Countdown: The Four Horsemen
By ElsaF
Spoilers: We're still in the 24-verse, which split off from ME's
vision after Dead Things.
Summary: Previously in the 24-verse: Buffy and Spike didn't
break up at the end of As You Were, but Buffy's unwillingness
to acknowledge Spike publicly meant they broke up soon
afterward. Spike decided to change himself into someone she
would be willing to be seen with. Meanwhile, the Scoobies
raided the Nerds, and Jonathan and Andrew are in custody.
Warren escaped and came back to shoot Buffy and Xander.
Xander would have died, but Willow intervened with Osiris to
prevent him from crossing over. The price for saving Xander's
life was Willow's soul. Soulless Willow is now out of control.
She set out to rescue Dawn from Warren, but didn't stop when
she was safe and killed Warren horribly. Spike has completed
most of his challenges to earn a soul. He now faces the final
challenge: Doc.
"Sleepy, Sneezy, Dopey and Doc."
Dawn laughed. "I am so not believing you."
"Let me try again. Um... John, Paul, George and Ringo."
"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are not a British pop
group, Xander."
Buffy stood in the hall with her tray and listened as Dawn
bantered with their disabled houseguest. The teenager was
covering up her distress at what she'd seen just a few hours
earlier. Buffy could hear an edge in her voice, though. It was to
be expected. You couldn't expect a 15-year-old to see a
gruesome murder and not be affected.
"OK, you tell me then," Xander replied.
"OK, Plague, Famine, War and Income Tax -- I don't know.
That's why I was asking you."
"I don't think Income Tax was one of them," Buffy said,
pushing the door open with her hip and setting the tray down
on the bed stand.
"Pity," Xander replied. "Because if Income Tax was one of the
Four Horsemen, as Slayer you could do away with them."
"OK, Buffy, who are the Four Horsemen?"
"Dasher, Dancer, Donner and Blitzen," Buffy said, shaking her
head.
"I feel bad about this," Xander said as Buffy handed him the
bowl of macaroni and cheese from the tray. "You're recovering
too, and you have to run up and down stairs taking care of me.
Where's Willow, anyway?"
Buffy and Dawn exchanged a quick, nervous look.
"Um... school I guess," Buffy said evasively.
"On Sunday?"
"Oh, study date or something," Buffy said.
"Oh..." Xander said, not sounding entirely convinced. "It just
seems strange that I've barely seen her since I got here. It was
her idea to bring me here..."
"It's OK. I'm fine. I'm not even wearing a bandage now. But,
Dawn, I'd appreciate a little help with the laundry..."
"Sure..."
Buffy and Dawn went downstairs, after gathering up clothing
for the wash. In the basement, they sorted the garments in
silence.
"Um... when are we going to tell him," Dawn asked after a
while.
"I don't know. When he's stronger. Or maybe we'll get it
straightened out before then..."
They went back up to the kitchen.
"Lunch? Kraft Dinner is today's special," Buffy said with
forced cheerfulness.
"No thanks," Dawn said listlessly.
"You've got to eat, honey."
Dawn just shook her head.
"Look. I know you're still upset about what you saw..."
"It's not what I saw, Buffy. I'm your sister, I've seen blood and
mayhem and guts before."
"Yes, but ..."
"It's not that. It's ... I think I may have set her off," Dawn said.
"You? That's silly. Why would you think that?"
"She was really trying to be ... normal. But I was all wigged,
and she could tell it."
"You had good reason to be upset, honey. There's nothing
normal about this."
"Yeah, but I know that when I first found out I was the key,
and everybody was acting funny around me -- it was like it was
making me act weird too. I remember how it felt when
everybody was all tense around me, Buffy. I should have
thought of that with Willow."
"Oh, Dawn, no. It wasn't your fault. Willow -- she would have
gone off no matter what. It was just a matter of what was going
to trigger it. It was Warren -- not you."
Dawn had started to cry. "Everybody around me ... First it was
you, now it's Willow. I make people go crazy, don't I?"
"No! Dawn, none of this is your fault. None of it. You can't
think that way."
Buffy looked up, to see Xander standing in the kitchen
doorway, looking at her in horror.
"What's wrong with Willow?" he said in a faltering voice.
"Nothing! What are you doing out of bed?" Buffy replied.
"What's wrong with Willow?" Xander repeated.
Buffy didn't answer.
"She's gone off the wagon, hasn't she?"
Buffy just nodded.
"Oh, God. I thought I dreamed it. When I was on the table. I
thought it was just a dream. But she did something, didn't she?"
Buffy nodded again.
"And now she's on some kind of tear..."
"We're going to deal with it. Please try not to worry," Buffy
said firmly.
"There's something else. You're not telling me everything."
"I don't want you to worry. I want you to go back upstairs to
bed and get better."
"I'm not moving until you tell me everything," Xander said
with a frown.
------------------
The angel, if that's what it was, was gone. Spike faced Doc in
the pale light of a half moon.
"So, this is it. This time I make it stick," Spike said, grinding
his teeth. He was battered. He was exhausted. And he knew
Doc wasn't as easily overcome as he looked.
"Have you wondered why I keep popping up?"
"I've got a theory."
"Let's hear it."
"Don't feel much like talking. Feel more like tearing your head
off."
"Won't help, you know."
"I've heard your spiel already, mate. Soul won't solve my
problems. Won't make me happy. Won't make a difference."
"Never said it wouldn't make a difference."
"Whatever."
Spike regarded the little demon. He was anything but
threatening -- a small man in a business suit, close-cropped
gray hair, a pleasant, impish face. But Spike couldn't look at
him without feeling a knife between his ribs. He felt himself
falling again -- plunging to the ground. He'd failed. Doc had
cut Dawn. And Buffy had died to save the world.
"I failed," Spike said quietly.
"And you always will. You're an amazing piece of work.
You're strong, smart, fast and wily. But in the end, you'll
always fail. You were never destined to be a hero, Spike. You
don't have it in you."
"Like I'm going to take that from you," Spike said with a
frown.
"You don't have to. You already know it. That's why you're
here. The Slayer told you you were a dead, soulless thing, and
you knew it was true. You knew you weren't good enough."
"Things are gonna change."
"No they aren't. They never do. When have you ever been
successful at anything?"
Spike was silent.
------------------
Xander sat at the kitchen table, his face buried in his hands.
"She did it for me," he said quietly. "Oh, God. I am so not
worth it."
"Hey, if I'm not allowed to think it's my fault, then you aren't
either," Dawn said, putting a hand on his arm.
"What are we going to do?" Xander asked, looking up at Buffy.
"Well, right now, I'm going to call Giles. Then you're going
back to bed."
"Not feeling much like sleeping," Xander said.
"Tough," Buffy said with a frown.
-----------------
"Time's running out. If you don't defeat me soon, the sun will
come up, and it will be all over for you," Doc taunted.
Spike took a step toward the demon, but stopped.
"That's it, isn't it? This isn't about me killing you. I probably
can't. Anything I do, you'll just change into something else, and
you won't be dead.
"It's about answering your question."
"A Cupie doll for the vampire," Doc said with an unpleasant
grin.
"When have I ever been successful at anything?"
Doc nodded. "Clock's ticking vampire. Think hard."
"You're my self-doubt. You're probably not Doc at all. Just an
apparition."
"Doesn't matter. You still have to answer the question."
"When have I ever been successful anything?"
"That's the question."
"So all I have to do is tell you when I was completely
successful at something, and I win. I get what I came for."
"Yup."
"When have I ever been successful at anything?"
"Answer and win. Otherwise, you lose."
"Now."
Doc disappeared in a flash of light.
-------------------
"Why were you asking me about the Four Horsemen?" Xander
asked.
"Oh, nothing. Something for school," Dawn replied.
"Somehow I doubt that."
"It just sort of popped into my head," Dawn admitted. "I guess
I was thinking about Willow and what's going to happen."
"Apocalypse?"
"Well, it does seem to be our specialty."
Buffy was dialing Giles number.
"War, Conquest, Famine and Death," Xander said.
"Really? That's sort of lame, isn't it? I mean, aren't war and
conquest pretty much the same?"
"Yeah... I guess those biblical guys didn't know apocalypse like
we know apocalypse," Xander said with a wan smile.
"I think it should be War, Hatred, Intolerance and Self-Doubt,"
Dawn replied.
Xander gave her a surprised look. "Whoa! Weighty thoughts
there, kidlet."
Buffy heard the phone pick up on the other side of the world.
"Giles? Yes, it's me.... no, I don't know what time it is there..."
By ElsaF
Spoilers: We're still in the 24-verse, which split off from ME's
vision after Dead Things.
Summary: Previously in the 24-verse: Buffy and Spike didn't
break up at the end of As You Were, but Buffy's unwillingness
to acknowledge Spike publicly meant they broke up soon
afterward. Spike decided to change himself into someone she
would be willing to be seen with. Meanwhile, the Scoobies
raided the Nerds, and Jonathan and Andrew are in custody.
Warren escaped and came back to shoot Buffy and Xander.
Xander would have died, but Willow intervened with Osiris to
prevent him from crossing over. The price for saving Xander's
life was Willow's soul. Soulless Willow is now out of control.
She set out to rescue Dawn from Warren, but didn't stop when
she was safe and killed Warren horribly. Spike has completed
most of his challenges to earn a soul. He now faces the final
challenge: Doc.
"Sleepy, Sneezy, Dopey and Doc."
Dawn laughed. "I am so not believing you."
"Let me try again. Um... John, Paul, George and Ringo."
"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are not a British pop
group, Xander."
Buffy stood in the hall with her tray and listened as Dawn
bantered with their disabled houseguest. The teenager was
covering up her distress at what she'd seen just a few hours
earlier. Buffy could hear an edge in her voice, though. It was to
be expected. You couldn't expect a 15-year-old to see a
gruesome murder and not be affected.
"OK, you tell me then," Xander replied.
"OK, Plague, Famine, War and Income Tax -- I don't know.
That's why I was asking you."
"I don't think Income Tax was one of them," Buffy said,
pushing the door open with her hip and setting the tray down
on the bed stand.
"Pity," Xander replied. "Because if Income Tax was one of the
Four Horsemen, as Slayer you could do away with them."
"OK, Buffy, who are the Four Horsemen?"
"Dasher, Dancer, Donner and Blitzen," Buffy said, shaking her
head.
"I feel bad about this," Xander said as Buffy handed him the
bowl of macaroni and cheese from the tray. "You're recovering
too, and you have to run up and down stairs taking care of me.
Where's Willow, anyway?"
Buffy and Dawn exchanged a quick, nervous look.
"Um... school I guess," Buffy said evasively.
"On Sunday?"
"Oh, study date or something," Buffy said.
"Oh..." Xander said, not sounding entirely convinced. "It just
seems strange that I've barely seen her since I got here. It was
her idea to bring me here..."
"It's OK. I'm fine. I'm not even wearing a bandage now. But,
Dawn, I'd appreciate a little help with the laundry..."
"Sure..."
Buffy and Dawn went downstairs, after gathering up clothing
for the wash. In the basement, they sorted the garments in
silence.
"Um... when are we going to tell him," Dawn asked after a
while.
"I don't know. When he's stronger. Or maybe we'll get it
straightened out before then..."
They went back up to the kitchen.
"Lunch? Kraft Dinner is today's special," Buffy said with
forced cheerfulness.
"No thanks," Dawn said listlessly.
"You've got to eat, honey."
Dawn just shook her head.
"Look. I know you're still upset about what you saw..."
"It's not what I saw, Buffy. I'm your sister, I've seen blood and
mayhem and guts before."
"Yes, but ..."
"It's not that. It's ... I think I may have set her off," Dawn said.
"You? That's silly. Why would you think that?"
"She was really trying to be ... normal. But I was all wigged,
and she could tell it."
"You had good reason to be upset, honey. There's nothing
normal about this."
"Yeah, but I know that when I first found out I was the key,
and everybody was acting funny around me -- it was like it was
making me act weird too. I remember how it felt when
everybody was all tense around me, Buffy. I should have
thought of that with Willow."
"Oh, Dawn, no. It wasn't your fault. Willow -- she would have
gone off no matter what. It was just a matter of what was going
to trigger it. It was Warren -- not you."
Dawn had started to cry. "Everybody around me ... First it was
you, now it's Willow. I make people go crazy, don't I?"
"No! Dawn, none of this is your fault. None of it. You can't
think that way."
Buffy looked up, to see Xander standing in the kitchen
doorway, looking at her in horror.
"What's wrong with Willow?" he said in a faltering voice.
"Nothing! What are you doing out of bed?" Buffy replied.
"What's wrong with Willow?" Xander repeated.
Buffy didn't answer.
"She's gone off the wagon, hasn't she?"
Buffy just nodded.
"Oh, God. I thought I dreamed it. When I was on the table. I
thought it was just a dream. But she did something, didn't she?"
Buffy nodded again.
"And now she's on some kind of tear..."
"We're going to deal with it. Please try not to worry," Buffy
said firmly.
"There's something else. You're not telling me everything."
"I don't want you to worry. I want you to go back upstairs to
bed and get better."
"I'm not moving until you tell me everything," Xander said
with a frown.
------------------
The angel, if that's what it was, was gone. Spike faced Doc in
the pale light of a half moon.
"So, this is it. This time I make it stick," Spike said, grinding
his teeth. He was battered. He was exhausted. And he knew
Doc wasn't as easily overcome as he looked.
"Have you wondered why I keep popping up?"
"I've got a theory."
"Let's hear it."
"Don't feel much like talking. Feel more like tearing your head
off."
"Won't help, you know."
"I've heard your spiel already, mate. Soul won't solve my
problems. Won't make me happy. Won't make a difference."
"Never said it wouldn't make a difference."
"Whatever."
Spike regarded the little demon. He was anything but
threatening -- a small man in a business suit, close-cropped
gray hair, a pleasant, impish face. But Spike couldn't look at
him without feeling a knife between his ribs. He felt himself
falling again -- plunging to the ground. He'd failed. Doc had
cut Dawn. And Buffy had died to save the world.
"I failed," Spike said quietly.
"And you always will. You're an amazing piece of work.
You're strong, smart, fast and wily. But in the end, you'll
always fail. You were never destined to be a hero, Spike. You
don't have it in you."
"Like I'm going to take that from you," Spike said with a
frown.
"You don't have to. You already know it. That's why you're
here. The Slayer told you you were a dead, soulless thing, and
you knew it was true. You knew you weren't good enough."
"Things are gonna change."
"No they aren't. They never do. When have you ever been
successful at anything?"
Spike was silent.
------------------
Xander sat at the kitchen table, his face buried in his hands.
"She did it for me," he said quietly. "Oh, God. I am so not
worth it."
"Hey, if I'm not allowed to think it's my fault, then you aren't
either," Dawn said, putting a hand on his arm.
"What are we going to do?" Xander asked, looking up at Buffy.
"Well, right now, I'm going to call Giles. Then you're going
back to bed."
"Not feeling much like sleeping," Xander said.
"Tough," Buffy said with a frown.
-----------------
"Time's running out. If you don't defeat me soon, the sun will
come up, and it will be all over for you," Doc taunted.
Spike took a step toward the demon, but stopped.
"That's it, isn't it? This isn't about me killing you. I probably
can't. Anything I do, you'll just change into something else, and
you won't be dead.
"It's about answering your question."
"A Cupie doll for the vampire," Doc said with an unpleasant
grin.
"When have I ever been successful at anything?"
Doc nodded. "Clock's ticking vampire. Think hard."
"You're my self-doubt. You're probably not Doc at all. Just an
apparition."
"Doesn't matter. You still have to answer the question."
"When have I ever been successful anything?"
"That's the question."
"So all I have to do is tell you when I was completely
successful at something, and I win. I get what I came for."
"Yup."
"When have I ever been successful at anything?"
"Answer and win. Otherwise, you lose."
"Now."
Doc disappeared in a flash of light.
-------------------
"Why were you asking me about the Four Horsemen?" Xander
asked.
"Oh, nothing. Something for school," Dawn replied.
"Somehow I doubt that."
"It just sort of popped into my head," Dawn admitted. "I guess
I was thinking about Willow and what's going to happen."
"Apocalypse?"
"Well, it does seem to be our specialty."
Buffy was dialing Giles number.
"War, Conquest, Famine and Death," Xander said.
"Really? That's sort of lame, isn't it? I mean, aren't war and
conquest pretty much the same?"
"Yeah... I guess those biblical guys didn't know apocalypse like
we know apocalypse," Xander said with a wan smile.
"I think it should be War, Hatred, Intolerance and Self-Doubt,"
Dawn replied.
Xander gave her a surprised look. "Whoa! Weighty thoughts
there, kidlet."
Buffy heard the phone pick up on the other side of the world.
"Giles? Yes, it's me.... no, I don't know what time it is there..."