Chapter Four


Rex was tired of giving magick junkies a free and easy buzz. He had already proven to himself that he could force his junkies to do things for him, like he had with Amy, so he decided he was going to make good use of that power. Like any evil resident in Sunnydale, Rex knew that the Slayer could easily foil perfectly made plans. He simply needed her out of the way, if the Slayer found out what he was up to, he would have no chance to succeed in his plan. So, he needed her dead and out of the way, as well as the rest of her stupid gang, except perhaps the little Wicca Strawberry, or Willow as her friends called her.
However, he knew that he himself could not go out and kill the Slayer for if the killing was botched then the Slayer would know who he was and find him. So, he needed someone to the job for him.
Rex had the perfect person for the job. Sitting in a chair across the room was a thirty-year-old man that had once been trained in weaponry when he was younger and then turned to magick and was now a junkie like everyone else who came to see him. However, Rex was certain the man, Paul, still retained most of his training and could easily do away with the Slayer.
Now, as he looked over at Paul the man glanced up at him. "You wanted to see me, sir?" Paul asked, nervously fidgeting with his hands.
"Of course I did, Phil was it?" Rex asked.
"Paul." The man said, looking away from Rex.
"Yes, that's right. I need you to do something for me." Rex said.
"Anything." Paul said, afraid to say otherwise.
"I assume you've heard of the Slayer, annoying girl who is always messing with everyone's plans. Well, I need you to do away with her." Rex said.
"Do away with her?" Paul asked.
"Yes, kill her and everyone with her. Now, I learned from one of her cohorts that she lives at 163 Revollo Drive. Now, tonight when she, or any of her friends, leave the house you must kill them." Rex instructed.
Paul nodded. "Good, if you succeed the rewards will be great. But if you fail..." Rex said, letting the sentence fall.
"I will not fail you." Paul said.

Darry dialed the number of the Magic Box, hoping that Buffy was there.
"Hello, Magic Box." Anya said on the other line, sounding upset.
"Anya, is Buffy there?" Darry asked, tangling the phone cord around her fingers.
"Yes, here she is." Anya grumbled. There were a few whispered words as the phone was passed between people.
"Darry?" Buffy said, coming on the line. "What's up?"
"He called." Darry said, barely finding the voice.
"Who called?" Buffy asked.
"Oz. He called." Darry answered.
"What? Well, what did he say?" Buffy asked.
"Neither of us said anything." Darry answered.
"Okay, what's the problem?" Buffy asked.
Darry paused. "I don't know, it was...weird to hear his voice." Darry answered, slowly.
"Okay..." Buffy said.
"I'm coming to the Magic Box." Darry said.
"All right." Buffy said, still not understanding why Darry was so upset. "Oh, if you're coming do you mind bringing a few stakes with you?" Buffy asked.
"Sure." Darry said and hung up the phone.
Darry walked over to the hall closet and opened the door, pulling the weapons trunk out of it. She grabbed a handful of stakes and put the trunk back in the closet.

Outside, Paul had managed to find the house where the Slayer lived without a problem. Now, he was hiding in one of the bushes by the front entrance, waiting for any sign of life.
The front door opened and out stepped a beautiful young woman carrying wooden stakes. Paul knew that she had to be the Slayer because she fit Rex's discribtion: a young girl at 1630 Revollo Drive. And she was carrying stakes, stakes were used to kill vampires.
She walked down the driveway, leaving the house. Paul knew that he had to follow her; he waiting until she was down the street before he left his hiding place in the bushes and followed her.

Oz hurriedly put his guitar back in its worn case and set it on the edge of his bed. His suitcase lay open, the pictures were the only thing lying in it at the moment but Oz was pulling his clothes out of the dresser draws and shoving them inside his suitcase.
He had to get back to Sunnydale as fast as possible. For whatever reason, Darry was alive; it didn't really matter how and why she was alive, all that mattered was that she was alive.
Once all his clothes were packed, he zipped up his suitcase and picked both that and his guitar case up. He carried them out of the room and headed toward his van, not wanting to waste any time.

Darry sat in the Magic Box, flipping through a book in a language she couldn't understand. She didn't know why she had wanted to go to the Magic Box or why she had called Buffy when Oz called her.
Darry wanted to see Oz more then anything in her whole life and her heart ached when she thought about him and how he wasn't with her. She shut the book and looked out the window; the sun was beginning to set in the sky.
Buffy was putting stakes in the her Slayer's bag and talking to Dawn. Her younger sister was asking questions and joking around, just as normal sisters would.
Darry stood up. "I'm leaving, I'm going for a walk." Darry announced and left the Magic Box.

Paul watched the 'Slayer' leave the store she was in; she wasn't carrying a stake or another type of weapon but he was. Rested in his lap was a pistol that he was fond of because it was the first weapon he had learned to use.
He had carefully loaded it and made sure it worked, he was not going to fail Rex. He watched the 'Slayer' walk down the road, headed toward Weatherly Park. The sun began to sink lower and shadows began to form around him.

Oz got back in his van after ringing the doorbell of the Summers house about ten times. No one was home; maybe it had only been his imagination, wishful thinking, that made him think that Darry was on the phone.
After all, people just didn't come back to life. Oz sat in his van with his head rested against the steering wheel. He decided to take a walk; he opened the door to his van and stepped out.
He headed toward Weatherly Park, barely noticing the sun sink in the distance, plunging Sunnydale into darkness once again.

Darry sat down, putting her back against the trunk of an Elm tree and taking a deep breath. Everything was dark, the sun had set and the big-n-nasties were out in Sunnydale once again.
However, those things weren't on Darry's mind at the moment. She didn't know what was on her mind but she was pretty sure it was Oz because that was all she could think about.
She leaned her head against the trunk and lifted her eyes to the night sky, looking at the stars that weren't hindered by the street lights.

Oz walked around Weatherly Park, not knowing where he was going. However, he couldn't help but walk, or wander or whatever he was doing. His van was still parked at the Summers house but he didn't care.

Darry looked straight ahead, feeling her head spin as she took her eyes off the sky. To her far left, someone was wandering around the park aimlessly. 'Doesn't that person know that in Sunnydale wandering around by yourself is not a good idea?' Darry thought to herself.
She looked closer at the person and then took a deep breath as she realized who it was. It was Oz, it had to be because Darry would recognize his features even in the dark.
She slowly stood up, putting her hand against the trunk as if to steady herself. She took a step forward.
"Oz?" She called out, hardly believing that she found the voice to speak.
Oz turned when he heard someone call out his name; he looked around and saw no one. He lowered his head, feeling foolish once more.
Someone called his name again; Oz turned and saw a form, barely visible in the shadows. He looked closer, trying to see how was calling him.
The person came closer, stepping into the half-moonlight. What Oz saw made his heart stop; Darry was standing, partially bathed in the half-moonlight. Both Oz and Darry were still, as though neither could believe what they saw.
Oz finally found that he was able to move; he ran toward her and took her into his arms. Darry clung to him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head in his chest, feeling tears trickle down her cheeks.
Oz held her close, hardly believing that his beloved was alive after she had died in his arms a month ago.
Darry looked up at him, the tears falling down her cheeks. "Oh God I missed you." Darry whispered, gazing into his eyes.
Oz held her close and lowered his head. "You have no idea." He said and tilted her head, kissing her. She kissed him back, closing her eyes and feeling every thought in her head disappear.

Paul crouched in the darkness watching the 'Slayer' and her lover embrace and share a kiss in the moonlight. Paul fingered his pistol, which rested in his lap, and knew that Rex had told him to tell any of the Slayer's friends as well. He moved forward slowly in crouch. His foot slipped forward and a twig crunched beneath his foot.

At the sound of the snapping twig, Darry broke the kiss and turned her head to face the noise. In Sunnydale you could never be too sure in Sunnydale. Oz thought so as well because he turned to face the noise as well.
"What was that?" Darry whispered, not looking away from the direction the noise came in.
As if to answer her question, Paul stepped out of hiding, standing to his full height in the pale half-moonlight.
"A vampire?" Oz whispered in Darry's ear.
"I don't think so." Darry answered, whispering as well.
"Slayer." The figure in the shadows hissed and raised his right arm, which held the pistol.
Darry realized that he was talking to her. "I'm not the Slayer." Darry said.
Paul, however, wouldn't be fooled; in his blind eagerness to please Rex he didn't even stop to think that he had made a mistake.
He cocked the hammer to his gun and aimed it at Darry and Oz. Both of them stepped back as Paul shakily put his finger on the trigger.
As the gun fired, both Oz and Darry hit the ground, diving for cover; Darry shielded her head as the bullet zinged by her ear.
Darry yelped in surprise and slightly moved back. Both her and Oz looked up at Paul, who was still pointing the gun at them.
"I'm thinking now would be a good time to run." Darry muttered.
Oz looked over at her and nodded. "Oh yeah." He agreed.
Both she and Oz jumped to their feet and took off running across Weatherly Park.
Paul fired another shot and it hit the trunk of a tree, chipping the bark away. Paul cursed when he saw that Darry and Oz had disappeared in the darkness; holding his gun out forward.

Darry and Oz finally stopped running when they reached the woods; Oz turned around to look behind him, to see if Paul was still giving chase. Darry turned around to face the direction Oz was facing, grabbing his hand in hers.
"I don't see him." Darry whispered, laying her head against his arm.
Oz turned to face her. "Who was that guy?" Oz said, keeping his voice low.
"Like I should know." Darry answered, looking up at him. "He thought I was the Slayer, he obviously had me and Buffy confused." Darry said.
A shot was fired in the distance and a bunch of leaves were ripped off a tree branch of a nearby tree. Both Darry and Oz jumped back, surprised that they hadn't lost their attacker.
"Who is this guy?" Oz whispered, repeating himself in a harsh, unbelieving whisper.
"I think the right question is what does he want?" Darry said, clinging slightly closer to Oz.
Another shot was fired and it hit one of the trees behind Darry, almost grazing Darry's ear.
"I think I know what he wants." Oz muttered.
Paul fired another shot as he got closer. "What are we going to do?" Darry asked.
"Run." Oz answered, not taking his eyes off Paul.
"Where?" Darry asked, already starting to take a step back.
"Buffy's house." Oz answered.
Paul fired another shot that came dangerously close to hitting Oz. Darry and Oz turned tail and started running; Oz wasn't sure if they could get to the Summers house in the direction they were going, or even where the woods lead but there was no time to step and think now.

Paul fired another shot and began chase again, getting angry with the 'Slayer' for running. Weren't Slayers supposed to be strong and brave? She wasn't very brave if she kept running.
Paul saw the 'Slayer' and her companion disappear in the thicket of trees and leaves; he chased after them, not wanting to think about what would happen to him if he didn't.

After what seemed like ages, Darry and Oz finally broke free from the woods, from the branches and vines that seemed to grab at them as though trying to hold them back.
Darry looked around and stopped running, stubbing her toe as she can to a halt. In front of her, Oz stopped and attempted to turn around, nearly tripping himself. "What's wrong?" He asked her.
Darry looked around, Oz noticed that her face was bathed in the orange glow of the streetlights, causing her eyes to sparkle.
Darry finally got her bearings. "We're on Main Street." Darry said, turning to face the woods and then Oz. "Buffy's house is half a block from here." She added.
"Then lets go." Oz suggested, glancing over at the woods.
Darry seemed to ignore Oz and peered deeper into the woods. "I think we might have lost him." She said.
"Well, I still vote we go to see Buffy; Sunnydale really isn't safe with some trigger-happy guy running around." Oz said.
Darry turned to face him. "Let's go." She agreed.

Paul broke out of the confinement of the woods just as Darry and Oz disappeared around a corner, not running anymore but walking at a slow jog. Paul grimaced as we pulled a thorn out of his hand, watching the blood trickle down his hand and onto the metal of the gun.
Soon, he thought to himself, it would be the Slayer's blood that ran.

Darry and Oz finally reached the Summers house and entered through the back door just as they always would. Buffy nearly jumped out of her seat at the kitchen counter because she was so surprised to have them enter.
"Darry. And Oz?" Buffy said, giving him the once-over. She looked over at Darry and then at Oz again, who both had leaves and twigs tangled in their clothes and hair. "What happened to you?" Buffy asked.
Darry slowed her breathing to normal and looked at the Slayer. "Some guy, who should have his third amendment rights violated, just chased Oz and I from Weatherly Park to here." Darry answered, pulling a twig out of her hair.
"Did we mention that he was majorly gun happy?" Darry added, dropping the twig to the kitchen floor with disgust.
"Okay, some guy just chased you and Oz with a gun and you have no idea why?" Buffy asked, trying to get the story straight.
"That's pretty much it." Oz said.
Buffy was about to ask a question when a shot rang out in the distance and was followed by yelling. Buffy couldn't make out all the words but she was sure that someone was yelling: 'Slayer come out and die' or pretty close to that.
"I'm pretty sure that's him." Darry said and crossed her arms across her chest.
"Well, he wants the Slayer, he's going to get a Slayer. One pissed off Slayer." Buffy said.

Paul stopped shouting when the front door of 1630 Revollo Drive opened and a tall, attractive girl stepped out. "Stop yelling, there are people trying to sleep you know." She said.
"Send out the Slayer." Paul demanded, making sure the girl could see his gun.
"Well, if you wanted the Slayer, you should have sent a nice gift basket; yelling outside her door just doesn't get to a girl the way it used to." Buffy said.
Paul frowned at the girl's remark. "Where is the Slayer?" He asked.
"Right here." Buffy said and pointed to herself with great flourish.
Paul looked confused but then raised the gun, pointing it at Buffy's head. Buffy jumped off the front stoop as the gun went off. The bullet buried itself in the front door, chipping the wood and paint.
Buffy landed on her feet in front of Paul and kicked the gun out of his hand, breaking the bones in the process. She pushed Paul to the ground and pinned him.
"You're paying for that door mister." Buffy said, shoving his shoulders into the pavement, grinding the bones together.
Paul grunted in pain and tried to push Buffy off but couldn't. "Now, who do you work for?" Buffy asked. "And why the hell did you decided to attack my friends?" She added.
Paul groaned. "I will never betray my master." He answered.
Buffy released Paul and stood up. "Okay, well you tell your master never to mess with my friends again. If you want to kill a Slayer, kill a Slayer, don't spend time chasing my friends." Buffy said and kicked Paul in the stomach as he stood up.
Paul grunted and doubled over, grabbing his stomach. "You tell him that, okay?" Buffy said.
Paul took off running, not wanting to glance back and to see Buffy. Buffy smiled in satisfaction; another problem done in by the Slayer.

Paul nervously looked up at Rex as the warlock paced the floor; Rex hadn't said a word since Paul had returned to tell him that he had failed. Paul was very afraid of what those words might be, once they were spoken.
Rex turned to face him. "I see you quake in fear Paul, and that you should." Rex said as he placed his hands in his pockets.
"Paul, I need not waste time killing you but I know someone who will." Rex said and raised his hands, sliding his hands out of his pockets. He chanted a verse in Latin and Paul felt as though he was thrown into a kiln. His whole body surged with pain; he felt his body and soul depart and the next thing he remembered was endless pain.
Rex disposed of Paul's body with a simple glamour and then turned to reguard the Urn on his table.
"The time as come." He whispered.

Once Paul was gone and Buffy had managed to pull the bullet out of the door, she and the other members of the Summers house were sitting in the living room, discussing all the events of the day.
Not only was everyone asking Oz questions but Buffy was also discussing the events of the night.
"Well, whatever was up with that guy one thing is for sure: there is a new evil heading our way." Buffy said.