"We don't need her."

"Yes, we do !" Lumhe shouted, and upended the table, missing the larger demon by several inches. Messy, dark hair framed his features, which were currently displaying the 'angered resolve' face. "I can't believe we're having this argument again !" The K'bbeth heaved an exaggerated sigh, and decided to explain it one more time. He might be the 'master' vampire in town, but it certainly didn't mark him as bright.

"We don't need the slayer. The ritual is not specific as to the sacrifice." he intoned. "Slayer or not, a human's blood is needed. She will be much harder to capture."

"But it can be done. I will have the slayer, on that table, in three days ! I will have it !" he thumped the wall with a fist, leaving several inches dented. An athlete in life, he'd lost none of his physical strength with his blood.

"You're being childish." the greenish demon mumbled. Lumhe's grey eyes turned a decided yellow.

"Say that again."

"You're being childish-" before the sentence was finished, the vampire's game face was on, and aimed at the K'bbeth's delicate neck.

"One more time" he purred. The squishier demon was less than impressed, and considered having Lumhe as a snack. It would, however, leave Lumhe's considerable number of bumbling minions without a leader, and that could get annoying.

"Not worth it." he snorted, and lumbered off in search of more available dinner. Lumhe waited until he was certain the K'bbeth had disappeared, and sank into a chair. Almost got eaten, he grinned internally. Not bad. Oh, well, if the K'bbeth don't want their slimy hides punctured by the slayer... you want something done, you gotta do it yourself.

"Three days. It isn't much time." Buffy narrowed her eyes. Shaking her head, Willow flipped through a few more pages.

"We don't even know for sure if that's what they're up to. It could be anything. There's other rituals. It's like, their high week or something. Major weirdness."

"And why is it always the hellmouth ?" Xander frowned. "Why can't there be a center of mystical energy in, say, the Klondike ?" The slayer's mouth turned up at one corner.

"It's harder to axe-kick in snow pants." Buffy deadpanned. The vampire in the corner gave an appreciative snort. "Spike, you ran into one of them." she said suddenly. "Do you have anything else to add ? Anything at all, that might help ?"

"Nah. Aside from that he seemed to be doing his grocery shopping on campus..." Willow's stomach lurched, "...nothing."

"On... campus ?" the redhead struggled. "Like... students ?"

"Yeah." he said, and Buffy noted the absence of hostility in his voice. For a minute there, he'd actually sounded... concerned. "A couple of... little blondes. Oh, there was one thing that threw me. An arm."

"Blergh." Willow let out, and Tara wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Wasn't human, though. Vampire."

"A vampire arm ?"

"Dusted half a minute after I found it. He must've just eaten."

"Great imagery..." Xander groaned.

"But that could mean that the local vamps are onto them by now. Going around eating 'em is bound to grab their attention. We, er, they, uh, hate to be one-upped." The slayer drummed her fingers on the tabletop, and looked pointedly at Spike.

"If you weren't so famous around here," she sighed, the vampire attempting to contain his swelling grin, "I'd say 'send Spike for information', but I hear none of your old buddies like hanging out anymore. That leaves us with, like, zero options, 'cause I doubt any of you want to play spies." Buffy gave a lopsided grin. "Guess it's got to be the old 'find 'em and kick 'em until they talk' routine." Spike's eyes lit up.

"Can't beat a classic. I'll get my coat."

"Who sent you ?"

The smallish vampire, held on his back to the ground by one scuffed Doc Marten, let out a noncommital noise. Buffy looked at Spike once, who applied a little more pressure at the heel.

"Owp !" he yelped.

"Owp ?" she said archly. "Are you guys running out of cool villan names ?"

"N-no. I'll talk. O-okay ? Just- lemme up !"

"So you can, what, breathe ?" she shrugged. "Spike- stop squishing him. You- talk." The redhead sat up slowly, rubbing his chest and shooting hateful glances at Spike. The taller vampire had a certain flashback involving an arm, and smiled dangerously back down. "Now." she added, watching them stare off. They continued the silent challenge for a few seconds, and Buffy pulled a stake from her waistband. "Now." she repeated, and the vamp threw his hands over his face for protection. Wrong region, the slayer in her smirked.

"Right, right !" the redhead nodded furiously. "The boss, he's real tough." he began. "Killed off most of the competition. Everyone at the warehouse is totally afraid of him. He's huge around here."

"So why haven't I heard of him ?" Spike hissed.

"Let him talk."

"He's, uh, pretty old. He's called Lumhe."

"Lum-what ?" she couldn't help herself from exclaiming. "Does he know what that sounds like ?"

"Lumpy." Spike snickered. "Tosser."

"I don't see what's so funny." the weasely-looking vampire frowned. "He's the big bad around he-" the sentence abruptly died and floated off into space. The reheaded vamp found himself nose-to-nose with Spike in full game face, one steel hand snaked around his throat.

"I'm the big bad around here." he said quietly. His eyes hummed yellow.

"B-but you w-work for the slayer !" he hiccupped out. Spike shrugged, but thought for a second.

"With." he amended, tightening his grasp. "I changed sides. Doesn't matter. He'd better understand that if he moves into my territory, I'll decorate the town with him." Buffy, standing off to one side, rolled her eyes.

"Hate to interrupt all this male posturing," she sighed, "but we do need more information."

"All yours, pet." Spike smiled, and dropped him. He shook his game face off, and pulled out a cigarette. Ignoring him, she turned to their captive, who seemed to be trying to figure out a way to massage his sore neck and chest simultaneously.

"Okay. So what's this Lumhe," she paid no attention to the sudden snickering from behind her, "doing about all the K'bbeth in town ?" The redhead actually looked surprised.

"D-doing ?" he asked.

"Did she stutter ?" Spike growled.

"N-no. No. The K'bbeth thingies, they're working for him. Or with. Whatever. All I know is, we've got to patrol with them, and they're the smelliest, nastiest things you ever saw. They're all... juicey. They make me sick." Buffy glanced over at Spike, who got the question.

"Beats me." he said. "I've never heard of 'em workin' together, but stranger things have happened. Here." he added, as an afterthought.

"You said they... eat vampires."

"They do. Doesn't mean they won't keep their hands off the cookies if there's somethin' bigger they're after."

"Omigosh." she gasped. "Omigosh. I got it."

"Pet ?"

"The cloud cover thingie. They're working together for the cloud ritual. It's what they have in common, they can't bear the sun. They've got to be working together so they can..." and Spike's words echoed in her ears. Feed. "Omigosh." she finished.

"Feeding frenzy." he recognized her idea. "All fits." he seemed to recall a similar plan, one he'd liked at the time. Today, the thought made him vaguely ill. He indicated the vampire still sitting between them. "Little tosser said warehouse. Predictable bastards." She nodded.

"Can we focus back on me ?" the diminutive vamp frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "I've got places to go... people to eat." he continued, puffing out his chest a little bit. It was bad enough that they were interrogating him, but he felt he was being ignored because of his size. Happened a lot back when he was alive. The bleached-blonde vampire looked down at him, and smiled.

Eric, because that was his name, felt his stomach lurch.

"Let's." Spike said, and pulled something wooden out of a pocket.