Even on Spike's speeding motorcycle, by the time he and Dawn found the rest of the gang, they were already being attacked. Spike found that Buffy her friends had not gotten far -- just to the middle of the graveyard that they all were so familiar with.
"Buffy!" Dawn screamed in reaction to the hoards of minions surrounding her sister.
Buffy was to involved in her own swordplay to notice the two extra bodies. "Dawn, what are you doing here! You were supposed to stay with Spike!"
"I'm here," a British accent replied closely behind her -- practically breathing into her neck. Buffy whipped around to see stab two of her attackers with the axe he and Dawn had been wise enough to bring. He could sneak up on her so easily. Buffy pushed the thoughts of Spike's physical powers out of her head to concentrate on the fight at hand.
The minions came at them in a new wave. Xander and Anya pressed their backs to each other, flailing their swords around them. Willow was hidden behind a tree, mumbling spells while Tara supported her, watching for attackers. But strangely, no one even noticed them. Giles also had his own heavy sword and it swung awkwardly, throwing his own weight from side to side.
Spike thrashed out at all sides, trying to horde off the Minions. But something was not right, he could feel it. This wasn't just any attack. Things were too quiet, something was brewing.
It was the gleam of gold that first caught Buffy's attention. There was a huddle of minion in a circle, but they weren't gathered around someone. It was a something. Buffy fended off her attackers while never letting her eye stray from the group. She watched in horror as they revealed a crossbow and aim it in Dawn's direction. No one was attacking the girl, she was huddled by a tree, arms crossed in front of her not moving. It was as if everything was in slow motion. Everyone around her faded except for Dawn. "No! Dawn!" Buffy tried to leap for her, but hit into a wall of the little deformed men.
The thing that held the bow let the arrow fly.
Dawn was in shock. She had fallen against a tree as all her loved ones fought to save her. Her eyes searched the ground, not wanting to see her sister and her best friends in the struggle. She had no idea that a golden poison arrow was streaming towards her. The screaming around her sounded muffled. She wasn't startled awake until a black form leaped in front of her. The form shuttered and convulsed suddenly before slumping to the ground. Dawn had flinched when the body fell, closing her eyes into her own little world. This can't be happening. Please make it stop. Please . . .
Buffy's voice shattered her thoughts, "Come on Dawn! Go! Run!"
Buffy hauled her sister off the ground and began to run. Abruptly, Buffy gave her sister a sudden push in the direction of the Majic Box where the rest of the group was already retreating, and turned back.
"Dawn keep running!" Dawn continued to run until she caught up to Willow, who was waiting for her. They turned to stare at Buffy running back to where a few minions had been stupid enough to hang around, before continuing to run
Buffy returned to where the few straggling monsters were huddled around, beating the wounded man. Buffy quickly threw the remainders off until they all ran, wounded and beat. Buffy watched them disappear before crouching down to where he lay bleeding.
His eyes were closed as he drifted in and out of consciousness.
"Spike, Spike look at me."
Spike weakly opened his eyes; lifting up his hand to see the blood from the wound in his chest
He groaned, "Bastards bloody shot me."
Buffy was quick, "I'm going to help you up." The statement was more for Spike to brace himself for the pain that she knew would most likely scream through his body on movement. Putting Spike's arm around her neck, she helped him to his feet. He helplessly leaned on her for support, obviously in pain, as she lead them away.
Back at the Majic Shop, the rest of the gang slumped around the table, staring at the floor. Buffy had yet to return from the graveyard. Dawn sat away from the rest, she ignored their prodding and futile attempts to cheer up. Nothing working, they had all sat in silence. Xander was the first to stir.
"I should have went back and helped Buffy. Why did she go back? She had a clear get-away. They had Spike, they would have took him back to Glory, she would
Dawn stared at the floor, not listening at first. But the last comment on throwing Spike to be their scapegoat and irked her, and she lifted her head to speak.
Just then the door burst open and everyone jumped. Buffy stumbled in with a limp Spike.
The gang just stared.
Buffy, struggling under the weight of Spike, who was growing more and more limp by the step, addressed the room, "Some one help me."
The only answer she received was Dawn, who jumped to help when she came in the door. The rest stood -- watching. They practically dragged Spike to the counter and threw him up onto his back. Spike remained drifting in and out of consciousness.
Xander was the next to speak from the other side of the room. "What are you doing bringing him in here? He probably left a blood trail all the way to the door. Glory will find us easy because of him. You better be bringing him here to die alone because Buffy, you and Dawn have to get out of here."
"Don't let him get blood on the money!" Anya chirped at Spike's close proximity to the cash register.
Buffy ignored her and turned defiantly towards the rest of the group, "Willow can you help him?"
Willow opened her mouth.
"Magic won't do anything." It was Spike laying on the counter with his eyes closed in pain. He opened his eyes. Seeing their confusion, he continued. "Bloody hell, it's an Arrow of Havilon. And it doesn't just go into the skin, but . . . ."
"It's like a cactus with it's thorns that hook into the skin," Tara finished. "But it's like a flower in that it blossoms open, releasing black poison that will slowly kill unless the origin reverses it back."
Willow, Tara, and Giles all looked at each other in graveness.
"Origin?" Buffy interrupted.
"Glory," Giles mumbled. His glasses were itching to be wiped, but he didn't budge. The situation was well beyond cleaning glasses. "We have to go to Glory to get the antidote."
"But he's a vampire."
"That doesn't mean he can't be slowly tortured and killed. This poison could kill anything. Even you."
"Buffy!" Dawn screamed in reaction to the hoards of minions surrounding her sister.
Buffy was to involved in her own swordplay to notice the two extra bodies. "Dawn, what are you doing here! You were supposed to stay with Spike!"
"I'm here," a British accent replied closely behind her -- practically breathing into her neck. Buffy whipped around to see stab two of her attackers with the axe he and Dawn had been wise enough to bring. He could sneak up on her so easily. Buffy pushed the thoughts of Spike's physical powers out of her head to concentrate on the fight at hand.
The minions came at them in a new wave. Xander and Anya pressed their backs to each other, flailing their swords around them. Willow was hidden behind a tree, mumbling spells while Tara supported her, watching for attackers. But strangely, no one even noticed them. Giles also had his own heavy sword and it swung awkwardly, throwing his own weight from side to side.
Spike thrashed out at all sides, trying to horde off the Minions. But something was not right, he could feel it. This wasn't just any attack. Things were too quiet, something was brewing.
It was the gleam of gold that first caught Buffy's attention. There was a huddle of minion in a circle, but they weren't gathered around someone. It was a something. Buffy fended off her attackers while never letting her eye stray from the group. She watched in horror as they revealed a crossbow and aim it in Dawn's direction. No one was attacking the girl, she was huddled by a tree, arms crossed in front of her not moving. It was as if everything was in slow motion. Everyone around her faded except for Dawn. "No! Dawn!" Buffy tried to leap for her, but hit into a wall of the little deformed men.
The thing that held the bow let the arrow fly.
Dawn was in shock. She had fallen against a tree as all her loved ones fought to save her. Her eyes searched the ground, not wanting to see her sister and her best friends in the struggle. She had no idea that a golden poison arrow was streaming towards her. The screaming around her sounded muffled. She wasn't startled awake until a black form leaped in front of her. The form shuttered and convulsed suddenly before slumping to the ground. Dawn had flinched when the body fell, closing her eyes into her own little world. This can't be happening. Please make it stop. Please . . .
Buffy's voice shattered her thoughts, "Come on Dawn! Go! Run!"
Buffy hauled her sister off the ground and began to run. Abruptly, Buffy gave her sister a sudden push in the direction of the Majic Box where the rest of the group was already retreating, and turned back.
"Dawn keep running!" Dawn continued to run until she caught up to Willow, who was waiting for her. They turned to stare at Buffy running back to where a few minions had been stupid enough to hang around, before continuing to run
Buffy returned to where the few straggling monsters were huddled around, beating the wounded man. Buffy quickly threw the remainders off until they all ran, wounded and beat. Buffy watched them disappear before crouching down to where he lay bleeding.
His eyes were closed as he drifted in and out of consciousness.
"Spike, Spike look at me."
Spike weakly opened his eyes; lifting up his hand to see the blood from the wound in his chest
He groaned, "Bastards bloody shot me."
Buffy was quick, "I'm going to help you up." The statement was more for Spike to brace himself for the pain that she knew would most likely scream through his body on movement. Putting Spike's arm around her neck, she helped him to his feet. He helplessly leaned on her for support, obviously in pain, as she lead them away.
Back at the Majic Shop, the rest of the gang slumped around the table, staring at the floor. Buffy had yet to return from the graveyard. Dawn sat away from the rest, she ignored their prodding and futile attempts to cheer up. Nothing working, they had all sat in silence. Xander was the first to stir.
"I should have went back and helped Buffy. Why did she go back? She had a clear get-away. They had Spike, they would have took him back to Glory, she would
Dawn stared at the floor, not listening at first. But the last comment on throwing Spike to be their scapegoat and irked her, and she lifted her head to speak.
Just then the door burst open and everyone jumped. Buffy stumbled in with a limp Spike.
The gang just stared.
Buffy, struggling under the weight of Spike, who was growing more and more limp by the step, addressed the room, "Some one help me."
The only answer she received was Dawn, who jumped to help when she came in the door. The rest stood -- watching. They practically dragged Spike to the counter and threw him up onto his back. Spike remained drifting in and out of consciousness.
Xander was the next to speak from the other side of the room. "What are you doing bringing him in here? He probably left a blood trail all the way to the door. Glory will find us easy because of him. You better be bringing him here to die alone because Buffy, you and Dawn have to get out of here."
"Don't let him get blood on the money!" Anya chirped at Spike's close proximity to the cash register.
Buffy ignored her and turned defiantly towards the rest of the group, "Willow can you help him?"
Willow opened her mouth.
"Magic won't do anything." It was Spike laying on the counter with his eyes closed in pain. He opened his eyes. Seeing their confusion, he continued. "Bloody hell, it's an Arrow of Havilon. And it doesn't just go into the skin, but . . . ."
"It's like a cactus with it's thorns that hook into the skin," Tara finished. "But it's like a flower in that it blossoms open, releasing black poison that will slowly kill unless the origin reverses it back."
Willow, Tara, and Giles all looked at each other in graveness.
"Origin?" Buffy interrupted.
"Glory," Giles mumbled. His glasses were itching to be wiped, but he didn't budge. The situation was well beyond cleaning glasses. "We have to go to Glory to get the antidote."
"But he's a vampire."
"That doesn't mean he can't be slowly tortured and killed. This poison could kill anything. Even you."