Three men stood on the mouth of Hell. Firelight flickered, illuminating
the room, casting shadows throughout the cavern. They chanted, their arms
outstretched over a small box. Magic swirled about them, a vortex of
glimmering colour.
Drawing a breath, each one pulled a silver athame from his sleeve, slowly
pulling the sharp blade over the flesh of his wrist.
One bent and opened the box, and each held a bleeding wrist over it, the
red vitae splashing in the ashes contained within.
"Rise, Kahamet!" one shouted, his long black hair stirring in the energy.
"Rise and reclaim what is yours!"
Breath stilled. The box exploded. Brillant lights flashed, before
darkness fell. And all was still.
///
Spike paced, barely listening to the discussions of the group. They had
kept him on a tight leash since the ritual, fearing he was too weak to go on
patrol. It was nerve-wracking the way they coddled him. All he wanted to
do was kill something. And quickly.
"The reports say that a mark was left on the victims, cut into their skin.
I was able to get a look, and discovered it was the mark of the Obsek demons,"
the Watcher was saying.
"Obsek? Where do I find them, and how are they killed?" Buffy said,
crossing her arms.
"From what I've been able to gather, they hunt in packs, and seek shelter
in places of filth. They are sometimes mercenaries, have little language --
but that's all I've found."
"Places of filth?" Xander asked. "Like, the sewers, junkyards?"
"Yes. Something like that."
"Then we split up. They've killed 15 people so far, I gotta stop them.
Giles, Anya, you guys stay here and keep researching on this...end of the
world thing." The Slayer snapped her head to Angel. "Angel, Cordy, take
the sewers. Xander, Willow, topside. Cemeteries, alleys, whatever. Spike and
I'll take the junkyard." She rolled her eyes at Spike's elated look.
"If you find them, come back here. Don't try and take them on alone. Alright?
Let's go."
She grabbed a sword from the table and started toward the door, Spike on
her heels.
"Buffy?" Angel asked, standing.
She turned around.
"Be careful."
She nodded, and gave him a small smile, before disappearing out the door.
"You too, Spike." he continued.
"Same to you, Peaches," the vampire called out before the door slammed behind him.
///
The junkyard was quiet. A few rats were all they had found so far.
Spike idly kicked a tin can, looking around.
"This is bloody boring," he announced, lighting a cigarette. "I don't
think they're 'ere, Slayer. Can we go?"
She turned around, watching him.
"Yeah, I guess." She paused. "How are you? You're alright...Right?"
Spike sighed, smoke trailing from his lips.
"Yes, I am fine. I wish people would stop askin'. Jus' cause I'm not
moping around like Peaches...."
"Sorry! God, I can't be worried?"
Spike lifted his head skyward, closing his eyes.
"Look, luv, I'm sorry, but it's jus' bleedin' annoying how everyone is
usin' kid gloves on me." He stepped closer to her, looking into her eyes.
"I'm. Fine. I'm still the same vampire I was before. I can deal with it.
Alright? We've got more ta worry 'bout than my less than fragile psyche,
alright?"
She smiled, and opened her mouth to respond.
"I really hate to break up this beautiful moment..."
They both spun around, adopting fighting stances, to see two men, dressed
in black, flanked by three huge, reddish-coloured demons.
"Who are you?" Buffy asked, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
One of the men chuckled, and stepped forward, idly playing with a lock of
long black hair.
"I'm Vincent. And you? You're dead."
The demons rushed forward, growling. Buffy took the opportunity to
flip one over her back, throwing him with a crash into a rusty double decker
bus.
The other two attacked Spike. He leapt and spun, his boot-clad foot
smashing the face of the first, before landing and throwing a punch into the
throat of the other. The first veered off, deciding the Slayer would be an
easier target. It surprised the girl, picking her up and sending her sailing
through the front windshield of the bus. She landed with a crash, taking out
one of the poles in the aisle. The demon jumped through the hole it had made,
quickly followed by another. Buffy stood, shaking glass from her hair, and
backed off a few paces as they both rushed her. Her blade arced, slicing
the throat of the first before the second tackled her to the ground.
Meanwhile, Spike was having a blast. Pounding on the demon did wonders
for his frustration. He punched it twice in the face and snarled, grabbing
its shoulders. It head-butted him, causing him to stagger back a few
paces.
"Stop!" Vincent shouted, stepping forward. The demon stopped, and lowered
its head. The man grinned, walking slowly toward Spike, who eyed him while
wiping blood from his nose. "It'd do Kahamet's heart sorrow if you harmed him...
before she could."
Spike raised a brow, and chuckled to himself.
"So this is a kidnapping then?" he licked his lips. "Think you can take
me?" He bounced on his feet, grinning.
"I know all about you, Spike. For one..." the man said calmly, folding his
arms behind his back, "you are the Bridge."
Spike blinked. Not good.
"Yeah, wha' of it?"
Vincent smiled patiently.
"Well, we do need you if we are going to return Kahamet to full power."
He gestured and the other man stepped up, swinging a bat at Spike's face.
The vampire just shrugged and ducked the move, slamming his fist into the
man's stomach, sending him to his knees.
Pain exploded in Spike's head, lacing outward to his temples. He yelped
and staggered back, pressing a hand to his forehead.
"I also know that you cannot harm us," Vincent said with a grin.
Now Spike was worried. Bleedin' humans. He turned around, dead set on
running away, and was stopped by a large hunk of metal slamming into his
mouth.
Again, he stumbled backward, looking at the other two men who had appeared
out of nowhere.
"Bloody hell..." he muttered, as they rushed him. He ducked, tripping one
of them. The chip punished him once again for the move, but he tried to
ignore the pain. The other two the men grabbed his arms, as the first came at him from
the front. He pulled his body up, leaning on the two that held him, and
smashed his feet into the third man's face, breaking his nose with a
sickening crunch. The force of the blow sent bone shards into the man's
brain, killing him instantly.
The chip went off, searing Spike's head. He screamed in agony, blood
pouring from his nose. His body jerked as the thing punished him for killing the
man. His eyes rolled back and he gritted his teeth. He went limp in the
arms of the two men.
"Bring him. The lady won't be kept waiting."
///
Buffy heard Spike scream. She whipped her head to the side, trying to peer
out the bus's dirty windows, but could see nothing. She cursed and brought
her sword up to block the metal pole the demon had picked up as a weapon. She
shoved back, throwing the demon away from her, and brought her sword up as it rushed
again, impaling it through the middle.
Abandoning the sword, she jumped over the bodies of the demons, and climbed
out the front windshield.
"Spike?" she asked, looking around, cold fear clenching at her chest.
She saw nothing. The body of a man lay on the ground, his head haloed in
a pool of blood. The scene wavered as her eyes filled with tears.
"Spike?"
Her voice barely whispered through the dead of the night.
the room, casting shadows throughout the cavern. They chanted, their arms
outstretched over a small box. Magic swirled about them, a vortex of
glimmering colour.
Drawing a breath, each one pulled a silver athame from his sleeve, slowly
pulling the sharp blade over the flesh of his wrist.
One bent and opened the box, and each held a bleeding wrist over it, the
red vitae splashing in the ashes contained within.
"Rise, Kahamet!" one shouted, his long black hair stirring in the energy.
"Rise and reclaim what is yours!"
Breath stilled. The box exploded. Brillant lights flashed, before
darkness fell. And all was still.
///
Spike paced, barely listening to the discussions of the group. They had
kept him on a tight leash since the ritual, fearing he was too weak to go on
patrol. It was nerve-wracking the way they coddled him. All he wanted to
do was kill something. And quickly.
"The reports say that a mark was left on the victims, cut into their skin.
I was able to get a look, and discovered it was the mark of the Obsek demons,"
the Watcher was saying.
"Obsek? Where do I find them, and how are they killed?" Buffy said,
crossing her arms.
"From what I've been able to gather, they hunt in packs, and seek shelter
in places of filth. They are sometimes mercenaries, have little language --
but that's all I've found."
"Places of filth?" Xander asked. "Like, the sewers, junkyards?"
"Yes. Something like that."
"Then we split up. They've killed 15 people so far, I gotta stop them.
Giles, Anya, you guys stay here and keep researching on this...end of the
world thing." The Slayer snapped her head to Angel. "Angel, Cordy, take
the sewers. Xander, Willow, topside. Cemeteries, alleys, whatever. Spike and
I'll take the junkyard." She rolled her eyes at Spike's elated look.
"If you find them, come back here. Don't try and take them on alone. Alright?
Let's go."
She grabbed a sword from the table and started toward the door, Spike on
her heels.
"Buffy?" Angel asked, standing.
She turned around.
"Be careful."
She nodded, and gave him a small smile, before disappearing out the door.
"You too, Spike." he continued.
"Same to you, Peaches," the vampire called out before the door slammed behind him.
///
The junkyard was quiet. A few rats were all they had found so far.
Spike idly kicked a tin can, looking around.
"This is bloody boring," he announced, lighting a cigarette. "I don't
think they're 'ere, Slayer. Can we go?"
She turned around, watching him.
"Yeah, I guess." She paused. "How are you? You're alright...Right?"
Spike sighed, smoke trailing from his lips.
"Yes, I am fine. I wish people would stop askin'. Jus' cause I'm not
moping around like Peaches...."
"Sorry! God, I can't be worried?"
Spike lifted his head skyward, closing his eyes.
"Look, luv, I'm sorry, but it's jus' bleedin' annoying how everyone is
usin' kid gloves on me." He stepped closer to her, looking into her eyes.
"I'm. Fine. I'm still the same vampire I was before. I can deal with it.
Alright? We've got more ta worry 'bout than my less than fragile psyche,
alright?"
She smiled, and opened her mouth to respond.
"I really hate to break up this beautiful moment..."
They both spun around, adopting fighting stances, to see two men, dressed
in black, flanked by three huge, reddish-coloured demons.
"Who are you?" Buffy asked, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
One of the men chuckled, and stepped forward, idly playing with a lock of
long black hair.
"I'm Vincent. And you? You're dead."
The demons rushed forward, growling. Buffy took the opportunity to
flip one over her back, throwing him with a crash into a rusty double decker
bus.
The other two attacked Spike. He leapt and spun, his boot-clad foot
smashing the face of the first, before landing and throwing a punch into the
throat of the other. The first veered off, deciding the Slayer would be an
easier target. It surprised the girl, picking her up and sending her sailing
through the front windshield of the bus. She landed with a crash, taking out
one of the poles in the aisle. The demon jumped through the hole it had made,
quickly followed by another. Buffy stood, shaking glass from her hair, and
backed off a few paces as they both rushed her. Her blade arced, slicing
the throat of the first before the second tackled her to the ground.
Meanwhile, Spike was having a blast. Pounding on the demon did wonders
for his frustration. He punched it twice in the face and snarled, grabbing
its shoulders. It head-butted him, causing him to stagger back a few
paces.
"Stop!" Vincent shouted, stepping forward. The demon stopped, and lowered
its head. The man grinned, walking slowly toward Spike, who eyed him while
wiping blood from his nose. "It'd do Kahamet's heart sorrow if you harmed him...
before she could."
Spike raised a brow, and chuckled to himself.
"So this is a kidnapping then?" he licked his lips. "Think you can take
me?" He bounced on his feet, grinning.
"I know all about you, Spike. For one..." the man said calmly, folding his
arms behind his back, "you are the Bridge."
Spike blinked. Not good.
"Yeah, wha' of it?"
Vincent smiled patiently.
"Well, we do need you if we are going to return Kahamet to full power."
He gestured and the other man stepped up, swinging a bat at Spike's face.
The vampire just shrugged and ducked the move, slamming his fist into the
man's stomach, sending him to his knees.
Pain exploded in Spike's head, lacing outward to his temples. He yelped
and staggered back, pressing a hand to his forehead.
"I also know that you cannot harm us," Vincent said with a grin.
Now Spike was worried. Bleedin' humans. He turned around, dead set on
running away, and was stopped by a large hunk of metal slamming into his
mouth.
Again, he stumbled backward, looking at the other two men who had appeared
out of nowhere.
"Bloody hell..." he muttered, as they rushed him. He ducked, tripping one
of them. The chip punished him once again for the move, but he tried to
ignore the pain. The other two the men grabbed his arms, as the first came at him from
the front. He pulled his body up, leaning on the two that held him, and
smashed his feet into the third man's face, breaking his nose with a
sickening crunch. The force of the blow sent bone shards into the man's
brain, killing him instantly.
The chip went off, searing Spike's head. He screamed in agony, blood
pouring from his nose. His body jerked as the thing punished him for killing the
man. His eyes rolled back and he gritted his teeth. He went limp in the
arms of the two men.
"Bring him. The lady won't be kept waiting."
///
Buffy heard Spike scream. She whipped her head to the side, trying to peer
out the bus's dirty windows, but could see nothing. She cursed and brought
her sword up to block the metal pole the demon had picked up as a weapon. She
shoved back, throwing the demon away from her, and brought her sword up as it rushed
again, impaling it through the middle.
Abandoning the sword, she jumped over the bodies of the demons, and climbed
out the front windshield.
"Spike?" she asked, looking around, cold fear clenching at her chest.
She saw nothing. The body of a man lay on the ground, his head haloed in
a pool of blood. The scene wavered as her eyes filled with tears.
"Spike?"
Her voice barely whispered through the dead of the night.