A demon with a sword swung at Buffy as another spun around, its foot aimed at her head. She stepped outside the kick and pushed the foot further around. The first demon was startled when the sword went through his ally, and was only a bit less startled when his ally's foot clocked him in the head. He dropped his sword, and Buffy grabbed it before it hit the floor. "Thanks!" she said, running it through.

With the ease of Errol Flynn wielding a tin broadsword, Buffy held the demons at bay, hewing to the left and right. Giles stood behind her, brandishing the torch at the demons that would approach from the rear. "Status quo isn't my gig, Giles," Buffy exclaimed. "We have to get out of here."

Eight or nine monsters were peeling away from the wall, and more were starting to grow.  They seemed to be everywhere.  Just then the door burst open. After a second that lasted forever, Skip and Xander walked into the room, the others right behind.  Skip took a defensive posture, but Xander launched himself at the nearest pile of slime, knocking it, and himself, to the floor.  "Slimeballs," he groaned.  "Why did it have to be slimeballs?"

Hearing the sounds of a scuffle, the others filed in.  Tara saw what was happening and whispered "Requiem" toward a knot of five demons.   There was a flash and they collapsed to the floor.

A demon straddled Giles, its leg crushing his chest, its foul breath a nauseating stench. Giles grabbed the demon's hand and pushed with all his might, but the claw slipped closer and closer to his eye.

Suddenly, there was an "oof" as the demon rolled off Giles onto its back. Giles saw a flash of Ethan as he sailed over the prostate man. Ethan tumbled over the demon, which had its wind knocked out. Ethan smiled a sly grin at Giles, then took off for the door. Giles began to follow, but the demon on the floor started to stir. As Giles thrust a nearby torch into the demon's face, he heard "Quick as can be, you can't catch mmmmm." A metallic "CLANG" cut off the last word.

Spike picked up two loose swords off the floor and handed one to Xander. "Here, Harris, try not to hurt yourself." With that, the vampire jabbed his hilt into the midsection of advancing demon, then thrust it back, jamming it through a monster behind.  Xander, whose minimal training was for weapons more modern, held the sword awkwardly with both hands and battered at the nightmares that came near. For all his clumsiness, he managed to dispatch several of the gooey threats.

"Buffy, look out." Buffy turned to see her sister jump onto the foetid back of a beast, grabbing it around the shoulders. The monster spun, trying to shake her off, but the teen dug her hands in deeper. Xander spun, raising his sword high overhead and brained the hideous creature with the flat of the blade. As it crumpled to the floor, Dawn kicked and kicked and kicked it until it was quite dead.

A claw ripped through Anya's sleeve. A thin line of blood seeped into the fabric. "Damn," she shouted. Her fist pounded into the demon's chest. "That blouse..." Her knee drove into its falling chin.  "Cost me $80!" Her arm arched out and the demon clutched at its unexpectedly empty chest cavity.

Light sputtered from the torches as the battle raged across the room.  Claws were raised, fists flew, and the clang of sword on sword rang through the chamber.  There was a flash of silver as a sword flew into a wall and clattered on the floor.  The lower part of a demon's hand was still attached.  Before it could even register shock, Buffy bisected it at the waist.

The last demon oozed back into the wall. "This way," Skip called, "and hurry."   He rounded the corner and stopped short. There was a pile-up as the others skidded to a stop. "Oh, bloody hell," said Spike. "It's that damned wanker."

Quentin Travers stood on the far side of the portal muttering.  He moved his fingers in small, almost intimate gestures.  The edge of the portal flamed in unnatural combinations of pinks and purples.  Travers turned to look at the approaching group. To his customary air of smug superiority was added a touch of bitter contempt.

"Well, well, Miss Summers, mission accomplished, eh? I'm impressed. I wouldn't have thought it possible. Not that it makes any difference now. None of you are leaving."

"You knew all about this, didn't you," said an incredulous Buffy. "You knew all about it from the start. That's why you wouldn't help us."

"The Council keeps close track of all disturbances in this reality. We knew something unnatural had occurred, and when you arrived at my office with your demands, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. Especially knowing that Ethan Rayne was on the loose. Where is he, by the way? Lose him somewhere down there?"

"He knew about Ethan, too," said Xander. "Hell, he probably arranged for his escape in the first place!"

"That's quite an accusation, young man," said Travers. "And very difficult to prove. Let's just say that I knew where he was being held, and let it be known that the Council wouldn't be concerned if he escaped. Not that Rayne knew about that. He thinks he got away on his own. Not as bright as he thinks he is. And far too untrustworthy for The Council to work with."

Giles glared at Travers, unable to hide his revulsion. "That's what this is all about, isn't it, Quentin? Who The Council, or at least you, want to work with. You knew Ethan would come after me, and Buffy. You figured you'd use him to get rid of us, all the while keeping your hands nice and clean."

"Damned right!" said Quentin, the bitter contempt now overriding any other emotion. "Who are you to defy me the way you do?! And you," he cried, turning to Buffy, "who are you to say that you'll ALLOW The Council to be part of YOUR operations?! Slayers are replaceable, and you are about to be replaced. If the one in prison isn't properly grateful for our securing her release, she can be disposed of as well. The Council is where the power lies, not you."

"Not exactly." Skip stepped forward, still brandishing the sword he'd taken from one of the Hell demons. "The Council holds its power in trust from The Powers That Be. It's not for you to decide who The Slayer should be, or to cast anyone unjustly into Hell." He looked grimly at Travers. "They're going to take a very dim view of this."

Quentin sneered. "If they do, then let them take some action for once."

Quentin resumed the spell. The exit started shrinking. Suddenly, a thick arrow thwacked down less than a yard from his feet. The flame it carried spurted onto the dry grass and ringed around Quentin in a heartbeat. Quickly, he jumped the only way open to him -- into the portal.

The passage cleared, the gang headed for the exit. "Step aside, Quentin," said Buffy. "You can stay here, or come with us. Either way, you've lost."

"NO!" cried Quentin, and furiously flew at her. But before she could react, Skip lunged forward, running his sword through Travers in a single stroke, then just as quickly pulling it out. Travers fell forward, dead.

A dark hand thrust through the portal. Olivia helped Buffy through the portal, which was now not much larger than the width of Buffy's shoulders.  Together, they pulled out the others, Skip pushing from the other direction.  As Dawn, the last before Skip, started through, the ring shrank to encircle her waist.  Xander grabbed her arm below Olivia and Giles grabbed below Buffy.  The two witches held hands and focused on not letting the portal collapse further.  With a mighty collective grunt, there was a short loud "POP" and Dawn was free.  Skip shouted, "I'll find my own way out," as the ring pulsed once more and vanished.

At Olivia's feet was an unloaded crossbow.  "Nobody hurts my boyfriend!" Olivia explained. "As I was leaving, I saw Travers approaching.  It seemed odd that he would be here, after claiming that he knew nothing about this.  So I got the crossbow that RG," she smiled at Giles, "always hides in the trunk."

"How did you learn to use it?" Giles asked.

"How do you think?  By watching you."

Dawn looked back at where the portal had been.  She was startled to see Skip standing in its place. He shrugged and smiled, "I told you I'd find my own way out."

She shuddered as she thought how narrow their escape had been, and then asked him, "Can you just kill people like that?"

Skip shrugged.  "Oh yeah. It's all part of working for The Powers. You have free license to do whatever needs doing."

"Kinda like James Bond." Xander offered.

Skip considered this. "Sure. Well, Connery anyway. I don't mind Brosnan, but those guys in-between, what were they thinking?!"