Part 6
The tunnels were dark, dank and seemed to twist and turn forever. The group was swabbed in their own searching lights as they moved silently through the tomb's interior. They had entered the tomb more than fifteen minutes ago but still there was no end in sight. Xanders torch flickered every now and then losing Giles' back to the pitch black.
Buffy nursed a small gash on her right forearm. It was the result of an unsprung booby trap that had laid in wait for them for who knows how long. But the unsprung booby traps weren't what caused her shoulders to tense nor her breath to quicken. It wasn't even the four other traps that had already been sprung. She had examined them thoroughly and found no blood. Anyone who could get past them had to have some kind of heightened sense of awareness, and that meant demons or vampires.
They were all on their guard now. Up ahead they could see light spilling around a corner. The gang approached carefully not wanting to disturb any one that may be in the tomb already. When they reached the corner Buffy peered around. The tomb opened up into what seemed to be a large circular chamber. A thick pillar not four feet away from her obstructed her vision. She could see more pillars to the left and right, evidently following the architecture of the chamber. The light was coming from burning torches fixed to the far side of every pillar. She couldn't see anyone for sure but she heard some shuffling of feet in the dusty floor and a low murmur.
Buffy turned to Giles.
"Stay here, I'm going to have a look!"
"Be careful, and shout if you need help."
Keeping her back to wall Buffy slunk into the chamber. She crept up behind the pillar that had obstructed her view and took refuge in a pool of darkness at its base. Very carefully she moved her head sideways around the pillar. At the centre of the large chamber stood a large stone coffin. Covering every surface of it were inscriptions that she couldn't make out. Several figures had gathered around the coffin. Five vampires. One of them stood in the middle of the group with his arms folded and a cruel satisfied smile on his face. Buffy face drained of blood as she recognised Angel's sculpted features in the torchlight. She felt sick that she would have to yet again fight with her former love.
She turned away and resisted the temptation to look at him. It hurt her deep inside to look at him and know that if he knew she was here he would do everything he could to make sure she never left. She shook it off and regained her perspective. A plan began to formulate in her head. Backing off slowly she returned to the gang who were still waiting in the tunnel.
"Well, what is it?" Giles inquired impatiently.
Buffy paused, struggling. "It's Angel. And he's got four vamps with him."
The wind went out of everyone, particularly Giles. The numbers were even but the odds were against them. Buffy added "There's some kind of coffin in that chamber, actually it's the only thing in there." Giles looked up from his feet. "A coffin. Have they opened it yet?" There was a loud crash as they heard the coffin lid being pulled away and dumped on the ground. "I think that's a safe bet." Xander said looking even more nervous than usual. Rational Giles took over. "It's very likely that whatever artefacts the Warlock had were buried on his person." He looked Buffy square in the eyes.
"We can't let Angel take them."
"I know." She replied softly.
"Look we can't take them on here, it's too confined. Let's get outside and get them in a bottle-neck coming out of the tunnels."
Giles nodded. "We should also have the element of surprise on our side."
"Well we're gonna' need it because they have the element of pure evil on theirs."
They made their way back down the dusty tunnels and arrived at the entrance in less time than it took to get to the chamber. For convenience Oz had left his bag behind a nearby bulldozer rather than carry it all the way down the narrows tunnels. They share out the weapons, an assortment of stakes, holy water, medieval looking axes and hooks and of course the ever-reliable crossbow. Willow took that. It was the thing she could best use giving her size, strength and her resolve not to get too close to a vampire.
They each took up a position. They stood in a semicircle around the entrance with Buffy in the middle. Then they waited. Buffy's shoulders were becoming sore and stiff from tensing. The calm night was only disturbed by the soft whisperings of the night air. The cool crisp night air seemed to elevate their senses to heightened levels. Then suddenly a glimmer. They saw a light in the tunnel coming toward them. "This is it, here we go." Buffy thought readying herself.
The light seemed inordinately bright. In fact the whole tunnel seemed to light up. From out of the doorway a vampire came screaming out, engulfed in a ball of fire. The flames licked at his limbs and climbed over him like a starving beast. He flailed about like some incensed primate while his awful screams pierced the night. The gang swayed backward fearing the heat and the smell of burning flesh. Even Buffy was rattled. She rocked back on her heels hard as the human torch lunged at her.
The distraction worked perfectly. Three vampires came from the darkness of the tomb and attacked the group. One leapt on Giles and they wrestled each other to the ground. The burning vampire dropped to his hands and knees and exploded, dissipating into an orange haze. A second and third vampire jumped through the haze and engaged Buffy. Oz ran to help Giles who was struggling against his attacker. Willow's hand jumped from vampire to vampire as her crossbow searched for a target. Every time she honed in one they moved position.
Buffy was fighting hard against the two vampires and holding her own. They were strong but not particularly experienced in fighting. Not thinking about it much she concluded that they hadn't been vampires for long. She also concluded that they wouldn't be vampires for much longer either. She was slammed hard against the huge wheel of a dump truck by the two like a wrestling tag team throwing an opponent onto the ropes. She poised for a double body slam as she pushed her-self off the wheel. Instead, the steel tip of Willow's arrow struck home and the wooden shaft passed clean through one of the vampire's hearts. His body turned to dust and floated to the ground nestling on the arrow.
Taking advantage of the decrease in numbers Buffy dropkicked her remaining foe with both feet sending him flying through the air. He landed about two feet away from Giles and Oz. Giles now had the upper hand against his assailant. Both of his arms were locked around the vampire's chest and in behind his head. Oz was punching the vampire in the stomach trying to knock the wind out of him.
Buffy raised her legs and flipped herself up from the ground. She raced over to the vamp struggling to stand, his eyes bursting with pain. The other one snapped his head back cracking Giles in the face who fell on his backside with pain and shock. Buffy launched her foot into the face her vampire blasting him off of his knees and onto the ground again. In the same movement she turned on her heel and kicked the other one in the stomach. He doubled over instantly and clutched his belly.
Buffy pulled out a stake she had tucked into her pants and leapt to the grounded vampire, plunging the wooden rod into his heart destroying him. She turned around in time to see Willow throwing Oz a stake, which he plunged through the doubled over vampire's back and through his heart. Ozs hand pushed through the vampires body as it quickly turned to dust.
Buffy helped Giles to his feet as the gang gathered in. His knees wobbled a bit at first but he soon stood steady. His nose and mouth were bloodied and some spots seeped into his shirt.
"Are you alright!" Buffy exclaimed worriedly.
"I'll be fine. It's not broken. Just eh… bloodied." He replied.
Buffy looked around scanning the site. "Did anybody see Angel coming out." It annoyed her that she hadn't noticed until now that he didn't join in the fight. It wasn't like him to avoid a chance to fight her. He usually relished such an opportunity, especially with the odds in his favour. Then she remembered why they were here. "Damn. All this was just a distraction so he could get away with the artefacts." Willow looked confused.
"He'd burn up one of his own guys just to cause a distraction."
"Yes, well, I'm afraid that's vintage Angel." Giles said, then he caught a look from Buffy.
"Well that is to say Angelus."
She looked at him forgivingly.
"So what now Giles, Angel has the artefacts and we have nothing."
Oz looked worried. He seemed to be the only one who had noticed something which should have been very obvious to everyone.
"Uh, guys. Where's Xander?"