Brikersan sat in a large ornate chair. His minions were seated before him. He was a large demon with
vampire-like teeth. Apart from these teeth, his features were very humanoid in appearance. It was the powers he possessed which separated him from normal humans. He had excessive strength, and was highly intelligent. Although he was quite able to defend himself, his ploy to dispatch minions meant there were less chances for him to die, and those were the kinds of odds he liked to play.
At this moment he was holding a meeting to decide which of his minions to send out next.
"Friends...the slayer has joined forces with Anyanka, for this she too must be destroyed. We must..."
At that moment Mander, the creature who had just been questioned by Buffy, ran into the cave.
"Master..."
"Who dares interrupt?" Brikersan bellowed.
"Forgive me master, but the Slayer, she killed many of my fellow creatures...there are but two of us left. I only just managed to escape myself. She is very strong Master and has many followers of her own."
"What?! She lives! Where is Anyanka?"
"She was protected, we could not reach her."
"You mean you failed!!!" he roared.
"Yes master, but they had weapons...they were so strong...perhaps we can try again..." Mander trembled in fear.
"Well, you could but doing that while dead might prove difficult." and with a wave of his hand he ordered two of his guards to take Mander away and kill him.
*Perhaps I should have changed sides...the Slayer seemed ok* Mander thought in despair, as he was lead to his death.
"Let this be a warning to all of you", Brikersan yelled. "Failure is NOT an option".
He turned to the leader of the 'Diables de Mort' and roared, "Find the Slayer and Anyanka and bring them to me. Do not return until you have succeeded."
With that he swept out of the room, his huge cloak flowing behind him. *Morons*, he thought. *I'm surrounded by a bunch of morons*.
********************
Meanwhile....back at the library....
"Buffy..." Xander exclaimed.
She stood staring at her arm in disbelief. The stitches holding the wound shut had burst open and blood was flowing steadily down her arm and starting to puddle on the floor.
Seeing she was too stunned to do anything, Xander went to her and, taking off his outer shirt, he applied
pressure to her wound to stop the bleeding. "Another hospital trip, huh Buff?" he quipped, trying to lighten the situation.
She looked at him in a daze. "He got away," she stated simply.
"Yeah, but no-one was seriously hurt."
Anya chose this time to speak up...
"Uh, guys...can I be let out now"
Xander rushed to the cage, apologising profusely. "Oh Anya, I'm soooo sorry. Are you ok?"
She nodded and he pulled her into a hug.
Buffy, who was by now over her shock, glared at the two of them.
"This is all YOUR fault", she accused Anya. She stormed towards the girl, anger taking over. "Why can't you just leave us alone."
Xander intercepted her. "Buffy, calm down. It's not Anya's fault."
"Oh no?" Buffy glared at him and pushed him roughly aside. "The way I see it, it's definitely her fault. She brought Brikersan's wrath against her. Well I say she can deal!"
"Buffy!" Giles exclaimed, horrified. "I think you're being a little harsh."
"Really? Well I'm sick of having to fend for simpering morons who bring trouble on themselves. For God's
sake, she was a demon for years. She caused similar problems herself and now she expects our sympathy when the tables are turned. I don't think so!!"
"Buffy," Xander grabbed her arm, "you don't mean these things...you're just in shock".
"Shock, huh?! I prefer to think of it as a revelation. Suddenly everything's perfectly clear." She shrugged from his grip and turned to face him. "I'm sick of it Xander, you can take care of your own bimbos, I for one have had enough".
She turned her attack to Anya. "And you...you deserve all you get. You messed with people's love lives just once to often and now it's come up and bit you in the ass. Well too bad Anya...you don't deserve a relationship, be it with Xander or anyone else".
She pushed roughly past Xander and ran out of the library.
"Buffy!" Xander shouted after her angrily.
Anya placed her hand on his arm. "Let her go."
The others stood there, mouths agape. Anya had been the least affected by Buffy's outburst even though most of it was aimed directly at her.
Xander looked at her confused. "She has no right to treat you like that...I mean the things she said...they were uncalled for."
"Just give her time..." she said before turning to Giles, "Now, I believe you wanted to speak with me."
"Uh...yes..yes, I do." Giles managed to get out, when he got over his initial shock of her reaction.
Anya however had stumbled upon something none of the others had identified. She had learnt a lot more from Buffy's outburst than any of them. She had looked into Buffy's eyes and seen the confusion, sadness and anger. All these conflicting emotions swirling beneath the surface. But most of all, the overpowering emotion of Jealousy. Anya saw all of this, and with this came the realisation...she loves him.
vampire-like teeth. Apart from these teeth, his features were very humanoid in appearance. It was the powers he possessed which separated him from normal humans. He had excessive strength, and was highly intelligent. Although he was quite able to defend himself, his ploy to dispatch minions meant there were less chances for him to die, and those were the kinds of odds he liked to play.
At this moment he was holding a meeting to decide which of his minions to send out next.
"Friends...the slayer has joined forces with Anyanka, for this she too must be destroyed. We must..."
At that moment Mander, the creature who had just been questioned by Buffy, ran into the cave.
"Master..."
"Who dares interrupt?" Brikersan bellowed.
"Forgive me master, but the Slayer, she killed many of my fellow creatures...there are but two of us left. I only just managed to escape myself. She is very strong Master and has many followers of her own."
"What?! She lives! Where is Anyanka?"
"She was protected, we could not reach her."
"You mean you failed!!!" he roared.
"Yes master, but they had weapons...they were so strong...perhaps we can try again..." Mander trembled in fear.
"Well, you could but doing that while dead might prove difficult." and with a wave of his hand he ordered two of his guards to take Mander away and kill him.
*Perhaps I should have changed sides...the Slayer seemed ok* Mander thought in despair, as he was lead to his death.
"Let this be a warning to all of you", Brikersan yelled. "Failure is NOT an option".
He turned to the leader of the 'Diables de Mort' and roared, "Find the Slayer and Anyanka and bring them to me. Do not return until you have succeeded."
With that he swept out of the room, his huge cloak flowing behind him. *Morons*, he thought. *I'm surrounded by a bunch of morons*.
********************
Meanwhile....back at the library....
"Buffy..." Xander exclaimed.
She stood staring at her arm in disbelief. The stitches holding the wound shut had burst open and blood was flowing steadily down her arm and starting to puddle on the floor.
Seeing she was too stunned to do anything, Xander went to her and, taking off his outer shirt, he applied
pressure to her wound to stop the bleeding. "Another hospital trip, huh Buff?" he quipped, trying to lighten the situation.
She looked at him in a daze. "He got away," she stated simply.
"Yeah, but no-one was seriously hurt."
Anya chose this time to speak up...
"Uh, guys...can I be let out now"
Xander rushed to the cage, apologising profusely. "Oh Anya, I'm soooo sorry. Are you ok?"
She nodded and he pulled her into a hug.
Buffy, who was by now over her shock, glared at the two of them.
"This is all YOUR fault", she accused Anya. She stormed towards the girl, anger taking over. "Why can't you just leave us alone."
Xander intercepted her. "Buffy, calm down. It's not Anya's fault."
"Oh no?" Buffy glared at him and pushed him roughly aside. "The way I see it, it's definitely her fault. She brought Brikersan's wrath against her. Well I say she can deal!"
"Buffy!" Giles exclaimed, horrified. "I think you're being a little harsh."
"Really? Well I'm sick of having to fend for simpering morons who bring trouble on themselves. For God's
sake, she was a demon for years. She caused similar problems herself and now she expects our sympathy when the tables are turned. I don't think so!!"
"Buffy," Xander grabbed her arm, "you don't mean these things...you're just in shock".
"Shock, huh?! I prefer to think of it as a revelation. Suddenly everything's perfectly clear." She shrugged from his grip and turned to face him. "I'm sick of it Xander, you can take care of your own bimbos, I for one have had enough".
She turned her attack to Anya. "And you...you deserve all you get. You messed with people's love lives just once to often and now it's come up and bit you in the ass. Well too bad Anya...you don't deserve a relationship, be it with Xander or anyone else".
She pushed roughly past Xander and ran out of the library.
"Buffy!" Xander shouted after her angrily.
Anya placed her hand on his arm. "Let her go."
The others stood there, mouths agape. Anya had been the least affected by Buffy's outburst even though most of it was aimed directly at her.
Xander looked at her confused. "She has no right to treat you like that...I mean the things she said...they were uncalled for."
"Just give her time..." she said before turning to Giles, "Now, I believe you wanted to speak with me."
"Uh...yes..yes, I do." Giles managed to get out, when he got over his initial shock of her reaction.
Anya however had stumbled upon something none of the others had identified. She had learnt a lot more from Buffy's outburst than any of them. She had looked into Buffy's eyes and seen the confusion, sadness and anger. All these conflicting emotions swirling beneath the surface. But most of all, the overpowering emotion of Jealousy. Anya saw all of this, and with this came the realisation...she loves him.
