary .I'd check again but people might get suspicious if I keep calling up the county morgue .I expect Angel to be here soon to see if he has anything and Faith will soon go to see what she could get out of Willy." putting a hand on Buffy's shoulder, he gave a reassuring squeeze and continued "if there's anything at all happening we're on top of it .You really shouldn't be too worried ."
Her mouth hung slightly open for a few moments before she processed everything .Then finally she spoke
"Wow...It seems you got it all covered then." She said more than slightly amazed that he just answered every question she wanted to ask and even those she hadn't thought about asking.
"Impressive"
"yeah G-man ."he nodded . "I'm impressed as well. Great Work!"Xander commented with a thumbs up from his chair .
Willow agreed as well. "see Buffy , Giles is on the job . Nothing to worry about ."she said putting the books she carried on the table .
"You're right Willow . I guess I have been a little on edge lately ."she smiled
"There is nothing wrong with being er..cautious Buffy. Just don't let it bother you too much . How was the movie ?"
"the movie was great and we had ice cream on the way here ."Buffy replied pleased to move to a lighter topic . "we're going to the Bronze to dance the night away. Wanna come with us ?"
"thank you but I still have work to do if you recall. " Giles replied before proceeding to bury himself in research once more .
"ok we'll catch you later then .let's go Will ." she turned to Xander " Coming ?"
"Do I Have to walk again ?" Xander asked a little weak at the prospect of another step .
"Exercise is good for ya . C,mon let's go You Big Baby." Buffy answered while flashing an evil grin
Xander held out both his hands crying in exaggerated agony "Will you carry me my princess for I wish to feel the caress of your hands on my weak dying devilishly handsome person?"speaking in an irritatingly squeky voice while fluttering his eyelids for added effect , earning himself a few laughs from both Willow and Buffy .
"Yes, please do leave . ALL of you ."an exasperated Giles spoke out turning his gaze upon Xander .
He turned back to Buffy "t-try to enjoy yourselves." putting on an extra cheery smile while giving Xander a light kick to the leg .
Getting the hint Xander got up reluctantly from the chair and followed them out mumbling away.
As soon as the group left Giles turned his attention to the books Willow left on the table .He skipped a few pages of a hardcover book he opened and found something that attracted his interest. It was already time for his tea break as evidenced by the watch on his hand but he still read on forgetting tea for the moment.
"Hmmm...fascinating "
"How utterly boring"
lying on her bed , Faith just finished reading the comic book she bought earlier. "Spiderman just didn't have the same appeal as it used to." She sighed before throwing the comic to the floor . I knew I should've gone with the gang to the movies but NOOOOOO I had to be little miss anti-social
Its been going slow these few days for the raven-haired slayer . Really slow .There hasn't been anything that needed any slaying so far . not even a decent mugging to foil . All in all , it bores one who thrives on the sheer adrenaline rush of saving the world from vampires , to tears . Reading comics could only remedy the situation so much .
She looked at her watch time to check out Willy's "something better happen tonight or I'll definitely die of boredom ."
Getting off her bed she put her jacket and boots on and picked up her favourite stake , concealing it within easy reach . "Maybe I'll get lucky and vampires will show up when I get out of the door ."
Locking up , she took the fastest route to Willy's . Along the way she sensed someone following . Halfway reaching there she took a detour into the park for a change in scenery and waited for her stalker . Her stalker or stalkers in this case showed up punctually with vampiric game faces already on .
With a hand placed on her hip she stood facing them with a smirk on her face. It wasn't going to be a boring evening after all . three vampires all to myself .what fun !
"Hey boys . lookin for me? She taunted loudly .
the vampires a little surprised at her boldness shrugged and began circling her, expecting an easy meal . Getting impatient of waiting all three attacked at once .
In reaction Faith jumped forward with a sidekick to the first one , smashing his chin up with an awful crunch while backhanding the one going from the side . in one fluid motion she punched again hitting the next attacker , spun the vamp in front around and pinned his back .
taking out her stake she smiled "I am so lucky," and plunged it straight into his heart turning him to dust.
Quickly she spun around with stake in hand to face the next vampire . The vamp charged swingin his arms at her face barely missing. Faith went a step back and dropped to her knees springing forward with an elbow and shot her foot up its groin letting off a sickening crunch that pleased the slayer. The vamp whimpered after the hit and made himself an easy staking . That left only one more .
"C,mere fangboy . You're not afraid are ya? " she called out calmly , striking a more relaxed pose .
The now intimidated vampire decided to call it quits and lifted its feet to run . It didn't get too far .
"What the..?!" the last words it managed to utter before it exploded into green flames and soon to dust .
Faith looked on confused by the sudden turn of events . "That was cool but that wasn't me ."
The ashes of the vampire gathered themselves into a pile and floated into the air in a steady stream .
Faith's eyes followed the direction of the ashes and nearly popped open when she saw the ashes enter the mouth of a man standing nearby . He was tall and tanned sporting a pony tail , decked out in a worn out trenchcoat that covered most of his body .
His tongue licked off any remains of his meal from his mouth as his eyes began to glow an eerie green . When the glow faded he greeted Faith with a grin on his face and a curtsy bow.
"So you're the reason the vampires are gone ?" Faith said in acknowledgement of his presence lowering her guard .
"At your service .You're the slayer right?. thank you for coming here .saves me the trouble of looking for you ." keeping the grin he inched closer towards Faith.
"I'm Faith the vampire slayer but who are you?"
"You look good enough to eat but that last vamp already filled me up" he stopped moving and suddenly vanished entirely from the slayer's view.
Faith jumped back and reassumed fighting stance . the winds grew cold and leaves rustled restlessly.
"sorry about killing you my dear," A voice then whispered into her ear sending shivers into her spine .
She turned only to face nothing but shadows . Bracing herself for trouble ,she kept calm and scanned everything around her but her senses still found nothing .
where is he?"come out weenie !fight me man to woman !" she shouted into the void wimp
Suddenly from out of nowhere a fist hit her with a force that rivaled her slayer strength . She fell on her back with the impact knocking the wind out of her . a bruise started to form on the side of her face as she tried standing up .she gripped her stake even harder and ignored the pain rushing into her head .
Only when she looked up did she notice two figures circling her .they looked human but her senses told her they were most definitely not .Faith stopped herself from thinking any further and let her instincts take over. She rushed forward at both of them landing a hard blow to one on the head and a kick to the chest of the other . She moved gracefully between hits and sweeped one of them off its feet with a precise kick to the knee .
With a great opening waiting ,she wasted no time and lunged her stake for the heart of her fallen foe driving it home . She let out a breath she held , a silent congratulation to herself only to have her neck caught in a choke and thrown meters away by the same guy she just staked .
Pulling out the stake still lodged in his chest , he turned to a stunned Faith and bulldozed his right hand into her stomach , slamming her into a metal street lamp that bent with the force she was flying .
A red liquid started dripping from her mouth . She was hurting internally but forced any tears from rushing out as a result of piercing pain in both her chest and stomach .
these guys aren't vampiresshe stood up shaking off the effects of the hit she just took ,realizing more eyes were upon her . half a dozen more pairs .
"I am so lucky...."