BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

INNER LIGHT

Part Three

Alliances

The rain continued to bucket down out of the sky in huge torrents drenching Buffy as she ran through it to Giles' house. It was late but she figured that if she waited till daylight to update him with the latest information that he would most likely be annoyed with her. Skidding round the corner on the same soggy paving stones that made up his garden path she jogged up it to his front door and brought her balled up fist banging hard down on it. After several minutes she heard the sound of annoyed muttering coming from behind the door and the sound of bolts being slid back and keys jangled as he unlocked it. Giles, it would seem, was quite security conscious. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting the door swung inward to reveal him standing just inside wearing a striped dressing gown and a pair of slippers that seemed a little too large for his feet. Not wearing his glasses the ex watcher was forced to squint out into the night at her before he could determine who it was.

"Buffy!" he said sounding surprised for the second time that day. "What are you doing here at this time of night." Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Pop quiz Giles," she said in irritation. "Keeping someone on your doorstep in the freezing cold rain is impolite. True Or False?"

"Oh, of course." Said Giles ignoring her sarcastic comment. "Come inside." He stepped out of the way allowing her entrance. After taking off her shoes Giles ushered her into the living room, reappearing minutes later with a towel and a cup of steaming hot coffee. Buffy gratefully accepted the coffee then wrapped herself up in the warmth of the towel.

"Now," said Giles seating himself in the chair opposite her. "Why are you here? I thought you were going out on patrol and seeing if you could find that strange man you dreamt about."

"Well I found him." She paused. "Sort of." Giles' brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I'm not quite clear whether it was me who found him or him who found me." Giles still looked confused. Buffy felt a tinge of delight. Usually it was she who had flounder her way through the conversation while Giles explained everything to her. It felt good to have things the other way around.

"I'm still not with you Buffy." He said. She sighed. It would seem she was going to have to explain the whole thing to him.

"Right," she started. "I'm walking down this alleyway looking for vampires when three foreign ones turn up and proceed to beat me to a pulp." Giles looked concerned.

"You're not injured I hope." He said.

"No, but thanks for asking. Anyway like I was saying these three European sounding vampires are delivering a serious butt kicking to yours truly when all of a sudden weird dream guy shows up and throws one vampire across the alleyway one handed." She looked Giles dead in the eye. "Giles, I couldn't throw a vampire like that so how could he?" the thoughtful expression Buffy knew so well had fallen across Giles' face the one he used when considering which monster it could be this time.

"An intriguing development, but please do continue." Buffy took a sip of her scalding hot coffee and continued.

"After he's thrown vamp number one across the alley he then helps me stake vamps two and three in virtually no time at all. But this is all going to seem like peanuts compared to what happened next." Giles leaned forward his attention focused entirely on her.

"Vamp number one gets up and decides to make a meal out of my new friend. Jumps on his back and bites him."

"Is he alright?" asked Giles

"Who, dream guy?" Giles nodded. "He's fine but I wouldn't say the same for the vampire."

"What happened to him?" Giles continued his questioning.

"He collapsed into a pile of trash cans clutching at his throat and thrashing about. Whatever was happening to him, it was painful. Anyway dream guy calls me over and shows me a tattoo on the vampires arm."

"What did this tattoo look like?" The questions from Giles were unending it seemed.

"It was a sword with a black blade. Dream guy told me that if I saw a vampire with it next to his right eye I should avoid him."

"This "Dream Guy"", said Giles, "I don't suppose you found out his name?"

"The vampire called him the Reaver." Said Buffy. The flash of lightning followed shortly by a clap of thunder could not have been timed better for atmospheric effect. Giles leaned back in his chair.

"I thought so." He said.

"So come on Giles," It was her turn to lean forward in curiosity now. "Who is he?"

"From what little I know of him, he's something of an enigma." Buffy raised her eyebrows.

"A what?" she said.

"An enigma," said Giles standing up and beginning to pace, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. Buffy smiled. It had been a long time since she'd seen Giles get like this. "You know, one of a kind, out of place. Very similar to yourself as a matter of fact."

"Only I can't throw a vampire across an alleyway with one hand." She said.

"I must admit I'm a little surprised at that." Said Giles. "In what little there is on him nothing about that level of strength is mentioned."

"You know Giles," said Buffy, giving him her overly innocent smile. "It's midnight. I'm tired, I'm wet and I've got a lecture first thing. I'd really appreciate it if you could just answer me straight on this one and tell me who he is."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you Buffy," said Giles. "There's so little on him that I'm not really sure who, or even what he is."

"Okay, why don't we start with what there is on him." Said Buffy, before hurriedly adding "and can we make it quick."

"I'll do my best." Said Giles.

"Thanks," grinned Buffy, "I know how much you like to make speeches."

"Yes, quite." Said Giles in his familiar stern schoolteacher tones. "The Reaver as he calls himself is a vampire hunter who masquerades as human so that vampires will feed from him. When they do they die as the blood in his veins is poison to them."

"That's it!" said Buffy, faintly surprised that she hadn't just received a three thousand-word thesis on him.

"Without consulting the books that's all I can remember off hand."

"What about the vampire he mentioned." She asked.

"I can do some reading but finding a direct reference may take a little while." Said Giles. Buffy nodded.

"You might not need to read much more on the Reaver anyway."

"Why's that?" asked Giles distractedly. He was already looking along a line of ancient tomes that were stacked on a bookcase nearby.

"Because I'm meeting him tomorrow night." Giles turned and stared at her.

"You're what?" he said in disbelief.

"I'm meeting him tomorrow night."

"Where?" he demanded.

"At the Bronze." Giles nodded.

"A very wise choice," he said, "He's unlikely to try anything in a public area."

"Giles," Buffy smiled. Sometimes Giles could be a little over protective despite the fact that he was no longer her Watcher. "Meeting at the Bronze was his idea."

"Oh." Was all he said seeming suitably abashed. Buffy drunk the last of her coffee stood up and handed him the towel.

"I'd best be off, hard days work tomorrow." She said and walked out of the house back into the pouring rain.

*****

Zero hated living like this. That was putting it mildly of course. He crouched in the burned husk of the building watching as two of his gang went to work on one another. Gregory was a strong fighter but Zero's money was on Carlos. The younger vampire was just too fast for his elder and had fed more recently. Fights between gang members were common these days and while they did provide some source of entertainment they were far too damaging in the long run. If they kept up the battles at this rate there would be nothing left of Zero's once proud band of vampires. He'd come to Sunnydale twenty years ago after hearing stories from others about the rich feeding grounds the place provided. Then he'd been young and relatively inexperienced in the ways of the vampires. He hadn't known about the Master or how just about every vampire who came to Sunnydale was forced into virtual slavery under the ancient one. Of course many such as that beast Luke, had worshipped him like a God but just as many, Zero included, had wanted freedom. Those that wanted to remain free of the Masters rule had banded together in small gangs for protection. Zero's had been one of the most well known and for sixteen years he'd survived here. The arrival of the Slayer hadn't meant much to him at first. Oh he had heard tales of past Slayers and rumours that one was on the prowl in LA but he hadn't really believed any of them. Then she had come here. When she killed the Master he'd been happy at first. No more lurking in shadows and skulking in dank crypts. At last they would be able to stalk the night as true vampires without having to worry about the Master. That had been the idea anyway. Unfortunately the Slayer had other plans. Zero's band was soon driven back into the shadows out of fear for there lives and there they had stayed, fearing to tread openly in case of a chance encounter with the pointy end of a stake. The emaciated form of Gregory was hurled across the open roofed room to slam heavily against the wall. Carlos lifted his head to the stars and roared with triumph. The others soon joined him. Zero shrugged his shoulders and lifted his head to the sky, letting out a supportive whoop and gathering with the others to kick and torture the loser. The gang needed to be strong in order to survive. Any who showed weakness were cast out into the night to fend for themselves. That was what would happen to Gregory, when they'd had their fun with him that is. Slowly the hollered taunts and joyous praises quietened as the gang began to settle down. It was then that they heard the clapping. A lone figure was stood nearby applauding their efforts. Gradually each member of the gang turned their true yellow coloured eyes to face their audience. The man was stood near the wooden fence that marked the boundary of the abandoned building site. He was about six and a half feet tall and was fairly solidly built. He wore a battered black leather bomber jacket over a dark blue vest with baggy leather trousers encasing his legs and large heavy soled boots that caused the gravel to crunch loudly as he moved. A long black ponytail hung down to his waist and the sword tattoo so close to his right eye was enough to make even a vampire wince at risk it must have taken to apply it. Zero could tell from the figures posture alone that he wasn't human. While he did not bear his true demonic face as openly as they it was obvious he was a vampire. When all eyes were upon him including those of the groaning Gregory he stopped clapping and took a step forward.

"Are you quite finished?" he asked. Zero eyed him up and down. He'd fought worse in his gang. He took his own step toward the vampire.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, making sure that he bore his teeth. The strange vampire gave him an icy smile before stepping past him into the remains of the building.

"Someone who disapproves of this." He said waving his pale hand in an arc that encompassed the building. He spun suddenly to face Zero and the gang leader was taken aback by how quickly he moved.

"Why do you live like this?" he snarled contemptuously, "Like mice frightened of a cat! Maybe it's because that is precisely what you are!"

"You must be new around here," said Zero summoning himself up to his full height, He didn't like the aggressiveness of this vampire. "It's not like we have a choice. You see we have Slayer trouble in this town." The stranger laughed.

"Don't be pathetic." He said. "You have nothing to fear from a Slayer."

"If you're saying we should kill her, it can't be done." Said Zero watching as the stranger ran his fingers along the edge of the buildings concrete wall. He dusted his hands off casting lofty glances at the others as he did so. "Stronger vampires than us have tried and failed." The stranger looked back to him and gave him a feral grin.

"Stronger than you." He said. Suddenly he span to face the concrete wall and in the same smooth flowing motion, punched his balled up fist straight through it in an explosion of dust and crumbling stone. "Not than me." He finished. Zero took a step away. This stranger was more dangerous than he had first thought.

"Who are you!" he hissed, all trace of his strength seeming to have melted away. The stranger whirled around and grabbed him tightly by the throat.

"You don't need to worry about that!" he snarled, grabbing Zero by his belt with his free hand and hoisting him into the air like a rag doll to throw him out onto one of the wooden fence posts where he exploded into a cloud of dust.

*****

King watched with something approaching pleasure as the pathetic excuse for a vampire exploded into dust with a gasp of pain as he hit the fence. At least there was one less of the weak willed creatures that dared to bare the name vampire polluting this world with their sorry existence. Slowly he turned and faced the others. These creatures weren't vampires. They were carrion eaters, vultures hardly deserving of the unlife that had been bestowed upon them. Nevertheless there was some trace of vampire spirit there. He could see it lurking behind their fearful yellow orbs. They would serve his purpose well enough keeping the Slayer and her newfound colleague busy while he made ready for the coming of the Light.

"Follow me." He growled, "And you will no longer need to hide in corners, sewers and dilapidated old buildings. You can walk the night as it was always intended and feed deeply upon the rich and bountiful treats that walk this world." The band of vampires stared at him blankly. He let out a groan. He could add dumbness to the list of qualities he disliked about them too.

"If I lead you, you'll get to suck blood!" he yelled. The vampires howled delightedly to the night sky.

*****

The dank, cloying air and raw stench of the sewers would have turned all but the strongest of human stomachs. The Reaver didn't even notice it as he waded up to his knees through the murky waters although he preferred not to think about what turned them that foul colour. Slowly the old brick wall loomed out of the darkness at him. With a low grunt he heaved himself up out of the water, dripping from the knees down. This old tunnel had been bricked over decades ago. It had taken him almost no time at all to smash through it with a sledgehammer. As he stepped through the ragged gap in the wall he found himself thinking back to the first time he'd entered this dry and musty chamber two months ago. As the dust that had been disturbed by the falling bricks settled he had stepped through and awed at the sight of his salvation. He looked around it now. Little had changed in the last two months. The crumbling sandstone walls still stood although roots of trees from the land above had forced their way through in places smashing holes in the ancient stone as they went bringing with them the remains of old plumbing pipes and other fixtures from the town above. The six stone pillars arranged in a hexagon around the central raised dais still held their angled mirrors in positions that would reflect light down on the dais. That was the only thing that had changed. The dais was now lit faintly by what little light filtered down from the night sky above, thanks to a series of holes The Reaver had carefully dug over each of the mirrors. Slowly he stepped over to one of the pillars and stroked his hand gently across its rough surface. He could feel the raw power of the ancient enchantments carved into the stone throbbing steadily but that was all he could feel. The contours and changes in the stone surface and texture eluded him the same way the rank smell of the sewer failed to touch him. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard trying to feel the shape of the pillar beneath his skin. Nothing. He gave a weary sigh of resignation. So many times he had tried that and each and every time he had felt that this time it would work. It never did though. He lifted his eyes sadly to stare at the dais lit with a soft radiant glow from the pale moonlight above. This was the only way he would have what he wanted. It would mean the end of one existence but the beginning of one he would relish so much more having tasted its alternative. Slowly he stood up and turned to leave casting one last glance at the moonlit chamber. Two more days were all he would have to wait. He just preyed that Buffy didn't do anything stupid in the meantime. Like getting herself killed.