She moved through the cave, her crossbow primed and at the ready. Riley and
his squad were tracing the demons through their tracking devices, but she
didn't need anything like that. She could sense it. The demon was near, and
she was going to take it down. Then she was going to find Giles and beat him
up for disappearing.
She paused at an outcrop on the cave face. Bending down, she brushed her
fingers along a phosphorous yellow patch. Demon blood definitely. As long as
it didn't die before she got to it. Straightening, she moved forward slowly.
The gentle dripping of water from the cave roof was the only break in the
silence. Placing her feet carefully on the slippery rock, she moved further
into the depth of the earth, and closer to the place of her death.
Concentrating only on the job at hand, pushing back her memories, she turned
a corner on the path and then hesitated.
Smiling, she slipped into a crevice on the rock face, her cross bow
vertically in front of her. Several moments passed before she heard what she
'd been waiting for. Taking a breath, she spun away from the rock, bringing
her weapon down and at the ready. She prepared to fire.
Slayer and Demon stared at each other, just a few feet separating them. The
crossbow remained steady, pointed directly at the beast's heart. Neither
moved as each waited for the other to decide how this would end. Green blood
oozed from several wounds on the demon's body, but it made no effort to
staunch the flow. In its eyes was a look of resignation, as this moment was
destined from the beginning.
Buffy moved slightly, distracted for a moment. Her eyes wide, she cried out
without thought. "Duck!" The beast automatically did her bidding, crouching
down on the ground. The bolt missed the top of its head by mere inches as it
sailed past. A cry of pain echoed in the cavern as the point hit its mark.
The demon slowly rose, then turned to see what it had been saved from.
Another demon stood behind it, an arrow imbedded in its chest. Yellow fluid
flowed over its green body as it staggered back, trying to remove the
offending object. Turning back to Buffy, the first demon held out its hand.
Buffy bent down to the duffel bag, extracting the sword she'd packed almost
as an afterthought. Placing it in the beast's hand hilt first, she stepped
back. The sound of running feet echoed as it turned to its enemy. Lifting
its arms high, it swung the blade in a smooth arc, removing the head of the
monster before it. Watching the body fall, it weakly allowed its arms to
drop by its sides, the sword clattering to the ground.
Buffy held her hand up as Riley and his squad came into view. When one of
them would have fired, she stepped in front of his target. Slowly she moved
forward, pausing within arm's distance of the demon. "Giles?" Head lowered,
the beast turned. Tears fell from its eyes as it nodded wearily. "Oh god,
Giles. It's going to be alright." As he slumped, she quickly took his
weight. Turning to the men, she issued orders. "We have to hurry, he's lost
a lot of blood. We need to get him back to the apartment. Help me." When
none of them moved, she looked at Riley. "It's Giles, and he's dying!"
his squad were tracing the demons through their tracking devices, but she
didn't need anything like that. She could sense it. The demon was near, and
she was going to take it down. Then she was going to find Giles and beat him
up for disappearing.
She paused at an outcrop on the cave face. Bending down, she brushed her
fingers along a phosphorous yellow patch. Demon blood definitely. As long as
it didn't die before she got to it. Straightening, she moved forward slowly.
The gentle dripping of water from the cave roof was the only break in the
silence. Placing her feet carefully on the slippery rock, she moved further
into the depth of the earth, and closer to the place of her death.
Concentrating only on the job at hand, pushing back her memories, she turned
a corner on the path and then hesitated.
Smiling, she slipped into a crevice on the rock face, her cross bow
vertically in front of her. Several moments passed before she heard what she
'd been waiting for. Taking a breath, she spun away from the rock, bringing
her weapon down and at the ready. She prepared to fire.
Slayer and Demon stared at each other, just a few feet separating them. The
crossbow remained steady, pointed directly at the beast's heart. Neither
moved as each waited for the other to decide how this would end. Green blood
oozed from several wounds on the demon's body, but it made no effort to
staunch the flow. In its eyes was a look of resignation, as this moment was
destined from the beginning.
Buffy moved slightly, distracted for a moment. Her eyes wide, she cried out
without thought. "Duck!" The beast automatically did her bidding, crouching
down on the ground. The bolt missed the top of its head by mere inches as it
sailed past. A cry of pain echoed in the cavern as the point hit its mark.
The demon slowly rose, then turned to see what it had been saved from.
Another demon stood behind it, an arrow imbedded in its chest. Yellow fluid
flowed over its green body as it staggered back, trying to remove the
offending object. Turning back to Buffy, the first demon held out its hand.
Buffy bent down to the duffel bag, extracting the sword she'd packed almost
as an afterthought. Placing it in the beast's hand hilt first, she stepped
back. The sound of running feet echoed as it turned to its enemy. Lifting
its arms high, it swung the blade in a smooth arc, removing the head of the
monster before it. Watching the body fall, it weakly allowed its arms to
drop by its sides, the sword clattering to the ground.
Buffy held her hand up as Riley and his squad came into view. When one of
them would have fired, she stepped in front of his target. Slowly she moved
forward, pausing within arm's distance of the demon. "Giles?" Head lowered,
the beast turned. Tears fell from its eyes as it nodded wearily. "Oh god,
Giles. It's going to be alright." As he slumped, she quickly took his
weight. Turning to the men, she issued orders. "We have to hurry, he's lost
a lot of blood. We need to get him back to the apartment. Help me." When
none of them moved, she looked at Riley. "It's Giles, and he's dying!"