BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

INNER LIGHT

Part Two

Patrol Night

Patrolling had never really been Buffy's idea of fun. Hanging around the dinghy back alleys of Sunnydale or the creepy cemetery regularly frequented by the vampires was seriously lacking in the excitement factor, especially on a night like tonight. The earlier sunshine had disappeared around about lunchtime to be replaced by a miserable layer of drizzle that had continued through the rest of the day and was still around now.

She muttered to herself as yet another car splashed through a puddle drenching her with more water. If she hung about here much longer then she was liable to end up with pneumonia. Worst of all she had seen neither hide nor hair of the strange man she was out here looking for in the first place. She gave a soft moan as a clap of thunder nearby indicated the arrival of even heavier rainfall. She was about to turn and head home when she caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning to see where it had come from she found herself looking down an alleyway between a clothes store and a now closed café.

"Perfect," she muttered under breath. It was indeed perfect, a perfect spot for vampires anyway. Slowly she stepped forward into the waiting shadows drawing a trusty wooden stake from inside her leather jacket as she did so. There may not be any vampires down this alley but it always felt safer to have a weapon at hand nevertheless. She continued to advance forward, edging gradually deeper and deeper into the alleyway. The mangy stray cat jumping down from the top of the bins out the back of the café scared the life out of her.

"Easy Buffy," she muttered to herself smiling with relief as she did so. "It's just a cat." Satisfied that she had identified the source of the noise she turned to go. It would seem she hadn't. Three men stood in the entrance to the alley each one looking at her in the same way a lion looks at group of gazelles.

"She's a pretty one." Said the one on the left. His accent was strange and sounded vaguely European but years spent abroad seemed to have blurred its origins beyond absolute certainty.

"Yes, very fresh." Said the one standing on the right in the same hazy accent, "She should taste good." The middle figure glanced at his two companions.

"If you two are just going to stand there then I'll have her all to myself." He said.

"We were just viewing the possible taste of the meal." Said the one on the right as the three of them began to advance forward. Buffy had faced a lot of vampires and would normally be unfazed by them, but there were two things here that changed that. First most vampires were scared of her and would try to run if she confronted them which gave her something of a mental edge in combat. An edge she wouldn't have here. Second even though she was the Slayer, three against one weren't particularly good odds. Still she was the Slayer and the least she could do was put up a fight. She put on her most confident smile despite the fact she didn't feel that way and took a step toward them.

"You guys aren't from around here are you?" she said. The question was rhetorical but it still received an answer.

"No, why?" She laughed a little too heartily.

"Because you don't know me." They were almost within reach now.

"Should we?" said the middle vampire grinning at his friends and showing his wickedly sharp canines.

"No not really, so allow me to introduce myself. I'm Buffy," her smile widened, "The Vampire Slayer." She didn't wait a moment longer. To do so would give them time to go on the defensive. Diving forward into a cartwheel she landed on her feet in a crouch and swung her left leg out in an effort to leg sweep the three of them. She only caught the one on the left. The other two somersaulted backward out of range. She hastily clambered to her feet and brought her stake down on the one she tripped up. The vampire caught her arm in its downward arc and gave her a toothy grin

"So you're the Slayer. I must say you're reputation precedes you." He snarled "Let's see whether or not it is justified." He braced his feet against her stomach and rolled backwards sending her sailing through the air to slam heavily against a brick wall and sink to the floor. Shaking her head to dispel the image of vampire bats flapping about her vision she braced herself against the wall and slid up to her feet. These guys were good, very fast and incredibly strong. It had been a while since she had faced a vampire with this level of skill and she'd never faced three at once. Things were looking pretty grim, especially when the vampire she had just tried to stake barrelled into her, knocking her to the concrete as he did so. She could feel his rancid breath on her face as he held her struggling body down to the ground.

"I'd expected more from a Slayer. Especially one with your reputation" He snarled and even without looking Buffy could tell his face had morphed to the demonic visage that usually accompanied a vampire's feeding. She wasn't sure whether or not to be happy when the she caught sight of the man standing behind her attacker. The man she recognised all too well as the one from her dream. He leaned down and grabbed the vampire by the scruff of the neck, heaving him into the air, pivoting on his leg and hurling him down the alley in one smooth seemingly effortless movement that even Buffy with her enhanced Slayer strength would have found difficult to do. Slowly she got to her feet for what felt like the hundredth time during the fight and watched as the strange man backhanded one of the other two vampires who had tried to sneak up behind him. As the creature hit the ground Buffy took her opportunity and shoved her stake hard through its chest.

Looking up from her grisly task she watched somewhat enviously as her strange benefactor slammed his fist into the third vamps chest. As the monster doubled over he stepped round behind hit, gripping the back of its skull with his hand, and shoved down hard. She couldn't help but wince at the terrible crunch made by the vampires skull slamming heavily into the concrete.

"You're stake!" he yelled. Buffy didn't waist a moment, tossing the wooden weapon through the air. He effortlessly caught it plunging it down into the back of the vampire's chest. Slowly he straightened with a satisfied smile as the creature of the night turned to dust before him. Suddenly she saw the original vampire leap toward his back.

"Look out!" she yelled her warning too late and the monstrous beast landed squarely against his broad back, wrapping its legs around his waist to gain more purchase. With a roar of triumph the vampire bore its fangs to the sky before plunging them deep into his neck. The man's face didn't even wince at what must have been excruciating pain. Instead he simply turned to his attacker and smiled a smile that would have put fear into the heart of even the darkest night creature.

"You're luck's just run out child." He spat in derision of the monster feeding off him. "You've just bitten the Scourge." The vampires' reaction was instant. It leaped off him as if stung by a wasp.

"You," it hissed and Buffy couldn't believe how fearful it suddenly seemed. "You're the Sco…" before it could finish its sentence the vampire gagged, tumbling backwards into a pile of dustbins clawing at its throat in agony as it went. The Scourge stepped across the alley way to its thrashing form, gripping its wrists tightly and to secure it.

"Get over here!" he shouted to her. Buffy didn't even hesitate. She bounded across the alley to his side.

"Who are you?" she asked as she approached him.

"No time for that now," he said struggling to keep the vampire in his grasp. "This one is almost dead and when he dies then what I want to show you will turn to dust with it. Roll up his right sleeve and look at his forearm." He ordered.

"Why?" asked Buffy.

"Just do it!" he yelled. "You don't have time to argue." Buffy leaned forward and gingerly rolled up the vampires' sleeve. On its right forearm was a strange tattoo of a sword with a pitch-black blade.

"What is it?" she said as the Scourge released the dying vampire and watched as it turned to dust before them.

"The symbol of the Vampire these ones served." He said. Buffy was beginning to get some idea of what he wanted now. It seemed fairly similar to what Angel's interest in her had been at first.

"Let me guess." She said with a smile. "You want me to help you kill this vampire." She was surprised when he shook his head.

"No, I'm telling you this so that if you see a vampire with this symbol next to his right eye you don't attack him."

"What!" she yelled no longer able to restrain herself. "Reality check okay, I'm a vampire slayer. It's my job to slay vampires!" He stood up and Buffy had to crane her neck to look him in the eye. He sure was tall.

"Not this vampire. Listen to me Buffy," he pleaded "I need you. If you fight him, believe me, you will lose. I can't afford to lose you, not after I've waited this long." Buffy couldn't believe it. He had just spoken the exact words from her dream. God she hated it when that happened.

"Wait!" she shouted after him when she realised he was leaving, "Where are you going? Who are you? How do you know who I am? What do you need me for?" He paused at the mouth of the alleyway, presumably stunned by her barrage of questions.

"The club called the Bronze." He said, "Meet me there tomorrow night and I will answer all your questions as best I can." And with that he was gone.

*****

King watched the scene below him unfold with interest. It was a shame to lose Nathaniel, he had been a good follower, but he and the others had been fools to believe they could stand a chance against the Slayer even if she had had help from that cursed Scourge. He scratched at his own black bladed sword tattoo next to his right eye as that foul thing showed the Slayer Nathaniel's mark. So long he had borne it and it still looked fresh on his skin. The decades had barely faded it. He listened carefully as the Scourge warned the Slayer about him. He might think it a wise move if he knew what the Scourge was doing here in the first place. He hated that pestilent creature, hated it for what it had done to him. The involuntary spasm in his hand started again and once again he had to fight to keep it under control. Each time it took him longer to regain that control over his rogue limb. He was running out of time and he knew it. However there was still plenty to be had. The slow spread of the poison would not kill him for a decade or two yet, but it would kill him. Of that there was absolutely no doubt. Still it would probably be cured in another two days, and then he could put this whole unpleasant business behind him. Maybe the Scourge wasn't even here for the same reason as he, maybe he needed the Slayer for a different purpose. Doubtful though. He glanced up at the few stars that shone through the storm clouds above him. The first alignment was complete. Two more nights and the light would come. He just hoped the Slayer didn't make things more complicated than they had to be. If so she would regret it.