They met at the gate of the cemetery. Xander and Anya, arm-in-arm, and
Tara, shuffling nervously from one foot to another. She and Willow
exchanged uncomfortable glances, but that was a situation to be dealt with
later. For now, they were ready to deal with the task at hand.
"Everyone remember, we're not there to hurt Spike, no matter how much he needs to hurt me. Restrain him if he becomes a threat, though. We're just going for an interview, got it?" They all nodded a nervous yes. "Alright. I guess we'll go."
The group marched off towards Spike's crypt. Buffy was shaken and in no mood to deal with anyone's shit, and when one pathetic vampire jumped into her path she staked him without even looking once. Within five minutes they reached the door of his crypt. They were about to walk right in, when Buffy's ears perked up and she held up her hand in a gesture of silence. "Hold up, I hear something." She pressed her ear to the door, and heard something that shocked her.
"Kill her. Kill her. Kill the Slayer. You hate the Slayer, you want to murder her. Make it fast, make it good. You like the kill, you love the kill. Kill. Kill!"
Normally something along these lines would not shock Buffy, only make her wonder what kind of beastie was visiting Spike. Except this time, she recognized the voice. The right owner of the voice was standing only a little ways behind her.
"Dawn?" Buffy called. "Come and listen, tell me what you here." Her sister obeyed, and pressed her ear to the door next to Buffy. She listened for a moment, and then looked at the group with her eyes wide in fear and shock.
"It can't be! Glory's in there!"
"WHAT?" chorused the group.
"She's in there! She's saying, 'Kill the Slayer' and stuff like that!"
"Dawn, what are you talking about," Buffy asked in total confusion. "That's not Glory. That's…that's you!"
"No, that's Glory. I'm standing right here, or are you an idiot? That slutbag is in there!" She backed away and they could see he was visibly shaking. Xander stepped forward.
"Let me hear." He listened, and then said, "I don't know what you're all on about, because that's not even a girl! That's my father!" He stopped for a moment to consider this. "Wait a minute…what's my father doing talking to Spike?"
"Alright, I'm sick of this. Move!" With one flying angry kick from the Slayer, the door burst open.
Spike was hunched over in a corner, his face shifting every other second from normal to vampire. He was shaking and wringing his hands, and his body shone with slick cold sweat. He was shaking his head in a gesture of defiance, but at the same time he was grinning with teeth bared. But that was far from the worst of it.
In the middle of the room, Buffy saw the figure of Dawn, dressed in the robe she had worn the day she was to be sacrificed as the key. The Dawn figure turned around the second the door opened, and for a second Buffy thought it was all real. Then the thing's eyes fell upon the rest in the room, and it flickered, like an old movie.
"Did you guys just—"
"Yeah, we saw. What is it?"
"I don't know…but it's not Dawn…and it's not human."
The thing began to quickly flick shapes. At first it was Dawn, but it began to flicker to other things. The group spotted D'Hoffryn, Xander's dad, Rack, Glory, and a woman who must have been Tara's mother. And then with a screech, it became a woman dressed in old-fashioned clothing, a woman of high status. Spike looked up from his shaking and saw it, only to begin screaming and wailing.
The thing pointed one steady finger at them all, and said, "Get out. We don't want you. We want the Slayer."
Buffy stepped in front. "Oh please, like I haven't heard this routine before. OK, so what are you? Demon? Mind-reader? Shape-shifting human? Because I'm going to kill you anyway, but I like knowing what I'm fighting."
"Little girl, I am power beyond your wildest imaginations. And you cannot touch me…us. Not yet, anyway. And that is why you must die."
Buffy looked back at her friends. "Leave. Right now. Grab Spike if you can, and run as you can back to my house."
"But, Buffy…"
"GO!" Willow ran forward and grabbed Spike legs, as he'd now gone limp. With Xander's help, they carried him away from the corner and ran for the door. Dawn took one last look back, and then the door was slammed by Tara's magic.
Buffy began to pace around the creature masquerading as a woman. "What is your name?"
"I have many names."
"That's obvious, dumbass, I meant this shape. What is the name of this shape?"
"Her name is Cecily. She was ideal for my purposes here. Of course, she is not ideal for your death, but I have yet to decide if I want to reveal myself to you yet. I prefer your death to be as painful as possible. And that is why William will kill you."
"We've taken him away from you now. You have no power over him."
"Perhaps not. But I still have power I can use on you myself. Are you ready for this?"
"Yes."
"You are wrong. I want you to feel your death with every atom, every piece of your essence. This will be no fight, only a parry. Go now. Go try and find out what I am, and then see if you think you can fight me."
"Are you serious? You're not going to fight me?"
"It's not my intent for now, no. But soon, little girl. Very soon." The thing opened its mouth wide, and a wave of acrid air blew Buffy back and through the suddenly open door. Before it shut again, she saw it give a little mocking wave, and the door slammed shut. Buffy turned around without one thought, and ran, fast as the wind, to her warm home.
"Everyone remember, we're not there to hurt Spike, no matter how much he needs to hurt me. Restrain him if he becomes a threat, though. We're just going for an interview, got it?" They all nodded a nervous yes. "Alright. I guess we'll go."
The group marched off towards Spike's crypt. Buffy was shaken and in no mood to deal with anyone's shit, and when one pathetic vampire jumped into her path she staked him without even looking once. Within five minutes they reached the door of his crypt. They were about to walk right in, when Buffy's ears perked up and she held up her hand in a gesture of silence. "Hold up, I hear something." She pressed her ear to the door, and heard something that shocked her.
"Kill her. Kill her. Kill the Slayer. You hate the Slayer, you want to murder her. Make it fast, make it good. You like the kill, you love the kill. Kill. Kill!"
Normally something along these lines would not shock Buffy, only make her wonder what kind of beastie was visiting Spike. Except this time, she recognized the voice. The right owner of the voice was standing only a little ways behind her.
"Dawn?" Buffy called. "Come and listen, tell me what you here." Her sister obeyed, and pressed her ear to the door next to Buffy. She listened for a moment, and then looked at the group with her eyes wide in fear and shock.
"It can't be! Glory's in there!"
"WHAT?" chorused the group.
"She's in there! She's saying, 'Kill the Slayer' and stuff like that!"
"Dawn, what are you talking about," Buffy asked in total confusion. "That's not Glory. That's…that's you!"
"No, that's Glory. I'm standing right here, or are you an idiot? That slutbag is in there!" She backed away and they could see he was visibly shaking. Xander stepped forward.
"Let me hear." He listened, and then said, "I don't know what you're all on about, because that's not even a girl! That's my father!" He stopped for a moment to consider this. "Wait a minute…what's my father doing talking to Spike?"
"Alright, I'm sick of this. Move!" With one flying angry kick from the Slayer, the door burst open.
Spike was hunched over in a corner, his face shifting every other second from normal to vampire. He was shaking and wringing his hands, and his body shone with slick cold sweat. He was shaking his head in a gesture of defiance, but at the same time he was grinning with teeth bared. But that was far from the worst of it.
In the middle of the room, Buffy saw the figure of Dawn, dressed in the robe she had worn the day she was to be sacrificed as the key. The Dawn figure turned around the second the door opened, and for a second Buffy thought it was all real. Then the thing's eyes fell upon the rest in the room, and it flickered, like an old movie.
"Did you guys just—"
"Yeah, we saw. What is it?"
"I don't know…but it's not Dawn…and it's not human."
The thing began to quickly flick shapes. At first it was Dawn, but it began to flicker to other things. The group spotted D'Hoffryn, Xander's dad, Rack, Glory, and a woman who must have been Tara's mother. And then with a screech, it became a woman dressed in old-fashioned clothing, a woman of high status. Spike looked up from his shaking and saw it, only to begin screaming and wailing.
The thing pointed one steady finger at them all, and said, "Get out. We don't want you. We want the Slayer."
Buffy stepped in front. "Oh please, like I haven't heard this routine before. OK, so what are you? Demon? Mind-reader? Shape-shifting human? Because I'm going to kill you anyway, but I like knowing what I'm fighting."
"Little girl, I am power beyond your wildest imaginations. And you cannot touch me…us. Not yet, anyway. And that is why you must die."
Buffy looked back at her friends. "Leave. Right now. Grab Spike if you can, and run as you can back to my house."
"But, Buffy…"
"GO!" Willow ran forward and grabbed Spike legs, as he'd now gone limp. With Xander's help, they carried him away from the corner and ran for the door. Dawn took one last look back, and then the door was slammed by Tara's magic.
Buffy began to pace around the creature masquerading as a woman. "What is your name?"
"I have many names."
"That's obvious, dumbass, I meant this shape. What is the name of this shape?"
"Her name is Cecily. She was ideal for my purposes here. Of course, she is not ideal for your death, but I have yet to decide if I want to reveal myself to you yet. I prefer your death to be as painful as possible. And that is why William will kill you."
"We've taken him away from you now. You have no power over him."
"Perhaps not. But I still have power I can use on you myself. Are you ready for this?"
"Yes."
"You are wrong. I want you to feel your death with every atom, every piece of your essence. This will be no fight, only a parry. Go now. Go try and find out what I am, and then see if you think you can fight me."
"Are you serious? You're not going to fight me?"
"It's not my intent for now, no. But soon, little girl. Very soon." The thing opened its mouth wide, and a wave of acrid air blew Buffy back and through the suddenly open door. Before it shut again, she saw it give a little mocking wave, and the door slammed shut. Buffy turned around without one thought, and ran, fast as the wind, to her warm home.