Chapter 5: Resurrection's a pain in the ass
Methos awoke to find himself being dragged along cold concrete. A dull throbbing from what seemed like an uncountable number of bullet holes in his chest was the second thing he noticed, and was all he could concentrate on. The two men dragging him noticed he was awake and hoisted him to his feet so he could walk. They didn't however release his arms from their tight grip.
From his surroundings he guessed that he was in an abandoned factory that immortals tended to favor for their battles to the death. He didn't feel that buzzing sensation at the back of his neck that signified an immortals presence. If it was an immortal responsible, they weren't on the premises.
His captives eventually lead him to the upstairs office where he came face to face with the most horrifying vampire he had ever seen. Deep lines were etched into its face, and its fangs hung slightly out of its mouth. The vampire looked worse, if that was possible, then the Master had during his final days in Sunnydale. However this vampire wasn't a slim lankly man like the Master was nor was he bald. This vampire had thick long hair that was tied back, and a large strong build. He looked more like a giant, towering over Methos' 6 feet.
The glowing yellow intelligent eyes of the vampire looked Methos over once or twice then curled its mouth into a frightening looking smile that make him even more terrifying.
"Funny, I expected you to be taller." Its voice had an oddly gentle sound for one so big.
The vampire held out its hand and one of the vampires still holding Methos handed him Methos' coat. Quickly it threw the trench coat and appraised the weapon, which was hidden within. He held it out and moved it about, testing its weight, and then smiled once more at the immortal.
"An Ivanhoe. You're quite the traditionalist. Most of your kind prefers smaller more lightweight swords."
Methos was silent.
"You know I've been wanting to meet you for quite sometime now."
"Why is that now?" Methos finally spoke.
"Because you are the only other person left on this earth aside from myself who was infamous enough to make it into the bible."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Revelation 6:8 'I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague.'"
The vampire walked over to Methos so he could stand face to face with the immortal.
"I wouldn't say we were given power, more like we took power."
"Exactly. That is why I want you Methos."
"Sorry, I got over my angry adolescence along time ago."
"Come on, don't you miss it? The killing, the destruction, bringing those who would oppose you to their knees. The power." The vampire's eyes lit up as he ranted.
"I've heard this tune too many times before. In fact I heard them from Kronos not too long ago. He wanted to restart up the old band, relive the glory days. But those days are long over, and he is now dead along with the rest of the Four Horsemen."
"I'm not proposing you paint your face blue and mount a horse again. I want your cunning, and your resourcefulness in my organization. I'm so tired of seeing my kind reduced to little more then thugs. Have you seen the vampires around this area?" He said the last statement with a little bit of disgust.
"The Master. Darla. Angelus. Drusilla. Spike. Now they were vampires. They were cleaver, and they were feared throughout the world. I want people like that working for me."
This time it was Methos who smiled.
"People like them? The Slayer killed the Master. Angelus was given his back his soul, twice, and sent to Hell. Spike is the whipping boy of the Slayer, the same Slayer, I might add, that killed the Master and sent Angelus to Hell."
"True, but they were young. Even the Master by our standards was but a child. What do you say? Join me."
"And who are you?" Methos questioned.
"I am the first child born on this earth."
What did that mean? Then Methos thought about it. He had mentioned being in the Bible, just like he said that the Master, a vampire at least a 15 hundred years old, was young compared to him. It suddenly all made sense.
"Cain."
The vampire smiled, and lunged at the immortal, who was powerless to stop the oldest creature on earth from draining him dry.
***
Buffy and the rest of the gang, not finding any vampire activity, decided to meet up at the Summer's home for some post-patrolling coffee and snacks. They were quite surprised to find Dawn, who hadn't moved since she witnessed Adam's execution. She was still sitting on the floor clutching the doorframe. The teenagers face was streaked with dried tears. She sat, unmoving, looking at the bloodstain left on the walkway to the house.
Buffy followed her sister's eyes to the bloodstain on the patio stones and then quickly checked her sister for wounds.
"Dawn, are you alright? What happened?"
Dawn sniffed back some newly forming tears and looked at her sister's worried face.
"Two guys were following Adam and I, and as we ran one, of them pulled a gun and shot Adam. He ... he told me to run into the house and I did. They were vampires Buffy and they had guns. They shot him. I watched him die...and I didn't do anything."
The girl began to weep again and Buffy helped her to her feet and lead her to the couch.
When Xander, Willow and Anya finally entered the house they saw Dawn crying uncontrollably in Buffy's arms.
"Shh it's alright, it's alright."
"No it's not alright, Adam is dead."
The Scoobies regarded the sister and Xander finally spoke.
"Buffy what happened?"
"Vampires came and shot Adam." Dawn had stopped crying but still held on to her sister.
"Shot? You mean with guns? Vampires don't use guns." Willow said quietly taking a seat next to Dawn.
"Apparently they do now."
***
The sun had finally hid itself from the world and the last drags of pink and orange began to disappear from site. Soon the busy Main Street would be empty as the shops began to close. One store's lights, however, would remain on most of the night like most nights. People could be seen clearly through the window. The people were young; barely adults. They were gathered around the youngest of them, who seemed distraught, and they were trying to comfort her.
The man, if he could be called a man, stood on the opposite site of the street. He stood there, in the shadows, watching them. He watched as the small blonde walked into the back of the store in her work clothes, and was still watching when she emerged almost an hour later dressed casually in jeans and a black tank top. He continued to watch as the blonde left the story with the dark haired man, and when the other blonde left he knew it was time to make his move.
***
The store was quiet now with only Dawn and Willow left. They sat around the round table waiting for Anya to return from the nightly drop-off. Dawn had been in a depressed mood all day, but who could blame her after witnessing a man getting gunned down by vampires.
"Don't worry Dawn, Buffy will find whoever hurt Adam."
The worry was evident in Dawn's eyes, so Willow smiled and hugged the teen to reassure her.
The tingling of the bell by the door sounded throughout the Magic Shop, and Willow felt Dawn stiffen in her embrace.
"Oh my god!" Dawn whispered so softly that had Willow not been hugging the girl she wouldn't have heard her.
The ex-witch turned to see who had invoked such a reaction, and her mouth hung low when she saw who was standing in the door.
"I assure you God had nothing to do with it."
It was Adam.
Methos awoke to find himself being dragged along cold concrete. A dull throbbing from what seemed like an uncountable number of bullet holes in his chest was the second thing he noticed, and was all he could concentrate on. The two men dragging him noticed he was awake and hoisted him to his feet so he could walk. They didn't however release his arms from their tight grip.
From his surroundings he guessed that he was in an abandoned factory that immortals tended to favor for their battles to the death. He didn't feel that buzzing sensation at the back of his neck that signified an immortals presence. If it was an immortal responsible, they weren't on the premises.
His captives eventually lead him to the upstairs office where he came face to face with the most horrifying vampire he had ever seen. Deep lines were etched into its face, and its fangs hung slightly out of its mouth. The vampire looked worse, if that was possible, then the Master had during his final days in Sunnydale. However this vampire wasn't a slim lankly man like the Master was nor was he bald. This vampire had thick long hair that was tied back, and a large strong build. He looked more like a giant, towering over Methos' 6 feet.
The glowing yellow intelligent eyes of the vampire looked Methos over once or twice then curled its mouth into a frightening looking smile that make him even more terrifying.
"Funny, I expected you to be taller." Its voice had an oddly gentle sound for one so big.
The vampire held out its hand and one of the vampires still holding Methos handed him Methos' coat. Quickly it threw the trench coat and appraised the weapon, which was hidden within. He held it out and moved it about, testing its weight, and then smiled once more at the immortal.
"An Ivanhoe. You're quite the traditionalist. Most of your kind prefers smaller more lightweight swords."
Methos was silent.
"You know I've been wanting to meet you for quite sometime now."
"Why is that now?" Methos finally spoke.
"Because you are the only other person left on this earth aside from myself who was infamous enough to make it into the bible."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Revelation 6:8 'I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague.'"
The vampire walked over to Methos so he could stand face to face with the immortal.
"I wouldn't say we were given power, more like we took power."
"Exactly. That is why I want you Methos."
"Sorry, I got over my angry adolescence along time ago."
"Come on, don't you miss it? The killing, the destruction, bringing those who would oppose you to their knees. The power." The vampire's eyes lit up as he ranted.
"I've heard this tune too many times before. In fact I heard them from Kronos not too long ago. He wanted to restart up the old band, relive the glory days. But those days are long over, and he is now dead along with the rest of the Four Horsemen."
"I'm not proposing you paint your face blue and mount a horse again. I want your cunning, and your resourcefulness in my organization. I'm so tired of seeing my kind reduced to little more then thugs. Have you seen the vampires around this area?" He said the last statement with a little bit of disgust.
"The Master. Darla. Angelus. Drusilla. Spike. Now they were vampires. They were cleaver, and they were feared throughout the world. I want people like that working for me."
This time it was Methos who smiled.
"People like them? The Slayer killed the Master. Angelus was given his back his soul, twice, and sent to Hell. Spike is the whipping boy of the Slayer, the same Slayer, I might add, that killed the Master and sent Angelus to Hell."
"True, but they were young. Even the Master by our standards was but a child. What do you say? Join me."
"And who are you?" Methos questioned.
"I am the first child born on this earth."
What did that mean? Then Methos thought about it. He had mentioned being in the Bible, just like he said that the Master, a vampire at least a 15 hundred years old, was young compared to him. It suddenly all made sense.
"Cain."
The vampire smiled, and lunged at the immortal, who was powerless to stop the oldest creature on earth from draining him dry.
***
Buffy and the rest of the gang, not finding any vampire activity, decided to meet up at the Summer's home for some post-patrolling coffee and snacks. They were quite surprised to find Dawn, who hadn't moved since she witnessed Adam's execution. She was still sitting on the floor clutching the doorframe. The teenagers face was streaked with dried tears. She sat, unmoving, looking at the bloodstain left on the walkway to the house.
Buffy followed her sister's eyes to the bloodstain on the patio stones and then quickly checked her sister for wounds.
"Dawn, are you alright? What happened?"
Dawn sniffed back some newly forming tears and looked at her sister's worried face.
"Two guys were following Adam and I, and as we ran one, of them pulled a gun and shot Adam. He ... he told me to run into the house and I did. They were vampires Buffy and they had guns. They shot him. I watched him die...and I didn't do anything."
The girl began to weep again and Buffy helped her to her feet and lead her to the couch.
When Xander, Willow and Anya finally entered the house they saw Dawn crying uncontrollably in Buffy's arms.
"Shh it's alright, it's alright."
"No it's not alright, Adam is dead."
The Scoobies regarded the sister and Xander finally spoke.
"Buffy what happened?"
"Vampires came and shot Adam." Dawn had stopped crying but still held on to her sister.
"Shot? You mean with guns? Vampires don't use guns." Willow said quietly taking a seat next to Dawn.
"Apparently they do now."
***
The sun had finally hid itself from the world and the last drags of pink and orange began to disappear from site. Soon the busy Main Street would be empty as the shops began to close. One store's lights, however, would remain on most of the night like most nights. People could be seen clearly through the window. The people were young; barely adults. They were gathered around the youngest of them, who seemed distraught, and they were trying to comfort her.
The man, if he could be called a man, stood on the opposite site of the street. He stood there, in the shadows, watching them. He watched as the small blonde walked into the back of the store in her work clothes, and was still watching when she emerged almost an hour later dressed casually in jeans and a black tank top. He continued to watch as the blonde left the story with the dark haired man, and when the other blonde left he knew it was time to make his move.
***
The store was quiet now with only Dawn and Willow left. They sat around the round table waiting for Anya to return from the nightly drop-off. Dawn had been in a depressed mood all day, but who could blame her after witnessing a man getting gunned down by vampires.
"Don't worry Dawn, Buffy will find whoever hurt Adam."
The worry was evident in Dawn's eyes, so Willow smiled and hugged the teen to reassure her.
The tingling of the bell by the door sounded throughout the Magic Shop, and Willow felt Dawn stiffen in her embrace.
"Oh my god!" Dawn whispered so softly that had Willow not been hugging the girl she wouldn't have heard her.
The ex-witch turned to see who had invoked such a reaction, and her mouth hung low when she saw who was standing in the door.
"I assure you God had nothing to do with it."
It was Adam.