How You See Me
Chapter 6
----
Author's Note:
Reruns, grr. Can I just say: if Joss ever gives Spike a soul or turns him human I will honestly boycott the show. Blah..how many stories with that theme have I read lately? Too many. Spike is turning into the calendar boy for the softer side of Sears!
Anywho, I'm done ranting...for now...
----
Spike stumbled and put his hand against the cool brick wall to steady himself, but his arm gave out and he collapsed to the ground.
He got onto one knee and attempted to rise. He coughed once. Twice. Suddenly he was coughing up blood. He leaned forward, his arms spread out in front of him, and let the dark red droplets fall to the ground. When he regained a certain amount of composure he drew his dirt-stained sleeve across his face to wipe the blood and slowly got to his feet again.
From the one eye that wasn't swollen shut he managed to focus on his destination only a few feet ahead. He was almost there, he could make it.
He took one slow, wobbly step, and then three quick ones, catching another wall just before his momentum became to fast for his sluggish, unsteady feet to keep up with. He stabilized himself and started off again.
One step. Two. He braced himself against the wall again. He was just about there. Just as he thought he'd regained his balance his left leg gave out and he fell, he grabbed the wall on his way down and spun around falling headfirst, with a crash, through the front window of the 'Magic Box'.
"Will? Harris?" he called out feebly. No answer. It was early, maybe they hadn't arrived yet.
"Bullocks. Just my luck. What a bloody bunch of...Bloody hell! What is that sodding ringing?" He lifted his arm to cover his ear from the terrible ringing of the shop's alarm system but it only made it half way there before he passed out.
----
The click of the heavy metal door only made the pounding in Buffy's head worse. She didn't even bother to look up. Buffy already knew who had entered the room, the eerie vibes he sent off preceded him.
She lay in the corner, curled up in the fetal position. Bruised and beaten but not yet broken. Her mind faded in and out, she couldn't remember how long she'd been there, how long it'd been since she'd eaten.
What she wouldn't give to be back in the cemetery talking to Spike. If only she hadn't been so cold, maybe he would have stuck around, maybe this wouldn't have happened.
If only's wouldn't get her anywhere. What she needed now was a real plan.
"How are you doing my precious?" he crouched beside her, his long, black cape falling across her. She shrank farther into the corner.
"Get away from me."
"Aw, and I thought we were just becoming friends." The man sighed and straightened up.
Buffy remained silent. She knew there was no point in wasting her energy verbally sparring with this lowlife. She waited for him to leave.
"Pity, I had thought I might bring you some food. But, well, I just don't feel like it now."
Buffy groaned, she needed that food. She needed to keep her strength up. Slowly she rolled over.
"Please.." she pleaded, begging with her eyes as well.
"Well..I suppose just a little." He motioned to someone out of her line of sight and then turned back to Buffy.
"Bon apetit, mon cherie." He landed a sharp kick straight into her abdomen. Buffy doubled up, wrapping her arms around her stomach. She burst into a spasm of coughs and deep breaths, trying desperately to fill her lungs again.
The man chuckled callously and then swept out of the room, nearly knocking over the minion that was bringing Buffy her meager portion of food. It would take her a while to feel up to eating it now.
----
"What happened?"
"Are you ok?"
"He should rest."
"Is there anything I can get you?"
Spike growled. "Sod off! All of you!"
"Fine Spike, play that way. But just remember, you came to us. You're turning out to be the like the boy that called fox. Setting off my alarm system and everything." Anya humphed.
"It's wolf honey." Xander corrected.
"Huh?"
"The boy..he called wolf."
"Oh. Well. He should have called bunny!"
Willow ignored the two and turned her attention back to Spike, who was sprawled across a stack of the practice mats in the back room. Dawn was sitting cross-legged at his head, she wouldn't let him out of her sight.
"Spike, why did you come here?"
"Buffy..she.." he glanced at Dawn, "She's in danger."
"Wh-what?"
"Look, it's alright 'Bit. She can handle herself. I just think it's best we break up the party soon."
"What party?" Xander butted in.
"The vamps that did this," Spike gestured at himself, "they left a message. A new power is in town. Well, an old one actually. Runs by the name of Herctide."
"Herctide? I haven't heard of him.."
"No..no you wouldn't. Man likes to keep a low profile. Isn't much for company. In fact, I doubt he's been topside in a century or two."
"Well who is he? What does he want?"
"How do we kill him?"
"He's a priest of some God or other, I can't recall and it's not important. He's got the slayer and we're going to get her back."
"Do you know what he wants from Buffy?"
"Not the particulars about it, but I gather it has something to do with my being in love with her and all."
TBC...
Chapter 6
----
Author's Note:
Reruns, grr. Can I just say: if Joss ever gives Spike a soul or turns him human I will honestly boycott the show. Blah..how many stories with that theme have I read lately? Too many. Spike is turning into the calendar boy for the softer side of Sears!
Anywho, I'm done ranting...for now...
----
Spike stumbled and put his hand against the cool brick wall to steady himself, but his arm gave out and he collapsed to the ground.
He got onto one knee and attempted to rise. He coughed once. Twice. Suddenly he was coughing up blood. He leaned forward, his arms spread out in front of him, and let the dark red droplets fall to the ground. When he regained a certain amount of composure he drew his dirt-stained sleeve across his face to wipe the blood and slowly got to his feet again.
From the one eye that wasn't swollen shut he managed to focus on his destination only a few feet ahead. He was almost there, he could make it.
He took one slow, wobbly step, and then three quick ones, catching another wall just before his momentum became to fast for his sluggish, unsteady feet to keep up with. He stabilized himself and started off again.
One step. Two. He braced himself against the wall again. He was just about there. Just as he thought he'd regained his balance his left leg gave out and he fell, he grabbed the wall on his way down and spun around falling headfirst, with a crash, through the front window of the 'Magic Box'.
"Will? Harris?" he called out feebly. No answer. It was early, maybe they hadn't arrived yet.
"Bullocks. Just my luck. What a bloody bunch of...Bloody hell! What is that sodding ringing?" He lifted his arm to cover his ear from the terrible ringing of the shop's alarm system but it only made it half way there before he passed out.
----
The click of the heavy metal door only made the pounding in Buffy's head worse. She didn't even bother to look up. Buffy already knew who had entered the room, the eerie vibes he sent off preceded him.
She lay in the corner, curled up in the fetal position. Bruised and beaten but not yet broken. Her mind faded in and out, she couldn't remember how long she'd been there, how long it'd been since she'd eaten.
What she wouldn't give to be back in the cemetery talking to Spike. If only she hadn't been so cold, maybe he would have stuck around, maybe this wouldn't have happened.
If only's wouldn't get her anywhere. What she needed now was a real plan.
"How are you doing my precious?" he crouched beside her, his long, black cape falling across her. She shrank farther into the corner.
"Get away from me."
"Aw, and I thought we were just becoming friends." The man sighed and straightened up.
Buffy remained silent. She knew there was no point in wasting her energy verbally sparring with this lowlife. She waited for him to leave.
"Pity, I had thought I might bring you some food. But, well, I just don't feel like it now."
Buffy groaned, she needed that food. She needed to keep her strength up. Slowly she rolled over.
"Please.." she pleaded, begging with her eyes as well.
"Well..I suppose just a little." He motioned to someone out of her line of sight and then turned back to Buffy.
"Bon apetit, mon cherie." He landed a sharp kick straight into her abdomen. Buffy doubled up, wrapping her arms around her stomach. She burst into a spasm of coughs and deep breaths, trying desperately to fill her lungs again.
The man chuckled callously and then swept out of the room, nearly knocking over the minion that was bringing Buffy her meager portion of food. It would take her a while to feel up to eating it now.
----
"What happened?"
"Are you ok?"
"He should rest."
"Is there anything I can get you?"
Spike growled. "Sod off! All of you!"
"Fine Spike, play that way. But just remember, you came to us. You're turning out to be the like the boy that called fox. Setting off my alarm system and everything." Anya humphed.
"It's wolf honey." Xander corrected.
"Huh?"
"The boy..he called wolf."
"Oh. Well. He should have called bunny!"
Willow ignored the two and turned her attention back to Spike, who was sprawled across a stack of the practice mats in the back room. Dawn was sitting cross-legged at his head, she wouldn't let him out of her sight.
"Spike, why did you come here?"
"Buffy..she.." he glanced at Dawn, "She's in danger."
"Wh-what?"
"Look, it's alright 'Bit. She can handle herself. I just think it's best we break up the party soon."
"What party?" Xander butted in.
"The vamps that did this," Spike gestured at himself, "they left a message. A new power is in town. Well, an old one actually. Runs by the name of Herctide."
"Herctide? I haven't heard of him.."
"No..no you wouldn't. Man likes to keep a low profile. Isn't much for company. In fact, I doubt he's been topside in a century or two."
"Well who is he? What does he want?"
"How do we kill him?"
"He's a priest of some God or other, I can't recall and it's not important. He's got the slayer and we're going to get her back."
"Do you know what he wants from Buffy?"
"Not the particulars about it, but I gather it has something to do with my being in love with her and all."
TBC...
